Honor Ascends

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

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Perhaps you’ve heard of the caste system that India is infamous for. You know, the thing where you’re born into a specific class and remain stuck there for the duration of life. If you emerge from the womb of a mother who is married to someone in the highest caste, then you’re set. There is even the lowest class, called the untouchable, and no one dares go near them. While indeed such discrimination is practiced not only in India but elsewhere around the world throughout the course of human history, the original system of division, which is scientifically based, makes total sense. And through applying a little intellect, the system of automatically inheriting honor becomes nonsensical.

Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the author of everything good and wonderful in this world, first put forth the system of four classes of men and their accompanying four stages of life at the beginning of the creation. He spoke of this system again to a distressed warrior known as Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra some five thousand years ago in a conversation today widely known as the Bhagavad-gita, or the Song of God.

Krishna lays out four social orders: brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra. The classes go in ascending order of priority. The brahmanas are the first class. They are the wisest. They know Brahman, or the eternal spiritual force that pervades all of space. They know that every living entity is Brahman; thus they know that distinctions based on outward appearance alone are foolish. They know that the aim of life is to be spiritually conscious, especially at the time of death, the point at which the next body type is determined.

The kshatriya class brings with it a hint of discrimination. The warrior must decide who is an enemy and who is a friend. They must be passionate enough to act in favor of an outcome known as victory. This is for the benefit of others. They must give abundantly in charity to those worthy of it, namely the brahmanas, who ideally do not work for a living. The kshatriyas must be courageous and they must not shirk their responsibilities. The vaishyas and the shudras have even more discrimination, as the vaishyas seek material gain through business ventures and the shudras look for sense satisfaction through service to the other three classes.

When Krishna describes these four orders, known as varnas, He does not say that they are determined by birth. In fact, He does not say this anywhere. The exact words He uses are guna and karma, which translate to “quality” and “work.” The quality is what determines the initial order and then the subsequent work maintains that order. I may be born with a character full of courage and strength, but if I don’t act in the proper way to defend others, I am not a kshatriya. I may try to act in such a way that shows that I am spiritually realized, but if I don’t have the qualities to avoid discrimination then I am not a brahmana.

As the living entity is born into the darkness of ignorance, it is not surprising that the dominant tendency in history has been to pass honor along to future generations. If someone is a famous brahmana, all of their descendants then become known as brahmanas, honorable men due to their family ancestry. This practice is not exclusive to the area today known as India. In colonial America the same issue was discussed with respect to the practice of the monarchies in Europe, which passed down honor automatically to future generations. A wise printer in America named Benjamin Franklin strongly disagreed with this practice. In supporting his arguments, he cited the Chinese, who were known to pass honor upwards, towards the parents.

“For honor, worthily obtained is in its nature a personal thing, and incommunicable to any but those who had some share in obtaining it. Thus among the Chinese, the most ancient, and from long experience the wisest of nations, honor does not descend, but ascends. If a man from his learning, his wisdom, or his valor, is promoted by the Emperor to the rank of Mandarin, his parents are immediately entitled to all the same ceremonies of respect from the people, that are established as due to the Mandarin himself; on the supposition that it must have been owing to the education, instruction, and good example afforded him by his parents, that he was rendered capable of serving the public.” (Benjamin Franklin)

And actually, this argument is both logically valid and confirmed by shastra, the scriptural works that describe both the Supreme Lord and His teachings. It is said that if one becomes a first class-devotee, always worshiping God and thus surpassing even the material designations of the four orders, they rescue many previous generations of family members. This truth was relayed to a young child named Prahlada one time.

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Prahlada, O most pure, O great saintly person, your father has been purified, along with twenty-one forefathers in your family. Because you were born in this family, the entire dynasty has been purified.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.10.18)

Prahlada was born in a family of demons known as Daityas. His father was in the kshatriya order; he was a king who ruled the world with a strong and feared hand. Thus under the hereditary model, Prahlada should have been taken to be a bad fellow, for if honor is to descend then so must dishonor. But in fact Prahlada had all the godly qualities; he was naturally attracted to devotional service from birth. Devotional service, which also goes by such terms as bhakti-yoga and bhagavata-dharma, transcends the four social divisions of society and the accompanying four spiritual stages. Devotional service is available even to the helpless child, who can prove God’s existence by remaining steadfast in devotion through some of the most difficult circumstances.

So Prahlada earned honor all by himself. His father did not give it to him. None of his teachers in school did, either. He remained conscious of Krishna even when others tried to get him to act otherwise. They tried to force that devotion out of him by killing him. But that force did not work. The honor in Prahlada was so strong that eventually Krishna Himself came to remove the obstacles from the boy’s way. Prahlada earned such a high stature that God was ready to give him anything. The boy asked for pardon for his sinful father, and Narasimhadeva, the fierce and unique form of Krishna who appeared to save the day, informed Prahlada that not only was his father getting liberation but so were many previous generations in his family. This confirms the fact that honor ascends, and so one who takes to devotion with full faith and sincerity does the best service for those who came before them.

In Closing:

Of caste system likely you’ve heard,

Disappointment in you it stirred.

 

But real system from Krishna learn,

How from work and quality each order earned.

 

Also honor only ascending known to go,

Worthy those who played a hand in it so.

 

Prahlada for himself not wanting boons any,

Supreme Lord liberating his ancestors many.

Perfection of Occupational Duty

“The perfection of one's occupational duty, whether in the sphere of duty to oneself, one's community or one's nation, is judged by the degree to which the Lord is satisfied.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 3.2.32 Purport)

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How do we know if the work we’re doing is producing the desired result? How do we know if we’re doing something the right way? As there is service in all activity, even those which aim to please our own senses, we can tell if the work is done correctly based on the satisfaction of the object being served. As occupational duty at the individual level is an obligation to work, that obligation must come from somewhere. Not surprisingly, that origin is also the determinant of whether that duty is performed perfectly or not.

If there is service in all activity, it means that everyone is a servant. How does that work?

The student serves the teacher. Though they are looking to get an education, and thus become more knowledgeable, within the realm of the class their objective is to please the teacher. The teacher offers the instruction, and the student obliges by absorbing that which is heard and then applying it as it should be applied. The long hours spent on assignments and on studying are in service to the teacher. The teacher’s pleasure is shown through the grade they give the student. A passing grade means the teacher has been satisfactorily served, and a failing grade means their favor has not been earned.

The employee in a company serves the higher ups. The highest up, the proverbial owner of the establishment, is also a servant. They serve the customer. The restaurant owner hopes to sell products that customers will gladly pay money for. The CEO of a publicly traded company hopes to satisfy the shareholders, the actual owners of the business. The head of state, who is in apparently the most superior position, also is a servant. They are a servant of the public. The less they serve the public and the more they try to accept service, the worse off the people are. Indeed, in governments where the state is deemed to be the most powerful entity, and not the Supreme Lord, the greatest disservice is done to the citizens, who find themselves in ruin afterwards.

