Realistic Varnasram-dharma (2 of 3)

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Here is the second part of Nikhilananda Das prabhu's comments

regarding Varnashram Dharma (VAD), in which he continues to rebut the way

in which his remarks were characterized by Sriman Hari Sauri das prabhu:

 

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Hari Sauri prabhu quotes me further :

> There are other occasions in which Srila Prabhupada

> mentioned and wrote that varnasrama dharma is not the most

> important thing, just "an additional help for convenience

> sake" but not very important at that time. I cannot see that

> we and the world have changed so much since then. ISKCON is

> still a very small movement. Therefore I do not see the need

> to introduce VAD in ISKCON, still less in a radical way.

 

Srila Prabhupada had clearly decided that to establish temples and

maintain a preaching mission has the first priority, over varnasrama

dharma; this is evident from his letters. I personally never denied that

Varnasrama dharma is important; I don't know why Hari Sauri makes me out

that way. I simply warned of over-simplistic and fanatical expectations.

The weight in my letter was on the warnings, not to become radical and

jump from one extreme to another. Prabhupada was never a political

agitator; he was, first of all, a saint and he encouraged us, first of

all, to develop saintly qualities and never to sacrifice these good

qualities for anything, not even for some so-called VAD ideology.

 

I hope that I will not again be misquoted and falsely represented as

an anti-VAD fanatic. In fact I studied the topic of VAD very carefully in

1976 when I was asked by the GBC representative at that time to compile a

book with conversations and lectures by Srila Prabhupada on Varnasrama

Dharma. I was given 17 original, unedited audiotapes with material from

Srila Prabhupada on this topic and in 1979 the BBT published the book in

the German language entitled "Varnasrama Dharma, the Ideal Society." Thus,

no one can call me a VAD opponent, although some devotees like to divide

the whole world into two ideological factions about almost any dogma. My

previous comments about this topic are quite differentiated and the topic

of VAD deserves that differentiation and a practical approach. That is why

I did not like Hari Sauri Prabhu's reply. If we can first learn to become

somewhat normal people, with reasonable behaviour, we will have made some

advancement toward the goal of a spiritualized society and maybe also

toward VAD.

 

My main intention was not to minimize the importance of VAD, as it may

seem from my text fragment which Hari Sauri prabhu quoted, but to place it

in proper context and to issue a clear warning that we cannot excuse

everything -- our lack of proper human values, trust, care and character,

etc. -- by simply putting forward a VAD ideology and collecting fanatics

behind us who want to take over the world in 14 days. That would only

produce more disaster as we saw in the case of Kirtanananda, who saw

himself as a "varnasrama dharma king" and became a mystical totalitarian

leader with no backing by shastra or sadhu. With relief, I see that no one

currently seems bent on forming such a group of fanatics. But I issued my

warning, just in case, as a prophylactic measure, and out of a sense of

responsibility.

 

Seven years ago I warned devotees not to associate with the Indian

tantrics, and taking my warning seriously could have saved us many

problems. Some disciples of Harikesh prabhu unfortunately threatened me at

that time and mistreated and derided me in many ways because -- out of a

deep concern for their welfare, and for the welfare of their spiritual

master, whom I continue to love until today -- I had tried to warn them

from that Indian tantric. In any case I had to issue the warning, as it is

my responsibility, so that no one could blame me later for staying quiet,

and be right with it. Sorry, for me it is duty first, not popularity

first.

 

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Hari Sauri prabhu wrote:

> Of course, everyone is entitled to their own observations,

> so here's mine for its worth. I cannot agree with

> Nikhilananda prabhu on this point. From my perspective,

> it's clear that Srila Prabhupada very much wanted VAD.

 

But Prabhupada did not introduce varnas in ISKCON -- only the ashramas

-- so he must have had his reasons for that. We had many householders even

at that time, what to speak of many children. Many temples in the US have

much fewer devotees nowadays.

