From the moment of their untimely conception, Kasyapa and Diti knew that their children would be born as enemies of the Lord and the peace of all living beings, but they were willing to accept the consequences. Although they had good reason to, they didn’t try to avoid their responsibility by artificial means.
Today many people are not interested in the responsibility of sex. Yet, although they may argue that sex is natural and should not be restricted, a thoughtful person realizes that so also is the conception and birth of children the natural outcome. Trying to stop birth and the responsibilities that go along with it, rather, that is unnatural.
Today's rampant contraceptive use has become the backbone of illicit sex, adultery, feminism, divorce and the risk of unwanted pregnancies, thus sapping the human energy which is ultimately meant for spiritual inquiry and self realization. One cannot avoid responsibility, a.k.a. "karma". Instead one becomes more and more involved in sinful reactions. And the children born from such persons absorbed in the mode of passion and ignorance are considered to be either a source of extended sense gratification or a great burden, neither of which is a healthy consciousness to project upon a child.
KILLING CHILDREN IS UNCIVILIZED
Historically, child sacrifices are regarded with horror, yet today, children are regularly murdered within their mother's wombs. Such is the mode of ignorance and barbarism. Prabhupada wrote in a Bhagavatam purport:
"In Vedic civilization, childbirth or pregnancy is never regarded as a burden; rather, it is a cause for jubilation. In contrast, people in modern civilization do not like pregnancy or childbirth, and when there is a child, they sometimes kill it. We can just consider how human society has fallen since the inauguration of Kali-yuga. Although people still claim to be civilized, at the present moment there is actually no human civilization, but only an assembly of two-legged animals." SB 10.7.4p
HEALTH RISKS
Furthermore, for a sensible person, to interfere with the natural processes of a woman's body via contraceptive use such as "the pill", seems dangerous, even crazy. We don't often see the results of failed contraceptive use on the unborn child, perhaps because sex is big business, but I personally know a few people that wished they never had used any. One died of breast cancer. Another woman's child was born with a severe deformity and lifelong disabilities. I confidentially inquired whether she used any type of contraception when her son was conceived very early on. Her answer was affirmative. She was not planning to have a child. He was an accident and conceived while she was using such body altering drugs.
Prabhupäda: By violating the nature's law, disease is created.
Brahmänanda: Their whole idea is that they want to violate the law but not suffer for it. That is the whole basis of their research work.
Prabhupäda: But actually they suffer. Actually they suffer. Now, what is this research work? This is suffering, spending so much hard-earned money. So one of the cause of, I can say, one of the cause of cancer disease is this contraceptive method. You can make research on it. This is very dangerous stipulation, to use contraceptives. So they are, one side, discovering contraceptive medicine, contraceptive chemical; another side researching for cancer disease.-morning walk 5/4/73 LA
Being in tune with nature, on the other hand, has its benefits. Canakya Pandita noted that a lack of sexual contact ages a woman. Reproduction, therefore, is the way to good health for the female body, because it is created for it and with every child created, it goes through a process of complete rejevanation. This is evident by how youthful the mothers with many children often look.
Men, on the other hand are advised to retain their semen and utilize it only for procreation. That's because reproduction has the reverse effect on a man. Scripture states the many adverse effects on a man for losing semen unnecessarily. One scientist also expressed that for a man "reproduction is the beginning of death".
BASED ON THE BODILY CONCEPT OF LIFE
Feminism claims that the body belongs to the woman, therefore she has a right to sacrifice the child if she feels it to be a threat towards her personal sense gratification. But who's body is it really? Did we make our bodies? Do we have to wind up our hearts each morning to make sure they keeps working? Obviously there are higher powers of maintenance always going on, since one's body often seem to have a mind of its own. Yet the followers of the feminism do not want to believe that the body, and the child's body also, are the property of God. Once again Prabhupada points out this defect in a Bhagavad gita 16.18 purport:
"A demoniac person, being always against God's supremacy, does not like to believe in the scriptures. He is envious of both the scriptures and the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.... He is actually envious of his own self, as well as of others. (Thus)he commits violence on other bodies and on his own. He does not care for the supreme control of the Personality of Godhead, because he has no knowledge. Being envious... he puts forward false arguments against the existence of God and denies the scriptural authority....He thinks himself independent and powerful in every action." Bg 16.18p
ACTING AGAINST THE LAWS OF GOD
The sinful act of contraception and abortion creates great inconvenience for those living entities barred from or evicted from the womb, prolonging their suffering condition in an attempt to attain another body.
