# Front Matter ## Biographical Sketch His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda appeared in this world on September 1, 1896, in Calcutta, India. During his childhood, Prabhupāda was known as Abhay Caran De. He was the pet child of Gour Mohan De and his wife Rajani, both pious devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda's early life gave him a wealth of experience which he would draw on in later years while instructing his disciples in the both the shortcomings of modern social and economic organization, and the ideals of the *daiva-varṇāśrama*system created by Kṛṣṇa. Gour Mohan was a cloth merchant of moderate income, but he belonged to the aristocratic*suvarna-vanik* merchant community. Prabhupāda described his family as middle class, noting that there was never any shortage of food, shelter, or clothing for them. Gour Mohan was an indulgent father, but one who constantly planned for his son to become a great devotee of the Lord. Rajani was the example of the ideal affectionate Bengali mother. She was religious and an excellent cook as well. A pious devotee of the Lord, Gour Mohan was charitable to numerous *sadhus* or holy men who lived in Calcutta. But, even as a boy, Prabhupāda could see that while a few were genuine, most were simply charlatans and cheats. Although they claimed spiritual status, they were nothing more than social parasites. Calcutta was home, not only to Hindus, but also to many Muslims as well. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda's biographer, Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, Hindus and Muslims lived peacefully together in Calcutta, so when the first Muslim-Hindu riot broke out when Abhay was thirteen years old, his family understood that it was due to political agitation by the British. In later years, Prabhupāda emphasized the non-sectarian nature of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, stressing that the important thing was not designations such as Muslim, Hindu or Christian, but that all people should dedicate their lives to serving the Supreme Lord. In that situation, different religious groups could easily get along with one another. In 1916, Abhay's father encouraged him to enroll at Scottish Churches' College, one of two prestigious colleges in Calcutta. There he got along well with the faculty, most of whom were Scottish priests, and was exposed to the works of many Western writers and thinkers. His college years gave Śrīla Prabhupāda an exceptional background in economics which he would draw from in later years when explaining the principles of spiritual social organization to his followers. In the classroom, he studied the work of Alfred Marshall, the foremost economist of his day. Marshall was the first to acknowledge the importance of both supply and demand as the determining factors in setting prices for commodities. Marshall had great faith that a self-regulating economy, free of government interference would lead to market equilibrium, a fair distribution of income, and full employment. His theories were an important factor contributing to Britain's ongoing industrialization and expansionist trade policies. Outside the classroom, Abhay attended nationalist meetings organized by Subhas Chandra Bose, a senior classmate and future leader in India's independence movement. Here he was exposed to Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy, which presented a social and economic analysis completely opposite of what had been presented in the classroom. Like many other Bengalis, Abhay was attracted by the spiritual overtones of the *svardja*or self-rule movement. Gandhi lived simply, like a sadhu, and seemed to have more integrity than many of the sadhus that Abhay had met. He constantly cited the*Bhagavad-gītā* and its emphasis on work as a way to spiritual realization. Contrary to Marshall's theories, Gandhi taught that industrialization and large scale international trade had led to unparalleled riches and indulgence for the upper classes, and impoverishment and unemployment for the lower classes. Instead of industrialism and international trade, Gandhi advocated simple living and village self-sufficiency or *swadeshi*. The symbol of Gandhi's movement was the charka or spinning wheel. Abhay joined the supporters of the nationalist movement, casting off his British mill cloth to wear home-spun khadi. Ultimately, Abhay was satisfied with neither Marshall nor Gandhi. His strongest drive was not economic or political, but spiritual, and even Gandhi could not fulfill his desires for a spiritually oriented society. For him, both the capitalist and the nationalist philosophies had shortcomings. Nevertheless, he did not completely reject the teachings of either thinker but retained the concepts that had practical application for spiritual goals. In later life, Śrīla Prabhupāda would refer to Marshall's concepts: economic impetus begins from family affection; the formula for successful business enterprise consists of land, labor, capital and organization. He praised Gandhi's ideals of self-sufficiency and village organization. But in his college years, something was still missing- that person who could provide the spiritual leadership he was searching for. Finally, in 1922, Abhay met his spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvami, in Calcutta. Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatīi, a prominent religious scholar and the founder of sixty-four Gaudiya Mathas (Vedic institutes), liked this educated young man and convinced him to dedicate his life to teaching Vedic knowledge. Abhay became his student, and eleven years later (1933) at Allahabad he became his formally initiated disciple. At their first meeting, in 1922, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura requested Abhay to broadcast Vedic knowledge through the English language. Although Abhay was by now a married man and held a position as an agent for an Indian pharmaceutical company, he nevertheless committed himself to fulfilling the desires of his spiritual master. In the years that followed meeting his guru, Śrīla Prabhupāda wrote a commentary on the *Bhagavad-gītā*, assisted the Gaudiya Matha in its work and, in 1944, started Back to Godhead, an English fortnightly magazine. Maintaining the publication was a struggle. Single-handedly, Śrīla Prabhupāda edited it, typed the manuscripts, checked the galley proofs, and even distributed the individual copies. The magazine is now being continued by his disciples in the West and is published in over thirty languages. Recognizing Śrīla Prabhupāda's philosophical learning and devotion, the Gaudiya Vaisnava Society honored him in 1947 with the title "Bhaktivedanta." In 1950, at the age of fifty-four, Śrīla Prabhupāda retired from married life, adopting the *vānaprastha*(retired) order to devote more time to his studies and writing. Śrīla Prabhupāda traveled to the holy city of Vrndavana, where he lived in very humble circumstances in the historic medieval temple of Radha-Damodara. There he engaged for several years in deep study and writing. He accepted the renounced order of life (*sannyāsa*) in 1959. At Radha-Damodara, Śrīla Prabhupāda began working on his life's masterpiece: a multi-volume annotated translation of the eighteen-thousand-verse*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*(*Bhagavata Purana*). He also wrote Easy Journey to Other Planets. After publishing three volumes of the *Bhāgavatam*, Śrīla Prabhupāda came to the United States, in September 1965, to fulfill the mission of his spiritual master. Subsequently, His Divine Grace wrote more than sixty volumes of authoritative annotated translations and summary studies of the philosophical and religious classics of India. When he first arrived by freighter in New York City, Śrīla Prabhupāda was practically penniless. Only after almost a year of great difficulty did he establish the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in July of 1966. Before his passing away on November 14, 1977, he guided the Society and saw it grow to a worldwide confederation of more than one hundred asramas, schools, temples, institutes and farm communities. Śrīla Prabhupāda's most significant contribution, however, is his books. Highly respected by the academic community for their authority, depth and clarity, they are used as standard textbooks in numerous college courses. His writings have been translated into over fifty languages. The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, established in 1972 to publish the works of His Divine Grace, has thus become the world's largest publisher of books in the field of Indian religion and philosophy. In just twelve years, in spite of his advanced age, Śrīla Prabhupāda circled the globe fourteen times on lecture tours that took him to six continents. In spite of such a vigorous schedule, Śrīla Prabhupāda continued to write prolifically. His writings constitute a veritable library of Vedic philosophy, religion, literature and culture. NOTE: In 1977, the year Śrīla Prabhupāda passed away, ISKCON listed the following thirteen farm communities in Back to Godhead magazine: Mayapur, India (Mayapur); Hyderabad, India (Hare Kṛṣṇa Land); Indre, France (New Mayapur at Lucay le Mal); London, England (Bhaktivedanta Manor); San Pedro, Costa Rica (New Vraja); Petropolis, Brazil (an affiliate of ISKCON Rio de Janeiro); Murwillumbah, Australia (New Govardhana); U.S. farm communities: Buffalo, New York; Carriere, Mississippi (New Talavana); Dixon, Missouri (New Godruma); Moundsville, West Virginia (New Vrndavana); Mulberry, Tennessee (Murari Sevak); Port Royal, Pennsylvania (Gita-nagari, formerly New Varsana). As this volume goes to press in 1999, Back to Godhead Magazine lists forty-six rural ISKCON communities in twenty-nine countries. Additional devotee communities, which are not yet officially affiliated with ISKCON, are also being developed. For scholarly consistency, the conversations in this volume are listed as they are in previous Bhaktivedanta Archives publications—according to the nearest large city. Thus, Gita-nagari is listed as Philadelphia, New Talavana is listed as New Orleans, New Mayapur is listed as Paris, and so on. Conventions Used in This Volume --- ## Conventions Used in This Volume Śrīla Prabhupāda based the authority of his work on scriptural injunction. In his lectures and conversations, he constantly cited the Vedic scriptures to make his point. For older Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees, many of the verses that Prabhupāda cites will be familiar, however, to make the work easily accessible to others, we have included verse translations and citations wherever possible. We have spelled out the titles of most of Prabhupāda's books, such as Teachings of Lord Kapila, The Nectar of Devotion, and the