Page 22 - BIKC - Eng

4 BRAHMACARYA IN KÅÑËA CONSCIOUSNESS

Caitanya Mahäprabhu would give respect even to Mäyävädé
sannyäsés, as was the social etiquette, but He associated only with
devotees. When He visited Väräëasé, Mahäprabhu avoided the
numerous Mäyävädé sannyäsés and chose to live amongst His
gåhastha devotees instead—Tapana Miçra, Candraçekhara (a çüdra
by caste), and the Maharashtrian brähmaëa. The Mäyävädé
sannyäsés were astonished at this and criticized the Lord. Only
after He had converted them to Vaiñëavism was the Lord pleased
to sit amongst them and take prasäda. 17
In considering a devotee’s spiritual advancement, Caitanya
Mahäprabhu never considered his external situation. Of His
“three and a half” intimate associates, two (Rämänanda Räya and
Çikhi Mähiti) were householders, “half” (Mädhavé-devé) was an
old woman, and one (Svarüpa Dämodara) was a renunciate who
had not even bothered to accept all the external formalities of
sannyäsa. Many of Lord Caitanya’s leading devotees were
householders and some were rejects from society. Indeed, Lord
Caitanya blessed Haridäsa Öhäkura (who was born in a Muslim
family) to be the äcärya of the holy name, just to demonstrate that
spiritual advancement is not dependent on being respectable
according to varëa and äçrama considerations.
So we should not be overly concerned with externals: “I am a
brahmacäré,” “I am a sannyäsé.” We are all servants of Kåñëa. Jévera
‘svarüpa’ haya—kåñëera ‘nitya-däsa’: “The constitutional position
of the living entity is as the eternal servant of Kåñëa.” 18 The
relative advancement of a Vaiñëava is understood only by the
quality of his devotion to Kåñëa. Varëa and äçrama don’t matter. 19
Still, in our present position, brahmacarya must be emphasized
as an essential part of the means to our end of attaining love of
Kåñëa. In our present neophyte position, unless we make a rigid
program to control our senses, there will never be any possibility of
advancement to higher levels.
“A human being is meant to be trained according to certain
principles to revive his original knowledge. Such a methodical life
is described as tapasya. One can gradually be elevated to the
standard of real knowledge, or Kåñëa consciousness, by practicing