"In sexual intercourse, if there is no soul, there is no conception, no pregnancy. Contraception deteriorates the womb so that it no longer is a good place for the soul. That is against the order of God. By the order of God, a soul is sent to a particular womb, but by this contraceptive he is denied that womb and has to be placed in another. That is disobedience to the Supreme. For example, take a man who is supposed to live in a particular apartment. If the situation there is so disturbed that he cannot enter the apartment, then he is put at a great disadvantage. That is illegal interference and is punishable." --letter 1/21/71, Allahabad
"There is a great fault by destroying dynasty. Nowadays people are destroying from the womb, abortion, contraception, destroying. They do not know." (Bg. 1.37-39 London, July 27, 1973)
TWO KINDS OF SASTRIC (SCRIPTURAL) CONTRACEPTION
RESPONSIBLE SEX LIFE:
The more one takes care and responsibility for spouse and children, especially in the matter of their spiritual lives, the more one will think twice about engaging in sex.
"So even if you have legal sex, the mother has to undergo the labor pains and the father has to take responsibility for raising the children nicely, give them education. Of course, one who is irresponsible like cats and dogs, that is another thing. But those who are actually gentlemen, for them it is not painful. Therefore they are avoiding children by contraceptive methods, because they know to raise children is a very difficult job. So sästra's injunction is simply to try to tolerate this itching sensation and you save so much pain. This is real psychology. That itching sensation can be tolerated if one practices this Krishna consciousness. Then you will not be very much attracted by this sex life."
"The sastric contraception means that 'If you cannot educate your sons how to stop repetition of birth, then don't become a father. Don't become a mother.' This is Sästric... 'Don't become a guru. Don't become so on, so on, well-wisher, if you cannot stop.'" SN 6.1 lecture, 7/25/75, LA
Unless one wishes to be the next prajapati, not using contraceptives helps a thoughtful person to restrain from sex life:
"If one does not want more than one or two children, he should voluntarily stop sex life. But one should strictly not use any contraceptive method and at the same time indulge in sex life. That is very much sinful. If the husband and wife can voluntarily restrain by powerful advancement of Krishna Consciousness. That is the best method. It is not necessary that because one has got wife, therefore you must have sex life. The whole scheme is to avoid sex life as far as possible. And if one can avoid it completely then it is a great victory for him. Married life is a sort of license for sex life on condition of raising children. So you should try to understand these principles of married life and use your discretion." letter, 9/20/68, SF
SEARCHING FOR THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
Another effective means of godly contraception is to become too busy in searching out and establishing one's spiritual relationship with the Supreme, so much so that one forgets all about sex life.
“There is propaganda for family planning, but foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements of sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification.” SB 1.2.10p
Today many people are not interested in the responsibility of sex. Yet, although they may argue that sex is natural and should not be restricted, a thoughtful person realizes that so also is the conception and birth of children the natural outcome. Trying to stop birth and the responsibilities that go along with it, rather, that is unnatural.
Today's rampant contraceptive use has become the backbone of illicit sex, adultery, feminism, divorce and the risk of unwanted pregnancies, thus sapping the human energy which is ultimately meant for spiritual inquiry and self realization. One cannot avoid responsibility, a.k.a. "karma". Instead one becomes more and more involved in sinful reactions. And the children born from such persons absorbed in the mode of passion and ignorance are considered to be either a source of extended sense gratification or a great burden, neither of which is a healthy consciousness to project upon a child.
KILLING CHILDREN IS UNCIVILIZED
Historically, child sacrifices are regarded with horror, yet today, children are regularly murdered within their mother's wombs. Such is the mode of ignorance and barbarism. Prabhupada wrote in a Bhagavatam purport:
"In Vedic civilization, childbirth or pregnancy is never regarded as a burden; rather, it is a cause for jubilation. In contrast, people in modern civilization do not like pregnancy or childbirth, and when there is a child, they sometimes kill it. We can just consider how human society has fallen since the inauguration of Kali-yuga. Although people still claim to be civilized, at the present moment there is actually no human civilization, but only an assembly of two-legged animals." SB 10.7.4p
HEALTH RISKS
Furthermore, for a sensible person, to interfere with the natural processes of a woman's body via contraceptive use such as "the pill", seems dangerous, even crazy. We don't often see the results of failed contraceptive use on the unborn child, perhaps because sex is big business, but I personally know a few people that wished they never had used any. One died of breast cancer. Another woman's child was born with a severe deformity and lifelong disabilities. I confidentially inquired whether she used any type of contraception when her son was conceived very early on. Her answer was affirmative. She was not planning to have a child. He was an accident and conceived while she was using such body altering drugs.
Prabhupäda: By violating the nature's law, disease is created.
Brahmänanda: Their whole idea is that they want to violate the law but not suffer for it. That is the whole basis of their research work.