Science of Self Realization. However, we have used the following abbreviations for Śrīla Prabhupāda's translations which are cited most frequently: **Bg** *Bhagavad-gītā* **SB** *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*(*Bhagavata Purana*) and the following abbreviations for Prabhupāda's translation of*Caitanya-caritamrta*by Krsnadasa Kaviraja:*Adi*(beginning)*Madhya*(middle)*Antya* (end). Hare Kṛṣṇa devotees will recognize the common Sanskrit and Bengali terms used in the text. Scholars and others are encouraged to contact devotees in the nearest com-munity or temple, who will be happy to provide you with translations of specific terms. ELLIPSES (...] As this is an edited volume, ellipses have been used to denote words or segments omitted from the text. The complete text can be found by referring to the original sources. However, in the original conversation transcripts some ellipses to indicate pauses in speech. Scholars are invited to contact the Bhaktivedanta Archives for both transcripts and original audio tapes. PRONUNCIATION: Sanskrit transliterations used in the volume are pronounced as follows: Pronounce the short **a**like the**u**in but, long ā like the a in far (and held twice as long as the short**a**). (When it follows a long ā, a final short**a**can be dropped, optionally. Thus Rāma can be pronounce either RAMA or RAM.) Pronounce**e**like the**a**in evade, long**ī**like i in pique. Pronounce the vowel ṛ like the**ri**in rim and**c**like the**ch**in chair. Pronounce consonants like**ch**,**jh**, and**dh**as in staunch-heart, hedge-hog, and red-hot. Pronounce**ś**and**ṣ**like sh. So for Kṛṣṇa say KRISHNA, for Caitanya say CHAITANYA, for*varṇāśrama* say VARN-ASHRAM. SPIRITUAL NAMES: Members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness receive names of Lord Kṛṣṇa or His great devotees, combined with dasa (dasi for women) meaning "servant." For instance, the name Kṛṣṇa dasa means "servant of Kṛṣṇa." Varṇāśrama Categories --- ## Varṇāśrama Categories Although the terms "caste" and are sometimes used to indicate *varna*, these terms are not completely interchangeable with the term "*varna*." "*Jati*" means literally "birth." In terms of the caste system, "*jati*" is commonly used to refer to a social group in which an individual's membership is determined by birth. Śrīla Prabhupāda usually makes a distinction between a class in such a hereditary caste system and a*varna*in the*varṇāśrama*system—in which social role is determined by one's nature and work, rather than by birth (though occasionally he does use the term "caste" to mean "*varna*"). Moreover, the term "*jati*" can be much broader than the term "*varna*." "*Jati*" can be used to refer to birth in any type of family, such as physician, goldsmith, merchant, etc. Thus, although there are only four "*varṇas*," there may be hundreds of different "*jatis.*" "*Jati*" can even be used in the sense of "group" or "species" as in the "male*jati*" or "animal*jati*." In the context of social organization, Śrīla Prabhupāda reserves the use of the word "*varna*" to refer to one of four occupational categories. Thus, *varṇāśrama-dharma*refers to the division of human society into four occupational groups or*varṇas*(*brāhmaṇa*,*kṣatriya*,*vaiśya*and*śūdra)*and four spiritual groups or*asramas*(*brahmacarya*,*gṛhastha*,*vānaprastha*and*sanyasa)*. In the*Bhagavad-gītā*([[bg/4/13 1972|4.13]]), Kṛṣṇa states that He has created the*varṇāśrama* system, although He Himself is transcendental to it. The categories of the *varṇas* are as follows: *Brāhmaṇas*: teachers and spiritual leaders*Kṣatriyas*: military personnel and government administrators*Vaiśyas*: farmers and business people Ś*ūdras*: laborers, artists and craftspersons The asramas represent the different possible phases of life:*Brahmacarya*: student phase*Gṛhastha*: householder phase*Vānaprastha*: retired phase*Sannyāsa*: phase of complete renunciation for the purpose of spiritual progress --- ## Preface In December 1992, ISKCON's Governing Body Commission established Correspondence Resolution Number 9, creating a Farm Research Committee to research Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions on farming and rural community development. The committee realized that to research instructions on community development meant to research Prabhupāda's instructions on social development. To research instructions on social development meant, in turn, to research Prabhupāda's instructions on *varṇāśrama-dharma*. Thus the current work was assembled. The committee's goal in creating this work has been to provide a systematically organized reference and resource for devotees in the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement, from temple presidents and rural project leaders, to farmers, rural community members, and gurukula and upper level teachers and their students, and especially to provide guidance for the leaders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) as they seek to carry out the instructions of ISKCON's founder-*acarya* His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda in his mission of helping create a society dedicated to the loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. In addition, we want to provide an authoritative source for scholars, who in the near future, are sure to become increasingly interested in Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings on how to