The Vānaprastha Adventure, Installment 40
Abstinence from sex life is a strict requirement for vānaprastha life. To underscore that point, made in the main text, this appendix gives a selection of statements from Śrīla Prabhupāda to that effect.
There is no sex life except in the gṛhastha, or householder, āśrama. The brahmacārī is not allowed any sex, a vānaprastha voluntarily refrains from sex, and the sannyāsī is completely renounced.
[Bhāgavatam 4.25.38, purport]
In the orders of brahmacarya, vānaprastha and sannyāsa, there are no facilities for sex.
[Bhāgavatam 4.25.39, purport]
One should note that in the brahmacārī-āśrama, vānaprastha-āśrama and sannyāsa-āśrama there is no scope for sex life, whereas sex is allowed in gṛhastha life under regulations.
[Bhāgavatam 7.14.1, purport]
Renunciation means renunciation of sensual pleasure, especially the pleasure of sex. Therefore a brahmacārī, sannyāsī or vānaprastha is strictly prohibited from having relationships with women.
[Cc. Antya 3.105, purport]
So according to Vedic civilization, this training was given [in] the student life—complete abstinence from sex life. Then vānaprastha life, complete abstinence, and sannyāsa life, complete abstinence.
[Lecture, August 31, 1966, New York]
The wife may remain with him as friend, but there is no sex life. That is called vānaprastha.
[Lecture, June 23, 1968, Montreal]
A brahmacārī is supposed to have no connection with women; a vānaprastha is supposed to have no connection with women, even [if] his wife is present; and what to speak of sannyāsī. He has no connection with any women, even with his own wife. . . . The whole idea is that this material existence is due to sex life. That’s all. If you increase your sex life, then increase your duration of material existence. If you decrease your sex life, then you advance towards the path of absolute realization. Yad icchanto brahmacaryaṁ caranti. In the Bhagavad-gītā [8.11] you will find that one who is desiring to go back to Godhead, back to home, then he should practice life of celibacy. That is very important thing.
[Lecture, January 13, 1969, Los Angeles]
In brahmacārī life there is no sex life, in vānaprastha there is no sex life, in sannyāsa there is no sex life. Out of the four stages, in three stages there is no sex life. Only in the married—young married couples, they are allowed sex life, no other. Neither the students, nor the retired, nor the sannyāsīs.
[Conversation, September 13, 1972, Dallas]
First education is brahmacārī—how to train him to avoid sex life. And still if he’s not able, then he is allowed to become a gṛhastha, a little concession. Otherwise, the whole Vedic civilization is: how to avoid sex life. Brahmacārī—no sex life. Vānaprastha—no sex life. Sannyāsī—no sex life. Only gṛhastha, under control.
[Morning walk, May 3, 1976, Fiji]
If the affection continues, then there is no chance of my becoming free from this material world. There is no chance. Therefore vānaprastha. Because. . . affection with the wife is very, very strong. So vānaprastha means the husband and wife, they give up the affection. Not give up—go away from home. And they travel in the holy places just to purify, and again, when the affection draws, they come to the family. Again remain for one or two months, then again go away. So the wife, there is no sex connection, but wife remains as assistant to the man to be accustomed how to remain aloof from the family.
[Lecture 10/21/74, Māyāpur]
So in that stage, vānaprastha stage, the wife is there, but there is no sex life.
[Arrival lecture, February 11, 1975, Mexico City]
So in this way, there is no sex in the vānaprastha. Simply the wife remains as assistant. And she also practices austerities.
[Conversation, July 4, 1975, Chicago]
This is part of a draft
This is an excerpt from a new book I have in the works—The Vānaprastha Adventure, a guide to retirement in spiritual life. The book should be published in early 2026. Meanwhile I’ll be posting my draft here, in installments.
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