Brahmanas: They will all be teachers

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On Thu, 22 Jul 1999, COM: Janesvara (das) ACBSP (Syracuse - USA) wrote:

 

> [Text 2498372 from COM]

>

> > On 21 Jul 1999, Harsi das wrote:

> > >

> > > That makes sence to me. What is the principle the brahmans are suposed

> > > to

> > work on in VAD?

> > >

>

>

> "Hrdayananda Goswami: Could you explain about the training of a brahmana?

>

> Srila Prabhupada: Yes, he must be truthful. He must have control of the

> senses and of the mind. He must be tolerant and not be agitated in trifle

> matters. He must always be clean. He must take bath at least three times a

> day. All the clothing, everything is clean. This is brahminical training.

> And then he must know what is what, what is knowledge and practical

> application. And he must have firm faith in Krsna. This is brahmana.

>

> Hrdayananda Goswami: So what kind of practical work can we engage them in?

>

> Srila Prabhupada: They will all be teachers. Just like Dronacarya. He was

> brahmana, but he was teaching military art to the Pandavas. The general

> teacher class will be the brahmanas. It does not matter what he is teaching

> but that what he is teaching he is perfectly teaching. How to become a

> military man. Arjuna's fighting was due to Dronacarya who was a brahmana.

> Because he took the position of a teacher, he taught very perfectly. So

> brahmana should be expert in every kind of knowledge"

 

They will all be teachers. Jaya Srila Prabhupada!

 

There is a certain sect of brahmanas within our movement which is very

interested in digging up Vedic texts from the past. Okay.

 

But where are those brahmanas who are actually studying practical topics

which they can teach our devotees? Where are the brahmanas who are

enrolled in classes at Tillers International ox power school in Michigan

or the Campbell folk school in North Carolina so they can bring back

practical knowledge to train devotees in skills of self-sufficiency as

applicable in their own locale?

 

Where are the brahmanas (other than Mother Jaya Lalita) who are studying

economics? Where are the brahmanas who are studying sociology (or social

organization as Prabhupada called it)? Where are the brahmanas who are

studying politics? Where are those brahmanas who are studying so that

they can train devotees in the skills needed to run a peaceful society?

 

Why is it that we spend millions building new temples, but practically

nothing on practical education in the subjects needed to develop smoothly

organized self-sufficient varnasrama communities?

 

I will give you $10,000 for your new temple, because I know you will put

my name on a brass plaque in the hallway. I will not give you $1000 for

training your brahmanas, because you have no brass plaque to offer me.

 

Is that the reason? Is that the kind of thinking that goes on?

 

If so, I think it is a sorry commentary on our state of development. Only

buildings are Krsna conscious. Education is not.

 

I have worked in a college environment for many years. I cant help but be

struck by the amount of money that the so-called karmis -- who are

supposed to be so unintelligent -- are willing to spend so that

individuals can research thousands of different topics from science to

history to sociology to economics, etc.

 

The idea is that if you support research, then these people will become

great teachers.

 

But we have no such idea. We have no drive to help our brahmanas learn

new subjects.

 

We have no drive toward education and training. Our only drive is toward

fund-raising and building temples. Somehow, there is something very

primitive about this mood. Temples are transcendental. Studying

economics or animal traction equipment is not. How is it that we fail to

see that temples can also be maya? It's not the bricks that makes a

temple transcendental, it's the fact that it's being built to serve Krsna.

Similarly, economics can be maya, but when we study economics as a way of

perfecting our service to Krsna, then it is transcendental -- especially

when we study it in constant comparison to Srila Prabhupada's instructions

on the subject.

 

But to us, it's all maya. We think we are so superior to all the non

devotees, but without the many skills that they have, we will *never* be

able to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's desire of establishing self-sufficient

varnasrama villages where every member can fully worship the Supreme

Personality of Godhead by doing his or her daily work for His sake.

 

We must go to them for practical knowledge. After all, Krsna also loves

them, they are also His parts and parcels. He has plans for them also.

Those plans are for them to help the Krsna consciousness movement to grow

and to gradually become part of it themselves.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi