# The Four Principles *On abstaining from meat-eating, intoxication, illicit sex, and gambling* --- ### Four Pillars of Sinful Life > Illicit sex life, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling. These are four pillars of sinful life. So one has to give up these four principles of sinful life. Then he can make progress in spiritual life. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Where Irreligion Lives > These four things—illicit sex, meat-eating, intoxication, and gambling—where these four things are there, there is no question of religion. Religion cannot stay there. Just like sunlight and darkness cannot stay together. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Not Very Difficult > These four principles are not very difficult to follow. No illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling. Anyone can follow. It is not very difficult. And if one follows, he becomes purified very quickly. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- ### Minimum Qualification > These are the minimum qualifications for spiritual life. If you cannot give up these four things, then forget about spiritual life. It is not possible. First you have to become purified by giving up these four sinful activities. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Ajāmila's Fall > So he fell down from his brahminical position on account of associating with a prostitute woman. So immediately he lost all his brahminical qualification. When there is connection with a woman illegally, all good qualities lost. This is the law of nature. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Killing Animals > If we eat animals, we have to suffer the reaction. The animal will get the opportunity to kill us. This is the law of karma. So why should we create this entanglement? — [[spoken/1976/760619sb.tor|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.6.3, Toronto, 1976]] --- ### Intoxication Destroys Intelligence > Intoxication means destroying your intelligence. When you are intoxicated, you cannot think properly. And spiritual life means you have to become very intelligent. So how can you advance if you are destroying your intelligence? — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- ### Gambling Creates Anxiety > Gambling means you are always in anxiety: "Will I win? Will I lose?" This anxiety is bad for spiritual life. In spiritual life, you should be peaceful, without anxiety. Gambling destroys that peacefulness. — [[spoken/1972/721017sb.vrn|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.6, Vṛndāvana, 1972]] --- ### Foundation of Spiritual Life > Just like if you want to construct a big building, you have to make the foundation strong. Similarly, if you want to advance in spiritual life, you have to give up these four sinful activities. This is the foundation. — [[spoken/1970/701219sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.34–39, Surat, 1970]] --- ### Easy If Engaged in Kṛṣṇa's Service > If you are nicely engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service, these four things automatically become very easy to give up. Because you have got a higher taste. Unless you get a higher taste, you cannot give up the lower taste. — [[spoken/1969/690510r1.col|Room Conversation, Columbus, 1969]] --- *10 quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on the four regulative principles* [[wiki/quotes|Back to Quotes]]