Brahminical means one who knows Brahman. Someone who is endeavoring for this is a brahmana. This would mean you have to have a culture, a lifestyle that would support this. You are going to have all your personal, emotional needs, your social strata, your economics, your need to know why the material world doesn’t work the way it should and ultimately you need to be able to establish your relationship with Godhead. Dharma, artha, kama, moksa are distractions for the living entity. Bhakti is the nature of the soul. You should have a culture that brings the living entity to understand their position as the soul, as brahman, and in this way, elevate oneself to the ultimate purpose of becoming God conscious. That system is the Vedic culture. There is no other system that is so complete.
Jnanis will deal with the dharma and moksa, but artha and kama they won’t because the impersonal path is not an option for grhasthas. Karma is their path, but it doesn’t deal so much with moksa. The vedic system, which is based on bhakti, then includes the karma and jnana and they are perfectly blended. That is why it is such a fine mechanism that there much be many considerations. We won’t use the word restrictions. The Vedic culture is so that everyone is considered in the equation so that at the end of it everyone can understand Brahman from their position. Unless you know who you are, you cannot operate the Vedic system. If we are dealing with Brahman, the easiest point for us to recognize is the atma, ourselves. If you cannot understand yourself, you cannot understand the supreme self. You recognize I am not the body, I am the soul, they you can recognize that it is coming from God.
The whole thing is designed so that everyone can elevate to God consciousness, but that means realizing the conditioned nature and how to deal with it so that you can elevate yourself properly. If you have false identity, that is not going to help you in your relationships in the material world. You are not going to be able to compare the situation properly with God consciousness because whatever is your conditioned nature, you have to see it in relation to Krsna, but if you are seeing an illusion, how will you relate it to Krsna? You have to recognize your conditioned nature.
If someone is not very intelligent, but very strong, if they try to sit behind a computer all day, they will be frustrated because their conditioned needs are not being fulfilled. There must be some way of dealing with them so that it uplifts them rather than binds them. You are taking your senses and engaging them in the Lord of the senses’ service. The impersonalist idea is to stop the senses. Devotional means engaging the senses in the Lord’s service. It doesn’t ignoring them. It is one of the biggest mistakes the devotees make. It is for a higher purpose, so it is not bad, but it can give you the element of impersonal realization, but it won’t give you bhakti. Engaging the senses without connecting something higher will not help you, either. In the extreme, how is anyone going to survive?
No one is surviving it. That is because we are taking, it is this or that. The Vedic is the only path that is the real middle path. You can engage the senses and the philosophy is perfectly intact. That means you have to have a culture that satisfies both. That is brahminical culture, meaning in pursuance of Brahman. There is only brahmnicial culture in the Vedic, varnasrama, vedic, it is synonyms for the same thing. Particular daily occupation, there will be differences, but the application is the same. There is not a different set of rules for asramas for ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras. The system for brahmanas is the only one. In occupational duties, the others are simply simplifications of the brahminical. Certain aspects become more prominent but brahminical is the overview.
The brahmana will study, protect, economic development, some way of satisfying the senses. It is balanced, but knowledge takes the prominence. The others take one to the extreme. It is actually the same thing. If this is understood, the approach to the Vedic system becomes very, very easy.
Everything needed for material existence is there when Mahavisnu glances, etc. When you add false ego, you get false ego, add it again, you get intelligence, add it again. . . . You are adding false ego every time. If you drop false ego, you are dropping material existence. It is very important. When devotees say, “Oh, the Vedic system doesn’t work.” Translation: My false ego is so big, I couldn’t possibly surrender to God’s system.
It is God’s place, his rules, he hasn’t gone away, it doesn’t change. The whole universe is following the Lord’s rules. We are not willing to apply it to self realization. That is what the Vedic system is asking: What are your needs? What do you need today? That is all you have to be able identify. Then you can make the Vedic system work. Very scientific, very practical, the only thing that gets in the way is our false ego. As soon as I am servant of God, we are not in the material world. Then it is like someone having a bad dream is woken up and is still affected by it. The bhagya jiva, the fortunate soul, understands I am a servant of Krsna but is struggling with bad habits because of being here for a long time.
