The brāhmaṇas continued: "According to Vedic injunction, women are not allowed to undergo the purificatory process of initiation by the sacred thread, nor are they allowed to live as brahmacāriṇīs in the āśrama of the spiritual master, nor are they advised to undergo the strict disciplinary procedures, nor are they very expert in discussing the philosophy of self-realization. And by nature they are not very pure, nor are they very much attached to auspicious activities. Therefore, how wonderful it is that these women have developed transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of all mystic yogīs! They have surpassed all of us in firm faith and devotion unto Kṛṣṇa. Although we are considered to be masters in all purificatory processes, we did not actually know what their goal is because we are too much attached to the materialistic way of life. Even though we were reminded of Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma by the cowherd boys, we disregarded Them. We now think that the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply played a trick of mercy on us by sending His friends to beg food from us. Otherwise, He had no need to send them. He could have satisfied their hunger then and there just by willing to do so."
Brahmacarini
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Haṁsadūta: Swamiji, did you say that householders should not associate with brahmacārīs?
Prabhupāda: Who said?
Haṁsadūta: Did you say that? Did you ever say that?
Prabhupāda: No. No.
Haṁsadūta: A brahmacārī should not associate with brahmacāriṇīs. But you did say that brahmacārīs should not associate with brahmacāriṇīs.
Prabhupāda: Actually, there is no... Brahmacāriṇī is not allowed in the śāstra. Where is the question of brahmacāriṇī? Because according to Vedic system, as soon as a girl is fourteen years old or sixteen years old, she is at once married. According to Vedic system, no girl should be allowed remaining unmarried. So there is no question of brahmacāriṇī. Every girl is supposed to be married. That is the Vedic system. A father's duty is that as soon as the girl is grown up, she must be married. She must be given in charge of a suitable boy. That is Vedic system.
Striyaḥ śūdrās tathā vaiśyāḥ. A woman is meant for being protected. So long she is not young, she is under the protection of the father. And as soon as she is young, she is given in charge, in charity. Kanyā-dāna. Dāna means charity. He should find out some suitable boys and give in charity: "My dear boy, take charge of this girl. So long she was under my charge. Now it is under your charge." So where is the brahmacāriṇī? There is no question of brahmacāriṇī.
So at the present moment we cannot strictly follow; neither we are strictly following; neither it is possible to strictly follow. As far as possible, that's all. Our conception of brahmacāriṇī is in the Kṛṣṇa society, because... Especially in India, there is no brahmacāriṇī. But here, in your country, the boys and girls mix very freely, but just to restrict such free mixing, we think that the unmarried girls should remain separately. That is the contemplation. Actually, in the Vedic system there is no brahmacāriṇī system. Or get yourself married. That is our proposal, that we do not allow illicit sex life. That is impediment. That will not enhance your spiritual interests.
Initiation Lectures
Today we have got two functions. One function is initiation of a brahmacārī, and another function is marriage ceremony of our one disciple Satsvarūpa brahmacārī and Jadurāṇī brahmacāriṇī. (break) ...Caitanya-bhāgavata there is a verse which says, gṛhe vā vanete thāke, hā gaurāṅga bole ḍāke. The purport is that either if you remain in household life or you remain as mendicant in the forest, in either case, you just become a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So although we have four divisions of the social orders, namely the brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and sannyāsa... Brahmacārī means student, strictly observing life of celibacy, following the rules and regulations enunciated by the spiritual master under strict discipline. That is called brahmacārī. And next is that if a brahmacārī wants to get himself married, that is allowed. So when a brahmacārī is married, he is called gṛhastha, or householder. But because a brahmacārī is trained from the very beginning of his life renunciation of material enjoyment, he cannot be absorbed like ordinary man in family life. Ordinary man, they cannot give up the family life or association of woman even up to the end of life. But according to Vedic system, association of woman is allowed only for a certain period, during the youthful days only, just to beget nice children. Because from the age of twenty-five years old up to fifty years, one can beget nice children.
So one should be very careful to beget nice children so that society, social order, political order will be calm, quiet, peaceful. That is the idea of gṛhastha life. And many devotees... There are twelve selected personalities who are considered to be the authority of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Out of twelve authorities, seven authorities were all gṛhasthas, householders. Caitanya Mahāprabhu's associates, Nityānanda Prabhu, Advaita Prabhu, Gadādhara, and Śrīvāsa, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself, they were all householders. So it is not that simply sannyāsī or brahmacārī can realize Kṛṣṇa consciousness and not the householders. No.
