Can the Guru masturbate?

[Paramananda das]

 

 This question was asked to me yesterday because some leaders in the past did this even a sannaysi and an  ex grhastha Guru did this.Well the answer is obvious it brakes the regulative principles,

But not in the same way someone has illcit sex with someone else or what to speak of being a homosexual.

Masturbation is an illicit form of sex life as de scribed in Prabhupada's purport in The Nectar of Instruction:



As far as the urges of the genitals are concerned, there are two—proper and improper, or legal and illicit sex. When a man is properly mature, he can marry according to the rules and regulations in the sastra and use his genitals for begetting nice children. That is legal and religious. Otherwise, he may adopt many artificial means to satisfy the demands of his genitals, and he may not use any restraint. When one indulges in illicit sex, as defined by the sastras, either by thinking, plan ning, talking about it or actually having sexual intercourse, or by satisfying the genitals by artificial means, he is caught in the clutche.. of maya. These instructions apply not only to house holders but also to tyagis, or those who are in the renounced order of life.

—Nectar of Instruction, Text One, purport

Recently a new devotee doing a PH.D asked me about this.

the lonely passion and illicit sex, questions by a PH.D student, devotee from India

dear devotees

Please accept my humble obaisences

All glories to Srila Prabhupada

 Today one young Indian male devotee asked me about how to give up his lonely passion and watching porn on the internet.

.Last year I discussed this with another devotee.But

someone thought I was not strong enough about it so I will not compromise this time.And give it as it is.

 Everyone is troubled by sex desires this is confirmed in Srimad Bhagavatam, the question is what will we do when such desires come to the mind.

(see Gita 2.70 and Gita 3.6 at least if one does not act on such sinful desires as in Kali yuga offences in the mind is not as serious as doing them)

It is part of the material body, there is however many tips to control sex desires, for example Bhakti Vikas Maharaja has presented this in the 

Brahmacari book ,most basically based on Srila Prabhupadas instructions.In Bhagavad Gita Krsna has stated: Dhyato visayan 

and lets look at some other purports and verses in  Bhagavad Gita  .

However one thing not really mentioned much in the Brahmacari book and which in my eyes make this book incomplete is that Srila Prabhupada

has recommended to chant 64 rounds also as a solution to overcome sexual desires.However chanting without the proper diet   will not make one 

succeed, so it is a constant struggle to control the senses, but the more we love Krsna and remember Him the more sex life will become distasteful.

Sex life starts with the lonely passion and from there so much other nonsense starts.Sex life is only for begetting children within marriage.

However many present it for unlimited sex with ones wife, this is a demoniac philosophy. There is difference between grhamedhis and grhasthas.

The solution or a big part of the solution of the lonely passion is simply to chant 64 rounds daily(minimum 16) and avoid the 10 offences to the holy name.  

This is the most important solution .There is no other way in Kali yuga than chanting.So time to turn of the computers and simply chant.Actually

browsing the internet for porn is a very low class way of enjoyment, and if one does this as this one devotee.Better to only use the computer in a

 public place(as this may decrease such a bad habit) .Life is short and one  needs to overcome this lonely passion, and any form of illicit sex life.

  And being a sannyasi or GBC or TP does not  mean having overcome this simply by having this title, even Lord Brahma was tested by maya.But

 in Lord Caitanyas lilas he came as Haridas Thakura and showed us how to chant 192 rounds daily.The question is will chanting 64 rounds alone

help one control ones sex impulses.

If we take shelter of Krsna in the form of the holy name, this is the only real way, begging Krsna

to help us control our senses..Kirtaniya sada harih.So why should there be lonely passion if we can simply chant Hare Krsna?.The problem starts when

one stops chanting..ceto darpana marjanam.Junior Haridas was rejected by Lord Caitanya though likely he was chanting a lot being in the association

of Lord Caitanya but merciful Lord Caitanya showed us through Junior Haridasa to be careful in the association of the opposite sex.

 There was the case of one sannyasi caught sub coming to the lonely passion here in ISKCON, and some have fallen away and some married their own

 female disciples .So we need to be serious about chanting.In married life ,Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has advised to daily chant 64 rounds for grhasthas.

He said one will become a sat grhastha by doing so.Now adays many do not even chant their 16 rounds, and refuse to observe ekadasi, and also take grains

on Visnutattva days.Or simply just brake all Visnutattva fasts by taking grains on these apperance days. These are very sad things.Actually one of

 the angas of Bhakti is to strictly observe these days by increased hearing and chanting.The more we hear and chant about Krsna the more we will

overcome repeated birth and death.This is not something we can fail in.This requires us to be 100 % serious and surrendered, this is all up to us.

