By Bhaktividya Purna Swami<\/strong><\/p>\nSo we just ended yesterday with the discussion that we want to apply some aspects of the Vedic culture. Then we should actually look into what are the aspects surrounding it or the situation which it is applied and then all the various elements that are there that were included. So then you get a complete picture.That may mean we have to do some research or discussion on these side areas, just like yesterday\u2019s discussion was about engagements.<\/p>\n
So this means that you have to understand what are the qualifications for training a girl, the qualifications for training a boy, then the families themselves what qualifications they have, a situation under that\u2019s done and the mood that is behind all these that make them happen. And if that\u2019s there, you can apply something for time and circumstance. Otherwise there\u2019s a difficulty in application because the external form may be adjusted to some degree. Just like the idea is that as soon as the girl comes to maturity, in other words, she basically becomes a woman at 12, in her how she thinks, in her mentality while the boys don\u2019t actually become men until late teens or early twenties. The recommendation is ideal is like mid twenties and then they\u2019re fully mature. But the girls are at a much earlier age than mature in this way. So Prabhupada said according to time and place and circumstances what is allowed in your particular countries and that this must be adjusted. Some countries allow at 16 to get married, some allow at 17, some allow at 18. So one must make adjustments. That must be always considered when this is being done.<\/p>\n
Therefore one tries to get the principle that\u2019s behind it. Though one may not be able to get the detail. The principle behind it must be achieved. So we must be study. It can\u2019t just be that we have a particular agenda we want. Like I remember there was something that there was one devotee who was interested in having a second wife. He was specifically interested in marrying a young girl. So from that he does his whole big research and everything like this and it shows , how Prabhupada gives so many quotes on how having more than one wife is proper and this and should be young girl. Because he has his particular agenda. Now in this there are certain major points, like those who lived in the temple or who are maintained by the temples. They couldn\u2019t have. So therefore Prabhupada said if he wants it he has to move out.<\/p>\n
So we have to see what is the whole mood and everything behind it. It\u2019s not just we\u2019re attracted but it\u2019s that the ability to expand one\u2019s facility for shelter and all this and that. We see before is that those who had more than one wife, each one had their own private facility. It wasn\u2019t that they were all packed up in the same place. So many considerations come out of these that when we approach the Vedic culture is perfect. This is a perfect system. As Maharaja has pointed out this morning in a class that just because you\u2019re going to medical school doesn\u2019t mean that now you can just go into the operating field and do what you want.<\/p>\n
So we have to have that full knowledge. \u201cA full\u201d means, Prabhupada gives it in his books; it\u2019s not something esoteric or so difficult to get. Devotees have read certain areas are very simple and straightforward and if we take those and then apply them with the mood that is there. It\u2019s very important that we see in a past time that a particular activity is going on, the mentalities that are there and then the philosophical or cultural points that Prabhupada brings up in relationships to that. We study all that then we get something. We can\u2019t just take something like Maharaja said yesterday, you just go to the folio, you make a couple of hits then they seem to what you like and then now you start establishing whatever is your philosophy. One must be very careful, that it\u2019s consistent. It means that there\u2019s in a situation that is there something is going on and Prabhupada gives if there is an important mentality, he tells it. If there\u2019s something it\u2019s there. If not there, it\u2019s in another past time. Maybe the same thing will be repeated. If it\u2019s not so such a main point and sometimes it will be.<\/p>\n
So we have to enter these things with a deeper more mature knowledge just like, we\u2019re taking this example \u2013\u201cThe daughter should be married\u201d. So the whole point in there is protection. The father is giving care to the daughter and whatever she\u2019s needed he\u2019s taken care of. He\u2019s always seen that the environment is very nice. She is well taken care of, whatever her needs are. Now she becomes a woman, now she naturally wants to move into the family life. So now it\u2019s his business is to arrange that for her \u2013 find a suitable boy, signed all these different things. So the whole inspiration for this is shelter. There\u2019s not something else. It\u2019s not that girls are trouble and you want to get rid of her. No. Father\u2019s never thinking \u201cI want to get rid of the daughter\u201d. In fact the rules are such that it forces practically or otherwise he would just let her stay inside the house. Like we see with Prabhupada\u2019s daughter. When his daughter was 14, he wasn\u2019t so worried. Because she\u2019s there, she\u2019s taken care, relationship is nice but then his wife was feeling that \u201cwe\u2019re going to be so socially unacceptable by the other members of the community that our daughter\u2019s not married and everyone will think there\u2019s something wrong with her. So that means she\u2019s uncultured, we\u2019re not training.\u201d So she said: \u201cYou better marry her now or I\u2019ll jump off the bridge\u201d. So Prabhupada went out and made the arrangements.<\/p>\n
So the point is the shelter, that daughter is never feeling bad in this situation. So it\u2019s a matter of creating or expanding that nice situation. So if that is the mood then you can see well. I can\u2019t arrange something that\u2019s not going to happen. I can\u2019t arrange something that the girl will be exploited. He\u2019s very careful on how he deals in this situation. So many things have to be considered because that shelter is the principal driving element in this the family making the arrangement.<\/p>\n
So then since we\u2019ve added to the global warming for the last three days maybe it would be good if there\u2019s any questions or something because the subject is so vast. In five days it\u2019s hard to say in which direction to go. So if anyone has any specific questions on either what we\u2019ve discussed or some other areas within either the culture \u2013 meaning the sadhana, the varnashram, or their connection or in any of these kinds of things then it might be good.<\/p>\n
Sensitivity<\/p>\n
