Divorce

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

Posted to another list:

 

As Srila Prabhupada's servant there were very few times I had a question on

an instruction he gave. Actually, I only remember one time. Srila Prabhupada

received a letter from a devotee asking sanction to divorce his wife and

permission to marry another. Being present when Srila Prabhupada replied to

the letter, I was shocked when he gave permission. It bothered me throughout

the day. I understood our philosophy to be that no divorce was allowed. Many

times I heard him speak against divorce. I knew it happened, but I didn't

think Srila Prabhupada would condone it. I kept thinking, "This is not what

Srila Prabhupada would do."

I couldn't hold it in any longer. During his evening massage I had massaged

him for about one half hour when I blurted out, "Prabhupada, I want to ask

you something. This devotee who is asking about the divorce . . . "

"Oh yes," he interjected. "I told him he can do it."

 

"Yes, I know," I continued. "I was wondering. You always say that divorce is

against Vedic principles. There can never be any divorce."

 

"Yes," he said. "But in this society these things are accepted. So we can

allow this."

 

I wasn't feeling satisfied. Srila Prabhupada seemed indifferent about it. It

was a quality I hadn't observed on such a matter.

 

"Yes, but in this society they accept meat-eating and intoxication," I said.

"All these things are accepted. Why aren't any of these things allowed?"

My most merciful spiritual master replied with compassion in his voice,

"Well, actually whether I give him permission or not, he is going to get the

divorce. So if I tell him, 'No, you can't get it' and he does it, that will

be a serious offense. If I say, 'Yes, you can do it' because he is going to

do it anyway, then the offense is not so great."

 

I was relieved. It was what I had been thinking, but I needed him to confirm

just how incredibly compassionate he was to all of us.