Note: This text is to be used to show how Vaishnavas
serve the world with the timeless wisdom of their school
of thought in connection with the practical life and
the environment.
It can be printed in connection with other articles
or as a separate small magazine.
Dear friends, brothers and sisters,
Welcome to our happy duty of taking care of ourselves
and our environment. Let us see how we can improve
our own consciousness and help others as well.
We were all born on this planet Earth (which in itself
is a marvelous wonder, considering the size of the
visible universe) and we are eager to find out what
to do, and what our responsibilities are here.
Amongst the inhabitants of mother Earth, we find many
different ideas, philosophies, and attitudes about
life and its purpose. In general, the people of this
world follow two predominating concepts: Most try to
enjoy life as much as possible; expecting existence
to cease at the moment of death, while others consider
the world scenario so ghastly that they would rather
cease to exist here and now. Not wanting to participate
in efforts towards viable solutions, these fellow inhabitants
thrive instead for the liberation and elimination of
their feelings, thoughts, and desires. They cannot
see that everything is astoundingly well designed and
organized. If they could, they would clearly understand
the existence of a thoughtful creator.
Yet, in the mundane world, is there anyone to be trusted?
Does any uncorrupted authority really exist?
We have all seen religious, educational, and political
organizations being abused for selfish interests.
This has created a general distrust in these institutions.
Some distrust and some abuse; and Mother Earth is
bearing the scars.
The biological well-being of our Mother Earth, along
with the character of mankind, are becoming ruined
by the materialistic way of life. Still, as the current
residents of this planet, we are the ones responsible
for establishing solutions for the future.
Due to the mercy of my spiritual master, Srila Prabhupada,
I learned about a culture which existed in previous
ages on this planet: the Vedic culture. I read the
extensive literature which tells us how the Vedic culture
lived in harmony with nature and followed the path
of goodness. I considered the teachings of the Vedic
school; as they were given to me by my spiritual master.
I tested them in my own life and soul searched them
in confrontation with the visible world; and I found
that Srila Prabhupadas teachings give answers to the
many doubts and challenges that come from the rational,
modernized way of thinking.
The Vedic tradition, as I learned from my spiritual
master, is completely open to making the necessary
adjustments for the well-being of all peoples. The
Vedic scriptures teach us to protect all those who
are weak and helpless, and the Bhagavad Gita teaches
us to stay with the truth at any cost.
The desperate condition of our Mother Earth calls for
the attention of all people - the Vaishnavas in particular.
As Vaishnavas, we invite all brothers and sisters,
of all schools of thought, who may share all or some
of the following points, to join together with us in
a common front and embark on our humble service.
Obviously, it will take many people to make a significant
change, and it is we who must begin. We have to learn
to be happy without making others unhappy.
The following article is a list of the rules and recommendations,
as conceived by me, B. A. Paramadvaiti, of how to create
a better world according to the Vaishnava Philosophy.
Most of the items mentioned here are just initial
concepts which require further research about their
proper implementation. This is only the beginning
and shall not be considered complete. Nevertheless,
please read these points carefully and critically.
If you accept them, help to spread this information
to others. Let us all be a part of the solution.
I do not want to offend anyone, and wish to be your
loving brother in our common cause for our loving Father
and Mother Nature. Come and associate with Vaishnavas
and find out what riches they have to be shared with
everyone.
With brotherly love. Until then.
Your servant,
Swami B. A. Paramadvaiti
The Vaishnava philosophy comes from a glorious past
called the Vedic Culture. Vedic scriptures and the
general Indian lifestyle gave all recognition and protection
to Mother Nature. In the scriptures, Mother nature
is represented as a cow named Bhumi. She is the nurturing
well-wisher of all her residents. It is described
that when one person inflicts unnecessary sufferings
on other living beings, Bhumi also suffers. Therefore,
our duty is to achieve a level of realization which
will convince ourselves and humanity to act in such
a way that no other living entities are unnecessarily
harmed.
