ashoka sharma
17/03/1998 00:00:000 UTC
(International society for krishna conciousness)
(Excerpt from ISKCON's essays I think they think they are Brahmins?:)
Often people who espouse social doctrines that originate from Deism say
they do not like the idea of brahmanas being superior to sudras. But the
Vedic social system is compared in the scriptures to the human body. The
brahmanas are the head, the ksatriyas the arms, the vaishyas the belly and
the sudras the legs. Is the head better than the legs? Or to put the
question more sharply, would you cut off your legs if your head told you to
do that? The Vedic system certainly did not advocate sacrificing the legs
for the sake of the head. That is simply madness, a head gone crazy. But in
the history of Western civilization, such crazy things go on. In Medieval
Europe, the priests lived at the cost of everyone else. Then the German
kings under the influence of Luther kicked the priests out and took over.
The same thing happened in England under Henry VIII. After some time the
merchants (capitalists) overthrew the kings. That's what happened in
America in 1776. Nowadays the sudras are becoming the most important class.
In some countries the workers have taken over by force the property and
positions of the higher classes. All this simply means that the Western
social body is dysfunctional, spastic and self-destructive. The Vedic
social body, on the contrary, was harmonious. The goal was not for one
class to tyrannize the other. The goal was for all classes to serve God
(Krishna). The brahmanas are the head of society because they have
knowledge. All the other sections of society served the head. But the head
serves them too. Just like your head serves the rest of your body by
eating. If the head did not chew the food and swallow, your arms, belly and
legs would wither. Your body is made that way by Krishna. Similarly, the
social body is made by Krishna. Just as you are supposed to use your body
in Krishna's service, similarly the social body should serve Krishna.
Another point in this connection is that it is futile to make the Deistic
argument that "everybody is created equal" and "it is not what you are but
what you do that counts," etc. Why is it futile? Because the argument
pertains only to matter, not spirit. The essence of intelligence is
discernment between the real and the unreal. One who is actually
intelligence knows "I am not the body." With your question whether the
difference in intelligence between men and women in Vedic times might be
cultural rather than natural you seem to be missing the point. A "woman" is
nothing more than a temporary material designation of the eternal soul. A
"man" is also. Trying to argue that a "man" and a "woman" are equally
endowed and should have the same rights is just a waste of time. The actual
self, or soul, is neither a man nor a woman. Understanding this is
intelligent. Thinking that the self is the body is unintelligent. Actually
as soul we are all equal. But as long as we are unintelligent, we try to
realize our spiritual equality while clinging to the material body.
It is a plain fact that throughout the world, holy teachers in male bodies
(Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, for example) are more prominent than holy
teachers in female bodies. This does not mean that a liberated soul within
a woman's body is less enlightened than a liberated soul in a man's body.
Nor does it mean that the male-bodied holy teachers came to prominence
simply because of social biases. If holy teachers, whether in male or
female bodies, are sent by God, then it is God Himself who establishes
their position. And this is in accord with God's natural and cultural plan
for the world. A male body is a better "vehicle" for propagating spiritual
knowledge throughout society. That is the way God intended things to be.
The above was very humorous. Who writes your essays? An 11 year old? It
seems to me that ISKCON leadership and management has the combined
intellect of a chimp. Your biased, stupid and illogical reasonings are the
entire reason why we "real" hindu's have become a laughing stock.
First of all, none of you have been chosen by god to perform the duty of
spreading the Hindu wisdom/religion. You know how I know? Because none of
you are Brahmin (By the way I am.) All of you are white trailer trash
rejects who could not amount to anything better and resort to a watered
down falsified religion and try to cunningly spoon-feed it into others'
mouths as the genuine thing. I've read of your white gurus' exploits in
the book "Monkey's Play" how your debauchery at the mandir contributed to
Prabupad's death. Your most esteemed white guru brought prostitutes to his
mandir regularily until discovered by Prabupad. Anyone who disbelieves
this should check out the book. I'm not sure of the author, but just ask
your friendly neighborhood ISKCON white guru.
Your idiotic translations of the Gita and the Vedas make me cringe. Can
any of you read and understand Sanskrit? I think not. If you could your
translations, and the purports on those translations would be logical?
Whats with this mentally handicapped phrase...(among others)
"The brahmanas are the head of society because they have knowledge. All the
other sections of society served the head. But the head serves them too.
Just like your head serves the rest of your body by eating. If the head did
not chew the food and swallow, your arms, belly and legs would wither."
I pity you people. You are obnoxious sexists as well;
"A male body is a better "vehicle" for propagating spiritual knowledge
throughout society. That is the way God intended things to be. "
I apologize for another repetition. Heres what I say about you people (The
Vedas/Upanishads/Manu-Smriti and the Gita agree with me) if God intended
you to have any influence upon Hinduism or the preaching of it, you would
have been born as Brahmins, or at least a high caste Hindu. Not an
untouchable white skinned defiler of reglion.
Another point of fact; I know that you people beat this one phrase to
death. Krishna tells Arjun that no one is born a Kashatri. So you monkeys
assume that that means that white people can become brahmins? Hahahahah
that is too funny. I think you people claim to believe in Karma and
Dharma? Well according to EVERY single hindu text you are classified as
untouchables, heres an excerpt about untouchables in the upanishads, "If
one has had a pleasant life with good karma they shall be born in a
pleasant womb, such as the womb of a Brahmin woman, or a Kashatri woman,
but if one has had an evil life with bad karma he will be born in the womb
of a jackal, a dog or the womb of an Untouchable woman. GUESS WHERE YOU
PEOPLE FIT INTO THIS.
I knew this one ISKCON white "Brahmin" who tried to teach my family about
the "true" hinduism. Well I didn't like his disgusting appearance, balding
head, dirty and leering mouth, and the beady eyes. I found him a few days
later sitting in his old beat up van trying to pick up 7-10 year old girls
from the elementary school zone. "Barangadas" or something his name was.
Just a fine shining example of your kind.
Your translations butcher the poetry and purity of ancient hindu texts.
You are an affront to God. May He have mercy on your souls. I wish you
the best of luck in your next life as a dog.
A. A. Sharma (B.A. Vedic Studies, Oxford)