 

Hari Sauri:

> It was not at all out of humility that he said only 50% of

> his work was done, it was out of practical realizations

> that for KC to be spread on a scale big enough to affect

> the world, VAD was the only system that can work. It is

> after all Krsna's system.

 

It is Krishna's system, but it is a political, social system and

Prabhupada was not so keen to see us engaged in politics prematurely.

First the spiritual basis or proper ashramas are needed. We have not even

succeeded in that.

 

Besides, bhakti means to become free from designations (Rupa Goswami).

Although Srila Prabhupada said (I could give quotes but want to reduce

the space) that VAD has great benefit when introduced into society by

politicians, so that the larger society in this world can live more

carefree and solve their problems, Prabhupada also said that the process

of bhakti is NOT dependent on it.

 

So I am simply against the accusations of those who claim that ISKCON

is a failure because it has not introduced varnas into ISKCON, nor

varnasrama into the larger society.

 

I do believe that VAD is very helpful but our success in spiritual

life is not dependent on our caste. There are so many quotes in shastra

regarding this. This fault-finding mentality is very disturbing and, as an

older devotee, Hari Sauri Prabhu ought to appreciate my attempts to combat

needless fault-finding. The critics should, rather, come up with positive

suggestions. It is actually a more asuric type of thinking to criticize

devotees for insufficiencies in their caste realization. That is what

asuras did even with Krishna: "He does not even belong to any caste," etc.

Prabhupada was not into that at all.

 

I certainly find it painful to see Srila Prabhupada diminished by

such immature criticism. And I find it as painful to see sincere ISKCON

devotees diminished by such criticism (as not having yet introduced

Varnasrama dharma) delivered by some who are very impatient and want

to storm the gates of heaven in one day, or who dream of establishing

paradise on earth by simply making one compromise after another. With all

its benefits, even the establishment of VAD will always be tinged with

imperfections and it will not automatically save us from the biggest

danger in life or make us avoid facing our factual challenges: lust,

greed, false pride, anger, being unfriendly to devotees, being uncaring,

being unfair, feeling above others, being elitist, inhuman, the

"lording-it-over" mentality, etc.

 

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Maharaj once said, "If I ever make

this mistake of thinking myself to be the master and enjoyer of the

devotees then my life will be rendered perfectly useless."

 

So, I only said that we should not use VAD as a pretext to excuse our

shortcomings in developing our genuine devotee qualities. If we do not

realize that even with VAD we have to be humble, humanly encouraging,

merciful and other such Vaishnava qualities as HG Prithu Prabhu so nicely

pointed out in some very enlightening texts, then this so-called VAD will

only increase our illusion and false designations and be a pitfall for us,

despite so many nice words and daydreaming.

 

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Hari Sauri:

> He did the essential work that had to be done -- establishing

> what pure devotional service is and how to attain it, but

> he also said that he was giving the basics and we would have

> to fill in the rest. Each acarya leaves something for the

> next generation to accomplish, and the implementation of VAD

> was one of the things Srila Prabhupada left to us to do.

 

Agreed. I only objected to those who say that therefore Prabhupada was

not successfull and needs to take birth again in this world, for example

as the son of a new age healer from the last German village. I do not like

to see Srila Prabhupada offended by such strange, esoteric speculations.

Beat me for it if you want, or put me down; I will not quietly see

Prabhupada offended.

 

Srila Prabhupada said, "Simply do as I have done." So even in

expanding his mission we have to set the same priorities as he did and we

should not overestimate ourselves or act prematurely. It is only by the

mercy of Srila Prabhupada that we can do anything. Anyone who thinks that

he knows better than Prabhupada, and that Prabhupada's visions were

incomplete, becomes an offender and definitely loses all good fortune

to achieve something in this world. Prabhupada is an outstanding

mahabhagavata, empowered to set the standards for the next ten thousand

years. Anyone who thinks he can criticize Prabhupada loses his status.