Prabhupäda: But actually they suffer. Actually they suffer. Now, what is this research work? This is suffering, spending so much hard-earned money. So one of the cause of, I can say, one of the cause of cancer disease is this contraceptive method. You can make research on it. This is very dangerous stipulation, to use contraceptives. So they are, one side, discovering contraceptive medicine, contraceptive chemical; another side researching for cancer disease.-morning walk 5/4/73 LA
Being in tune with nature, on the other hand, has its benefits. Canakya Pandita noted that a lack of sexual contact ages a woman. Reproduction, therefore, is the way to good health for the female body, because it is created for it and with every child created, it goes through a process of complete rejevanation. This is evident by how youthful the mothers with many children often look.
Men, on the other hand are advised to retain their semen and utilize it only for procreation. That's because reproduction has the reverse effect on a man. Scripture states the many adverse effects on a man for losing semen unnecessarily. One scientist also expressed that for a man "reproduction is the beginning of death".
BASED ON THE BODILY CONCEPT OF LIFE
Feminism claims that the body belongs to the woman, therefore she has a right to sacrifice the child if she feels it to be a threat towards her personal sense gratification. But who's body is it really? Did we make our bodies? Do we have to wind up our hearts each morning to make sure they keeps working? Obviously there are higher powers of maintenance always going on, since one's body often seem to have a mind of its own. Yet the followers of the feminism do not want to believe that the body, and the child's body also, are the property of God. Once again Prabhupada points out this defect in a Bhagavad gita 16.18 purport:
"A demoniac person, being always against God's supremacy, does not like to believe in the scriptures. He is envious of both the scriptures and the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.... He is actually envious of his own self, as well as of others. (Thus)he commits violence on other bodies and on his own. He does not care for the supreme control of the Personality of Godhead, because he has no knowledge. Being envious... he puts forward false arguments against the existence of God and denies the scriptural authority....He thinks himself independent and powerful in every action." Bg 16.18p
ACTING AGAINST THE LAWS OF GOD
The sinful act of contraception and abortion creates great inconvenience for those living entities barred from or evicted from the womb, prolonging their suffering condition in an attempt to attain another body.
"In sexual intercourse, if there is no soul, there is no conception, no pregnancy. Contraception deteriorates the womb so that it no longer is a good place for the soul. That is against the order of God. By the order of God, a soul is sent to a particular womb, but by this contraceptive he is denied that womb and has to be placed in another. That is disobedience to the Supreme. For example, take a man who is supposed to live in a particular apartment. If the situation there is so disturbed that he cannot enter the apartment, then he is put at a great disadvantage. That is illegal interference and is punishable." --letter 1/21/71, Allahabad
"There is a great fault by destroying dynasty. Nowadays people are destroying from the womb, abortion, contraception, destroying. They do not know." (Bg. 1.37-39 London, July 27, 1973)
TWO KINDS OF SASTRIC (SCRIPTURAL) CONTRACEPTION
RESPONSIBLE SEX LIFE:
The more one takes care and responsibility for spouse and children, especially in the matter of their spiritual lives, the more one will think twice about engaging in sex.
"So even if you have legal sex, the mother has to undergo the labor pains and the father has to take responsibility for raising the children nicely, give them education. Of course, one who is irresponsible like cats and dogs, that is another thing. But those who are actually gentlemen, for them it is not painful. Therefore they are avoiding children by contraceptive methods, because they know to raise children is a very difficult job. So sästra's injunction is simply to try to tolerate this itching sensation and you save so much pain. This is real psychology. That itching sensation can be tolerated if one practices this Krishna consciousness. Then you will not be very much attracted by this sex life."
"The sastric contraception means that 'If you cannot educate your sons how to stop repetition of birth, then don't become a father. Don't become a mother.' This is Sästric... 'Don't become a guru. Don't become so on, so on, well-wisher, if you cannot stop.'" SN 6.1 lecture, 7/25/75, LA
Unless one wishes to be the next prajapati, not using contraceptives helps a thoughtful person to restrain from sex life:
"If one does not want more than one or two children, he should voluntarily stop sex life. But one should strictly not use any contraceptive method and at the same time indulge in sex life. That is very much sinful. If the husband and wife can voluntarily restrain by powerful advancement of Krishna Consciousness. That is the best method. It is not necessary that because one has got wife, therefore you must have sex life. The whole scheme is to avoid sex life as far as possible. And if one can avoid it completely then it is a great victory for him. Married life is a sort of license for sex life on condition of raising children. So you should try to understand these principles of married life and use your discretion." letter, 9/20/68, SF
SEARCHING FOR THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH
Another effective means of godly contraception is to become too busy in searching out and establishing one's spiritual relationship with the Supreme, so much so that one forgets all about sex life.
“There is propaganda for family planning, but foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements of sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification.” SB 1.2.10p
“A person is a person, no matter how small.” --Dr. Seuss