View source for To inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being

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{{terms|"to inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being"}}
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{{compiler|Soham}}
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[[Category:Inquiring about Brahman]]
[[Category:Inquiring about God]]
[[Category:God Is Brahman]]
[[Category:Understanding Brahman]]
[[Category:Answer]]
[[Category:Proper Source]]
[[Category:Cultivation of Knowledge]]
[[Category:Knowledge of God]]
[[Category:Business Of Human Life]]
[[Category:Human Beings]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SOHAM]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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At least our young men in India, at least still inquiring. That is the culture, "What is God?" So this is the beginning of human life, when one inquires about Brahman. So to inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being. Therefore a class of men in the society known as brāhmaṇa—brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ—there is need, there is necessary. The Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand tad-vijñāna, brahma-vijñāna, one must approach the proper guru, or spiritual master. Unfortunately we have rejected at the present moment the persons who are actually brāhmaṇa.
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[[Vanisource:770122 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Bhuvanesvara|770122 - Lecture BG 07.01 - Bhuvanesvara]]
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Therefore, because in this material world people are inclined to stand on the animal platform of life, that is dharmasya glāniḥ. So Kṛṣṇa said, yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati ([[Vanisource:BG 4.7 (1972)|BG 4.7]]). This is dharmasya glāniḥ. Means when human society forgets God, or Kṛṣṇa, or Bhagavān, and simply lives like ordinary animal, cats and dogs, for eating, sleeping, sex life and defense, such society is animal society. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca etat paśubhir narāṇām. This business—eating, sleeping, sex life and defense—this is common to the animal and to the human being. A cat, a dog also eat, and we are also eating. They are eating in their standard and we are eating in our standard. Sometimes we are eating less than their standard. So eating, the satisfaction of eating, anything you eat, the pleasure is the same. A hog is eating stool. He's enjoying the pleasure of eating. And a human being eating very nice palatable food, he's also enjoying the same pleasure. There is no difference. Similarly, sleeping also; similarly sex life. A dog is enjoying sex life on the street, and the king is enjoying sex life in the palace. But the pleasure is the same. Similarly defense. If you attack one animal, he knows how to defend himself. He has got also nails and jaws. And he . . . a tiger or a dog or a cat, if you attack he knows how to defend himself. We may defend with atomic weapon, but the business is the same: āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca sāmānyam etat paśubhiḥ.

The particular business of human being is stated in the Vedānta-sūtra: athāto brahma jijñāsā. So these four principles of life, āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunam, there is no difference. Only difference is a human being can inquire about what is God, or what is Brahman, athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is the only business of human life. So a cat, a dog cannot inquire about Brahman, but the gentleman inquire about what is God. Because he is human being he could inquire like that. So there is no cause of disappointment. At least our young men in India, at least still inquiring. That is the culture, "What is God?"

So this is the beginning of human life, when one inquires about Brahman. So to inquire about Brahman and to understand Brahman by proper inquiry and by proper answer from the proper source, the cultivation of this knowledge is the business of human being. Therefore a class of men in the society known as brāhmaṇa—brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ—there is need, there is necessary. The Vedic injunction is tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). In order to understand tad-vijñāna, brahma-vijñāna, one must approach the proper guru, or spiritual master. Unfortunately we have rejected at the present moment the persons who are actually brāhmaṇa. On the other hand, in the name of brāhmaṇa, some persons claiming as brāhmaṇa, they are ruling over the society. But that is not the way. The brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or vaiśya, śūdra, they are ascertained by the symptom. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 4.13 (1972)|BG 4.13]]): "I have created these four divisions of society, brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra." So that should be divided according to the qualification and work. Just like if you are qualified as a medical man and if you are practicing as a medical man, then you are medical man. Simply by posing yourself that "I am the son of a medical man; therefore I am medical man," this is useless. In the śāstras, a person born of a brāhmaṇa family or a person born of a kṣatriya family but his qualities are not brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, he is called brahma-bandhu, kṣatri-bandhu, not brāhmaṇa.

So in the Bhāgavata it is stated, strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā ([[Vanisource:SB 1.4.25|SB 1.4.25]]). Strī, woman, and śūdra and dvija-bandhu. Dvija means brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya. Especially brāhmaṇa. So dvija-bandhu, who is not qualified as a brāhmaṇa but born in the brāhmaṇa family, they are called dvija-bandhu. So śāstra says strī-śūdra-dvijabandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarā. Woman, śūdra and brahma-bandhu or dvija-bandhu, they cannot understand Vedic knowledge. Unfortunately, we are creating, trying to create, real brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya . . . and śūdra means everyone. One who cannot become a brāhmaṇa or a kṣatriya or vaiśya, simply they are satisfied by serving a suitable master, vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam. Paricaryātmakaṁ kāryaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam ([[Vanisource:BG 18.44 (1972)|BG 18.44]]). A person who is satisfied only getting some salary from a suitable master, that is śūdra. So in this age it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. It is very difficult to find out a qualified brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya. We may find out some śūdras and some vaiśyas. Therefore, if you want to raise the standard of human society, you must create a class of brāhmaṇa, a class of kṣatriya. Vaiśya and śūdras maybe there are, but it is necessary that a class of brāhmaṇa, a class of kṣatriya must be there.
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