In the Vedas, the occupational duties of the human being are put into four general categories. There are the duties for the priestly class, who can be likened to an intelligentsia. They are the ones who have the deep-meaning discussions on the reason for an existence and why man acts the way he does. Then there are the administrators, the people in charge of government. They have to use force to protect against criminals, and in that application they must be both objective and skilled. They are not expected to be supremely wise, since they will have to administer justice without being softened by knowledge of human tendencies.

There are the ordinary laborers and also the merchants/businessmen. It was the behavior of members of this latter group during one famous incident that shows how the perfection of occupational duties can be achieved. You can say that the intelligentsia is materially superior to the ordinary laborers, but in the grand scheme such comparisons are not necessary. Every person has to work. This is a fact. The more you don’t work, the worse off you’ll be. People who work for a living usually don’t sleep into the afternoon and spend the rest of the day in front of the television. They also typically don’t expect to live off the work of others. Work is central to an existence. Even the most renounced yogis of the past, such as King Janaka of Mithila, also worked, though they didn’t have to.

“Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.20)

The work performed by this specific group of citizens was perfect because the highest authority was pleased. By occupation they were merchants and farmers. Their duties involved cow protection, farming and the general conducting of business. That being said, we would think the perfection of their work would be a community where cows were protected, food was produced in abundance, and lots of profits rolled in from business transactions. These conditions were certainly met, but they alone did not earn the favor of the creator of the system of occupational duty assigned to members of the various classes, which are determined by inherent qualities and not just by birth. His favor was earned because they did their work to please Him.

So if two groups do the same work, with one doing it to please God and the other just to please themselves, the former group is superior? Why should the intent of the work matter?

The intent matters because the real purpose to work is to purify consciousness. In the Vedas you will not find mottos such as: “Work hard to achieve your goals; Make the most out of life by setting goals and then working hard towards achieving them; You can be and do anything in this life; you just need the will to strive for success.” The reason for the omission is simple: this world is temporary. Nothing is permanent and thus nothing is guaranteed. You can work your whole life towards something and still not get it. You can be entirely sincere as well. Just talk to the scorned lover for evidence of this harsh reality of life. Despite their best efforts to get the love of their life to reciprocate in amorous feelings, they were not able. If such failure is possible, why would any book of real knowledge recommend this path?

The human being can purify his existence through work. That is the first purpose to the system of occupational duty. To start, we’re given occupational duties, which immediately eliminates the guesswork. It is much better to know what you’re doing on a job than not. If you show up to work on the first day and they don’t have anything for you to do, is that good? It’s much better if there are assigned tasks that need completion. The beauty of the system of varna and ashrama, or occupational duty based on quality and spiritual institution, is that the tasks provided will guarantee purification of the conditioned spirit if performed properly.

These residents performed a worship for the first time. It was dedicated to a neighboring hill known as Govardhana. Now, any person can go up to a hill and worship it, but this inaugural worship was done at the urging of Shri Krishna, who was living in Vrindavana. He is the Supreme Lord, the detail behind the abstract. He is not the only Personality of Godhead, but He is the original. He has other forms that are personal expansions. These are the same as Him in potency. Then He has separated expansions. We’re included in this latter list, and so we’re not as potent as God Himself. Nothing can be completely separated from Him, as God is all-encompassing.

These residents worshiped Govardhana Hill by offering the results of their hard-earned work. The worship was entirely authorized, as it was arranged and conducted under Shri Krishna’s supervision. And yet there was a leap of faith involved, as this was the first time this specific hill was worshiped. Through their efforts in this sacrifice, Shri Krishna was pleased, which meant that their occupational duty was perfectly carried out.

In the case where work is done in the absence of consciousness of God, perfection is lacking. Even the animal works to satisfy themselves. They don’t know of a God. The beaver builds a dam to satisfy itself. The tiger goes out and hunts its prey in order to eat. The birds fly south for the winter and the monkeys have sexual relations with pretty much anyone who is around. There is no chance for a purification of existence because the requisite consciousness is lacking.

The human being has the ability to recognize that they are eternally a servant of Krishna, or God. More than just faith that is extended without inquisitiveness or critical thought, real religiosity involves service that scientifically makes sense. If in all other kinds of work someone else must be satisfied for the work to be done properly, why shouldn’t the same conditions exist in spiritual life? And since God is the origin of all matter and spirit, how can His satisfaction ever be considered anything but the primary objective?

If the boss is satisfied, the customers still might not be. Thus the business could go out of business. The same holds true if your boss is the leader of the country and the citizens toss him aside. But satisfying God has no defects. The work conducted isn’t always the same by everyone. Shri Hanuman leaped across an ocean and infiltrated an enemy territory to please God. This was his assigned occupational duty. The same Krishna, in His manifestation as Shri Rama, was so satisfied with Hanuman that Hanuman today is famously known as the greatest servant of Rama. There is no better opulence than this. This is the perfection of an existence. And from that post Hanuman only feels further compelled to serve and please Rama.

His primary method of service can bring the perfection of our occupational duties as well. Hanuman always chants the names of Rama and His wife Sita, who are both also represented in the maha-mantra: “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.” Whether we are a businessman, a police officer, a student or an ordinary worker, following the lead of the bona fide spiritual master we can recite these holy names and keep God’s pleasure in mind. From His satisfaction, which is guaranteed for those who are pure of heart, we can know for sure that our work is being done properly.

In Closing:

Can please boss by doing what you’re told,

But still the business can quickly fold.

 

The head of state even can try to satisfy,

But from pain and misery cannot indemnify.

 

Only the Supreme Lord is the controller of all,

His devotee never from grace to fall.

 

Like Hanuman work for His satisfaction,

Chant holy names for endless glorification.

Showing Weakness

“When it was learned that the demon was entering Gokula in an angry mood, mother Yashoda became so anxious to protect her child that her face dried up and there were tears in her eyes. These are some of the signs of the ecstasy of dread in devotional service, caused by seeing and hearing something that is dangerous to Krishna.” (The Nectar of Devotion, 48)

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The Supreme Personality of Godhead is by definition the strongest, the wisest, the most beautiful, the wealthiest, the most famous and the most renounced. He is not deficient in any category of opulence, and neither are any of these opulences removed from Him at any point in time. Therefore when He appears on earth and walks along the sacred ground of Vrindavana as a small child, He is the same Bhagavan. He does show weakness on purpose sometimes, as do His most exalted servants in the final ashrama of the varnashrama system. This intentional exhibition serves to help others advance in consciousness.

Varnashrama-dharma is a kind of equivalent for the term “religion” as it applies to the Vedic tradition. Real Hinduism is varnashrama-dharma. Varna means color, and in this context it refers to the qualitative color of the living entity. Some are born with a fair complexion while others are dark. Some will grow up to be tall while others will be short. Some will be better at understanding logic and mathematics while others will be better at fighting. These differences are colors, or varnas. The colors represent the material qualitative makeup of the individual.