See, sensitivity, there\u2019s an interesting, another point that we can decide point but it\u2019s can be applied for this, Is that the experience, what experiences stick in our mind. This is a very interesting thing. See things that stick in your mind that you don\u2019t forget are things that you experienced in the present and those have the most influence on your life. Because generally the living entity being in passion and ignorance. They\u2019re always dreaming of some ideal situations in the future or thinking about something in the past -either lamenting for it having been lost or that one experienced it. So that means the present moment is can be obtained by two ways basically. One is by situating oneself in goodness. Someone is just working now and is conscious of what\u2019s going on now. So then one gets that experience and that\u2019s the best because that\u2019s the situation in the spiritual world. Because you are always just thinking of Krishna right now then they\u2019re always in the present. There\u2019s no past or future. But otherwise it\u2019s by something to do generally with senses or what we want, some desire. So then we become conscious of the present or something that shocks us or like that. If someone watch a movie and when they\u2019re watching this movie, if their mind is going here and there, at the end of the movie they\u2019ll say it wasn\u2019t a good movie. But if there\u2019s something in the movie that riveted their attention, Even if it\u2019s just once for one moment, one exciting scene or just one something, then you\u2019ll say it\u2019s a good because that experience of the present is so much more pleasure than anything from the future or the past. So the living entity is always looking for that. So they do crazy things, like they do bungee diving or something other crazy is because that moment that fear of death and all those things just rule your attention for that moment and then after a while you get used to it and then that doesn\u2019t give you a buzz. Then you look for something else that will bring that moment to you.<\/p>\n
So what we see, what happens is one of the elements that means in the modern culture. In the Vedic culture you would use your sensitivities in all the relationships, all the rasas. So this would create more of the deeper feeling. It\u2019s oneself own experience plus the interactions will be much more felt by all the parties involve. Because sensitivities were used in all areas. But nowadays we\u2019re basically trained only to use sensitivity in the conjugal relationships.<\/p>\n
So when one is in that kind of mood, then one is always very sensitive. You see the boy can be on one side of the temple room that can be the whole crowd. And the girl could be on the other side of the room but they\u2019re totally aware of each other\u2019s existence \u2013 any move, any look, all these things. And that is actually what\u2019s creating the interest. Because you\u2019re at the present. Because when you arranged the right for them to be together and they\u2019re married, one loses that sensitivity with time and then it\u2019s just ordinary.<\/p>\n
So that means instead of the senses and the hormones creating that presence at the moment, you can only create that mood by following the rules and regulations of duty. Because then you\u2019re in goodness and so you can live at the moment and actually have proper relationships. Start the whole process again with somebody else. So the same sensitivity can be used also, means not the same motive, but the same sensitivity to notice your surroundings. It can be used with friends, like you are with friends. So you\u2019re talking with friends, then there wasn\u2019t acknowledgment of going different ways. So then you can\u2019t just walk off. There has to be disengagement on the mental level. Otherwise in the other person they wonder, hey what happened to them.<\/p>\n
So these sensitivities and those weaken the relationship, so it may stick you there, you may want to go do this do that but you get stuck a little bit. But it enhances the relationship. So we always have to see what the most important thing is. Is the relationships or our own thing? If it\u2019s some service then of course you say \u201cexcuse me I have to go\u201d. Because then you may have to break in but if not, you can\u2019t. But that sensitivity they were with friends or those who are senior or those who are junior. The mother gets something out of the relationship because she\u2019s so sensitive with a child. Child\u2019s even somewhere else playing but she\u2019s seeing or worried. That\u2019s sensitivity there.<\/p>\n
And that sensitivity also creates closeness. So it doesn\u2019t need distances a problem. It\u2019s very unique kind of situation. So that can be used in all these and if you use that sensitivity in all the environments so that when we\u2019re in the temple are sensitive to other people and not bumping into them and not getting into their way. Or there someone senior coming, \u201cHow I do?\u201d \u201cHow I deal?\u201d All these different things and that\u2019s where the relationships can actually can function and flourish when we\u2019re sensitive to what\u2018s going on.<\/p>\n
Otherwise if we\u2019re not sensitive it means we\u2019re only doing what we\u2019re into. What our own mind is thinking, feeling or willing. Rather than the whole idea relationship means being sensitive with what the other person is thinking, feeling or willing. Basically we\u2019re talking about in mundane relationships. It\u2019s 50 : 50. I sacrificed 50%, the other person sacrifices 50%. And that\u2019s the perfection of the material arrangement.<\/p>\n
So if we do that much then prescribed duties are met and it works very nicely. And we see even in the spiritual realm, that this is also there. Means in Vaikuntha you find that. The devotee makes that sacrifice but he has some interests \u2013 to be on Krishna\u2019s planet or being associated. And then Vishnu makes that he comes forward and they meet at that point.<\/p>\n
So that is the minimum for either material perfection or the regular spiritual perfection. But we have to be willing to do that 50% because we see in Vrindavan they take it more. The devotee makes 100% surrender or sacrifice for Krishna and Krishna makes 100% sacrifice for the devotee. So there it\u2019s a very unique situation, Vrindavan situation. You don\u2019t find it in any other realm in the cosmic manifestation. The devotee completely surrenders and the Lord completely surrenders for the devotee. So the relationship is the most intense because of that sacrifice, a complete sacrifice.<\/p>\n
So on this plain sacrifice is the thing. We have to make that. Sacrifice means you have to be sensitive. You have to be able to see. Like I\u2019ve been sitting just to give it an example of certain like sensitivity where sensitivity doesn\u2019t mean mental, it just means you are aware of the other person and you care for what they\u2019re experiencing. Like this happens many times. I\u2019ve been talking with Bengali gentlemen, very nice aristocratic bengali gentlemen. And you\u2019re talking and they\u2019ll go through all the normal things whether normal cares, where you\u2019re from, what you\u2019re doing and all these. Just different things. What is your experience. How you\u2019re liking this chanting, this culture here and Indian and all these different things. And I am just asking I waste your time but they want to know you and they\u2019re willing you ask them the same questions, they discuss the same things back and you get to know each other and all these. Now during that time you kind of like while you\u2019re talking like look away in a concerned way or look at your watch , immediately they\u2019ll think, \u201cOh, I\u2019m disturbing this person. He has to go and I\u2019m keeping him from what he\u2019s supposed to do\u201d. So immediately you go \u201cexcuse me, you have to and this and that?\u201d, \u201cNo, no, no. It\u2019s just that. They have to look at the watch or you want to know what time it was because you have to do something later and after a few more minutes you look again and again. They think you\u2019re just being polite and listening to them but actually you want to go. They\u2019re so sensitive to these things.<\/p>\n