organize a peaceful, productive God-centered society. Such researchers should know that the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is founded on the scriptural principle, propagated in the recent age by Śrī Caitanya Mahaprabhu, that the Lord in His full potency is present in His names, such as Allah, Jehovah, Govinda, and many other transcendental names, of which the names Kṛṣṇa and Rama are prominent. The potency of the name of God is recognized in all religions around the world. According to India's ancient Vedic scriptures such as the *Agni* *Parana*and*Brhan-naradiya Paran*a (38.126), the most potent means of deliverance from illusion and material misery in the current age is to chant the names of God. The Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra is specifically mentioned in many places, such as the*Kalisantarana* *Upanisad*, for example, which states: > hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare > iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-ndsanam natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate "After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa." Even though this method of spiritual advancement appears easy to adopt, it was Śrīla Prabhupāda's realization that most people are so caught up in the illusory activities of the modern world that they are not able to directly avail themselves of the opportunity. Therefore, following in the footsteps of his spiritual predecessors in the *Madhva-Gaudiya-sampradaya*, line of disciplic succession, he presented the system of*varṇāśrama dharma*, also known as*daiva-varṇāśrama*, to pave the way for spiritual progress by creating an environment in which chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and engaging in devotional service to the Lord would become easy and satisfying for everyone, even those coming from the lowest and least spiritually inclined segments of the population. The present volume is intended to be the first of a series presenting Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions on *varṇāśrama*and rural community development. The series is planned to be organized as follows: volume one, conversations and lectures;**volume two**,*varṇāśrama*fundamentals,*brāhmaṇas*and*kṣatriyas*(including discussion of occupational training, land distribution, and taxation);**volume three**,*vaiśyas*and*śūdras*.(including discussion of farming, cow protection, economics);**volume four**,*brahmacaris*and*grhasthas*(including discussion of the role of women and children);**volume five**,*vanaprasthas*and*sanyasis*. (Volume five will also include a glossary and comprehensive index.) The editors of this series encourage devotees who may have had personal exchanges and letters from Śrīla Prabhupāda related to these topics to contact us so that we may include that information in our presentation. We want to stress that this volume has been edited to maintain focus on the subject of the book. Scholars doing research may wish to contact The Bhaktivedanta Archives for original sources. (See: Conventions Used in this Volume.) Many devotees and friends of the devotees have helped bring this presentation of Śrīla Prabhupāda's *varṇāśrama* message to fruition. They have provided funding, encouragement, and leads to valuable information in letters, discussions, e-mail messages and phone conversations. We want to express our thanks to all who have done so much to help us in our work, with special thanks to the following individuals: Ambarisa dasa has magnanimously provided principle funding for the project. Other benefactors include Bhakti-tirtha Swami, Advaita Candra dasa, Vraja-Vadhu-devi dasi, Hare Kṛṣṇa dasi's parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Traub, Linda Laracuente, Wallace Dorian, Douglas Bahnuik, and the late Karenlee Campbell. Credit also goes to Naveen Kṛṣṇa dasa for helping us with funding matters. We are greatly indebted to all those devotees who have invested so much hard work and love to develop ISKCON's many farm communities over the years. Their dedication is an important inspiration for the present work. The help of several of those devotees deserves special mention. Lagudi dasa, the lead ox-man from Australia's New Govardhana Farm, collaborated on much of the preliminary research of Prabhupāda's books. ISKCON's Minister for Cow Protection and Agriculture, Balabhadra dasa and his wife Chaya-devi dasi have been constant and enthusiastic supporters of the project. Vyapaka dasa, the co-editor of Hare Kṛṣṇa Rural Life provided encouragement and leads to important quotes. Our neighbors, Bhakta Bob Swett and his wife Bhaktin Velma, have inspired us with their efforts to develop Kṛṣṇa conscious farming in Maine. We also thank the ISKCON Commission for Social Development. Other devotees and friends have helped give us the perspective that helped us notice important points that Śrīla Prabhupāda makes in his writings and talks. As well as friendship and intellectual critique, Jaya Lalita-devi dasi and Visakha-devi dasi gave us many insights on Prabhupāda's economic and social thought. June and David Vail provided constant encouragement for this project, as did Paul Sarvis and Gwyneth Jones. Hare Kṛṣṇa dasi's professors at Bowdoin College were supportive of her explorative comparisons of Prabhupāda's socio-economic perspective with other modern thinkers: special thanks go to John Fitzgerald, Daniel Rossides, Robert