Ashrama is a spiritual institution. It is like a school, but one that is not limited to material manipulation. We learn computer science so that one day we can write a program for a profit. By learning programming techniques we can perhaps write apps for phones and tablet PCs. Whatever discipline we accept and apply ourselves to, the goal is to put the information to use to earn a profit later on. Profit is not exclusive to the business owner; the workers also look for a profit, i.e. a return on their work in the form of a salary. An ashrama is not tied to profit-making, as the Vedas don’t give much importance to learning how to earn a living. A man can find shelter in a cave, food from the fruits that fall off a tree, water from a nearby river, and clothing from torn rags. These things are available for any person’s survival. The more advanced may acquire some land, take to farming, and erect a house. Years of education are not required for this. Just through being around others, accepting information from hearing and observing, suffices.

A real ashrama teaches one that they are not their body. It is actual understanding of the fact, not something only regurgitated as an answer on a formal examination. To realize that one is spirit soul is very difficult. All of the prejudices assigned to birth mentioned in the shastras are related to the potential for this realization occurring. A “higher” birth is thus that which gives one a better chance for understanding their true identity of spirit. One who enters an ashrama and faithfully adheres to the principles within it has a great chance of advancing in consciousness, which is the opportunity uniquely afforded to the human being.

The final ashrama is known as sannyasa, and it means to completely give up all attachments. No attachment to family, especially the wife. This is important because the attachment to the wife is what creates all other attachments. If I have a wife, I need a place to live. If I need a place to live, I need money, which means I need a job. To get a job, I need skills, and to get skills I require education. In this way I become entangled.

The purpose of sannyasa isn’t only to give up attachments like these. I can swear off women and live by myself, but this doesn’t make me a sannyasi. Keeping in mind that it is an ashrama, or spiritual institution, sannyasa’s purpose is to free up one’s time for understanding God. That understanding comes through service, which is the real dharma, or essential characteristic, of the spirit soul. The dharma aspect of varnashrama refers to duties, which change depending on the circumstance. The highest duty is that which brings to life one’s essential characteristic. As we have difficulty accepting the fact that we are eternally servants of God, we follow other dharmas until we reach the final one.

The sannyasi typically wears a saffron cloth, wanders from home to home, and begs for all of his needs. By the material estimation, no one is weaker than the sannyasi. And yet he is still very powerful. The perceived weakness has a purpose. The sannyasi can very well get a job and earn for himself, but by staying renounced he allows others to serve him. In exchange for that service, he offers transcendental wisdom, which he has understood through so much rigorous study and practice. If he doesn’t do anything but think of God all the time, wouldn’t His knowledge be extremely helpful to others?

The guru, or spiritual master, similarly shows weakness from time to time. He may or may not be a sannyasi, but his intentional weakness allows others to serve him, which is the only way to gain the confidential knowledge that is freely available in sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita. Never do we find any statements saying that one should become friends with a guru or talk to him like an equal. Everywhere the idea of service in humble submission is stressed, and if the guru is in a seemingly superior material condition, why would we want to serve him?

Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the detail behind the abstract conception of God, also shows weakness from time to time. He is not after giving transcendental knowledge so much, though He does so from time to time, like He did with Arjuna in the talk known as the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna is the object of knowledge. He is the destination for the wise souls who know Him at the time of death. His show of weakness is to bring pleasure to others. Mother Yashoda takes great delight in worrying over her foster-child, the beautiful darling of Vrindavana. Vasudeva is so energized when crossing over the Yamuna river in the middle of the night to save the newborn Krishna from the wicked King Kamsa of Mathura.

The deity in the temple also appears weak. Without the help of the pujari, it cannot change clothes. Without the offerings of food made with love, the deity cannot eat. Without the chanting of the holy names, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” from the congregation, the deity cannot feel pleasure. Without the offering of fragrant flowers and the loving glances of those who approach the altar, the deity would be lonely.

This is the intended effect anyways, as Krishna is known as atmarama, or one who is self-satisfied. Though He is forever happy in the company of Shrimati Radharani, He shows helplessness for our benefit. His servants follow suit, as they are not obsessed with being the hero in all circumstances. Let others act as heroes on occasion, giving them the chance to serve Krishna both directly and indirectly. This intentional weakness is yet another example of the causeless mercy that can only emanate from the most compassionate person in the world.

In Closing:

The guru travelling from journey long,

How can such a person be really strong?

 

For food and clothing they must beg,

Without others to stand on no leg.

 

This is at least what we perceive,

That it’s intentional you must believe.

 

A chance to offer service this gives,

In divine consciousness then always to live.

 

Supreme Lord similar presence sometimes projects,

For their boy Yashoda and Nanda always anxious to protect.

Muscle Memory

“This institutional function of human society is known as the system of varnashrama-dharma, which is quite natural for the civilized life. The varnashrama institution is constructed to enable one to realize the Absolute Truth. It is not for artificial domination of one division over another.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.2.13 Purport)

The varnashrama-dharma system, or that which is commonly known as Hinduism or the spiritual tradition of the Vedas, provides guidance on how society should be maintained and also how to systematically divide up one’s duration of life into successive functioning units of time that provide a progressive increase in knowledge that ideally culminates in full spiritual enlightenment. Just as the different grades in a school system indicate the ascending levels of intelligence of the students and the corresponding difficulties in studies, the entire lifespan of the individual is similarly compartmentalized in a way to allow for a smooth and peaceful transition to a blissful afterlife. The soul exists forever, so its future fortunes should be the primary focus for all forms of life. In the lower species, there is no chance for even becoming aware of the presence of spirit or its makeup. Only with an advanced consciousness, which can be best developed in the human form of body, is there a chance at reaching the supreme destination, that one place where heat, light and electricity paradoxically remain in vast abundance without requiring any external source of energy. The proprietor of the spiritual land, its king whose term in office never expires, is so wonderful and effulgent that all the necessities of life are abundantly available. The varnashrama-dharma system brings the best opportunity for pushing along as many souls as possible to that imperishable land.

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

In the Bhagavad-gita, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, states that He instituted the system of four varnas and four ashramas based on the qualities of the individual and the work ascribed to them. Nowhere does He mention birth, family heritage or social standing as the determining factors. Indeed, this wholly scientific system of dividing society into categories based on the qualities of individuals and the work they should perform is not bigoted in any way, nor is it something that needs to be apologized for. Because of the influence of Kali Yuga, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy we currently find ourselves in, the original system instituted by Krishna has degraded to the point that high status is being claimed simply off of birthright, without any of the necessary qualities and work exhibited.

In the pure form of the system, the divisions of social orders, or varnas, are the brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra. There must be an intelligentsia, the brains of society, for others to be guided properly. Similarly, able and brave protectors of the innocent are also required. Without law and order, each person would simply make up their own rules and regulations, thus causing many collisions in interests. The influence of the senses is so strong that even the thief thinks that he is abiding by dharma, or religiosity. A humorous instance of this behavior can be seen in the communities which share and distribute live and unauthorized concert recordings, which are more commonly known as bootlegs. Though many bands don’t mind the practice, with some even encouraging it, audience members are generally prohibited from recording any of the performance while attending a concert. After all, the music and compositions are copyrighted material belonging to the performing artists. But to have a memento, something enjoyable to hold on to from the concert experience, some audience members will bring their video cameras and audio recording devices.

