First of all, they used to become brahmacari, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming grhastha. Celibacy, brahmacari, then grhastha

Expressions researched:
"First of all, they used to become brahmacārī, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

There is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa, or God, has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are . . . why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārī, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now.

720415 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Auckland

Kṛṣṇa says: "First of all surrender. Then try to understand." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi (BG 18.66). When you surrender, and by that surrendering process, when you are free from the resultant action of sinful activities, then you can appreciate God. Not that God is my order-supplier, "Please come. I will see You." No. Yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ janānāṁ puṇya. You are reading Bhagavad-gītā. You know all these things.

yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ

janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām

te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā

bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ

(BG 7.28)

These things are there in the Bhagavad-gītā. One who is completely free from the resultant action of sinful activities, they can be engaged fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

So these students are being trained how to become free from sinful activities. They are forbidden not to have illicit sex. These are four pillars of sinful activity: illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication and gambling. Yatra pāpaś catur-vidhā. These are exactly to the injunction of the Vedas. So if we purify ourself . . . in the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna appreciates Kṛṣṇa, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). How you can approach the pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān without being pavitra?

So there is a process to appreciate whether Kṛṣṇa, or God, has form. Unless we adopt the form, superficially it is not possible. I see otherwise there are . . . why so many process of bhajana-sādhana if it is so cheap that we can immediately understand what is God? No. And the Veda says, tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). That was our system. First of all, they used to become brahmacārī, to become most obedient servant of the spiritual master before becoming gṛhastha. Celibacy, brahmacārī, then gṛhastha. So these things are all lost now. Therefore the śāstra says:

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra with your tongue. Take prasādam of Kṛṣṇa. You will gradually develop your Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and you will understand what is God. That is the process.