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Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers
is no barrier. I told you that there are four different orders of spiritual life— brahmacāri ,  gṛhastha ,  vānaprastha  and  sannyāsa . So after  brahmacāri  life, one can marry. That is not obligatory. One may remain  naiṣṭika-brahmacāri  for his whole life. But a  brahmacāri  can marry. And after marriage, there is  vānaprastha  life. This means that one is a little aloof from family—the husband and wife live separately. At that time there is no sex life. Then when he is fully renounced, detached from family life, he takes  sannyāsa .
BOB:  Does somebody forget his wife completely then?
ŚRĪLA PRABHUPĀDA:  Yes. Forgetting is not very difficult, if you try to forget. Out of sight, out of mind. [ All laugh. ] Just as I have my wife, children, grandchildren—everything. But, out of sight, out of mind, that's all. Therefore,  vānaprastha ,  sannyāsa —everything is nicely arranged by the Vedic system.