Grihasthas

Grhasthas

by Uddhava dasa

Srila Prabhupada wanted devotees to record their realizations and share them with others. I wish I could enliven and even elevate everyone with my personal realizations. But in truth, there is not much chance of that. I'm more likely to bore one and all with my observations of my neophyte struggle for Krsna consciousness. We are so fortunate that in this age we can attain perfection in this very lifetime by the simple method of chanting the Lord's name. Nevertheless I still somehow or other manage to mess things up. At times I doubt if it's possible to make meaningful progress in spiritual life while in the grhasta asrama even though Srila Prabhupada says that we can. Lord Caitanya states that whether one is a sudra, brahmana, householder or sannyasi he can become a guru if he knows the science of Krsna. Maybe I'm guilty of indulging in self pity when I see the brahmacaris or the sannyasis engaging in various kinds of devotional service without the distraction we grhastas often experience.

However, I made my own bed so I have to lie in it! One annoying aspect when trying to advance in the grhasta asrama is when we have to earn a living (providing for my family's spiritual needs, children's gurukula etc. costs money as well) some of us have to associate with karmis. I do, and it doesn't do anything to enhance my remembrance of Krsna. Over a period of time I know their influence can have a contributive effect in increasing my anarthas and thus slowing down my Krsna conscious growth. It's good for me to be always aware that I'm a karmi trying to be a bhakta and they are karmis trying to be better karmis. I must purify my residual interests in their lifestyles which take the form of mundane politics, sporting events etc, with which I keep up to date with a spontaneous flick of the radio as I drive along in my car. Because I'm surrounded by their world (indeed I play a compulsory part in it, doing business, going to the bank and the rest), I find myself starting to rationalise the impossibility of being one hundred per cent Krsna conscious while living as a householder. After all this truth is acknowledged even in vedic civilization. Aren't we encouraged to renounce married life in favour of sannyasa in the latter stages of our lives? What's this but an indirect admission that you can't be a spiritually successful grhasta? On the other hand, I could be ultra positive. I could think, actually grhastas are considered spiritually bankrupt and they need to be reminded of the real goal of life as they are prone to forget. This doesn't depict me at least I remember Krsna everyday. When I think of it I'm not doing too bad at all! I'll wait until I reach fifty and then I'll really get serious. Naturally this doesn't sound right, I forget Krsna more than I remember him and I don't think that I can blame that all on the karmis. Now that I mention it, maybe I have more choice with whom I associate with than I think. Krsna has very kindly blessed me. He has given me ample facility to live peacefully in Krsna consciousness.

Although I bemoan having to earn a livelihood, two days a week is all I need expose myself to the karmis' mentality. And that too can be radically reduced if I heed His advice and live my life as He means us to. "A grhasta must associate again and again with saintly persons, and with great respect he must hear the nectar of the activities of the supreme Lord and His incarnations as these activities are described in Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas. Thus one should gradually become detached from affection for his wife and children, exactly like a man awakening from a dream" [SB 7 14 4] As Srila Prabhupada further explains in his purport: "...One must find some time for hearing Srimad Bhagavatam and Bhagavad Gita. This is vedic culture. One should work eight hours at the most to earn his livelihood, and either in the afternoon or in the evening a householder should associate with devotees to hear about the incarnations of Krsna and His activities and thus be gradually liberated from the clutches of maya. However, instead of finding time to hear about Krsna, the householders, after working hard in offices and factories, find time to go to a restaurant or club where instead of hearing about Krsna and His activities they are very much pleased to hear about political activities of demons and non devotees and to enjoy sex, wine, women and meat and in this way waste their time. This is not grhasta life, but demoniac life."

By Krsna's grace our necessities are decreasing all the time. If I truely want to limit any mixing with the karmis it's in my power to do so by simply deflating my lust for frivolous and unnecessary possessions. "An intelligent man in human society should make his own program of activities very simple. If there are suggestions from his friends, children, parents, brothers or anyone else, he should externally agree, saying "Yes, that is all right," but internally he should be determined not to create a cumbersome life in which the purpose of life will not be fulfilled." SB 7. 14. 6. I spend most of my time with devotee grhastas and they all know the merit of 'simple living and high thinking'. They have a different emphasis on life than the karmis. Not least, my wife and children, they are also devotees and are satisfied with whatever Krsna kindly awards us. A grhasta is entitled adhikari, which means he takes responsibility not only for the material maintenance of his charges, but most importantly the responsibility for ensuring their spiritual advancement.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare