Do you think vows made in a lifetime are honored in the afterlife/reincarnations?

[KnickKnack]

Sorry if it's not a topic for the forum, however I was reading about the topic of celestial/eternal marriage and it got me to thinking how things of that nature would, if at all, have an impact on future incarnations for the parties involved, and if vows (of this and other types) made in human form would be honored in the afterlife.

In a way, I am leaning toward thinking no, because in human form we don't comprehend the extent of the vows (at least I don't think we do ...) and the vows (esp. celestial marriage) do seem to be based on religious aspects that may or may not even be valid (but on the other hand, the people participating are believers so maybe that hold some merit?).

From what I've read here, it seems as though souls on the other side can choose to reincarnate with another soul/souls throughout time; just curious as to what the thoughts are about similar bonds/vows being forged on this side.

 

[Totoro]

If were talking strictly in the sense of commitments and vows, I think entirely it's possible. While we may not have access to our "book of plans" as it were from the time in between lives, I certainly believe we follow the plans we setup for ourselves unless something drastic occurred to alter plans, in which case they can simply be redrawn.


I believe this is evidenced as how family members reincarnate into other family members and we follow a path of learning in each life time.

 

[Nightrain]

...just curious as to what the thoughts are about similar bonds/vows being forged on this side.

From a practical standpoint, I think that vows made during one lifetime have absolutely no validity beyond this life. However from the standpoint of emotional connections, I think that people may be motivated to repeat similar vows. In other words, the vows and promises that we make in this life may be prompted by our feeling of connection to past connections, but not by past vows.

 

[Shiftkitty]

This life is this life, next life is next life. If you are meant to renew those vows, you'll pick a life where you will have that opporunity. If they were meant to carry over, we'd remember them more clearly.

 

[Totoro]

From a practical standpoint, I think that vows made during one lifetime have absolutely no validity beyond this life. However from the standpoint of emotional connections, I think that people may be motivated to repeat similar vows. In other words, the vows and promises that we make in this life may be prompted by our feeling of connection to past connections, but not by past vows.

that'd be a more accurate statement of what I was trying to say.

 

[usetawuz]

From a practical standpoint, I think that vows made during one lifetime have absolutely no validity beyond this life. However from the standpoint of emotional connections, I think that people may be motivated to repeat similar vows. In other words, the vows and promises that we make in this life may be prompted by our feeling of connection to past connections, but not by past vows.

Nicely put...


I agree with Shiftkitty, Nightrain and Totoro in that I have never been aware of or felt bound to a previous lifetime's vows made while incarnate. With that said, vows/promises/contracts made from a soul-level are matters I bump into regularly and I believe define our lives and enable us to live in accordance with our lifeplan (subject of course, to free will and better opportunities!).


I have yet to read your cited source of "celestial marriage", and simply speaking to the idea of such an arrangement, I have gotten the impression that our lives "on the other side" are characterized by an incredible feeling of love, compassion and togetherness with all of our soulmates and so not limited by the idea of a human level physical/emotional connection...it is so much more and with so many more souls and the net effect "down here" is that we choose before birth which of our soulmates we will connect with while incarnate...my wife was many times my previous wife, mother and grandmother; my ex-fiance was many times my previous wife, sister and mother among other roles we agreed to play for each other...why limit it to one soulmate when we can have all of them? I am sorry if this is entirely out of the ballpark, but I somehow felt it had to be said.

 

[Mama2HRB]

Do I think my marriage vows should be carried over to my next lifetime?


God I hope not ...

 

[KnickKnack]

In other words, the vows and promises that we make in this life may be prompted by our feeling of connection to past connections, but not by past vows

That makes perfect sense. Feelings/connections seem like a much better gauge than (often) hollow words (esp. for something like marriage, considering the divorce rates these days...).

Do I think my marriage vows should be carried over to my next lifetime?
God I hope not ...

LOL, I think a LOT of folks feel that way


The thing that sparked my interest in the 'celestial marriages' are that it's believed (by those having them) that they extend beyond the 'til death do us part' of the traditional marriage, and are sealed for all eternity. While part of me thinks that's a romantic notion, the reality that eternity is an awfully long time makes me take a bit of a pause and the romantic angle sort of fades.

why limit it to one soulmate when we can have all of them?

That's where I differ :blush: I'd rather have one soulmate (in the spouse sense).. for me, the thought of the whole 'eternal' aspect of the celestial marriages and having one person who loves you 'truly forever' caught my eye (and heartstrings, truth be told). Maybe this is one of the issues I need to work on.


I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's more of a notion than an eternal thing anyway.


Very obvious it was just something I recently even heard of, or I'd have had my head around it more :blush:

 

[Totoro]

Please don't take this the wrong way, , but to me the concept of soulmates in the romantic, classical definition is selfish, when you consider that love is a giving act or emotion.


We love and find each other because we want to help one another learn and grow. To say essentially "no! he or she is mine! they can never help anyone else!" to me is wrong in the larger picture of things.


True love is giving and I can't see it being wrong to want to help someone or let someone else help that person, if they truly need it.


