Guided by the Mother’s thought that a child must be consciously welcomed and nurtured rather than brought into distress, I feel that undergoing an MTP is the right step, yet I am wrestling with the spiritual and moral weight of this choice. Because my spouse and his family strongly desire another child for traditional reasons and would inevitably pressure me to continue, I feel compelled to keep this decision entirely private to protect my existing children and our home.
How does one navigate the karmic and inner dimensions of this decision with clarity, courage, and surrender to the Grace? Would you like to keep the emphasis equally balanced between the inner/spiritual conflict and the practical privacy concern, or should one take precedence?
To bring a child into the world to look after oneself in old age is the most selfish reason one can conceive of. The one and only divinely valid reason, if one may use the word, to bring a child into the world is to help a soul fulfill it’s true purpose, to help it find its true place in the overall Divine scheme of things.
Sri Aurobindo and The Mother were not rigid about anything. They always stressed on wideness, plasticity, aspiration, peace and harmony. To provide these things and an atmosphere of love is much more important than providing house and money to a child. It is much better to have one child and bring up well than to multiply the children.
As to abortion, there is no real ensoulment when the child is in an embryonic state. It is mainly the body that is being formed during the period in the womb, especially 12 to 20 weeks. The soul is like the householder that enters when the house is ready, generally even much after delivery, often a few years after birth and, sometimes, never. So that is not really a consideration for deciding upon abortion.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
