Because people are producing children against religious principles, therefore the whole world is full of varna-sankara [unwanted children], and there is no peace.

Planned Parenthood is not what you think it is

Does Obama know about Planned Parenthood's founder's hidden plan to exterminate blacks?

Contraception illegal interference

Contraception means to make the womb deteriorated 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 and by this contraceptive, he is denied that womb and has to be placed in another. That is disobedience of the Supreme. Just as 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.

Overpopulation a myth

REPORTER: [speaking in French] Have you a point of view about the demographic problem and the problem of birth control?

YOGESVARA: [translating] Do we have a viewpoint on contraception?

PRABHUPADA: That is most sinful activity. Because a child is coming to live at the expense of God's property, and the rascal father is thinking of overpopulation.

REPORTER: [speaking French]

YOGESVARA: [tanslating] But he says but this is a fact, this overpopulation.

PRABHUPADA: That is another wrong impression. Foolish impression. The whole world has got sufficient place to produce food for ten times the population as it is now. The Americans, they throw grains in the water. So if they send the excess grain to the place where grain is not sufficient, then it is God consciousness. If the so-called overpopulation is spread all over the world, there is sufficient place in Africa, Australia, America. The overpopulation can grow their food in these vast uncultivated lands.

YOGESVARA: He says that only resolves the problem for a few years.

PRABHUPADA: That is nonsense. We don't believe it. That is not...

YOGESVARA: Why. Why is it that this program...?

PRABHUPADA: Why do they think that it is for few years?

YOGESVARA: He's thinking that the Earth is not capable of providing enough...

PRABHUPADA: What does he know about Earth? His knowledge is not sufficient. He, he's speaking like a woman who saw in the marketplace in the morning thousands of people have gathered, and she began to cry: "Where I shall give place to these men?" So her son came: "My dear mother, don't cry. You come in the evening. We shall find some solution." So when she came in the evening, there was nobody.

YOGESVARA: She went there to buy her foodstuffs?

PRABHUPADA: Yes, yes.

YOGESVARA: (translates to French)

PRABHUPADA: So you are thinking in that way. "How I shall provide this population?" That is the old woman's crying. Without sufficient knowledge. We do not believe in this, all rascaldom. We believe in God. If God can create... just like animals. They do not cry. They're increasing. The hogs and dogs, even lower animals... This is demonic economy. A man is holding thousands of acres of land and he's thinking of overpopulation. Why not he distributes the thousands of acres of land to the people? They would produce their own food. That is the, that is the defect of so-called socialism. But here we give a right type of socialism.

Burden of unwanted progeny

Krishna says that dharmaviruddho bhuteshu kamo 'smi bharatarshabha. Who is following strictly the regulative principles, even in sex life he can see Krishna. Which is considered abominable, but even in sex life, if you are following the rules and regulations, you can see Krishna. Therefore when such sons are begotten, they become devotees of Krishna. Therefore according to Hindu principles, there is garbhadhana-samskara [Vedic rite for conception]. [There are] ten kinds of samskaras, reformative measures. So the sex life should be also open to the samskara. It is a samskara. Garbhadhana-samskara. Garbhadhana-samskara means when you are going to make your wife pregnant, there is samskara, there is ceremony. And especially in the brahmana families, if there is no garbhadhana-samskara, he immediately becomes a shudra. This is the shastric injunction. You must follow the samskara. Samskarad bhaved dvijah janmana jayate shudrah. One who follows the samskaras, then he becomes purified. This is, this is called dharmaviruddhah, "not against the religious principles."

So if we do not follow the principles, then we are animals. That's all. That is the difference between the animal and man. If you do not follow the regulative principles enjoined in the shastras... Yah shastra-vidhim utsrijya vartate kama-karatah, kama-karatah, na sukham savapnoti [Bhagavad-gita 16.23]. Because we do not follow the shastric injunction, therefore we are thinking that "Population is increasing; let us use contraceptive method." The so-called contraceptive method is there because we are having sex life against religion. Against religion. But if you have sex life in pursuance of the religious principles, you don't require. Because to become father and mother is not restricted, but to become father and mother of cats and dogs is restricted. To become father and mother is not restricted. That is nature. You become father of hundreds children. But don't produce cats and dogs. Then there will be... Then dharmaviruddhah... And there will be unwanted population, problem, fight, no peace, no tranquillity. Everything, all, it will be hell.