Unfortunately, modern India ignores much of their ancient
wisdom and adopts a lot of the irresponsible Western
lifestyle. In fact, developments of the modern industrial
world have transformed the planet in ways that nobody,
the Vaishnavas included, were prepared to face. Chemical
products, pollution, and corruption are everywhere;
and communication through satellite and Internet have
reached unexpected dimensions.
When Srila Prabhupada came to the West in 1965, he came
to preach a genuine spiritual path. In only twelve
years he changed the way the world would look towards
Krishna and Vedic culture. This I can only compare
to the call of Jesus to his followers; to leave everything
material behind and follow his teachings making way
for more and more people to be enlightened.
Srila Prabhupada gave us so much that we hardly could
grasp it, what to speak of realizing and putting it
all into action. New Age developments in particular,
such as nutritional discoveries regarding farming and
food processing, were not so carefully watched in the
young Krishna communities. Singing Krishna's name
and studying the scriptures of the past were, and still
are our priorities for the realization of the essence
of a life of dedication. Nevertheless, the famous
slogan of Srila Prabhupada "Simple Living, High
Thinking" must be reviewed in the light of our
modern world.
According to the authority of the great Srila Rupa Goswami
(1493-1564), Vaishnava philosophy shall use everything
for Krishna. He describes that false renunciation
is to consider material discoveries useless; to think
that they shall be destroyed and thus ignore them does
not serve the purpose of the creator. Instead, new
inventions should be used to glorify the creator and
to teach the world what they must know - urgently.
A most recent example of this is the Internet. Srila
Prabhupada never mentioned the Internet. No surprise;
it was not known in his time. Yet, while it was created
by the defense ministry for mundane purposes, today
it takes the darshana of Deities and holy scriptures
in all languages to all corners of the world. Thus,
the Internet now serves as a great instrument to teach
Vedic wisdom to the modern world.
The end does not always justify the means, but for a
Vaishnava the sweet will of the all blessing Lord is
of such a priority that, after carefully balancing
the pros and cons, the Vaishnavas do accept such unwanted
conditions such as living in filthy cities to conduct
missionary activities, using modern transportation
to distribute their literature, and various other rather
difficult tasks for a yogi and a lover of Gods creation.
To update the recommendations Vaishnavas would like
to contribute to the world, I decided to make a list
of things we must do and things we wish to accomplish.
This list is for all those who want to help with practical
solutions for our world.
* Lead a vegetarian life. Do not eat meat, fish, or
eggs. In this way we cultivate mercy and compassion
within the heart.
* No drugs which put our physical, mental and spiritual
well-being into jeopardy. Use preventive medicine.
* Do not smoke cigarettes. They make some people rich
and millions suffer.
* Keep your virginity for your marriage partner. Let
us stop Aids that simply. Celibacy or serious marriage.
Extramarital relationships are a total lack of respect
for the dignity of the partner and the possible children.
Have sexual relationships preferably only to invite
a child into your life with your loving spouse.
* Do not gamble. It creates vices, is addictive, and
promotes our cheating mentality. There is nothing
worse then wasting our human form of life.
* Stop abortion or reap the results. It is terrible
that modern man is arguing for the right to kill his
own children in the womb; not to mention the slaughter
of embryos to inject sick Alzheimer patients with fresh,
unused brain tissues. It is murder and that will never
change.
How can we be healthy if our world is being contaminated
around us? Acid rain falls on our heads and the land;
ozone levels are depleting where they are necessary
and increasing where they are harmful; chemical fertilizers
and poisonous insecticides are all over our food; violence
and pornography are all over the news casts, television,
and publications filling our brains with the worst
filth; and people are so ignorant they think that the
drugstore will sell a solution for everything. Mind
altering drugs such as prozac are intoxicating millions
of people. Gene technology and radiation of foods
are all bringing changes into our world which will
damage our natural biological well-being.
If we want to be healthy, we have to change many things.
To be healthy it is necessary to clean up everything
as much as possible. Cleaning our mind and becoming
satisfied with the simple gifts of God will give us
the strength to do the needful.
