Is Liberation without Stopping Sense Gratification Possible?
A male devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krishna Prabhu. I am following chanting, offering bhoga, some services in the temple. But, I am unable to give up s…x life with the wife. I have heard sense gratification blocks our journey towards Krishna. What should I do. Please advise”
REPLY:
Material desires and Getting Liberation are two contrary things.
A materialistic person can’t get liberated.
Similarly, a liberated person can’t have material desires.
If it is so, is Liberation without Stopping Sense Gratification Possible?
However, Our Sanatana dharma gave a brilliant facility to manage both the material desires of sense gratification and attaining the Liberation from material desires.
It is a beautiful process of using the sense gratification itself to get liberated.
(Is Grahastha life Impure & Inferior? Can a Grahastha go back to Krishna? READ HERE!)
That means, following regulated sense gratification, getting the liberation finally.
Getting liberation is definitely possible though one involves in the Sense Gratification.
The well planned Varnashrama dharma makes it possible.
It does not mean uncontrolled sense gratification.
But, Regulated Sense Gratification with the spouse is not a barrier for getting liberation.
I don’t say this. Srila Prabhupada has said in many places including his purports for the verses of Srimad Bhagavatham.
Let us read the views of Srila Prabhupada about getting liberation even by following sense gratifying family life.
(1) Srimad-Bhagavatam 4:22:34 Purport:
The Vedic process of sense gratification is therefore planned in such a way that one can economically develop and enjoy sense gratification and yet ultimately attain liberation. Vedic civilization offers us all knowledge in the sastras, and if we live a regulated life under the direction of sastras and guru, all our material desires will be fulfilled; at the same time we will be able to go forward to liberation.”
(2) Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Ch. 60:
Lord Krsna told Rukmini, ‘My dear beautiful wife, you know that because we are householders we are always busy in many household affairs and long for a time when we can enjoy some joking words between us. That is our ultimate gain in household life’.
(Why should Krishna give senses and also expect Purity in devotion? READ HERE!)
Srila Prabhupada comments, ‘Actually, householders work very hard day and night, but all fatigue of the day’s labour is minimised as soon as they meet, husband and wife together, and enjoy life in many ways. Lord Krsna wanted to exhibit Himself as being like an ordinary householder who delights himself by exchanging joking words with his wife’.
(3) Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.17.5:
Similarly, it is described, ‘Lord Siva was sitting in an assembly of great saintly persons and embracing Parvati on his lap with his arm … For Parvati to be embraced by Lord Siva was natural in a relationship between husband and wife; this was nothing extraordinary’
(4) Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.26.17:
We always speak of the goddess of fortune as being placed on the chest of Narayana. In other words, the wife must remain embraced by her husband. Thus she becomes beloved and well protected … Just as intelligence is always within the heart, so a beloved chaste wife should always have her place on the chest of a good husband. This is the proper relationship between husband and wife. A wife is therefore called ardhangani, or half of the body. One cannot remain with only one leg, one hand or only one side of the body. He must have two sides.
(What if a devotee husband or wife needs more sense gratification? READ HERE!)
(5) Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.18.40:
Maharaja Yadu was very eager to engage himself in the Lord’s service, but there was an impediment: during youth the material desire to enjoy the material senses is certainly present, and unless one fully satisfies these lusty desires in youth, there is a chance of one’s being disturbed in rendering service to the Lord. We have actually seen that many sannyasis who accept sannyasa prematurely, not having satisfied their material desires, fall down because they are disturbed. Therefore the general process is to go through grhastha life and vanaprastha life and finally come to sannyasa and devote oneself completely to the service of the Lord. Maharaja Yadu was ready to accept his father’s order and exchange youth for old age because he was confident that the youth taken by his father would be returned. But because this exchange would delay his complete engagement in devotional service, he did not want to accept his father’s old age, for he was eager to achieve freedom from disturbances.
(6)
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised the householder Kurma, ‘Remain at home and chant the holy name of Krsna always. Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Sri Krsna as they are given in the Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam … If you follow this instruction, your materialistic life at home will not obstruct your spiritual advancement. Indeed, if you follow these regulative principles, we will again meet here, or, rather, you will never lose My company’
(Is Sense Gratification without getting children possible for devotees? READ HERE!)
(7) Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 7.128-9:
Many people come and inquire whether they have to give up family life to join the Society, but that is not our mission. One can remain comfortably in his residence. We simply request everyone to chant the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. If one is a little literate and can read Bhagavad-gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam that is so much the better. If a devotee follows the instructions of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, he lives in the company of the Lord. Wherever he lives, he converts that place into Vrndavana and Navadvipa. This means that materialism cannot touch him. This is the secret of success for one advancing in Krsna consciousness.
(8) Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 16.69-70:
Similarly, when a grhastha resident of Kulina-grama asked Lord Caitanya, ‘My Lord, kindly tell me what my duty is and how I should execute it’. The Lord replied, ‘You should engage yourself in the service of the servants of Krsna and always chant the holy name of Krsna. If you do these two things, you will very soon attain shelter at Krsna’s lotus feet.
Thus, Liberation without Stopping Sense Gratification is Possible if regulated Sense gratification is followed.
(Should a devotee couple stop sense gratification after getting child? READ HERE!)