36 Perfect Questions, Perfect Answers

is no barrier. I told you that there are four different orders
of spiritual life—brahmacari, grhastha, vanaprastha and san-
nydsa. So after brahmacari life, one can marry. That is not
obligatory. One may remain naistika-brahmacari for his
whole life. But a brahmacari can marry. And after marriage,
there is vanaprastha 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 sannyasa.
BOB: Does somebody forget his wife completely then?
SRILA PRABHUPADA: 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—every-
thing. But, out of sight, out of mind, that’s all. Therefore,
vanaprastha, sannydsa—everything is nicely arranged by the
Vedic system.
