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| EDITORIAL November 24, 1998 VNN2549 See Related VNN Stories Getting To The Root Of The Problem BY AGRAHYA DAS EDITORIAL, Nov 24 (VNN) — Recent discussions have revealed a broad disparity in views on varnasrama, especially the grhastha-asrama and women's issues. This essay attempts to analyze these issues according to the siddhanta given in Srila Prabhupada's books. Siddhanta means the realized (siddha) conclusions (anta) of shastra. This writer takes the position that siddhanta cannot be cut-and-pasted - therefore, it will not benefit the intelligent reader to present another bombardment of quotes. It is our Vaishnava tradition to provide quotes from shastra as needed, and to also speak in a clear, logical and non-duplicitous way. The subject matter of this essay is quite simple and should not require extraordinary support. The learned reader can reach his or her own conclusions as to whether this essay does indeed address the problem. The theme is this: the root cause of all problems is one thing only, and that is lack of pure Krishna consciousness. Without Krishna consciousness, there will be lust, anger, greed, envy, madness, and illusion. When these six enemies assault the poor conditioned soul, there is no chance of escape or redemption. One may evade one or two of these enemies only to be ensnared by the others. How does this simplistic idea relate to varnasrama and women's issues? Some persons feel that Krishna consciousness has already been thoroughly established, and that the only remaining frontier is to bring Krishna consciousness to the masses. They feel that others can be benefited and as they become free from lust, anger, greed, etc. like the leading preachers of Krishna consciousness, they will also experience a cessation of misery. Therefore, they argue that to bring Krishna consciousness to the masses, daiva varnasrama is needed. They feel this is the "last frontier." They point to Srila Prabhupada's talks on varnasrama in late 1976 and early 1977 as evidence that implementation of varnasrama is all that remains to be done. This author takes quite the opposite view. Even before Srila Prabhupada's departure, in 1976 and earlier, the leaders of ISKCON were mostly more concerned with managing and controlling the assets of the Krishna consciousness movement than in developing their own Krishna consciousness and that of the movement's rank and file, the "little devotees." Srila Prabhupada's vision was that the leaders would be the most Krishna conscious, and would set the standard such that others would be inspired and uplifted by their example. These ideal leaders would "command respect" and would not "demand respect." But in reality those who rose to positions of power and domination over others did not always set good examples. They used the philosophy to intimidate and manipulate others into doing what they thought was best. The "little devotees" who survived did so despite the "help" of those who were supposed to be ideal leaders. For those whose only interest was in military-style command and control, Srila Prabhupada offered the opportunity to develop varnasrama on a grand scale. Still, our Srila Prabhupada was never someone to offer material solutions to what were essentially spiritual problems (i.e. lack of Krishna consciousness). His idea of varnasrama was not a reprint of Manu-smriti. Like his own spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur, our Srila Prabhupada conceived daiva varnasrama as a society which gave special significance to the leadership of pure Vaishnavas as being better even than that of the pure brahmanas who are absolutely essential to varnasrama-dharma (how can you have a body without a head?) Therefore Srila Prabhupada used to sometimes say that the Krishna consciousness movement is meant to train an ideal class of men, pure Vaishnavas and brahmanas. Good society requires good leadership. Modern government is based on manipulation and control - the greediest, lustiest, most manipulative rat is the one who claws, bites and kicks his way to the top of the pile. But these so-called leaders present a benevolent baby-kissing exterior, promising the easily-deluded masses increased sense enjoyment for the price of a vote. But varnasrama is based on the leaders being the most detached, the most merciful, the most benevolent, the most free from lust, etc. Where can such qualities be found? Where are the brahmanas who are satisfied even in complete poverty? Where are the ksatriyas who will not hesitate to cut the flesh from their own bodies to protect the most insignificant creature (like Maharaja Sibi)? Those who wish to soapbox "varnasrama NOW!" should please point out where such