 

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Hari Sauri:

> In the early days of the movement Prabhupada openly used to

> say that he was only trying to create a class of brahmanas

> and that it was not possible to reintroduce VAD in modern

> society. Since there was no spiritual direction therefore at

> least some real brahmanas should be there to guide everyone.

> However, as his movement grew, by 1974 he started to

> seriously talk about it, at least in part because he saw

> large numbers of people being attracted to KC and he already

> had seen many fall away after their initial involvement. Many

> that came along could not maintain the brahminical standards

> but still wanted and needed to be engaged in devotional service.

 

Nikhilananda: Undoubtedly Prabhupada encouraged everyone to continue

practicing devotional service in some form even after they fell from the

simple and wonderful spiritual formula he gave us at initiation. But

Prabhupada never said that simply falling from the devotional standard

automatically makes one qualified for VAD (or even an authority on it) --

it is not that easy -- or that such a devotee, who could not maintain a

high level, can therefore criticize ISKCON, stating that ISKCON did wrong

and expected too much. Even five days in ISKCON can save a person.

Of course, devotees should be tolerant and be grateful to everyone who

rendered devotional service for some time. They should not reject anyone

who has fallen, as long as the person remains humble and does not become

offensive toward Srila Prabhupada, or declare he knows a better process,

by adding New Age, etc., to Krsna consciousness.

 

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Hari Sauri:

> By 1977 he was very keen to have VAD introduced and one only

> has to read the conversation that we had with him on Feb. 14,

> 1977 in Mayapur to realize this.

 

Prabhupada was keen to have VAD one day from the beginning of his

preaching. There are so many tapes. But Prabhupada did not want the ISKCON

devotees to accept varna labels. Such labels are useless if we do not

understand and cultivate the right character qualities first. The point is

in removing designations in this world of names, not to increase them and

becoming more confused. Otherwise, if Prabhupada had wanted us to take one

of the four varnas, we actually deviated, all of us, which I still refuse

to believe.

 

I think that suggesting we all deviated is another kind of unneeded

and dangerous agitation, very much like in 1970 when some devotees said

that Prabhupada rejected all ISKCON devotees because they did not

understand all of Prabhupada's instructions. Prabhupada at that time

formed the GBC to try to stop the spreading of such false rumours that

he rejects the ISKCON devotees or that they are all unqualified.

 

Therefore it would be nice, Hari Sauri Prabhu, if you could, as an

agent of the EC be inclined to cooperate in living up to this duty of

protecting devotees from false agitation and propaganda. And it would be

nice if you could more encourage such endeavors as mine to help you

fulfill this duty. Similarly, I am assisting one GBC member whom I very

much respect and like and I have been involved in helping devotees in one

crisis after another, on his behalf, the last few years, But I am not

satisfied with only facing crises and cleaning up the debris after the

trouble has occurred. I like to issue a preventive warning whenever I see

a small chance of subversive and misleading trends, undermining our trust

in Srila Prabhupada and his ISKCON mission needlessly.

 

We should be more into positive thinking and find out how we can

actually help devotees to become more self-sufficient and properly

situated in their grihastha lives. Sometimes the big theoretical VAD

discussion only distracts from the actual challenges and demands in the

three dimensional reality. Sometimes we talk of big VAD and forget the

godbrother next to us, and do not even invite him for a glass of milk. We

talk of loving the whole world but cannot even love one person. Often we

do not even manage to love and be nice to our own wife. But we want to go

and save the whole world and talk big Varnasrama Dharma.

 

As far as I know, Prabhupada wanted that we establish varnasrama

colleges to teach the outside society how to practice karma yoga and

develop values and character qualities which are the essence of VAD. Such

colleges, if done expertly, could win us many business people who are

looking for personality improvement and who would willingly pay a lot for

such training courses. So Prabhupada's suggestions are very practical.

 

(Continued in part 3)