Krsna gives twenty qualities in Gita, the first one is humility. Everything else is based on that. Also in etiquette, culture, trnad api sunicena, that is the core verse of brahminical culture. From the verse, any aspect of Vedic culture you can operate. It is the key to operating any relationship with anything. That is the brahminical culture.
Everyone is practicing the same culture, but some may be able to practice more selflessly dealing with the brahminical aspect of studying themselves and giving knowledge to others simply because of their particular progress. It becomes easily an occupation for them. What is needed is the minimal of what they are able to generate by that nature. And they are able to use that in such a way that it becomes an occupation of studying and teaching. You call that person who is able to practice the brahminical culture as an occupation a brahmana. Those who cannot due to attachments are ksatriyas. . . .
Within the devotional circle, it is even more increased that the culture is the same. The difference is only how you deal with economics for your family or society. It doesn’t reflect on spiritual duties – direct ones. That doesn’t matter. You can be a sudra, as long as you have the spiritual acumen of second initiation, you can worship the deity. Asuric, they wouldn’t do that because they don’t have the advantage of devotional service to bring about that depth of daivi varnasrama. In asuric varnasrama it is lifetimes to adjust from one to another.
For devotees, your spiritual programs, festivals, you don’t make that much distinction, but when it comes to economics, you have to, or your economics will fail. Just because you are in charge doesn’t mean you know what economics are. Vaisyas do, they will give advice, but they don’t pull the strings because they will do it for money. Ksatriyas will do it for religion.
Those who are able to function on that at present, you identify as brahmanas. They should be supported and perform their duties because their duties are much more important than making money. Money is needed for everything, but it’s like saying what is the most important organ in your body? Some argue it is the anus. But what goes first? If your heart stops, you die in five minutes. Dharma, artha, kama, moksa are all important, but you give up your senses if there is economic opportunity, you give up economic opportunity for relationship, you give up relationship to get out of the material world.
If you have brahmanas, society will naturally form. It fails when people think that ksatriyas do things, you are this. . . . You see what are the occupational duties and who is interested in them. They start learning around five. Up until then the mother puts the maximum emotional input. That makes them very strong.
If you go back in history, I can’t remember what the war was, but it was one of the British wars. One of the most famous captains was twelve years old. All those armies that won all those wars were nineteen, twenty. That means before that they had to learn. That is the problem with the modern. Everyone is so stupid that they can’t make a choice, but why can they go out and have sex? This is inconsistent. Free sex is allowed, but you cannot say anyone can do this or that.
No, he has to learn what is a brahmana. Ksatriyas, vaisyas, sudras are parts of a brahmana. As someone matures in Krsna consciousness, in the end, we all take up the brahminical platform. Is vanaprastha or sannyasa a ksatriya duty? It is something they do when they retire from being a ksatriya. At the end of life, everyone has got to come to a brahminical platform. Manu says any man of 90 years old is respect, even a sudra. A ksatriya of 90 and a brahmana of 10 are like father and son, the brahmana being the father.
Modern culture is designed to keep students stupid because a twelve year old can easily do the same job in an office or factory that a forty year old does. The difference is how much money the forty year old and twelve year old needs. Then the economic system falls apart. It only takes six years to learn the twelve years of academics they have today. That means by twelve you can be out there doing things. Bhaktivinod Thakur was twelve when he took his mother and sister to Calcutta, got a job, and took care of them. It is very common. It is simply economic propaganda established by the unions.
You can’t say that at ten, twelve years old a kid can say I like language more than math or mantras or deity worship. So if you are going to get into this, you have to have these qualities. So if you have the interest and the qualities, why not?
It’s not sophisticated, it’s complicated. Jiva Goswami can give you one verse from which you can generate 180 charts for words. So the dictionary from the university Sanskrit department so thick would be a couple of pages from Jiva Goswami. It’s God’s system. Simple works. You’ve agreed to put yourself into the system. You have to identify what is brahminical nature, what are the occupations, what skills are needed and what qualities: guna and karma.
