2 kinds of brahmanas

May 5, 2006

Hare Krishna

pamho

I found one interesting essay and here I am forwarding it to you. Anybody has any comments?

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BRAHMANICAL STANDARDS AND THE VAISNAVA

Lord Krsna told Arjuna: "It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another's duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous." (Bhagavad-gita 3.35)

Now we could ask a question — "Why some brahmana initiated devotees get the jobs of sudras in order to get some money when they take up family life? Is it proper to do that or no?" To clarify this question let us consider some scriptural quotes and the teachings of Srila Prabhupada. "

Hari-sauri: Where will we introduce the varnasrama system?

Prabhupada: In our society, amongst our members.

Hari-sauri: But then if everybody’s being raised to the brahminical platform…

Prabhupada: Not everybody. Why you are misunderstanding? Varnasrama, not everybody brahmana.

Hari-sauri: No, but in our society practically everyone is being raised to that platform. So then one might ask what is…

Prabhupäda: That is… Everybody is being raised, but they’re falling down. (Febryary 14.1977 Mayapura)

That a Brahmana should never depend on others for maintenance is obvious from the following Statements of Srila Prabhupada.

“A brahmana will not work under anybody. A ksatriya will not work under anybody.” ( September 21, 1973, Bombay)

“So one who is depending on job, he’s a sudra…brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya—they will create their own means of livelihood.” (Morning Walk April 7, 1975, Mayapur)

“Even one is born of a brahmana family, he is looking after some good job. That is sudra mentality. That is not brahmana’s business.” (lec. SB 1.7.16)

“The sudra, he has to work under the order of the master. Master says, “Do this”: he’ll do it.” (Room Conversation January 26, 1977, Puré)

"If a brahmana disassociates himself from lower caste people and associates only with higher caste people, he attains greatness. If he does the opposite, he becomes a sudra." (Manu 4.245)

"A brahmana who without studying the Vedas who labors for other things – wealth, position, adoration, and other opulence, becomes a sudra along with all his family members." (Manu Samhita 2.168)

Therefor, the brahmana never takes employment from anyone (especially from those who are sudras and lower). He must be independent. This is explained in the Kurma Purana : "Those brahmanas who make a living from protecting cows, engage in trade, become artists, take the occupation of servants, and loan money on interest are no better than sudras."

In the case of an emergency then Srimad Bhagavatam (11.17.47) explains that a brahmana may perform another occupation: "If a brahmana cannot support himself through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the occupation of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying and selling material things. If he continues to suffer extreme poverty even as a merchant, then he may adopt the occupation of a ksatriya, taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog, accepting an ordinary master." Therefor, Srila Prabhupada to brahmana grhasta mostly recommended works like book, prasadam or incense business or making mrdangas or opening a restoran. Here are few famous instructions: “Actually all our devotees are supposed to be brahmanas. A brahmana's business is to preach the glories of the Lord, to learn the essence of Vedic knowledge--Krsna Consciousness--and to teach others of the same knowledge. (Letter to: Jayagovinda Los

Angeles 18 April, 1970) If we do business we must do it independently, without any assistance from outsiders. (Letter to: Brahmananda Montreal 28 June, 1968) Therefor, to one of His grhasta disciple Lord Caitanya said that the symptom of a Vaisnava is that he gives up the association of non-devotees.

There is a following prediction in the Srimad Bhagavatam (12.3.35) which is one of the symptoms of Kali-yuga -"Even when there is no emergency, people will consider any degraded occupation quite acceptable." (SB 12.3.35)

Actually, grhastha life is not easy when one takes to such work mixing with sudra-like people. Srila Prabhupada writes: “Generally a person cannot make much advancement in spiritual consciousness if he is married. He becomes attached to his family and is prone to sense gratification. Thus his spiritual advancement is very slow or almost nil.” (C.C Antya 13.112) In the Smrti literature it is also mentioned that in this world of duality, family life is the cause that spoils one’s spiritual life or meditation.. (SB 7.15.30 P) Therefor, no one should waste his time in the so-called happiness of materialistic household life. In the Vedic civilization, this type of crippled life is allowed only until one’s fiftieth year, when one must give up family life and enter either the order of vanaprastha (independent retired life for cultivation of spiritual knowledge) or sannyasa (the renounced order, in which one completely takes shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead).

