dehino ‘smin yathä dehe
kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä
tathä dehäntara-präptir
dhéras tatra na muhyati
As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change.
By reading this sloka than we know this body is a temporary, changing and been transform to old age, after transfer to another body. The mind, intelligent and ego are also change, according to the three mode of material nature. But as Lord Krishna said in Bhagavad Gita that we are the spirit soul, we are not this body, we are not mind or intelligent, unfortunately we have forgotten about this, who we are and from where we came from? The same thing it happen in our society, even though there are many changing, those call modernization but if we forgot what the purpose of human life, which mean to cultivate the knowledge of self-realization and preparing to go back to godhead, than we will be lost. Due to the forgetfulness we had been enjoying this world of becoming advance in material life but what type of enjoyment we have, if we forget about our eternal position as the spirit soul.
In Bhagavatam there mention that because we attach to this body and we are falling to the so much lust desire to enjoying the object of sanses. Actually all the advancement of this modern days is growing from the root of lust and material desire, because the body consciousness than false ego recognize that is mine, let me enjoy it, this big illusions, because nothing are belong to us, all are belong to Krishna only. If we try to enjoy our senses apart from Krishna, than we will be putted in to hallucination by the three mode of material nature.
General people nowadays are very much attach to the fruitive activities, everyone want to enjoy the result of his work, we think that we are the doer, that is absolutely wrong according to Bhagavad Gita. Bhagavad gita mention we are not the doer, our activities are created by the body and three mode of material nature under the supervise of the supreme lord Krishna, so actualy because Krishna is the source of the material nature and spirit, without His will nothing will be happen. Do to forget of this we are thinking false and we working so hard for the material enjoyment, enjoying out result of activities, than we create so many things to make our enjoyment more. But is it really we are happy, just like when we show the delicious food would like to enjoy the food even maybe the food are not good for the boddy, or contain the animal product, somehow we cannot control our tongue, we just want to eat them without seriously think about the effect. That just only tongue already so difficult to control, and we have ten other senses which same difficult to control and the most difficult is to control mind, so what to talk about controlling the activities, if we are not able to control the senses, not able to control the mind. We just become the servant of the three mode of nature which controlling the activities of the body. And we are call is the knower of the body, but because we not able to control this senses and body, we are lost.
This already going on for many lives after life, we forget that we are the soul, and we forget that we are the part and parcel of Krishna, we forget that we are the servant of Krishna servant. We forget that actually whatever the result of activities is come from Krishna, and it should offer again to Krishna, it is not for our enjoyment but Krishna enjoyment. As the servant we will only becoming happy if we do this job to serve the Lord, but because we are forget this duty than we are suffering.
So now lets us try to thinks how we can solve this problem material suffering, birth, disease, old age and death. How to control our senses, how we can become free from lust and material desire. In the vedic stricture we found that the only Lord Visnu can give the liberation from birth and death, and Krishna is the original Visnu, one who surrender to Krishna, and Krishna will give transcendental happiness by bring us go back to His abode. Krishna said if you always think of me, become my devotees, and offer obeisance to me, and you will come to me.
Bhagavad-gītā (10.10),
teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ prīti-pūrvakam
dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ yena mām upayānti te
“To those who are always engaged in serving Me with great love and devotion, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”
The devotee goal is not to attain the liberation even, but how can He serve Krishna always, wherever, and whenever, and not forget about Krishna. Long time ago in the age of satya, treta, and dwapara people are very much absorbs in the devotional service, performing nine proses of Bhakti, so those time general people are always devoted to Krishna, they are surrender to Krishna, like during the Maharaja Yudisthira, everyone are engage in the service of Krishna. But in this kali yuga because general people are forgetting Krishna, so very difficult to attain happiness, liberation, or go back to godhead. But Krishna is very merciful the Lord has come as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to teach us how to surrender to Krishna. So Lord Krishna came as devotee of Lord Krishna. The form of devotee is very merciful even more merciful than Lord Krishna. In order to invite Lord Chaitanya to advent in this planet, Sri Advaita acharya praying please now Yourself have to come, no one can save them, unless yourself come and teach how to surrender to you. To fulfill the prayer of Sri Advaita Lord Krishna has come in the form of Lord Caitanya along with his eternal associate from Spiritual world, to establish the Sankirtana movement, the congregation chanting of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra. This sankirtana Movement are prime benediction to all the living entities because this will give pure love to Krishna, which difficult to attain even in satya yuga, or in the heavenly planet. By 500 years ago Lord Caitanya appearance, and the Lord has distribute Krishna in the form of holy name, so everyone can associate with the Lord, by chant this Maha Mantra, Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, along with Sri Nityananda which is Balaram himself, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadhadara, and Srivasa pandit, they are known as Panca Tatva, so by their mercy we can attain pure love to Krishna. And Go Back to Spiritual world.
