Prabhupāda Instructs His Disciples on the Restriction of Sex Life
The foundational requirement for any genuine spiritual advancement is the willingness to detach oneself from the binding forces of the material body. Of all the physical demands placed upon the conditioned soul, the desire for intimate connection is the strongest and most difficult to overcome. To protect his followers from this deep entanglement, Śrīla Prabhupāda established clear, uncompromising boundaries regarding personal relationships. He taught that by strictly regulating this biological urge, a sincere practitioner can elevate their consciousness and experience the supreme joy of pure devotion.
The Absolute Prohibition of Illicit Sex
At the very beginning of the spiritual path, a candidate must vow to completely abandon all sinful activities that anchor the mind to the material platform. Before accepting anyone as a formal disciple, Śrīla Prabhupāda demanded a strict promise to give up illicit sex, which he defined as the root of all abominable habits. He warned that pretending to be a devotee while secretly maintaining these illicit connections makes a mockery of the initiation process and completely halts one's spiritual progress.
- I don't accept any cheap student or cheap disciple. My first condition is that there is no illicit sex life, there is no intoxication, there is no gambling, and there is no meat-eating.
- When you are initiated, you promise "No illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat-eating, no gambling." And if you do privately all these things, then what kind of man you are? Don't be cheater. Be plain.
- We first advise all the disciples in our Krsna consciousness movement to avoid illicit sex, which is the beginning of all abominable life and which is followed by meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, one after another.
- Many thousands of boys and girls in the Western countries are seriously taking to this movement sacrificing many things. Especially they do not indulge in illicit sex life, gambling, meat eating, and intoxication.
The Concession and Purpose of Marriage
While complete celibacy is the highest ideal, the Vedic system provides the gṛhastha-āśrama as a practical concession for those who cannot immediately master their bodily desires. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda clarified that marriage is never a license to legalize prostitution or indulge in unrestricted sense gratification. He instructed his married disciples to limit their physical connection exclusively for the purpose of begetting enlightened children, following strict guidelines of purification beforehand.
- Marriage is a concession for a person who cannot control his sex desires. Of course it is a difficult job for the boys in this country because they have free access to intermingling with the girls.
- A householder does not mean he gets license to legalize prostitution. That is not householder. Householder can simply have sex life to beget nice child, that's all, no more.
- Advanced Krsna consciousness student should know it well that sex life also should be dovetailed with Krsna consciousness. Better to avoid it; if not possible, to have in a regulated married life.
- The husband and wife should chant at least fifty rounds before going to sex. The recommended period is six days after the menstruation period.
The Power and Importance of Celibacy
For those who are able to maintain a vow of complete celibacy, the spiritual benefits and physical empowerment are profound. The practice of brahmacarya conserves vital energy, which Śrīla Prabhupāda explained directly nourishes the brain and sharpens the memory required for understanding transcendental philosophy. He revealed that simply by restraining this singular bodily urge with determination, a practitioner naturally develops immense spiritual strength and laudable character.
- Brahmacari life or celibacy is better, because if the semina is saved it fertilizes the brain for sharpening the memory, and if there is good memory, our Krsna consciousness becomes perfect.
- Even if you don't do anything, if you simply restrain your sex life, you become a very powerful man. People do not know the secret. So anything you do, if you want to do it with determination, you have to stop sex life. That is the secret.
- Brahmacarya means completely cessation from sex life. This is brahmacarya. Tapasya begins, austerity. This is the greatest austerity, to cease sex.
- If one can avoid sex life and the attachment is overturned for Krsna consciousness, his position is very laudable.
Tolerating the Bodily Urges
Because the biological drive for reproduction is built into the material body, feelings of agitation are natural, but they must be managed through reason and philosophical knowledge. To help his followers contextualize this struggle, Śrīla Prabhupāda compared the bodily urge to the troublesome itching sensation of an eczema infection. He taught that a determined devotee simply tolerates these biological demands, knowing they will naturally rise and pass away without disturbing the steady mind.
- In the material world sex urge is the binding force for material existence. A determined person tolerates such sex urges as one tolerates the itching sensation of eczema.
- Sex urge is a symptom of every living entity, but in the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is advised that it is something like the itching propensity. If one can tolerate this itching, he can save himself from enormous troublesome business resulting from this itching sensation.
- If they are strong enough in Krsna consciousness any amount of sex urge will not disturb them. Even it disturbs, it will come and go.
- Our business is to conquer over the demands of the body. The demands of the body is eating, sleeping, sex and defense. So spiritual life means make it almost nil.
Conquering Desire Through a Higher Taste
The ultimate method for overcoming material desires is not mere artificial repression, but fully engaging the mind and senses in dynamic devotional service. By constantly chanting the holy names and keeping busy with practical duties, Śrīla Prabhupāda assured his disciples that the opportunity for illicit thoughts would naturally vanish. He further advised that when severe agitation arises, meditating purely on the supreme loving exchanges of the Lord provides a higher transcendental taste that makes mundane attractions seem insignificant.
- Another secret of success is that when one is very much sexually disturbed he should think of Lord Krsna's pastimes with the gopis, and he will forget his sex urge. To think of Krsna's pastimes with gopis, but not to try to imitate.
- If you increase your attraction for Krsna, then naturally you lose attraction for sex. That is Krsna consciousness.
- That is our process. Just like sex impulse is natural for everyone in the material (world), but if we think of Krsna embracing Radharani or dancing with the gopis, then our sex impulse becomes subordinate, no more stronger.
- You simply be engaged in chanting all day and serving Krsna and any time there is no service, simply chant Hare Krsna. Then there is no chance for illicit sex.
Conclusion
By establishing clear boundaries and positive spiritual engagements, a practitioner is completely safeguarded from the degrading forces of bodily attachment. The profound guidelines given by Śrīla Prabhupāda prove that the most deeply ingrained biological habits can be successfully conquered through sincerity, patience, and strict adherence to regulative principles. Ultimately, this purposeful restriction of physical energy opens the door to unlimited spiritual realization and eternal, untainted joy.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Our Sex Life (Disciples of SP). We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.