![\"\"](\"https:\/\/akincana.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/vedic-wedding.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe soldiers in this K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are divisions of var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama\u2014br\u0101hma\u1e47a, k\u1e63atriya, vai\u015bya, \u015b\u016bdra, brahmacarya, g\u1e5bhastha, v\u0101naprastha <\/em>and sanny\u0101sa<\/em>.\u201d (SB. 8.2.30, purport).<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da took great pride in his married disciples, strong and fired up devotees who helped him spread Krishna consciousness all over the world. In the UK, for example, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s married disciples, starting with nothing, succeeded wonderfully where \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s sanny\u0101s\u012b <\/em>godbrothers, backed and funded by the Gaudiya Math, had failed. Similarly, his married disciples pioneered Krishna consciousness from Dallas to Deutschland to Delhi. Through his g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>disciples \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da reached millions of people around the world.<\/p>\n The simplicity and spiritual focus of renounced life are very attractive, especially to young men who are still uncovering their deeper selves. Nonetheless, it is important for young devotees to know the many positive aspects of spiritual marriage.<\/p>\n Marriage is much more than a response to sexual agitation. A Krishna conscious marriage is a stable, solid platform for spiritual advancement. As such, marriage is a vital rite of passage for the aspiring lifelong devotee. Many important considerations may lead one to decide to marry, including:<\/p>\n – A desire for more control over one\u2019s living situation, diet and finances\u2014options which are available in ISKCON for sanny\u0101s\u012bs <\/em>and g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>but usually not others.<\/p>\n – A desire for understanding and companionship.<\/p>\n – A desire for new challenges in spiritual life.<\/p>\n – A desire for more self-expression.<\/p>\n – A desire to develop personal p\u016bj\u0101 <\/em>and bhajan<\/em>.<\/p>\n – A desire to do a particular type of service, such as business or a professional career, which is inappropriate for renunciates.<\/p>\n – A desire to raise children.<\/p>\n All such desires can easily be pursued as part of one\u2019s service to Lord Krishna.<\/p>\n In many passages, such as the following, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da distinguishes and encourages Krishna conscious household life.<\/p>\n \u201cAs for detachment from children, wife and home, it is not meant that one should have no feeling for these. They are natural objects of affection. But when they are not favorable to spiritual progress, then one should not be attached to them. The best process for making the home pleasant is Krishna consciousness. If one is in full Krishna consciousness, he can make his home very happy, because this process of Krishna consciousness is very easy. One need only chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare\/ Hare R\u0101ma, Hare R\u0101ma, R\u0101ma R\u0101ma, Hare Hare, accept the remnants of foodstuffs<\/p>\n offered to Krishna, have some discussion on books like Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 <\/em>and \u015ar\u012bmad-Bh\u0101gavatam, <\/em>and engage oneself in Deity worship. These four things will make one happy. One should train the members of his family in this way. The family members can sit down morning and evening and chant together Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare\/ Hare R\u0101ma, Hare R\u0101ma, R\u0101ma R\u0101ma, Hare Hare. If one can mold his family life in this way to develop Krishna consciousness, following these four principles, then there is no need to change from family life to renounced life. But if it is not congenial, not favorable for spiritual advancement, then family life should be abandoned.\u201d (BG 13.8, purport).<\/p>\n Further, a g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>can do everything for Krishna, as Bhaktivinode Thakur sings:<\/p>\n m\u0101nasa deho, geho, jo kichu mor arpilun tuw\u0101 pade, nanda-kis’or!<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cMind, body, and family, whatever may be mine, I have surrendered at Your lotus feet, O youthful son of Nanda!\u201d<\/p>\n Krishna conscious family life thus differs from ordinary family life because devotees know to put Krishna first. For devotees, family life is automatically part of their service for Krishna. In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 <\/em>5.2, Krishna recommends such work for Him as superior even to external renunciation.