Or in serving prasad. You see that you sit down and you\u2019re eating and they see everything what\u2019s on your plate. See what\u2019s missing, what you\u2019re eating, what is your mood while you\u2019re eating it. So they know you want more or less, they\u2019re always coming and they offer and they can tell the difference between. You don\u2019t want, you\u2019re just being polite. Actually you want but it\u2019s just polite, not like look like you want everything, so you just, \u201cno, no, no, it\u2019s okay\u201d. Even though they give you enough for a mouth but when they come up next time, you just \u201cno, no, no, it\u2019s okay\u201d. They\u2019ll know that\u2019s just being polite they give. Then they come later and then they know that you had enough, so you don\u2019t really want anymore but at the same time as you like the preparation so you would like to take more. So body\u2019s satisfied, mind is not. So again they\u2019ll know and they\u2019ll know how to give it. And then they know when body, mind, spirit everything is satisfied and this is like if you take it anymore you\u2019ll explode. Because that\u2019s sensitivity, because that\u2019s sensitivity they\u2019ll able to deal. So in that you can do anything that is sensitivity has to be applied everywhere. You have to take it out of just being sensitive to between boys and girls, purify that and apply in all situations. Then we\u2019ll find that mood to be that sensitive in what buzz you get is found in what everything you do.<\/p>\n
RESPECT<\/p>\n
Maharaja\u2019s been talking so much on this point \u2013 about respecting others. One has to be able to respect either that the senior or they\u2019re another living entity or the junior. In other words the mood is service. Someone senior to you, you serve. Someone\u2019s junior to you, it\u2019s your service is to give them shelter and take care of them. That\u2019s your service. In other words, as we brought out yesterday, the problem wasn\u2019t that Vena was saying: \u201c The king is the Naradaivata and everyone should respects him, He\u2019s a representative of the Supreme Lord all our respect goes to him.\u201d \u2013 That\u2019s the philosophy. The problem was that he\u2019s saying it and thinking in this way, rather than the Brahmans saying it. He\u2019s supposed to think, I am a servant of the Brahmans. I only under their protection, without guidance I am unable to do anything. I\u2019m a fool. I\u2019m absorbed in all these passions and attachments and therefore I cannot direct the society properly by the nice guidance of my advisors, my Brahminical advisors. I\u2019m actually able to run the kingdom properly. And then the Brahmans just think: \u201cOh, no, it\u2019s your duty. You\u2019re the one who\u2019s doing. We know what has to be done but cannot do. We don\u2019t have the qualifications, you are doing therefore, you represent.\u201d So it goes that way.<\/p>\n
The problem comes when the person in the position of Tattva takes the mood of that, in the culture. And then it creates a problem. Because knowing these things even if he does know these things, it\u2019s not like that he won\u2019t know it but the mood is not \u201cYes, I\u2019m the representative of the God. If I\u2019m supposed to represent God, God is giving shelter to everyone. It\u2019s my business to shelter every living entity under me. And respect all those above me\u201d. Krishna gave example of how we would respect his parents, respect Ugrasena, respect the Brahmans. In other words knowing the philosophy is not enough. You have to know what is your mood within that. Where do you fit? So everyone should ideally know as much as possible the total picture but specifically you have to know where you fit. The scriptures talk on this. Where do you fit? What is your particular duty and your mood and then how you exchange with others? Then it becomes very clear.<\/p>\n
So one has to catch that mood that \u201ceveryone is a devotee, I have to respect. I have to deal properly. So whatever the relationship is, I have to deal properly. If they\u2019re equals, if they\u2019re juniors, if they\u2019re seniors and if I don\u2019t know then I have to be very careful.\u201d That is Visvanatha makes that point. The madhyama understands who\u2019s who. The kanishtha doesn\u2019t understand just by seeing and looking. They generally have to be told. But the madhyama can see and test by their observation they can start to figure things out. But the kanishtha doesn\u2019t. So the position of kanishtha is nice to everybody.<\/p>\n
So that was one thing it struck me \u2013 it\u2019s difference between the West and India. In India a big wealthy powerful person will come to the temple and because they don\u2019t know who\u2019s who even the newest devotee that is there they\u2019re very respectful as if there is a person that\u2019s running the institution. And when they there a little while, they\u2019ll start to know who is who, then they start adjusting. But they come in first by just being nice to everybody. You generally see the Western culture unless they\u2019re more of kind of aristocratic and when they deal you just a nobody and then someone points out that \u201cHey, you\u2019ve seen all this?\u201d and say \u201cOh excuse me, I did not know. \u201c It\u2019s a little different. So the idea is one should be very careful. If you don\u2019t know somebody in festival you\u2019d be very careful. You may find out at the temple president or somebody. You\u2019ll find out later who you are staying in the room with. Be careful. That mood, then other things will come.<\/p>\n
Service Attitude and Control<\/p>\n
So this point between service attitude and control \u2013 means, service means whatever is our position we\u2019re supposed to interact with the others. So if someone\u2019s junior then business is somehow another helping them. And then if we are in the position of authority and there are dependent then that means we have to control the environment. So that they will have benefit. And that may mean that they have to be disciplined also within the environment, so they are in best situation and most satisfied. So the control is a tool of giving shelter or giving benefit. It\u2019s not the other way around. Kshatria isn\u2019t the one who controls. Kshatria is the one who wants to give shelter and everything and by that he controls, by speaking very nicely, giving position, separating you from everybody else or giving justicement. So that you use these mediums. So those are all part of control but that is because they have to give shelter.<\/p>\n
Principles<\/p>\n