Then there are specializations. In brahminical culture you have four specializations then they break down into so many. Some kids from five know what they want to do, some at eighteen don’t know if they are Arthur or Martha. If you know what you are looking for, you can bring it out. Modern education is not designed to bring out the individual. How do you deal with them if they are complete individuals? You send in a bunch of varied kids, and in the end, they come out looking the same.
The Vedic system is, they come in, there is some variety, in the end, they come out unique individuals. That is why pp said he wanted to establish a class of brahmanas. They will create the environment where everyone else can understand who they are. Once the brahminical environment is there, the ksatriyas, they are already ksatriyas, but they will know what to do and they will do it. It functions at any time. It always works.
The president has a cabinet who are brahmanas. They give advise, then he as an administrator makes a decision and gets it done. It works because it is Krsna’s system. The part that doesn’t work is because you are not doing it.
Your endeavor for your needs cannot infringe on other individuals with their needs. That is why you have to be considerate. Consideration means restriction. The husband will put a lid on his anger that whatever he says, she says the opposite. She says he is so considerate.
No trust. No faith. That is the modern culture. Therefore, no go. From self-realization, faith, you have security, you know God is there. You can trust. Then you have relationship.
It is a science. It is not a sentiment.
There is no alternative. You start with one. Then there is two, then four. In time, you have people who support, but that takes vision. You know what you want to do, you get it done. It takes a lifetime, but what else is life for? You have a vision, you get it done. Existence is not enough. You have to have a vision. You have to generate an environment in which people start to think. That is brahminical culture. People are not afraid to think, to deal with themselves on all levels and all aspects.
Prabhupada said third generation, that means someone who joins, it is first generation. Their kids are second generation, their kids are third generation. Second generation, Krsna consciousness is their culture, it’s just a matter of whether they want to follow it or not. First generation, maybe, maybe not. Second generation can all get along, it is just a matter of how Krsna consciousness they are. Third generation will be solid in that because their parents will have been devotees. Second generation parents are devotees, but they became devotees, so the conviction is naturally more. We’re not taking conviction end of life, but conviction when the kids are screaming, something’s boiling on the stove, at that time, conviction in Krsna consciousness.
Then it transfers to rasa. In the beginning you are dealing with tattva, knowledge. Later means when you get to the platform of bhava, it is not important because more important is the relationship you have with Krsna and the devotees. Search for self realization is not, you are not this body is not. After one is liberated, knowledge and renunciation are not so important. They are important for getting out of the material world, but in the spiritual world, duty is more important. Then it is a matter of practical application of relationship. The neophyte and madhyam, that is beginning stage. Uttama is the latter stage.
It’s a matter of educating ourselves on what are those qualities and how not to get in the way of the natural manifestation. Prabhupada gives the example that if the anchor is in, the boat won’t go. If you anchor yourself in the material energy, the process is slower. It is non-different from the process, it is just making a commitment to it. There is then no difference between your desire and the practical application of it. When it is a need to be pure, the quality of your activity in purity will have meaning. Thinking, feeling, willing, so your abhideya will give you the prayojana if the prayojana is the goal. You will move in that direction. Many times devotees will apply something, but they seemingly don’t get the result. Either they have the wrong idea of what is the result. The material world will go on being the material world, but we won’t be bothered by it. Not that things will not happen. Making that decision that we want that spiritual position, then making the endeavor. We have to be humble and patient. Don’t do that on God. You have the right, but you have to have a connection first. Feminine can do that to the masculine, but you have to have a relationship first. You don’t jump from husband-wife to living entity-God.
When the husband is dealing properly, the wife becomes confident, then she can manifest all kinds of natural feminine qualities that men may not have thought were what they were buying into, but because of the attachment and commitment, it works. Then you are dealing in the real balance of happiness-sadness, nice-not nice. One of the major mistakes men make in dealing with women is that excitement is their pleasure, security is there, so excitement goes away, but pleasure remains the same. He thinks there is something wrong with the woman. The excitement just goes back to normal. For the living entity to think God should do this, that for me, you can only do that if you have surrendered. In that feminine position, you can make demands.
