What is Varnasrama Dharma and its implementation in ISKCON?

[Guest guest]

>> If VAD is devotional service, and devotional service is VAD, than anyone

>> engaged in devotional service must also be VADing it. Or conversely, if

>> we say there is no VAD in ISKCON, then there might also be no devotees

>> there either, because devotees have no business other than devotional

>> service.

>

> The catur-varnyam system is eternal amongst the human society. Ultimately,

> everyone follows Krsna's path. But, as we all know, there are levels of

> human development and advancement in the service of the Lord. It would

> behoove a society of humans claiming to aspire to become Vaisnavas to

> institute daiva varnasrama-dharma's higher principles of practice.

 

Somehow or other instead of getting enlightend about this matter, I get

moore and moore confused, seeing the great variety of controversal atitudes

taken towards Varnasrma dharma, therefore I think it would be wise first of

all to find a consensus between us members of this conference in regard to

Varnasrama and its implementation in ISKCON. Otherwise who will take us

seriously in ISKCON?

 

So first of all what is daiva varnasrama dharma?

 

How does it relate or should it mean for a devotee in the temple and outside

of it (as family man)?

 

How should we practice varnasrama dharma in the temple and outside in the

society of devotees?

 

What is the aim of VAD and how does it relate to the devotional service we

learnd to perform?

 

What does implementation of varnasrama dharma principles mean in practice,

in the temple comunity and in the grhasta comunity.

 

What should it mean to the present autority structure in Iskcon? And in the

normal society, Janesvara Prabhu gave the example from Bhaktisidhanta with

the devotee high court judge.

In other words, what would be diferent if Iskcon would be managed and

aranged acording to the VAD principles? What would it mean to the society in

general?

 

Should there be a Ksatryia Governing Board and a brahminical one?

Or how should Iskcon or the outside devotee comunity be organized acording

to the varnasrama principles?

 

How would this make the life of the devotees better materialy and

spiritualy, in or outside of the Iskcon temples?

 

> Christians, Muslims, Hindus, etc., follow the varna and asrama system, the

> four natural divisions of occupation and social life created by the Lord

> in human society, but Bhagavad-gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, etc., describe

> higher levels of varnasrama-dharma practices and mentalities which are

> conducive for raising the human standard of life materially and

> spiritually.

 

I was thinking the same, varnasrama exists already in some perverted form in

the human society, there are the (ksatryias) police, army etc. (brahmanas)

intelectuals, teachers etc. (vaisyas) tradesman, farmer etc. (sudras)

workers.

 

And there are schools already for policeman, military art, politicians etc,

al kinds of high schools for teachers, tradesman, engenears etc.

So as devotee with a particular inclination towards a varna should one not

take advantage of this schools or should we try to make our own schools of

knowledge for this, thus try to reinvent the wheel?

 

Should we not better take advantage of the already existing system of

education and knowledge in the world and just add to this our specific daiva

VAD knowledge to it in some kind of Varnasrma Akademy or something like

that. Thus create our specific daiva policeman, politicians, GBC or social

managers, judges, lawyers, doctors, engenears, farmers, tradesman, teachers

of different kinds of knowledge, material and spiritual.

 

Just some questions. Or do we have to reinvent the wheel...

 

Ys

Harsi das

 

 

 

 

 

 

should one not take