Perfection of life

[anadi]

1. VARNA-ASHRAMA DHARMA

(varna – social class, ashrama –spiritual order)

 

Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Ramananda Raya to recite a vers from shastra regarding the final goal of life.

 

Ramananda Raya said that if someone accomplishes his prescribed duties according his social and religios status, he attains perfection:

 

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā / varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya / saḿsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam(Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.13)

 

O best among the twice-born, one achieves the highest perfection (saMsiddhir) by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation

according to social divisions (varNa) and religious orders of life (ashrama) thus pleasing (toSaNam) the Supreme Lord (Hari – the Well Wisher of His devotees)

 

Sri Krishna Himself says:

cātur-varṇyaḿ mayā sṛṣṭaḿ / guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ

tasya kartāram api māḿ / viddhy akartāram avyayam

Bhagavat-gita 4.13

 

According to one's own qulities (guna) and the work (karma) associated with them, the four divisions of human society

are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

 

 

yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi / sańgaḿ tyaktvā dhanañjaya

siddhy-asiddhyoḥ samo bhūtvā / samatvaḿ yoga ucyate(Bg. 2.48 ):

 

Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga

 

Karma means naimitk dharma (not the eternal nature of the soul - nitya dharma), karma refers to ocupational duty according the social class (varna) and spiritual order (ashram).

 

Sri Krishna Caitanya replied, "This is external. Would you better tell me about other methods.”

 

[cbrahma]

How is varnashrama to be practiced now in the West in Kali Yuga? We are mostly yavanas and mlecchas, lower than sudras. How is our practical dharma determined? At this point in time, it seems so arbitrary and subject to bogus opinion of some self-styled authority.

For instance, in spite of the clear definition of brahmacarya given in the scriptures, I heard a number of diverging teachings on what that ashrama is supposed to practice.

Some brahamcari told me that brahmacaris have to finish their rounds before noon. Some absurd consequences would follow, say if the brahmacari failed to chant all his rounds by that time. He would have to change ashramas!

Similarily there are so many claims about brahminical qualifications. Some Indians laugh at Americans making such claims after only a few years of training.

This system seems to only add more rules and designations for the ego to identify with along with all the distortions and fabrications that could ensue.

[anadi]

 

How is varnashrama to be practiced now in the West in Kali Yuga? We are mostly yavanas and mlecchas, lower than sudras. How is our practical dharma determined?

Our practical nitya-dharma has nothing to do with varna-ashrama dharma, and that is why Sri Krishna Caitanya rejected it and told Ramananda Raya:

 

"This is external. Would you better tell me about other methods.”

 

[anadi]

 

For instance, in spite of the clear definition of brahmacarya given in the scriptures, I heard a number of diverging teachings on what that ashrama is supposed to practice.

Some brahamcari told me that brahmacaris have to finish their rounds before noon. Some absurd consequences would follow, say if the brahmacari failed to chant all his rounds by that time. He would have to change ashramas!

 

A bhakti-yogi is outside of the varna-ashrama system taught in the vedas.

Karma means naimitk dharma (not the eternal nature of the soul - nitya dharma), karma refers to ocupational duty according the social class (varna) and spiritual order (ashram).

 

In this connection there is a wide spread confusion regarding the meaning of karma.

 

Bhagavan, Sri Krishna explains the meaning of karma :

 

karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaḿ / boddhavyaḿ ca vikarmaṇaḥ

akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaḿ / gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

 

(Bhagavat-gita 4.17)

 

Karma, vikarma and akarma should be distinctively understood, because the karmic principle is profound.

 

1.Vikarma - acting against the prescribed duty , leads to a miserable destiny and destin-ation.

 

2. Akarma, not acting according the prescribed duty in varna-ashrama, can be

- akarma – rejecting varna-ashrama dharma due to ignorance, which is vikarma.

- akarma - rejecting varna-ashrama dharma and engaging in activities for the attainment of mukti (salvation - liberation from the bondage of this illusory material energy - maya)

- akarma rejecting varna-ashrama dharma and engaging in devotional activities (bhakti) - for the attainment of divine love prema

 

3. Karma, is the action prescribed according varNa – social class and asram – religious order, which leads to the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Hari.

 

Nowadays karma is understood as general activity, which doesn’t corespond the original meaning of the vedic word.

 

karmaṇy akarma yaḥ paśyed / akarmaṇi ca karma yaḥ

sa buddhimān manuṣyeṣu / sa yuktaḥ kṛtsna-karma-kṛt

(Bhagavat-gita 4.18 )

 

That person endowed with discrimination power (intelligence) buddhimAn, sees inaction in karma and action in akarma.

That person is linked (with the spiritual world), although she acts (in this world).

 

The meaning is that for a transcendentaly situated person, situated beyond the modes of material nature, karma (action prescribed according varNa – social class and asram – religious order) is akarma, in the sense that karma is not related to the eternal nature of the soul: shuddha bhakti – loving service to The All Attractive,

and such a person sees akarma – not following the prescribed duties of varNa-asharam system, which are due to the false indentification of the soul with temporary denominations of the material body, as real activity – karma, when it is related to the real identity of the soul – a loving servant, friend, parent, or erotic lover of the Lord- which encompasses the nitya dharma – the real nature of the soul.

