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Real brahmacari

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

His divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī was not a false brahmacārī, but he was real brahmacārī.
Lecture on BG 6.46-47 -- Los Angeles, February 21, 1969:

Devotee: Prabhupāda? We know that His divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī always sat very erect and it is stated here in the Bhagavad-gītā that one should sit erect. Will this aid us in our concentrating on chanting our japa, if we try to concentrate, if we sit erect while chanting?

Prabhupāda: No, no, it doesn't require any sitting posture. But if you can sit, it helps you. It helps you. If you can sit straight like this, it will be very nice, it can help, yes, you can concentrate in chanting and hearing. Therefore these things are required. But we are not very much particular about this. But he was brahmacārī, he could sit like that. That is the sign of brahmacārī. He was not a false brahmacārī, but he was real brahmacārī.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

When Śiśupāla was criticizing Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣmadeva supported Kṛṣṇa, that "What kind of brahmacārī I am? He is greater brahmacārī than me. I think I could not save myself, keeping myself amongst the young girls. No. But Kṛṣṇa can do so. He is real brahmacārī." So therefore His another name is Acyuta, "never falls down," "infallible."
Lecture on SB 1.10.3 -- Mayapura, June 18, 1973: We cannot decide what is actually piety, religion. But if we follow mahājana, great authorities, then certainly we are unmistaken. So Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja, now all the Pāṇḍavas along with Kṛṣṇa, they have come to Bhīṣmadeva for taking his last instruction. He was lying on the bed of arrows for death. So his father's benediction was that Bhīṣmadeva would not die unless he desires to die. He was a very avowed brahmacārī, truthful. And Bhīṣmadeva recommended in the rājasūya-yajña that "Kṛṣṇa is greater brahmacārī than me. Although I am brahmacārī, but Kṛṣṇa is greater brahmacārī." Why? "I am brahmacārī. I have avoided association of woman, but Kṛṣṇa, He was young boy and He had so many young girlfriends, still, He was not sexually agitated. He is the greatest brahmacārī." That is the recommendation given by Bhīṣmadeva. When Śiśupāla was criticizing Kṛṣṇa, Bhīṣmadeva supported Kṛṣṇa, that "What kind of brahmacārī I am? He is greater brahmacārī than me. I think I could not save myself, keeping myself amongst the young girls. No. But Kṛṣṇa can do so. He is real brahmacārī." So therefore His another name is Acyuta, "never falls down," "infallible."
So when we can stop all these activities - think of sex life, talk of sex life, whisper about sex life, or endeavor for sex life, that is real brahmacarya. It is very difficult at the present age.
Lecture on SB 6.1.11 -- New York, July 25, 1971: So the tapasya life begins from celibacy, brahmacaryeṇa. Śukadeva Gosvāmī recommends. Brahmacarya is described in the śāstras that smaraṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ keliḥ prekṣaṇaṁ guhyam āsanam(?). Sex life, smaraṇam, thinking of sex life, that is against brahmacarya. Complete celibacy means one should not think of even sex life. Smaraṇam. Or talk of sex life. Our modern literature, newspaper and everything, simply full with talks of sex life. But this is against brahmacarya life. Smaraṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ keli. And actually indulging in sex life. Prekṣaṇam: looking, overlooking a nice boy or nice girl, that is also against brahmacarya. Guhyam āsanam: whispering between girls and boys, that is also against brahmacārī. Guhyam āsanaṁ saṅkalpam. Then determination of sex life. Vyavasāya: endeavoring how to effect sex life. So when we can stop all these activities, that is real brahmacarya. It is very difficult at the present age. Etan maithunyam aṣṭāṅgaṁ pravadanti manīṣinaḥ vikārita brahmacaryam eda astanam lakṣaṇam iti(?). So brahmacarya means that you cannot think of sex life, you cannot talk of sex life, you cannot whisper about sex life, or you cannot endeavor for sex life. These eight types of activities in sex indulgence are against brahmacārī life. But here it is prescribed that if you want to make solution of the problems of life, then you adopt, you have to adopt a life of tapasya, austerity, which begins from brahmacārī. To summarize this brahmacarya life in this age, we have given a simple formula, that "No illicit sex." Sex is there. Sex is not bad. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi: "Sex life which is not against the religious principles of life, that is I am." Kṛṣṇa says. So dharmāviruddha, according to Vedic civilization, one should have sex indulgence only once in a month. That is the prescription. And when the wife is pregnant there is no sex life. That is dharmāviruddha. That is not against the religious principles. Even in your life, married life, if you indulge sex life more than once in a month, or in pregnancy, that is against religious principles.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 3, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Tapasya means... Beginning is brahmācārya. Tapasā brahmacāryena [SB 6.1.13]. So where is brahmācārya?

Dr. Patel: Brahman prati ācarati āśā brahmacārī.(?) All the senses. Not only the upasthas, but all the ten senses, including your mind and the discriminating buddhi, all are directed toward serving feet of God, and then he does not... That is real brahmacārī.

Prabhupāda: That, yes. Devotee means brahmacārī. Pure devotee means brahmacārī. Anyabhilasita-sunyam [Brs. 1.1.11]. He has no other desire. That is brahmacārī.

Correspondence

1969 Correspondence

A brahmacari is supposed to work as a menial servant of the Spiritual Master, and whatever collection he gets, it becomes the Spiritual Master's property, not the brahmacari's. That is real brahmacari life.
Letter to Rayarama -- Los Angeles 29 June, 1969: So my advice to you is that either you become a regular householder, giving 50% of your earnings to Krishna, 25% for family, and 25% for savings, or else you strictly follow the principles of brahmacari life. A brahmacari has nothing to do except serve his Spiritual Master. That is the injunction of the Bhagavata. A brahmacari is supposed to work as a menial servant of the Spiritual Master, and whatever collection he gets, it becomes the Spiritual Master's property, not the brahmacari's. That is real brahmacari life. If a brahmacari earns money for his sense gratification, that is not brahmacari life. Better one should become householder and live peacefully.
Page Title:Real brahmacari
Compiler:Laksmipriya
Created:08 of Sep, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=3, Con=1, Let=1
No. of Quotes:5