A story by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura

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Referring to the statement by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarawati Maharaja

> > Any terminology such as `Hindu-Vaisnava' or

> > `Yavana-Vaisnava' is utterly absurd and also offensive.

 

Akhilesvara commented :

 

> The difficulty with this definition is that it does not take in account

> the complexity of the language terminology...etc.

 

Here is a reply by Nikhilananda :

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta S M `s statement and the story of the stone and the

gold pot told by him takes the complexities of the language terminology

very well into account.

 

When you think about it, there could be a big difference between saying,

"Here is a Vaishnava who took birth in Germany" and "Here is a German

Vaishnava". It seems to be the difference in the thinking which

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaja tries to refer to.

 

Especially in kali yuga, there is much risk of falling back to the level

of bodily designations and mixing up the transcendental element with the

material designation. There is a philosophical point in this nice story,

which has been made by our grandfather spiritual master. He warns us to be

careful with the terminology we use, especially when we refer to the term

"Vaishnava" which demands special respect and to be careful with the way we

see things. Caste duty and birth can never replace transcendental

achievement.

The specific context may have been the many attacks by caste conscious

Hindus on Bhaktisiddhanta S M as he had previously also delivered a very

famous speech, on the difference between being a brahmana and a Vaishnava

and which of the two is higher, which he presented at a very large

spiritual gathering. The lesson we learn transcends the particular time and

situation and is still valid for us today. It is alright then to tell the

border police that you are from India when they ask you where you

are from. But if someone speaks seriously about Vaishnavas we cannot label

them Hindu Vaishnavas, Yavana Vaishnavas, Brahmana Vaishnavas etc. for it

is misleading and can be offensive. All this was proven by HDG Srila

Bhaktisiddhanta S M by reference to shastra. And he was able to soundly

defeat the caste brahmanas and others on that basis.

 

Just as Srila Prabhupada warned that when a Vaishnava performs the duties

of a shudra we should never think that he is a shudra. A Vaishnava can

perform all occupational duties if needed but he is considered to be above

the level of an ordinary brahmana. So, while doing his duty as shudra or

brahmana ( stone ) the Vaishnava is not stone but gold. He is not even

gold-plated stone. He is gold.

 

At the same time, this philosophically important statement does not take

away the need of those Vaishnavas who work in a certain profession ( like

teacher, salesman, policeman ) to realize their particular duties and to

display certain character qualities accordingly. For example, it would be

improper for the policeman to display the brahminical quality of non-

violence when trying to catch a murderer. A Vaishnava will do his duty

as policeman but he will -not- think " I am a kshatriya " he will think

"I am a servant of Krishna, doing my duty in society".

He will not even think that his duty as policeman is his final means of

succcess but he will think :

"My main duty is the nine processes of devotional service, especially

hearing and chanting about Krishna. Only because of chanting and hearing

I am able to perform all my other duties somewhat correctly."

He will tell the gangster " Hands up, here is the police !" but in his free

time he will chant and read the Srimad Bhagavatam as much as possible.

Not that the hearing and chanting of Krishna katha is only meant for the

"brahmanas". EVERY Vaishnava must have taste for Krishna katha !

 

The danger comes when a a devotee ( as it has been sometimes the tendency

in parts of iskcon in recent years ) sees the final discovery of "his varna"

as the essential realization in Krishna consciousness and he thinks that

just being a kshatriya will automatically make him a good devotee. He starts

to believe that he belongs permanently to one particular varna which has

been destined to him by his birth. In this way he starts to identify with a

particular bodily designation he believes to have obtained by his birth and

he will start to label other Vaishnavas accordingly, as shudras, brahmanas,

women, Russians, Jews, blacks, British etc.

 

When it comes to castes or varnas it makes even less sense to apply the

designation of kshatriya etc to the Vaishnava than for example nationality

because these varnas are not even meant to be given due to one`s birth but

refer to certain duties and obligations which come along with one`s

profession and the qualities one should exhibit while doing one´s

professional work. Just as the profession may change, our duties in this

world may change. Our main duty to always remember Krishna does not change.

This is like stone and gold.

 

Some argue that Shri Krishna also encourages Arjuna to perform his duty as

a kshatriya. Yet the ultimate reason for Arjuna`s decision to fight was not

his birth qualification, not even his duty as a kshatriya, but his being a

devotee and Krishna wanting him to fight. Krishna told him the Gita

because he was a devotee ( bhakto`si me priyo`si me ).

 

According to HDG Srila Prabhupada, it seems like someone can be elavated

and rise from the platform of shudra or lower than shudra to that of a

qualified brahmana and one can even rise higher, to the level of a

devotee of the Lord. On this level one can perform all kinds of duties

arising from one`s profession and place in society without becoming

attached to it or identifying with it.

 

In summary, there is a danger in labelling people as Americans, Germans,

blacks, whites, Hindus, Russians, scholars, workers, men and women. They

have a right to perform their particular duties as men, women, Africans or

Germans but they should never think that they are this body or see others

that way. Srila Prabhupada preached on that so often. This was the basic

melody - that we are not this body. The one term which transcends those

bodily designations is that of a Vaishnava.