Yogesvara: So here’s a practical problem. People would be interested to know our position on divorce. Here in Rome they just passed a divorce law.

Prabhupada: That is also animalism. Just like a dog having sex intercourse with another female dog, and another, another, another. It is also animalism. So that is your decision. They are animals, and different way they are coming to be naked animal, that’s all. The divorce is also dog’s business. Dog is having sex intercourse with this female dog and another, another, another, another. It is animalism, that’s all.

Yogesvara: But people are objecting, that “If we cannot get divorced, then we are forced to live with each other even if we hate each other.”

Prabhupada: But hate each other, that’s all right. We say what is the use of your sexual intercourse? That is animalism. You avoid it. Our Vedic civilization is to avoid it. Therefore they remain brahmacari, naisthika-brahmacari, no sexual intercourse in the whole life. That is perfection.

Yogesvara: But that’s not possible for the mass of people.

Prabhupada: No, why not possible? We have got so many. Just like Sukadeva Gosvami: he remained completely brahmacari, although naked he is, even he is. He doesn’t require, and neither he is agitated. Just like when he was passing, the girls were taking bath. They did not take care, because they knew that he is not at all affected by any woman. And when his father was going, they covered. So father inquired, Vyasadeva, a personality like Vyasadeva, said, “Why you covered? I am old man, and my young son, he was passing naked.” They said that “He is paramahamsa. He has no agitation of the mind. But you are grhastha. You live with woman. You have got distinction, man and woman.”

So this is civilization. What is the use of sex life? It is simply entanglement. Therefore, at the last stage, one is supposed to become sannyasi. What is sannyasi? Vanaprastha, sannyasi, brahmacari — no sex life. Out of the three…, four different status of life, the brahmacari has no sex life, the vanaprastha has no sex life, the sannyasi has no sex life. Only the grhastha. That means it is prohibitory. It is allowed — it is a simply concession to the person who cannot remain without sex life. It is simply a concession. Otherwise, according to Vedic civilization, there is no need of sex life. Because it is entanglement, simply entanglement. Yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham kanduyanena karayor iva duhkha-duhkham [SB 7.9.45].

Morning Walk — May 28, 1974, Rome