So in our association we welcome this sort of marriage between trained brahmacārī and brahmacāriṇī so that we can welcome nice children for future Kṛṣṇa conscious generation. That is our viewpoint.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. That's how it should be. It is just very difficult, you see, to travel. I have... It is difficult to travel with these women in the way. I remember what you said to me that the, originally, you were most desirous to have just married people, and you would travel with them.
Prabhupāda: That is very nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yes. So I was thinking that... And I was thinking the next best thing to that is just married people and brahmacārī. If you can't have just married people, then married people and brahmacārīs.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That is nice. That is nice.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So that's what I told her. It's very difficult to have brahmacārī and brahmacārīṇis all the time together.
Prabhupāda: No. This is not possible. Because brahmacārīs, they are young men, and they are young girls. Naturally, there is dis-turbance to the mind. Yes. It is just like putting butter pot on fire. That is stated in the Bhāgavata. Nanv agni, pramadāgni ghṛta-kumbha-pāyaḥ pumān. Just like fire. (chuckles) Fire is a woman, and man is just like butterpot. It is said. Therefore they should not keep together. (laughs) Just like there are some labels in medicine and some..., "Keep away from fire." Huh? (chuckles) "Keep away from fire." So brahmacārīnī and brahmacārī is not a very good combination. But married couple and some brahmacārīs, that is nice.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Therefore, if we do not give up lusty desires, either we keep separately or together they fall down in the... All these nuns, they are all complicated, although they live separately. There was a convent school in Calcutta, and it was detected that the head minister was supplying women outside for business. Now one brahmacārīṇi āśrama is started. This means that the authority of this āśrama, they supply young women to rich, richer class, and they pay money. Business is going on.
Amogha: Where is that āśrama?
Prabhupāda: Brahmacārīṇi.
Amogha: Oh. In Calcutta?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Not only in India. They have got many branches.
Amogha: They call them brahmacārīṇi?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Because nowadays almost every girl is unmarried. So they have devised this āśrama that "Come here." And women can be sold at any cost. People are lusty. So one woman supplied, he pays hundred rupees, two hundred rupees. Business is going on.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Jyotirmāyī: I was thinking about that, that because the girls are trained like brahmacārīnis also in the Gurukula, they should be also kept very, very simple, just like the little boys, brahmacārīs.
Prabhupāda: No, our life is simple. We don't want luxury. We don't want luxury, but as we are accustomed in so many ways, as far as possible. But life should be very simple. To increase unnecessary things unnecessarily, that is material life.
Jyotirmāyī: I was thinking in that way, simple clothes, no jewels, just like the boys, simple...
Prabhupāda: Don't say "no." But give a taste for the good, then it will be automatically "no." And if you say "no" then he'll, they will rebel. The four "no's," that is very difficult. Still they are breaking. No illicit sex, they are breaking. But if they develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this will be automatically "no." So don't bring many "no's," but give them positive life. Then it will be automatically "no." And if you say "no," that will be a struggle. This is the psychology. Positive engagement is devotional service. So if they are attracted by devotional service, other things will be automatically "no." Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate. Just like Ekādaśī day. Ekādaśī day, we observe fasting. And there are many patients in the hospital, they are also fasting. But they'll "No, no." They'll, within heart, "If I get, I shall eat, I shall eat." But those who are devotee, they voluntarily "no." The same fasting is going on for the devotees and the hospital patient. And that "no" and this "no," there is difference.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Very nice building. We haven't got such building anywhere. On the waterside, big, big rooms, very nicely decorated, aristocratic, really aristocratic, really aristocratic. How many devotees are living there?
Rāmeśvara: In Detroit? I think between forty and sixty devotees.
Prabhupāda: I think more. There are many devotees. And we can accommodate one hundred very easily.
Rāmeśvara: There can't be more than seventy there right now. It's not that big yet.
Prabhupāda: So many rooms, big, big.
Hari-śauri: Oh, yes. The place is huge.
Prabhupāda: If you can make brahmacārī, brahmacārīni separate, each room can accommodate fifteen men. Very high.
Prabhupāda: 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.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Oh, yeah.
Prabhupāda: 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 brahmacāriṇī, this is artificial.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: In our centers, though, there are so many brahmacāriṇīs, and even sometimes they're encouraged to remain brahmacāriṇī.
Prabhupāda: That they cannot. As soon as they will find opportunity, they will become vyabhicāriṇī.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: They'll become what?
Prabhupāda: Vyabhicāriṇī. For woman, protection.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: So you don't advocate this remaining sing..., these women remaining brahmacāriṇīs.
Prabhupāda: Therefore polygamy was allowed. Let them be taken care of, one husband, three wives. Therefore the kṣatriyas were taking hundreds of women. They had money.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Who?