The bootleg itself is a stolen item, for it is copyrighted material that is prohibited from being distributed. The interesting part comes when the bootlegger decides to share their rare gems with others. For audio recordings, the taper will often insist that no one else downgrade the quality of their original source. This means that if the concert was recorded in a lossless format or on compact discs, the taper doesn’t want others converting the music into mp3 format, which requires compression and thus a downgrade in sound quality, and distributing it to others. Similarly, those who shoot concert footage often author DVDs to be distributed to others. Stipulations are again made prohibiting the practice of reauthoring, wherein the video footage is extracted and then set up on a new DVD with brand new menus, thereby removing the original author and taper from the scene altogether. Those who violate these stipulations are viewed as outcastes and breakers of respected codes of conduct, i.e. sinners.

Even in a society where known contraband is distributed, there is seen the desire to implement rules and regulations. In the absence of a kshatriya order, a section of society that maintains the law and protects the innocent, thieves will be more prominent and rise to varying levels of power. There must also be a source of revenue and production in a healthy society. Without businessmen, whose primary aim is to earn a profit, necessary goods and services would be scarce, as would be jobs. A job, after all, only comes about through a desire to increase productivity. Often times a massive layoff brings hatred and scorn for the proprietor of the business, but we should ask ourselves how and why the jobs existed in the first place. An owner of a company only hires a worker if they think that the prospective employee will help increase output, and thus lead to an increase in profit. When profits start to dwindle, naturally the jobs will start to diminish as well.

Since workers play such an important role in the production of goods and services, they must also be present in abundance in society. In this way we have the four social orders, or varnas, recommended by Krishna. Thus far in this discussion nowhere do we see anything about a Hindu faith or a social pecking order based on birth. All parties are meant to work cooperatively for a peaceful condition to result. In the absence of such a system, when individuals don’t have clearly defined roles and qualities to live up to, chaos would naturally ensue.

A common scenario from the business world can help us better understand the scientific basis behind the divisions. Let’s say there is a project at the office that needs completion. If each of the parties involved decided to act as the leader, nothing would get done. “Well, maybe we should do this…Maybe we should do that…I don’t like that idea…Let’s talk about this some more.” Not only is there competition over which course of action to take, but there is also no confidence or focus on the part of the workers. If, on the other hand, everyone has clearly defined roles suited to their specific abilities, there is a much better chance of successfully reaching the target objective. The leader makes everything happen; he or she decides who will perform what task. Then the workers, knowing their roles, can dedicate themselves to their activities without the distractions of added thoughts and pressures.

The varnashrama-dharma system, which is headed by the brahmanas, or priestly class, is meant to provide a similar focus to all individuals during every stage of life. In addition to the social orders, there are the divisions of spiritual life, wherein one starts as a student and gradually progresses to the stage of full enlightenment facilitated through total renouncement from material life. Can we imagine what school would have been like if there weren’t any grades or teachers steering our learning efforts? In the absence of instruction tailored to each student’s level of intelligence, no one would learn anything, and thus the valuable time spent in a youthful form would go to waste.

In the Vedic system, at the very beginning of instruction students are taught the differences between spirit and body and the need for taking the interests of the Supreme Lord to be paramount. After student life, marriage can be entered into, wherein the solidified family bond provides sustenance to the other orders of society. After many years in marriage, a touring type of retirement can be accepted, where the wife accompanies the husband on spiritual pilgrimages and the like. And then finally, towards the latter years, there can be total renunciation from worldly affairs. This freedom brings the best opportunity for gaining liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

The most important aspect is the ultimate reward, the reason for all the other rules and regulations being put into place. One who thinks of Krishna, or God, at the time of death, never has to return to the perishable land. This means never again having to endure the long years of schooling and the hard work required to maintain a family. As the soul is ever blissful, it always seeks out an ultimate reservoir of pleasure. The only entity that never fails to provide happiness to those seeking it is Krishna. He is described as ananda-mayo ’bhyasat, or always blissful; so anyone who associates with Him will bask in spiritual enjoyment.

Since life on earth is so stressful, anything we can do to limit our worries and fears should be welcome. Knowing how to act in every single situation and which course of action to take removes many of the common doubts and fears. When the essential functions of daily life can be carried out under an autopilot type mentality, there is much more time left for searching after real pleasure. The varnashrama system is meant for this purpose and no other; allow for every single person to undertake tasks they are naturally suited for, and let them carry out those engagements without any doubt. Then all the time that was previously spent in worry and fear can be used to regularly chant, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.”

This mantra is the secret weapon in our war against the illusory forces of material nature. Due to the degradation of society brought on by the Kali Yuga, the original and pure version of the varnashrama-dharma system is very difficult to implement today. But this doesn’t mean that the same principles of regulation and prescribed duty can’t be followed to some degree or another. Fortunately for us, one system of activity is so powerful that it is universally applicable, irrespective of societal conditions. This sublime engagement not only serves as the guiding force for regulative activities and achieving peace of mind, but adherence to it simultaneously brings about a drastic shift in consciousness. Only through bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, can any person, regardless of their qualities and the material work prescribed to them, make advancement in spiritual life during any part of the day.

The core requirement of bhakti-yoga is that one simply think about Krishna. Whatever tool can be used to facilitate this constant remembrance, which represents a link in consciousness to the Supreme, or yoga, should be adopted. Chanting is the most effective method, as it brings association with Krishna in an instant. Just hearing the name of the Lord is enough to evoke cognizance of His forms, qualities and pastimes. The holy name can even be heard just within the mind by remembering the phrase “Hare Krishna”. The bhakti mindset can be further maintained by regulated activities, such as chanting Krishna’s name a prescribed number of rounds daily on a set of japa beads, rising early in the morning and worshiping the deity, cooking and offering spiritually infused food known as prasadam, and reading books written by great acharyas and devotees, those who dedicate their whole lives to serving, honoring and glorifying Krishna.

Even one given to the life of a shudra, a member of the laborer class, can continue their hard work every day without any qualms by regularly remembering Krishna within the mind. Goswami Tulsidas very nicely points out that just as the trees lining the route to the heavenly realm are worshipable, so are the devotees who chant the names of the Lord but happen to have a low birth. Being naturally prone towards menial labor or running a business is deemed a low birth because the activities undertaken are deeply mired in the modes of passion and ignorance, levels of activity which make advancing in spiritual understanding very difficult. Indeed, after working hard during the day at the jobsite, the natural tendency is to relax at night by eating meat, drinking alcohol or having sexual relations. For the business magnate, the desire for future profits and expansion of the business never ceases, even in the off hours. Therefore these classes of men have difficulty in understanding the presence of the soul and how the body constantly goes through change. Recognizing sinful activities and how they further delude the intelligence of the individual is also made more difficult.

