Guest guest Posted March 13, 2001 Report Share Posted March 13, 2001 Someone said: | | Brahmins in India, those belonging to Bengal, Almora (U.P. Hills) and | Kashmir, all eat meat. That does not turn them into non-brahmins. | Lord Krsna disagrees. He states in Bhagavad-gita: Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah. So according to the Supreme Lord, the four varnas (castes) are determined by their guna (mode of material nature) and karma (work). Also according to Gita, anyone who eats meat is influenced by the mode of ignorance (tamo-guna). One who is in ignorance cannot be a brahmana because a brahmana is a person whose qualities, food and activities are purely in the mode of goodness (sattva-guna). A real brahmana will not even take onions or garlic, let alone meat, or he loses his sattvic quality (guna). One becomes a brahmana not by birth but by quality and work (guna-karma). If Krsna had authorized the caste system by birth He would have said 'janma-vibhagasah.' It always amazes me how so-called brahmanas in India rely on birth for their brahminical status, do all kinds of nonsense and still expect everyone to accept them as brahmanas. The duty (karma) of a brahmana is to worship, study, preach and teach about Brahman. Most of these phony so-called brahmanas are simply engaged in various businesses, or even take government service or other jobs. A real brahmana would rather starve than accept a service position just for material gain. The whole thing has become a mockery, a total sham. Brahmana has become a hereditary title. But brahmana is a spiritual position, not a material one. How can a spiritual quality be passed down by material family qualification? It doesn't make any sense that the status of brahmana (one who knows Brahman) can be inherited through material birth. Real brahmanas are very rare in Kali-yuga. He is a brahmana in name alone who thinks he is born into a brahmana family, for it is also stated in the sastra: kalau sudra sambhava. 'Everyone in Kali-yuga is born a sudra.' The scriptures state that we are all born into ignorance. If we are in ignorance how can we know Brahman? One can become a true Brahmana by training and intiation alone, not by birth. One who is not self-realized cannot claim to be a brahmana. Unless we take shelter of the Vedic scriptures we will be misled about everything. Here in this discussion is the confirmation. Everyone is putting forth their own opinion without reference to the scripture or the opinion of the Lord, and so there is irresolvable controversy over everything. But what do the scriptures say? That people are accepted as brahmanas simply by birth is a symptom of Kali-yuga. Vipratve sutram eva hi (Bhag. 12.2.3): in Kali-yuga, simply by putting on a thread worth two paisa, one becomes a brahmana. As stated by Narada Muni (Bhag. 7.11.35), yasya yal laksanam proktam. The symptoms of a brahmana are stated in sastra, and one must be qualified with these symptoms to be accepted as a brahmana. And how does one become a brahmana? One must be trained as brahmana from the very beginning of life by living under the care of a bona-fide Vedic guru: Brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitam (Bhag. 7.12.1). This has nothing to do with birth. Welcome to Kali-yuga! Please enjoy your stay... Dasanudas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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