How to start varnasrama

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On 7.8.99 Samba das wrote:

 

> I dont know how things are now in the west, but there was certainly a lot

> of psychological pressure put on devotees to perform to the leaders

> desires. If I did not go on sankirtan I was considered heavily in Maya. No

> one thought 'hey maybe this boy needs to be engaged in another occupation.

 

One devotee wrote me ones the following interesting view:

 

"The most important questions are:

"How do you feel deep inside? In the deepest part of your

consciousness, who is actually there? Who is that person within who is

seeking something out of life? What qualities are actually there within you

and what is it that you wish to express? What wants to come out from you?

What real needs are there within you?" In other words, dive within the

depths of your heart and uncover what has been motivating you life after

life, for it is this which has been controlling your life's direction.

 

Even if one is engaged in a spiritual path, such as in ISKCON, one will

unconsciously and unknowingly integrate into his activities his deepest

value structure and motivation, while adjusting his philosophy to accomodate

that which he deeply believes.

 

No one can avoid this unless one simply gives up his life and becomes a

puppet who simply mimics the social norms. This is not attractive for anyone

with intelligence and especially for someone with a heart. Sure we want to

be tools in the hands of the Lord, but Krsna does not want us to be tools,

he wants us to be intelligent and powerful persons who are self situated,

happy, satisfied and capable of doing good in this world.

 

As you get deeper into an understanding of what is actually there within

you, you will understand why you have had troubles in this world.

 

Trouble comes from trying to be what you are not.

 

How can one be what he is not? One can make his life into an act, but this

will never satisfy him.

 

One can simply be what he is, and be comfortable with that unavoidable

reality. If one understands that what he is is good, it becomes clear that

being himself is the most satisfying thing possible.

 

But few know what they are. First you have to find out what you are. When

you do this, most likely you will come much closer to the core of your

existence, for we are by nature spiritual beings and although we are in the

material atmosphere we do not stop being spiritual beings just as a lawyer

on vacation from his firm does not stop being a lawyer, rather he simply

accepts another form of acting for some time.

 

The actions of a spiritual being will manifest in the material world

according to his desires to attain that which he values. He does not

actually lose that spirituality if he is fixed in his identity.

 

The problem arises when one is not fixed in one's identity and starts to

accept another identity which has been imposed upon him. This cannot be done

forcefully, but rather it is done when we cloak ourselves in these

identities while thinking that this is for our benefit."

 

> If you are constantly told how fallen you are because you

> dont fit into the leaders scheme, it has an effect, especialy when one >

understands the value of humility, this was often used > as a tool to >

subjugate.

 

"If we are indeed inherently one with the Lord, then we are intrinsically

good, and perfect. We have to see that quality within by being as good as we

can be, the best we can be, for each living entity is already a perfect part

of the Supreme, and being the best you can be really means to be again that

perfect and complete part of the Lord.

 

The most important point to understand when addressing the question of being

characterized as bad for not being 'perfect' is that due to the differences

between living entities (as each is a unique part of the Lord), there will

be things within one entity that are different than another, although all

share the basic quality of being a spiritual being.

 

It is the differences from the expressed or desired norm (or rather form or

mold) that cause others to perceive that one is more perfect than another,

when in fact they might be both perfect in their own way, or even that one

which is perceived as perfect might be actually less perfect than the one

perceived as less perfect, for the so-called perfect one may not be in touch

with himself and thus the Lord as much as the so-called imperfect one who is

in touch with himself and thus the Lord although he may not externally

manifest the qualities expected of one who is to be praised, followed or

obeyed.

 

It is this difference which makes devotees feel that there is imperfection

in those who do not follow the expected norms of society. Examining this

point could lead to very interesting conclusions.

 

For example, we have made certain devotees our ideal. Prabhupada is a

case in point. Everyone wanted to imitate him in all respects for he was

seen as the goal of development. Those who were different from him,

especially his Godbrothers or disciples, what to speak of the so-called

non-devotees, were seen as faulty and less than perfect due to our judging

them according to our criteria that Prabhupada was the perfect model.

 

Of course, there were other perfect models such as the Gosvamis and others,

but we had no contact with them and have no real idea how they lived or

spoke or felt in relation with others or in a social setting, therefore,

since Prabhupada's life and words were so widely documented, we easily

accept him as the role model. It became the fashion to see everyone in

contrast to Prabhupada, and thus we had so many who did not live up to the

mark.

 

Krsna loves us as His parts. No matter what it is that we try to be, He will

always love us for what we actually are -- His eternal part.

 

If you love someone and they have some problems, you do not stop loving

them, but rather, you try to help them resolve their problems. When you love

a person, you love the essence of that person, his life force, his energy,

his being, otherwise you are simply enamored with external things which are

not actually that person but his possessions, which is quite material.

 

A person who might externally be less than good, may be in his essence

quite good. I firmly believe in the intrinsic goodness of all people,

although some choose to be demons or similar to demons for some time while

they stumble their way through existence falsely thinking that these

qualities are their core-essence and manifesting these qualities will bring

them to their greatest satisfaction.

 

When one sees the essence in people, he can love all people and attempt to

help them. When one sees only the bad qualities or that which is externally

manifested, he cannot help others for he will not have the capacity to

actually love them for what they really are.

 

This is why ISKCON preachers are not very powerful for the people who are

actually aware do not find the preaching based on what they really want out

of life, but based on something which they could rightly conceive as

exploitive (to get their money, possessions, service, or to have more

followers, or statistics in a press information packet)

 

Considering that such a state of causeless love, meaning that there are

those who love others for their core-essence and not their external

manifestations, is possible by persons on Earth, then why should it not

certainly be supremely present in Krsna?

 

After all, the faults are all a part of a show within the material energy,

while the actor within remains a part of Krsna."