Question: In some families, where only one of the spouses practices our system, a tension grows. What is your advice in such a case?

Answer: It is not without purpose that Jesus said: “I did not come to bring peace but a sword”. When we start getting detached from our old life, our old social ties start getting tense and collapse. Of course, it is better if we all, with all our old friends and relatives started to walk toward God. But it is not possible for everyone at the same time. In what are we different from one another? The principal difference is the psychogenetic age, the age of the soul. This is why such groups and schools attract people (although with some exceptions) who are mature enough in their psychogenesis (and not only in ontogenesis) to be able to encompass the information which you receive here.

There was a time when I also had an illusion that our methods suit all, that they are able to make our society more cultured. When the Communist Party was waging a war against us back in 1980s, our students joked that it would be nice to force those party functionaries to take our courses, so that they change. This is a nice joke. But speaking seriously — before starting a large-scale spiritual work one has to be fully developed on the material plane. And this requires a lot of incarnations. Krishna says the following in the Bhagavad Gita: on the Earth all people are revolving as on a potter’s machine, being molded by Ishvara. God constantly “molds” us leading us to the Perfection by placing us into new training situations of interaction with different people, with other factors of environment. And we all are being perfected through this — through child rearing, marital relationships, and various worldly battles. In this way we are getting prepared for the moment, when we will find ourselves truly interested in the Supreme. From this point starts — in this or that modification — the eightfold path of the Patanjali’s yoga. As a result of going through these stages, one acquires the ability to love God. And then, as Krishna said, God presents such a person with buddhi yoga, and this person quickly comes to the mergence with Ishvara.

This is the reflection of psychogenesis. But all of us, before awakening spiritual, established a lot of social links needed then, but unneeded now. We grew through these relationships, matured, getting to know other people and ourselves. Through them we developed our intellect, grew stronger, sown the seeds of love in ourselves. In such a way we built a kind of “material” foundation, from which we can make our spiritual take-off.

And now we are trying to fly up, but... find ourselves tied to that foundation. And it is far from being easy — for many reasons — to free oneself from these ties, for there are not only our personal attachments here, but also real debts, which we must repay. But it takes time. It also turns out that our former companions do not feel like letting us go.

So, when we awaken spiritually, a struggle starts not only within ourselves, but from the side of other people as well. People of low levels of development usually do not tolerate those who strive to change. “Why you don’t want to have a drink with me?! Don’t you respect me?!” — this is their typical formula.

I observed the following case. A son quitted drinking hard with his father. And the latter began writing complaints to the regional committee of the Communist Party and other instances that this Antonov “breaks up families”! From that moment, a lot of problems came to my life, and I endured much because of them.

When we start awakening spiritually, our natural urge is to share our discoveries with our friends. But while we find some people understanding us (though not always accompanied with a desire to go with us), in case of others we see opposition and hostility. This is a good opportunity for us, since it enables us to start a new stage of studying people. We all have to become psychologists on our Path to the Perfection.

Some time in the future every one of us will attain the state of Brahman. So what is the role of Brahman in the Creation? From His Divine level Brahman directs all incarnate beings in their development, realizing their destinies. It is Brahman who realizes our karmas.

With His Love — in particular, through blessing grace — He encourages all manifestation of love in all creatures. Hence, it is clear what refined psychologists we have to become to merge into Him! And what our love should become.

Yes, we encounter hardships now. But through them we can begin a new stage of perfecting Love, Wisdom, and Power.