From the Introduction to Sri Krishna-samhita
The people of India and other countries may be divided into
two categories- the asslike and the swanlike. Of these two,
the asslike are in the majority. The swanlike are in the
minority. Swanlike people abstract the purport of the
scriptures for their own advancement and thus benefit
themselves...
Everyone has the right to discuss spiritual topics. Yet
people are divided into three categories according to their
qualifications. Those who do not posses independent power of
discrimination are in the first category and are called
neophytes, or those with soft faith. They have no alternative
to faith. If they do not accept whatever the compilers of the
scriptures write as the order of the Lord, then they fall down.
They are qualified only for understanding the gross meanings
of the science of Krsna; they have no qualification for
understanding the subtle meanings. Until they gradually
advance by good association and instruction, they should try
to advance under the shelter of faith. Those who have not
yet succeeded in connecting faith with argument are second
grade persons, or madhyama-adhikaris. And those who are
expert in connecting these two are perfect in all respects.
They are able to attain perfection by utilizing material
resources in their independent endeavors. They are called
topmost persons, or uttama-adhikaris.
.....Sectarianism is a natural byproduct of the Absolute Truth.
When acaryas first ascertain and instruct the Truth, it is not
polluted with sectarianism. But the rules and regulations
received through disciplic succession regarding the goal and
the method of achieving it are changed in due course of time
according to the mentality and locale of the people. A rule
that is followed by one society is not necessarily accepted in
another society. That is why one community is different from
another. As a community gradually develops more respect for
its own standards, it develops hatred towards other
communities and considers their standards inferior. These
sectarian symptoms are seen in all countries since time
immemorial. This is prominent amongst neophytes and found
to some extent amongst madhyama-adhikaris. Amongst
uttama-adhikaris, however, there is no trace of sectarianism.
Adherence to a particular standart is the prominent symptom
of a society. There are three types of standards-alocakagata,
alocanagata, and alocyagata. Alocakagata is when
sectarianists accept some external signs. Examples of
alocakagata are tilaka, neck beads, saffron robes, and the
baptism that is practiced abroad.
The different activities practiced in the process of worship
are called alocanagata. Examples of alocanagata are
sacrifices, austerities, fire sacrifices, vows, studying
scriptures, deity worship, constructing temples, respecting
the purity of various trees and rivers, dressing like sannyasis,
acting like acaryas, dressing like brahmacaris or grhasthas,
closing one s eyes, respecting particular types of books, rules
and regulations in eating, and respecting the purity of
particular times and places. The examples of alocyagata are
attributing personalism or impersonalism on the Supreme Lord,
installing deities, exhibiting the mood of an incarnation of the
Lord, speculating on heaven and hell, and describing the
future destination of the soul. The different forms of these
spiritual activities create divisions of sectarianism.
Differences that arise from places, times, languages,
behaviors, foods, dresses, and natures of various communities
are incorporated within people s spiritual practices and
gradually make one community so completely different from
another community that even the consideration that
everyone is a human being may cease to exist. Due to these
differences there is disagreement, cessation of social
intercourse, and fighting, even up to the point of killing one
another. When an asslike mentality becomes prominent within
the kanistha-adhikaris, they certainly indulge in these things.
But if they develop a swanlike mentality, then they do not
take part in quarrels; rather, they endeavor to attain a higher
level. Madhyama-adhikaris do not quarrel so much about
external standards, but they are always attacked by
philosophical disagreements. Sometimes they condemn the
standards of neophytes and establish their own standards as
superior. They condemn the neophytes deity worship in order
to establish the worshipable Lord as formless. In such cases,
they are also considered asslike people. Otherwise, if they
had a swanlike mentality and a desire to attain a higher level,
they would respect others practices and inquire about higher
topics.
Contradictions actually arise only due to asslike mentality.
Swanlike persons consider the necessity for different
practices according to one‘s qualification, so they are
naturally detached from sectarian quarrels. In this regard, it
should be understood that both asslike and swanlike people
are found amongst the kanistha-adhikaris and
madhyama-adhikaris. I do not expect that asslike people will
accept this book with respect. If neophytes and
madhyama-adhikaris become completely indifferent in regard
to the contradictions found in various practices and try to
advance further, then they become swanlike persons. Then
they are our respectable and dear friends. Although swanlike
personalities may accept a particular practice from birth or
childhood according to instructions they have received, they
nevertheless remain indifferent and nonsectarian.