One last advise is for brahmacaries avoid those" grhasthas "that are not strict, for grhasthas really be one  strict KC couple and 

avoid sleeping in the same room 

as ones wife.(Srila Prabhupada mentioned in Vrindavan that those who sleep in the same room as their wife ,fall down in that room also, Srila Prabhupada

told this to Brahmananda and others)

For sannyasis avoiding all women(including Internet and mail correspondence) a secretary can read it out loud to the sannyasi if this is an

 important question,nor should sannyasis be match makers...absolutely no alone time in the office with 'Matajis" we have seen this many times..

talking for hours to women all alone.They have all the time for talking to women but not any time for the other Prabhus..got the picture..

   and for all asramas constant chanting.

And by the way divorce is not an option for strict devotees

Is this not not strong enough? How about ; the pleasures of the material temporary genitals are not equal to serving Krsna in Krsna loka.

Mattir na Krsna...it is about time to stop chewing the chewed and take shelter of Krsnas lotusfeet.We all need to try our very best not to

become servants of lust, but of Krsna that conquers lust Madanmohan,along with Madanmohan -Mohini(Sri Radha) 

your servant

Paramananda  das

PS I like to add Srila Prabhupada in several letters wrote that those who are his disciples must all follow 4 regs and chant minimum 16 rounds otherwise they are not his disciples

"My advice is always chant l6 rounds minimum and follow the fou rregulative principles. All of my disciples must agree on this point, otherwise they are not my disciples. Let one live anywhere,but stick to the principles. Disagreements will continue in this material world. So one may live in a suitable place, but one must follow these five principl...

However, even with the best of help, it may not be easy to overcome this painful predicament. The only real solution is to surrender to Krishna. “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But one who has surrendered to Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Bg. 7.14) We have to take shelter of Madana-mohana (  quote from Prabhupada lecture  ).

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.45

yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaḿ hi tucchaḿ

kaṇḍūyanena karayor iva duḥkha-duḥkham

tṛpyanti neha kṛpaṇā bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ

kaṇḍūtivan manasijaḿ viṣaheta dhīraḥ

SYNONYMS

yat — that which (is meant for material sense gratification); maithuna-ādi — represented by talking of sex, reading sexual literature or enjoying sex life (at home or outside, as in a club); gṛhamedhi-sukham — all types of material happiness based on attachment to family, society, friendship, etc.; hi — indeed; tuccham — insignificant; kaṇḍūyanena — with the itching; karayoḥ — of the two hands (to relieve the itching); iva — like; duḥkha-duḥkham — different types of unhappiness (into which one is put after such itching sense gratification); tṛpyanti — become satisfied; na — never; iha — in material sense gratification; kṛpaṇāḥ — the foolish persons; bahu-duḥkha-bhājaḥ — subjected to various types of material unhappiness; kaṇḍūti-vat — if one can learn from such itching; manasi-jam — which is simply a mental concoction (actually there is no happiness); viṣaheta — and tolerates (such itching); dhīraḥ — (he can become) a most perfect, sober person.

TRANSLATION

Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhis, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṇas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.

PURPORT

Materialists think that sexual indulgence is the greatest happiness in this material world, and therefore they make elaborate plans to satisfy their senses, especially the genitals. This is generally found everywhere, and specifically found in the Western world, where there are regular arrangements to satisfy sex life in different ways. Actually, however, this has not made anyone happy. Even the hippies, who have given up all the materialistic comforts of their fathers and grandfathers, cannot give up the sensational happiness of sex life. Such persons are described here as kṛpaṇas, misers. The human form of life is a great asset, for in this life one can fulfill the goal of existence. Unfortunately, however, because of a lack of education and culture, people are victimized by the false happiness of sex life. Prahlāda Mahārāja therefore advises one not to be misled by this civilization of sense gratification, and especially not by sex life. Rather, one should be sober, avoid sense gratification and be Kṛṣṇa conscious. The lusty person, who is compared to a foolish miser, never gets happiness by sense gratification. The influence of material nature is very difficult to surpass, but as stated by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14), mām eva ye prapadyante, māyām etāḿ taranti te: if one voluntarily submits to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, he can be saved very easily.

In reference to the low-grade happiness of sex life, Yāmunācārya says in this connection:

yadāvadhi mama cetaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravinde

nava-nava-rasa-dhāmanudyata rantum āsīt

tadāvadhi bata nārī-sańgame smaryamāne

bhavati mukha-vikāraḥ suṣṭu niṣṭhīvanaḿ ca

"Since I have been engaged in the transcendental loving service of Kṛṣṇa, realizing ever-new pleasure in Him, whenever I think of sex pleasure, I spit at the thought, and my lips curl with distaste." Yāmunācārya had formerly been a great king who enjoyed sexual happiness in various ways, but since he later engaged himself in the service of the Lord, he enjoyed spiritual bliss and hated to think of sex life. If sexual thoughts came to him, he would spit with disgust