HH. Bhakti Raghava Swami has concentrated his preaching mostly in Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Cambodia. He travels extensively and holds seminars promoting the varnasrama mission. He has authored several books such a “Make Vrindavana Village” and “Varnasrama Education”. The Sanskrit word Varnasrama is formed by joining 2 words “Varna” and “Asrama”. “Varna” refers to a person’s social order or caste, where as “Asrama” refers to a person’s order of life or order of his spiritual culture.
Vedic literature maintains that all living entities are part and parcel of God or Krishna, and on the spiritual platform they all are equal. Yet when they fall into this material existence (i.e. while living in this world), they are influenced by the material nature. There are three types of material nature that influence the living entity namely – Goodness, Passion and Ignorance. These three natures are also called Modes or “Gunas”.
Under the influence of these modes, the pure spiritual living entity develops an artificial nature. This artificial nature can become so strong that it may completely cover a person’s original spiritual nature, hence we see that in this world, people have different natures, all based upon how much they are influenced by the various modes. This artificial nature is the cause of a person’s suffering, and every sane man wants to end their suffering. But it is possible for the person to revive his original nature and end this suffering.
Hence Vedic literature gives a very scientific method for revival of that spiritual nature. It’s scientific because it is based on good reasoning and logic. It gives a proper model as per time, place, person and circumstance and this model can be implemented and verified and the result can be reproduced. Thus one can even make proper theoretical prediction of the destination/result obtained by a person – following or not following this method.
Different people have different natures. Vedic scriptures recognize this and hence give different processes for people in different natures. For implementation of these different methods according to a person’s nature and work, he / she is given a different social order and a different spiritual order.
It should be noted that Vedic scripture does not want to leave out any one suffering and hence it suggest that processes be implemented totally in a society and the whole society be divided into different social orders and different spiritual orders. Specifically, into four social orders or “Varnas” and four spiritual orders or “Asrama”. The method/process is also referred to as Duty or Law so that everyone will be able to make use of the method and revive their original spiritual nature.
Thus the Varnasrama system basically gives a particular occupation or duty to everyone according to his position as per the model of social divisions and order of life. Such occupational duty is also known as Dharma or specifically Varnasrama Dharma.
Even though one may not be living in a society that is modeled as per the Varnasrama guidelines, and some may even argue that such ideal model is impossible to implement in this current age, nevertheless one definitely benefits from adopting various principles and duties, as those duties are ordained by the Supreme Lord himself and Lord Krishna is pleased to see someone endeavoring to follow them. When pleased, God definitely provides an extra help to that person endeavoring to purify himself. Hence we encourage everyone regardless of his society or position to learn and try to implement them.
HH. Bhakti Raghava Swami has concentrated his preaching mostly in Asian countries such as India, Indonesia and Cambodia. He travels extensively and holds seminars promoting the varnasrama mission. He has authored several books such a “Make Vrindavana Village” and “Varnasrama Education”. The Sanskrit word Varnasrama is formed by joining 2 words “Varna” and “Asrama”. “Varna” refers to a person’s social order or caste, where as “Asrama” refers to a person’s order of life or order of his spiritual culture.
Vedic literature maintains that all living entities are part and parcel of God or Krishna, and on the spiritual platform they all are equal. Yet when they fall into this material existence (i.e. while living in this world), they are influenced by the material nature. There are three types of material nature that influence the living entity namely – Goodness, Passion and Ignorance. These three natures are also called Modes or “Gunas”.
Under the influence of these modes, the pure spiritual living entity develops an artificial nature. This artificial nature can become so strong that it may completely cover a person’s original spiritual nature, hence we see that in this world, people have different natures, all based upon how much they are influenced by the various modes. This artificial nature is the cause of a person’s suffering, and every sane man wants to end their suffering. But it is possible for the person to revive his original nature and end this suffering.
Hence Vedic literature gives a very scientific method for revival of that spiritual nature. It’s scientific because it is based on good reasoning and logic. It gives a proper model as per time, place, person and circumstance and this model can be implemented and verified and the result can be reproduced. Thus one can even make proper theoretical prediction of the destination/result obtained by a person – following or not following this method.
Different people have different natures. Vedic scriptures recognize this and hence give different processes for people in different natures. For implementation of these different methods according to a person’s nature and work, he / she is given a different social order and a different spiritual order.
It should be noted that Vedic scripture does not want to leave out any one suffering and hence it suggest that processes be implemented totally in a society and the whole society be divided into different social orders and different spiritual orders. Specifically, into four social orders or “Varnas” and four spiritual orders or “Asrama”. The method/process is also referred to as Duty or Law so that everyone will be able to make use of the method and revive their original spiritual nature.
Thus the Varnasrama system basically gives a particular occupation or duty to everyone according to his position as per the model of social divisions and order of life. Such occupational duty is also known as Dharma or specifically Varnasrama Dharma.
Even though one may not be living in a society that is modeled as per the Varnasrama guidelines, and some may even argue that such ideal model is impossible to implement in this current age, nevertheless one definitely benefits from adopting various principles and duties, as those duties are ordained by the Supreme Lord himself and Lord Krishna is pleased to see someone endeavoring to follow them. When pleased, God definitely provides an extra help to that person endeavoring to purify himself. Hence we encourage everyone regardless of his society or position to learn and try to implement them.