* Again, lead a vegetarian life. Vedic culture strongly
promotes vegetarianism. The vegetarian diet has been
followed since antiquity by those who have chosen the
path of yoga, goodness, and purification. Today, there
are also hundreds of reasons a person can help solve
the conditions of the world by being a vegetarian.
* Use medical drugs only after ALL natural cures failed.
Natures healing methods are found in many traditions.
The healing powers of medicinal Herbs, clay, pure
water, air, and affectionate care are the best of all
available cures. The Ayur Veda is a scriptural reference
of Vedic medicine; and to some great degree a system
of preventive medicine. We should know the basics
of such natural treatments as are described in these
traditions and texts, and should avoid chemical treatments.
It may often be difficult to find experts today in
these sciences, but disease prevention, at least, is
easily learned.
* No more junk food. Only buy pure organic ingredients
and prepare nice food with love to offer to God and
be purified by eating sanctified food, free of Karmic
reactions.
* No more use of artificial colors, chemical flavoring,
preservatives, and the thousands of other illness producing
horrors that the drug and food control agency has not
yet prohibited due to their ignorance.
* Do not use white sugar or white wheat flour. White
sugar is actually poisonous, addictive, and is contaminated
by animal bones in the whitening process. The first
stage of sugar production where the sweet juice is
turned into thick molasses is the purest sweetener.
Due to lack of availability of such pure molasses,
sometimes we use raw brown sugar or Gour (various names
are used in different countries). Even white sugar
has been used in some cases, but this can be avoided
as raw sweeteners are now more easily accessible.
* Always offer to Krishna the most nutrients to keep
you and others healthy.
* Follow good nutritional advise. Don't eat fruits
and vegetable at the same time.
* Balance your diet.
* Avoid excessive and polluted foods.
* Cleanliness is close to godliness. If we are careful
to keep ourselves internally and externally clean,
our bodys self defenses will be very strong.
Humanity has tried everything in the last few thousand
years. Every economic and political system, as well
as the industrialized, technological information age
have failed to improve the human character and create
a just environment. Nor have any of them given us
a healthy planet or a functioning system to continue
living as we are used to. Even if sophisticated and
high-tech living was the goal of life (which it is
not the case) there are not enough natural resources
in the world to supply every human being with a European
or American way of life. Change is unavoidable. We
always want to be progressive and successful. Now
is our last chance to do the right thing. In theory
it is easy.
* Accept a spiritual way of life which does not allow
those who follow this path to do any harm to others.
* Learn from the best available examples about how to
build inexpensive and healthy houses. While constructing
you should try to use the most natural building ingredients.
New technology using natural materials such as mud,
bamboo, straw, and pumice are being developed and are
becoming more popular.
* Try to live without electricity whenever possible.
Use alternative energy such as the sun and the wind.
* Eat in a way which preserves the maximum energy for
others.
* Do not dress with artificial fibers. Synthetic materials
do not allow your body to breath.
* Support cottage industries and handicrafts. Natural
vibrations come from natural things. Cotton, jute,
wool and hemp are very good natural fibers for clothing
and many other items. You will feel the difference
as soon as you get rid of all of the unnatural materials
that surround you.
* Do not paint with poisonous colors. Many colors and
materials evaporate poisons continuously. They may
kill slowly, but they still kill.
* Do not destroy your hearing capacity through deafening
sounds. Senseless disharmony at excessive volume hurts
our meditative and intellectual capacity. Many modern
music groups also create unwanted effects by disturbing
our health and balanced mood.
* Stop supporting companies which do harm to nature
and your fellow beings.
* Boycott all products which form a part of the corruption
and pollution of our world.
* No more television - which does damage to the growing
ups and the grown ups in so many ways. To name a
few, it creates sex mania, increases violence, causes
vocabulary loss, and diminishes family communication.
* No more unnecessary furniture which kills trees for
vanity. Let us use the least we can live with, and
dedicate more time to our spiritual lives and our children.
Buying useless inventions is a show of our ignorance
and an attempt to compete with other lonely matter
worshippers.
* Do not pay attention to advertisements. Plan your
money for something useful for God, the world, and
you. No more separate interest from the universal
interest.
