Guest (1): What is Kṛṣṇa consciousness, if I might ask?
Prabhupāda: Tell him.
Paramahaṁsa: Well, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord, or the Supreme Soul, and we are all individual souls. So naturally we have an awareness of our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, or God. When we say God or Kṛṣṇa, we don't mean my God or your God, but we mean God, no matter which religion we're speaking of. So all of us naturally have a capacity to love Kṛṣṇa, or God, and we can awaken this relationship with Him. And when that is awakened, then all unwanted things disappear, because everybody is actually frustrated, looking for permanent happiness in this temporary world. But when we awaken our Kṛṣṇa consciousness then all of those frustrations disappear, and so all such problems like drug addiction become unnecessary.
Guest (2): How long does this process of withdrawal take?
Paramahaṁsa: He says how long does it take to stop taking drugs by the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness?
Prabhupāda: If one lives with us at least for six months, he will give up.
Guest (2): Six months. And are there cases which relapse?
Paramahaṁsa: He says, "Are there cases of..., which relapse? Persons who begin to withdraw from drugs...?"
Prabhupāda: Maybe one in five hundred.
Guest (2): One in five hundred.
Prabhupāda: There is. Everyone is prone to fall down. But that percentage is very low, say, one in five hundred. We have got about ten thousand students all over the world. Out of them, they have fallen about ten or, say, fifteen, that's all.
Guest (2): You means you have ten thousand students who used to be addicted to something?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Addicted to everything—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. And now they have given up everything.
Guest (2): And those who relapse, can they be treated again?
Prabhupāda: Again?
Paramahaṁsa: Those who have relapsed, can they be treated again?
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, that I say. Say, utmost, ten out of ten thousand.
Paramahaṁsa: He says, "Can they be treated again, a second time?"
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Even American government is pleased with this movement because they have spent so much millions of dollars for stopping LSD, and they are surprised that when the people come here, they give up.
Guest (3): Do you teach abstinence or moderation in the use of these things?
Prabhupāda: No, we say "Stop." We don't allow even smoking and drinking tea. That is also intoxication. We are so strict. But still, they give up. None of us take tea. We eat very simple things, vegetables, wheat, rice, little milk, that's all.
Guest (1): Did you say you eat meat?
Paramahaṁsa: Wheat, wheat.
Guest (1): Wheat. Ah. Is there any reason why you don't, you prohibit people from eating meat?
Prabhupāda: Because it is sinful. It is sinful. According to Vedic conception, these four things are sinful activities, four pillars. Just like four pillars, the legs of this table, similarly, illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling are the four legs of sinful life.
Guest (1): What do you consider illicit sex?
Prabhupāda: Illicit sex means animal life. The marriage is in the human society, not in the dog society. So if one has illicit sex, that means he is no better than dog.
Guest (2): I don't quite understand that. Did you say that illicit means sex between people who are not married?
Prabhupāda: Yes. Sex is allowed only married couple. And that is also only for begetting child.
Guest (1): Married under what law? Under what religion? Under what religious law?
Prabhupāda: There is in Bhagavad-gītā, that dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Find out. You can come here and read.
Paramahaṁsa: Which was that? Dharma...
Prabhupāda: Dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi.
Paramahaṁsa: Dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu?
Prabhupāda: No, dharmāviruddhaḥ kāmo 'smi. Dharma-aviruddha. You know that verse.
Paramahaṁsa: Is that balaṁ balavatāṁ cāham?
Prabhupāda: Ah, yes, yes, yes.
Paramahaṁsa:
- balaṁ balavatāṁ cāhaṁ
- kāma-rāga-vivarjitam
- dharmāviruddho bhūteṣu
- kāmo 'smi bharatarṣabha
Translation: "I am the strength of the strong, devoid of passion and desire. I am sex life which is not contrary to religious principles, O Lord of the Bhāratas, Arjuna."
Guest (1): You can follow actually? What does that exactly mean? It's a direct translation, I think.
Paramahaṁsa: He says, "What does that exactly mean?"
Prabhupāda: Explain to him.
Paramahaṁsa: Well, as it explains here, "The strong man's strength should be applied to protect the weak, not for personal aggression. Similarly, sex life, according to religious principles, dharma, should be for the propagation of children, not otherwise. The responsibility of parents is then to make their offspring Kṛṣṇa conscious."
Guest (2): The question was which religion, which religious principle?
Paramahaṁsa: Well, he means our marriage under... We accept that marriage, sex life in marriage, is licit, not illicit. So he asked, "Under what religious principles or under which religion?"
Prabhupāda: Any religion. Christian religion does not allow illicit sex. No adultery.
Guest (2): Any religious principles?
Prabhupāda: This is religious principle. In the animal kingdom there is no marriage, but in the human society—may be Christian, may be Hindu, may be Muslim—there is marriage system. That is religious system.