Conversations and Morning Walks1975 Conversations and Morning WalksThe father and mother should be so enlightened and educate the son in such a way that this is the last acceptance of material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), he may not accept again this material body. If the father and mother is determined in that way, then they should become parents; otherwise no. 750302 - Conversation B - Atlanta Prabhupāda: You believe that the child in the womb is not individual? Guest (1): No, I don't have any personal thoughts about it, though. But I think if a woman thinks that she is not suited as a mother... Prabhupāda: Then why she has sex? Guest (1): Well, in this present world I think, you know, sex is not for procreation, it is more for fun. I think ninety-nine percent of the couples who indulge in sex do not think of children at that time. Prabhupāda: But that is sinful. Guest (1): That's true. But this is also true that ninety-nine percent of people, when they indulge in it... Prabhupāda: Ninety-nine percent may be all rascals and fools, that is not true. Guest (1): For the common, I think, masses, some practical means are needed rather than... Prabhupāda: Practical is that our śāstra says that pitā na sa syāj jananī na sā syāt, na mocayed yaḥ samupeta-mṛtyum (SB 5.5.18). The idea is that one should not become a father, one should not become a mother, unless they know how to make his child immortal. Because soul is immortal, but he is entangled in this material body; therefore death takes place. Actually soul is not born, na jāyate na mriyate vā (BG 2.20). So this process is going on, transmigration of the soul from one body to another, tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). The father and mother should be so enlightened and educate the son in such a way that this is the last acceptance of material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9), he may not accept again this material body. If the father and mother is determined in that way, then they should become parents; otherwise no. Guest (1): Swāmījī, I think, you know, you are very right, but we are the one in India who face this problem the most. We should not have gone to this stage which we are, six hundred million people. I think the most of us are, you know, procreating without any thoughts about the next generation. Prabhupāda: Then that is not for Indian and European, that is for everyone. That ignorance and knowledge is everywhere. It is not the Indian or American. That ignorance is everywhere. Guest (1): But Swāmījī, while the family norm here in the Western countries at this time is 2.3 children per couple, we still have a family norm of about six children per family. You know, I think there are a lot of cultural factors that are... Prabhupāda: No, that śāstric injunction is, that is spiritual restraint. Therefore one should train himself when to have sex life or when to become father, when not to become. That education is... Not to become like animal, dogs and cats—whenever there is sex desire, we must have. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, it is said, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi (BG 7.11). (aside:) Find out this, dharmāviruddhaḥ. |
