Whether there are any methods of definition of Varna?

ISKCON DAIVA VARNASRAMA MINISTRY (IDVM)
Promoting Rural Development in India

IDVM Secretariat: Room 137, Cakra Bldg, Sri Mayapur, W. Bengal, India

Rural Base: Sahyadri Sri Krishna Balarama Ksetra (SSKBK)
(Near Hebri Town) District Udupi, Karnataka, INDIA

Camp: ISKCON Siem Reap

My dear Timur,

Om Sri Surabhyai namah! Om Sri Gurave namah!

Please accept the blessings of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama
and Sri Sri Radha Madhava. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This is to continue replying to your mail dated March 26, 2014.

QuestionIf nobody manages to arrive on courses, whether there are any options to
receive this knowledge which is taught on courses Varnashrama College on the
Internet?

***In addition to the courses we are offering at our Sahyadri Varnasrama
College, we are also in the process of developing courses on line. You may
visit the following site for more information. We have not yet started but
will be happy to receive any inquiries. Please visit the site
www.global-varnasrama-college.com

For more information on internet courses you may write to Parasurama prabhu
at Parasurama.BRS@pamho.net.

For more information on direct courses offered at Sahyadri Varnasrama
College, you may write to Hrdoya Caitanya prabhu at brs16108@gmail.com

>Allow to ask some questions:

Question>1. In one settlement at devoted there are 176 cows, they redeemed them
generally for donations and partially contain for donations. Whether it will
be correct to create dairy business on the basis of this herd and to sell
milk and products from milk?

*** Srila Prabhupada wanted householders who are not in front line
preaching to live in a rural setting (localized living in a village
environment), and to be self-sufficient through natural organic agriculture
and cow protection. Srila Prabhupada also gave instructions regarding
prasadam and how householders especially can make and sell prasadam.

The real opulence as we learn from the Bhagavatam is in having cows and
land. But the first objective for having cows and land is not for selling or
making business but for maintenance. There are two most important
guidelines: 1) Produce only what you need and 2) Use only what you produce.

From cows, not only is milk important but also cow urine and cow dung. If
someone from the Ukraine can come to India, they can learn how to make some
20 different kinds of cow products (these include soap, incense, tooth
paste, shampoo for hair, eye drops, etc.) and those can be sold. Devotees
may learn how to make fertilizer and manure from cow dung and sell that as
well.

From milk, yes, devotees may learn how to make ghree and other milk
products. But we should be cautious about getting into a whole business
mentality. For our maintenance and for preaching purposes, that is fine, but
we must side by side learn to grow our own food.

Question>2 . Whether there are any methods of definition of Varna?

In his essay called GITA NAGARI that appeared in the 1956 Back to Godhead
magazine (you can read that in the Folio or Veda-Base) Srila Prabhupada
identifies four ways to identify a person’s varna:

1. By astrological test (need a qualified astrologer)

2. By study of family hierarchy or family lineage (going back as many
generations as possible)

3. By observation (simple observation to see the behaviour of someone)

4. By psychological test (I am not aware of any devotee psychological test
but some simple psychological tests have already been worked out that could
be used). I am in the process of developing one such test.

This assesement of varna was generally done by learned brahmanas in the
village when the boys were between the age of 7 to 12 approximately. Once
knowing the varna, that would help them chose the type of education for that
student (formal or non-formal) and also would help determine the asrama he
may chose later in life.

>3 . Whether all participants of a community have to follow strictly at once
to spiritual standards (16 circles of japa, the morning program, etc.)? Or
those who have just joined, can approach it gradually?

Answer*** Each community should decide what standards it wants to follow. This
needs to be clearly spelled out before a family decides to join a particular
community. This decision is generally made by those who are in the category
of brahmana and ksatriya or those who are leaders of the community. Not
everyone can be a leader. So every community must have a leader, a ksatriya
leader, who is guided by a brahmana or a council of brahmanas.

>4 . At present generally that lodge in the land devoted who has an
opportunity to get the house and the land at own expense. And those who has
only desire, but has no financial opportunity can’t lodge. Whether prompt,
please, there are any acceptable ways of financing of a community at first
to construct housing and to buy necessary stock, etc.?

*** If I understand correctly, you want to know how a family interested to
live in a community but who does not have finances to purchase or build a
house can do this. A few things to keep in mind.

a. Initially housing facilities should be very very modest and simple so
that the cost or investment is very less. This means also learning to make
houses using local materials. I know that in a country like Ukraine this may
not be so easy compared for example to India or other Asian countries where
the climate is not at all as severe as in Ukraine. But the idea is the same,
making a dwelling as simple and less expensive as possible using local
materials.

b. Before moving on the land or before becoming part of a community, a
family will need to work to make some laksmi for making a small house.

c. In Vedic times, the King would assist in different ways by providing free
land, wells or ponds, seeds, tools and construction materials for residence.
The closest thing we have to such Vedic Kings are rich devotee householders
who can help sponsor a family with the idea that the basic cost for building
a house will be repaid within a reasonable period of time.

d) A community may decide to make a few dwellings in advance to attract
serious devotees to come and live under some legal contract or legal
agreement whereby the intial investement cost is repaid to the community.

e) Many things need to be discussed before setting up a community and this
requires that those interested to live in a community develop a common
vision and work towards realizing this vision.

Question>5 . Whether it is possible to buy in villages milk from ordinary people and
to offer it to Krishna?

*** As devotees we should try and understand the importance of what is
called AHIMSA MILK. “Ahimsa milk” is pure organic milk from protected cows.
If we know that the cows from these “ordinary people” will not be sent to
the slaughterhouse or sold and if the cows are being fed organic food and
not being injected with hormones to produce larger quantities of milk, etc.,
then yes, that falls in the category of “ahimsa milk” and devotees can
purchase from such ordinary people (in that case because they will not kill
or sell the cow, they are not actually “ordinary people”) and offer to
Krishna. Best of course that we purchase milk from devotees or that we have
our own cows.

>I will tell some acquaintances devotees about courses of Varnashrama
College and if appear wishing to arrive, I will immediately tell you.

*** I request you to communicate with one of our devotees who is involved
in presenting these courses, Hrdoya Caitanya prabhu. You may write to him at
the following address: brs16108@gmail.com He will be happy to answer other
questions you may have.

I hope the above is of some help to you.

Trusting this finds you well. Krsne matir astu.

Your well-wisher,

RP Bhakti Raghava Swami
***********************************
GLOBAL VARNASRAMA MISSION

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