McIntyre, John Holt and Jonathan Goldstein for their kindness in this regard. We want to thank the staff at Back to Godhead magazine for their support and for acting as a proving ground for much of this research over the past few years. In particular, our thanks go to Jayadvaita Swami, Nagaraja dasa, and Yamaraja dasa for their support and guidance. Our publishers, The Bhaktivedanta Archives, provided endless patience and assistance in all the technical matters of producing the book, as well as good-humored hospitality—and tasty *prasadam*. In particular, we want to thank Ranajit dasa, Dulal Candra dasa and Ekanatha dasa for their good cheer and valuable support. We have an unrepayable debt to all the devotees who worked to transcribe all Śrīla Prabhupāda's works for the Bhaktivedanta VedaBase. We also thank all the devotees of Prabhupāda Village in Sandy Ridge, North Carolina, for their kindness and support for the project, with a special thanks to Harakanta-devi dasi and her family for their generous hospitality to Hare Kṛṣṇa dasi during the book's editing sessions. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Paramananda dasa, ISKCON's first Minister of Agriculture, for the original inspiration to research Prabhupāda's instructions on farming and *varṇāśrama*. We first heard excerpts from many of the conversations in this volume in his*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam* classes. We want to thank Suresvara dasa's wife Katyayani-devi dasi and their daughter Radhika Candra-devi dasi for their support and encouragement, and we also thank Hare Kṛṣṇa dasi's husband Stephen Petroff and their children, Maharani-devi dasi and Astottara-sata dasa for years of indispensable patience and sacrifice, loving assistance, and enthusiasm for our work in presenting Prabhupāda's message. Before concluding this abbreviated list of those we are indebted to, in the spirit of *varṇāśrama*appreciation we want to take the opportunity to thank all the engineers and assembly workers of Grundig, Uher and Sony companies who worked to create the tape recorders used to record Śrīla Prabhupāda's priceless books and his lectures and conversations, making them all available to us. Without this unknowing devotional service on their part, the world would be much, much poorer. Certainly this is an example of what we mean by*varṇāśrama* cooperation: Even those who have a very humble occupation can serve the Lord because they provide indispensable help to those who have spiritual knowledge that can benefit the whole human society. Finally, our greatest debt is to our founder-*acarya* and spiritual master, Śrīla Prabhupāda himself, for his great compassion in working to pave the way to make it easy for all of us to go back home, back to Godhead. —The Editors --- ## Introduction Five thousand years ago, in the forest of Naimiṣāraṇya, Sūta Gosvāmī addressed an assembly of sages and informed them, "The occupational activities a man performs according to his position are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Personality of Godhead." Our work is meaningless if it does not lead to love of God. There is no point in doing it. But the average person must spend most of his or her life working, just to secure a livelihood. In such a circumstance, what hope is there for spiritual advancement? That question lies at the core of the *Bhagavad-gītā*, where we see Arjuna proposing to give up his position as a great warrior to adopt the renounced life of a beggar. "Don't do it," advises Kṛṣṇa, "Spiritual perfection lies not in renouncing work, but in performing your work as an offering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Do the work which is suitable to your nature, and perform it as an offering unto Me. That is the way to spiritual perfection. If you do your work as an offering of love for Me, then surely you will come to Me at the end of life." *Varṇāśrama*is meant to provide the framework in which people of all different personality types and at different phases of life, can perform their work as an offering to the Lord. Sometimes we think that*varṇāśrama*means a*brāhmaṇa*studying scriptures, a*kṣatriya*fighting battles, a*vaiśya*maintaining a shop, and a*śūdra*practicing carpentry. The*brahmacari*attends classes, the*gṛhastha*maintains a household, the*vānaprastha*visits holy places, and the*sannyasi*lives simply in a hut and preaches. But,*varṇāśrama*is more than that. It is a system which guides the relationships between the different*varṇas*and*diramas*so that the different groups work cooperatively for the spiritual advancement of the whole society. Just because we have four*varṇas*and four diramas does not mean we have*varṇāśrama*. The key to*varṇāśrama* is the relationships of mutual support between the different groups. We can make a comparison between *varṇāśrama*and marriage. The marriage unit consists of a man and woman, but simply the fact that we have a man and a woman does not mean we have a marriage. There must be a socially recognized relationship between the man and woman, and each partner should perform activities in support of the other to create a cooperative, mutually supportive relationship. This is what a marriage is meant to be. Similarly, in*varṇāśrama*, the members of each*varna*and*airama*have specific roles to play to support the other groups in society, and to promote a cooperative, mutually supportive relationship. Each