Prabhupāda: Kṣatriyas.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
As you say that my absence is being felt now more deeply than ever, so I also feel to start immediately without waiting. The morning prayer can be recorded when I return. If there is actually a brahmacarini asrama organized by San Francisco devotees, it will be very nice to keep there Jadurani as the leader of the brahmacarinis. I am very glad that two other devotees are waiting for me. Hope you are well.
1968 Correspondence
I am so please that you are guiding your God-sisters in N.Y. so nicely. But some of your God-sisters in San Francisco want you for 2 months. I have asked them to write you directly and if you can spare yourself for that time to organize a Brahmacarini asrama in S.F., please think it over. I have seen the article put in Boston newspaper about your activities there, and I am so glad to see your picture, just a Brahmacarini. The picture was very attractive for me, and I pray Krishna that you may make further progress in Krishna Consciousness so your spiritual beauty may come out more and more. The article was very nice. And also, I am thinking if you go to S.F., then work in Boston may suffer for want of you. Because you are only 3 in Boston, and under these circumstances I cannot advise you directly to go to S.F., but if you think it is possible then try to help them.
My present plan is that I will have to go to S.F. most probably to open a center in Berkeley, during the Advent Ceremony of Lord Caitanya, and from S.F., I may go to N.Y. So if you come to S.F., at least for a few days then, we can meet there and see how the Brahmacarini asrama is going there.
In San Francisco, everyone is desiring Jadurani for at least two months for consolidating a Brahmacarini asrama. If I ask her to come, she will surely come here, but I am seeking your opinion, if her coming here may hamper the cause there she is now conducting.
Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter dated Feb. 14, 1968, and I am happy to hear all the good news from our fine art department. I think I have already given you instructions in this regard. In my opinion your guiding the girls working under you for painting is very important, and if this business doesn't suffer, you can think of going to S.F. for organizing the asrama. If all the Brahmacarini's gather together and work under your guidance, at any place, I will prefer that proposition. If the majority of the girls are in N.Y., why not have the other Brahmacarini's from S.F. go there and work under your direction, either in N.Y. or in Boston, as it is best. Hope you are well. For the time being drop the idea of going to S.F. better concentrate your energy in organizing the artist girls under your care. The Brahmacarinis at S.F. may be called at N.Y. or Boston.
I am very glad that Krishna is already dictating you how to make perfect the SANKIRTANA party. I completely agree with you about the program of our traveling across the country, being booked in several places. And I am glad that our friend, Allen Ginsberg, is helping you. There is no doubt about our success if we can make this Kirtana party successful. The most important point in this connection is that we shall never be professional; that is to say, we shall try to make the Kirtana party perfect from the point of view of Krishna Consciousness. The idea of introducing Panca-tattva in the kirtana party was also contemplated by me. Not only that, we have to prepare different dresses for Radha and Krishna, and Their eight confidential Associates, Sakhis. Sometimes you have to dress somebody as Nrsimhadeva and Prahlada; in this way, we shall have varieties of show along with the kirtana, and all the varieties will be picked up from Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. We have to teach the Brahmacaris and the Brahmacarinis to speak in Sanskrit some of the verses in this connection, and we explain the verses by singing, chanting, and speaking also. Sometimes in the middle of chanting and singing, we shall speak also. So, all these varieties show will be so attractive with melodious musical sounds, and above all our good behavior and advanced Krishna Consciousness, will make this show very successful.
Yes, you can teach the Brahmacarinis sewing very nicely, and it will be a great help to the society. Of course, if they can remain Brahmacarinis, it is nice. But it is difficult also. It is not good for the Brahmacarinis to associate with householders; similarly it is not good also for the Brahmacarinis to mix with Brahmacaris, but in your country the boys and girls are accustomed to mix freely. Therefore, we cannot put any deadline restriction. In my opinion, if the boys and girls get themselves married just like ideal Vaisnava householders, that is very good. But, if by the Grace of Krishna, both the girls and boys can live separately, that is still better, but it is not possible. If it is possible to divert the whole attention for Krishna's service it is quite possible to remain single even for the whole life. So you have got now good engagement so remain engaged in that work and train the Brahmacarinis also, chant Hare Krishna and pull on your sewing machine.
Brahmacaris and Brahmacarinis can live in the temple provided there is separate arrangement. The restriction is there because if they live together there might be sex impulses agitated. The whole principle is especially for the Brahmacaris to avoid causes which may give impetus to the sex desire. But in your country it is very difficult to make aloof the boys and girls because they are accustomed to mix together. So it is not possible for me to introduce this new system very strictly, because they are trained differently. Someway or other, if you are intelligent boy, you should make arrangement for the boys and girls to live separately; Brahmacaris at one place all together, and the Brahmacarinis all together at another place. We should always remember that sex life in spiritual advancement is great impediment. So keeping this point of view in front, we should intelligently manage things with great care. So that our aim of life may not be missed.