ideal persons are to be found nowadays. Yes, we can have varnasrama and the whole nine yards, but there's one little thing we must do first: become Krishna conscious. What does this mean? Does it mean that we wear dhotis or saris and tilak, and we spend two or three hours with our hand in a beadbag? Or does it mean something deeper? Does it mean that our heart's desire is to serve Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Radha and Krishna? Does it mean that we feel "if I do not chant, I will surely die?" Does it mean that our vision is no longer "how can I enjoy?" but "how can I serve Krishna?" anyabhilasita-sunyam - pure Krishna consciousness means zero harboring other desires. jnana-karmady anavritam - no trace of covering of speculative knowledge or fruitive activities. Pure bhakti has these two external characteristics, and its intrinsic characteristics are also twofold: anukulyena - it is done favorably, and krishna-anusilanam - it is done for the pleasure of Krishna. Apart from developing pure Krishna consciousness, there is absolutely no hope of becoming free from lust, anger, greed, envy, illusion and madness. The battle was lost when Kali-yuga began 5 millenia ago with a foothold in the heart of a brahmana boy. But there is one redeeming quality in this age: by Krishna-kirtana, by chanting, hearing, remembering Krishna's name, fame, form, pastimes, abode, associates and paraphernalia, one becomes freed from lust (mukta-sanga) and attains the supreme destination (param vrajet). While those who were supposed to be ideal leaders were intent on managing and controlling, thinking the only important results were more temples, more books, more recruits, Srila Prabhupada's statements that "now we have expanded sufficiently, we should boil the milk" seem to have gone unheard. Nowadays we find the same emphasis on expansion albeit in a more systematic way, and the concept of hearing pastimes from Krishna book and Sri Caitanya Caritamrita is labelled "sahajiya." In a recent book, Cc. Asraya, H. H. Satsvarupa das Goswami expresses such concerns. It is no wonder that in such an atmosphere, which holds little regard for the process of hearing and chanting and demands surrender to an impersonal institution, the evidence of lust, anger, greed, envy, illusion and madness is visible even to the general public. Srila Prabhupada was pleased by the expansion of the Krishna consciousness movement, but he was also very affectionate to his SONS and DAUGHTERS and did not want any of them to be neglected, mistreated or abused. That anyone can abuse others in the name of Krishna consciousness is most displeasing to him. This is true whether it is a husband justifying spousal abuse or a GBC justifying ostracization and persecution of dissidents. This brings us to the current issue, which is whether ladies should have some independence, recognition and voice. Srila Prabhupada Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur introduced the system of giving initiation to women. Previously, a woman would accept her husband as guru and would have no need of any other guidance. But nowadays, women cannot rely on their husbands for shelter, what to speak of infallible spiritual guidance. Therefore both husband AND wife take shelter of an infallible and bonafide spiritual master by the formal process of initiation and by the ongoing process of careful hearing accompanied by inquiry and service. Our Srila Prabhupada was quite proud of his householder disciples who preached - both men AND women. He specifically approved of the preaching of his female disciples, not seeing them in any way less than their male Godbrothers. Will anyone dare to blame social problems on women rather than on sannyasi leaders who hid their own lust for power (caused by lack of Krishna consciousness) behind a misogynist exterior? Neither is the culprit the renounced order. There have been very few renounced persons, and they have all been mistreated by others who later fell. A true sannyasi or brahmacari is not disturbed by the sight of a woman, because the thought does not even cross his mind that "here is a potential object of enjoyment." One who is actually renounced sees everything for Krishna's pleasure and Krishna's service. Attachment and aversion are two sides of the same coin. This applies to Krishna conscious householders as well. A householder in Krishna consciousness is supposed to be a "grihastha-brahmacari." In other words, although living with wife and children his enjoying propensity is 0% and his propensity for serving Krishna is 100%. This is the actual standard, not how "Vedic" our married life is. Whether our hands are bound by iron shackles or by silken ropes, if our hands are tightly bound we