group must help the other groups, not only to provide the practical necessities of life and a wholesome sense of community, but, even more importantly, to facilitate the whole society's worship of the Supreme Lord. Now, we know that not all marriages are loving, supportive relationships. In some marriages the partners may be hateful and abusive. But that does not mean that marriage is meant to promote hatred and abuse. Not all class systems are cooperative, mutually supportive social structures. At this point in history, in fact, we do not see any prominent examples of such social structure. But that does not mean that social structure is meant to promote exploitation and abuse. Social structure—as originally designed by the Supreme Lord—is meant to provide material welfare and spiritual progress for all members of society. It is this original social structure,*varṇāśrama dharma*, sometimes known as daiva*varṇāśrama*, that Srlla Prabhupāda wanted his followers to establish for the benefit of people all over the world. In this volume we'll see that Srlla Prabhupāda's approach to *varṇāśrama*focuses on the development of farm communities to show the example of ideal Vaisnava social structure. Through his secretary Prabhupāda sends a letter of encouragement to Hari-Sauri dasa at the New Govardhana farm in Australia, "On these farms we can demonstrate the full*varṇāśrama*system. If these farms become successful then the whole world will be enveloped by Kṛṣṇa consciousness." Farm communities offer the possibility of self-sufficiency, and, for Prabhupāda, self-sufficiency is central to*varṇāśrama*. Thus, he advocates simple living and high thinking. "Produce your own food. Produce your own cloth," we hear him exhort followers, even in his last days in Vrndavana. Farms also provide the opportunity to engage in cow protection, which—along with brahminical culture—Prabhupāda calls one of the two "pillars of spiritual advancement." Village organization is an important means of reviving our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he tells devotees at Gita-nagari farm. "Kṛṣṇa, in His natural life, is a village boy in Vrndavana. He is satisfied in that life. So those who are Kṛṣṇa conscious, they should be satisfied with simple life in the village." A simple lifestyle of taking care of the cows, living as Kṛṣṇa taught by His personal example will help us remember Kṛṣṇa. But what about the cities? "That does not mean that we shall avoid city life or town life, no," Prabhupāda explains, "Everything, every place is Kṛṣṇa's place. Everywhere there should be Kṛṣṇa consciousness." In Vrndavana and Allahabad, we'll see Prabhupāda explain the role of city temples as staging grounds for organizing *varṇāśrama* communities. In the first phase, devotees should go into the cities and attract the people by establishing temples and distributing Kṛṣṇa conscious literature. Second, as people become devotees, they can be brought to farm communities where they can live the Kṛṣṇa conscious lifestyle described in the books, and remain fixed up in devotional practice without the temptations and material allurements of the cities. According to Śrīla Prabhupāda's vision, the modern industrial cities provide an environment which crushes spiritual development: "This town life, industrial life, factory life, is asuric [demoniac] life. It is killing human ambition. It is killing civilization," he tells devotees. The city temples can provide a way out of that environment by training devotees and directing them to Kṛṣṇa conscious farm communities, where they can find wholesome occupations, favorable to spiritual development. But Prabhupāda also realizes that people living in the modern world may have become so far out of contact with the natural lifestyle demonstrated by Kṛṣṇa that they are afraid to move to a simpler way of life. He notes that even the farmer's sons have left farming. Therefore, in Vrndavana he proposes a *varṇāśrama* college that will teach not only spiritual knowledge, but also practical skills such as "how to give protection to the cows, how to till the field and grow food." Leaders will be taught how to properly protect their citizens and provide them with training, land and appropriate occupations. Prabhupāda also points out the dangers of an oppressive social system, condemning the modern caste system—which designates people by their birth rather than by their natural abilities—as a perversion of Kṛṣṇa's original *varṇāśrama*system. Even in his earliest lectures, he emphasizes the importance of mutual respect among members of different*varṇas*. If the work is done for Kṛṣṇa, he tells devotees in Montreal, a potter's work is just as important as a*brahmana's*.