So because people are producing children against religious principles, therefore the whole world is full of varna-sankara [unwanted children], and there is no peace. So if you follow the principles of Bhagavad-gita, automatically there will be peace. Because every children, every boy, every girl will be sober, Krishna conscious. And therefore shastra prohibits, pita na sa syat, one should not become father; janani na sa syat, one should not become mother; gurur na sa syat, one should not become guru. Why? Na mochayed yah samupeta-mrityum. If you cannot stop the course of birth and death of your children, then don't become a father. This is called religious contraceptive. Remain without children. That is called dharmika life. If you can stop the birth and death of your children... Birth and death means... Because dehino 'smin yatha dehe kaumaram yauvanam jara [Bg. 2.13]. The real soul, the real life is within the body, while... And he's transmigrating, transmigrating from one body to another. That is called death. And when he comes out from one, another body, that is called birth. So as soon as you get—kleshada asa dehah—this body, full of miserable condition, then you're again put into miserable condition of life. Therefore if you can stop your childrens' birth and death any more, then beget children. This is the shastric injunction. And if the father does not know how to stop his own birth and death, then what is the use of producing children? The father should be so sympathetic with the children, with the sons, that he must know what is the pains and pleasure of birth and death.

So every parent desires welfare of his children, of their children. So this is the greatest welfare, that "This child has come in my womb, he has become my son. This is the last time. No more birth and death. He will be educated in that way." That is father's responsibility. Not that eat him, get him meat-eating, and get him fat. However fat he may be, he'll die. You cannot stop his death simply by making him fat like elephant. Therefore it is said, dharmaviruddha. Don't beget children if you have no responsibility.

But they think that "We'll have sex life, but we shall avoid this responsibility. So then let us use contraceptive." This is greatest sinful life. Greatest sinful life. You are killing, murderer. Now in the Western countries, they are actually killing. They have made law. So if the society has become so awfully sinful, how they can expect peace and prosperity? That is not possible. That is not possible.

Human life a rare opportunity

PRABHUPADA: Hm. This is very important verse. You can repeat this. One may take it by heart.

ashitim chaturash chaiva lakshams tañ jiva-jatishu
bhramadbhih purushaih prapyam manushyam janma-paryayat
tad apy abhalatam jatah tesham atmabhimaninam
varakanam anashritya govinda-charana-dvayam

Repeat it. [Devotees recite the verse.] So ashitim means eighty. Ashitim chaturah. Chaturah means four. So eighty-four. Eighty plus four means eighty-four. Lakshams. Lakshams means hundreds of thousand. So eighty-four hundreds of thousands. Ashitim chaturash chaiva lakshams tañ jiva-jatishu. Jiva-jati. This is different species of living entities. Jiva-jati. The hog species, the ass species, the dog species, just like they have got species. Jiva-jatishu. So in different species of living entities, they are counted, eighty-four hundreds of thousands, or 8,400,000. Bhramadbhih. Bhramadbhih means transmigrating, wandering one after another. Jalaja nava-lakshani sthavara laksha-vimshati. There are 900,000 species within the water. Then trees, plants. In this way, passing through different species of life, the living entity... Jiva-jatishu. Jiva-jatishu, in different species of life, he is transmigrating, one after another, one after another. Bhramadbhih purushaih. Purusha. Purusha means the living entity. The living entity is described here "purusha" because he wants to enjoy. Purusha is the enjoyer. Actually enjoyer is Krishna, but we are imitating Krishna. We want to become God. That is the Mayavada philosophy. That is our trouble. I am trying to imitate something which I cannot. Suppose if I want to be God, is it possible to become God? But they are trying to be. Bhramadbhih purushaih. So in this way, for this misunderstanding, he is falsely trying to have happiness through so many species of life. "Let me enter this life, let me enter that life, that life, that life, that ..." In this way he falls down. He is fallen already from Vaikuntha planet. He is fallen in this material world, and he is again trying to make progress.