cannot free ourselves. We are bound by our own lust, our own enjoying spirit, and nothing else. In Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's instructions to Sanatana Goswami He explains advaya-jnana-para-tattva, the science of non-dual realization of the Absolute Truth Sri Krishna. Therein one may raise a doubt. The jiva is part and parcel of the marginal energy of Krishna, and is superior by nature to the maya-sakti (the shadow of Krishna' spiritual energy). How can the jiva be trapped by the inferior external energy? The answer is given that just as a monkey who puts his hand in a pot with a narrow mouth to get a potato or other object will not let go and is thus trapped, so the jiva is bound to the external energy by misuse of free will only. Therefore to reverse the process one must "let go" of the illusion of enjoyment in this world and begin to reverse the process of entanglement. Then we must look at the opposite extreme. It may not be easy to recognize a truly Krishna conscious householder who has given up the spirit of enjoying spouse and family, but it may be equally difficult to recognize lust, anger and greed masquerading as "vedic" household life. But as Madhusudani Radha's poem graphically suggests, there are unmistakable symptoms: the chaste head-covering may hide bruises and bloody nose, and the sounds of late-night beating may only be audible to other householders. What would a man want from his wife that he has to beat her? If the wife neglects some household duty and this creates some inconvenience, shouldn't the Krishna conscious householder take this as Krishna's mercy, perhaps an opportunity to recognize the impermanence of this world and an increased need to surrender? Or is it perhaps that the beating is motivated only by frustrated lust, as suggested by the Gita (kamat krodho 'bhijayate)? Some will reply that the husband must control the wife, and may attempt to justify such beatings. Yet this is at least as misguided as those leaders who felt that "the ends justify the means" and that our business as leaders is to control and manipulate, rather than to cultivate (in ourselves) and cultivate (in others). It is a fact that a husband who becomes a henpecked lackey only trying to please his wife loses all respect. Yet regardless of the wife's level of spiritual realization, a Krishna conscious husband can control her because he is not attached and does not see her as a potential object of sense enjoyment but as a servant of Krishna. It is equally true that a Krishna conscious wife can control the attached husband and benefit him by her dedication and unswerving attachment to serving Krishna. In both cases "control" is by command of respect and affection, not by demand of surrender and by intimidation. The best situation is if husband and wife are both attached to serving Krishna and can live together as brahmacaris, helping each other in spiritual life. In such a marriage, the husband never views the wife as an object for his private sense enjoyment, seeing that she is meant only to please Krishna's senses. Similarly, the wife never views the husband as the provider of her sense enjoyment, considering that "Krishna is my only maintainer." In a Krishna conscious household, only the family Deity is the enjoyer (purusha) and all others are meant to serve Him as His predominated parts and parcels. One may ask, in such Krishna conscious married life, it is like sitting down to a feast and not eating anything. What's the point in getting married? The answer is that if one takes seriously to Krishna consciousness this is exactly the point. It is an illusion to think "I will find happiness in married life" because we will actually only find lasting happiness in pure Krishna consciousness. Therefore we condemn divorce and remarriage as a solution to the problems of family life, but this is a condemnation of the enjoying spirit, not an excuse to condemn those who have remarried. There are those who want to blame women for problems in household life, but it appears they are unable to look within their own hearts. It is easy for the monkey to claim that he has been trapped by the jar in a most devious way. The foolish monkey may think that by breaking the jar he will become free, but by the same mentality it is certain that he will again become entangled. Our goal is not to have a happy and peaceful household life in which we shall enjoy life in a peaceful and sattvik way. Our goal is to develop love of Godhead, and the only impediments to our progress toward that goal lie within. Vaishnava dasanudas, Agrahya das http://hgsoft.com/agrahya See Related VNN Stories This story URL: http://vnn.org/editorials/ET9811/ET24-2549.html NEWS DESK | EDITORIALS | TOP |