<\/p>\n The Irreplaceable Role of G\u1e5bhasthas<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Since \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da said he considered varnashram dharma <\/em>as fifty percent of his mission, one must ask, what is varnashram <\/em>society without g\u1e5bhasthas<\/em>? G\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>alone are meant to generate the money and resources needed to support the other three ashrams. And without mothers and children, there is no society at all.<\/p>\n Spiritually healthy g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>contribute funds and benefit ISKCON in many ways. They raise children deeply rooted in Krishna consciousness. Those with healthy marriages and spiritual lives make a positive spiritual impression on their countrymen (yare dekha tare kaha Krishna upade\u015ba. <\/em>Cc. Madhya <\/em>7.128).<\/p>\n Because they deal with and resolve common life challenges in a Krishna conscious manner, g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>can readily show ordinary people how to Krishna-ize their lives. G\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>also learn management and business skills which they can use to help expand ISKCON.<\/p>\n Raising a family and maintaining a marriage in Krishna consciousness also gives a g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>couple invaluable experience in building relationships. Such experience helps them grow to be patient, wise, experienced Krishna conscious teachers, counselors and gurus. Lord R\u1e63abhadeva places parents on the same level as gurus and demigods (SB 5.5.18):<\/p>\n gurur na sa sy\u0101t sva-jano na sa sy\u0101t pit\u0101 na sa sy\u0101j janan\u012b na s\u0101 sy\u0101t<\/em><\/p>\n daiva\u1e41 na tat sy\u0101n na pati\u015b ca sa sy\u0101n<\/em><\/p>\n na mocayed ya\u1e25 samupeta-m\u1e5btyum<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOne who cannot deliver his dependents from the path of repeated birth and death should never become a spiritual master, a father, a husband, a mother or a worshipable demigod.\u201d<\/p>\n For all these reasons, experienced ISKCON leaders encourage devotees to be true to their own nature and select the order of life appropriate for them. They speak positively to young devotees about all options and avoid the fallacy of filling them with confusing and negative thoughts as they enter life in Krishna consciousness. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da encouraged his followers to remember and to trust Krishna in all circumstances of life.<\/p>\n Our next three chapters outline the lifelong devotional training provided at Krishna House. As you read them, you\u2019ll see how this training returns to the Simple \u201960s attitudes, giving new devotees peaceful minds and hopeful hearts for a lifelong experience of Krishna consciousness.<\/p>\n In Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 <\/em>(7.11) Krishna declares Himself to be sex life that is not contrary to religious principles. The great acharya Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, himself a lifelong celibate, said that if he (as a renunciate) were allowed, he would willingly have sex to propagate Krishna conscious children. So, sex itself is not bad. However, misusing sex can destroy spiritual life.<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da taught that irresponsible, unmarried (illicit) sex is demonic, for it enhances bodily identification and contaminates the mind and heart. Within a regulated Krishna conscious marriage, however, sex can be used for Krishna. If something can be used for Krishna, it should not be categorically rejected in a false and often prideful attempt to be renounced. In the Nectar of Devotion<\/em>, \u015ar\u012bla R\u016bpa Gosv\u0101m\u012b writes:<\/p>\n pr\u0101pancikatay\u0101 buddhy\u0101 hari-sambandhi-vastuna\u1e25 mumuk\u1e63ubhi\u1e25 parity\u0101go vair\u0101gya\u1e41 phalgu kathyate<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cOne who rejects something, not understanding its relationship to Krishna, is incomplete in renunciation.\u201d<\/p>\n Misguided renunciation is called phalgu-vair\u0101gya<\/em>. Phalgu <\/em>means \u2018dry.\u2019 In Bihar, the sacred Phalgu River often flows invisibly under its riverbed. On the surface the river appears dry, but water lies just beneath. Similarly, one engaged in phalgu-vair\u0101gya<\/em>, dry renunciation, appears renounced from sex desire while saddled with deep attachment for it just below the surface.<\/p>\n One can avoid this needless and spiritually destructive hypocrisy by understanding that comfortably refraining from sex or using sex within marriage are acceptable, respectable and effective ways to deal with sex desire while advancing in Krishna consciousness. Understanding the clear distinction between licit and illicit sex is crucial for newcomers, for it allows them to gain a measured perspective on managing their sex impulse. Devotees gaining such perspective avoid becoming either hopeless or fanatic.