But one who chants the name of Rama or Krishna or any other authorized name that describes the Supreme Lord in all His glory not only purifies their consciousness, but they also become a figure of worship. Who would ever imagine worshiping a janitor or a business owner? Would we ever think of walking up to a store manager and offering him our obeisances? But Tulsidas carefully crafts his poetry, so his words describing the glorious nature of the devotee having a low birth are not hyperbole in the least bit. One who regularly chants the names of God naturally remembers the Lord at all times. As such, they are wholly capable of teaching others how to perform bhakti. They may not be acquainted with all the rituals and functions of spiritual life that are known to the brahmanas, but since they are in constant touch with Krishna, their knowledge is perfect. The worship of a Vaishnava, or devotee of Vishnu/Krishna, is actually better than worship of Krishna Himself, for the devotee can show others how to find pure spiritual bliss.

Whatever mode of work we find ourselves in, we can adopt the principles of bhakti and remain satisfied by knowing that advancement is taking place. Our daily occupational duties can be carried out in an involuntary manner, similar to the way the heart and the lungs operate within the body. When the mind is released from worry by knowing the primary objective in life and the ultimate source of pleasure, so much time is freed up for finding and enjoying spiritual life. Consciousness is the gateway to happiness, and when it is fixed on the lotus feet of Shri Krishna, there is never a chance of being in an extended unpleasant condition, either in the present life or in the next.

The Saintly Class

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Krishna, who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brahmanas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Krishna and Govinda.” (Vishnu Purana, 1.19.65)

The brahmana is the highest of the four divisions of social orders instituted by the Supreme Lord for the general welfare of the population desperately needing control and adherence to religion in their day-to-day affairs. The word “brahmana” references the fact that the member of the highest caste is familiar with Brahman, or the impersonal, visually unmanifest, all-pervading aspect of the Absolute Truth. Brahman is spirit, and that which is not Brahman is considered maya, or illusion. A trained eye, one that takes full shelter of the information of the shastras, is required to be able to correctly view all forms of life as being equal, part and parcel of the Supreme Absolute Truth. More than any other specific task assigned them, the brahmanas, as the highest and most respected members of society, must be worshipers of Lord Vishnu, the four-handed, ever-opulent and all-pervasive personal form of the Supreme Lord residing in the spiritual sky. In the absence of Vishnu-worship, the brahmana does not make the most of his potential, as his knowledge remains stalled on the Brahman platform. At this elevated stage of thought, the light of transcendence is seen, but the source of the energy remains invisible. But the brahmana who does properly worship Vishnu, or His non-different forms such as the vishnu-avataras and the original personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna, not only reaches the peak of knowledge acquisition but also performs the greatest benefit for society.

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.13)

Why the need for societal divisions? Why even have brahmanas and other castes? In the conditioned state, the soul is wholly unaware of its true nature, that of an undying spirit. The soul can never be cut into pieces, be made wet, burned or dried. Though such changes may take place with the outer covering of the soul, or the visible indication of life, the spiritual spark itself remains unaffected. Since we gather our information through both perception and precept, if we are not taught the differences between matter and spirit, we will always remain on the level of the animals, wherein the activities of eating, mating, defending and sleeping will be taken as paramount in importance. When the existence of the soul is denied or forgotten, the impulses arising from the sense organs, of which the tongue and genitals bring the strongest urges, are given highest priority. To learn about the nature of spirit is one thing, but to truly realize it is another. Therefore the brahmanas, the highest class in the societal maintenance system known as varnashrama-dharma, not only understand spirit, but they also truly realize, through steady practice of devotion, the equality shared between all forms of life.

“Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brahmanas work.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 18.42)

A brahmana is qualified as such based on possessing certain qualities such as cleanliness, purity, equality of vision, tolerance, humility and devotion to religion. They also must take to specific activities. A brahmana performs sacrifices, teaches others how to perform sacrifices, studies the Vedas [the eternal truths of life passed down since the beginning of time from Krishna Himself], teaches Vedic wisdom to others, accepts charity and gives in charity. A brahmana can be thought of to be a priest, a man of the cloth. While all forms of life are equal, the activities adopted according to the modes of nature are different. A brahmana lives in the mode of goodness, which is the topmost rung of the ladder of material qualities. When other modes like passion and ignorance are introduced, the personal qualities assumed vary and differences in occupation result. Those who are not purely in the mode of goodness take to administrative affairs, fighting, defense, business, agriculture, or menial service to others. Irrespective of one’s outward occupation, the ultimate aim of life remains the same, that of learning of the Supreme Spirit’s nature and the individual soul’s relationship to Him.

One who is fully aware of the simultaneous oneness and difference between God and the individual souls at the time of death immediately transcends all the effects of material nature and returns to the spiritual sky, the source of Brahman. There are three different gradations of residence. One is the spiritual sky, which is the original realm. In this land the Supreme Lord and His various forms reside alongside the eternally liberated spirit souls. The next realm is Brahman, which is the blissful light emanating from the transcendental body of the Personality of Godhead. The third realm is the material world, a land where matter becomes the predominant force, with temporary manifestations coming into existence at periodic intervals.

“The total material substance, called Brahman, is the source of birth, and it is that Brahman that I impregnate, making possible the births of all living beings, O son of Bharata.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 14.3)

The souls in the material world are all Brahman because the light of the brahmajyoti is from where they all most recently came. The Supreme Lord, as the seed giving father, impregnated Brahman and thus caused the entire creation and all its creatures. At the time of dissolution, those souls still not craving a return to the original spiritual realm remain within the light of Brahman until the time comes for the next creation. In this way ascension to the light of Brahman is not much of an achievement, for there is every chance of fall down in the future. When one returns to the spiritual land where Krishna and Vishnu reside, there is no chance of returning to Brahman or the material world governed by maya.

Can someone be a brahmana and not a devotee of Vishnu? Since material nature is so complex and has intricate workings, there are different degrees of systems of spirituality instituted, with each aimed at providing a gradual progression towards the realization of the ultimate Truth, Vishnu. In the absence of devotion, a brahmana can still perform his prescribed duties such as enacting Vedic sacrifices and teaching others about the esoteric truths found in the Vedas. If devotion to Vishnu is absent, the highest platform a brahmana can ascend to is that of Brahman realization. Similarly, this is all they will be able to teach their students and dependents about. Since association with the Supreme Lord in one of His personal forms is a higher benediction, a brahmana who is a devotee of Vishnu is far more advanced and thus described as a Vaishnava.