* No more supporting exploitation in the guise of science
and medicine. The artificial idea that we must keep
the body alive by all means is a complete disturbance
to spiritual peace.
High thinking involves a good personal character. Justness,
kindness, truthfulness, pure conduct, friendly behavior,
frankness and loving cordiality are natural to a sincere
person. Without sincerity all our attempts are doomed.
* Start your day chanting Gods glories. The Vaishnavas
do that by singing and meditating on the following
formula given in the Vedas for our complete benefit:
Here is a simple translation of this invocation: Please
let me understand the wish of the infinite Lord and
serve him with my life and soul.
This sound vibration, and any other genuine names of
God will purify you and help you to reach the perfection
of human life. The process of chanting His holy names
is known in the Vedic scriptures as the sacrifice for
human beings in the current age.
* Meditate. It gives us strength and success.
* Associate with those who are like-minded, and with
others only to teach them ways in which they may also
advance spiritually.
* Never mistreat anyone.
* Always try to become an expert, then you can do better
service for others.
* Love thy brother like thyself by giving them the best
you have. And what is really the only valuable thing
we have? Our sincerity and love.
* The best thing the Vaishnavas have received in life
is the teachings of Srila Prabhupada and the mission
of loving service and meditation. Therefore, we would
like to give this gift to all of you.
* Study the Bhagavad Gita which is a kind of manual
for the human form of life.
* Worship and maintain the holy Tulasi tree who is very
dear to Krishna, and who will bless you very much and
soften your heart.
* Be strict with yourself, but merciful with others.
Treat others with kindness and understanding.
* Always teach by example.
* Only compete for humility and service to others.
* Meet others to discuss topics of God and enlightenment.
* Make drama and music for God in the company of family
and friends.
* Know that the most important principle of all is to
never forget Krishna. Krishna is a name of God. He
is the all-attractive cowherd boy of Vrindavan. Love
the Lord with all your heart, above every other consideration.
Just try your very best and Krishna will be pleased
with you.
Always realize that every action will bring about a
corresponding reaction. The wrong you do today will
haunt you tomorrow. Similarly, we live in the mess
we have made.
The atrocities of humanity against the Indians, the
unborn babies, the minorities, etc. are so unspeakable
that we have to recognize that human being are potentially
very dangerous. Our prejudice mentality, our superiority
or inferiority complexes, our sympathies and antipathies,
are all leading us to be unjust, fanatic, cruel, and
egotistical. If we are not very careful, we may be
guilty of being a part of destructive forces at work.
We have to surrender to real goodness from the core
of our heart in order to escape our own conditioning.
Universal brother and sisterhood is the only consciousness
which can make us responsible in our dealings with
each other. Even if we call Him by different names,
recognizing our common Father will lead us to change.
We should understanding the science of reincarnation
and realize that as we turn over the earth to our children
they will turn it back over to us in our future lives.
In this way we will become more responsible.
Those who have no religion can worship God in the form
of Mother Nature, truth, goodness, compassion and the
like. They, also, will have no disagreement with our
common interests.
* A person who loves God, nature, and his fellow creatures
shall abstain from any product connected with cruelty
to animals.
* As Vaishnavas, we are against all medical and scientific
experimental research of animals, including the experimentation
of eating them.
* The Vaishnavas are also against the harsh treatment
of cows in modern milk factories. However, our concept
is different than that of the vegan philosophy which
eliminates animal products all together. Because God
is the rightful enjoyer of everything, He blesses those
living entities who contribute to His pleasure or to
the service of His devotees. Vedic culture gives us
the blessing of offering God the cow's milk and her
sub products, along with other animal products such
as honey and wool. This idea extents to include the
printing of holy books on paper made of trees; where
as if only rubbish is printed on this paper, it is
considered sinful. Knowing that the treatment of these
animals is wrong, Vaishnavas offer milk to God to give
the cows a chance to serve Krishna with some of their
energy. Krishna Himself manifests the pastimes of
a cowherd boy and, of course, Vaishnavas would much
prefer to protect cows personally on their own farms
without any mistreatment. But it is a fact that cow
protection can only be organized on a high level, requiring
thousands of acres of land of different qualities and
much help from the government. Small farms will go
bankrupt by increasing herds of cows. This is the
sad truth which has often been ignored by rather inexperienced
Vaishnava farmers.