By our study we should try to see the similarities and see what are the underlined principles. We can understand them nicely. If not then we inquire, that was the thing is Arjuna because what it is when you have different situations, then the application seems to be contradictory. So it takes some experience to understand the same principle but in different situations so we apply that in different ways. Therefore in Bhagavad-Gita Arjuna is always saying that what Krishna is explaining is contradictory. He brings up this point. Either we can see ourselves or in discussion with others, that\u2019s the point of sadhu sanga. We discussed with others, our friends and other things like that. We discuss with or we hear from others, we ask these questions.<\/p>\n
So the whole idea is that the more we study, the more trained, the more we understand of these things and you start to see the similarities. Because you see what are the points made, what are the different aspects that are there. And you see similarities. Many times you see is that specific words that have specific meanings are always used. And you see these words used everywhere, like you see always \u201cbecome free from fear, become fixed, become free from misgivings, free from doubts\u201d. These are all meanings basically of the same position. And whenever those come up you know what they are talking about, you start to learn the language, learn the method of thought, learn, how to categorize things. Means the shastras and acaryas always categorize in a way that we can understand them. Lord Caitanya gave the principle, actually gave the main thing we categorize everything from \u2013 it is the understanding of relationship, process and goal.<\/p>\n
All the Vedic literatures are divided into this. Then he refines this further by giving us the \u201cDasa-mula\u201c -the 10 points of how this is broken up. The first principle is the scriptures of which everything is based. Lord Chaitanya said there scriptures are all delineating sambandha, abhideya, prajogina -our relationships, the activities and the goal of these activities. So he gave scriptures and these three. So then the Dasa-mula is the scriptures and then you have 9 points. of that. The first seven are divided into -this is relationship. The eighth is \u2013 the process and the ninth \u2013 is the goal. So all the acaryas use this framework, whenever they hang on this and then they refine this or take one aspect of it. Like Rupa Goswami primarily speaks on abhideya. Sanatana Goswami speaks primarily on sambandha. Though he gives the abhideya and Rupa Goswami gives also the sambandha. So after a while you start to see what are these relationships that are going on here. And then it makes it easier to catch oneself. But otherwise that\u2019s the purpose of discussing with others.<\/p>\n
We have to be very careful in our study so we don\u2019t jump to conclusions. So difficulty comes in the west is we don\u2019t necessarily have. We can\u2019t have it seen. That was the reason that Prabhupada gave his own example and explanation and in the books and explain but also we see that he recommended that the devotee spend some time in India to see these things.<\/p>\n
Maharaja pointed that out yesterday. I remember Prabhupada mentioned (I think it was in 1976) that ideally everyone should spend a year, just to gain the culture and understandings. So when they come to the west they know how to apply it. Because many times you don\u2019t see like whatever Prabhupada talks about in the books in all the different activities and examples or the things that are going on that have happened thousands of years ago between the prajapatis and the kings and the Brahmans. I\u2019ve seen those things in India. I can\u2019t think of a situation I haven\u2019t seen. Many times devotees say: \u201cOh, that\u2019s five thousand years ago.\u201d But I\u2019ve seen it in the last, so many years. They\u2019re there. The example is there. It\u2019s still going on in India. These things that are discussed \u2013 are happened. It may be rarer and rarer. It used to be that everywhere you\u2019d see it. It will be rare person that people\u2019s living under Hower bridge that wouldn\u2019t follow the finer aspects though they have followed the main principles. And everybody else in the middle class, upper class all followed the details. Now it\u2019s getting more and more rare that because of the benefits of now they have. Before they only used to have Indian television. So then they get only degrade themselves as much as within their own scope of mundane thought which is still the bound within the kind of Vedic concepts but now they\u2019ve advance the point that they have western televisions, specifically American television. So now they\u2019re able to get better ideas for degradation, much quicker.<\/p>\n
Culture<\/p>\n
There are a few main things in the beginning that we were discussing. It all came back to the point of aspect of their sensitivity. The process works nicely is that someone\u2019s going somewhere and they\u2019re going anywhere they have space. You go with them but then that also means whenever you\u2019re going somewhere, there\u2019s space you have to take people. So then the point is everybody is in that mood then that works nicely because sometimes you benefit, sometimes the other person benefits. The other aspect is that when you have the association and different things that you\u2019re doing together so it\u2019s always nice to be in association with devotees than not. So these aspects are there.<\/p>\n
The other thing is just that if it\u2019s going to be an expense for them then one can always offer- should I pay something and this and that. And if they can take care of themselves anywhere they\u2019re going, there\u2019s no problem and all that then that\u2019s natural why you should pay. I\u2019m going anyway. The place is there. At the same time is that we\u2019re sensitive. I mean if they have difficulty, then maybe they will take but it they won\u2019t be overly happy about that. It\u2019s just the matter of that I don\u2019t have the money to take care.<\/p>\n
So these aspects must be there. Point is that if we have a scarcity mentality then we see that Lakshmi\u2019s not there. When a wife is properly trained and deals very nicely, when she comes into that family then Lakshmi comes with her. Because of her mentality everyone prospers in the family. Because when her mood is very good \u2013 giving and caring and all that and everybody else then they prosper. Their emotions, they everywhere becomes nicely balanced and then the whole family prospers. So we have that mentality. Then generally we see everything works, everything happens. Because it\u2019s understood.<\/p>\n
So there\u2019re both sides. There\u2019s someone who they\u2019re going anyway whether you go or not then why there\u2019s a charge. It\u2019s a matter of \u201cI\u2019d like to go but I don\u2019t have really enough money to go and you want to go but you don\u2019t have enough but we put it together we can go\u201d that\u2019s another thing. That\u2019s more of a friendship, kind of thing. So one has to see very much these things.<\/p>\n
