What Do We Mean by Varnasrama: 5 Models of Social Development

[Guest guest]

>

> In the ninth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, in his commentary on the

> varnasrama structure in Lord Ramacandra's ideal kingdom, Srila Prabhupada

> states: "Among the four yugas—Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali—the Kali-yuga

> is the worst, but if the process of varnasrama-dharma is introduced, even

> in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare

> Krsna movement, or Krsna consciousness movement, is meant for this

> purpose" [s.B.9.10.51 purport].

 

When I read this statement from Prabhupada, I often wonder what was in Srila

Prabhupadas mind while writing this. How should the Krsna consciousness

movement make that posible, I mean to introduce the process of

varnasrama-dharma in the Age of Kali?

I guess he was refering to introducing this process in the present

materialistic society. On the other hand was it not for very long time the

goal of this movement, at least where I came in contact whis it, to convince

someone interested in Krsna consciousness, to renounce all of his material

so caled atachments like job, family, friends and society and join the

movement while movieng into a temple, lieving everything behind?

 

And that is so paradoxical acording to my understanding, how should one

change something within a society when one dropes out of it?

 

We were isolating ourselfs from the rest of the society, were building some

suttle walls around us and them (the karmis, the demons etc) and still we

were striving to change the world, the society, and make everyone Krsna

conscious.

 

Now how should this posible happen, by locking everyone up in our temples

and farm projects? What an utopy.

[Guest guest]

On Sat, 5 Feb 2000, COM: Harsi (das) HKS (Timisoara - RO) wrote:

 

> [Text 2990192 from COM]

>

> >

> > In the ninth canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam, in his commentary on the

> > varnasrama structure in Lord Ramacandra's ideal kingdom, Srila Prabhupada

> > states: "Among the four yugas-Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali-the Kali-yuga

> > is the worst, but if the process of varnasrama-dharma is introduced, even

> > in this age of Kali, the situation of Satya-yuga can be invoked. The Hare

> > Krsna movement, or Krsna consciousness movement, is meant for this

> > purpose" [s.B.9.10.51 purport].

>

> When I read this statement from Prabhupada, I often wonder what was in Srila

> Prabhupadas mind while writing this. How should the Krsna consciousness

> movement make that posible, I mean to introduce the process of

> varnasrama-dharma in the Age of Kali?

> I guess he was refering to introducing this process in the present

> materialistic society. On the other hand was it not for very long time the

> goal of this movement, at least where I came in contact whis it, to convince

> someone interested in Krsna consciousness, to renounce all of his material

> so caled atachments like job, family, friends and society and join the

> movement while movieng into a temple, lieving everything behind?

>

> And that is so paradoxical acording to my understanding, how should one

> change something within a society when one dropes out of it?

>

> We were isolating ourselfs from the rest of the society, were building some

> suttle walls around us and them (the karmis, the demons etc) and still we

> were striving to change the world, the society, and make everyone Krsna

> conscious.

>

> Now how should this posible happen, by locking everyone up in our temples

> and farm projects? What an utopy.

 

 

Harsi Prabhu,

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

I think if you read *Srila Prabhupada on Varnasrama and Rural Community

Development, Vol. 1: Speaking about Varnasrama* that many of your

questions would be answered.

 

It really does take a book to answer your questions, but I will try to

give you my understanding of Srila Prabhupada's perspective as well as I

can very briefly.

 

For one thing, an important principle which is outlined in the

introduction is that Srila Prabhupada -- for whatever his internal reason

-- shifted the main thrust of his presentation of varnasrama to the

devotees over a period of time.

 

1. During the first period of his preaching, his main thrust was that

although varnasrama is the ideal social system, it is not possible in the

current age, nor is it necessary, because simply by chanting Hare Krsna,

one can become purified and go back to Godhead. At the same time, on a

parallel track with this idea, Srila Prabhupada was engaged in his effort

to "give society a head" -- which meant trying to bring all devotees who

joined to the brahminincal level.

 

2. During the second phase of his preaching (beginning about March 1974

with the Varnasrama Walks), Srila Prabhupada began to introduce the idea

that we would introduce varnasrama -- so that the whole society could have

the chance to become Krsna conscious. Nevertheless, the idea seemed to be

that devotees would actually play the brahminical roles or that they

should actually be transcendental to varnasrama even though they would act

in different roles in varnasrama. His method of introducing varnasrama

centered around the varnasrama college. An important aspect of this

varnasrama college (which should not be confused with the ancient Vedic

school, a slightly different institution) would be to train the vaisyas in

"cow protection and how to plow." In fact, Prabhupada specifically

rejects the idea of teaching vaisyas about how to develop trade in modern

economic terms: devotee "The vaisyas -- should they be taught business?"

