Varṇāśrama is actually simple. The devil is in the details

Varṇāśrama is actually quite simple, but until we properly understand the system, it can be extraordinarily difficult to implement it in practice.

Varṇāśrama is actually quite simple, but until we properly understand the system, it can be extraordinarily difficult to implement it in practice.

Just as the demigods, all human beings and other forms of life are parts of the universal form of the Lord; therefore, we are supposed to serve the whole. Animals automatically execute their functions according to their natures; therefore, there is no question of sin for them. Human beings, however, have free will. When this free will is properly applied, one becomes a pure devotee of the Lord, or at least performs his duties according to the Varṇāśrama system, playing his role as a teacher or intellectual dedicated to uplifting society, as an ethical politician, manager, or military man, organizing and protecting society, as an honest farmer or businessman, or simply as an honest worker. By accepting the supremacy of the Lord and executing our duties according to this divine system, we can gradually purify ourselves. The four orders are born from the Supreme Lord, and the ultimate goal of the system is to worship the Lord under the guidance of the spiritual master.

This division into four classes, with further ramifications, is a natural division that can be found in every society, from aboriginal tribes to modern countries. The reason is mentioned in the Bhagavad-Gita 4.13: "According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me."

These divisions are present everywhere because they were created by Krsna. Any functional society will naturally organize itself around these four basic divisions. Even communist countries (which are based on the idea of abolishing social classes) would develop this natural division over time. It is just not possible for a society to function without some form of it.

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The point about the Varṇāśrama system is that it is based on the idea of training the members of society starting at an early age to properly perform their duties. Brahmanas are thus enlightened spiritual teachers (instead of drunkards passing as professors), Kṣatriyas are saintly kings (instead of obnoxious politicians), the Vaiśyas are honest businessmen who share their wealth with the other sectors of society through proper wages, charity, taxes, the Śūdras are disciplined workers, and so on.

The soul of the Varṇāśrama system is the Brahmanas because these are the qualified educators who can train the other classes inside the Gurukula system. Without proper Gurukulas, maintained by qualified teachers, Varṇāśrama is just a pipe dream. We can see that at the beginning of our movement, Prabhupada emphasized that he was trying to train some qualified Brahmanas who would guide society. We can see it starts from there.

Traditionally, Gurukulas are small schools maintained by a Brāhmana family, where the children of nearby houses are educated in a protected family environment. A Brāhmana, together with his wife, accepts the responsibility of educating a few children and teaches each one according to their natures. The main characteristic of this system is that there is an affective bond; the children are educated by the couple just like their own children.

The main reason Gurukulas have largely failed in our movement up to now is that we often lack qualified teachers, and that's something that is not produced very easily. As we get more qualified Brāhmanas in our movement, and more of them start to perform their natural role as teachers, the system may start working, and when somehow all the members of society are properly trained, the system can work properly, resulting in a prosperous and spiritually enlightened society. One stumbling block on this, however, is that Brāhmanas need to be maintained by the other sectors of society; otherwise, they end up having to be engaged in other activities to make a living, and their potential to teach and perform other beneficial functions is lost. In general, devotees are prepared to pay for astrologers, psychologists, etc., but expect teachers will work for free. The result is that in the end, we don't have them. A society that is not willing to maintain its head will remain without one.

We often think of Brāhmanas as devotees trained to perform fire sacrifices and other ceremonies, but this is just a very small subsection of what a Brāhmana is. Brāhmanas are the natural teachers and spiritual masters of all other orders. The qualities of the Brāhmanas are listed by the Lord (in the 17th chapter of the 11th canto) as peacefulness, self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple straightforwardness, devotion to the Lord, mercy, and truthfulness.

Often, we relate being a Kṣatriya with having power, influence, many wives, and so on, but this is again not what it means to be a Kṣatriya. The main characteristic of Kṣatriyas is their capacity and dedication to protect others, both in the material and spiritual sense. This characteristic, which comes from a positive influence of the mode of passion, makes them fit to rule society. The qualities of the Kṣatriyas are described as dynamic power, bodily strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity, great endeavor, steadiness, devotion to the brāhmaṇas, and leadership.

It's said that the means of subsistence for all are generated from the thighs of the universal form of the Lord. The real means of subsistence are grains and other types of food, which should be distributed to all members of society. This power of maintenance is embodied by the Vaiśyas, who take charge of producing food and wealth to maintain the whole society. The natural qualities of the Vaiśyas are listed as faith in Vedic civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the Brāhmaṇas, and perpetual desire to accumulate more money.

From the legs of the universal form come the Śūdras, who satisfy the Lord by menial service. The Śūdras lack the special qualities and initiative of the other classes, but they support the whole society through their honest labor. Their qualities are listed as service without duplicity to the Brāhmaṇas, cows, demigods, and other worshipable personalities, and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thākura mentions that most of us didn't receive training in any of the four classes, therefore we should at first try to develop the positive qualities of a Śūdra (such as honesty, simplicity, religiosity and submission to qualified authorities), and from there see if we have the natural inclination for developing the higher qualifications of any of the other three classes.

The Lord lists the qualities of persons who are not trained in the Varṇāśrama system as dirtiness, dishonesty, thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger, and hankering, which are indeed very common nowadays.

In opposition, the basic qualities for all members of the Varṇāśrama system (including Śūdras and Vaiśyas) are nonviolence, truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others, as well as freedom from lust, anger, and greed.

The idea is that we need to first develop this basic set of qualities, then add the positive qualities of a Śūdra, and from there see where we can go.

It is not possible to establish Varṇāśrama as just a set of rules, as Muslims sometimes try to establish their sharia law. True Varnāśrama is based on the opposite principle, on training people to live in a religious and sāttvic way, instead of coercing them to do so. For this, it is necessary to somehow elevate the people to the necessary standard of consciousness.

As long as we are dirty, dishonest, faithless, quarreling, lustful, angry, and so on, there is no question of developing a functional Varṇāśrama society. It becomes possible only when we are first purified by hearing about the Lord and singing His glories. As mentioned in SB 5.18.12, one who develops firm devotion to the Lord manifests the qualities of the demigods, such as religion, knowledge, and renunciation.

The process of hearing about Krsna and chanting His name can thus help us to develop basic human qualities, and from there establish a proper society based on spiritual values. The process of establishing Varṇāśrama thus passes through first becoming Krsna conscious. Once we, as devotees, develop the saintly qualities that are expected from our spiritual practice, our communities can gradually evolve into places where devotees behave honestly and cooperate. From this, we will have an opportunity to develop a functional Varṇāśrama system, based on qualified individuals.