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Promoting Vrindavan Village Development in India

Position Paper of the Regional Governing Body (RGB) for India

Dated: 2 September, 2008

The Mission Revealed

As early as 1949, Srila Prabhupada described his mission in a letter to the Hon. Sardar, Dr. Vallavbhaiji Patel, Deputy Prime Minister of India, outlining four movements. The first was the "sankirtan" movement of chanting and philosophical discourse that was to be introduced all over the world. Then came the "temple entry" movement; organising temples as centres of spiritual culture according to scriptures like Bhagavad-gita. Thirdly, he described the "spiritual initiation" movement, a movement that would be conducted under strict disciplinary methods to enable "mayajanas" to attain the perfection of human life. This would "be organized in such a manner that people all over the world may take interest in it." Finally, he described the "classless society" movement or the "scientific division of the caste system as envisaged in the Bhagavad-gita".

We can see that Srila Prabhupada had a clear idea how his preaching movement would be conducted as early as 1949. As the years went by he refined the concepts involved. In 1956 he published his "Essay on Gita Nagari" in Back to Godhead magazine, which reiterated the same "four movements" or divisions. Then again in 1966 Srila Prabhupada registered his International Society for Krishna consciousness and began to systematically introduce these four divisions earlier identified in his 1949 letter and 1956 essays. As his mission expanded around the world he began to purchase farmland to develop rural communities. In October of 1977 this conversation took place:

Prabhupada: What meeting going on?

Tamala Krishna: Oh, very interesting meeting. [We were] discussing our Gita-nagari community and talking about varnasrama. We were trying to reflect on all of the teachings in your books and what we had read about Krishna's life and Nanda Maharaja's community. How the vaisya community lives, how the different varnas and asramas function together, and what their responsibilities are to each other. We're trying to set up our Gita-nagari community based upon the teachings which you've given in your books. Dhrstadyumna Maharaja has designed the very ideal plan for all of the varnas and asramas to live together.

Prabhupada: Hm. Do it.

Departing Instructions

In the last film footage of Srila Prabhupada we find him lying in his bed with HH Jayadvaita Swami holding a microphone to his lips. Carefully choosing the words for what were to become his final purports, he explained exactly why we need varnasrama:

"According to the association of different natures, we get a body. karanam guna sangasya sad asad yoni janmasu. Therefore we should always seek good association, devotee association. Then our life will be successful. If we live with good association, then we cultivate knowledge...

"A man is known by his company. So if we have the chance of association with devotees, then our character, nature becomes better. By hearing, by discussing Srimad Bhagavatam, this raja guna, tama guna are subdued. Then sattva guna remains. nasta prayesu abhadresu nityam bhagavata sevaya.

"Then raja guna, tama guna cannot do us harm. Therefore varnasrama dharma is so essential that people live in sattva guna. Tama guna, raja guna increases lust and greediness, and that implicates the living entity who exists in the material world in many, many forms. That is very dangerous. Therefore, they should be brought into sattva guna by the establishment of varnasrama dharma.

[Note: transcribed directly from the video, emphasis added.]

We can understand from this statement, as well as from numerous similar references made by Srila Prabhupada, that he clearly expected his ISKCON society to establish varnasrama dharma within the context of agrarian based self-sufficient communities, the actual norm and standard of Vedic society.

Sanatana Dharma—Two Features

"The complete span of life of a human being is meant for preparing himself for going back to Godhead or to get rid of the material existence made of the repetition of birth and death. As such in the system of Varnashram Dharma every man and woman is trained up for this purpose of eternal life, in other words the system of Varnashram Dharma is known also as Sanatan Dharma or eternal occupation. The system of Varnasharam Dharma prepares a man for going back to Godhead..."

SB 1/19/4, purport

The two features of sanatana dharma are bhagavat dharma (activities of all the liberated souls in the spiritual world and a few in the material world) and varnasrama dharma (activities of most conditioned souls in the material world). In the material world, varnasrama dharma is meant to support the activities of bhagavat dharma; together both provide a complete science.

"Varnasrama should be established to become a Vaisnava"

When it was suggested that the chanting of Hare Krishna was meant to replace varnasrama for everyone, Srila Prabhupada replied:

Prabhupada: Yes, it can replace, but who is going to replace it? People are not so advanced. If you imitate Haridasa Thakura to chant, it is not possible...the sahajiya's chanting will come. Just like our [name withheld]. He was not fit for sannyasa but he was given sannyasa. And five women he was attached and he disclosed. Therefore varnasrama-dharma is required. Simply show-bottle will not do. So the varnasrama-dharma should be introduced all over the world, and...

Satsvarupa: Introduced starting with ISKCON community?

Prabhupada: Yes. Yes. Brahmana, ksatriyas. There must be regular education.

Hari-sauri: But in our community, if the...being as we're training up as Vaisnavas...

Prabhupada: Yes.

Hari-sauri: ...then how will we be able to make divisions in our society?

Prabhupada: Vaisnava is not so easy. The varnasrama-dharma should be established to become a Vaisnava. It is not so easy to become Vaisnava."

