Unless we come to that platform of bhakti-yoga and become re-related, not related, again revive our Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we, there cannot be equality. That is not possible. There must be distinction, some higher class, some middle class, some lower class. Even in European countries, there are, in America there are, so are in India. So it is not very astonishing. Because the whole world is being conducted, the whole material nature is being conducted by the three guṇas, and anyone associating with a particular type of guṇa, he must suffer or enjoy according to that guṇas. Jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Tāmasa, they, those who are in the tāmasika-guṇa, they go adhaḥ. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And via media, those who are in touch with the rajo-guṇa. And ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: (BG 14.18) those who are in the goodness, they go up, in the upper platform of the society or in the universe. But Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). Either you go even to the Brahmaloka, one day you have come to the hellish loka. This is the way. So some, cakravat parivartante sukhāni ca duḥkhāni ca. Just like the wheel turns round, sometimes up, sometimes down, so this is the position of this material world. There is no question of lamenting. You cannot say, "These people are suffering and that people are enjoying." The man who is enjoying, he'll also suffer next moment. This is going on, suffering and enjoying. Unless we come to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is no way of coming out of this duality of this world.
Via media is rajo-guna
Expressions researched:
"rajo-guna is the via media"
|"via media is the rajo-guna"
|"via media, is rajo-guna"
|"via media, they are called rajo-guna"
|"via media, those who are in touch with the rajo-guna"
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
There is another prakṛti, another nature. There is Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Not one, two, but millions, unlimited. And the topmost planet is called Goloka Vṛndāvana. That is mad-dhāma, Kṛṣṇa says, or tad-dhāma.
So all these informations are there. Simply we have to know. Unfortunately, because we are too much materially absorbed, we cannot understand. We cannot understand. Neither we are very much interested to know. So vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ. There is no ruci because they are conditioned by the material nature, by the three modes of material nature: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa... Tamo-guṇa is the lowest, rajo-guṇa is the via media, and one who is the sattva-guṇa, he can understand. Therefore the whole Vedic civilization is meant for making people brāhmaṇa. Not to keep him in ignorance, not to keep him in the position of a śūdra. The whole Vedic scheme is that from the lowest grade of li..., existence, one can be elevated to the highest grade. Śudhyanti. Śudhyanti, purification. That is purification. In ordinary life also, there are purificatory methods, daśa-vidha-saṁskāra. That purificatory method begins before the birth, which is called garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. Not that a man, a high-caste brāhmaṇa or kṣatriya or even vaiśya... Especially brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya. Especially brāhmaṇa. He's not meant for giving birth to a child like cats and dogs. He has to observe the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra. In the śāstra it is said in a brāhmaṇa family, if the garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, he immediately falls down to the śūdra class.
Kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ. Because this garbhādhāna-saṁskāra is not observed, therefore it is to be taken, accepted, everyone is a śūdra. But the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to again elevate the śūdra to the standard of brāhmaṇa. This is the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Because without brāhmaṇa... Just like without head, what is the value of your body?
One who is under the material energy, they are entangled with these three guṇas: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. The lowest is the tamo-guṇa, and via media is the rajo-guṇa, and the topmost, goodness, is sattva-guṇa. So even in sattva-guṇa, that is also entanglement. Rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa is certainly entanglement, but even rajo-guṇa, even one is situated in the sattva-guṇa... Sattva-guṇa means perfect brāhmaṇa. Satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā ārjavam, jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma-karma svabhāva-jam (BG 18.42). Even if you become a perfect brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa, with qualities, still, it is bondage. In bondage because, in this way, that even if you become a brāhmaṇa you'll think yourself, "Now I have got so much knowledge, Vedic knowledge. I speak truth, satya. I can control my senses. Satyaṁ śamo damaḥ. I can control my mind. I have got knowledge. I can tolerate." So all these qualities, one becomes bound up. But Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu teaches, nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patiḥ, that "Even... I am not even a brāhmaṇa. I am not a kṣatriya. I am not a vaiśya. I am not a śūdra." He says. This is called sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170). Even if you become a brāhmaṇa, still, that is upādhi, designation.
So although there is bondage in the sattva-guṇa,... Ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ (BG 14.18). You can be promoted to the higher planetary systems, but that is also bondage. Kṛṣṇa says, ābrahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ punar āvartino 'rjuna (BG 8.16). If you remain within this material world, even if you are promoted to the highest planetary system, Brahmaloka, Satyaloka, still, you have to accept the material bondage, means janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). Brahmā, he also dies. Although he has got very, very long duration of life, he also dies. So Kṛṣṇa therefore recommends, yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: (BG 15.6) "If you come to My place, then you are no more under the laws of birth, death, old age, and disease." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). That should be the aim of life.
Devotee: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "O best of the demigods, we can see three different varieties of life, which are due to the contamination of the three modes of nature. The living entities are thus known as peaceful, restless and foolish; as happy, unhappy or in-between; or as religious, irreligious and semireligious. We can deduce that in the next life these three kinds of material nature will similarly act."
Prabhupāda:
- yatheha deva-pravarās
- trai-vidhyam upalabhyate
- bhuteṣu guṇa-vaicitryāt
- tathānyatrānumīyate
- (SB 6.1.46)
Just like, now this month of June, we have got a certain type of experience, what are the natural changes, atmosphere, in this month of June. Similarly, when you are in month of December, you can foretell what will be the next month of June. It is not difficult. Because you have got experience, the atmospheric changes and situations in this month of June. Just like in Bombay there is practical calculation that by the tenth of June, the rain, rainy season will begin. Actually so happens. In different places, different types of seasonal changes. So everything should be seen through the śāstra. Śāstra-cakṣuṣāt. This is Vedic process. In the śāstra it is said that ūrdhvaṁ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: (BG 14.18) elevation in this material world is when a person is in the sattva-guṇa, the modes of goodness. And middle, via media, is rajo-guṇa. Madhye tiṣṭhanti rājasāḥ. And jaghanya-guṇa-vṛtti-sthā adho gacchanti tāmasāḥ. Those who are very, very low class, jaghanya-vṛtti, their behavior is very, very abominable, they go down, adho gacchanti.
But our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is to go above the modes of goodness.
This is our position. This is our advancement of science, that we do not know "What I was before this life and what I shall become after this life?" Life is continuation. That is spiritual knowledge. But they do not know also even that life is continuation. They think, "By chance, I have got this life, and it will be finished after death. There is no question of past, present or future. Let us enjoy." This is called ignorance, tamasā, irresponsible life.
So ajñaḥ. Ajñaḥ means one who has no knowledge. And who has no knowledge? Now, tamasā. Those who are in the modes of ignorance. There are three kinds of material nature, modes: sattva, raja, tamas. Sattva-guṇa means everything is clear, prakāśa. Just like now the sky is covered with cloud; the sunshine is not clear. But above the cloud there is sunshine, everything clear. And within the cloud there is not clear. Similarly, those who are in the sattva-guṇa, for them everything is clear, and those who are in the tamo-guṇa, everything is ignorance, and those who are mixed up, neither rajo-guṇa, neither tamo-guṇa, via media, they are called rajo-guṇa. Three guṇas. Tamasā. So they are simply interested in the present body, does not care what is going to happen, and has no knowledge what he was before. There is another place it is described: nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma (SB 5.5.4). Pramattaḥ, just like madman. He does not know why he has become mad. He forgets. And by his activities, what is going to happen next, he does not know. Madman.
| Page Title: | Via media is rajo-guna |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, MahavishnuSwami |
| Created: | 03 of Aug, 2009 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=5, Con=0, Let=0 |
| No. of Quotes: | 5 |