training

Imported quote 16063

There are ten kinds of sanctifying process. Even when the father is going to give birth to the child, he has to undergo a ritualistic ceremony, which is called garbhadhana-samskara, seed-giving ceremony. That is the Vedic function, garbhadhana. But in the Kali-yuga all these samskaras are not followed strictly. Otherwise, according to sastra, if these garbhadhana-samskara is not done… Garbhadhana-samskara is especially recommended for the brahmanas, the ksatriyas and the vaisyas-especially the brahmanas.
So now in this age no samskara is adopted; therefore he remains a sūdra, janmana jayate sūdraḥ, because the purificatory processes are not practised. Therefore, janmana jayate sūdraḥ. And in this age, Kali-yuga, the processes are not observed; therefore sastra says, kalau sūdra-sambhava. In this age, Kali-yuga, it is everyone is sūdra: kalau sūdra-sambhava.
So this process of Krsna consciousness movement is making everyone a brahmana from the sūdra stage. This is a purificatory process. Just like you see these European and American boys, they are undergoing purificatory process. Purificatory process means to avoid sinful activities. That is purificatory. If you don't act sinfully, then you are pure.
So the basic principles of sinful life are four: striya sūna pana dyūta yatra papas catur-vidha [Bhag. 1.17.38]. Catur-vidha means four kinds of sinful activities are… Striya means to have illicit sex life. According to Vedic principles, sex life cannot be performed without a married life that is sanctioned by religion. Therefore in human society there is system of marriage.
Not that you keep a woman, you keep a man, like cats and dogs; no human society. May be Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh-it doesn't matter-any civilized form of society has got this system of marriage, because without marriage sex life is irreligious. Therefore this is one of the sinful activities: to have illicit sex life.
And sūna, sūna means killing of animals. Killing of animals… Even in Christian religion it is forbidden: "Thou shall not kill." Out of the Ten Commandments the first commandment is, "Thou shall not kill." In the Buddha religion there is also the same thing: ahimsa paramo dharmaḥ. So in other religions, Hindu religion, they are…, there are sometimes killing of animals in sacrifices. But that is not for eating purpose. The test of Vedic mantra was, I mean to say, verified how the mantras are being chanted. So sometimes the animals were put into the fire, and the animal would come out again with new life. That was the test of Vedic mantras.
In this age, Kali-yuga, there is no such qualified brahmana to perform the sacrifices; therefore all kinds of animal sacrifices are forbidden.
asvamedham gavalambham
sannyasam pala-paitrkam
devarena sutotpattim
kalau panca vivarjayet
[Brahma-vaivarta Purana]
So sūna, sūna means unnecessary animal-killing. Unnecessary. Human society should be sober and continent. If I can…, I require to eat something, if I have got sufficient grains, fruits, milk, flour, vegetables, why should I kill unnecessarily a poor animal? So this is sinful.
Striya sūna pana. Pana means intoxication. Therefore those… Of course, in this country, it is not very much so, but in India pan, betel, betel nut, and pan eating. The pana means drinking; pana means intoxication. So even drinking tea, chewing pan is also intoxication, what to speak of drinking wine and other things. Striya sūna pana dyūta. And dyūta means gambling. So if we want to be purified, then we must give up these four principles of sinful activities.
So these boys are being trained up for their purification, and although from their birth they are habituated to all these habits, they have given up. They have no other bad habits. Nothing. They don't take even tea, and smoke. This is purificatory process. Janmana jayate sūdraḥ samskarad bhaved dvijaḥ. As mentioned before, there are four basic characteristics of an impure life-illicit sex, intoxication, meat-eating and gambling. According to the Vedic principles, sex should not be indulged in outside of marriage. In human society there is therefore a system of marriage which distinguishes us from the cats and dogs. Whether we are Hindu, Moslem, or Christian, we acknowledge the system of marriage. The purpose of this system is to avoid illicit sex. According to the Vedic system, intoxication is also discouraged; nor is meat-eating advocated, for human beings should be nonviolent. We have been given sufficient grains, fruits, milk, and vegetables, and there is no necessity to kill poor animals. Some people argue that if we do not eat meat we will be undernourished, but we can see that the students of this Krsna consciousness movement have given up meat and are very healthy, whereas people who are eating meat are still, despite their meat-eating, subject to so many diseases and unhealthy conditions. Gambling is also discouraged because it simply agitates the mind. (More...)

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