Sri Mayapur, 14 February 1977

From the above, we can understand that the sankirtan movement as introduced by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu based on the chanting of the holy names and the performance of devotional service to Lord Krishna, is not meant to replace varnasrama as a means of societal organization. Rather the varnasrama dharma should be established in society as a supportive measure to help individuals become Vaisnavas.

In Sri Bhaktyaloka, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura also confirms that Lord Caitanya did not reject varnasrama for social organization. After quoting Bhagavatam 1.2.8—

dharmah svanusthitah pursahvisvaksena-kathasu
yahnotpadayed yadi ratirsrama eva hi kevalam

—the Thakur explains:

"The occupational activities a man performs according to his own position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead."

From this one should not conclude that sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has ordered us to discard varnasrama-dharma. If that had been the case, then He would not have instructed all living entities through His pastimes of completely following the orders of grhastha and sannyasa. As long as one has a material body the system of varnasrama-dharma must be followed, but it should remain under the full control and domination of bhakti. Varnasrama-dharma is like the foundation of one's supreme occupational duty. When one's supreme occupational duty is matured and one achieves his goal, then the process is gradually neglected. Again, it is also abandoned at the time of death.

Promoting Rural Community Development

Srila Prabhupada expressed his desire to establish Krishna conscious, self-sufficient communities and villages. He also gave instructions to make existing villages Krishna conscious.

So far, ISKCON India has become very successful at city preaching and large numbers of the populace have taken to the chanting of the holy names sincerely, thus adapting their lives to the principles of Krishna consciousness.

However, the establishment of a society based on the traditional village lifestyle has been neglected. Although one can still advance in Krishna consciousness living in the cities, the degraded influences of urban life place serious constraints on the progress most devotees can make.

ISKCON must recognise the need to re-establish, develop, and maintain the ideals of village-based communities, the natural Krishna-conscious village lifestyle which was shown by Krishna and Balarama Themselves. Initially, perhaps only a few will want to take it up, but without it, Srila Prabhupada's mission in four phases or "movements," and ISKCON's preaching programs, remain incomplete. The following are but a few selected quotes supporting the need to remain in the villages:

"Actually, everyone should be engaged to produce food, but the modern set-up of civilization is that few people are engaged in producing food, and others are eating. They are offering...They are artificially getting money."

Conversation 25/7/73, London

"Clever means that he must stay in his own land. He should not be cheated by the paper and go to the city."

Conversation 25/7/73, London

"Gandhi's program was very nice, village organize so that they may not come to the city and help the capitalists. Remain satisfied in the village."

Conversation 12/9/76 Vrindavan

"So this Krishna consciousness movement is trying to revive the original, constitutional position. So one of them, in Krishna consciousness movement, is village organization, as you are trying here."

Lecture 15/7/76 Gita Nagari

"India's civilization was based on village residence. They would live very peacefully in the villages."

Morning Walk 13/10/75 Gita Nagari

Therefore, the RGB vision is to develop preaching and development programs which involve the following specific village-oriented programs:

1. Establishing Krishna conscious rural communities
2. Helping existing villages to become self-sufficient and Krishna conscious.
3. Developing nama-hatta village preaching programs to expand Krishna consciousness in rural India.

Each temple should expand and develop their rural preaching programs as an integral aspect of its preaching effort following these three aspects of rural Krishna consciousness development.

Establishing a Varnasrama Society through Education

The varnasrama system is a complete educational institution in itself where the needs of individuals are met at all levels: physical, mental, social and spiritual. A varnasrama society, which is primarily agrarian based, provides an ideal educational environment. It is grounded on the two important concepts and scientific principles of

1. aptitude-based learning, which leads to aptitude-based occupation, varna, and
2. phased, lifelong education, asrama, which leads to gradual self-realization.

This education is formal and informal. In traditional village life the majority of the population are trained at home, imbibing the occupation of the family they are born into.

Formal education, which is meant for the dvijas (brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas), needs to be introduced by the revival of the original Vedic gurukula system as recommended by Srila Prabhupada. According to Vedic tradition, education is awarded based on merit. Srila Prabhupada describes this in his "Essay on Gita Nagari":

"By a test of practical psychology and by examination of the birth horoscope of the child, with special reference to his birthright, sect and class arrangement, a student from the very beginning shall be given the education of a brahmana, of a ksatriya, of a vaisya or of a sudra, as may be the case, according to his quality and destined work."

Formal training can only be given to those who have the right disposition and who display the appropriate attitude. Teachers also require the proper temperament and qualification. It is necessary therefore to give the utmost consideration when appointing gurukula teachers to ensure that they have proven, exemplary character.

Students trained in such gurukulas will eventually graduate according to their nature and aptitude to take up key occupations in a developed varnasrama-based society. It is therefore essential that we immediately begin the work to develop this greater society.

Srila Prabhupada stressed: "To train the innocent boy to be a sense gratifier at the early age when the child is actually happy in any circumstance is the greatest violence. Therefore, brahmacari gurukule vasan danto guror hitam." (SB 7.12.1)

The curriculum of such schools needs to be derived primarily from sources as recommended by Srila Prabhupada. There is not a full body of specific instruction from Srila Prabhupada spelling out all the details of how gurukula should be developed in ISKCON. The various efforts to follow whatever instructions he did give have born various fruits.

