In the sloka No. 30 it is forbidden that a mundane person should not indulge in hearing Rasalila or one should not hear Rasalila from a mundane person. In your organization both the audience and the lecturer are mundane persons and their indulgence in the matter of Rasalila out of sheer foolishness will result in imitating Rudra who swallowed up an ocean of poison. There is nothing immorality in the transcendental activities of the lord neither it requires to be defended by any immoral man because simply by remembering the holy name of Krishna or by serving His lotus feet one can at once become a liberated person. (Bhag. 10/33/34) Besides that the result of reading or hearing the Rasalila in the devotional mood is stated (Bhag. 30/33/39) to become culminated in complete disappearance of the devotee's lust disease in the heart. Persons who are not pure devotees and must have therefore an impure heart full with dirty things of mundane affairs will not only try to defend Rasalila by interpretations or decry the dealings but also shall be ruined as by drinking poison a man goes to hell.
Lust (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"lust"
|"lustful"
|"lustfully"
|"lustily"
|"lustiness"
|"lusting"
|"lusts"
|"lusty"
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
Regarding your enemy, Mr. Lust: I have noted the difficulties, but we should always remember that Krishna is stronger than any demon, and Mr. Lust, or his father or his grandfather, nobody can do anything provided we take shelter of Krishna very tightly. Now so far your personal matter is concerned, you are a Brahmacari, you can marry at any time, and in New York, all the nice girls, they are actually very suitable for our students, and I encourage that all the Brahmacaris may be very responsible, and marry one of the girls. Because generally the girls desire good husband and a good home, children, that is their natural propensity, so we want to show some ideal householders also. But the proposal that marriage will solve the question of lust, is not practical. Neither wife should be accepted as a machine for satisfying our lust. The marriage tie should be taken as very sacred. One who marries for subduing lust is mistaken. Because lust cannot be satisfied simply by indulging in sense gratification. It is compared with that extinguishing the fire with large amount of petrol. For the time being, the fire may appear to be extinguished by pouring a large quantity of petrol, but the petrol itself is so dangerous that at any time, it can be in flame. So to subdue lust is a different process. Then you have to take to Deity worship. I am sending herewith one copy of the process of Deity worship. Krishna is Madan Mohan. You have already stated in your letter, it is very nice, that you would much prefer to channel all your desires to Krishna, and you ask me how is this possible when enveloped in maya, seeing only material forms. You have also written to say that if you can see the Absolute Beauty which is all-attractive, then you could not help but be attracted and would scorn mundane beauty. This is actually the remedy.
1969 Correspondence
So far as your occasional agitation from the maya, the answer is very simple that one must either strictly control his senses, or else he must get himself married. If one is strong enough in Krishna Consciousness, then there is no reason to become grhastha, but if one is still disturbed by sex-desire, then marriage is the only other possibility. But if one is still brahmacari, then he must be sure to follow all of the rules and regulations very strictly. There is no place in spiritual life for cheating in this matter. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has never criticized a householder for having sex life for the purpose of bearing children. But when it came to Junior Hari das, who was posing as sannyasa but was still engaging in lustful thoughts, Lord Caitanya would not tolerate, and Junior Haridasa was banished from the association of the Lord. So this is very important that we remain very firm in our vow of brahmacari, or if this is very difficult, then householder life is the next satisfactory solution.
I am very pleased to note that you will be getting married to Jagadisa, and try to serve him by helping him develop in Krishna Consciousness throughout both of your lives. Married life in Krishna Consciousness is the perfection of married life because the basic principle is that the wife will help the husband so that he may pursue Krishna Consciousness, and similarly the husband will help the wife to advance in Krishna Consciousness. So in this way both husband and wife become happy and their lives are sublime. In Krishna Consciousness marriages there is no question of any separation or divorce. Any disagreement between husband and wife is not taken very seriously, as much as a disagreement between children is not taken very seriously. This is because the basic principle of married life in Krishna Consciousness is not whimsical lusts, but it is the eternal principle of rendering devotional service to Krishna. So I am enclosing* instructions for Rupanuga to perform this marriage ceremony, and both yourself and Jagadisa have my full blessings for long and happy life in Krishna Consciousness.
