Yoganandji recommended an Affirmation to attract perferct soulmate. "Heavnly Father, Bless me that I choose my life companion according to thy law of perfect soul union". Here are we affirming that we choose a perfect soul mate? Or are are asking for divine help so that he arranges for us perfect mate?Affirmation is something when we want to chnage our habits?? And when we ask for divine help should it not be a prayer.?Please suggest why PY recommneded affirming instead of praying in this case
—KP, India
Yogananda explained that a spiritual marriage is primarily one in which the soul qualities and aspirations of each are supported, reflected, and encouraged, one to another.
By contrast, a merely human or egoic marriage is one based upon superficial attraction or compatibility, whether physical, mental, or merely social.
The “law of perfect soul union” is a reference to the magnetic attraction of respective, supportive or complementary soul qualities between two people. His reference is not necessarily to the concept of “soul mate” nor certainly not to any concept of “perfect mate.”
You see, our desire for human love is, itself, flawed because to whatever degree we feel the need for personal fulfillment or attraction to the opposite sex is the degree to which we are looking outside our Self for competion.
Nonetheless this need is deeply rooted in ego consciousness and cannot be wished away. We must therefore “work it out” and discover for our Selves where our true happiness lies. Thus it is that affirming or praying that we attract a companion who will help us grow in truth, wisdom, and unconditional love is the right way to “work it out.”
Yogananda gave us affirmations for such needs to help us to take our part of responsibility for our lives. Prayer, by itself, has too commonly been associated with passive reliance on God. In truth, our affirmation can also be a prayer. But he emphasized that we should engage also our own will power as part of the magnetism that attracts to us divine grace.
As a footnote, the concept of “soul mate” is a bigger one than this note requires but suffice to say that Yogananda emphasized that whatever else the concept suggests, it does not essentially have anything to do with a marital or a sexual relationship. It is much more than that. Put another way, God is our soul mate!
Blessings,
Hriman