One thing that was there before, I remembered just on the thing when you mentioned on the temple level and that was this we were traveling from in 1973 and we just had a Pancha-Tattva picture temple in Saint Louis. So there was the rule when you\u2019re in the temple you do the full worship and when you\u2019re not there you just lock the door and go off. There\u2019s no obligation. Not as if when you have installed deities. So we were going, we were traveling and we came, we would go to another temple on the way, we\u2019re going to San Francisco to Rathayatra and on the way , you go through Denver or something. Or you go to another temple. When you get to that temple the first thing you do is you go to give your obeisances to the deities. The second thing is you go see the temple president, temple commander saying we\u2019re here. What can we do? What is our service? So you become part of that temple. So you\u2019re not there to enjoy, you\u2019re there to serve and do things in the temple. I remember we went out door to door for sankirtana. We went to the temple and we were not thinking: \u201cWell, so we should get a cut or this and that\u201d. No, we\u2019re there in your temple. You\u2019re taking care, whatever service you give us the benefits of that go to the temple and then after one or two days we travelled on.<\/p>\n
If the mood is \u201cI come here. There\u2019s a big festival and I come here just to enjoy the festival \u201cthen that means the small party has to do all the work and it becomes very difficult. So some service must be there. As Krishna says, first you surrender if not -sadhana and if not \u2013 do work and not \u2013 give money. So it\u2019s basically the same principle as there \u2014to able to do all this and then understand this very much the mood is there. And then you also have to see the position of the place in the temple and all those kinds of things. Problem is if there are so many things in here. Each situation will be different. So we\u2019re just speaking on that principle that sensitivity is each party is sensitive to the other.<\/p>\n
Another thing is if you\u2019re invited then generally you don\u2019t offer to pay something. Because that, they would feel bad. They\u2019ve invited you so they\u2019ll take care of you. So generally what\u2019s done is you take a gift. And you just bring something for them -for their deity\u2019s or something like that. And that\u2019s accepted. But they won\u2019t take payment for the invitation. In other words the principle is \u2013 ask a general question and you get a general answer. Because it\u2019s so general then unless you get into specific detail of what\u2019s happening, who\u2019s involved and it\u2019s very hard to apply. You don\u2019t look to be very happy with it.<\/p>\n
This is what we\u2019re discussing on the first day that one has one\u2019s occupational abilities, one has one\u2019s mentality. And one has one\u2019s training and the proper culture. So by culture these devotees don\u2019t know much. They still act the same and do everything like in lectures. They don\u2019t do know actually the proper culture. Though they may be sincere and all that and are wanting have the right mentality at least to some degrees developing, to serve the Lord in a way of trying to please the Lord. Therefore Prabhupada installed the deities. But as far as the culture goes \u2013 they don\u2019t know how to cook, don\u2019t know how to do any of these properly so then Prabhupada is asking if Krishna gave the intelligence so that can be done. They gain that intelligence.<\/p>\n
So these two things. Just like we\u2019re saying someone is braminical in motivation and consciousness, the one may be performing any of the varnas, conditional activities. We discussed on the first day is that brahman specifically is the consciousness. Then there\u2019s an activity that goes with that consciousness. So because a devotee is a brahman, because they realized Brahmans. A brahman who realized, become a devotee. Therefore any devotee who surrenders to Krishna is a brahman. So we have a brahman in the desire to obtain the Brahman, to understand Brahman, serve Brahman. So that\u2019s Krishna. But in that we have our condition nature. We have our mind, we have our body and we\u2019re engaged it according to the nature which may be brahminical occupation activities, maybe kshatrial, maybe vaishyal. That\u2019s doesn\u2019t matter. That\u2019s why the culture is so unique. It\u2019s just what activities or what service we do then it\u2018s according to our varna that we do our best.<\/p>\n
But our devotional life, our devotional interactions will all be as devotees. It doesn\u2019t matter if someone\u2019s a brahman or someone\u2019s this. They may have any relationship. As senior, junior or equal unless some activities are very obvious like a position, like a temple president or someone\u2019s doing a very specific service. Then some of the aspect of what service they\u2019re doing by his position then there may be some considerations in etiquette. But otherwise the general won\u2019t apply. So one has to see the culture may be very different.<\/p>\n
Sadhana<\/p>\n
Sadhana means that we practice. Services that we perform according to the rules and regulations to please Krishna that is sadhana, whatever specifically that will be in a relationship to our devotional activity. But as we see that it all becomes part of it. As we see our service, in everything that\u2019s also part of it, specifically it more means of chanting rounds, hearing Srimad Bhagavatam class, associating with devotees, worshiping the deities.<\/p>\n
Guidance<\/p>\n
The importance in guidance we see that Prabhupada always talk about it. I mean it\u2019s constantly being mentioned. The culture of Krishna\u2019 consciousness has a proper culture. Like in this chapter all the problems are being related back to lack of culture and training. So it becomes very obvious that Prabhupada wants us to become cultured. So then that means then we have a desire. It means if you want to learn something, three things have to be there. You have to have the interest on it, and then as you learn things you want to apply it. You want to do service. Seva means you apply it and you do service. So in trying to apply it then of course we run into difficulties because we\u2019re new at it. So the whole thing is if we want to apply it we\u2019ll have to have questions-how to apply, how to deal. So the inspiration will come from seeing others, hearing from others, reading from the books. These different things will be there. So much is there. We have to understand that the Bhagavatam has been written in the form has been written for our benefits. I don\u2019t know if I explained on this about why Bhagavatam is written in story form? Is that explained here?<\/p>\n
