I’m married for the 2nd time now. My previous wedding was a ‘love marriage’ – now, it’s a typical  Indian arranged marriage. I’m in US with my husband from the past 2 1/2 months, the issue between us is his mother- whom he wants me to listen to, obey and please- I have tried and explained in numerous ways that there’s only so much I can do- I cannot bend backwards and be the person he expects me to be- My fear is that she is planning to come here in March and stay for sometime. His previous marriage too was destroyed mainly because of his mother’s intervention. I don’t know what to do as walking out of this relationship is not at all an option, neither is it for me to be with his mom. I have to state here that I have accepted this guy for whatever he is and is it really too much to ask for if he has to accept me the way I am? He expects me to keep her here forever in the way in which she wants. Should I too start making demands for him to change?

I have studied western philosophy in Germany for 20 years, and the years before that I devoted my youth to study the classical piano. I now finally got my philosophical Habilitation (the grade after the doctor) which qualifies me to become a philosophy-professor, and I now feel like breaking out. I have the feeling I wasted my whole life in front of books (and I love people, music, nature, animals, laughter, company, art, dance, everything! Contact with human beings and everything alive). So I sometimes think of changing everything, quit my job at the university (I am not a professor yet), learn more yoga, meditation, do something for other people, help ,but is it wise to suddenly radically leave everything and start something completely new – out of nothing??? I am a beginner in yoga, and a non-knower in all the other things like meditation or medicine. (Besides: my latest book-manuscript is on creativity, my doctoral thesis was on art, especially music, and cognition, and I loved lately to work about quantum physics and metaphysics/cosmology, so I tried to follow the big cosmic questions anyhow I do not see how to follow my philosophical interests and NOT stay rotten behind the books at the expense of living! My life was not meant to spend it in front of books, I guess, and I spent so much time with books that other humans spent with humans – time that I somehow deeply regret!. So, I plainly do not know what to do in order to not perpetuate the same feeling of mistake again and again until I die!

What do you think of J.Krishnamurti’s “idea” that meditation cannot be taught?
Also doesn’t conforming to methods of meditation (TM & PM) laid down remove the whole point of meditation?

How can one get to the point of forgiving someone who has gone OUT OF HIS WAY to harm and scar you for his life. Instead of realising his mistakes this person, is in fact proud of his actions and looks into the eyes of his victim with an air of superiority, conveying something like – I did what I did to you and there was nothing you could do to stop me.

Unfortunately, I have such a person in my life. It would bring a lot of peace to my heart if I could make myself forgive him. I would be eternally grateful if you could tell me what’s the best way to do that since on my own I find it impossible to do so.

I just recently got married about two weeks ago. I’m a 24 year old female working and attending college. I have had rocky relationships in the past and now I’m married to someone whom I dated for a mere four months before marriage. I think I made a mistake because I never believed in marriage and now I’m in the institution and feel totally depressed. I don’t think I’m marriage material and I don’t want to be. I feel terrible about it. Is there something wrong with me because of not wanting to be confined to the institution. I feel caged now…. I feel no longer free in my mind.