<\/p>\n Dealing with sex desire can be daunting for young devotees, particularly in the digital age in which pornography has all but destroyed the peace of mind that comes with self-control. Still, every devotee must deal with sex desire, for the knots of sexual attraction bind one to the material world. The great majority of devotees choose to marry and gradually master sex desire through regulation. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da encouraged disciples struggling with sex desire to marry, explaining that married or renounced, life\u2019s goal, love of Krishna, is the same, as is the opportunity to achieve it.<\/p>\n When grappling with sex desire, Haridasa Thakur\u2019s method of dealing with the seductive prostitute is instructive. One can address one\u2019s lust as Haridasa addressed the prostitute: \u201cPlease sit over here. I\u2019ll be with you as soon as I finish chanting.\u201d Haridasa Thakur did not repress, condemn or run from the prostitute. Nor did he deny her existence. He acknowledged her, treated her respectfully and gradually won her over to Krishna consciousness. So it is with sex desire. One can neither sustainably repress it, run from it, nor deny its existence. One must make peace with sex desire through Krishna consciousness.<\/p>\n Despite the West being sex-obsessed and rife with immoral, pornography-plagued values, this approach to the sensitive topic of sex provides hope and inspiration for new devotees at Krishna House. On the other hand, the \u2018all or nothing\u2019 approach from the zealous \u201970s has failed to consistently attract qualified devotees, at Krishna House and elsewhere in the West.<\/p>\n Sex and G\u1e5bhastha <\/em>Life<\/strong><\/p>\n Students naturally want to know: once married in Krishna consciousness, where does sex fit in? \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da encouraged his followers to minimize sex, using sex only for conceiving Krishna conscious children. More importantly, he expected his married disciples to chant Hare Krishna and remain faithful in their marriages. He did not insert himself in their bedrooms. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s experienced followers also observe this judicious policy. Sexual expectations and understandings are essential topics for pre- marital counseling. After marriage, if the union is to succeed, they are the business of husband and wife and no one else.<\/p>\n Condemning sex outright both defies Krishna\u2019s statement in Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101 <\/em>and belies the practical experience of successful ISKCON g\u1e5bhasthas<\/em>. Such devotees understand that sex plays an important but limited role in a sustainable Krishna conscious marriage. With a balanced understanding of this delicate topic, new devotees can move forward peacefully in their spiritual lives.<\/p>\n Successful marriages in Krishna consciousness are an irreplaceable asset to ISKCON, both for the couple and for \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s mission and legacy. Benefits include:<\/p>\n – Husband and wife have built-in devotee association that aids their spiritual advancement.<\/p>\n – Devotee children can grow up in a stable, loving Krishna conscious environment, giving them a good opportunity to be devotees themselves.<\/p>\n – Young devotees, almost all of whom will marry, have role models.<\/p>\n – The greater community appreciates Hare Krishna families as moral, positive people.<\/p>\n What does it take to achieve a stable, fulfilling, peaceful Krishna conscious marriage? Here are five keys.<\/p>\n 1. Thinking Positively about G\u1e5bhastha <\/em>Life<\/strong><\/p>\n Rather than seeing marriage as evidence of spiritual weakness, mature devotees see marriage in Krishna consciousness as a fresh and transformative opportunity for personal growth. As challenging as it may be, a successful marriage in Krishna consciousness benefits the progressive devotee in many ways.<\/p>\n Krishna conscious g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>life provides a peaceful, sustainable platform for practicing s\u0101dhana-bhakti. <\/em>Responsible g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>transcend selfishness and learn to put the needs of others first, rising to higher levels of self-control. And most importantly, spiritual marriage softens the heart and teaches one how to freely give unconditional love to others.<\/p>\n While some devotees trust their parents to arrange their marriage, most devotees must select their own spouse. As such, it is generally better to wait until one is fully mature before making such a consequential decision. There is a biological factor in this advice; the human brain does not fully mature until the mid-to late twenties. When both husband and wife are well-established in their own identities as adults and as devotees, their marriage will have a better chance of success. Until that time, brahmac\u0101r\u012b <\/em>or brahmac\u0101r\u012bni <\/em>life is ideal.