[Nectar] HUMAN WELFARE ACTIVITIES

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*Human Welfare Activities*

 

Delhi, Friday 20th April, 1956 (Series #1)

 

Edited and Founded

 

Under direct order of His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhakti-Siddhanta Saraswati

Goswami Prabhupada

 

By Goswami Abhay Charan Bhaktivedanta

 

 

 

We met the other day the founder of one human welfare society and we have

been pleased to see the plan. And we suggested a little more improvement on

it by the method of keeping all the items of plans etc. in touch with the

plannings of Bhagwat Geeta. The whole theme of the Bhagwat Geeta is to do

everything in relation with the wish of the Supreme Lord. Arjuna was

sufficiently educated in the matters of politics, sociology, family affairs,

education and all that is required for human welfare but he was lacking in

the sense of the service for the Supreme Lord. So far Arjuna was personally

concerned he was quite cognisant all about it but he assumed the role of a

common man who did not know how to work in the plan and desire of the Lord.

That was the beginning of Bhagwat Geeta.

 

 

 

Arjuna pretended to become a pious man and desired to be a non-violent good

man without doing the painful act of bloodshed in the battlefield. Such

pious attitude without knowing the desire of the Supreme Lord was condemned

by Shri Krishna. He described such pseudo-pious attitude as befitting a

non-Aryan person. Therefore to become pious, to become non-violent and to

have all such good qualities are judged in terms of the purpose of service.

 

 

 

A small boy, without knowing the effect of his pious activity gave to his

ailing brother some pieces of *parumtha* as his brother asked for it. The

ailing brother was suffering from typhoid fever and as he was a child, he

asked his younger brother to give the Paramtha. The younger brother without

knowing the result of his charitable work, gave *Paramtha *to the suffering

brother and when the whole thing was disclosed to the mother the charitable

younger brother was severely punished by the mother. This is our practical

experience. So simply to do charitable work without knowing the effect of

it, is to do it in the mode of ignorance. So far charities, penances and

sacrifices are concerned they are also of the three qualities. Charity done

in full cognisance of the authoritative injunctions is called *Sattwik* or

in goodness. Charity done with a purpose for getting something in return is

called *Rajasik *or in the mode of passion. Charity done in darkness without

knowing the effect of such charities or doing it under some superior

pressure or request is called *Tamasik* or in the mode of ignorance. The

same routine is prescribed for other good work also. Therefore

*Tamasik*charity and

*Sattwik *charity are two different items. One leads to degradation while

the other leads to elevation. Therefore simple charity, penance and

sacrifices may not be always good without a descriptive and discriminative

knowledge.

 

 

 

Human welfare activities with full scientific knowledge of it will certainly

elevate the status of human society. The aim of welfare activity must be

first of all ascertained. Sreemad Bhagavatam has discussed in many places

about the aim of life. Does the aim of life mean to live for a number of

long years? The Bhagwat says no it is not such. Because so far life is

concerned, the life of some tree is far far longer than a human being. The

longest duration of life of human being is not more than 100 years. But in

the vegetable kingdom some trees live more than one thousand years. A human

being will answer that the tree may live for one thousand years but the

signs of life are absent there. The main sign of life is breathing. The

'Bhagwat" in answer to this will say that there are many big bellows which

can breathe more vehemently. So breathing is no special qualification. There

are beasts who can produce more children than the human being. They also eat

according to the standard of life. Therefore according to 'Bhagwat' which is

practical commentation on the *Vedanta Sutra* - *the aim of life should be

only to hear the message of the Supreme Lord *wherein only lies all the sum

total welfare of human Society.

 

 

 

In the Bhagwat Geeta the ultimate instruction is to surrender unto the will

of the Supreme Lord and in that manner the surrendered soul is protected by

all means by the Lord from all sorts of frailties possible in human life.

 

 

 

Arjuna understood the principle and he changed his decision of leaving the

battlefield. Therefore to know the Supreme Lord and to know our relation

with the Lord eternally existent *does not mean to give up all material

activities*. But to know Him, our relation with Him and our duties to him is

the highest knowledge. And to impart this knowledge to one and all is the

highest welfare activity in the human society.

 

 

 

ALL GLORIES TI GURU & GAURANGA

 

ur's in service of srila prabhupada

 

ur servant vijay

 

hari boll !

 

 

 

 

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