Sastra yonit vat

[Guest guest]

> So... "Kindly speak to me that.So why shall I speak to you?" Here says:

> sisyas te 'ham [bg. 2.7]. "Now I am accepting You as my guru. I become

> Your sisya." Sisya means: "Whatever you'll say, I'll accept." That is

> sisya. The sisya word comes from sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu. Sastra. Sastra.

> Sasana. Sisya. These are from the same root. Sas-dhatu. Sas-dhatu means

> rule, ruling. So we can rule in various ways. We can be ruled, becoming a

> sisya of a proper guru. That is sas-dhatu. Or we can be ruled by sastra,

> weapon. Just like king has got weapon. If you don't follow the king's

> instruction or government's instruction, then there is police force,

> military force. That is sastra. And there is sastra also. Sastra means

> book, scripture. Just like Bhagavad-gita. Everything is there. So we must

> be ruled, either by sastra, sastra or guru. Or becoming sisya. Therefore

> it is said: sisyas te 'ham [bg. 2.7]. "I become voluntarily... I surrender

> unto You.Now you become sisya. What is the proof that you have become

> My sisya?" Sadhi mam tvam prapannam. "Now I am fully surrender."

> Prapannam.

>

> Bhagavad-gita 2.1, - Ahmedabad, December 6, 1972

 

It seems to me taking a cue from the above verse that the laws of Manu can

only be implemented by one who knows in tattva the essences of those laws

and how they can be applied according to time place and circumstance, as

Krishna Dharma prabhu has pointed out. Sastra is delivered by sadhu/guru.

"We read the bible day and night, you read black and I read white" Without

sadhu/guru to guide us we just squabble in the name of sastra. How then

could we hope to implement Manus laws?

 

The fact is that we are bound by the laws of the land in which we live. We

have been overrun by demoniac sudras taking the role of ksatriyas. Until

power is wrested by a Krsna conscious ksatriya, there is little chance of

Manus laws being implemented.

 

We have seen many quotes wherein it would seem to be impossible for

Varnasrama to be introduced in this age, and there exist many quotes wherein

Srila Prabhupada says it can be done and that we are intelligent enough to

do it.

 

Srila Prabhupada actively began farm projects wherein he wanted varnasrama

principles to be introduced, starting with simple living and high thinking.

By starting at that point, and creating an agricultural economy independant

from the vast agribusiness of today, along with the gradual training of our

children and newcomers in varnasrama principles, maybe eventualy we would

see the emergence of a powerful ksatriya who could eventualy take power

somewhere and begin to implement those laws. Islamic states are cropping up

all over the place and are doing this kind of thing, but unfortunately they

are flawed.

 

Of course the western world abhors such fundamentalists. The laws of Manu

are sometimes quoted as proof of Hindu fundamentalism, and as such, the

introduction of such laws is severely hindered in the western world. This

abhorrence is due to the atheistic mind set that is created in a world where

sense enjoyment is the all in all, and the concept of sin is just a quaint

outdated idea.

 

It seems to me that the only chance for varnasrama to be implemented is by

starting at the beginning, creating an independant economic system based on

the land and cow, and working up from there, a pretty long term program.

That is where our beloved Srila Prabhupada chose to start, so I would say

that it is ISKCON's only chance to actualy become relevant once again in the

eyes of this world.

 

Tejiyas prabhu pointed out to me once that the word FARM is almost a dirty

word in our society. Very few it seems want to take the trouble to get 'down

and dirty' to do the practical hands on work of creating a natural economy,

but without it we remain parasites on our host cultures, who will listen to

us? With what power and conviction can we even think to introduce Manus

laws?

 

Your servant

Samba das