<\/p>\n Similarly, by the time they reach their late twenties, those rare souls who naturally feel comfortable living as renounced, financially dependent singles can maturely and responsibly consider lifetime commitments to renounced life.<\/p>\n On the other hand, waiting until well into one\u2019s 30s or even 40s to marry\u2014as is often the case for those who unwisely pursued lifelong renunciation\u2014is less due to patience and more a result of indecision or fear. Generally, one\u2019s late 20s or early 30s is the right time to decide one\u2019s long-term ashram.<\/p>\n Postponing the decision can be detrimental. H.H. Tamal Krishna Goswami once asked a respected twenty-eight-year-old brahmac\u0101r\u012b <\/em>whether he wanted to marry or take sanny\u0101sa. <\/em>After considering, the young man said he wanted to remain a brahmac\u0101r\u012b<\/em>. Mahar\u0101j\u0101 replied, \u201cThat means you want to get married.\u201d<\/p>\n In other words, a man who is truly inclined to renounce has a strong, clear and unshakeable desire to do so. He understands the physical, mental and financial implications of a renounced life and is fully comfortable with them.<\/p>\n Choosing between renounced and married life is a decision that deserves thoughtful consideration. At Krishna House we encourage young devotees to be patient, honest and open-minded about this subject. Prematurely deciding on either route is a symptom of the mode of passion. Postponing the decision out of fear indicates the mode of ignorance. Patiently waiting until one is a mature devotee is in goodness. Patience opens the door to a life of transcendence.<\/p>\n A Krishna conscious husband must be capable and responsible to support a family. Though a Krishna conscious wife may also have a career, she and her husband may prefer to live simply on one income during her child-rearing years so she can give her full time and attention to the crucial work of nurturing their children. Any mother will confirm that raising children attentively is a full-time job.<\/p>\n In the early days of ISKCON, most devotees expected to be lifelong preachers. We now know that, vocationally, very few devotees are so inclined. This is normal, for in any religious congregation there are dozens of members with other careers for each one who pursues a career in the ministry.<\/p>\n One of the reasons is financial. In America, for instance, there are some 350,000 religious congregations. The average annual income for a professional working in these congregations is $55,000 USD. No full time ISKCON minister in America whom we know receives anywhere near this amount of compensation. At most, full-time ISKCON ministers generally receive only subsistence-level facility and stipends.<\/p>\n While life as an ISKCON career minister in the West can be financially austere, it is richly rewarding spiritually. Still, g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>couples who want to spread Krishna consciousness full time these days usually arrange supplemental sources of income. Although a career as a Krishna conscious preacher is a great blessing, few devotees will actually pursue it. Most will seek work situations that allow them to preach and serve the mission part time. Aspiring devotee husbands must weigh all these factors when considering a vocation.<\/p>\n While they are considering marriage, a prospective bride and groom greatly benefit from appropriate guidance on such topics as spiritual standards, finance, sex, family aspirations and living arrangements. A good counselor uncovers the landmines that can potentially blow up a marriage and provides the couple a chance to come to terms on crucial issues before marriage.<\/p>\n To have a successful Krishna conscious marriage, husband and wife must be firmly situated on the spiritual platform, seeing and treating each other not only as spirit souls but as devotees of Lord Krishna. While a husband may command his wife\u2019s respect through his gentlemanly and responsible dealings, he cannot demand it. A disciple husband once asked \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da, \u201cIsn\u2019t it true the wife should do anything the husband asks?\u201d \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da replied, \u201cAnd you should be so arrogant? You are chanting Hare Krishna\u2014she is chanting Hare Krishna. What is the difference?\u201d<\/p>\n In \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s insightful answer lies the secret for a successful Krishna conscious marriage.