View source for What kind of practical work could we engage them (the brahmanas who are in the varnasrama college) in?

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[[Category:Questions asked to Srila Prabhupada]]
[[Category:Questions asked to SP... 1974]]
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<div id="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="section" sec_index="5" parent="compilation" text="Conversations and Morning Walks"><h2>Conversations and Morning Walks</h2>
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<div id="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" class="sub_section" sec_index="7" parent="Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" text="1974 Conversations and Morning Walks"><h3>1974 Conversations and Morning Walks</h3>
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<div id="MorningWalkVarnasramaCollegeMarch141974Vrndavana_0" class="quote" parent="1974_Conversations_and_Morning_Walks" book="Con" index="36" link="Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana" link_text="Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana">
<div class="heading">They'll be teaching. They'll be all teachers... Yes. Just like Droṇācārya. He was brāhmaṇa, but he was teaching military art to the Pāṇḍavas. General teacher class will be the brāhmaṇas. It doesn't matter what he's teaching. But teaching, perfectly teaching, how to become a military man. Arjuna's fighting was due to Droṇācārya. He learned it from Droṇācārya. He was a brāhmaṇa.
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<span class="link">[[Vanisource:Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana|Morning Walk 'Varnasrama College' -- March 14, 1974, Vrndavana]]: </span><div class="text"><p style="display: inline;">Satsvarūpa: Śrīla Prabhupāda, is this school for women also, or just for men?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: For men. Women should automatically learn how to cook, how to cleanse home.</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: So they don't attend varṇāśrama college.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no. Varṇāśrama college especially meant for the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya and vaiśya. Those who are not fit for education, they are śūdras. That's all. Or those who are reluctant to take education-śūdra means. That's all. They should assist the higher class.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Would the brāhmaṇas learn Sanskrit?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh? Not necessarily.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Not necessarily. Just more philosophy.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Just like I am translating all the books, similarly, any book of knowledge can be translated into different languages. Not that one has to learn Sanskrit. Why?</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Not necessary. So in this varṇāśrama college there would be two divisions, varṇa and āśr... Learning a materia...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: First of all varṇa. And āśrama, then, when the varṇa is perfectly in order, then āśrama. Āśrama is specially meant for spiritual advancement, and varṇa is general division. It must be there in the human society, or they're on the animals. If varṇa is not there, then this is a society of animal. And when the varṇa is working perfectly, then we give them āśrama. Varṇāśrama. That is later on.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: First they should be taught a skill.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. First of all, the whole society must be divided into four varṇas. Otherwise, there will be chaotic condition. That is what is the position now. What is he, what he has to do, one does not know. And there are so many unemployment. But if you organize the society into varṇas, there will be no question of unemployment.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: But from the very beginning there should be taught Bhagavad-gītā and...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh?</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: From the very beginning we should teach Bhagavad-gītā?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. But our, our position is that we are above varṇāśrama. But for management or ideal society, we are introducing this. We, so far we are concerned, Kṛṣṇa conscious men, we are above varṇāśrama. But to show the people that we are not escaping, we can take part in any order of life. That is our position. Just like if I brush somebody's shoes, that does not mean I am shoemaker. My position is the same. But to show how to do it... Just like a servant is doing. The master is, "Oh, you cannot do. Just see." Just like I show you sometimes how to mop. So I am not a mopper, but I am showing how to mop. So our position is like that. We do not belong to any varṇa and āśrama. But we have to show these rascals. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja. He, he was perfect Vaiṣṇava, but when he was king, he was fighting like anything. Not that, "Oh, I am now become Vaiṣṇava. I cannot kill." What is this? He killed like anything. When the Yakṣas attacked his kingdom, he was killing like anything then the Yakṣa-rāja came and asked him to pardon this. He immediately accepted. So he wanted to give him some benediction, that "You are so great that simply on my request, you have stopped killing these rascals, Yakṣas. So you can take some benediction from me." He said, "That's all right. Thank you. You give me the benediction that I may be a pure lover of Kṛṣṇa. That's all." This benediction he asked. Although he was so powerful and, the Yakṣa-rāja, he could give him the wealth of the whole universe. But he made that, "Thank you very much. You give me this benediction that I may remain a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa." This is Vaiṣṇava. He is doing everything, but his aim is to please Kṛṣṇa. Similarly, even if we take to varṇāśrama, we do not belong to any... Just like Kṛṣṇa says, mayā sṛṣṭam. "I have inaugurated." But Kṛṣṇa has nothing to do with varṇāśrama. Similarly, if we act as varṇāśrama, still, we have nothing to do with the varṇāśrama.