Engaging in Sex - The Distinction Between Religion and Degradation
The impulse to engage in sex is the strongest force in the material world. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that how a human being manages this impulse determines whether they elevate themselves to the spiritual platform or degrade themselves to the animal species. While unrestricted sex is the hallmark of uncivilized life, regulated sex for the purpose of dharma is a sacred duty.
The Animalistic Standard
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently compares unrestricted sex life to the existence of lower animals. He notes that hogs, dogs, and monkeys engage in sex without restriction or shame, but their lives are filled with filth and struggle. When human beings make sex the central focus of their existence, they descend to this level. In the modern age, people work hard simply to secure facilities for eating, sleeping, and mating, neglecting the unique human opportunity for spiritual inquiry.
- A hog's life is degraded in its standard of happiness, which entails living in a filthy place, engaging in sex enjoyment at every opportune moment, and laboring hard in a struggle for existence, but this is unknown to the hog.
- It is stated here (SB 5.14.32) that the vanara (monkey) is very much attracted to sex. Each monkey keeps at least two dozen wives, and he jumps from one tree to another to capture the female monkeys. Thus he immediately engages in sexual intercourse.
- Western, it is common affair. Young man, young woman is embracing, kissing, and everything. And sometimes sexually also engaged on the sea beach, in the garden. We have seen it. So practically you are coming to the hogs' and dogs' life.
- The people of this age, they are so fallen, they have no prescribed duty. They are simply engaged like animals - eating, sleeping, sex and defense. That's all. Animal is engaged like that, eating, sleeping, sex, and defense.
Religious vs. Irreligious Sex
Sex is not inherently evil; it becomes degraded when used for sense gratification rather than procreation. According to Vedic scriptures, sex within marriage is permitted only to beget children who will be raised in God consciousness. This type of sex life is called Kandarpa and is accepted as a representation of Kṛṣṇa. Any sexual activity outside of this specific purpose—whether outside of marriage or for pleasure within marriage—is considered irreligious and forbidden.
- In religious and civilized societies, marriage is intended as an indication that a couple is to engage in sex for begetting good children. Therefore married sex life is considered religious, and unmarried sex life is considered irreligious.
- Kandarpa is the sex desire for presenting good sons; therefore Kandarpa is the representative of Krsna. Sometimes sex is engaged in only for sense gratification; such sex does not represent Krsna. BG 1972 purports.
- According to scriptural injunctions, one is forbidden to engage in sex relationships with any women other than one's wife. All other women are to be considered as one's mother. BG 1972 purports.
- Regulated sex life to generate good population is worth accepting. Actually, Vidura was not interested in hearing the history of persons who merely engaged in sex life.
The Trap of Entanglement
Engaging in sex for pleasure is the primary cause of material entanglement. It binds the soul to the body and forces one to undergo repeated births. Śrīla Prabhupāda cites examples like King Purañjana and Saubhari Ṛṣi to show that even powerful personalities can be victimized by sexual attraction. Once one engages in sex, the illusion deepens, leading to attachment to home, wife, and children, and forgetfulness of the looming reality of death.
- King Puranjana collected taxes in the city known as Pancala and thus was able to engage in sexual indulgence. Being completely under the control of women, he could not understand that his life was passing away and that he was reaching the point of death.
- Saubhari Rsi was engaged in austerity, deep in the water of the River Yamuna, when he saw a pair of fish engaged in sexual affairs.
- After you (Devaki and Vasudeva) received that benediction and I (Krsna) disappeared, you engaged yourselves in sex to have a son like Me, and I fulfilled your desire - SB 10.3.40.
- If, therefore, the living entity again associates with the path of unrighteousness, influenced by sensually minded people engaged in the pursuit of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate, he again goes to hell as before.
The Path of Brahmacarya
To advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one must practice brahmacarya, or celibacy. This does not merely mean physical abstinence; it involves a total cessation of "sex life" in thought, word, and deed. This includes not looking lustfully at women, not talking intimately with them, and not planning for sexual enjoyment. Śrīla Prabhupāda warns that one cannot learn the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam while maintaining an attachment to sex. Real enjoyment is found only when material sex life is given up for the unending spiritual bliss of service.
- Indulging in sex in any way, looking at and whispering with girls, and determining or endeavoring to engage in sex life are all against the principles of brahmacarya. One executes real brahmacarya when all these activities come to a halt.
- One should not think of women, speak about sex life, dally with women, look lustfully at women, talk intimately with women or decide to engage in sexual intercourse, nor should one endeavor for sex life or engage in sex life.
- No one can learn Srimad-Bhagavatam who is associated with persons engaged in sex life. That is the secret of learning Bhagavatam. Nor can one learn Bhagavatam from one who interprets the text by his mundane scholarship.
- If a man engages in material sex enjoyment, he cannot enjoy it for long. But when the sex enjoyment is given up, then one can enter spiritual life, which is unending.
Conclusion
Engaging in sex is a crossroads for the human soul. One path leads to the degradation of the womb and the repetition of birth and death; the other path, regulated by scripture and ultimately transcended by devotion, leads to liberation. As Śrīla Prabhupāda advises, we must not remain like dogs, simply engaged in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, but must utilize this human form to solve the problems of life by controlling the senses and fixing the mind on Kṛṣṇa.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Engaging in Sex. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.