Editorial: Srila Prabhupada Speaks Out about Boy/Girl Relations

On 11 Jul 2001, Pratyatosa Dasa, wrote:

> Most of the following quotes are from the VNN.ORG

> article, "Gurukuli Reunion: A Great Stumbling Block?"

> (http://vnn.org/editorials/ET0107/ET10-6825.html)

> by Guru-Krishna Das

Yes, nice quotes. However, as far as the gurukulis getting together, most of them are not very strict in their personal dealings in general. If they get together and have kirtana, take prasadam, etc. those spiritual activities should be encouraged. What many older devotees don’t realize or want to admit is that our generation, on the whole, has shown our children a terrible example in regards to our own sexual conduct. So much divorce, affairs—even by so many respected leaders. Even if we as an individual have set a good example, in general we come across as hyprocrites when we preach heavy on this subject.

(Urmila Devi Dasi)

Take a look at our own marriage. We were very strict while Srila Prabhupada was running things and the ISKCON leaders were preaching purely. *********** Prabhu [an ISKCON temple president whom my wife and I served under], for example, had had some problems with fall down within his marriage, but this did not stop him from preaching purely: “I’m not a very good example, but Srila Prabhupada says…”. Now the ISKCON leaders are watering things down. They have disobeyed Srila Prabhupada’s final order on initiations, and therefore they are incapable of preaching purely.

Someone who simply wants to control and exploit those under him (or her) will, in subtle ways, encourage them to break the regulative principles (of freedom) because then these subordinates will become spiritually weak, and are therefore easier to control and to be put into illusion. These deviant so-called leaders give the excuse that "How can I expect them to be more strict than we have been.", but this is nonsense. Why shouldn’t someone who was brought up by devotee parents be able to be more strict than their parents were? Even if they aren’t capable of being more strict than we were, this should not deter us from repeating what Srila Prabhupada has taught us without any adulteration.

“It is a psychological fact that when a woman at the age of puberty meets a man and the man satisfies her sexually, she will love that man for the rest of her life, regardless who he is. Thus so-called love within this material world is nothing but sexual satisfaction.” (SB 4.25.42 Purport)

Tamala Krsna: “This coeducation is very bad.”

Prabhupada: “And in the Western countries it is openly allowed, dating. ‘Please learn this art.’ (pause) And if you keep woman chaste, then nice children will come, no hippies.” (770628r2.vrn)

Prabhupada: “Why these big, big institutions for wasting time and dating between girls and boys, and then they learn expert how to kill child, how to make abortion? Expert. Simply concentration on sex. Then become hippie. Frustration. Worship hog. Do they not?” (770714rc.vrn)

Prabhupada: “They should be stopped, this practice of prostitution. This is a very bad system in Europe and America. The boys and girls, they are educated—coeducation. From the very beginning of their life they become prostitutes. And they encourage.”

Tamala Krsna: “Oh, yeah.”

Prabhupada: “They distribute pills. I have seen the boys and girls dancing together, embracing, in the school film. That ruins the career. Both of them are ruined. That is very regrettable. Then you shall require this sterilization, pills, another big program. They are creating animal civilization, and when the animals are disturbing, they are trying to find out some other means. This is their program. First of all create animals. Then, when the animals behave like animals, then another program. Why do you create animal? Woman brahmacarini, this is artificial.”

Tamala Krsna: “In our centers, though, there are so many brahmacarinis, and even sometimes they’re encouraged to remain brahmacarini.”

Prabhupada: “That they cannot. As soon as they will find opportunity, they will become vyabhicarini.”

Tamala Krsna: “They’ll become what?”

Prabhupada: “Vyabhicarini. For woman, protection.”

Tamala Krsna: “So you don’t advocate this remaining sing…, these women remaining brahmacarinis.”

Prabhupada: “Therefore polygamy was allowed. Let them be taken care of, one husband, three wives. Therefore the ksatriyas were taking hundreds of women. They had money.”

Tamala Krsna: “Who?”

Prabhupada: “Ksatriyas.”

Tamala Krsna: “Ksatriyas, yes.”