The religious principles that will be explained and
established in this book are very difficult to name. If these
principles are given a particular sectarian name, then other
sects will oppose them. Srimad Bhagavatam has therefore
extablished sanatana-dharma as satvata-dharma, or religious
principles related with the Absolute Truth. Another name for
these religious principles is Vaisnava-dharma. Asslike
Vaisnavas fall into the categories of Saktas (followers of
Durga), Sauras (followers of the sun-god), Ganapatyas
(followers of Ganesa), Saivites (followers of Siva), and
Vaisnavas (followers of Visnu). But swanlike Vaisnavas are
nonsectarian and, therefore, rare. These five types of
above-mentioned spiritualists, as found in India, are named
according to their respective qualifications. Human beings
have two types of tendencies-arthic, or material, and
paramarthic, or spiritual. Material tendencies include
maintaining the body, constructing a house, marrying,
begetting children, studying, earning wealth, material science,
factory work, acquiring and maintaining assets, and
accumulating piety. Although there are some similarities
between the activities of human and animals, the material
endeavors of humans are nevertheless superior to the natural
tendencies of animals. If after executing their material
activities human beings do not take shelter of their
constitutional activities, then they are called two-legged
animals.
The constitutional activities of a pure soul are called
sva-dharma, or one s prescribed activities. The sva-dharma
of a living entity is prominently manifested in his pure state of
existence. In one s pure state of existence this sva-dharma is
present in the form of spiritual activities. All the
above-mentioned material tendencies become succesful when
dovetailed with spiritulal activities, otherwise they cannot
independently help one attain the highest goal. From
engagement in material activities up to the awakening of
spiritual activities is called the preliminary stage of God
consciousness. From this preliminary stage up to the
uttama-adhikari stage there are innumerable levels. Inquiring
about truth of the material world is called Sakta-dharma,
because the predominating deity of the material world is
goddess Durga.
All behavior and practice instructed in Sakta-dharma is
helpful only in the preliminary stage. Such behavior and
practice is meant to bring one closer to spiritual life, and
materialistic people may be attracted by this only until they
begin to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth.
Sakta-dharma is the living entities initial spiritual endeavor,
and it is extremely essential for people of that level. When
the preliminary stage is further strengthened, one attains the
next level. One then considers the energy of work and the
superiority of heat over dull matter, and one therefore
accepts the sun-god, who is the source of heat, as one s
worshipable deity. At that time, Saura-dharma is awakened.
Later, when one considers even heat as dull matter and
animal consciousness as superior, one attains the third stage,
Ganapatya-dharma. In the fourth gross stage, Lord Siva is
worshiped as the pure consciousness of the living entities,
and Saiva-dharma manifests. In the fifth stage, the
consciousness of the living entity worships the supreme
consciousness, and thus Vaisnava-dharma is manifest. By
nature, there are five types of paramarthic dharmas, or
spiritual duties, which have been known throughout the world
by different names at different times. If one considers all the
different dharmas that are current in India and abroad, one
can see that they certainly fall within these five categories.
The religious principles taught by Mohammed and Jesus
Christ are similar to the religious principles thaught by
Vaisnava sects. Buddhism and Jainism are similar to
Saiva-dharma. This is scientific consideration of truths
regarding religious principles. Those who consider their own
religious principles as real dharma and others religious
principles as irreligion or subreligion are unable to ascertain
the truth due to being influenced by prejudice. Actually
religious principles followed by people in general are different
only due to the different qualifications of the practitioners,
but the constitutional religious principles of all living entities
are one. It is not proper for swanlike persons to reject the
religious principles that people in general follow according to
their situation. Therefore, with due respect to the religious
principles followed by people in general, we will now discuss
the living entities constitutional religious principles.
Satvata-dharma, or nonsectarian Vaisnava-dharma, is the
living entities constitutional, or eternal, religious principles.
The Vaisnava principles that are found in the
Mayavada-sampradaya are only indirect imitations of those
principles. When such sectarian Vaisnava principles become
transcendental, that is, when they are freed from
impersonalism, then they become Satvata-dharma, or religious
principles related with the Supreme Truth. The different
sampradayas, namely dvaita (dualism) dvaitadvaita
(simultaneous oneness and difference), suddhadvaita (purified
oneness), and visistadvaita (specific monism) that are found
in satvata-dharma are nothing but wonderful varieties of
sentiments within the Vaisnava science. Actually the various
sampradayas are not the result of differences in the basic
truth. Impersonalism is diametrically opposite to the science
of bhakti. Those Vaisnavas who have accepted impersonalism
are not pure Vaisnavas.