Prabhupada, "That rascal business -- no. Business means that if you have

surplus grains, you can sell them, where there is necessity, where there

is want."

 

On this brief exchange, someone could easily write a 5-page paper

explaining how this reveals Srila Prabhupada's take on capitalism, but I

won't do that here. But the point is that Srila Prabhupada is talking

about subsistence agriculture -- not market-oriented agricultural

commodity production.

 

3. In the final phase of his preaching, Srila Prabhupada's main thrust was

that varnasrama should be introduced "in our ISKCON society, among our

members." This phase is best exemplified in the Mayapur Valentine

conversation, Feb 14, 1977 -- (23 years ago next week). Srila

Prabhupada's conclusion in that conversation was that if our ISKCON

society were properly organized, that even if someone acted in the

position of sudra, if he carried out his responsibilities faithfully

*within the context of a properly organized daiva varnasrama society* then

he could gain perfection and become elevated to the highest spiritual

platform.

 

In this conversation Srila Prabhupada specifically explain that the goal

with this approach is *not* to attempt to make everyone a sannyasi or

brahmana: "In a big scale you cannot make all of them as brahmanas or

sannyasis. No. That is not possible...If you want to make the whole human

society perfect, then this Krsna consciousness movement should be

introduced according to Krsna's instruction...Para upakara means mass

benefit, not a certain section. Then we have to introduce this varnasrama.

It must be done perfectly, and the people will be happy."

 

**********

 

So to review, these are the three phases of Prabhupada's presentation:

 

1. Varnasrama is ideal, but not possible in this age.

 

2. We must introduce varnasrama as a way to bring non-devotees to Krsna

consciousness, but our devotees will be transcendental.

 

3. We must introduce varnasrama within ISKCON with devotees participating

at all levels -- and simultaneously, we must use varnasrama as a preaching

tool to attract others.

 

As I say, these phases mark the major thrust of Srila Prabhupada's

presentation to the devotees over time. In different periods, it is

possible to find statements which have a different approach but these are

the three general periods.

 

***********

 

There are three more important features to keep in mind.

 

1. Srila Prabhupada's way of introducing varnasrama was to emphasize

training, especially training in a varnasrama college, which he even

advocates in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

2. Even right up to his final days, the type of varnasrama that Srila

Prabhupada wanted to introduce was very much tied with the idea of simple

living: "Produce your own food and produce your own cloth...Don't be

allured by the machine civilization...This is soul-killing

civilization...Anywhere you can inhabit...A cottage; you can produce your

own food anywhere...And to organize this, varnasrama will help you divide

the society...for Caitanya Mahaprabhu's para-upakara..." [8 oct 1977]

 

3. Srila Prabhupada's proposed strategy for introducing varnasrama was

not to try to immediately convert the whole world, nor even all of ISKCON

to a full-scale varnasrama society. Rather, he advised devotees to

develop a "small unit of ideal community." Make the original model small

enough to be ideal, then it will attract people. "They will be attracted

by your training power."

 

***********

 

So this is my understanding of Srila Prabhupada's method of introducing

varnasrama. Make a small unit of ideal community -- ideal to Prabhupada

means a self-sufficient Krsna conscious community and one that is based on

cow protection. It also means a community based on good training for all

the varnas.

 

Does everyone in this community have to renounce their family? No.

Prabhupada makes it clear (Mar 74) that only brahmanas will take

sannyasa. And in the Mayapur Valentine he makes it clear that not

everyone will be a brahmana.

 

Is the community isolated?

 

That depends on what you mean by isolated. In one sense, the economic

sense, Srila Prabhupada's ideal community is isolated. "We are ISKCON, a

society meant to be free from outside dependence." [letter to

Yasomatinandana]. In Mauritius and other places he admonishes devotees

not to be dependent even on outside markets for their products. Instead

of growing to sell, they should grow for their own consumption.

 

But, also in Mauritius he tells devotees, "They will be attracted by your

training power." The public is actually longing for a simple lifestyle.

When they see we are doing it, they will come to find out how we do it.

And devotees who have done plowing with the oxen near a public road can

tell you the potency of it -- how people driving by (who have not

particular interest in spiritual life) stop and ask about working the

oxen, and get told about serving the Supreme Lord by doing your daily

work.

 

So in the economic sense, Prabhupada's ideal is quite isolated. But in

the practical, social sense, it is not at all isolated because people are

drawn by their curiosity, and drawn by the purity of simple living and

high thinking to find out how we do things.