<\/p>\n In summary, ISKCON leaders serve \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s mission well by training men to respect women as spiritual equals and by training women to look first and foremost for gentlemanly and responsible husbands. Such enlightened leaders allow all young devotees to feel positive about their future in<\/p>\n Krishna consciousness. Even if such devotees choose not to marry, they will do so with a healthy respect for, and not a nasty aversion to, the g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>ashram.<\/p>\n As wise people don\u2019t judge books by their covers, so devotees are best evaluated by content rather than appearance.<\/p>\n Regarding clothing, Krishna House avoids the all-or-nothing position. Whatever one\u2019s wardrobe preferences, one transcendental fact remains: wearing dhotis and saris does not make one advanced, while wearing ordinary clothes does not make one fallen. At Krishna House we teach that dress is a detail, not a principle. We encourage everyone to wear whatever modest dress is comfortable. This mood helps create a relaxed atmosphere that attracts new devotees.<\/p>\n When left to their own choices, we find devotees about evenly split between Eastern and Western wardrobes, and no one thinks much of it. We do train the students in a bigger concern: paying too much attention to others\u2019 dress can lead to offenses.<\/p>\n Here is an example of this point from Caitanya-l\u012bl\u0101. <\/em>Upon first seeing him, the great renunciate Gad\u0101dhara Pandit thought Pu\u1e47darka Vidy\u0101nidhi to be a materialist due to his lavish appearance. However, upon seeing Pu\u1e47darka Vidy\u0101nidhi\u2019s advanced bhakti, Gad\u0101dhara Pandit begged his forgiveness and accepted him as his spiritual master. In this and other instances, advanced devotees avoid judging others by their dress or other externals.<\/p>\n When men want to wear saffron dhotis, if they meet the appropriate criteria, they are welcome to do so. Krishna House brahmac\u0101r\u012b<\/em>s sometimes travel and distribute books and sometimes live peacefully at the temple. Everyone understands that single men choosing to wear white dhotis are also brahmac\u0101r\u012bs <\/em>and single women wearing various colors are brahmac\u0101r\u012bn\u012bs.<\/em><\/p>\n Deciding whether to put on saffron requires a young man to consult with experienced and caring seniors. A sanny\u0101s\u012b <\/em>friend advised us that, before donning saffron, it is also auspicious for a young man to obtain the blessings of the senior Vaishnavis in the community.<\/p>\n \u2018Fallen G\u1e5bhasthas\u2019<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n All over the world ISKCON g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>live visibly normal lives, externally connected to the society around them while internally remaining serious in their s\u0101dhana-bhakti. <\/em>Senior ISKCON renunciates befriend, visit and frequently stay with such householders and think nothing of it. Less advanced devotees may look at these apparently ordinary householders as mundane and fallen. This attitude is both superficial and a dangerous precedent for Vaishnava apar\u0101dha<\/em>. It is also a major turn-off for prospective new devotees.<\/p>\n As members of the only ashram meant for generating money, g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>do well to be prosperous. Although \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da wanted g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>to live simply on ISKCON farms, experience has proven that very few in the West have been able to support a family by working the land and maintaining cows. Most devotees must deal with heavy material responsibilities as their service for Krishna, as Arjuna does in the Bhagavad-g\u012bt\u0101<\/em>.<\/p>\n To simultaneously maintain both vocational and spiritual duties takes tremendous patience, sincerity and determination. Therefore, g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>are called \u2018adhik\u0101r\u012bs,<\/em>\u2019 those who are advanced enough to<\/p>\n capably meet such challenges. To criticize such accomplished and serious devotees for being worldly is offensive and detrimental for spiritual advancement.<\/p>\n In \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da L\u012bl\u0101m\u1e5bta <\/em>we read this quote from His Divine Grace: “That is the standard of living in America. You cannot say, ‘No, I shall not lie down in this nice apartment. I shall lie down in the street. I am a sanny\u0101s\u012b<\/em>!’ Then nobody will respect me. So we have to use cars, but we should not be attached to it. Our attachment should be for Krishna, and for Krishna’s service we can accept anything.”<\/p>\n Whether it is saffron, white or khaki, one\u2019s dress\u2014and one\u2019s entire external situation\u2014is far less important than one\u2019s attachment to hearing and chanting about Krishna in the association of serious devotees. We advance in Krishna consciousness by appreciating the good in others and avoiding the passionate propensity to find fault. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da taught that we must be strict with ourselves and lenient with others. With his wonderful ability to emphasize the good in others, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da gave love and encouragement to all his disciples, men and women, brahmac\u0101r\u012bs<\/em>, g\u1e5bhasthas <\/em>and sanny\u0101s\u012bs<\/em>.<\/p>\n Varnashrama <\/em>and ISKCON<\/strong><\/p>\n During his final pastimes in this world, \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da stated that he had established book distribution as 50% of his mission and now wanted to add the other 50% by establishing varnashram <\/em>dharma. One of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s personal associates and confidantes during this time was Abhiram das, the former temple president of ISKCON\u2019s Miami and Calcutta branches. Abhir\u0101m Prabhu explains the background of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s \u201850%\u2019 statement.<\/p>\n \u201c\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was concerned with everyone, including women, children and the much broader spectrum of society that he expected would soon be drawn to worship Krishna within their practical ability. Yet ISKCON\u2019s status quo had shifted in the mid- \u201970s to a sanny\u0101sa <\/em>aspiration for everyone, including women, which led to broken marriages and unhappy ladies.<\/p>\n \u201cMany men, who were mostly unfit for celibacy, nonetheless chased after the new status quo of being officially declared a saint by dint of wearing saffron cloth. While greatly energizing book distribution and preaching, this trend perverted many aspects of the ISKCON society. Inevitably, fall downs began to increase and the dyke composed of youthful zeal began to crack. Using youthful energies to hold back natural inclinations for the sake of a higher mission proved unsustainable, including for many official sanny\u0101s\u012bs<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs news of fall downs continued to pour into \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da’s mail, he began to worry and vocalize his concern about this trend. This increasing concern, along with \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da’s intention to build its God-given solution\u2014varnashram <\/em>farm communities\u2014 substantially motivated his last trip west in the summer of 1977.<\/p>\n \u201cAs he said to me, \u2018I will go to G\u012bt\u0101-n\u0101gar\u012b. I will sit down and teach you how to live off the land.\u2019 He also said to Tamal Krishna Goswami, Brahm\u0101nanda Swami, Bhakti Caru Swami, Upendra and myself, \u2018Fifty percent of my work is incomplete because I have not established varnashram<\/em>. I have one lamentation, that I have not established varnashram<\/em>.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da was unable to complete that trip to G\u012bt\u0101-n\u0101gar\u012b and left this world in 1977. Since then, his followers have struggled to understand and implement his desire. Devotees have established farm communities around the world with mixed results. In economically simpler countries, some of these farming projects have achieved a degree of self-sufficiency. However, in North America and elsewhere in<\/p>\n the West, ISKCON farm communities have been forced to survive by various means other than simple agricultural production.<\/p>\n Consequently, in North America, most g\u1e5bhastha <\/em>devotees, lacking other good options, have applied varnashram <\/em>principles in Krishna consciousness by practicing s\u0101dhana-bhakti <\/em>and living as simply as possible while working and preaching in urban environments. At Krishna House we accept this way of life as a reasonable fulfillment of \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s aspiration for varnashram dharma <\/em>in ISKCON.<\/p>\n Hearing this, and seeing examples among successful devotees, newcomers feel hope and confidence in remaining in Krishna consciousness throughout their lives, whether on a farm or in the city. At Krishna House, newcomers learn that a lifelong commitment to Krishna consciousness is \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s essential intention for introducing varnashram<\/em>. As he wrote:<\/p>\n \u201cThe varnashram <\/em>system is for convenience sake in the material world. It has nothing to do with spiritual life. Acceptance of varnashram <\/em>means a little easy progress to spiritual life, otherwise it has no importance to us. For example, all my European and American disciples have no varnashram <\/em>position, but spiritually because they have followed the rules and regulations and also my instructions, their advancement spiritually is being appreciated by everyone. Always remember that varnashram <\/em>life is a good program for material life, and it helps one in spiritual life; but spiritual life is not dependent upon it.