Mahamsa spotted a government poster propagating family planning: "Lesser the happier."
Prabhupada at least agreed with the message. "That is a fact. Trpyanti neha krpana. That is the verdict of Bhagavata also. One or two child, they are not satisfied; they want to produce more and invite distress more, bahu-duhkha-bhajah. But they are practicing in a different way. And Bhagavata recommends brahmacari. Instead of begetting more and more children by sex it is better ... Better means dhirah. And tolerate the itching sensation. This is recommended. But the itching sensation is so strong nobody can stop."
Unless one diverts one's attention to Krsna consciousness he said such control was not possible. He recalled New York's power blackout in the Sixties. "So many women became pregnant, because he has no business in the darkness. But if he was trained up to chant Hare Krsna, one could utilize the time for chanting Hare Krsna. But they have not such training. Nobody has such training. So how they will utilize the time?"
Harikesa raised the theory of natural balance in which species kill each other, thus never reaching a level of overpopulation. But he said that since there is no other animal to keep the human population in check, people have to do it themselves. "We have to kill some of the children so that it doesn't become out of control, like the animals do it."
Prabhupada had a ready reply. "You are less than animal, you are greatest animal. You want to kill your children."
- From "A Transcendental Diary Vol 4" by HG Hari Sauri Prabhu
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