In other ages one would get one\u2019s more inspiration from the Vedanta Sutra or from the Upanishads and one was able to take that and apply it. Because that was specifically dealing with higher subject matter. It\u2019s a culture that was studied separately. Like you have Vedas, you have four Vedas. Each Veda is divided into 4 parts. You have the Samhita which is the actual text \u2013 all the hymns, all the verses. The second part is called the Brahmanas. The Brahmanas \u2013 they deal with the rituals or the culture, it means all the different ceremonies, dealings all these things, based on the Vedic rituals, Vedic mantras. It means that you have a body of mantras they have to be used so this one\u2019s used in this sacrifice. This one is just in this situation. This is the ritual how it\u2019s done. Then explaining those you get all this different Dharma Shastras, like Manu Samhita, all these which get into the fine detail. So these are studied as their own branch of knowledge. Then you have the Aranyakas, which means\u201dthe forest\u201d. So generally the vanaprasthas would deal with this. We see the first in the gurukula the brahmacharies would memorize all the verses, as grihasthas would practice all the ceremonies, Brahmans doing that those rituals. Then as vanaprasthas then their main emphasis would be on the Aranyakas. Because they will go to the forest, they will study. The Aranyakas \u2013 they give what is the purpose of the rituals. Means why that ritual is being done with that mantra and what are all the different. And then in the fourth stage there\u2019s the Upanishads \u2013 they gave the straight philosophy.<\/p>\n
So now people could study them separately and put them all together. You could study the verses. You could study the purposes. You could study throughout the life. You could remember what was there before and all these different things. But in the Kali-Yuga we see a slight problem- the lack of memory, lack of intelligence, lack of determination \u2013 so many qualities you\u2019re lacking.<\/p>\n
Therefore it\u2019s very hard for someone to study all these and put them all together. You study the philosophy and you understand that. You understand how the material world works and you understand. Everything works like that. It\u2019s like water in your cup and water in the ocean act in the same way. But the water in the ocean may take on some other aspects do it but they\u2019re all connected to the basic principles.<\/p>\n
So that was the idea -you could study that and then connect the whole thing together. You study all these different things separately. When you study the Upanishads you see the thread of the whole thing. You did it yourself. If your teacher had understood that then you got the benefit. He didn\u2019t then he didn\u2019t. But in the Kali-Yuga no one wants to sit down and just hear straight philosophy. No one wants to sit down and \u201cAthato brahma jijnasa\u201d \u2013 \u201cNow it\u2019s time to inquire about the Supreme \u201c then \u201cJanmadhyasya Yatah\u201d \u2013 \u201ceverything is coming from the Supreme Lord.\u201d \u201cShastra Yuna Phat\u201d \u2013 \u201call this coming from the Shastras.\u201d And that\u2018s all you got and then from that you have to expand it. No one\u2019s happy to do that. We sit down, he walks. He does not walk. He\u2019s very near. He\u2019s not far away. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on? What it\u2019s got to do with me?\u2019<\/p>\n
So in the Kali Yuga, the Puranas are called the fifth Veda. Because there they explain all that knowledge and put it all together in one thing, in one form. But still that wasn\u2019t enough. Vyasadeva wasn\u2019t satisfied because he hadn\u2019t given the philosophy in there. Means it there but it hadn\u2019t been clearly. Because he didn\u2019t connect in. There he had connected all the material knowledge together, knowledge from the angle of passion, goodness and ignorance. But he hadn\u2019t made very obvious the philosophy.<\/p>\n
So then the Bhagavatam and the philosophy becomes the prominent feature and then all the stories and back it up and show practically how people live that. It means you have a philosophy that will establish to get this philosophy. You have a set of rules of culture, culture in sadhana. So the two are connected. You can\u2019t have one without the other. Prabhupada makes that point- philosophy without religion. In other words, the code of conduct is mental speculation. So how you\u2019ll apply it. You can\u2019t apply it. We have a body, we have a mind, we have to use that to apply it. So there\u2019re some rules for applying it through the body and mind. All you can do is speculating. It\u2019ll never get off down the mental platform. It\u2019ll never come down to actually engaging yourself. And if you just have the body of knowledge. You have the religion and the philosophy. There\u2019s no direction to where this is supposed to go. Then you can go any direction. So you end up nowhere.<\/p>\n
So you must have the philosophy, you must have the code of conduct that you\u2019ll apply it with. The Bhagavatam perfectly gives that relationship. So that\u2019s why it\u2019s given in that form and then we see of that so, that\u2019s for any vaishnav. Then we see where to refine it even more, give it more direction, then we have the same system happening in Caitanya-Caritamrita. So that\u2019s why it\u2019s considered the next. That\u2019s the best of all those books. Because you have Chaitanya Bhagavata, you have Chaitanya Mangal. You have all these different books on Lord Chaitanya but they are given just more narration in the stories and they are nice stories. But it\u2019s not specifically bringing to the front the philosophy of Krishna consciousness. He\u2019s just telling the Lord\u2019s story. And he doesn\u2019t give it from the angle of the preacher because Lord Chaitanya came to preach. So Caitanya-Caritamrita therefore takes on the flavor of being the topmost literature because it shows how the Gaudiya vaishnav takes that philosophy, preaches and lives the culture according to Bhagavatam. In other words Caitanya-Caritamrita is how we today live the culture of the Bhagavatam. Specifically just our life is eating, sitting this and that. Bhagavatam doesn\u2019t always get into some of those. They get into other details. Those are already explained by others \u2013 how we come together, sit, eat. You see specifically how Lord Chaitanya would sit. How they would serve. How they would eat. What would be their mood. You see those things.<\/p>\n
Varnas<\/p>\n
Respect is seen on different platforms. It means everybody looks at all these but one or something is more important for the other but the basic areas are age, fame, wealth, influence, power (position), knowledge and these are all for the four varnas. Shudras is age and fame, vaishas is wealth, kshatrias- influence and power and Brahmans \u2013 is knowledge. And amongst devotees it\u2019s a matter of realization. And then you have finer detail of who is senior by initiation. So one has to consider all these things. So even kings get together. Okay if you have a vaisha or a king then the king is more respected than the vaisha. But then that would be up to kings. Who\u2019s more influential? If he\u2019s more influential, he\u2019s richer, he more like that. He\u2019s older by age. So both things have to be there. You may have a younger king who\u2019s much more influential and you have an older king but the younger one will respect the older because he\u2019s older. But the older one respects the young one because he\u2019s more influential. So the whole idea is that you\u2019re dealing with a two way things. So both these things should be there. Just like Maharaja mentioned yesterday. Shudras, they have mahajans. Just like if I want cross the river. I get on the boat that it\u2019s run by the boatman. Now I may be the big brahman and all that. But now he says -please sit on the other side of the boat. I can\u2019t say: \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d You can\u2019t tell me what to do. \u201cI guide \u2013 everybody know of that\u201d. When you\u2019re in his field, you\u2019 listen to him. It\u2019s the way it goes. It\u2019s common sense. The Vedic culture is very practical, common sense, the philosophy is very practical. But unfortunately we don\u2019t always have common sense. Common sense is part of intelligence. It means you can discriminate. So it becomes too difficult -deal with all these things. It\u2019s much easier to be rough or nasty and just say chant Hare Krishna and say we don\u2019t care.<\/p>\n
