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The flow of the conversation turned.

Prabhupada: Now suppose if we instruct a man, 'Please do not have illicit sex'. Have you got any objection?

Mr. Moore: Pardon?

Prabhupada: If I advise someone that, 'Do not have illicit sex', have you got any objection?

Mr. Moore: Yes, I have... I like sex, and my wife likes sex. We just enjoy, we couldn't live without it. Our marriage is happier because we have sex.

Prabhupada chuckled and looked around the room.

Mr. Moore: That is the position. We are both..

Prabhupada: So how they have accepted?

[Referring to disciples.]

Mr. Moore: I don't know. I don't know, but I couldn't. Our life is enjoying sex, and our marriage is happier with sex.

Prabhupada: No, we don't prohibit sex. But we prohibit illicit sex.

Mr. Moore: Well, we use the pill, or use contraceptives, use all kinds of things. Because it makes our...

Prabhupada: Why do you use contraceptives?

Mr. Moore: Because we don't want any more children.

Prabhupada: Then why don't you stop sex?

Mr. Moore: Because we like sex.

Prabhupada glanced at his disciples, and shook his head slightly. "Just see", he said.

A short while later Mr. Moore looked at his watch and announced that he had to go. Srila Prabhupada made sure he accepted a plate of fruits and sandesa.

"It is our custom," he said graciously, "that if anyone comes, he should be given a nice seat and given some eatables."

"How long will you be staying in Melbourne?" asked Mr. Moore, politely.

"I'm going the day after tomorrow."

"Have you seen many people in Melbourne?"

"There are daily one or two gentlemen. Like you, they are coming." Prabhupada paused, then smiled. "But they find our prescription very strict." The devotees in the room laughed. "But we are not going to change it. We are not after vox populi. That is not our concern. We have got our standard method, and that is making us successful. We do not make any compromise. This is our method. If you like, you take it. If you don't like, you go away. Don't mind."

Mr. Moore offered one last observation. "If you can convince the society to change, then the public servants will change."

Prabhupada agreed. "Yes."

After Mr. Moore left, Srila Prabhupada continued to talk frankly with the devotees in his room, relating how sex life was the whole basis of Western society. He had especially noted how Mr. Moore, who was "of a very ripe age" was still sexually inclined.

"Even up to the point of death, unless one is trained, this is natural. That is maya's entrapping machine, to keep the living entity within the material world. In Paris, very, very old men, seventy-five years, eighty years old, they are going to the night club, paying $50 entrance fee, then they spend money for women, wine. And a few hours they stay there and come back. They are all old men. They have no other business than prostitution.

"The young men also. And the young girls have become cheap. What is this social welfare? The young girls get children, then the government has to support."

"That's the cause of the whole problem." added Srutakirti.

"Yes, the welfare department is for that purpose only."

"And he's the head of the department."

Prabhupada nodded his head. "He also does the same thing. He does not know how to cure it. The only method is Krsna consciousness. There is no second method. You cannot raise anyone to higher qualities unless he is Krsna conscious. That is a subtle fact. An example is there. Because you have taken to Krsna consciousness, you are ideal. All others, what is the value? He is leader, and he says: 'Yes, illicit sex is all right. We are enjoying by contraceptive method.' If the leaders do something wrong, the others will follow."

Prabhupada knew that most people found his prescription to cure society's ills very strict, but he was not going to change or compromise. As he had explained to Mr. Moore, he was not after the popular vote. Once again, Srila Prabhupada had stressed the idea for one ideal man. Prabhupada had often quoted his own spiritual master in this connection: If one person could be raised to Krsna consciousness, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta had considered, then his preaching mission would be understood to have been a success. That one man who understood Krsna consciousness perfectly could then offer incalculable benefit to the rest of society.


- From "The Great Transcendental Adventure" by HG Kurma Prabhu