* Use leather or other products of animal origin only
if the animal died a natural death. Under no circumstance
can we give any support to the slaughterhouse industry.
* Regularly plant trees and look after them. Trees
are so merciful and important to us. They create oxygen
for us to breathe and give us such a variety of things:
delicious fruits, shade, shelter, flowers, leaves,
medicines, etc. Trees also create and maintain topsoil
which is crucial for erosion prevention. Cutting trees
irresponsibly and neglecting to replant them destroys
the natural balance and is also sinful. Trees should
be planted by mixing different tree species. Fruit
trees should be planted everywhere; for instance, along
public roads and parks for hungry travelers to be nourished.
Caring for rivers and forests are an integral part of
the Vaishnava way of life and worship. Sacred rivers,
like the Yamuna and the Ganges, and holy trees, such
as the Banyan tree, Tamal tree, Pipal tree, Kadamba
tree, are highly respected in the Vedas. Krishna is
so kind to give us His grace in so many forms of pure
berries, nuts and fruits, but man, out of greed, has
turned many places of Mother Earth into deserts, cutting
the trees selling everything in the markets.
* Always separate the garbage strictly, recycling everything
possible.
* No more useless trips in cars. Let us use the bicycle
whenever possible. Walk more. Do not spoil the air
for no good reason.
* No more plastics until there is NO other way out.
Use wood toys for your children. Let them feel and
love nature. Teach them about Mother Nature and Father
Krishna.
* Be engaged in civic service such as planting trees
on public land, supplying drinking water to travelers,
cleaning up dirty areas in nature, using garbage for
recycling projects, protecting animals from abuse,
etc. We should see Gods energy everywhere and take
maximum care of everything. Even a dripping water
outlet should be closed when you come across it. Energy
has to be saved.
* Don't support using Mother Earths land for cultivation
of useless crops that poison people. Crops which make
people sick and addicted, such as tobacco, coffee,
tee and other drugs take away agriculture land for
growing food for the undernourished majority of humanity.
* No more factory farms. No more mono-crop plantations.
Commercial agriculture weakens natural defenses through
artificial cultivation and use of single crops. Mix
forests and produce so that they may re-create a natural
balance.
* Compost your organic waste. It is gold to a farmer.
Learn how to do it so well that it will give you pleasure
and then you will enjoy teaching it to others.
* Turn human waste into fertilizer. Support the dry
toilet system wherever possible; like in the country
and on the estate. * Wherever possible, cultivate
a family or community vegetable garden following the
science of organic farming.
* Learn the art of making natural juices, pickles, and
marmalades for the wintertime in your home.
* Get going, get active. Do not sleep in the day.
Early to bed and early to rise.
* Tell others continuously about your ecological commitment
and its benefits. Get them into it.
* Make songs and drama for our Mother Earth.
* Organize and create civic action.
* Use natural products like leaf-plates, natural fiber
shopping bags, and organic grown produce whenever available.
* Do not be a passive onlooker of the destruction of
humans, animals, the environment, and the world at
large.
* Understand the root of the solution is piety and spiritual
awareness.
Death has to be faced in a praying meditative mood. First people destroy themselves by their lifestyles, and then they go crazy to stay fit and remain more time here by organ transplants and all kinds of machines. They do not know that they are not these material bodies and that this life is just one of many. As long as we harbor material desires, and until we learn the lesson to serve God with love and stop causing others trouble, we will remain on this material plane life after life.
Regardless of our faith or beliefs we should all join
together and do the needful to save the planet.
"Unity in Diversity" - It gives us all strength.
The author Swami B.A. Paramadvaiti is the founder of
many ashram communities in South America, Europe, and
India. He is the founder of VRINDA and ISEV. He is
working with alternative energy sources and teaching
ecological and vegetarian awareness in many international
projects.
You can contact him by E-mail at [email protected]