ISKCON HAS BEEN FORMED FOR THIS PURPOSE

[Guest guest]

Dear Janeswara Prabhu,

 

PAMHO. AGTSP. AGTYG.

 

You have given me some quotes of Srila Prabhupada for my response on

Sarvadharman.... I have all those quotes on Varnasrama. However I did not

get what you were trying to say, by giving those quotations against my text.

However when I reconcile the following words of Srila Prabhupada with the

different quotes on Varnasrama in the introduction of Srimad Bhagavatam, I

understand why ISKCON has been formed. It is for establishing Bhagavata

Dharma, and by doing so Daivi Varnasrama will be automatically established.

Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Srila Prabhupada:

 

When He met Sri Ramananda Raya on the bank of the Godavari, the

varnasrama-dharma followed by the Hindus was mentioned by the Lord. Srila

Ramananda Raya said that by following the principles of varnasrama-dharma,

the system of four castes and four orders of human life, everyone could

realize Transcendence. In the opinion of the Lord, the system of

varnasrama-dharma is superficial only, and it has very little to do with the

highest realization of spiritual values. The highest perfection of life is

to get detached from the material attachment and proportionately realize the

transcendental loving service of the Lord. The Personality of Godhead

recognizes a living being who is progressing in that line. Devotional

service, therefore, is the culmination of the culture of all knowledge. When

Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared for the deliverance

of all fallen souls, He advised the deliverance of all living entities as

follows. The Supreme Absolute Personality of Godhead, from whom all living

entities have emanated, must be worshiped by all their respective

engagements, because everything that we see is also the expansion of His

energy. That is the way of real perfection, and it is approved by all bona

fide acaryas past and present. The system of varnasrama is more or less

based on moral and ethical principles. There is very little realization of

the Transcendence as such, and Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu rejected it as

superficial and asked Ramananda Raya to go further into the matter.

 

Sri Ramananda Raya then suggested renunciation of fruitive actions unto the

Lord. The Bhagavad-gita (9.27) advises in this connection: "Whatever you do,

whatever you eat and whatever you give, as well as whatever you perform in

penance, offer to Me alone." This dedication on the part of the worker

suggests that the Personality of Godhead is a step higher than the

impersonal conception of the varnasrama system, but still the relation of

the living being and the Lord is not distinct in that way. The Lord

therefore rejected this proposition and asked Ramananda Raya to go further.

Raya then suggested renunciation of the varnasrama-dharma and

acceptance of devotional service. The Lord did not approve of this

suggestion also for the reason that all of a sudden one should not renounce

his position, for that may not bring in the desired result.

 

It was further suggested by Raya that attainment of spiritual realization

freed from the material conception of life is the topmost achievement for a

living being. The Lord rejected this suggestion also because on the plea of

such spiritual realization much havoc has been wrought by unscrupulous

persons; therefore all of a sudden this is not possible. The Raya then

suggested sincere association of self-realized souls and hearing

submissively the transcendental message of the pastimes of the Personality

of Godhead. This suggestion was welcomed by the Lord. This suggestion was

made following in the footsteps of Brahmaji, who said that the Personality

of Godhead is known as ajita, or the one who cannot be conquered or

approached by anyone. But such ajita also becomes jita (conquered) by one

method, which is very simple and easy. The simple method is that one has to

give up the arrogant attitude of declaring oneself to be God Himself. One

must be very meek and submissive and try to live peacefully by lending the

ear to the speeches of the transcendentally self-realized soul who speaks on

the message of Bhagavata-dharma, or the religion of glorifying the Supreme

Lord and His devotees. To glorify a great man is a natural instinct for

living beings, but they have not learned to glorify the Lord. Perfection of

life is attained simply by glorifying the Lord in association with a

self-realized devotee of the Lord.****[THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA

CONSCIOUSNESS HAS BEEN FORMED FOR THIS PURPOSE. ]****

 

Jai Srila Prabhupada,

 

Seeking your blessings,

 

Your humble servant,

Bhadra Govinda Das.