Dear Hanumat Presaka Swami Maharaj,
Please accept my humble obeisances, all glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Sorry for the delayed reply. In regards to my question about gay marriage, I appreciated very much your reference to SB 1.17.38. Some points that stuck out to me here were "One man's food is another man's poison", and that in some cases, "regulation of adharma is necessary to bring people to the path of dharma."
I had a long conversation about this recently with my old Bhakta leader, and he was saying that the reason for my confusion here was because I was equating two different vows. In others words, marriage is a vow of monogamy, but it doesn't necessarily require 4 regs. As you pointed out, in some cases even animals mate for life. Omkara prabhu said that to ban people from marriage because they don't follow garbadhana samskara would diminish protection of women and other virtues, and would be like "throwing the baby out with the bathwater?" Would gay marriage also fall into the category of adharma which may help vikarmis approach dharma through pravrtti marga? I suppose the key point here is that initiation vows are the same for everybody.
Certainly this is not the highest topic, but I only ask because I feel like I should be competent to give scientific answers on sankirtana. To feel inspired, it's important to me to be able to picture people in Krsna consciousness.
HpS - AGTSP. Seems like a very broad topic to us. In India for example there has been a class of eunichs that were placed in a certain social situation. Traditionally India, Bharata varsa seems broad enough to fit everyone. In SB 1.9.26-28 Prabhupada gives a fantastic summary of our political science. He recomends Parasara dharma sastra. Researching it we found that Parasara gives details fo what is Adharma and what is Adharma. This is like saying what are the laws of gravity or optics. He gives details of differences of adharma in Kali yuga and says that Kali yuga is so confused that he can't possibly give rules for everything so you can ask one sadhaka totally dedicated to spiritual life for instructions about specific situations, eg. Gay marriage. If you haven't access to such a person then he says a synod of six brahmanas can arrive at the same insight.
So about things that are not detailed in Prabhupada's books and other books, then ask six nice devotees.
In general us it seems that homosexual relations can be regulated on a level below the four principles, but why call it marriage. That seems strange to us. Use the word marriage for heterosexual relation in God's sight to get nice sons.
Rama and Sugriva made a vow of friendship that was just as binding as marriage, no? But it has a differnce name because it is a different relationship.
Hare Krsna!! Jaya!
I was also wondering if there is some standard conduct for sannyasa? Bathing 3 times daily? Sleeping 3 hours? One meal? I'm curious because such practices may help me get a taste for devotional service sooner than otherwise, and may enable me to, at least, establish a deeper foundation for grhasta ashram if it doesn't allow me to circumvent grhasta life altogether.
HpS - BG 16.1-3... One Paragraph on the basics of sannyasa. Other instructions throughout Prabhupada's books. Associate with nice devotees. They may only be 80% perfect but use your intelligence to separate the wheat from the chaff and get to Prabhupada('s books) through them. Read his books directly.
I guess you should focus on the practices for 1st initation, 2nd initiation ... in order more, no? Of course, yes it is important to have a general view, view by mercy, all the way to Goloka, no.
I passed the initiation test since last we spoke, so you should be receiving my recommendation from Svavasa prabhu shortly. Mukunda Datta das Thakur has given his permission and blessings for me to become your disciple. I hope your travels are going nicely, Maharaj. Hare Krsna!
Your aspiring servant,
Bhakta Eric
AGTSP. We have to run to the Temple! More in the DTC. Thank you!