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People should be trained

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

BG Chapters 7 - 12

Ahiṁsā means that people should be trained in such a way that the full utilization of the human body can be achieved.
BG 10.4-5, Purport: Ahiṁsā, nonviolence, means that one should not do anything which will put others into misery or confusion. Material activities that are promised by so many politicians, sociologists, philanthropists, etc., do not produce very good results because the politicians and philanthropists have no transcendental vision; they do not know what is actually beneficial for human society. Ahiṁsā means that people should be trained in such a way that the full utilization of the human body can be achieved. The human body is meant for spiritual realization, so any movement or any commissions which do not further that end commit violence on the human body. That which furthers the future spiritual happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence.

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 3

People should be trained to hear only kṛṣṇa-kathā—by all means—in order to get relief from all miseries.
SB 3.5.44, Purport: The whole Vedic philosophy of life is that one should get rid of the material encagement of gross and subtle bodies, which only cause one to continue in a condemned life of miseries. This material body continues as long as one is not detached from the false conception of lording it over material nature. The impetus for lording it over material nature is the sense of "mine" and "I." "I am the lord of all that I survey. So many things I possess, and I shall possess more and more. Who can be richer than I in wealth and education? I am the master, and I am God. Who else is there but me?" All these ideas reflect the philosophy of ahaṁ mama, the conception that "I am everything." Persons conducted by such a conception of life can never get liberation from material bondage. But even a person perpetually condemned to the miseries of material existence can get relief from bondage if he simply agrees to hear only kṛṣṇa-kathā. In this age of Kali, the process of hearing kṛṣṇa-kathā is the most effective means to gain release from unwanted family affection and thus find permanent freedom in life. The age of Kali is full of sinful reactions, and people are more and more addicted to the qualities of this age, but simply by hearing and chanting of kṛṣṇa-kathā one is sure to go back to Godhead. Therefore, people should be trained to hear only kṛṣṇa-kathā—by all means—in order to get relief from all miseries.

SB Canto 4

All people should be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act in accordance with the varṇāśrama system.
SB 4.14.20, Purport: Human society, however, has artificially created a type of civilization which makes one forgetful of his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Modern society even enables one to forget the Supreme Personality of Godhead's grace and mercy. Consequently modern civilized man is always unhappy and in need of things. People do not know that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Lord Viṣṇu and satisfy Him. They have taken this materialistic way of life as everything and have become captivated by materialistic activities. Indeed, their leaders are always encouraging them to follow this path, and the general populace, being ignorant of the laws of God, are following their blind leaders down the path of unhappiness. In order to rectify this world situation, all people should be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and act in accordance with the varṇāśrama system. The state should also see that the people are engaged in satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the primary duty of the state. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement was started to convince the general populace to adopt the best process by which to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus solve all problems.

SB Canto 5

From childhood, people should be trained in Vedic culture, especially in devotional service.
SB 5.4.17, Purport: A ritual should be performed by young men, even boys, at a tender age in order for the ritual to be performed successfully. From childhood, people should be trained in Vedic culture, especially in devotional service. In this way, one can perfect one's life. A Vaiṣṇava does not disrespect the demigods, but on the other hand he is not so foolish that he accepts each and every demigod as the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is master of all demigods; therefore the demigods are His servants. The Vaiṣṇava accepts them as servants of the Supreme Lord, and he worships them directly.

SB Canto 9

People should be trained to become Vaiṣṇavas through the system of varṇa and āśrama, as they were during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

