Guest guest Posted July 23, 2002 Report Share Posted July 23, 2002 Bhagavad Gita 3.33 TRANSLATION Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish? 18.59 TRANSLATION If you do not act according to My direction and do not fight, then you will be falsely directed. By your nature, you will have to be engaged in warfare. 18.60 TRANSLATION Under illusion you are now declining to act according to My direction. But, compelled by the work born of your own nature, you will act all the same, O son of KuntI. Here the Lord is telling Arjuna (who is a pure devotee of the highest order) that his nature is that of a Ksatriya. In the same vein, it can be said that one's ashrama (especially in terms of whether or not one remains a life-long celibate monk) is also determined by one's psycho-physiological nature, which is inherited from the three modes of nature. A man may feel like a fish in water as a celibate monk, whereas another man may find the task impossible. Men have different natures. (This applies to women too, but in this context I am specifically speaking about men.) Notwithstanding, ALL conditioned souls struggle with sex desire. The encouragements we often hear such as, "Just tolerate,It's just an itch," "Become more absorbed in hearing and chanting," are applicable to everyone, because both celibate monks as well as married men have to control their sex desire. Many brahmacaris and sannyasis are nonetheless glorified as staunch men who painstakingly tolerate the sex urge. The question is, however, to what degree is it these men's NATURE to live a monastic life? The Lord tells Arjuna that the desire not to fight arises from false ego. Similarly, it could be said that the desire and endeavor to be a family man arises, for some men, from false ego because it is their nature to be monks and not householders. And just as the Lord told Arjuna that he was destined to fight whether on the battlefield of Kuruksetra or somewhere else due to his nature, some men are destined to be monks, whether in the ISKCON movement, in the Catholic Church or in other monastic orders. Some men are just made to be monks. This is not to dismiss the austerities of saffron-clad renunciates, but it is a reminder that along with one's endeavor to intelligently say no to marriage and depend on the guru's mercy, one cannot forget that everyone is forced to act according to the modes that one has inherited from the three modes of material nature. In other words, if one is currently a brahmacari or a sannyasi, there is a very good chance that one is so situated in (large) part because it is one's nature. Your servant, Candrasekhar Acarya dasa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.