Hare Krsna to all

Pranams

Glories to Prabhupada

Below we have some sections of a lecture given by Srila Prabhupada where he  explains the position of

a qualified brahmana in this world and how dear such a person is to  the Lord.

Such a person is not interested in increasing his bank balance, or niche in  society, but has learned

the art of living with the bare necessities of life and then spends the  balance of his time in bhajan to the Lord. He makes his material  life practically zero by accepting only the actual things necessary  for his life

to continue without pandering to his minds or senses demands.

He also warns his disciples with brahmana threads to acquire the symptoms  of

a brahmana and not just make a show of it.  Dont become  puffed up thinking now I have

this thread and all my business is now finished. No. We have to become  qualified brahmanas.

And the result of this? He becomes peaceful

Hari bol

Damaghosa das

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761110SB.VRN                    Lectures                 Pradyumna: “O respectful brahmanas, as far as I am concerned, no one is equal or  superior to the brahmanas in this world. I do not find anyone comparable to  them. When people know My motive, after performing rituals according to the  Vedic principles they offer food to Me with faith and love through the mouth  of a brahmana. When food is thus offered unto Me, I eat it with full  satisfaction. Indeed, I derive more pleasure from food offered in that way  than from the food offered in the sacrificial fire.”

Krsna is first of all interested to see whether in the society  the brahmana and the cow is properly respected. Namo  brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. His first business is to see that  the brahmana and cow is being properly honored. Then  jagad-dhitaya. Then automatically the whole world will be  peaceful. This secret of success they do not  know. Nobody is prepared to become brahmana, and so far cow protection is  concerned, it is in the oblivion. This is the whole world position.  Therefore it is in chaotic condition. It must be, because  this is animal society. When these two things are neglected, it is animal  society, and then other animal qualities and paraphernalia  follow….

Unless we control the base qualities, namely the modes of  ignorance and passion, you cannot be happy. It is not possible.  Tato rajas-tamo-bhavah. Rajas tamo-bhavah means kama and lobha. So long  I have lusty desire and so long I have greediness to acquire more  and more and more, to enjoy senses more and more That is greediness. One should be satisfied, the minimum  possible.    Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithunam ca samanyam  etat pasubhir naranam. Ahara means eating. Ahara, nidra, sleeping, and  fearing, and sense enjoyment. These are required, but not for increasing  but decreasing. Just like when a person is diseased he should not eat as  he likes. Because he is diseased, doctor prescribes that “You take little  barley water or glucose, no solid food, if you want to be cured.”  Similarly, these things are necessity so long this body is  there. Ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna. But this should be decreased,  not increased. That is human civilization, not to increase. Just like  the Gosvamis in Vrndavana. They did not come here to  increase ahara-nidra-bhaya-maithuna. No. They came here to  decrease. Nidrahara-viharakadi-vijitau. That is wanted. This is  Vrndavana-vasi, not that to live in Vrndavana and increase this

   Unfortunately the present civilization, they are not meant  for decreasing. They are simply increasing. The Western civlization  means increasing the means of sense gratification, “machine,  machine, machine, machine.” So, and the brahminical culture means samo  damo titiksa. Titiksa means without something I may suffer. Suffer. So  one should be practiced to suffer. Suffer, that is tapasya.  Tapasa brahmacaryena. Tapasya begins from celibacy. We are practiced to  sex life or sense gratification. Tapasya means first of all stop  this. Tapasa brahmacaryena. This is practice.    So  to become fit for going back to home, back to Godhead, it is not so easy. It  is not so easily… We have to make our material life almost zero. Not almost  zero–practically zero. Anyabhilasita-sunyam. That is wanted,  practice.

That is called greediness. The Vedic civilization teaches that  “Be satisfied with the minimum necessities of life. Don’t  increase unnecessary necessities of life, and then you have to work for it  very hard like hogs and dogs.” That’s all. Then you have to work  very… Modern world, they have increased their unnecessary necessities  of life, and therefore you’ll find how hard working. In European  and American cities we have seen how people are working very  hard, beginning from morning at five o’clock till four o’clock next  night, for sense gratification. So this is not civilization. This  is condemned civilization. Nayam deho deha-bhajam nrloke kastan  kaman arhate vid-bhujam ye. This is not civilization. This is  animal civilization, working so hard day and night for eating. That is  the business of the hogs and dogs. You will find the hogs and dog,  they are loitering on the street whole day and night: “Where is food?  Where is sex?” That is not civilization. They must be peaceful  brahmana. Of course, not that everyone can be elevated to the position of  a brahmana, but at least they must have the chance to see that “Here is a  class of men, brahmana.” That is wanted. Otherwise the civilization is  failure.

Prabhupada: Rukmini. He (she) took immediately the camara. He  (she) said, “My husband is respecting.” But he was dressed very poorly,  lean and thin. Brahmana, because they refuse unnecessary necessities  of life, sometimes they look very poor, poverty-stricken. They are  not poverty-stricken. They are the richest. Mahatmanas tu mam  partha daivim prakrtim sritah, bhajanty ananya-manaso. Those who are  engaged in bhajana never think of their poverty. No. They are not  poor. Otherwise, if Sudama Vipra, externally he looked very poor, lean  and thin, not very nice cloth… Krsna is: “My dear friend, sit  down here.” He brought water, washed the feet, just respectable  person, guru, brahmana. This is etiquette. Krsna is showing personally. He  is the king. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also respects  a brahmana. When Narada used to come to Krsna, immediately He would  get down from the seat and offer obeisances, and Narada was smiling,  “Just see Krsna’s lila.”

So laksanam must be, laksanam, the symptom, what is  brahmanas’ symptoms. So my request to you, the Europeans and American  boys, you have been initiated as brahmana but you must practice the  laksana. Otherwise, if you think, puffed up, that “Now I have got the  sacred thread. My business is finished. I can do whatever I like,” no.  That is not. Laksanam. Laksanam means symptoms. That you must  observe, laksanam. Yasya hi yad laksanam proktam. Then nobody can  check you. You will be very much dear of  Krsna. Namo brahmanya-devaya go brahmana-hitaya ca. If you  keep yourself in the platform of a true brahmana as you are expected… It is  not difficult. We have selected the four principles: no illicit sex, no  meat-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling. That’s all. If you keep to  these practices, then you remain. And if you chant, then above brahmana, you  become Vaisnava. Manmana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. Qualify yourself as a brahmana. Qualify yourself as a Vaisnava.  Then your position is guaranteed. Kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah  pranasyati. Sure. Guranteed.

    So when Krsna takes care of you, He…, attention is  on you. Then who can…? Maya’s… There is no strength of maya to touch  you. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te. Maya may be there.  Police may be there. Police is there, so what business I have got  with the police if I am honest? If I am properly observing the rules and  regulation of the government, what business police has got to touch me? Maya is there. Maya must be there. Maya… (aside:) Don’t  stop… Maya is there, but it does not mean maya can touch you if you are  actually surrendered to Krsna. Mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te.  So here it is (aside:) Sitting there. So Krsna personally will take care.  And to come to the brahmana stage, this is also Everything is described.  Everything is prescribed. If you have to follow again and again We can come  to the brahmana stage by a simple method, as we are practicing, that  nityam bhagavata. Nasta-prayesu abhadresu nityam  bhagavata-sevaya. Bhagavata-sevaya. The book Bhagavata and the person  bhagavata. Person bhagavata, the guru, is the symbolic representation of  person bhagavata, whose life is bhagavata and book Bhagavata. So you have  to serve two bhagavata, nityam bhagavata…..