[cbrahma]

You have not really answered my question.

 

Perhaps a point worth considering in this regard is that Srila Prabhupada specifically refers to five kinds of sacrifice. In traditional varnasrama-dharma, this is karma kanda, not really appropriate for the Vaishnavas. However, Srila Prabhupada has given us a purely transcendental process which focuses on offering prasadam to different types of living beings. In fact, there is no such emphasis on any other kind of service for grhasthas anywhere in Srila Prabhupada's books. Clearly he considered this to be very important.

 

 

 

 

Prabhupada: Karma means fruitive work. Just like you are laboring for some wages. You get your wages. Similarly, this material world our work is rewarded. Good work is rewarded with good benefit and bad work is punished. This is the law of karma.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The word brahma-jijnasa refers to inquiry into the Supreme Absolute

Truth, and it is recommended for those who have been elevated from the lower

stage of addiction to the karma-kanda portion of the Vedas to the position of

interest in the jnana-kanda portion. Only when a person is perfectly situated in

the realization that he is not the body but a spirit soul can he begin the

process of bhakti, or devotional service.

 

 

Narada-bhakti-sutra

 

 

Chapter 1

The Value of Devotion

 

[anadi]

dear cbrahma you said:

 

You have not really answered my question.

Well, it might be that I answered.

You asked:

How is varnashrama to be practiced now in the West in Kali Yuga?

My answer was that we should not practice varna-ashrama dharma (neither in the West nor elsewhere) ,

because we are the followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He rejected this type of perfection of life,

saying that it is external, namely has nothing to do with the true nature of the soul – nitya dharma.

In this connection Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu use to chant like this:

naham vipro na ca nara-patir napi vaisyo na sudro

naham varni na ca grha-patir no vanastho yatir va

kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramananda-purnamrtabdher

gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah

<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt; height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1027" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1028" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->"I am not a brahmana , I am not a ksatriya I am not a vaisya or a sudra.

<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1029" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1030" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1031" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha, or a sannyasi.

I identify myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant

of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1032" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->.

He is like an ocean of nectar, and he is the cause of universal transcendental bliss.

He is always existing with brilliance."

<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_i1033" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="" style='width:.75pt;height:.75pt'> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:\DOKUME~1\Emil\LOKALE~1\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.gif" o:href=" "/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--> (Padyavali 74)

 

Your next question was:

How is our practical dharma determined?

The answer comes now:

Practical dharma is determined by the process of awakening one's nitya dharma – love for the All Attractive

This "practical dharma" is called sadhana bhakti as defined by Srila Rupa Gosvami:

kṛti sādhya bhavet sādhya / bhāvā sa sādhanābhidhā

nitya siddhasya bhāvasya / prākatyam hṛdi sādhyatā

 

That which is executed by the material body and has as goal the attainement of bhava - the begining of the divine love is called sadhana-bhakti.

<u1:p></u1:p> <u1:p></u1:p> This bhava which is eternally existing in the soul, is manifested, or others said is awakened, due to executing the process of awakening of divine love, called sadhana bhakti.

<u1:p></u1:p>

 

You said:

However, Srila Prabhupada has given us a purely transcendental process which focuses on offering prasadam to different types of living beings.

Well, I don’t know, but if you take the 64 limbs of vaidhi sadhana bhakti, as presented by Srila Rupa Gosvami you won’t find such a process of practicing bhakti.

I would personally prefer to follow the traditional Gaudiya bhakti teachings of Rupa Gosvami, and especially not vaidhi sadhana bhakti, but raganuga sadhana bhakti, as he delineated it in his essence of all advices:

tan-nāma-rūpa-caritādi-sukīrtanānu-

smṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā-manasī niyojya

tiṣṭhan vraje tad-anurāgi janānugāmī

kālaḿ nayed akhilam ity upadeśa-sāram

Live in Vraja - tiṣṭhan vraje utilize -nayet full time - akhilam kālam

engaging -niyojya gradually -krameṇa

the tongue -rasanā the mind -manasī

in nicely chanting -su-kīrtana, following the way of remembering - anusmṛtyoḥ

about the name, form and pastimes -nāma-rūpa-caritādi of <st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> – tat

(as these are done) by the eternal residents of Vraja –janānugāmī, who have (the highest types of) attachments for <st1:place>Krishna</st1:place> -tad-anurāgi

[cbrahma]

I have no idea why you posted such an elaborate thread. Having said that I realize that I don't care about this issue.

[anadi]

<table class="quote" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="90%"><tbody><tr><td class="quote_user" align="left">Zitat:</td></tr><tr><td class="quote" align="left">Prabhupada: Karma means fruitive work. Just like you are laboring for some wages. You get your wages. Similarly, this material world our work is rewarded. Good work is rewarded with good benefit and bad work is punished. This is the law of karma.</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

Well, this definition of karma is not accurate, and may be quite confusing.

