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Sanätana-dharma: The Solution to World Conflict A speech delivered by Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Vämana Gosvämé Mahäräja for better transliteration of Sanskrit into English]
Çré Meghalaya Gauòéya Maöha, A speech delivered by First of all I offer my unlimited prostrated
obeisances at the lotus feet of my gurupädapadma, jagad-guru nitya-lélä-praviñöa oà viñëupäda Çréla Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé Mahäräja, and my due pranämas
and regards to the assembled
Vaiñëavas and wise listeners respectively. Cheating Religions The subject of our discussion today is sanätanadharma and the problems of the
world; or, rather, sanätana-dharma as
the solution to the problems of the world. We have up till now been hearing
various learned speakers discuss the nature of sanätanadharma. We must begin by understanding that most of the dharmas, or types
of socio-religious duties, prevalent in the world today are mundane and
perishable. påthivéte yäha kichu dharma näme cale bhägavata kähe taha paripürëa chale Çré Våndävana däsa Öhäkura The Çrémad-Bhägavatam
condemns whatever goes on in this world in the name of dharma, or religion, as nothing but deception. The various dharmas in this world deal with its mundane attributes. Sanätana-dharma, however, illuminates
the function of the soul. It is the dharma
in which the soul and the Supersoul, or Bhagavän, ,exist eternally. The soul bound in this
world must investigate how he can be released. Is there any means for him to
achieve such freedom? Asking the Right Questions Çré Çaìkaräcärya has provided us a weapon to
cut away our delusion in this regard in the following verse: kä tava käntä kaste
putraù saàsäro ’hyamativa
vicitraù kasya tvaà vä kuta äyätaù tattvam cintaya tadaidam bhrätaù O brother, where
were you before you came this? And after death where will you go?
Did your dear relatives - your wife, son and other
family members - come to this world with you? Can you take them with you when you leave? How long
will you remain here? You should inquire into
these philosophical truths. This is precisely the subject of our
deliberation and the realm of our sädhana,
or spiritual practice. “Who are you?” “Where were you before coming to this
world?” “For what purpose have you come here?” “What activities have you
performed in your life so far and have they made you happy?” The scriptures invite us to ask these
questions. In this world, we are flanked by birth and death, and whatever we do
in between these two is temporary. One poet has therefore written, “We are but
actors on the stage of this world.” The human condition has also been described
as follows: yävajjananaà tävan maraëam tavajjanané jaöhare çayanam iti saàsäre sphuöatara-doñaù kathama-iha mänava tava santoñaù O human being, you
have come to this world for some time, and after playing your part you
must leave it. So long as there is birth there
will also be death, and you will again have to enter into
the womb of a mother. Whatever peace and
happiness you hope to attain from this world is not
real peace and happiness. Therefore, in the scriptures on sanätana-dharma, the ärya-åñis have said: bälas tävat kriòäsaktas taruëas tävat taruëé-raktaù våddhas tävat cinta-magnaù parame brahmaëi ko ’pi na magnaù Çré
Çaìkaräcärya In childhood one is
engrossed in playing, in youth he becomes captivated by the opposite
sex, and in age he becomes
immersed in anxiety; thus henever becomes absorbed in thoughts of the Supreme
Truth. In this world we pass our time eating,
sleeping, defending and so on; rather, we should consider that the time
allotted to us in this body is fixed. The Secret to World Unity and Peace To develop love for Bhagavän, the supreme
object of love, is the fundamental message of sanätanadharma. Thus far, we have discussed the temporary nature of
religious activities, both bodily and mental. The dharma of the soul, however, is eternal. Today’s thinkers claim
that the Twentieth Century is the age of science and mechanisation. However,
there is no peace in today’s world. If this is indeed the great scientific age,
why isn’t mankind attaining peace? There is a well-known saying in the West: “Science
ends in philosophy and philosophy ends in religion.” The science referred to
here is material science. Dharma, or
religion, is the sole subject of our discussion today. Dharma can completely reverse the world’s present situation. In a religious assembly in the West, a Pope
once admitted, “ demented. It can, however, be reformed by spiritual The whole world is looking to the true inner
spirit of Where is peace? The last speaker mentioned the
United Nations Organisation (UNO). This organization has taken responsibility
for our welfare, but has it brought any peace to the world? When everything is
driven by politics, can we ever hope to gain anything? The world today is
divided into two camps, each willing to help anyone who submits to it. When
such politics prevail, how can we ever offer the real recipe for peace? We will
be unable to find it. Unable to remedy the troubles facing humanity,
the scientific and Western worlds are gripped by anxiety and fear. How can we,
who are troubled by limitless problems, ever attain peace? We can never attain
it simply by shouting, in various assemblies, “Peace! Peace!” However, our sanätana-åñis, or great sages on the
path of sanätana-dharma, have given
us a clue by which we may attain peace: if we love Bhagavän, the Supreme
Controller, and place our faith in Him, all human beings will come to see themselves as part of a single race. Who Classifies as Being Human? Yesterday I explained the meaning of “man” or “human”.