Unlike with the brahmana status, which requires knowledge of Brahman and explicit occupational duties to be undertaken, the title of Vaishnava is open to all members of society, irrespective of caste, age, gender, ethnicity and country of origin. Goswami Tulsidas, the great poet and devotee of Vishnu’s form of Lord Rama, kindly points out that just as the otherwise ordinary trees that line the path to the heavenly realm are worshiped and adored, those who are born in low castes but take to chanting the holy name of Rama become equally as worshipable. It’s interesting to note that the poet doesn’t say that such an individual automatically turns into a brahmana, as such material designations are of minimal importance. A brahmana is an occupational post, one where specific duties are adhered to. A devotee of Vishnu, or a Vaishnava, is more respected than a brahmana because they immediately become worshipable. A Vaishnava may not take to openly teaching others about Vedic wisdom and they may not even be respected as a learned scholar, but since they know Vishnu and the importance of chanting His names, they become more respected and praiseworthy than an ordinary brahmana.

“A brahmana should be a worshiper of Vishnu, and he should also instruct others how to worship Him.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 10.50 Purport)

When a brahmana does take to worshiping Vishnu, the benefit to society is tremendous. The effect is similar to how when a famous celebrity takes to a particular activity, automatically the cause gets more popularity and fame. A brahmana, who is already generally respected for their high knowledge, by taking to vishnu-bhakti can teach others the supreme truths of life and how devotion to God is the highest dharma, or occupational duty. Murari Gupta, a famous devotee and associate of Lord Chaitanya’s, set the ideal example of how a brahmana and householder should behave. When it comes to understanding Brahman and the temporary and illusory nature of life around us, not only is the brahmana position considered beneficial but so is the stage of life known as sannyasa. A brahmana in the renounced order of life is given tremendous respect because of their way of life. It is one thing to say that material nature is the cause of great pain and bondage, but it is another to back up your words by renouncing worldly attachments and taking to the life of a mendicant. A sannyasi especially has more facilities to preach the truths of the Vedas, as renunciates are not inhibited by demands of work and family.

Murari Gupta, though a householder, still proved to be an extremely effective teacher and distributor of the holy name of the Lord. Though he was a doctor for a living, he spread as much spiritual healing as he did physical. Though Lord Chaitanya, who was Krishna Himself appearing on earth to distribute the holy names of the Lord through the congregational chanting of “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, specifically recommended worship of Radha and Krishna, Murari Gupta still could not abandon his attachment to Lord Rama. Lord Chaitanya tested his devotion on several instances, and Murari Gupta proved his love for Shri Rama every time. In this way Murari showed the example of an ideal brahmana and householder. He never begged for money, nor did he haphazardly abandon his occupational duties. He worked within the bounds of the qualities he was given and dedicated his life to preaching the glories of the Lord.

Shri Krishna is especially the deva, or worshipable god, of the brahmanas and the cows. There are millions of other celestial figures who are each powerful in their own right. A vaishya, one tasked with taking to business and food production, may pray to several demigods to bestow mercy upon them in the form of rain and good fortune. A kshatriya may worship the family deity or the celestial figures in charge of bestowing strength and good fortune amongst their kingdom. But the brahmanas, those who know the temporary nature of fruitive activity and the resulting rewards, are meant to simply worship Vishnu, or Krishna. The Supreme Lord is especially kind to the brahmanas, as he knows they are wholly dedicated to His service. A Vaishnava brahmana, one who exhibits all the qualities of the mode of goodness, takes complete shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu. As such, they become ideal members of society and great proponents of the supremacy of the practice of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service.

Murari Gupta, through his great devotion to Vishnu and his supreme knowledge, was able to properly identify Lord Chaitanya for who He was, Shri Krishna Himself. The saintly class of men in the Kali Yuga all follow Lord Chaitanya’s example of regularly chanting the holy names of the Lord. Shri Gaurahari especially popularized congregational chanting, or sankirtana, as being the most potent and powerful form of deliverance for the fallen souls of this age. By taking shelter of Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the brahmanas who regularly worship and spread the glories of Vishnu, we can be rescued from the troublesome situation brought on by material contact.

A High Birth

“A person's conduct and character explain whether they are from a high or low family, whether they are heroic or just falsely proud and arrogant, and whether they are pure or impure.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, Sec 109)

One’s character, determined by their innate qualities and the work they perform, determine whether or not they are high born. Simple birthright is not enough. One may claim to be pure and pious, but this character needs to be proven by the actions they perform.

“The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 6.41)

On a material level, people generally crave beauty, knowledge, and a high birth. To take birth in a pious, learned, or rich family is considered a great honor. It means that a person certainly must have executed noble deeds in their previous life. Contrary to popular opinion, we don’t get just one life, but rather we are allowed to take birth as many times as we want to. That is God’s mercy upon us, the living entities. This entire cosmic manifestation emanates from Brahman, the source of which is Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some people mistakenly take Brahman to be everything, but the authorized Vedic scriptures definitively declare that God is a person, and the Supreme Personality is Krishna. He has many expansions and forms based on time and circumstance, but Krishna is still the original. He expands Himself as Paramatma, the Supersoul residing in the hearts of every living entity, and also as Brahman for the benefit of the spirit souls. We are all part and parcel of God, equal to Him in quality, but inferior in quantity. God is great, and we are His subordinates. Desiring to lord over material nature, the Lord created the material world and allowed us to take birth here in the form of living entities, jivas.

“Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being-moving or unmoving—that can exist without Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 10.39)

The theory of evolution posited by Charles Darwin states that species gradually evolve over time through natural selection, with inferior species making way for superior ones. In actuality, it is not the species that evolve, but rather the types of bodies that the spirit souls take birth in. The material creation emanating from Brahman consists of three gunas or qualities: goodness, passion, and ignorance. Combing these qualities in infinite proportions, we get up to 8,400,000 varieties of species. It is not that spirit souls only take birth as human beings. Rather we start off as lower species and gradually work our way through other types of bodies such as animals, aquatics, etc. The human form of life is considered the most beneficial since it represents our chance to know and understand God. Plants, animals, reptiles etc. are not capable of committing sin since there are no laws governing their behavior. That is the benefit of taking birth as an animal. One is free to engage in eating, sleeping, mating, and defending without any karmic consequences. Human beings, on the other hand, are given a higher task known as dharma. More than simple religiosity, dharma is the eternal occupational duty of the spirit soul. Therefore the term we know as religion is actually referred to as sanatana dharma in the Vedas. The revolutionary acharya Ramanuja defines sanatana as something that has no beginning nor end. Thus dharma is something that never changes.

This occupational duty can only be executed in the human form of life. In one sense, taking birth as a human being is, in itself, a high birth. In the society of human beings, there are further divisions based on a person’s qualities and the work they perform. If one is born in an aristocratic family, a family of brahmanas, or even better, a family of Vaishnavas, then he is considered to have a high birth. Taking birth into a wealthy family means not having to worry about food, shelter, or clothing. All the governments of the world today are obsessed with the economic problem, regularly holding summits to figure out how to distribute wealth more equitably. Aristocratic families don’t have to worry about this problem. Being born in a brahmana family is one step above an aristocratic family because the brahmanas are considered the highest class of society. In the varnashrama system, the first division is that of the priestly class of men, the brahmanas. This division naturally exists in any society, for we always see a group of people who are more prone to the cultivation of knowledge. Brahmanas live in the mode of goodness, meaning their activities are guided by knowledge of the Vedas. If one is born in a brahmana family, it means that their family lineage, or gotra, traces all the way back to a great sage of the past, such as Vashishta, Bharadvaja, Upamanyu, Katyanana, Gautama, etc.