In BTG the rasa lila episode cannot be published. We are writing on the activities of Krishna and rasa lila is one of the most important Pastimes of His transcendental activities. Therefore it must be published in the book, but it cannot be published in any public paper. That is the instruction of my Guru Maharaja. Actually, rasa lila means to curb down the lusty propensities of the conditioned soul. Unfortunately, it acts differently on the conditioned soul if he is not prepared to understand what is Krishna. So do not try to print this.
1970 Correspondence
By repeated chanting of this transcendental sound vibration, dirty things in the materialistic mind become cleansed. The dirty things in the materialistic mind are the modes of passion and ignorance. When the modes of passion and ignorance come in, although the process of cleansing is not yet completed the modes of goodness become prominent. This means that the propensity of being lusty and greedy diminishes and one can be fixed up in the devotional service of the Lord. When one is fixed up in the modes of goodness and devotional service of the Lord, he can factually understand his constitutional position, and that is his liberation.
1971 Correspondence
So far as controlling "kam" or lust, best thing is don't eat any highly spiced food stuffs and always think of Krishna. Chant regularly and get yourself married as soon as possible, and live a peaceful householder's life in Krishna Consciousness.
So far your questions are concerned: Number one engagement is that you must chant at least 16 rounds Hare Krishna Mantra daily; The four regulative principles are most important and must be observed rigidly in temple life; You should speak according to the sastras and be compassionate to all conditioned souls and try to convince them about the real truth.; The more you increase your Krishna Consciousness, the more these things such as lust, anger and greed, will automatically decrease; You can surrender by doing your best to preach this Krishna Consciousness in Florida. That will make you perfect. My Guru Maharaja wanted me to preach this cult in the Western world, so I have tried my best.
1972 Correspondence
Greed is potential, lust is an active outburst.
By remaining steady in your chanting, always completing at least 16 rounds on your beads, and studying our books carefully, along with chanting of the Sanskrit mantras in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, automatically you will become freed from the modes of passion and ignorance, and gravity and steadiness will come. You can use your lust for the service of Krishna, and then you will be transcendentally situated.
Regarding your questions you say that amongst the elder disciples there are still symptoms of greed, anger, strife, bickering, etc., but you are one of them. You are one of the old students, so you fall in that group. So the fighting is among that group, but not amongst the real workers. There was fighting amongst the gopis also, so we cannot expect there will be some utopia without fighting, there is even in the spiritual sky transcendental greed, lust, envy, like that. But that is transcendental. Hamsaduta is maintaining his position of service, so why, even if a little fighting, you should go away? We should never give up our duty. My godbrothers always discouraged me but I did not give up, I am doing my duty and always keeping my spiritual master in front. Even there is some difficulty or hardship, or even my godbrothers may not cooperate or there may be fighting, still, I must perform my duty to my spiritual master and not become discouraged and go away, that is my weakness.
If you are repentant, that's all right. You have got your wife, so if you are sexually inclined therefore you should always be with your wife. You are repenting, so Krsna will excuse you. But never do this again. Rather you should stop sex-life altogether, make this your austerity. Do not eat nicely, chant always sixteen rounds, and pray to Krsna to excuse you for your great offense. You are one of the senior devotees, therefore if you behave like that then the whole Society will be at risk. By their nature, gestures, dress, women are lusty—that is their habit. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that when a woman comes to serve you, you must be very careful, especially for sannyasis and brahmacaries."
1973 Correspondence
If someone comes to Krsna it is our duty to give them protection. Krsna has informed us in Bhagavad-gita that even women and sudras and others inferior class of men can take refuge in Him. So the problem is there, the women must have a husband to give protection. Of course, if the women can remain unmarried, and if there is suitable arrangement for the temple to protect them, just like in the Christian Church there is nunnery for systematic program of engaging the ladies and protecting them, that is also nice. But if there is sex desire, how to control it? Women are normally very lusty, more lusty than men, and they are weaker sex, it is difficult for them to make spiritual advancement without the help of husband. For so many reasons, our women must have husband. That's all right, but if once they have got a husband he goes away so quickly, that will not be very much happy for them.
You refer to the word "love" several times in your letter, but actual fact is there is no love in this material world. That is false propaganda. What they call "love" here is lust only, desire for personal sense-gratification;
kama esa krodha esa, rajoguna samudbhavah,
maha-sano maha-papma, viddhy enam iha vairinam
Krishna tells Arjuna, His disciple, that "It is lust only . . . which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world." In the Vedic language, their word for materialistic "love" as we call it at present day; "kama" lust for material desire, not love. The word for love, actually love we find in Vedas is "prema", meaning one's love of God, only. Outside God, there is no possibility of loving. Rather it is lusty desire the whole range of human activities, whatever and whenever, so long with this atmosphere of matter, the every activity of the human being—or any living entity—is based upon or given impetus, and thus polluted, by the attraction between male and female, sex-desire. For that sex-life, the whole universe is spinning round—and suffering! That is the harsh truth.
