From the book "Perfect questions and Perfect Answers"
Chapter-4 The Three Modes Of Nature
Bob: Are the devotees beyond accumulating karma? These devotees—do they feel karma? Do they work in these modes? Are they in the mode of goodness?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: They are above goodness! Śuddha-sattva. The devotees are not in this material world. They are in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
["One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman."] Devotees are neither in goodness, passion nor ignorance. They are transcendental to all these qualities.
Bob: A devotee who is very faithful reaches this stage?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Devotee... You can become a devotee as they have become. It is not difficult. Simply you have to engage yourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, that's all.
Bob: I wish to gain more knowledge of God and be able to feel God's presence more. The reason for this is because I feel life has little meaning without this.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes! If you miss this human form of life, then it is a great loss. That is a great chance given to the living entity to get out of the entanglement of material existence.
Bob: I feel thankful that I've been able to ask these questions...
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, you can learn more and more.
Bob: But I still have... my connections at home. Marriage is... I am engaged....
Śrīla Prabhupāda: No, no. There are so many marriages. [He indicates Śyāmasundara.] He is married. Marriage is no barrier. I told you that there are four different orders of spiritual life—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So after brahmacārī life, one can marry. That is not obligatory. One may remain naiṣṭhika-brahmacārīfor his whole life. But a brahmacārī can marry. And after marriage, there is vānaprastha life. This means that one is a little aloof from family—the husband and wife live separately. At that time there is no sex life. Then when he is fully renounced, detached from family life, he takes sannyāsa,
Bob: Does somebody forget his wife completely then?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Forgetting is not very difficult, if you try to forget. Out of sight, out of mind. [All laugh.] Just as I have my wife, children, grandchildren—everything. But, out of sight, out of mind, that's all. Therefore, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—everything is nicely arranged by the Vedic system.
To be continued....
Chapter-4 The Three Modes Of Nature
Bob: Are the devotees beyond accumulating karma? These devotees—do they feel karma? Do they work in these modes? Are they in the mode of goodness?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: They are above goodness! Śuddha-sattva. The devotees are not in this material world. They are in the spiritual world. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā:
māṁ ca yo 'vyabhicāreṇa
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa guṇān samatītyaitān
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
[Bg. 14.26]
["One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman."] Devotees are neither in goodness, passion nor ignorance. They are transcendental to all these qualities.
Bob: A devotee who is very faithful reaches this stage?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Devotee... You can become a devotee as they have become. It is not difficult. Simply you have to engage yourself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, that's all.
Bob: I wish to gain more knowledge of God and be able to feel God's presence more. The reason for this is because I feel life has little meaning without this.
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes! If you miss this human form of life, then it is a great loss. That is a great chance given to the living entity to get out of the entanglement of material existence.
Bob: I feel thankful that I've been able to ask these questions...
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes, you can learn more and more.
Bob: But I still have... my connections at home. Marriage is... I am engaged....
Śrīla Prabhupāda: No, no. There are so many marriages. [He indicates Śyāmasundara.] He is married. Marriage is no barrier. I told you that there are four different orders of spiritual life—brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha and sannyāsa. So after brahmacārī life, one can marry. That is not obligatory. One may remain naiṣṭhika-brahmacārīfor his whole life. But a brahmacārī can marry. And after marriage, there is vānaprastha life. This means that one is a little aloof from family—the husband and wife live separately. At that time there is no sex life. Then when he is fully renounced, detached from family life, he takes sannyāsa,
Bob: Does somebody forget his wife completely then?
Śrīla Prabhupāda: Yes. Forgetting is not very difficult, if you try to forget. Out of sight, out of mind. [All laugh.] Just as I have my wife, children, grandchildren—everything. But, out of sight, out of mind, that's all. Therefore, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—everything is nicely arranged by the Vedic system.
To be continued....
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