This Sankirtana movement will be continue up to 10.000 years, and already the parampara acharya are continue to spread the mission to all over the world. Beginning from Sri Caitanya instruct Sad Goswami to go to vrindavan and discover and reestablish the scripture about Bhakti devotional service,
What is bhakti and how do we engage in bhakti, is mention in one sloka
sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam
hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate
[Cc. Madhya 19.170]
Now we are deluded by so many material designations (upādhis), and so we are misusing our senses. For instance, we may think, “This hand is my hand and I will use it for my purposes,” or “Let me use this hand for my family, my community, or my nation.” Actually the hand belongs to Kṛṣṇa and should therefore be used for His purposes, not for anything else. That is why one of Kṛṣṇa’s names is Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. When we actually engage our senses in the service of Kṛṣṇa, we become free of material designations and our senses become purified. This is bhakti, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
DWT 5: What the Senses are Meant For
And in the Narada Pancaratha: the regulative principles of devotional service are described as follows: “Any activities sanctioned in the revealed scriptures and aiming at the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are accepted by saintly teachers as the regulative principles of devotional service. If one regularly executes such service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, then gradually he rises to the platform of serving in pure love of God.” [VTE]
Srimad Bhagavatam, Twenty-seventh Chapter, verse 49. The Lord says there, “My dear Uddhava, all persons are engaged in activities, whether those indicated in the revealed scriptures or ordinary worldly activities. If by the result of either of such activities they worship Me in Krishna consciousness, then automatically they become very happy within this world, as well as in the next. Of this there is no doubt.” We can conclude from this statement by Krishna that activities in Krishna consciousness will give everyone all perfection in all desires.
Therefore, the Krishna consciousness movement is intended to set the whole of human society in proper condition, so that everyone will be happy and take profit from developing Krishna consciousness.
Than after by Sad Gosvwami mercy, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur, Srila Bhaktisidanta Sarasvati spreading the Krishna Bhakti to all over India, and His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami bring this mission to the west, establish many centers all over the world. Srila Prabhupada want that we establish city center in all over the world so that we gradually can attracts many people into Krishna consciousness. In the city people are so call civilize advance in technology but people don’t know what is living regulative at all, and what to speak about regulative principle according to sastra. Bus as this already arrange by Lord Chaitanya, the congregation of chanting Maha Mantra has able to change the million material people to Krishna Counsiusness, this only by Srila Prabhupada mercy. The activities of devotees in the cities may be like the mundane things, working, studying just same as ordinary people, but they have the secret that we offer the result of work to Krishna Counsiusness society, like example many our great devotee working, and he donate his income for Krishna temple, to spread the movement, and also the young devotees join to become volunteer in doing many service, as Harinam, persadam distribution, book distribution, etc. This all is to promote Krishna consciousness, and everyone can become engage. So now the society has been change, people start to become regulative, got up early in the morning, praying, kirtan, and observe the fasting ekadasi, etc. Srila Prabhupada movement has already turn millions of people to become regulative civilization or transcendental civilization.
Now by the spirit faith in the holly name we should continue this Srila Prabhupada movement, as we know Srila Prabhupada also want that we engage everybody, not only city people but also village people. There already such preaching program to village like padayatra, namhata, its mean very important also to preach in the village, or call village preaching, people in village mostly is farmer so we should encourage them to work as a farmer and offer their result, agriculture product to Krishna temple, and this will turn millions of farmer and villager to become Krishna consciousness. So we have center in cities, and we may have farm in the village. I remember that Sri Haridas Thakur said, doesn’t mean I want all of you follow my part, now you can stay at home, whatever your position, occupation, stay and take up this chanting, become Krishna consciousness. And according to the Bhagavad Gita also that we should not give up our duties in society according, especially those duties which are our nature.
Just like in Bhagavad gita Krsihna said there are different warna for different mood of person and their activities, we call it varnaasrama, so by becoming Krishna Counsiusness and anggage in our swadharma, varna and asrama according to the direction of Guru parampara that is the way of devotional service. This is also confirmed in Srimad Bhagavatam by a verse which reads, “Everyone must be engaged in his particular duty, but the perfection of such work should be tested by how far the Lord is satisfied with such activities.” The injunction herein is that one has to act according to his position, and by such activities one must either satisfy the Supreme Personality or else fall down from one’s position. Farmer is one of the occupation mentions in the sastra as waisya, Krisi go raksya vanijam, waisya is the belly of society and in charge of the economy of society. The vaisya community is specifically responsible for the economic improvement of the society by producing grain, by giving protection to the cows, by transporting food when needed, and by banking and finance.
