On keeping vows

10-12-2006, 07:46 PM

On keeping vows
by HH Sivarama Swami

Today it is not uncommon to hear some devotees rationalize the breaking of
the strict vows they took at initiation. This rationale goes something like
this: "When I was initiated I was very young and did not know the
consequences of making such vows. Therefore I should not be bound for life
to a promise I made in ignorance."

Initiation

Of course devotees generally take their vows neither as infants, nor in
ignorance. Devotees are initiated when they are at least young adults and
after they have been educated at least a year in the principles of Krsna
consciousness.

It may be true that one cannot foresee all the consequences of a vow or
promise. But it is dishonesty and cheating to argue that such lack of
foresight validates breaking a vow or promise.

Neither materialists nor spiritualists can envisage the future; hence they
cannot be fully aware of the consequences of their decisions or vows. For
instance: until a married couple have their first child, they cannot
understand what a serious and long term commitment they embark upon by
starting a family. Still the parents cannot say about their 1 year old baby,
"We didn't know how troublesome, expensive, and exhausting it would be to
raise a child, therefore we changed our minds and will abandon him in the
local park."

Similarly, youths decide on a profession without knowing what such work will
be like, boys and girls marry without knowing what married life is like, and
so on.

Life is full of decisions and commitments based on a present assumption,
without full understanding of future consequences. It is only children who
either do or say something and then later change their minds because they
"didn't like" the consequences. But when children grow up they are meant to
mature, and part of maturity is that one stands by one's promises, by one's
vows.

And of all vows, the one of sexual abstinence is the one most generally
broken. No doubt we may have been unaware of how difficult it is to keep
this vow. But, Çrila Prabhupada says, sticking to that vow and accepting the
inconvenience the sex-drive causes is our austerity, tapasya, without which
there is no meaning to Krsna consciousness.

[Srila Prabhupada's class on SB 6.1.13-14]:

"So brahmacarya, tapasya begins-brahmacarya, celibacy, no sex life. That is
the beginning of tapasyai Sama, to control the senses, to keep in
equilibrium. Senses may not be agitated. Damena, even it is agitated, by my
knowledge I have to curb down. Just like if I become agitated by seeing a
beautiful girl, or for woman, a beautiful boy. That is natural. Yuvatinam
yatha yunor yunor yatha yuvah(?). Young boy, young girl, they are naturally
attracted. There is nothing surprising.

"But tapasya means that, "I have taken vow, no illicit sex." That is
knowledge. "Why? Even if I am attracted, I shall not do this." This is
tapasya. And "Because I am now attracted, now we shall enjoy"-that is not
tapasya. Tapasya means even one is attracted, he should not act. That is
tapasya. There may be some difficulty to control, but that should be
practiced. It can be practiced. It is not very difficult.

"But one has to practice the determination: "Now I have taken vow before
Deity because at the time of initiation, it is promised before the Deity,
before the fire, and before the spiritual master, before the Vaisnava, that
'I'll not have illicit sex.' That is promised. How can I break it?" This is
tapasya. "I have taken vow before the Deity, before fire, before my
spiritual master, before the Vaisnavas, 'No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no
drinking or intoxication, no gambling.' I have promised it. If I am
gentleman, how can I break my promise?" This is called jiana. With knowledge
one has to respect. That is called tapasya."

[Srila Prabhupada's class on SB 6.1.13-14]