If you understand these Vedic principles, the social, economic are non-different from the spiritual. It is just a different manifestation. That is the importance of brahminical culture. Brahmanas don’t do the duties of ksatriya, vaisyas, sudra, but they understand how it works. Therefore, they don’t mind if the vaisyas make a lot of money and think they are God. They are tolerant. Their identity doesn’t become lost, they can respect them. Then everything else can see, “I am supposed to act like that.”
Without brahmanas, you won’t have the others. Brahmanas create ksatriyas. Ksatriyas provide the environment for vaisyas and sudras.
You need ksatriyas when you are dealing with economics. When everybody lives out in the forest and performs yajnas, they are going to do it whether anyone watches or not. They do their duties, their interaction with their wives and others is balanced, you don’t need it. Varnasrama is always going on, but in satya yuga, it is not a prominent element. It is still there. The brahminical is more masculine. The others are more feminine. Brahmanas are dealing with knowledge. It is independent. Others give them something, nice, if not, life goes on. If they starve, they go back to Godhead. If a ksatriya starves, his kingdom doesn’t go on, he hasn’t done his duty.
The Vedic system is very compatible. The most compatible is the four varnas and brahmana.
In satya yuga, Pururava, he was the one who introduced yajna. He was a king. It’s not that they are not there, but they are not so prominent. There is no need of wars. Grains come up automatically. The weather is proper and there are no poor people who pick it up due to need.
There is how much you need to get back to Godhead. Krsna is running everything. You are dealing with dead matter. Dead matter doesn’t respond. It’s responding because it is Krsna’s energy. The dog is acting as a dog because the universal form is manifesting the energy of dogness. The primary creation is all there. In secondary creation is when the living entities are created. They take those qualities and desires. Vedic means I want to get out of here, therefore, to see that. The first canto is history behind Bhagavatam. Second canto started with the universal form.
A person says I feel comfortable with my wife. It’s dead matter. It’s Krsna’s potency of femininity or wifeness that you are experiencing but you are thinking it is the body. Bhagavatam is teaching you how to become self realized in dealing with the funniest little thing. You get no credit for it because you don’t realize it is Krsna. Once you realize it, you start becoming detached. You deal with it as Krsna would want to be dealt with in that form. The more you are detached, the more you can relate properly. These are taken as rules that don’t matter, but it is direct science going on right now whether you recognize it or not.
Second canto starts with how you can be a grhastha totally absorbed in grhastha scene and still be self-realized. Kardama Muni, he got married, he had kids, he had sex with his wives in nine forms simultaneously, but still in line with self-realization. When his son says he can take care of his mother, he is out the door in the next verse. It is the perfect family relationship – flying house, ten kids, all opulences. This was a brahmacari who says I have material desires in my heart, I want to get rid of them. Devotees say it’s not practical. Bhagavatam is the most practical book in the universe, but you have to have faith in it to appreciate it. Anyone who has faith in guru and Krsna, all the imports of the Vedic knowledge will be revealed. If you don’t see it, faith is not there.
Up until now, I haven’t mentioned one rule, only Vedic principles. You understand the principles of it, then the details, rules make sense. That rule applies here, not over there. Yudhisthira doesn’t lie, he’s the greatest person, but when he won’t do it for Krsna on the battlefield, he is not glorified for it. If you try to apply a rule across the board, you will fail.
The pro-Vedic never get that far. They have a bad reputation and they are not able to apply it. The ones who oppose it are worse. At least the others are pious. The others are rejecting God, Krsna’s system. Anything you get a sensation, experience from, that is Krsna. It’s God’s rules. I can’t pick up a chili and say, “Sweet.”
You have to apply it. Bad application of Vedic rules will make trouble. Those Vedic rules are based on principles. What doesn’t work is our understanding and therefore application. It’s not the system that isn’t working. You have to be socially mature.
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