 

I realize that 99.9999% of our devotees think that it is not possible to

attract people by demonstrating simple living -- but try to tell that to

the Amish communities in Ohio and Pennsylvania. They have no machines or

electricity. They farm with horses. But they can hardly get their work

done because everyone comes from the big cities wanting to see how they

can be so religious and live so simply.

 

Tell the people at the Campbell Folk School in North Carolina that you

cannot attract the public by training people in the arts of simple living.

They have been doing this for over 50 years, and now offer a curriculum of

over 200 different courses.

 

Prabhupada's theory that we would be able to attract the non-devotees by

our demonstration and training in how to live simply has already been

solidly proven by these people who never even heard of Srila Prabhupada.

The only ones who don't believe him on this matter are we, his followers.

 

***********

 

Is this a "utopia"? What can I say? "I do not know if these ideas can be

given shape, but I am thinking like that." he writes to the devotees at

New Vrndavana in the early days.

 

But, then as now, Prabhupada is too often surrounded by unquestioning

yes-men who impoverish later generations by failing to ask pertinent

questions:

Prabhupada: ...Anywhere you can inhabit it. It is not very difficult. A

cottage; you can produce your own food anwhere. Am I right?

Hamsaduta: Yes, Prabhupada. [8 Oct 1977]

 

So, Prabhupada says "It is not very difficult...Am I right?" And

Hamsaduta [it could just as well have been one of dozens of close

disciples] says, "Yes, Prabhupada."

 

He says "Yes, Prabhupada," but did he ever grow his own food? Did he ever

produce his own cloth? Did he even get his disciples to do this? You

probably know better than I do -- but I doubt it.

 

 

The fact is -- if he had had the guts and the honesty to admit it -- it

can be very, very difficult to "get a cottage" and "grow your own food"

and "produce your own cloth" -- especially when you start out with high

land prices and a socio-economic system which is designed with the purpose

of driving small farmers to extinction.

 

It can be very, very difficult to live a self-sufficient life when you

have no training in all the subjects you need to know in order to do that.

 

******

 

But, if establishing the ideal presented by Srila Prabhupada -- a

self-sufficient Krsna conscious village -- is impossibly difficult for our

abilities at the moment, then it seems to me that the best place to start

is simply to honestly admit that. Better to be an honest street sweeper

than a charlatan brahmana. Better to be honest about our inability to

immediately achieve Srila Prabhupada's ideal, rather than to do something

else and pretend that that is Prabhupada's ideal.

 

That is why the my paper which you refer to says "5 Models of Varnasrama."

So that's why it is so important to work on developing a transitional

model of varnasrama -- we may not be able to come up to Srila Prabhupada's

ideal in different ways -- but at least we can start working on varnasrama

from where we are now.

 

We may not be able to be self-sufficient grain farmers, but at least we

can grown some foods to offer Krsna. We may have to depend on selling

what we grow, but even that can be an important step toward varnasrama --

much better than not growing food at all.

 

*******

 

Some people say that the idea of a self-sufficient village, as proposed by

Srila Prabhupada, is not realistic for this day and age. Perhaps they are

right.

 

But, personally, based on my own studies of economics and history over the

past couple thousand years, I simply have a hard time imagining how this

global economy can continue many more years. For just one tiny factor, I

don't think corporations realize how they are destroying the social value

systems around the world which produced their reliable workers. Two

hundred years is a very long life-span for any economy from 1000 on. Our

present global economy is about 200 years old. I think that its social

structure is just about warn through. Perhaps I am wrong.

 

I know devotees who can find quote which they interpret to mean that our

economy will go on and on. One of the Prabhupada's quotes which stick in

my mind is from Hari Sauri's diary, "It will collapse, one way or another.

You may bring this "ism" or that "ism," but it will collapse.

 

I believe that if we build these self-sufficient communities as close to

Srila Prabhupada's ideal as we can, based on a practical varnasrama

training institute at the center -- that then if things do collapse, they

will quickly go from being "utopian" to being oases of practicality.

 

Impractical one day -- essential for human survival the next day.

 

So that's my response to your questions. That's my opinion and my

understanding of Srila Prabhupada. Perhaps I am wrong, but I cannot see

another way in which all of Srila Prabhupada's puzzle pieces fit together

to create a society base on simple living which would still have a

powerful preaching capability.

 

I apologize for going on so long. Also, a word of caution on the quotes.

This machine does not have the Vedabase, so many of the quotes are my own

paraphrasals, but I believe that the wording is close enough that you

should be able to find the original quotes. Ask me about anything you

can't find.

 

I hope that you will find my reply a little useful, and not have it just

be me repeating the same old thing for the 20th time.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi