initiation standards

[Guest guest]

> Is there any indication of Srila Prabhupada's standard on the following

> question? If a woman wants to follow all the principles but cannot refuse

> her husband's demands for sex, could she still qualify for initiation?

 

Mahamsa: There's only five first initiations. Those ladies, I told them to

wait some more time. Those ladies, I told them to wait for some more time

because they were still drinking tea and coffee until yesterday.

Prabhupada: No, if they promise they will give up, then we can give.

Mahamsa: I already told them, "You please..." They said they will give up

but I said that you...

Prabhupada: No, if they promise you can give.

Mahamsa: But, they are waiting, what shall I tell them now? I just now told

them...

Prabhupada: No, tell them that, "If you promise from today you will give

up..."

Mahamsa: They promised.

Prabhupada: Then we shall give it.

Mahamsa: All five of them?

Prabhupada: Oh, yes. If they have promised, we shall give. Simply you don't

break promise. You have promised -- do it. That's all.

Mahamsa: I'll tell them. Another thing was those, what is, I don't know what

is the position of ladies being initiated. They are young girls. They may

get married. They may get married to someone outside the society.

Prabhupada: But she can chant and observe the rules and regulations -- what

is that.

Mahamsa: Even if her husband does not follow?

Prabhupada: That does not matter. It is individual.

Mahamsa: Then there'll be five more.

Prabhupada: My sister, while she was married, her father-in-law's house,

they were all eating fish. So a new girl, ten years, eleven years old. So

she was given this foodstuff with fish and everything. So she was crying. So

her mother-in-law, "Why you are crying?No, we do not touch all these

things." She immediately arranged special cooking for her. So her husband

and other members they were taking fish, but she never touched. She never

touched. She does not know what is fish. If one wants to keep oneself pure,

he or she can keep herself pure in any circumstances.

Room Conversation -- August 22, 1976, Hyderabad