Prabhupada: “Just like we see, when Devaki was married, so many Devaki’s young friends also went. They were taken shelter. The woman population is always bigger.” (end) (770429rc.bom)

“Social freedom of man and woman, especially among the younger section, is certainly a great stumbling block on the path of spiritual progress.” (SB 3.12.28 Purport)

“If one cannot understand the basic principle of restraining association between man and woman, he is to be considered an animal.” (SB 7.12.9 Purport)

“Don’t allow this miniskirt or minishirt. According to Vedic civilization, respectable woman cannot be seen even by the sun. Asuryam pasyat. How can you avoid sun? But it is said like that. The sun will find difficulty to see one man’s woman. Yes. Asuryam pasyat. Asuryam. Surya means the sun. Sun cannot. Sun will also hanker after her: ‘How can I see that woman?’ (chuckles) So woman should be always in privacy.” (690506we.bos)

“The Sanskrit word asurya-pasya indicates that a respectable lady could not be seen even by the sun. In the oriental culture this system was very much prevalent and was strictly observed by respectable ladies, both Hindu and Muslim. We have actual experience in our childhood that our mother would not go next door to her house to observe an invitation by walking; she would go in either a carriage or a palanquin carried by four men.” (Cc Adi 13.114)

“The high-class society, a woman cannot mix with any man—especially unmarried. The fathers, parents, will not allow.” (760612sb.det)

“Because the system in your country to allow the boys and girls enjoying sex life from the very early age makes them most irresponsible and careless…. If things are allowed to go on like this, the future of the Western world is very dark.” (68-08-08.Sat)

“The boys and girls, they are not allowed free mixing before marriage.” (680722wl.mon) “…free mixing of boys and girls; these are not the activities of religious persons.” (70-01-26.Mad) “Woman is considered to be the fire, and the man is considered to be the butter…. Therefore they may be brought together only when it is necessary. And shyness is a check to the unrestricted mixing. It is nature’s gift, and it must be utilized.” (SB 1.10.16 Purport)

“With woman you should be very, very cautious and careful, as much as required, not free mingling. No. Therefore, according to Vedic civilization, there is always a separation between woman and men. Here in India we find that whenever there is some meeting the women are sitting separately, men are sitting separately. This is required.” (760417sb.bom)

“Unnecessary association with women … is strictly prohibited. This is human civilization. A civilization that allows men to mix unrestrictedly with women is an animal civilization. In Kali-yuga, people are extremely liberal, but mixing with women and talking with them as equals actually constitutes an uncivilized way of life.” (SB 7.12.8 Purport)

“One should associate with women only for important business and not otherwise.” (SB 7.12.9)

“However advanced one may be in restraining the senses, it is almost impossible for a man to keep himself controlled in the presence of a woman…. Therefore, Vedic civilization carefully restricts mingling between men and women. If one cannot understand the basic principle of restraining association between man and woman, he is to be considered an animal. That is the purport of this verse.” (SB 7.12.9 Purport)

“Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that talking with women for the purpose of mingling with them for sense gratification, subtle or gross, is strictly prohibited. Canakya Pandita, the great moral instructor, says, matrvat para-daresu. Thus … everyone should avoid mingling with women.” (CC Antya 2.144)

“This too much intermingling of woman means the path of hell. Therefore the restriction is that only the married couple can freely mix, not others…. That is the defect of the modern civilization…. They are interested associating with man or woman, that’s all. Woman is interested to associate with man, and man is interested to associate with woman. Yositam sangi-sangam. Therefore the civilization is becoming hellish…. Now the woman is hankering after man, man is hankering after woman. Yosit means for sense gratification. Tamo-dvaram. This is the path of darkness. (750521mw.mel)

“The human being is a social animal, and his unrestricted mixing with the fair sex leads to downfall. Such social freedom of man and woman, especially among the younger section, is certainly a great stumbling block on the path of spiritual progress. Material bondage is due only to sexual bondage, and therefore unrestricted association of man and woman is surely a great impediment.” (SB 3.12.28 Purport)

“To be a playboy in this life is unfortunate because too much attraction to women will lead one to fall into the association of sudras, who can easily take advantage of mingling with women without restriction. In this present age of Kali … such free mingling is prominent. Among the higher classes … there is no chance for men to mingle with women freely, but in the sudra community such mingling is open. Because there is no cultural education in this age of Kali, everyone is spiritually untrained, and everyone is therefore to be considered sudra…. When all the people become sudras, certainly they are very bad (mandah sumanda-matayah). Thus they manufacture their own way of life, with the result that they gradually become unfortunate (manda-bhagyah), and furthermore they are always disturbed by various circumstances.” (SB 7.15.70 Purport)