People should be trained up according to quality and work.
Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974: People should be trained up according to quality and work. There must be institution to train first-class men. There are first-class men, intellectuals. They should be trained up as brāhmaṇas. That is the system. Second-class men, they should be trained up as kṣatriyas. Third-class men, they should be trained up as vaiśyas. And fourth-class men, means below third-class, they should be engaged as śūdras, workers, and below them, caṇḍāla. That I have already explained. So nobody should be left alone. Everyone should be engaged. That is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Everyone should be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness business. Then there will be no unemployment.
SB 9.10.50, Purport: People must be trained according to the different varṇāśrama occupational duties. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.13), cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: the four varṇas must be established according to varying qualities and work. The first principle for good government is that it must institute this varṇāśrama system. The purpose of varṇāśrama is to enable people to become God conscious. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān viṣṇur ārādhyate [Cc. Madhya 8.58]. The entire varṇāśrama scheme is intended to enable people to become Vaiṣṇavas. Viṣṇur asya devatā. When people worship Lord Viṣṇu as the Supreme Lord, they become Vaiṣṇavas. Thus people should be trained to become Vaiṣṇavas through the system of varṇa and āśrama, as they were during the reign of Lord Rāmacandra, when everyone was fully trained to follow the varṇāśrama principles. Simply enforcing laws and ordinances cannot make the citizens obedient and lawful. That is impossible. Throughout the entire world there are so many states, legislative assemblies and parliaments, but still the citizens are rogues and thieves. Good citizenship, therefore, cannot be enforced; the citizens must be trained. As there are schools and colleges to train students to become chemical engineers, lawyers or specialists in many other departments of knowledge, there must be schools and colleges to train students to become brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, brahmacārīs, gṛhasthas, vānaprasthas and sannyāsīs. This will provide the preliminary condition for good citizenship
The four classes of men, according to quality, they should be engaged in different types of occupation.
Lecture on BG 4.17 -- Bombay, April 6, 1974: We are getting different types of bodies. Just like we are sitting, so many people, ladies and gentlemen. Everyone's bodily feature is different from the other. So why there are different features? We are all human being. Why we have got different types of bodies? Not only in human society. The animal society, the bird society.... It is all karmaṇā, by our personal fruitive action. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa. This law we do not know. We work irresponsibly without knowing the result of our work. Therefore we are getting different types of bodies, different types of situation, different type of occupation, so many things. Therefore people should be trained, as Kṛṣṇa said in the beginning, that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg. 4.13]. The four classes of men, according to quality, they should be engaged in different types of occupation, guṇa-karma.
People should be trained up how to live conscientiously, especially in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Lecture on BG 4.18 -- Delhi, November 3, 1973: There is great need of this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. People are so fallen. They are reluctant even to hear about this Bhagavad-gītā, where everything is explained. They are living like animals. So it is our duty to awaken them. That is the Vedic injunction. Vedic injunction is to awaken. They are sleeping. Ignorance... Just like when a man sleeps, he is ignorant of everything, what is going on outside. He is sleeping, deep-sleeping. So therefore the Vedic injunction, Upaniṣads says, uttiṣṭhata jāgrata prāpya varān nibodhata: "Please get up. You have got this human form of body. Now you get up and get out of these clutches of cycle of birth and death." Unfortunately they have become so dull that they cannot understand. So people should be trained up how to live conscientiously, especially in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That will solve the problems of life. Otherwise he is committing suicide. That is the verdict of the śāstra.
Those who are intelligent enough in the society, they should be picked up for being trained in higher philosophical science.
Lecture on BG 7.1 -- San Francisco, March 17, 1968: Kṛṣṇa says to Arjuna, yudhyasva mām anusmara: [Bg. 8.7] "As a fighter, you have to fight. You cannot go away from fighting. It is not your duty." Nowadays... I have got experience, practical experience, that the drafting board of your country, calling some boy that "You join military," but he is not willing. Why? Because he is not trained as a kṣatriya. He is trained as a śūdra. Therefore the caste system is very scientific. A section of people should be trained as brāhmaṇas. Those who are intelligent enough in the society, they should be picked up for being trained in higher philosophical science. Those who are less intelligent than the brāhmaṇas, they should be given military training. We require everything—not that everyone is military man. This is nonsense. How everyone can be military man? Because they are sending śūdras to Vietnam they are unnaturally being killed. So any country who is very proud of scientific advancement, if he does not know how to organize society, he is a fool.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