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Prabhupāda, can you say something about the training for a brāhmaṇa.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. They are satyaṁ śamaḥ damaḥ. He must be truthful, he must control the senses, control the mind... śamo damaḥ,... He must be tolerant. He should not be agitated in trifle matters. Satyaṁ śamo damaḥ śaucam. He must be always clean. Three times he must take bath at least. All the clothing, all, everything is clean. This is brahminical training. And then he must know all what is what, knowledge, and practical application, and firm faith in Kṛṣṇa. This is brāhmaṇa.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: So what kind of practical work could we engage them in?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: They'll be teaching. They'll be all teachers.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Oh, they'll be teachers.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like Droṇācārya. He was brāhmaṇa, but he was teaching military art to the Pāṇḍavas. General teacher class will be the brāhmaṇas. It doesn't matter what he's teaching. But teaching, perfectly teaching, how to become a military man. Arjuna's fighting was due to Droṇācārya. He learned it from Droṇācārya. He was a brāhmaṇa. But because he took the position of a teacher, he thought very perfectly. A brāhmaṇa should be expert in every kind of knowledge. If requires, he'll become teacher. This is brāhmaṇa.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: So brāhmaṇa can teach how to fight?</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. Brāhmaṇa means intelligent, brain. So in intelligent brain one can learn anything and teach anything.</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: This is all very new.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Eh?</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: This is very new. It seems there'll be many difficulties. So we should try to start this school.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: What is the difficulty? If I teach you how to cook, is it very difficult?</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: Yes, we have to... No, we have to learn, though.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Then similarly, like that. Like that. I am doing that. I am teaching how to mop the floor.</p>
<p>Satsvarūpa: Then it becomes easy.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: But I must know everything because I am a teacher.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: So, for example, if I become a teacher at varṇāśrama, say, the first teacher at the varṇāśrama college, then I have to also become expert at how to fight, how to...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Not all of you, but some of you must be, must learn the art of fighting also. But in a practical you are not going to fight. If required, you can fight. I say that we are above all these varṇāśrama, but we must train others or ourself also for material activities, everything, under these divisions.</p>
<p>Viṣṇujana: For example, in New Vrindaban we have brāhmaṇas that are very expert at tilling the soil and taking care of cows.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Viṣṇujana: And they could travel around and teach others how to do that as well.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That's right. He is brāhmaṇa, but he's teaching how to take care of the cows and ploughing.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: It's not that one teacher has to teach everything.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, no.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Oh, I see. So a brāhmaṇa teacher should become expert in a particular subject and then teach that.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes.</p>
<p>Hṛdayānanda: Oh. It's very exciting, Prabhupāda, because all the, at the present time in the...</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: No, the thing is that actually, at the present moment, they are śūdras or less than śūdras. They are not human beings. The whole population of the world. It doesn't matter whether it is western or eastern. That is the position. So unless they are trained up, so the society's already in chaos, and it will go on still more in chaos, chaos. It will be hell. How people will live? And these rascals are being elected as government men, and they're only making budget how to tax. So one side, there is no rain; one side, there is no rice, especially in India; and one side, heavy tax. So they'll be all confused. They have already become confused. So in the confusion state it will be very difficult to make them Kṛṣṇa conscious. Therefore preliminary help should be given.</p>
<p>Viṣṇujana: Preliminary.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes. That they should not be in chaos and confusion. Otherwise, how the brain will work?</p>
<p>Viṣṇujana: Yes. No one can give rapt attention without peace of mind.</p>
<p>Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Our main aim is how to give them Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But if they are already disturbed in every respect, then how they'll take it? Therefore we are taking these subjects, to help him to come to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And this is the method-varṇāśrama.</p>
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