(SB 5.18.13 P)

Narottama dasa Thakura states that to accept renounced order of life, or to remain in householder life, that does not matter. If he is actually taking part in the movements of Caitanya’s sankirtana activities and actually understanding what it is, he is taking sport in the waves of such devotional ocean, then such person is always liberated. (Purport to Gaurangera Duthi Pada Los Angeles, January 6, 1969) And in the Cc. Madhya 8.128 is also said that one may be a grhastha or sannyasi—it doesn’t matter—but he must be Krsna-tattva-vit. He must know the science of Krsna. That is required.

According to the scriptures if one does not cultivate scriptural knowledge, he cannot be accepted as a brahmana and so he will be inclined to hypocrisy, envy, lies and cheating. The Manu Samhita 2.157 explains: "A brahmana who does not study the Vedas is similar to a wooden elephant or a deer made of skin, which are an elephant or deer only in name but do not effectively function as such." Moreover,

"One should know that until a brahmana is qualified in the Vedas, he is on the same level as a sudra."

The prepared food which one buys in the shop is certainly not made with devotion to Krsna what is the reason why Krsna accepts the offerings of his devotees. The scriptures explain that by eating the food of non-brahmanas, one also falls from his brahminical position. Here is an iteresting quote: "A brahmana should never eat food cooked by a sudra. If other than in an emergency one either willingly or mistakenly does eat food cooked by a sudra, then as a result of eating such food he is born as a sudra." (Kurma Purana)

Here somebody may put up an objection: “We agree that we cannot perform all the duties of a brahmana due to other commitments. In Bhagavad-gita (9.26) Lord Krsna has said : "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." In other words, one should perform his duties as much as possible. The main point is that they should be done in devotion. Sri Krsna further states: "It is better to engage in one's own occupation, even though one may perform it imperfectly, than to accept another's occupation and perform it perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one's nature are never affected by sinful reactions." (Bhagavad-gita 18.47)

So even if we are performing our brahminical duties imperfectly there is no sin involved because we are at least performing our occupation.

However the reply is “If you are not performing brahminical duties, then what activities are you performing that makes you a brahmana. Are the 'other commitments' that you speak about are of more importance in your life than your brahminical duties? Therefore, it is said : "Brahmanas who live a life of violence, lies, and greed, who are impure and indulge in all kinds of karmic activity in order to maintain their lives are degraded to the status of sudras. Such a person, who eats anything and everything without discrimination, who is attached to worldly things, who will accept any occupation just to make money, who has given up Vedic dharma and proper behavior is called a sudra." (Mahabharata, Santi Parva 189.7)

This above statement is too extreme still everything is possible and therefor, one should be very careful about his activities.

Brahmanical culture is a stage or qualification of a Vaisnava and Vaisnavism is the fruit of brahmanical culture. In the Garuda Purana it is said: "Out of thousands of brahmanas, one is qualified to perform sacrifices, and out of many thousands of such qualified brahmanas expert in sacrifices, one learned brahmana may have passed beyond all Vedic knowledge. Among many such brahmanas, one who is a devotee of Visnu is the best." This is just what Srila Prabhupada means when he say that when one becomes a devotee it is understood that he performed all kinds of sacrifices in his previous lives.

Of course, Vaisnavas born in families lower than brahmanas are equal to brahmanas and superior to them if such a brahmana is not a Vaisnava. This is because brahminical qualities are automatically and eternally present in a Vaisnava. Although the real Vaisnavas follow brahmincal culture, such Vaisnavas are actually beyond varnasrama-dharma and above all temporary material designations, including that of brahmana, while naturally exhibiting all qualities of a brahmana. They have no interest in this material world and it's ephemeral social regulations. Still, for one who is not transcendental brahminical culture should be adopted as it elevates one to the platform of goodness which is stepping stone to the transcendental platform of pure goodness.

But if one only follows brahminical culture perfectly, one does not attain the suddha-sattva platform since the mode of sattva is also a material mode of nature. One can only attain the suddha-sattva level of consiousness by associating and serving higher Vaisnavas — this is pure goodness, or Vaisnavism.

Although a Vaisnava's activities may appear to be similar to those following the system of varnasrama, in reality it is totally different since whatever actions he performs are only for the pleasure of the Lord and His devotees.

Why one can be classified as sudra is due to behavior, their low-class occupation, the association he keeps, the food he consumes, and the fact that he is not performing the duties of brahmana.

Actually the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu do not condemn anyone according to their birth, religion, social status work etc. because the transcendental designation of 'Vaisnava' is above the social laws of varnasrama.

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