People should be trained up as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya.
Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974: In this age nobody observes the saṁskāras. Therefore in the śāstra it is said, kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. In the Kali-yuga almost every person is a śūdra. Therefore there is so much chaos. The government is managed by the śūdras or less than śūdras, mleccha. Mleccha-rājendra-rūpiṇaḥ. Mlecchas have taken the post of government. It is meant for the kṣatriyas, means qualified kṣatriya, very brave, very powerful, very charitable, not going away when there is fight. That is kṣatriya's position. Brāhmaṇa means satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. So people should be trained up as brāhmaṇa, as kṣatriya, as vaiśya. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. The vaiśya's duty is to produce food grains, agriculture, and give protection to the cows, and if you have got surplus foodstuff, you can make trade where there is shortage.
Some people must be trained as nice kṣatriyas. Some people must be trained as nice vaiśyas.
Lecture on SB 1.2.28-29 -- Vrndavana, November 8, 1972: According to this varṇāśrama, there must be training. Some classes of men must be trained as nice brāhmaṇas. Some people must be trained as nice kṣatriyas. Some people must be trained as nice vaiśyas. And śūdra does not require any... Everyone is śūdra. Janmanā jāyate śūdraḥ. By birth, everyone is śūdra. Saṁskārād bhaved dvijaḥ. By training, one becomes vaiśya, one becomes kṣatriya, one becomes brāhmaṇa. Where is that training? All śūdras. And how can you expect good government, śūdra government? All the śūdras are taking vote by hook and crook. And they are occupying government post. Therefore their only business is..., Kali, in this age especially, mlecchā rājanya-rūpiṇaḥ, eating and drinking, eating flesh, drinking wine. Mlecchas, yavanas, they are accepting government post. What good government you can expect? Forget, forget good government for millions of years, unless you establish this varṇāśrama-dharma. There is no question of good government. There must be first-class kṣatriya who can take charge of the government. Just like Parīkṣit Mahārāja. He was on his tour, and as soon as he saw that one black man was trying to kill a cow, immediately he took his sword: "Who are you, rascal, here?" That is kṣatriya. That is vaiśya, who can give protection to the cows. Kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma svabhāva-jam [Bg. 18.44]. Everything is there clearly. Where is the culture? Therefore this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is so important. The leaders of the society, they should take very serious attention how you can improve the social condition of this world. Not only here, everywhere.
People must be trained up to know who is the proprietor.
Lecture on SB 5.5.28 -- Vrndavana, November 15, 1976: People should know that who is ultimately the proprietor. We are claiming the proprietorship of this land, but we are not proprietor actually. Actually the proprietor is Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He said, sarva-loka-maheśvaram [Bg. 5.29]. Unfortunately we are claiming God's property as our own. That means we are thieves. There is United Nation to formulate peace of the world, but truly speaking, it is an assembly of thieves and rogues. How there can be peace? The people must be trained up to know who is the proprietor. If the United Nation immediately accepts that this whole planet is the property of God and we are simply sons of God, not only human being but also the animals, the trees, the plants... There are 8,400,000 different forms of living entities, and Kṛṣṇa claims, ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā: [Bg. 14.4] "I am the seed-giving father." And we, all living entities, we are sons of the supreme proprietor. Let us enjoy the father's property without encroaching upon other's share.

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

The whole society is divided into brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—departmental—and they are trained up.
Room Conversation with Indian Guests and Devotees -- July 11, 1973, London: When the destiny of the people are to be controlled, there must be very, very intelligent man. That is Vedic civilization. There is standard aims and objects on which the people should be trained up. That is varṇāśrama-dharma. Viṣṇur ārādhanam. Worshiping Viṣṇu. This is the ultimate aim. So the whole society is divided into brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, and brahmacārī, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, sannyāsa—departmental—and they are trained up. But the aim is viṣṇur ārādhanam. But they have no idea at the present moment. Viṣṇur ārādhanam, he has no knowledge. But the civilization begins on this point. Human being means he's meant for viṣṇur ārādhanam. Otherwise what is the difference between dogs and human beings?

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

People should be trained up in such a way that in spite of (indistinct) you should not be agitated.
Morning Walk -- March 27, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: You should be trained up.

Dr. Patel: Woman is the embodiment of māyā.

Prabhupāda: Vikāra... In spite of woman, you'll not be agitated. That training required.

Dr. Patel: You... Now, now, that training is very difficult to get. I am very sorry to say that.

Prabhupāda: No, no. No, no. That training is there. We are, we are training in that way.

Dr. Patel: You must, you must have, I mean, a sort of a... You see, between the object and indriyas...

Prabhupāda: Then according to Swami Nārāyaṇa's principles, I am a fallen.

Dr. Patel: No, no, no, sir.

Prabhupāda: Because I am always surrounded by young girls.

Dr. Patel: No, no, that is... Swami Nārāyaṇa sitting with the women but the sādhus...

Prabhupāda: Then why you said...? Don't you see...?

Dr. Patel: Listen, you are arguing in such a way that there will be a flash between us two.

