The whole world is running on under three guṇas: sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Sattvic, there is sattvic dān, sattvic charity, rajasic charity, tamasic charity. Similarly, religious system also: sattvic religious, rajasic religion, tamasic religion. Everything, whatever you do—everything is going on, any activity—it can be sattvic, it can be rajasic, it can be tamasic. But when it comes to the sattvic platform, then it is perfect. If it is on the platform of rajasic and tamasic, it is useless.
But they do not know what is sattvic, rajasic, tamasic. Ignorance, simply ignorance. Defective human civilization. These things have to be learned if you want to make your life perfect, because this is the opportunity, human life. You don't think that the child which is being killed, we are laughing. No. You may also be put into that condition. You may be put into that condition. That we should know. But they do not know it.
So these things are prescribed, therefore, that to make your life perfect you should accept these processes.
- tapasā brahmacaryeṇa
- śamena damena ca
- tyāgena satya-śaucābhyāṁ
- (SB 6.1.13)
Satya means truthfulness; one should be very truthful. Truthfulness is prescribed; that is the brahminical qualification. Satya, sama, dama, these are all brahminical qualifications. So one has to become a brāhmaṇa. brāhmaṇa means anyone who is qualified with all these higher quality of human life, he's a brāhmaṇa. By birth one is not brāhmaṇa. As soon as in India they took it that by birth one becomes brāhmaṇa, the whole Vedic civilization has been spoiled. brāhmaṇa means this quality. They have taken it in India now by birth one becomes brāhmaṇa. No. In the śāstra it is not stated that.