However on the positive side of things, I do believe that if we have made such an agreement with someone, they are out there waiting for us (or us for them) for when the moment is right. I can easily believe in me and my wife's case that for most of our lives we were bored, frustrated and just waiting to meet each other. In the midst of an argument once when we were dating, I blurted out for no reason "well if I'm going to marry you.." and we did a year later.

 

[KnickKnack]

Oh, no wrong way taken (at least I don't think so )


I see your point, and while I can see it logically making sense, from an emotional level I cannot see myself not being selfish in this respect. I am very generous in other areas of my life though (giving to others out of my need, not giving out of excess; helping whenever I can, etc) so maybe it will balance in the end? Probably not ...


It's not that I am a selfish person in general, even as a child, I would go without so my siblings could have more; still as an adult, I still give out of my need, willingly going without so someone else could have something or even more. I can be self-sacrificing, and be fine with it. This area though ... nope. If that's what my 'lesson' on earth is to learn, then I think I am in trouble, because to be totally honest, I don't want to share in that respect. I know that's not a very enlightened thing to say, and I should be embarrassed by that admission esp. being among so many that have a more expanded, enlightened perspective, but it's how I feel. :blush:

 

[usetawuz]

I cannot see myself not being selfish in this respect.

On this topic Totoro most ably defined my view...no surprise!


But I do understand the pull to focus on that one soulmate, and from my own experience. My ex fiance, M, through a waking vision, began my redirected focus into this entire line of thought. That vision brought the memory of her crashing back into my life and resulted in an extremely powerful longing to locate her over a decade later. I felt an immense sense of jealousy for the man she married and relived our doomed relationship over and over wondering what I could have done differently. As I began to understand the extent of our actual connection and how much greater it is "over there" than it was here, what our purpose in meeting in this life actually was, and how we seldom have lives without each other, it took some of the sting out of our current separation. And my "desire" to see her has abated to the point I am happy to know she is here, and comfortable with the fact that we will not reunite in this lifetime. We will see each other in our actual "home" over there, and we are scheduled (contracted) to have a romantic and positive relationship in our next life...but this life did not include a longterm relationship.


And the kicker of obtaining this "greater view" of our soul level connections is to know that this connection with M is not the strongest connection I will experience either in this lifetime, or on the other side...this soul of M, while a primary soulmate is not a twin flame, nor my closest soul level connection! All I can think is that with M I was given the briefest glimpse of the level of love, compassion and caring one can have for another being and that had me focus on her to find more of the same...but she was simply the bait to move me to this realization.


I was able to come to these conclusions without interrupting M's life, thankfully, and we have concluded our contacts for this incarnation. I do get energetic contact from her periodically...one was a dream on three consecutive nights in which we said our goodbyes...while poignant, it was satisfying in that it was closure for now and striking in the sense that I truly felt we would "see each other soon" in that next life. I found great comfort in that.


I don't write this to say you are wrong to feel as you do...rather to provide perspective with my own, somewhat similar experience. If it helps you I am happy, and other wise I hope it was at least interesting and it has helped me better refine my thoughts on this topic that I had never previously fleshed out.

 

[Blueheart]

It is my belief that there are some vows, such as "I will see you again," that are said with all of your determination, heart, and soul that will be carried out, no matter what.

 

[Sister Grey]

I can see where if one truly believed that celibacy was the right way to live, or that one must be loyal to the USA come hell or high water, etc., that, yes, these beliefs could carry over. Not in a 'I made a vow lifetimes ago and must honor it' way, but in a 'something is nagging at me' way.

 

[usetawuz]

It is my belief that there are some vows, such as "I will see you again," that are said with all of your determination, heart, and soul that will be carried out, no matter what.

I agree, but that almost goes without saying...we see everyone we ever knew, met or saw on the other side...there is no separation over there. It is only here, with our physical illusion of separation, in which it appears that when one is gone, they are gone.


Instead of being "vows", it seems to me simply a statement of fact, assurance and expectation. You will again see those you love, along with many others you have loved in other lives, whose incarnations do not currently mesh with your current incarnation. I see it as if those you love in this life are among those you loved in other lives in various capacities...friends, family, etc. and they are dear to you now, not just because they are family and friends, but because they are familiar souls or soulmates...while you have nice neighbors across the street, there is no "love" as you are not their soulmates...they have their own soulmate connections with whom they feel love and familiarity.


I view soulmates as those souls with whom you most frequently play roles with while incarnate...not the twin-flame, splitting of the atom, other half of you type soulmate. That is another matter for which I really have little knowledge.

 

[KnickKnack]

If it helps you I am happy, and other wise I hope it was at least interesting and it has helped me better refine my thoughts on this topic that I had never previously fleshed out.

Actually, it has helped, significantly Thank you for sharing not only your general perspective, but also the personal, practical example as well, that's what helped me be able to see beyond my own feelings more and gave me a better understanding that I was previously missing. Reading of the experience you shared made it more 'real' for me, taking it from a concept I couldn't wrap my mind around, to seeing it applied, totally different.


I've still got a lot to work through, but truly do appreciate being pointed in the right direction