Prabhupāda: No, no. People should be trained up in such a way that in spite of (indistinct) you should not be agitated. That is, that is.

Guest (1): Our religion... [break] and that these boys... [break]

Dr. Patel: Sādhus, not sannyāsīs. [break]

Prabhupāda: In European countries, in European countries, if you restrict in that way, that will be fanaticism.

Guest (1): That is what I am telling you. It should not be done immediately like that. [break] ...it must be trained, and it will take a long time.

Prabhupāda: Why Europe? Nowadays, here also. That is not possible.

Guest (1): It is not... It is not possible.

Prabhupāda: It is simply utopian, utopian.

Dr. Patel: That is all right. It is not possible. So you are doing like this. When it was possible...,

Prabhupāda: We are, we are training that... Never mind. That is the training of Cāṇakya Paṇḍita. Mātṛvat para-dāreṣu. That women may be thousands, but you see them as your mother. That's it.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

From the very beginning, three years, four years, five years old, children they are being trained up.
Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So, people should be trained up.

Director: Hmm. Excuse me, what do you do this (Indistinct. Talks with other devotees about something)

Prabhupāda: So immediately to solve all the problems like this is to start an institution to train four classes of men. Begin it. There is no training, how you can expect if you allow a child to smoke from the very beginning and to commit all kinds of sinful activities, how you can expect a nice gentleman when he is grown up? It is not possible. It is possible by this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. But somebody may not be induced to come and join. But if you train him from the very beginning, then it is possible. Just like we have got our training school, Gurukula, in Dallas, Texas. So from the very beginning, three years, four years, five years old, children they are being trained up.
Let us combinedly open an institution where people should be trained up how to become first class.
Room Conversation with Director of Research of the Dept. of Social Welfare -- May 21, 1975, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: So there, and I went there. The proprietor, the organizer, he took me there. So I think if we, if you are serious, let us combinedly open an institution where people should be trained up how to become first class. Children should be trained up. That will make a solution.

Director: Must change society then.

Prabhupāda: No, no change. Let society what it is. We train up some children as we are doing in Dallas, and some men also. Just like we have trained them. It is possible. No. This is practical example. Just like you were in a den, Morningstar.
First-class man, he knows what is Bhagavad-gītā and tries to apply the teachings in practical life.
Room Conversation with Mr. & Mrs. Wax, Writer and Editing Manager of Playboy Magazine -- July 5, 1975, Chicago: Everyone is thinking, "This body is accidental and when the body will be finished, everything is finished." That is the general understanding. But Bhagavad-gītā, you read. It is said, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: [Bg. 2.20] "After the destruction of the body, the soul is not destroyed." Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya navāni anyāṇi gṛhṇāti aparāṇi: [Bg. 2.22] "Just like when our dress becomes old enough not to be used, then we accept another dress, similarly, when this body is old enough, not workable, then we accept another body." These things are there. But who is trying to understand it? At least all our Indians, those who are born in India, wherefrom Bhagavad-gītā has come out, at least they should understand. But they are not understanding. They are interpreting Bhagavad-gītā in their own way. This is the difficulty. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, and people are taking advantage of that. So first-class man, he knows what is Bhagavad-gītā and tries to apply the teachings in practical life. Then you become first-class. In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find first-class eating, first-class life, second-class eating, second-class life, third-class... Everything is there. So people should be trained up.

Correspondence

1968 Correspondence

People should be trained up to be happy with one's own self.
Letter to Jadurani -- Montreal 9 July, 1968: There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam which was explained by Lord Caitanya in 64 different ways before Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. In that verse it is stated that even the atmaramas or the persons who take transcendental pleasure in their own self—actually people should be trained up to be happy with one's own self. So the yogis and the philosophers, they are trying to be satisfied with their own self. But even such persons are attracted by the pastimes of Radha-Krishna, because the transcendental qualities of Radha-Krishna is attractive for persons who are already liberated from the 3 material qualities. Anyway, the picture which you sent to Montreal is well-received here, and everyone is speaking highly of your painting capacity and I am so pleased to see the picture. And you have improved very much in your painting capacity also by serving Krishna so faithfully by the talent which Krishna has endowed you with.
Page Title:People should be trained
Compiler:Serene, Sharmila
Created:04 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=1, SB=4, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=7, Con=5, Let=1
No. of Quotes:18