SP, KRSNA book. Now day farmer may be not like during the wedic time, but the mood is still there, only because people are don’t know about what is the devotional service so they are unhappy. As we know in India many farmer are commit suit side because they are unhappy because of so many debt in the bank, the borrow money to but the fertilizer, comical pesticide, and to pay the machine, and they are very un happy, and farmer start to sell their mother cows, and even to sell their land also. Those way devotees try to teach the villager how to do the devotional service according to their capacities and talent, to chanting to be regulative in principles.
So as Srila Prabhupada wanted this is become of the part of The Krishna Consciousness mission because the village people also need Krishna, and Lord Chaitanya said in all town and village, Krishna Consciousness will be spread.
Bhaktivinoda Thakur also wanted to establish this to overhaul the society, by establishing four varna and four ashram. The vaisya need Brahmana and Ksatria, and brahmana, ksatryia also need waisya, and sudra. Within Iskcon we already have Brahmanas which are very intelligent so we can take their instruction how to discharge devotional service according to our swadarma. And it will be so wonderful if this entire village people can serve the brahmana, and some people need to take up ksatria, to manage the land, public relation, welfare and protection, than we gradually can apply the principle of sastra, and turn the village to vedic civilization.
In that way we have to maintain preaching center in the town, and also rural communities so we can build our village by bringing city devotees. The structure in the rural communities is perfect to establish the varnaasrama, because there we can have farm, cows, gurukula. If the preaching in the city is successful than some devotee can begin to move to assist the village. But because the city will be no last longer, this already been predicted that after sometime the cities will fall because of no necessities of life, no food, crisis economy, crisis food. “Humanity would have to develop a new economy, in which the family would be restored as a unit of production and in which local self-sufficiency—most importantly in the matter of food supply—would become a major value. Therefore, from the very beginning Prabhupäda wanted ISKCON to establish self-sufficient, rural communities, not only to construct the material basis necessary for varnasrama-dharma, but also to provide working examples of an alternative when the inevitable transition to a neo-agrarian economy began to impose itself upon the industrialised world”.
ISKCON and Varnasrama-Dharma: A Mission Unfulfilled
Ravéndra Svarüpa Däsa.
That mean we must to prepare our self, this also mean to teach the general people to prepare them self, we are helping our self and the global society, the varnasrama dharma society need to be establish, this the way to accommodate everyone in the service of Krishna. Srila Prabhupada many time said “The most intelligent class of men, they should be engaged in preaching, reading books and instructing, taking care of Deity worship, temple, and another class should be strong managers, that things are going on nicely. Everyone is engaged, not that eating and sleeping. Everyone must be engaged, employed. So, so if one is very much adapted for eating and sleeping, he should be engaged with plows. You see. He must be activity. Otherwise, there must be dysentery, eating and sleeping. He cannot digest. Yes. So in this way, our society should be managed.
…So management should be in that way, that nobody is sitting idly. Automatically he’ll fall sick. Sickness means idleness. Or excess eating, sleeping. No excess, no less. Yuktähära-vihärasya yogo bhavati duùkha-hä. [Bg. 6.17: “He who is regulated in his habits of eating, sleeping, recreation and work can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.”] Yukta. Yukta means actually what you need. (aside:) Hare Krishna. So everywhere, in each center, this system should be introduced, and there must be practical application of the Varnasrama. At the same time, this program of devotional service, then it will go on very nicely. Devotees are above this Brahmana, Ksatrya, Vaisya, Sudra. But for management of material things, we have to divide. Just like in the body there are divisions.. Krishna was acting as a ksatriya. In His boyhood, He was acting like a vaisya. But Krishna is neither ksatriya nor, nor brahmana. This is the example. He was a cowherd boy. That is business of vaisya. And when He was fighting in the battlefield, He was a ksatriya. He was marrying as a ksatriya. So although He was acting sometimes as ksatriya, sometimes as vaisya, but He’s neither of these. So devotee is like that. He may act in any position, but He is above all the material conception of life. That is perfection. …
Try to understand this point. Just like in the stage. If you want to play something, one must be king, one must be queen, one must be…, but neither of them king or queen. That is stage play. Similarly to manage things in the material world we have to… Guna, karma. Karma there must be. Therefore the karma should be done, executed, according to quality.” at Vrindavan, March 12, 1974 Varnasrama walk
ISKCON has already create the committee Call Global Village Initiative Comitee (GVIC) to help promoting Varnasrama mission by reestablish center, temple, farm in the basis of self-sufficient and simple life high thinking, and sustainability. And some numbers of farm communities now are coming up, to fulfill Prabhupada desire, and to give an example so people becoming more aware with the land cow and Krishna. In Asia we already have such project in Indonesia, Malasya, Cambodia, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. And there are more in the west, Europe, America, Canada, Africa etc. Is coming time to
Written by : Gunaavatara Dasa
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