I understand that you are trying to organize a Brahmacarini asrama. A Brahmacarini asrama is certainly a great necessity because there are so many girl devotees who are attached to our Krishna Consciousness movement. Those who are married couple, there is nothing to be said—simply to live together as husband and wife. But those who are not married certainly such Brahmacaris and Brahmacarinis should not live together. That is a special restricted term of our cult. But because in your country there is no distinction between boys and girls, or man and woman, they can freely mix without any restriction, I did not give too much stricture on this point because by such stricture they might be annoyed, and whatever Krishna Consciousness they are trying to develop might have been checked.
But factually if you can organize a Brahmacarini asrama, it will be very nice idea. And I think that our Jadurani or similar other girl students of a little bit advanced, they can manage such asrama. But there is another difficulty, that when the girls live together they will pick up quarrels. Anyway, that sort of quarreling will continue whenever there is a little bit individuality. That is the nature. Even such quarreling is visible in the spiritual world also. But the main thing is that in Boston, you are the only earning member. How you will maintain such a Brahmacarini asrama separately unless there is some source of income. I expected that the pictures painted by the Brahmacarinis would be a source of income to the society. If some arrangement for such sales organization can be made, then it will be a very excellent idea. The Brahmacarinis cannot go, of course, for begging, but if some of them agree to go out and sell our books and literature, that will also be helpful. Some source of income by honest endeavor must be there, otherwise, how a nice Brahmacarini asrama can be maintained? In the asrama we must supply all inmates necessary nutritious food. Especially in your country, because they were accustomed to take meat and some protein food, just like regular supply of dahl, capatis, rice, fruits and milk, must be properly administered. There is no need of eating more than necessity, but the minimum demands must be supplied.
But if you can organize such nice Brahmacarini asrama it will be a great success of our society. There is a great need for this. And I wish sincerely that except for husband and wife, everyone should live separately, man separate from woman, and woman separate from man. I shall be glad to hear from you about further developments. But one thing can be very nicely utilized, if the Brahmacarinis learn typographic machine. That will be a great help because printing is one of our most important line of activities. And if the Brahmacarinis help us in the making of letter printing sheets for photo offset printing, that will be a great help.
Regarding Prasadam: It should be cooked in the temple, and nowhere else, and both the Brahmacaris and the Brahmacarinis shall partake of the Prasadam in the temple. I understand that you are working also very hard, so I request you to take care of your health also.
That the Brahmacarini ashram is a good success is very good news. But the best thing will be if the grown-up Brahmacarinis get married. According to Vedic culture, woman is never to remain independent. I shall be glad if the Brahmacarinis can have nice husbands, and live as Grhasthas. But if they cannot find out good husbands, it is better to remain a Brahmacarini all the life, even though it is little difficult.
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your nice letter of August 4, 1968, and I thank you very much for it. Yes, this is a very nice proposal. It is very good that you would like to go to Boston to the Brahmacarini asrama under Jadurani's care. Please go there as soon as it is convenient for you, and Jadurani will be very pleased to receive you there, along with the other Brahmacarinis.
Another thing, this is of course, private, that Hayagriva may be willing to marry some of our Brahmacarinis. So I shall be glad to hear from you which Brahmacarini you may suggest suitable for Hayagriva. In fact, unless our Brahmacaris are very adamant remaining as Brahmacari, I shall recommend everyone to marry. Because these girls generally come to our society to find out a suitable husband, so there is no harm to live as husband and wife, as Mukunda, Gurudasa, and Syamasundara., they are living very nicely. Similarly, others Murari also living. So this is not bad. But if one can live as Brahmacari, that is very good. So you can suggest me privately which girl can be suitable for Hayagriva.
Regarding your opening a center in Mexico, I think that if some other brahmacarinis are available to go along with you that there will be no objection to this idea. However, where shall these brahmacarinis come from? For the time being, I think you may concentrate upon improving the temple already established in San Francisco as you have described that this temple is already short-handed. So kindly continue to work sincerely in developing your Krishna Consciousness and please keep me informed as to the progress of your translating work.
I know that now there is a shortage of hands in our Seattle center, so why not remain there to help out Upendra and the others. Also your services to attract brahmacarinis will be very valuable in Seattle. I know that you are very nice artist even without the guidance of Jadurani so for the time being you should remain in Seattle and paint independently. You should work to paint very quickly and very beautifully because we have need of such talented artists. When Jadurani first began to paint she was slow but now that she has practiced she has become very expert and quick. So this practice is what will improve all areas of your already very nice art work.