In Mayapur, the Sri Rupanuga Paramarthika Vidya Pitha found that the closer they got to focusing on character development rather than academics, the more successful the graduates were in any sphere.

The kind of character that is developed from appropriate gurukula training in general equips the majority of students to adapt to any future circumstance. In puranic descriptions of gurukula there are many varieties according to the mood of the particular guru.

Apart from the gurukulas, Prabhupada ordered:

"The varnasrama college has to be established immediately. Everywhere, wherever we have got our center, a varnasrama college should be established to train four divisions: one class, brahmana; one class, ksatriya; one class, vaisya; and one class, sudra. But everyone will be elevated to the spiritual platform by the spiritual activities which we have prescribed. There is no inconvenience, even for the sudras."

Walk, Vrindavan '74

"These colleges are required not only for practical training, but as a way to impart cultured behaviour. The Vedic system does not condemn anyone: 'You are a potter. Oh, you are lower.' No. You are as good as a priest because you are doing your duty. Just like a brahmana is addressed as pandita maharaja. A ksatriya as thakura saheb, a merchant as sethji and the laborer as chouddhari—leader. In this way everyone has got respectable position."

Conversation, July 1968

"So this Vedic scheme, varnasrama, is a very important scheme. If possible it should be introduced and taken up very seriously. That is one of the items of Krishna consciousness movement, to re-establish the institution of varna and asrama. Not by birth, but by qualification."

Conversation, July 1976

This system of varna-based training, with appropriate asrama progression, is a scientific system designed to bring people to the mode of goodness, with the ultimate goal of achieving suddha sattva, the attainment of full Krishna consciousness.

So far, in general, we have failed to provide excellence in the gurukula system, or to provide much in the way of appropriate livelihoods to gurukula graduates. As a result, we find that there is a growing demand for western-style academic education.

This type of education overlooks the fact that humans are born of four particular natures. Therefore, statistically, only a few students can gain any benefit from this system.

In terms of spiritual life, this system can never impart the kind of character training that is obtained from the proper matching of teacher and student in the spiritual atmosphere of menial service to guru that should be provided in a gurukula.

Krishna and Balarama set the perfect example when they attended the asram of Sandipani Muni. By graduating from the gurukula, and progressing through the asramas of adult life in devotee association, all the while cultivating spiritual knowledge, the students gain realisation to enable them to perfect their lives.

Cow Protection and Brahminical Culture

Srila Prabhupada taught us that cow protection and brahminical culture are the keys to real prosperity and that they occur as a natural side effect of following varnasrama dharma.

So far in India we have had problems with some of our goshalla programs, mainly because they have been developed in isolation, not within the framework of a greater varnasrama social structure. Cows have been neglected and as a result brahminical culture is not thriving. The sastras warn us of this result.

Congregation and Youth Preaching

Internationally, many of our devotees are suffering due to lack of good association. Most devotees are forced to work and associate with non-devotees in order to survive in the outside world.

In India and in certain parts of the world, some devotees are benefiting from such programs as Nama-hatta, Bhakti-vriksha, and similar congregational programs.

Among our congregation of devotees, the youth are the key. It has been seen in some parts of the world that when youths are introduced to the concepts of varnasrama dharma, they become enthused because they recognise that this is a system that lets them take their lives into their own hands.

Rather than placing faith in the empty promises of the politicians and industrialists, they appreciate the opportunity to use what Krishna has given: the means of production—land and cows.

Introducing varnasrama concepts to our youth preaching teams is a new concept that can result in the conception of varnasrama communities, therefore demonstrating the effectiveness of the Krishna consciousness philosophy.

Srila Prabhupada predicted that by creating 'ideal units' of society, people will want to give up the factory work to come and live in blissful communities wherein Krishna culture is practiced.

City Temples and Rural Communities in Tandem

Srila Prabhupada wanted that we should have farms supporting our city temples. In this way persons from the city can be shown how to live a simple Krishna conscious lifestyle. Srila Prabhupada predicted that many people will be attracted to Krishna consciousness in this way:

"It is very good that the farm will be providing foodstuffs for both the farm and the temple in Paris. That is wanted. The farm program should be: grow your own food, produce your own milk, cloth and everything and chant Hare Krishna."

Letter to Bhagavan, 14/11/75

"Regarding Ahmedabad Centre, we must have a place there...[it is] one of the most opulent and important cities of India. We have to organize in the neighbouring village...Now, our next program will be to organize farming land to set an example to the whole world how people can be peaceful, happy, and free from all anxieties simply by chanting Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and living an honourable life in Krishna consciousness."

Letter to Kartikeya Mahadevia, 19/10/75

Networking

The technical aspects of creating villages in which the process of varnasrama organisation can begin will be a challenge. Many aspects of simple living are vanishing. There are, however, organisations in India that are already working with simple traditional systems. It may be beneficial for us to network with such organisations to make the progression to a simple rural life easier.

While there is an urgent need to develop the varnasrama aspect of the Krishna consciousness movement in India, the work will have to proceed at a natural pace as interest can be aroused.