740620 - Conversation - Germany

Conversations by Date, 1974

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

740620R1-GERMANY - June 20, 1974 - 12:26 Minutes

(Conversation with Christians)

Prabhupāda: Cannot find?

Devotee: Yes. In German, just . . .

balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ

kāma-rāga-vivarjitam

dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu

kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha

(BG 7.11)

Prabhupāda: Hmm.

Devotee: (reads translation in German) (German discussion with guest)

Prabhupāda: Sex life, married couple, that is all right; not otherwise. That is sinful. (translated into German throughout)

Devotee: Śrīla Prabhupāda, just his objection was that in this statement in the Bhagavad-gītā doesn't clearly say no reason you should not have sex life outside of married life, they simply state religious principles, but this is . . .

Prabhupāda: Religious principle means married life; otherwise cats and dogs. what is the . . . if everyone has without any limitation sex life, then what is the difference between cats and dogs? Religion means they are not cats and dogs, because religion is in the human society, not in the cats' and dogs' society.

Guest: I agree that in the Christian . . . (indistinct) . . . also. And in the life who will come, will not be sexual life in the future in the perfection state. No there will no be the sexual life

Prabhupāda: Yes, in the spiritual life there is no sex life. In the spiritual world there is no sex intercourse. There is no sex life. Although there is man and woman, but there is no sex intercourse. By chanting the glories of God there in the spiritual world, they get so much great pleasure that is far beyond this pleasure of sex life. Something best, then you forget lower-grade pleasure. So this sex pleasure is lower-grade pleasure. It is not pleasure, it is illusion. But in material world this is the greatest pleasure. Therefore everyone, they are coming back to the sex pleasure. Everyone. Even so-called religionists and svāmīs and . . . they are coming down to the sex pleasure. Because in this material world that is the only highest pleasure.

So, so long one will be attracted by the sex pleasure, it is still in the material world. And when one will be on the platform to spit (makes spitting noise) on sex pleasure, then his spiritual life begins. That is stated by Yāmunācārya:

yad avadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-pādāravindayor

nava-nava-rasa-dhāmany udyata rantum āsīt

tad-avadhi bata nārī-saṅgame smarya māne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭhu niṣṭhīvanaṁ ca

Yāmunācārya, a great saintly person, he was formerly big king, so he said: "Since I have become Kṛṣṇa conscious and enjoying, since that time, as soon as I remember even sex life, I spit on it and my mouth becomes turned." (makes sound of repugnance) This is the test. Not that you become very advanced spiritualist and at the same time advance in sex life. That is not. Bhaktiḥ pareśānubhavo viraktir anyatra . . . (SB 11.2.42). That is the test, that as soon as you are advanced in spiritual life, all these materialistic habits will be rejected automatically. This is the test. Four things are material demands—eating, satisfaction of the tongue or belly and satisfaction of the genital, āhāra; and sleeping and to become good defender, defense measure. These are material necessity. And the one who is spiritually advanced, these things will be reduced, almost nil. What Christ says, Jesus Christ, about sex life? What does he say?

Guest: Only in the married life.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Devotee: Only.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: And in the future it will pass completely. (German)

Devotee: (translating) So even if you are married sex life, can be material too.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is also regulated. When the wife is menstrual period, so after five days you can have sex life, and as soon as she is pregnant, no more sex life. So sex life is meant for progeny, not for sense pleasure. Even the animals—dogs, cats—they have a period for sex life, and as soon as the female dog is pregnant, there will no more sex life. In certain months of the year they have sex life, not all the year. So even the dogs, they follow regulation, and we human being, we do not follow. The dogs have no restriction. The female dogs are naked, and they can capture anyone, anywhere, but they do not have unless there are certain period. (greets someone) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in spiritual life, restricted regulated sex life is essential.

Guest: (German)

Devotee: (translating question) And religious is automatically regulated sex life?

Prabhupāda: If it is religious life. If in the name of religion if it is sinful life, that is another thing. All right. Hare Krsna . . . (end)