Prapyam manushyam. In this way, after many, many births, he gets this human form of life. Prapyam manushyam janma-paryayat. By the graduation, gradual evolution process. This is real evolution. Not the body is changing. Body is already there. Jiva-jatishu. The jiva-jati, species, are already there. There is a defect of Darwin's theory. He does not want, he does not know that the living entity is passing through different types of body. Not that the body is changing. Bodies are already there. Bhramadbhih purushaih prapyam manushyam janma-paryayat. Paryayat means chronological. What is called, one after another?

KARANDHARA: Sequential?

PRABHUPADA: Sequential, yes. That's all right. Tad api. Tad api means that human form of life. Abhalatam, becomes spoiled. Tad api. Once missed, again come down. Circle. Circle. Just like merry-go-round. So you are sometimes very high and immediately low down. So this circle of birth and death in different species of life is going on, and this human form of life is a chance to get out of this cycle of birth and death. Is a chance. It is by nature's arrangement, by Krishna's arrangement, that these living entities, who have come here in this material world for false happiness, material happiness, and they are entrapped in this birth and death problem, transmigrating from one type of life to another type of life... Here is a chance for the human being. And Krishna comes to the human being, and He... "Here is a chance, Bhagavad-gita." Krishna gives them.

So if, after reading Bhagavad-gita, anashritya govinda-charana-dvayam, who is neglecting... He is neglecting means that tesham atmabhimaninam varakanam. Varaka means fools or childish. We are thinking that "I am this body." Such fools cannot understand how to surrender to Krishna. Therefore, tad apy abhalatam jatah tesham atmabhimaninam, varakanam anashritya, without taking shelter, govinda-charana-dvayam, the lotus feet of Govinda. So bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. We get this chance, and if we are not educated by our teachers, by our fathers, by our leaders, by our government men, by our gurus, by our relatives, how to accept the lotus feet of Krishna, who is canvassing... Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam sharanam vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up all this nonsense engagement, trying to become Krishna, or God. Give up this. Surrender unto Me." This is education. This is education. The father should give education at home. The leaders should give education in institution. The politicians should give education in their assemblies, congress. The guru should give education how to surrender to Krishna. The father should educate, the mother should educate. Therefore Bhagavata says, na mochayed yah samupeta... gurur na sa syaj janani na sa syat pita na sa syat. There are some negative definitions, that there are so-called gurus, so-called swamis, but Bhagavata says that "You should not become a swami or guru. Kindly don't become if you cannot save your disciple from the imminent danger of birth and death." Gurur na sa syat. This is the injunction. "No rascal should become a guru unless he can save his disciple from the cycle of birth and death." Or, in other words, anyone who wants to become guru, if he cannot teach his disciples how to surrender, govinda-charana-dvayam, anashritya, how to take shelter of the lotus feet of Govinda, he should not become guru. That is cheating. That is cheating. Similarly, one should not become father. The father and mother should have determination that "The child I produce, I give birth, if I cannot teach him Krishna conscious, surrender to Krishna, I shall not beget any child." This is real contraceptive method. Not to beget child like cats and dogs. Shva-vid-varahoshtra-khara. So Bhagavata says, "One should not become father, one should not become mother, one should not become relative, one should not become king, one should not become guru, if they cannot save their dependants from this cycle of birth and death." This is the meaning of this verse. Anashritya govinda-charana-dvayam, varakanam atmabhimaninam.

So after wandering through these so many species of life and so dangerous... There are two million species of plant life, tree's life. Just see. You have to stand for so many years. A great opportunity, this human form of life. Don't waste. Don't become dogs and hogs and asses and camels. Become devotee. Just surrender to Krishna. Make your life successful. Thank you.

Generating the right kind of population

The value of great parentage and noble birth is evaluated here in connection with the birth of Vidura. The culture of a human being begins when the father invests his semen in the womb of the mother. According to his status of work, a living entity is placed in a particular father's semen, and because Vidura was not an ordinary living entity, he was given the chance to be born from the semen of Vyasa. The birth of a human being is a great science, and therefore reformation of the act of impregnation according to the Vedic ritual called garbhadhana-samskara is very important for generating good population. The problem is not to check the growth of the population, but to generate good population on the level of Vidura, Vyasa and Maitreya. There is no need to check the growth of population if the children are born as human beings with all precautions regarding their birth. So-called birth control is not only vicious but also useless.