Regarding marriage with Nandakisora, the situation is simply that he is desirous of marrying and I had asked Purusottama to see if you are agreeable to this proposal. In your letter you have written that you are desiring to remain as brahmacarini for a few years longer and this idea is alright. In India the marriage between a boy and girl is arranged by the parents but in this country such arrangement is not possible so we never request our students to marry if they are not desiring to do this.
Please accept my blessings. I thank you for your letter of December 16, 1968 and I have noted the contents carefully and with pleasure. So far as the mistake on the certificates, I think that only on the certificates to be given to brahmacarinis is it necessary to change the spelling, because on the brahmacari's certificate this word Srimate will be crossed out. So on the certificates for the brahmacarinis, you may cover the letter "e" with a white paint and insert the correct letter "i", making the word read "Srimati". So do this nicely and it will be all right.
1969 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your telegram dated March 13, 1969, and am glad to hear from you. You have sent a very nice proposal, and if you can organize a Brahmacarini department, and manage it, the idea is very nice. But I am afraid you are not fixed up enough to carry on so much responsibility.
1970 Correspondence
Yes, I am glad to learn that the brahmacarinis are engaged in assisting work and cleaning. These are the most important duties for the brahmacarinis—namely cleansing. Caitanya Mahaprabhu personally used to inspect temple cleaning and if He would see a little particle of dust He would remark, "O, you have not done very nice." So try to follow His footsteps in the matter of cleansing. By nicely cleansing one can get promotion in the spiritual kingdom in some of the Vaikuntha planets—it is so nice.
So your program for training your Godsisters is very nice, so do it nicely as you have got experience in arcana. There is no matter if there is a little change here and there—the real duty is love and devotion. But you say that the women with children make their schedules around their children. That is the difficulty for family men, their first worshipable object becomes the children. What can be done? You are fortunate that you have got Krsna as your son.
Regarding your program of duties for the brahmacaris and brahmacarinis and grhastha men and women, this is a very nice arrangement. The girls should manage internally and the boys should manage externally. So all of you have my hearty blessings for your kind service to Lord Krsna. Be always engaged in this way and become happy.
1971 Correspondence
Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated April 23 and have noted the contents. I am very glad to know that one new brahmacarini has donated $15,000 and a new car. My thanks to her and she will be initiated as soon as you recommend.
There is no question of your falldown. Chant 16 rounds regularly and no power in all three worlds will make you fall down. Krishna will save you always. So you can live strictly like a brahmacarini and make advancement in Krishna Consciousness by chanting and reading the books. And you have got good capacity for preaching work also. There is no objection for you living together, but it is better that you live as brahmacarini. If you want to become a teacher for the young children, that will be very nice.
1972 Correspondence
Your question is how much or how little brahmacaris should associate with the unmarried brahmacarinis in the temple. As brahmacari you should not mix at all with brahmacarinis. Actually they should not at all see the face, but that is not possible in your country. But so far as possible, remain separate and talk almost nil. Brahmacari is advised not to go near a young woman anywhere. A brahmacari should always address every woman as mother. In your country it is a little difficult, but the principle is to avoid. To talk secretly or privately is strictly prohibited. If you want to discuss philosophy and other matters you can discuss publicly in a meeting, but not privately. A brahmacari and unmarried woman in the same room together alone is strictly forbidden.
1976 Correspondence
In your letter to me of May 4, 1976 from Vrindaban you said: concerning the Taparia house, "Dhananjaya and his wife and other grhasthas will live on that land (house). . . . Three or four brahmacarinis who are working on the mukhuts can also live there." You suggested like this, so if some women can live there, why not all? Somehow or other, the guesthouse must be freed from all encumbrances. It will be absolutely used by guests. I have received reliable reports that on account of the devotees staying there, guests were sometimes refused places because all the rooms were taken up by the devotees there. Also, the fact that the mukat business takes up 8-10 rooms is very bad. The guest house cannot be occupied by anything. It is already spoiled, and they must move. Why there are so many women in Vrindaban? Vrindaban is meant for retirement, elderly persons in Krishna Consciousness can devote all their time to devotional service. Such men are wanted to live in Vrindaban, not women and children. That is a fact, the holy dhamas are meant for the sannyasis and brahmacaris especially. If necessary, the management must be done by sannyasis and brahmacaris, not grhasthas.
| Page Title: | Brahmacarini |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika |
| Created: | 27 of Oct, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=4, Con=5, Let=26 |
| No. of Quotes: | 36 |