Bhagavan Sri Krishna says that there are three types of activities:

Karma, vikarma and akarma.

 

karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaḿ / boddhavyaḿ ca vikarmaṇaḥ

akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaḿ / gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ

 

(Bhagavat-gita 4.17)

 

Karma, vikarma and akarma should be distinctively understood, because the karmic principle is profound.

 

Any type of these activities bear fruits, or are fruitive,… but not all are karma.

So, to say only that “Karma means fruitive work ” is not entirely correct, because it doesn’t say anything about

1. the quality of the activity and

2. the quality of the fruit.

 

According to Sri Krishna, the quality of karma is that entails activities executed according varna-ashrama dharma:

cātur-varṇyaḿ mayā sṛṣṭaḿ / guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ

tasya kartāram api māḿ / viddhy akartāram avyayam

Bhagavat-gita 4.13

 

According to one's own qulities (guna) and the work (karma) associated with them, the four divisions of human society

are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.

 

 

and the quality of the fruit of karma is that pleases the Supreme Lord Hari, as stated in Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.13

 

ataḥ pumbhir dvija-śreṣṭhā / varṇāśrama-vibhāgaśaḥ

svanuṣṭhitasya dharmasya / saḿsiddhir hari-toṣaṇam

 

O best among the twice-born, one achieves the highest perfection (saMsiddhir) by discharging the duties prescribed for one's own occupation

according to social divisions (varNa) and religious orders of life (ashrama) thus pleasing (toSaNam) the Supreme Lord (Hari – the Well Wisher of His devotees)

 

In this connection Srila Rupa Gosvami talking about karmis says:

karmibhyaḥ parito hareḥ priyatayā vyaktiḿ yayur jñāninas

tebhyo jñāna-vimukta-bhakti-paramāḥ premaika-niṣṭhās tataḥ

tebhyas tāḥ paśu-pāla-pańkaja-dṛśas tābhyo 'pi sā rādhikā

preṣṭhā tadvad iyaḿ tadīya-sarasī tāḿ nāśrayet kaḥ kṛtī

 

More dear - priyatayā than the karims- karmibhya

to the Lord - hareḥ in all respects – parito

have attained – yayur distinction - vyaktiḿ the brahma jnanis – jñāninas.

 

So, as one can see, karmis are dear to Lord and this refers to the ones who follow varna-ashrama dharma, and in this way pleasing Him.

The other persons whose activities are vikarma or akarma cannot be classified as karmis.

 

Karma follows naimitk dharma - the duties according one's acquired material nature (not the eternal nature of the soul - nitya dharma),

karma refers to vedic ocupational duty according the social class (varna) and vedic spiritual order (ashram).

 

Additional explanation regarding nitya-dharma

 

An object is called a vastu, and its eternal nature is known as its nitya-dharma.

Nature arises from the elementary structure of an object (ghatana).

 

By Krishna’s desire , when an object is formed, a particular nature is inherent in that structure

as an eternal concomitant factor. This nature is the nitya-dharma of the object.

 

“The nature of a given object becomes altered or distorted when a change takes place within it,

either by force of circumstance, or due to contact with other objects .

With the passage of time, this distorted nature becomes fixed, and appears to be permanent, as if

it were the eternal nature of that object. This distorted nature is not the svabhäva (true nature);

it is called nisarga, that nature which is acquired through long-term association.

This nisarga occupies the place of the factual nature, and becomes identified as the svabhäva.

 

“The svabhva - true nature of an object is its nitya-dharma (eternal function),

while its acquired nature is its naimittika-dharma (occasional function).

Those who have true knowledge of objects (vastu-jnana) can

know the difference between eternal and occasional function,

whereas those who lack this knowledge consider acquired nature to be true nature,

and they consequently mistake the temporary dharma for eternal dharma .”

 

“The word vastu is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root vas, which means ‘to exist’, or ‘to dwell’.

The verbal root becomes a noun when the suffix tu is added. Therefore,

vastu means ‘that which has existence or which is self-evident.

There are two types of vastu: västava and avästava. The term ‘truly abiding substance’, västava -vastu, refers to that which is grounded in transcendence.

Temporary objects, avästava-vastu, are

dravya (solid objects), guna (qualities), and so on. Real objects have eternal existence.

Unreal objects only have a semblance of existence,

which is sometimes real and sometimes unreal.

“It is said in the Srimad-Bhägavatam (1.1.2)

 

vedyam vastavam atra vastu sivadam

 

Only a truly abiding substance, which is related to the Supreme Absolute Truth and which yields supreme auspiciousness is worthy of being known

[cbrahma]

What is this? an online-class. Enough already.

[anadi]

 

What is this? an online-class.

Yes, I like to learn bhakti.

I learn from you too.

You don't learn from me.

Sorry, I don't have the skils.

 

 

Enough already.

Don't stop, please.

A kick in the a... is a step forward.