Family planning means self restraint, not contraception

MAHAMSA: "Lesser the happier."

PRABHUPADA: Hmm? "Lesser the happier."

VASU GHOSA: Family planning.

PRABHUPADA: That is a fact. Tripyanti neha kripana. That is the verdict of Bhagavata also. Tripyanti neha kripana bahu-duhkha-bhaja. Kripana na iha tripyanti. One or two child, children, they are not satisfied. They want to produce more and invite distress more. Tripyanti neha kripana bahu-duhkha-bhajah. But they are practicing in a different way. And Bhagavata recommends brahmacari life [celibacy].

yan maithunadi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham
kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham
tripyanti neha kripana bahu-duhkha-bhajah
kandutivan manasijam vishaheta dhirah [SB 7.9.45]

Instead of begetting more and more children by sex it is better... Better means dhirah [sober] and tolerate the itching sensation. This is recommended. But the itching sensation is so strong nobody can stop.

Tripyanti neha kripana bahu-duhkha-bhajah. Unless one diverts attention to Krishna consciousness it is not possible. One must have some business, engagement. Just like in New York as soon as there was electric failure for four hours, so many women became pregnant. Because he has no business in the darkness. But if he was trained up to chant Hare Krishna, one could utilize the time for chanting Hare Krishna. But they have not such training. Nobody has such training. So how they will utilize the time? "Come on, let us have..." Although he knows...

DEVOTEE: Especially Prabhupada, when there is a famine, where there is no more food... They had big famine...

PRABHUPADA: Food, that is punishment. It is not the... Famine is punishment from the side of nature. She'll not supply to the rakshasas [demonic persons]. That is a punishment. Otherwise, there is no question of population. You may have as many... Just like the birds and beasts. They do not care for... They have got enough food. But they do not violate the laws of the nature.

HARIKESA: One may argue that in nature there is this leveling out of the species, that one species kills another off so that the population is maintained at the proper level.

PRABHUPADA: No species killed by another species. It is rascal proposal.

HARIKESA: Well, members of the species are killed by...

PRABHUPADA: That is another thing. Jivasya jiva... jivo jivanam. One animal is eating another animal. That is another thing. But that does not mean species finished. That is nonsense.

HARIKESA: No, I didn't mean. So the human being, the animals can't kill off the human being so that the people have to do it.

PRABHUPADA: Huh? What is that?

HARIKESA: The people have to do it to maintain the population level. We have to kill some of the children so that it doesn't become out of control, like the animals do it.

PRABHUPADA: You are less than animal. You are greatest animal. You want to kill your children.

VASU GHOSA: But they have no life. There is only you know an amoeba in the womb.

PRABHUPADA: Don't talk nonsense, waste time. All rascals proposal. Don't indulge in this rascal theory.

DEVOTEE: Now there is a society for prevention to the cruelty to animals. At the same time they are killing the animals also.

MAHAMSA: They think they can adjust and control.

PRABHUPADA: Mudha [asses].

INDIAN MAN: There is a preordained karma that says some human being should come into existence or some spirit soul should take some body.

PRABHUPADA: Transmigration.

INDIAN MAN: How can you reconcile this birth control with that?

PRABHUPADA: Birth control—by brahmachari. You become brahmachari.

INDIAN MAN: No, by this contraceptive and otherwise.

PRABHUPADA: That is most sinful activity. Birth control should be done by restrained sex life.

INDIAN MAN: That is one way.

PRABHUPADA: That is the way. Other way all sinful.

INDIAN MAN: Sinful, but sinful things are being committed...

PRABHUPADA: They'll suffer. They'll suffer. Those who are killing the children, they will be killed. They will enter into the mother's womb and they will be killed. They'll be punished. Tit for tat. That they do not know. These rascals, they have no education about this law of nature. Prakriteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvashah [Bg. 3.27]. They're acting very independently. But ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate [Bg. 3.27]. Rascals, ahankara, vimudhatma. They are rascals. They'll be punished. Just like a thief defies the laws of government, but he is punished.