How to explain varna and asrama

BRAHMANA-KSATRIYA COOPERATION - AN ABSOLUTE NEED

I was personally present when Srila Prabhupada stressed the need of cooperation between brahmanas and ksatriyas.

This need is today more evident as ever. Without an executive department the legislative department remains a scheming department only, producing blue prints for the hard discs of their computers only which may be filled by the intellectual products of "reality-estranged-brahmanas".

Regardless how wonderful the teachings of a brahmana may be, if they don't become applied in practical sense, changing people’s lives, they remain a mere academic exercise. The illusion of a brahmana is to be satisfied with the sound of his voice only. The illusion of a ksatriya is to be able to exercise control without any kind of authorized guidance. The synthesis of these two departments turns Krsna consciousness in the eyes of public to reality, it revels its real nature as being the most powerful way to bring human life to perfection.

There will always be some female-inspired striving for economical development, often with dubious means. And there will be surely plenty of those who want to get the benefits of the economic development in form of a good salary and some means of sense gratification. Unfortunately the Kali-Yuga brahmanas tend to focus on those who are materially prosperous and in name of "mercy" they try to please such fellows in order to secure their own economical status as well. "Money is the honey" is the rule for a vaisya, and he doesn't care much when it is entirely opposing any brahminical principle.

A vaisya sees everybody more or less in need of some donation or in need to be employed by him. When brahmanas become employees of the vaisyas, the ksatriyas retreat in disgust, and so the whole social structure meant to serve a spiritual purpose collapses. The remaining cynics may ask a question: "How much does it cost in ISKCON to become a pure devotee?"

To find a true brahmana is as rare as much as to find a true ksatriya. Both of them are essentially not different, even one is recognized externally by austerity and the other seemingly by power and opulence. But these are only external symptoms. The principle uniting both departments is the absolute faithfulness to guru, sastra and sadhu. Without the field where his instructions become applied a brahmana tends to become a speculator. At least he is endangered to lose the focus to preach the needful and he will engage in studies which serve nobody. A ksatriya, working in touch with the material energy, may remember such a brahmana what is really needed to be heard, and so both stay focused on the present need.

Without a control of a brahmana who may assist with practical instructions, a ksatriya can develop the tendency to become a fascist. Both departments strive in mutual cooperation. A real ksatriya, aware of the modes dominating his life, will instinctively seek and find a brahmana, and a real brahmana will seek the realization of the sastric lessons he teaches via a sound organizational system maintained by a body of ksatriyas.

Facing the corrupted status of the brahmans, the real ksatriya class of men retreats in shame and embarrassment, often unhappy and dissatisfied due to lack of guidance and due to have their nature blocked by the constant import of lunatics and money oriented individuals. Seeing the destruction of even the basic moral principles of human society, they retreat to some sort of underground existence, trying to manage in a mediocre way at least some square footage of their private domains. Similarly the true uncompromised brahmanas may retreat to some sort of introverted exile, seeking at least some area where their brain power can be employed. Unfortunately they get occasionally attracted by pseudo intellectualism in form of academic career, inviting herewith their own fall down.

Whenever the synthesis of intellectual guidance along with executive expertise is achieved, prosperity is the result, both materially and spiritually. Of course material prosperity meets its end when the law of karma terminates the benefits achieved in this way. To claim falsely to be transcendental to one's acquired nature and imitate advanced paramahamsas was strongly rejected by Srila Prabhupada, who often demonstrated that a devotee must be ready to "do the needful" in order to achieve some result in this world. Srila Prabhupada took the risk to earn much of criticism as He didn't comply with the expectations of smarta brahmins, who are satisfied with their kanistha adhikari mediocrity. Srila Prabhupada knew that where there is fire, there will be smoke. During his presence a strong fire of preaching was ignited, of course producing occasionally some smoke.

Today we can see much smoke as the fire burns very low and is often moisturized by heinous speculations being introduced by class of people who seek fame and distinction in name of Krsna consciousness. Still, the fire is burning and can be found by those who are able to make their way through the thick curtain of smoke created by kanistha adhikaris, who entered the ranks of preachers, obstructing the preachers way towards the conditioned souls.

As Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja comments:

“The most sorrowful topic is that the pride and envy of persons averse to pure devotional service have more or less created obstacles in pure vaisnava behavior.”

Srila Prabhupada and Bhaktisiddhanta Maharaja showed the way how to conduct Krsna consciousness under pure brahminical instructions, and with the help of ksatriya management. In times of need they manifested both qualities while being transcendental to both of them. After all, it was His Divine Grace Bhaktivinoda Thakura who, seeking to spread the message of Lord Caitanya even beyond the boundaries of India, saw the need "of an organized attempt to spread Krsna Consciousness". Not all pure devotees posses this kind of ability, and it is indeed hard to find qualities of a rajarsi in one person united. But to strive at least for cooperation of the two leading departments of the human society is not unrealistic and not an impossible task.

Even when no pure brahmanas and pure ksatriyas are available, by proper training both can become manifested. Of course there must be inherent quality in that particular person, otherwise wrongly applied education becomes contra-productive. This is another "contribution" of the Kali-yuga brahmanas: to apply the right education to the wrong audience.

Or even worse, so called brahmana may in order to please the audience emotionally surround himself with less intelligent fellows in order to maintain his own "more intelligent" status. Herewith Srila Prabhupada's embassies, His temples, may be turned into "lunatic asylums", a situation Srila Prabhupada was well aware of when he warned his managers and preachers not to turn His temples into places where "laziest and crazies" reside.

The proof that a wrong person received brahminical education is that he becomes proud. A real brahmana will become humble by the dint of the knowledge he receives. A real ksatriya will exercise his humility by unconditionally following such a humble brahmana. When sudra becomes educated in terms of a ksatriya, he becomes a despot, a self destructive fool. As Srila Prabhupada explained, when one places a dog on a throne, he will immediately jump down when one throws a bone.

Ones varna cannot be denied, in course of ones life time it will be revealed uncompromisingly. When sudras try to assume status of brahmanas, occasionally by the blessings of the local universities, they simply fall in line with the already hypocritical "intellectuals" these establishments are filled with. And so one comes to a stale-mate, where at best the message of Srila Prabhupada remains contained on some level within minds of those who are still faithful, or at worst becomes a forgotten memory of the past.

At least in form of active distribution of Srila Prabhupada's books, these law books can be made available in the hope that on basis of these books more truly brahminically qualified persons may join this movement along with those who love to execute their orders.

And so book distribution remains the only remedy and the antidote for the "mentally-conceived-pseudo-Krsna consciousness", always awaking the hope that new inspired souls may join while the old ones die out mummified within their misconceptions. It is the duty of every preacher not to see him as the final end of sampradaya, but by being a servant of the newly arriving souls he should make room for the next link to appear, so Srila Prabhupada's words stay alive and ever fresh to be relished by the seeking souls to arrive in future.

It is for this purpose that it is absolutely essential that real preachers are assisted by real preaching inspired managers, so Krsna consciousness becomes manifested. As Srila Prabhupada showed us the way by maintaining the brahminical status and the managerial structure simultaneously (united in one person, this was indeed a herculean task!), at least one can follow in His footsteps by striving to inspire management by preaching and support the preaching by management.

Then, as Sanjaya proclaims at the end of Bhagavad Gita by glorifying the Supreme Brahmana and supreme ksatriya being united:

“Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence, victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.” Bg. 18.78