*Varṇāśrama*means appreciating the work of others, no matter what their occupation, because it is devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. In this volume we will see Prabhupāda address these and many other concerns about*varṇāśrama*, ranging from sociology to government and economics, and we hear him explain how all aspects can be developed in a way that encourages spiritual progress. One may ask why, nearly thirty years after Prabhupāda proposed the establishment of *varṇāśrama*, there are no examples of developed*varṇāśrama* communities. Part of the reason is that the mundane social structures in which the first generation of Western devotees were brought up did not promote spiritual progress. Sometimes they did little even to promote material well being for their citizens. With this kind of experience in our childhood and youth, many of us are puzzled at how to succeed in such an endeavor, and therefore hesitant to proceed. That reservation is reasonable. It is difficult for a child of an abusive marriage to make his own marriage successful. Yet, if he is properly instructed and given supportive counseling, his marriage may be as wholesome and productive as his parents' marriage was quarrelsome and miserable. Similarly, with good instruction and supportive counseling, we will be able to create a productive, spiritually focused social structure, even though the ones in which we were brought up failed in so many ways. That good instruction and supportive counseling have been kindly provided by our founder-acarya, Śrīla Prabhupāda. The present research, Prabhupāda on *varṇāśrama*and Farm Community Development, is an effort to bring together all of Śrīla Prabhupāda's instructions on*varṇāśrama* *dharma*and the farm communities which he saw as the building blocks of*varṇāśrama*social structure. Now we have a chance to hear from Srlla Prabhupāda himself, the answers to our questions and concerns regarding the topic of*varṇāśrama* social organization. This first volume, Speaking about *varṇāśrama*, focuses on Śrīla Prabhupāda's actual spoken conversations and lectures about*varṇāśrama*. "Why focus on spoken words?" one may ask. "Isn't everything we need to know in Prabhupāda's books?" In fact, the fundamental message of Prabhupāda's books and his conversations or lectures is the same: Dedicate your human form of life to serving Kṛṣṇa. But the details and the emphasis that Prabhupāda gives when in direct conversation with his disciples is sometimes different. Disciples are able to bring their specific questions to Prabhupāda's attention, especially as they relate to current-day affairs and practical matters. In turn, Śrīla Prabhupāda, inspired by the devotees' interest, offers spontaneous response to their inquiry which gives a fresh understanding of the topics at hand. Thus, there is special value in these spoken passages, and since they are generally harder to access in written form, it is worth gathering them together in one volume for study and reference. Himavati dasi recounts a 1975 exchange between an ISKCON Governing Body Commission officer and Śrīla Prabhupāda at a Mayapur reunion. The GBC officer complained, "There are so many 'Prabhupāda said's.' Better only to accept what is in the books and tapes." Śrīla Prabhupāda replied, "No, what I say in my talks, also. Many things I say are not in my books." Hearing his conversations and lectures in chronological order gives us the chance to examine the evolution of Śrīla Prabhupāda's *varṇāśrama*presentation over time. During the earliest days he presents*varṇāśrama*as an ideal social structure, but one which is probably not possible for the present age. Nevertheless, even in that early period, he is intent on creating*brāhmaṇas*-devotees who would provide a "head" for society, giving it sound spiritual guidance. During the middle period, he proposes that ISKCON's*brāhmaṇas*provide the leadership to create a model of*varṇāśrama*in which the rest of the world can also be included. In the final phase, he presents*varṇāśrama* as an important preaching tool and a structure to be implemented initially "within our ISKCON society," with devotees in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement participating at every level. Right from the beginning of his preaching, Prabhupāda believed that an important strategy for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness was to create a body of *brāhmaṇas*, devotees who were willing to follow strict standards of spiritual discipline and who would devote their lives to studying and conveying the message of the*Bhagavad-gītā*and*Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*to others. The Vedic institution of hereditary*brāhmaṇas*could not be maintained in the modern age, he explained to disciples at a 1969 Gayatri*mantra*initiation in Boston. Everyone, even in India, had to be considered a*śūdra*due to the absence of the*garbhadhana-samskara*ritual sanctifying the conception of a child. But even though it was not possible to rely on the Vedic vidhi in the current age, legitimate*brāhmaṇas*could still be created by following the*pancaratrika-vidhi*or devotional regulations established by the ancient sage Narada Muni and endorsed by the medieval Vaisnava saint Sanatana Goswami in his*Hari-bhakti-vilasa*(2.12, 10.127), which is accepted*Vaisnava smrti,* or authorized Vaisnava scripture. In offering *brāhmaṇa*initiation to disciples following the*pancaratrika-vidhi*method, Prabhupāda was continuing the example set by his own spiritual master, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Goswami who had revived the*pancaratrika-vidhi*process, even in the face of strong protests by India's hereditary*brāhmaṇas*. These*smarta-brāhmaṇas*had objected when*śūdras*were offered*brahminical*initiation by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhanta, and they became more upset later on, when Śrīla Prabhupāda began to offer brahminical initiation to Westerners—who, according to their standards, were not even up to the level of*śūdras*. But Prabhupāda staunchly defended the initiations, citing his spiritual master and