Power<\/p>\n
It\u2019s whatever we value. So it\u2019s \u201ca half duck\u201d principle. We just like the half which we like. We\u2019re interested in power. So whoever is powerful we respect them. And if someone\u2019s not powerful we don\u2019t care even if they\u2019re more knowledgeable or very wealthy. So the whole thing the Vedic culture has all of it. It\u2019s mentioned that if you\u2019re going down the road \u2013 it says that even the man of knowledge or power will move off the road for various persons. Like if there\u2019s a small road a path, it\u2019s only big enough for one person so you have a big brahman going on one way. If someone coming the other way, he\u2019s carrying something like bricks or something on the head the man of knowledge will step off the road. Because he can say -I\u2019m seeing this and that, of what the benefit the other person is getting? Because he is having something. He is preoccupied of carrying his burden; he won\u2019t be able to properly offer his respects and dealings. So he may do that. He may see all this brahman will move off the path but then it hurts. It disturbs his work. He\u2019s following his prescribed duties as was given by God. It\u2019s God\u2019s work. So therefore it\u2019s a disturbance to his work for the brahman to do that. And so they\u2019ll move to let the other person pass. Plus the other person has more respect. He\u2019ll actually get more respect by the brahman stepping off the road then if the brahman stays on the road. He has to move off. Because he\u2019s attached to the body and you have twelve bricks on your head and you have to move off. It\u2019s a great disturbance; you may drop the brick, so many different things.<\/p>\n
So the whole Vedic culture is balanced. In any case you have to give up, to sacrifice. From one side one may be the prominent but on the other side, the other one is a prominent. Because when the brahman goes to the boatman, the boatman says how things work and when the boatman goes to the brahman says how things work.<\/p>\n
Protection and Shelter<\/p>\n
These protection and shelter can go on simultaneously. You can be respecting someone else\u2019s, at the same time giving shelter. It\u2019s like when their parents with their children. They\u2019re still the parents of their children and the children of their parents. So simultaneously both are going on. They may be talking to their parents. At the same time the child\u2019s coming up sitting on their lap. At the same time the kid gets off to the lap goes over to the grandparents. They\u2019re like that. One has to be the whole Vedic cultures how to maintain many rasas all at once, many considerations. And that makes very complete people, very different kind of people.<\/p>\n
So the Western mentality is you only have one Rasa and that\u2019s myself. Like we were joking out the road this morning to have these for developing self confidence, you get up in the morning and you look yourself into the mirror and say: \u201cI like you\u201d. Even if you get wrinkles, \u201cI like you\u201d. \u201cYou\u2019re okay guy!\u201d You kind of like telling to yourself that you\u2019re okay. It\u2019s very strange. So what happens when everyone becomes very independent, doing their own thing. That means if I\u2019m independent, I never sacrifice. So I only taste one Rasa. I don\u2019t taste anything more. Whatever I want that\u2019s all that ever happens. So I don\u2019t actually taste many relationships with anybody because I\u2019m only doing my thing. If I live in a big joint family or in a community I am restricted. I feel restricted but I have so many relationships because of that.<\/p>\n
So the point comes down to that we take the restriction and enjoy the relationships or throw away the restriction and enjoy your senses. That\u2019s basically what we\u2019re left with. It is not something else.<\/p>\n
Of course you could leave both and go off to the forest and be a paramahamsa but if we can do that we wouldn\u2019t probably sit here and of course we\u2019ve come down to that platform to preach. But the point is that\u2019s our choice. Except the restrictions of living in a bigger family situations and communities and temples or whatever it is and being restricted by that. Others are going to complain if we\u2019re not attending the program or not doing different things. But that establishes relationships. We have to take it the whole way or we can just go, we don\u2019t like us people telling what to do. Go out on our own and enjoy our senses. But still our senses will tell us what to do because if the senses want to eat so therefore you have to go to work.<\/p>\n
Service, Surrender and Respect for Authority<\/p>\n
Basically when you accept the rules, then you have a society. If you don\u2019t accept they don\u2019t. Basically the first thing one has to accept \u2013 is this principle of service, surrender and respect for authority. That\u2019s like the bottom line. The simplest form of sambandha is there\u2019s God, there\u2019s us and we\u2019re His servants. So that means our mood is service and surrender and respect for authority. And we show that through using material nature and the service. Until that is established all the way down, you can\u2019t establish anything else because until that\u2019s there you cannot establish the culture, the activities. Because once I accept, God is there, I\u2019m a servant then that means I\u2019m going to do something to show that service. That manifests the culture.<\/p>\n
So unless that\u2019s there it won\u2019t work. So the principle underlying respective authority that has to be established. Once that\u2019s established then you can start establishing what is proper. Because if someone knows what is proper they won\u2019t be disrespected anyway. So who is going to listen? And then someone has the ability to establish it. They have the organizational abilities and those abilities, know to accept that. So just it won\u2019t function until you establish this authority. So that respect is there even just a side that you just remember.<\/p>\n
There\u2019re a few conversations where Prabhupada\u2019s talking about the dealings with the parents, even though they\u2019re not devotees. So there he sees, the respect is there for the parents but it doesn\u2019t mean that their instructions are not good we follow. But our respectful mood, proper dealings is there, he even expected devotees with offer their obeisances to their parents. There are a few situations where you just offer them obeisances. When they\u2019re sitting, instructing you and telling you this nonsense stuff, you just sit nicely and listen. Just like Prahlad, his father is telling him all kinds of stuff, he teaches him more, he\u2019s listening. He\u2019s sitting there. He doesn\u2019t agree to it. He doesn\u2019t follow it but he behaves nicely.<\/p>\n
So that way they can\u2019t say they\u2019re not behaving properly. Because how many parents the kids actually do what you\u2019d want them to do. But if at least he behaves nicely, they\u2019ll be happy. Mothers happy, you\u2019re dealing with them nicely. It doesn\u2019t matter what position. People come to you and say, \u201cYour son\u2019s a rascal and nonsense this and that\u201d. As long as he deals with her nicely she\u2019ll say \u201cNo, no, this and that. It\u2019s my son\u201d. It doesn\u2019t matter because the relationship is there.<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s no authority, there\u2019s no shelter. If there\u2019s no shelter, then automatically Brahmans get upset, women get upset, cows get upset, kids get upset and all people get upset. We don\u2019t have many old people to the one\u2019s starting that. Kids have already got upset. Women are upset now. Cows were upset before the old times. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s any left to be upset. And Brahmans \u2013 they\u2019re too tolerant, they\u2019re not yielding, screaming, then nobody probably won\u2019t even notice it.<\/p>\n
But the whole point is until there\u2019s authority you don\u2019t have this thing. Then you can do the finer points. Because everyone has to reciprocate properly. It means there\u2019s a very interesting point \u2013 is that, \u201cmen respect the women as mothers\u201d. Now that means in just proper dealings but it\u2019s very important to note that mother doesn\u2019t mean to controlling authority in your occupational duty. This is a very important point. Because we\u2019re seeing such things in a very closed way. Then it makes the problem.<\/p>\n
You have the prime minister. He has his mother. But when he is with his mother, his mother is telling him: \u201cYou\u2019re not keeping your health good. You\u2019re staying up late at night. And you\u2019re not eating properly and too many meetings\u201d and all these different things. That\u2019s the relationship. He doesn\u2019t mind. He\u2019s respecting his mother. But when she comes to how he runs the country, then it\u2019s none of her business. Of course she can have her own opinion as everybody can have their opinion.<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s two separate things. So everybody can respect the temple president and all the Brahmans. Everybody can respect the woman as mother but that doesn\u2019t mean now that they\u2019re telling him how to run the temple and this and that. So you see both sides have to know where the woman is. So it\u2019s an emotional exchange. It means a relationship. But there\u2019s occupational duty which is another thing. All the rules for dealing with women and all that are within the rule of ashram. They\u2019re not in varna. Occupational duties is another thing. So when that\u2019s there then you can balance it. But it\u2019s either \u201cokay we respect the women but then they tell everything what to do\u201d. So therefore we don\u2019t bother with them. We don\u2019t listen to them. We do nothing. So you have to make that balance. That is respect, care, proper dealings. It\u2019s just like you have a man and a woman and they come to one door all at once. Unless there\u2019s someone like a spiritual leader something like that, they may go first but otherwise a grihastha or brahmachary then a woman would go first. So you have to see the situation. They\u2019re very fine things.<\/p>\n
So it has to be seen what is going to be in a proper situation. But generally when you see, especially when you\u2019re inside. So it\u2019s also inside as one when you\u2019re outside is another. Outside is when the man will lead. But still when you come into getting something this that or moving through something then a woman would go first and that\u2019s specifically is the grihastha\u2019s position. They have to protect the community of women. That\u2019s specifically is there. So if the women are experiencing difficulties that\u2019s more because the grihasthas are taking care. Like you have a single mother. She can take care of herself very well, just left on her own. But in India, in those big communities everyone will give something and then she can take care. If she has no kids, that\u2019s another thing. She can do service. If she has kids she can\u2019t work and take care of the kids. Everyone knows that doesn\u2019t function. You end up with a weird kid. Everyone gives a little something. And then she can raise her kid. At the same time as Maharaja mentioned then there\u2019s the essential element of intelligence of gratefulness. This is also a major lacking in the mlechha-javana culture. No one\u2019s grateful for anything because of the lack of intelligence. So this creates a big problem because if someone does that for you then they don\u2019t care. You\u2019re supposed to, of course. But there\u2019s a relationship, they did it. So that means that person is always humble and caring and later on then they\u2019ll do other things. They take care.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
![\"Hare](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/-lUtD3GFTUh0\/VoU31qffCqI\/AAAAAAAAYNI\/sa9S7TT4728\/s0\/2015-12-31_15-12-39.jpg\")
By Bhaktividya Purna Swami<\/strong><\/p>\n One has to be able to respect either that the senior or they\u2019re another living entity or the junior. In other words the mood is service. Someone senior to you, you serve. Someone\u2019s junior to you, it\u2019s your service is to give them shelter and take care of them. That\u2019s your service. In other words, as we brought out yesterday, the problem wasn\u2019t that Vena was saying: \u201c The king is the Naradaivata and everyone should respects him, He\u2019s a representative of the Supreme Lord all our respect goes to him.\u201d \u2013 That\u2019s the philosophy. The problem was that he\u2019s saying it and thinking in this way, rather than the Brahmans saying it. He\u2019s supposed to think, I am a servant of the Brahmans. I only under their protection, without guidance I am unable to do anything. I\u2019m a fool. I\u2019m absorbed in all these passions and attachments and therefore I cannot direct the society properly by the nice guidance of my advisors, my Brahminical advisors. I\u2019m actually able to run the kingdom properly. And then the Brahmans just think: \u201cOh, no, it\u2019s your duty. You\u2019re the one who\u2019s doing. We know what has to be done but cannot do. We don\u2019t have the qualifications, you are doing therefore, you represent.\u201d So it goes that way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23069","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23069","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23069"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23071,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23069\/revisions\/23071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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