“If one simply maintains an official position in the four varnas and ashramas but does not worship the Supreme Lord Vishnu, he falls down from his puffed-up position into a hellish condition.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 11.5.3)

Taking birth in a family of devotees, Vaishnavas, is the greatest boon. While brahmanas engage in the cultivation of knowledge, the performance of sacrifices, and the educating of the other classes of society, a Vaishnava, or devotee of Lord Vishnu, is considered further advanced because they have reached the highest platform of love and devotion. The purpose of human life is to know and love God. All systems of governance, and dharma itself, exist to help one reach this understanding. This love for God exists naturally, but it is currently in a dormant state due to the effects of nature. If one is born in a Vaishnava family, it means they are automatically exposed to Krishna-katha, talks about Krishna, from their youth. Since a child is the essence of innocence, if they are allowed to hear about Krishna, they are more likely to rekindle their loving relationship with Him. Then, no matter what else happens in their life, that love will always remain.

But simply having a high birth in a brahmana or Vaishnava family is not enough. One may be born a human being, but it doesn’t mean that they will always stay one in future lives. A person’s material desires and the work they perform determine the type of body they receive in subsequent lives:

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 16.19)

A high birth is a great opportunity, but if one acts impiously or exudes impure qualities, they have squandered a golden opportunity. Bona fide brahmanas are described as shuchi, meaning clean and pure. The status of shuchi doesn’t come automatically by birth. One has to actually display purity in their actions. In society today, one is considered learned and high class if they can speak very well or if they have a degree from a respectable university. People are very proud of their advanced degrees, thinking themselves to be very learned. Elections today are won and lost based on a candidate’s debating skills. Debating involves arguing relative truths, so simply using word jugglery doesn’t actually show signs of purity. In the Vedic definition, one must, at a minimum, abstain completely from meat eating and intoxication in order to be considered pure. Meat eating is bad for many reasons, the primary of which is the negative effect it has on karma. In today’s age, there is an ample food supply of milk, grains, and fruits. Violence towards animals is not required. Thus meat eating today is done simply for the satisfaction of the taste buds. Since karma represents the highest system of fairness, one can naturally conclude that meat eaters will have to suffer the consequences for their violence in the future.

This penchant for unnecessary violence shows signs of impurity. Intoxication is also another unclean habit. A brahmana’s main business is to act as the role model for the rest of society. They are God’s representatives, sent to teach others how to love Him. If a brahmana is addicted to intoxication, they must be considered impure. A caste brahmana, one born in a brahmana family, cannot claim brahminical status if they engage in meat eating or intoxication. Also, a brahmana must be familiar with the injunctions of the scriptures. The primary injunction of the Vedas is that Lord Krishna is God and that mankind’s highest duty is to serve Him with love and respect. A person engaging in any other type of dharma cannot be considered a true brahmana. In previous times, all the great sages such Vyasadeva, Narada Muni, and Maharishi Valmiki all met the proper requirements to be considered shuchi.

The above referenced statement was made by Lord Rama to a group of brahmanas belonging to the royal family of Maharaja Dashratha. God takes birth as a human being from time to time to enact pastimes and to reinstitute the proper standard of dharma. Lord Rama was one such incarnation. At the behest of His father Dashratha, Rama left the kingdom of Ayodhya for the forest, where He was to remain for fourteen years. After the death of Dashratha, Rama’s younger brother Bharata wanted Rama to return to the kingdom and rule as king. Rama wouldn’t budge however, since He wanted to fulfill the order originally given to Him by His father. People tried to persuade Rama otherwise, with one plea coming from one of the brahmanas of the royal court. This brahmana used some word jugglery, almost espousing atheism in a sense, as a way to convince Rama that His dharma was to return to the kingdom. The brahmana actually didn’t believe in what he was saying, but rather was just trying anything to get Rama to come back.

Lord Rama used this brahmana’s speech as an opportunity to give all those present a lecture on what actually constitutes dharma and who should be considered learned and wise. Simply wearing the dress of a brahmana and having a sacred thread are not enough. Character is determined by actions. Rama not only spoke these words, but He lived by them. Rama means one who gives pleasure, and this was certainly true in His case. All the citizens of Ayodhya loved Him very much. His wife Sita Devi and younger brother Lakshmana were so attached to Rama that they insisted on serving His exile term alongside Him.

In this age of Kali, everything has turned upside down. Brahmanas by birth are acting like shudras, fourth class people, and shudras by quality are pretending to act like brahmanas. For this reason, the primary dharma for the people of this age is the chanting of the holy names of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. By regularly chanting this mantra with faith and devotion, and abiding by the four regulative principles of devotional life, one can elevate themselves to brahmanical status, and more importantly, they can become devotees. God judges our character, not our family lineage. Great devotees like Shavari, Hanuman, Vibhishana, and countless others were loved and adored by Lord Rama. None of them were born as brahmanas, but their qualities were on par or even exceeded those of the greatest sages. This shows the true greatness of devotees. They rise above all material designations to become the highest class people.

Class Distinctions

“The common religion of all classes of human beings, regardless of whosoever and whatsoever one may be, is devotional service. Even the animals may be included in devotional service to the Lord, and the best example is set by Shri Vajrangaji, or Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Shri Rama.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 2.8.18 Purport)

Question: “Why would God create different classes and castes? What is the purpose behind such distinctions?”

Answer: The central tenet of Vedic philosophy is that we are not our bodies, aham brahmasmi. This is the first instruction given to aspiring transcendentalists for it serves as the foundation for the rest of Vedic teaching. The point of human life is to come to the understanding that we are spirit souls at our core, and then to use this knowledge to break free of material attachments and gain an attachment for God. This love and attachment for God is known as bhakti. But at the same time, the Vedas give us other systems of management, almost sub-religions in a sense, which make distinctions based on a person’s qualities and work. The primary system of governance is varnashrama dharma. So on one hand we are taught that everyone is the same constitutionally, but then we are also told that there are differences. These two ideas may seem contradictory but they are not.

The Vedas represent perfect knowledge. They were passed down originally from God Himself, imparted into the heart of Lord Brahma, the first created being. Veda actually means knowledge, and since it comes from God, this knowledge is free of any flaws. As living entities, our true identity comes from the atma, or spirit soul, inside of us. The soul is different from the material body, which consists of five gross and three subtle elements. Unlike our body which is temporary, our spirit soul is eternal. It has never taken birth, nor can it ever perish.

“Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.17)

The event we know to be death, is actually just a changing of bodies. Just as a person puts on new clothes each day, the soul changes material bodies at the time of death. The current body becomes old and useless, so God is kind enough to give us a new one in the next life. Though our spirit souls are constitutionally the same in nature as God, quantitatively we are different. We are great, but God is the greatest. He is the Supreme Controller, Ishvara, residing in the hearts of every living entity. Whereas we have knowledge of our current life’s experiences, God has knowledge of the lives of every living entity, past, present, and future. Though we are quantitatively different from God, we are actually equal with all other living entities. Even the animals have spirit souls inside of them.

So why do we see different types of species, with varying levels of intelligence? This is due to guna and karma. Guna means material qualities. As soon as a spirit soul enters the material world, it acquires these material qualities which consist of the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance. Just as an expert chemist mixes elements together in varying proportions to create new compounds, so the three modes of nature can be combined in varying degrees to produce different species, 8,400,000 varieties in total. Along with guna is karma, which is fruitive work and desire. One works very hard during the daytime so that they can have enough money to maintain a home, a spouse, and children. Thus the work is performed for a desired result. This is the general nature of material world. It is governed by karma. Even people that are pious, they too perform work for specific purposes such as altruism, philanthropy, etc. With the combination of our gunas and karma, God gives us an appropriate body to take birth in. Birth doesn’t happen just once either. As long as material desire is still there, we continue to take birth after death.

Since every person is born with different qualities and desires, they all act differently. For this reason, God instituted the varnashrama dharma system so as to allow for a peaceful society. Dharma means occupation duty, varna refers to the different classes or castes, and ashrama refers to the four progressive stages of spiritual life.

“According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me…” (Bg. 4.13)

The idea is that everyone is born with specific occupational duties and that they should faithfully execute them with detachment. The four varnas are brahmana (priests), kshatriya (warriors/administrators), vaishya (merchants/businessmen), and shudra (laborers). These four divisions exist by nature since people are automatically prone to fall into one of these four categories. In India, this system gradually degraded to a point where people started claiming to belong to a specific varna simply off birthright. A person born of a brahmana family claims brahminical status even though they are addicted to impure activities such as intoxication and meat eating. The original system instituted by Lord Krishna specifically states that the divisions are made by quality and work. The four ashramas of brahmacharya (celibate student life), grihastha (married householder life), vanaprastha (retired family life), and sannyasa (complete reununciation) go hand-in-hand with the four varnas. By default, it is assumed that a person will live to 100 years of age, thus they should divide their life into twenty five year increments based on the four ashramas.

“It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faulty, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.” (Bg. 3.35)

Though people perform different work based on their occupation, it is never assumed that one person is better than another. Everyone is still equal in a spiritual sense, but the material distinctions are necessary for there to be peace and prosperity. A peaceful and happy society requires all four classes working together equally. Since the qualities of a brahmana are different from those of a shudra, it is not advised that a shudra haphazardly take up the occupation of a brahmana, and vice versa. To understand this point, one can look at the example of a baseball team. In Major League Baseball, teams have a 25 man roster for most of the season. A team consists of players playing specific positions in the field. There are pitchers, outfielders, infielders, and catchers. To be successful in baseball, one requires good pitching and good hitting. The object of the game is to score more runs than the other team. A game consists of nine innings, with one inning consisting of each team batting once until they make three outs. Thus a team can have good hitters and score many runs, but if their pitching is weak, they will have trouble keeping the opposition from scoring more runs.

Since there are so many different positions in baseball, each player has specific requirements he must follow in order to be successful. For example, a starting pitcher only pitches once every five days. The reason for this is that starting pitchers can stay in the game for upwards of seven innings to nine innings, which equates to a heavy strain on their arm. The act of throwing a baseball requires a violent arm motion. For pitchers, this is the only way to throw effective fastballs, curveballs, and changeups. Even the slower pitches still require a violent arm motion since it is actually the grip on the baseball that causes a pitch to drop in speed. Starting pitchers require at least four days of rest in between starts so that their arm can properly heal. Since the pitcher’s primary duty is to get other hitters out, he is usually pretty weak when it comes to batting. A position player on the other hand, must be a good hitter since he plays every day. Playing in the outfield, infield, or catching, everyday players don’t suffer nearly the same arm strain that pitchers do. Since they play all the time, they must be very good at hitting; otherwise they wouldn’t be valuable to the team.

Now both the starting pitcher and position player are equal members of the team. Work is required from both of them in order for the team to be successful, but no one would ever mistake a starting pitcher for a regular hitter. In fact, sometimes teams will bring in one of their position players to pitch when the game is out of hand and the score is lop-sided. These hitters usually don’t do well at all when pitching, but it doesn’t really affect the outcome of the game any. There is a natural desire for position players to want to imitate pitchers every now and then. Yet these experiments can yield dangerous results. Often times it is seen that a position player will get injured after pitching an inning or so in relief. This makes sense because a pitcher works very hard on his mechanics to make sure that there isn’t any unnecessary strain on any part of the body. Hitters don’t have this experience, so that’s why they get injured more easily when pitching. When starting pitchers come to bat, they usually perform just as poorly as the hitters who pitch. For this reason, many pitchers are instructed to bunt when they get up, basically sacrificing their out in order to advance a runner.

Just as a successful baseball team requires everyone to follow the duty of their position, so the material world requires all of us to abide by our dharma. The idea is that not everyone will take to spiritual life right away. We are all born into ignorance as soon as we come out of the womb. We require the help of our parents and teachers in order to have a proper education. On a spiritual level, little children are the same as their parents and teachers, but it would be quite silly to put the children in charge of schools. The idea is that students should make gradual progress until they have the necessary knowledge. Varnashrama dharma works the same way, except that elevation takes place not only in this life, but in future ones as well. Dharma is also our governing force. The term shastra actually means that which governs. No one would prefer to live without a government since anarchy would ensue, which then leads to chaos. In a similar manner, dharma is there to keep law and order. It exists for our benefit.

Though dharma is certainly important, the aim of human life is to rise above the material conception of life. This higher platform is referred to as devotional service, or bhagavata-dharma. Loving God is the highest occupation for man, and this love can be given by anyone, regardless of their material dress:

“O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth-women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]—can approach the supreme destination.” (Bg. 9.32)

Studying history, we see that great devotees of the past have all come from different backgrounds. Lord Hanuman, the great devotee of Lord Rama, was actually born in the monkey kingdom. Women such as Kunti Devi, Sita Devi, and Shrimati Radharani were all perfect devotees of God whose intelligence far exceeded to that of great scholars and mental speculators.

So how did these devotees rise above material designations? They engaged in the processes of devotional service: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering prayers, carrying out the Lord’s orders, becoming friends with God, and surrendering everything to Him. The recommended process for this age is chanting, that also of the congregational variety referred to as sankirtana. Though we must acknowledge that differences do exist between people, we shouldn’t take material qualities to be the ultimate identifying factor. Everyone is a spirit soul at the core. Through steady practice of dharma, one can realize this fact. Sankirtana yajna is the dharma for everyone in this age. Chanting God’s names can be practiced by anyone at any time. We simply have to execute our occupational duties while simultaneously practicing devotional service, and we will surely make progress. This formula will work for everyone.