Sanatana Goswami. Furthermore, it was Prabhupāda's conviction that women could be included within the parameters of Sanatana Goswami's instructions for brahminical initiation, and thus he extended the offer of brahminical initiation to them as well. Prabhupāda's convictions were validated by tangible results. Everyone—from Indian government leaders to Western scholars and police chiefs—was impressed that Prabhupāda could take Westerners from a culture saturated with illicit sex, drugs and meat-eating, and convert them to exemplary followers of Vaisnava culture. Prabhupāda was proud of his disciples. In a commentary in the Fourth Canto of the *Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam*he states, "Preachers in the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement have actually experienced that even the*yavanas*and*mlecchas*have taken to spiritual life on the strength of Narada Muni's*pancaratrika-vidhi*." But, success was not unmitigated. On one hand, Prabhupāda's move to create*brāhmaṇas*had produced a core group of devotees who could follow rigid standards of temple living and act as knowledgeable preachers of Kṛṣṇa conscious philosophy. But on the other hand, a large percentage of those initiated gradually faded out of active participation in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They were not able to maintain rigorous*brahminical* standards required for living in a temple. For some, temple life was almost like a boot camp in the U.S. Marine Corps. It was a test of endurance. If the Marine Corps slogan was: "Are you good enough to get in?" ISKCON's slogan seemed to be: "Are you good enough to stay in?" Prabhupāda realized that such a strict approach would inhibit most people from adopting Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By March 1974, we hear him outlining his plans for the creation of a *varṇāśrama*college to provide the cornerstone for the development of a Kṛṣṇa conscious society which includes positions for the full range of human beings, not just those who could become satisfied as meticulous, austere*brāhmaṇas*. Reading the conversations that are part of those historic*Varṇāśrama*Walks," we can tell that this is a new approach for the devotees listening to Prabhupāda. They are surprised by the idea that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not only for*brāhmaṇas*. This was the beginning of Prabhupāda's deliberate move to establish a total*varṇāśrama*structure and not simply to create a group of*brāhmaṇas*. Three years later in Māyāpur, in Śrīla Prabhupāda's culminating presentation on *varṇāśrama*, he emphatically reiterates his conviction that*varṇāśrama*is a critical tool for spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness. "In big scale you cannot make all of them*brāhmaṇas*or*sannyasis*," he explains to disciples. "No. That is not possible. This is small scale. What percentage of people of the world are we attracting? Very insignificant. But if you want to make the whole human society perfect, then this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement should be introduced according to Kṛṣṇa's instructions—if you want to do it in a large scale for the benefit of the whole human society. Now we are picking up some of them, the best. That is one thing. But Caitanya Mahaprabhu said*para-upakara*. Why only a certain section should be picked up? Let the whole mass of people get the benefit of it. But then it is required to be systematic. Therefore, we have to introduce this*varṇāśrama-dharma*. It must be done perfectly. It is possible, and people will become happy." But surely devotees within ISKCON are transcendental, his followers suggest. They are *vaisnavas*, so they are above*varṇāśrama*, Surely they will not be expected to take up different roles, such as*kṣatriya*,*vaiśya*or*śūdra*. But Prabhupāda disagrees, "To become*vaisnava*is not so easy. If to become a*vaisnava*is so easy, why do so many fall down?" Even though he is proud of his disciples' achievements, that pride doesn't blind him to the fact that the one-hundred-percent-*brāhmaṇa*approach to making devotees has led to a high drop-out rate. "Why should a*śūdra*artificially be made a*brāhmaṇa*?" he challenges them. "Let him remain a*śūdra*, and if he follows strictly the rules and regulations of a*śūdra*, he'll be as good as a*brāhmaṇa*... Even if he remains a*śūdra*, he's a*vaisnava*... As a*śūdra*, he can get perfection." If the philosophy for phase one of spreading Kṛṣṇa consciousness seemed like the Marine Corps slogan, "Are you good enough to get in?" the final phase was more like the Army slogan, "Be all that you can be." "Be all that you can be—in *varṇāśrama*. Even if you can't be a*brāhmaṇa*, you can still be a*vaisnava—no*matter what your occupation is. You can still get spiritual perfection, and you can still go back to Godhead. Just learn how to serve the Supreme Lord by doing your occupational duty. Then you will gain full spiritual knowledge and full satisfaction. Because of its magnanimous spirit and the date it was delivered—February 14, 1977—this culminating presentation on*varṇāśrama* is sometimes called Prabhupāda's "Māyāpur Valentine." Here then, is real love, to establish a social system that can bring everyone-from most pious to most materialistic-back home, back to Godhead. —Hare Kṛṣṇa-devi dasi 29 April 1999 Nrsimha Caturdasi Brunswick, Maine Why is Varṇāśrama Important? ---