Introducing varnasrama

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> > If only we had started to implement varnasrama colleges, all those years

> > ago, we might then have a much more evolved understanding of ettiquette,

> > and the importance of the trinad api verse.

>

> I agree that varnasrama colleges would be a great benefit for mankind if

> they are done in the right way. But my question is, who should have done

> this now, and who is to blame that it was not done in the past? If you

> answer GBC, then I ask, who in the GBC? There MUST be specific persons

> starting this up who knows something about how to do it, otherwise it will

> just be another mISKCONception, and yet another misrepresentation of real

> varnasrama.

 

Blaming is not useful. Collectively the leaders have failed to follow

Prabhupadas orders. The only useful outcome of laying blame would be if it

jolted ISKCON leaders into treating the solutions a varnasrama society could

offer, seriously. Varnasrama basicaly means assisting people to reach their

full potential in society both materialy and spiritualy, sort of like a

bhakta program with speciality courses in carpentry or vedic studies etc.

etc. Take carpentry for instance, there are many character building aspects

to this, such as being patient, understanding the nature of the material you

are working with, and working along its grain as opposed to it, a good

carpenter needs to be very meditative. My Gurumaharaj constantly impresses

me with his ability to see Krsna's hand everwhere, so practical varnasrama

training would give you a skill, and the ability to see how that skill fits

into the greater scheme of things. People trained in such a way would be of

immense value to society.

 

> Hare Krishna dasi wrote some time ago that she is very happy that GBC did

> not yet try to implement varnasrama. I have to agree with her, after

> seeing what most people in ISKCON think that varnasrama is. I don't want

> that we end up with the caste system, then I rather end up with democracy.

 

I also agree totaly that we cannot now IMPLEMENT varnasrama. What the

leaders CAN do and what they consistently fail to do is support and

facilitate groups of open minded intelligent devotees, to start something

which is basicaly a varnasrama college, but could be called something like

an academy of 'Advanced Varnasrama Studies', which begins by identifying

early programs for varnasrama training, monitoring those programs and

constantly re-evaluating them, and making changes if and as needed. This

could be just a handful of devotees in the begining (who are enthusiastic,

show interest in this area, and have some useful skills), and as they

identify the first steps the program could be expanded. I would be the first

to volunteer for such a program if they would be serious, and put enough

resources into making it work.

 

Such a program could also offer apprenticeships, or guilds of learning, in

which the participants would not only learn, but also produce, thus making

the program self sustaining. The institute would require both a research

wing and an arena where the research can be aplied in practical ways.

 

This would be the proffessional way of doing it, with a lot of carefully

documented and scientificaly designed programs, based on Srila Prabhupadas

teachings. Something like a Bhaktivedanta Institute for varnasrama. We may

even employ professional people to provide initial training, for other

teachers, and for evaluators. With any of these programs one of the first

things you have to do to be able to monitor them, is to come up with a set

of indicators, by which you can judge progress.

 

> Varnasrama is there whether we see it or not, whether we like it or not. I

> believe that we all can take it to heart and try to do things based on

> varnasrama principles. If there are persons qualified to teach others

> about it, then that is great! But I am not sure that this should go

> through the GBC, at least the way things are now. Maybe later, if they can

> display real understanding of what varnasrama is, starting with

> themselves.

 

The institute I describe would, I feel, be the way to begin, actualy this

was originaly Pancaratna Prabhus idea, which I think he is trying to begin

in Mayapur. At least one in each country would be appropriate to start with.

 

Really it seems to me that we are not going to see a highly evolved

varnasrama society for many generations, and it is our offspring, and young

converts who are the future. The children are the hope, and I feel that the

society, instead of emphasising on the external preaching path, which we

have done for 20 odd years since Prabhupada left (the result being shrinking

temple populations, and the formation of splinter groups), we should

prioritise the training of our own people, this is the future. Our society,

is fracturing as we speak, because the social body is missing some essential

body parts, and our society can never be healed unless we turn our attention

to these diseased parts, and make them healthy, this is Srila Prabhupadas

direct teaching.

 

I always understood that Srila Prabhupadas ideas for the gurukulas, were

that the teachers would be trained to identify the traits of the children,

and educate them according to their phsyco physical nature, or in other

words provide them with varansrama training. Instead of putting our most

intelligent, caring, and reliable people into this program, and training

them in astrology, phsychology, and child care, we put the ones who couldn't

collect, and who often manouvered their way in, so they could perpetrate

horrible abuse.

 

The children ARE the future, and our planning and goals should be LONG TERM.

We are here to stay, and until we focus on our future legacy, and put some

energy into it, we will continue to stumble along, making the same mistakes

over and over again, and dwindle more and more.

 

YS Samba das