\u201d (\u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da Letter, Oct. 19, 1974)<\/p>\n To implement varnashram dharma <\/em>in Kali-yuga would require enormous preaching accomplishments, such as influencing political and social leaders to be Krishna conscious. Such accomplishments are very difficult, especially in the West. Unable to perform them, some zealous varnashram <\/em>advocates in ISKCON have instead turned to an easier pursuit: pressuring ISKCON Vaishnavis to \u2018toe the line,\u2019 cover their heads and live as traditional varnashram <\/em>women, whether they are naturally inclined to or not. Citing \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s criticism of the Women\u2019s Liberation movement of the \u201970s, these zealous varnashram <\/em>advocates insist that any Vaishnavi who does not fit into a certain social mold is unchaste and unfit for Krishna consciousness. ISKCON has suffered greatly as a result, as discussed in Chapter Eight.<\/p>\n While claiming to champion \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s teachings, these devotees themselves cannot do what \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da did: consistently bring Westerners to Krishna consciousness. \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da quoted a humorous aphorism in this regard: \u201cBig big monkey, big big belly, Lanka jumping, melancholy.\u201d Some people talk a good game, but when it comes to doing something as wonderful as Sri Hanuman\u2019s jump to Lanka, they become silent.<\/p>\n Intelligent young men and women in the West will accept Krishna consciousness if doing so allows them to be themselves without having to fit into a certain social mold. Given freedom to choose, at Krishna House these bright young men and women generally gravitate toward preaching and book distribution. If they carry on with chanting and following the regulative principles, it is not important whether they later choose to be preachers or professionals or to live in condos or cottages. Everyone is encouraged to find their unique way of pleasing Lord Krishna. Once they have a clear direction in mind, young devotees are further encouraged to seek appropriate mentorship, fulfill their dreams and sustainably apply \u015ar\u012bla Prabhup\u0101da\u2019s teachings in their lives.<\/p>\n This is from Section Three: Attaining A \u201cNormal Condition of Life\u201d of the book \u201cEndangered Species: ISKCON Ashramites in the West\u201d which is 90 pages and available for free download in either PDF or e-book formats at iskconashramites.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cThe soldiers in this K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a consciousness movement must always possess physical strength, enthusiasm and sensual power. To keep themselves fit, they must therefore place themselves in a normal condition of life. What constitutes a normal condition will not be the same for everyone, and therefore there are divisions of var\u1e47\u0101\u015brama\u2014br\u0101hma\u1e47a, k\u1e63atriya, vai\u015bya, \u015b\u016bdra, brahmacarya, g\u1e5bhastha, v\u0101naprastha <\/em>and sanny\u0101sa<\/em>.\u201d (SB. 8.2.30, purport) <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=92474"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92474\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":113225,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/92474\/revisions\/113225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=92474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=92474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=92474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/a>Good Reasons to Marry in Krishna Consciousness<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Chapter Eleven: Sex and the Single S\u0101dhaka<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Is Sex Bad?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Managing Sex Desire<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Chapter Twelve: Five Keys to Successful G\u1e5bhastha <\/em>Life<\/strong><\/h2>\n
2. <\/strong><\/a>Patience<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. <\/strong><\/a>Vocation<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. <\/strong><\/a>Pre-marital Counseling<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. <\/strong><\/a>Mutual Respect<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Chapter Thirteen: Beyond Bodily Designations<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/a>Western or Eastern Dress?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/tb0clas.jpeg)
By Kalakantha Das<\/strong><\/p>\n