What is the position of grihasthas in ISKCON? Should brahmacharis criticize them?
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Question from Sudhanshu Behera. My question is what is the position of a grahastha in ISKCON? I am practicing Krishna consciousness. For last three years I have seen grahastha devotees are often looked down upon in most of the brahmachari classes.
There is only blaspheming of grahastha ashram. Is it proper way to take to brahmachari ashram only because other ashram is bad? Obviously those brahmacharis will have a hatred by dealing with grahasthas. It is not good for our society.
Also there is some stigma due to which grahastha is not able to open their heart freely. There are deeper philosophy why to become a brahmachari not blaspheming grahasthas. I am witnessing this in lots of brahmachari classes.
I want to become one but not by criticizing other ashrams. Answer, if there is any criticism of grahasthas by brahmacharis that is because of a very narrow understanding of the current social situation and the scope of the scriptures. First and foremost is that we have to have a spiritual vision where we see people not according to their ashrams first but we see them first as souls, as parts of Krishna and if they are now commencing their journey towards Krishna then they are all devotees and every devotee Krishna describes in 7.3 in the Bhagavad Gita, is one not just among thousands but among millions.
So every devotee irrespective of the ashram deserves our greatest respect. Of course within devotees there are levels and there has to be respect accordingly but still the fact that somebody is practicing devotional service itself extraordinary and worthy of respect. So that's the first point.
Every devotee deserves respect. So certainly grahasthas also deserve respect not just as souls who are parts of Krishna but souls who have now actively commenced their journey towards Krishna and have become devotees who are so rare in the world. Now as far as the criticism of grahastha ashram is concerned that is a misapplication of the message given the scriptures.
Now the scriptures especially the Bhagavatham does talk about the attachment in household life but that attachment is condemned not the grahasthas themselves and we have to understand that within the Krishna consciousness movement both the brahmacharis and grahasthas play a very important and complementary role in sharing Krishna's message and mission with the world because if people are people the broader society is to become spiritualized it is going to happen only when people become the majority of the people if they are to become spiritualized if they are to become devotees they will only become they will become grahasthas. So if the grahasthas in our movement do not feel happy, do not feel respected, do not feel a sense of belonging to Krishna and to Krishna's movement then how will they become examples for others to emulate. So the broader reach of our movement depends primarily on exemplary and happy grahasthas and for that purpose whatever is required for giving them a sense of belonging is essential.
This is not just so first I talk from the point of view of the grahasthas themselves second I'm talking from the point of reaching out to other people in general. Now this is the contribution of the grahasthas. They are the primary examples that will inspire people and as far as the brahmacharis are concerned or the renounced order they are generally playing the role of the teachers and they study and teach the philosophy and by that they help people in general to understand Krishna's message and to apply that message.
So generally the brahmacharis play a role as teachers and the grahasthas play a role as examples. Of course the teachers also have to be exemplary in their enunciation and the grahastha examples also have to know some basic philosophy. So it is not a watertight division but it is a broad complementary role that is played within the Krishna consciousness movement.
Now if somebody has a negative estimation of grahastha ashram and because of that somebody becomes a brahmachari such a person will not be able to have a healthy attitude either towards grahasthas or even towards one's own practice of brahmachari life. Why? If somebody wants to become a brahmachari what should be the motivation? The primary motivation should be the desire to serve Krishna wholeheartedly and undistractedly. So even grahasthas can become serious and committed devotees but in brahmachari life there are three distractions which are substantially reduced if not entirely eliminated.
The first is the anxiety for money and monetary arrangements. Second is the numerous social obligations that come from relatives, acquaintances, colleagues, marriage, birthdays, anniversaries and things like that which take a huge amount of time. And third is the constant opportunity, ever-present opportunity for temptation and indulgence.
So because these three distractions financial, sociological and psychological are not present in brahmachari life, that's why brahmachari life offers a facility for undistracted practice of devotional service. So in order to focus and practice undistractedly one should take up brahmachari life and so that one can contribute Krishna's mission more and more. And how will be the attitude towards grahasthas? One has to respect them as devotee as I mentioned in the beginning of the class and we cannot, if this is happening, if some brahmacharis are doing this sort of criticism of grahasthas, then there has to be some sort of education and arrangement for them.
Obviously grahasthas may not be in a position to give that sort of education. So there may be some senior brahmacharis or some very senior grahasthas or maybe the spiritual master can provide that kind of education. And if that doesn't happen, then grahasthas also need to apply the basic principle of devotional service that is anukulyasya sankalpa and kartikulyasya varjani.
That we should accept that which is favorable and reject that is unfavorable. So if we come in the association of certain devotees who make us feel scorned, who look down upon us, who belittle us just because of the ashram that we are present in, then we can avoid the association of those devotees and then find out the association of those devotees that will encourage and inspire us. Shila Prabhupada's purports often talk about grahasthashram in quite a critical way.
But if you look at Shila Prabhupada's life in terms of how he dealt with grahastha devotees, he always encouraged them. And there is the philosophical aspect and there is the human aspect in the dealing. So wherever we are practicing devotional service, whichever ashram, we need to find out that association which encourages us, inspires us, gives us a sense of belonging and satisfaction and use that association as a inspiration for continuing on devotional service.
And if grahasthas are not able to open their hearts freely, again the same point, they have to find out an association which that is inspiring, which is like-minded, which enables them to open their hearts and accordingly continue on one's devotional service. We have to know that not all devotees are at the same level of spiritual advancement and all of us have an individual relationship with Krishna and we have to pursue it as our responsibility. If we find the association of devotees around us not inspiring, we cannot use that as an excuse for not practicing Krishna consciousness.
We have to take the initiative to find out some other association that inspires us and as in our sadhaka stage, the principles, somehow or the other, fix the mind on Krishna. So that also means, wherever we get the association that inspires us, we take that association and continue on in our devotional service with inspiration and guidance. Thank you.