The ärya-åñis have undertaken
meticulous philosophical research into what is meant by the term “human”. One
poet has written, “More than man you cannot be.” What does he mean? Does his
use of the word “human” or “man” refer simply to facial features? No. When
humaneness is lacking, man is known as a brute; and when humaneness is
developed to its highest extent, a person is to be regarded as a human being.
Such humaneness is divine. Why, then, are we not endeavouring to love
Bhagavän, the embodiment of love, who is one without a second? Three words are often used in the religious
rhetoric of today - “equality”, “liberty” and “friendship”. How can we attain
these qualities? How can we establish the true ideal of communism in the world?
How can we demonstrate that one man is in universal brotherhood with another? Many people are quick to declare that we are all humans,
but what is there to support this claim? Man’s humanity lies in his being
governed by moral principles and ideals. Thus, only when we love Bhagavän can
we love each and every living entity. How can one who does not even love his
own father, mother or guardian, preach world-brotherhood? These days, in an effort to create social
unity, many people will try to say that the same blood flows through everyone’s
veins. According to medical scientists, however, this claim is quite false.
Blood is graded A, B, AB, O and so forth; a person cannot be given any type of
blood. Thus, even in blood there is differentiation. It is therefore impossible
to forge a universal brotherhood or socialism on the basis of this phenomenal
world. How, then, can it be created? It can be
established perfectly by considering how one can bring auspiciousness to the self through the process of selfrealization. The ärya-åñis have described a type of
communist ideal that is able to situate us in real universal brotherhood. We
can never attain peace through mere material endeavours. The Solution to All Problems In the Gétä,
we see that Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa directs His instructions on self-realization to
Arjuna. He did not, however, intend these teachings for Arjuna. By making His
dear friend Arjuna His instrument, He instructs us all on how to treat the
disease that is causing the entire world to suffer. Arjuna asked, “How can one attain peace?” Çré Kåñëa replied: äpüryamäëam acala-pratiñöhaà samudram äpaù praviçanti yadvat tadvat kämä yaà praviçanti sarve sa çäntim äpnoti na käma-kämé Bhagavad-gétä
(2.70) Although countless
rivers flow into the ocean, it never overflows. Similarly, various desires
flow into the mind of one who is fixed in
transcendence, yet his equilibrium is never disturbed. Such a
person can attain peace, not
he who strives always to fulfil his desires. his desires.” In this world our hopes and desires are
endless. We are advised to limit our hankerings, because they have caused us to
be afflicted by multifarious problems. If we do not control them we are not
safe. In today’s world, it is indeed we who generate
our own feelings of scarcity. We are at the root of our own vociferous
complaints. Upon reflection, we see that we no longer feel the level of
satisfaction we felt twenty or twenty-five years ago. Rather, our sense of
scarcity has increased a million-fold. The çästras
inform us that we will only attain peace when we put an end to this imagined
sense of scarcity. But how will we find peace when this world is filled with
restlessness? Çästra has provided a clue: eva çaraëaà gaccha sarva-bhävena bhärata tat-prasädät paräà çäntià sthänaà präpsyasi çäçvatam Bhagavad-gétä
(18.62) O scion of Bharata,
surrender fully to the Supreme Lord in every
respect. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the
supreme and eternal abode. Bhagavän is instructing His devotees “tam eva çaraëaà gaccha - surrender unto
Me.” Until a person does this he will
never attain peace. As long as we think
we can solve our own problems, we will be
unable to discover a solution. Wherever we find a solution, we should embrace it. Bhagavän has given us instructions on “complete surrender”
through the medium of the Géta, Bhägavatam, Vedas, Vedänta and so on, so
that these teachings never escape our memory. The world’s unlimited problems, such as lack
of food, clothing, accommodation and education, can be solved if we lead our
lives by properly maintaining a focus on the original centre. This means
establishing our trust in Bhagavän and our faith in and devotion to Him. Who is that Bhagavän? Is He devoid of form, qualities and
variety? No, he is not devoid of potency. He has everything. He is çaktimän, the possessor of all potency,
and He has form and attributes. His form, which is composed of eternity,
knowledge and bliss, is that of Çyämasundara. Çré Kåñëa is indeed that Bhagavän who is the
embodiment of love. He can give love to unlimited jévas and He knows how to receive love from them. Only when we, the
minutely conscious jévas, try to love
Bhagavän, is it understood that our actual perception of ourselves (ätma-darçana) has awakened fully. At
that time we are able to execute our duty admirably and properly. Only by
accepting the instructions of the ärya-åñis
and ärya-çästras can all the
problems of the world be resolved.
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