So these are the descriptions of the more advanced stages of Krishna Consciousness devotees, when has got mature knowledge by development, and at present many of our students are young boys, they are learning gradually and the process is so effective, certain, and authorized that if they stick to it they will come to the right point, as you say, of loving. But that love is not material, that is our point, so it may not be judged on the on the false sentimental platform of ordinary mundane dealings. So to say they are not loving, that maybe true from the materialists point of view—they have given up affection for family, friends, wife, country, race, like that, all based upon the bodily concept of life or flickering sense-gratification—they have become little detached from Maya's love, or lust, and they want Krishna's love, or endless, full, rewarding love, but they have not yet developed to that point, that's all and we cannot expect that all of a sudden, being addicted to so many bad habits, your countrymen, will give up eating flesh, taking intoxication, sex-life, and so many other nasty things, and become overnight great self-realized souls. That is not possible. That is utopian. Just becoming initiated as Krishna's devotee puts him in the topmost category of human society: sa buddhiman manusyesu, sa yuktah krtsna-karma-krt: (BG 4.18) "he is intelligent among human society, he is in the transcendental position, although engaged in sorts of activities". And such devotee, no matter he has not advanced yet to the highest level of spiritual understanding, still he is to be considered the most exalted personality never mind he has got any temporary frailties
Your last question, "How is the sould degraded (by lust, anger and greed) when it is transcendental to the body? Doesn't that imply that the sould has changed?" No. The soul never changes, but due to his tinyness he may become forgetful of his relationship with Krsna. The spiritual quality of the spiritual spark has not changed but he has forgotten his spiritual nature, bewildered by the imperfect desire to become equal or greater than Krsna.
1974 Correspondence
These things can be avoided when one is very much advanced in Krsna Consciousness. Krsna's Name is Madan Mohan, the conqueror of lusty desires, or the cupid. Unless one is very much attracted with Krsna one cannot give up or avoid attraction of Cupid. Those who are fixed in chanting Hare Krsna Mantra and always reading the books and following the regulative principles they can be saved. Otherwise, there is no question of being saved from the clutches of Maya. Daivi hy esa gunamayi mama maya duratyaya (BG 7.14).
You have mentioned controlling lust, and this is very important. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna says: tasmat tvam indriyany adau "In the very beginning you must curb lust by regulating the senses." Therefore we have the four regulated principles at the very beginning of practicing devotional life. In this way we turn the lust into love. This is our material life. Lust is there in everyone, because everyone is actually a lover of Krishna. It just has to be purified by proper training.
1975 Correspondence
Regarding Bhagavata das, I received report that he was talking privately in his room with a woman, and if anybody would try to come in, then he would get angry, saying get out, get out. What is this? In India private talks with woman are immediately condemned. He is a good preacher, but it is very dangerous to close the door with woman, and then he becomes angry if anybody comes. Lust is so strong that if it is obstructed it turns into anger. Brahmananda Swami and Bhavananda Swami also confirm that he has this tendency. All women should be sent from Calcutta to Mayapur. No women should be in Calcutta. Woman is good and man is good, but if you combine them, then both become bad, unless there is regulation.
1976 Correspondence
You also mentioned that how can I give up attraction for woman; when you learn to love Krishna, then you can forget your lusty desires for women. Krishna's another name is Madan-Mohan. When Krishna is within the heart, then the Madan or lusty desires become defeated. If we learn to love Krishna, our lusty desires will be finished, otherwise not.
This incident with the president of our Washington temple is not good. He can't even maintain one wife. Just see how lusty he is. Now he'll dare to take another. Anyway he cannot live in the temple. If he wants two wives it must be done outside. He should maintain his family by working and give 50% to the temple. He may not live off temple funds. Temple president is generally meant for sannyasi, but a grhastha may be if he is restrained. It is not good if he remains as president.
| Page Title: | Lust (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Rishab, Rajnish |
| Created: | 25 of May, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=21 |
| No. of Quotes: | 21 |