AUSPICIOUS AMERICA



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The following text is from the cream of the Vedic literatures, the Srimad
Bhagavatam. These are instructions on how to have a peaceful world for all. They
were given by the pure guardians of the humankind, to serve as a torchlight, to
illuminate this dark age of quarrel and hypocrisy (the age of Kali).

Süta Gosvami said: Maharaja Pariksit, thus being petitioned by the personality
of Kali, gave him permission to reside in places where gambling, drinking,
prostitution and animal slaughter were performed.

Following in the footsteps of Maharaja Pariksit, it is the duty of all executive
heads of states to see that the principles of religion, namely austerity,
cleanliness, mercy and truthfulness, are established in the state, and that the
principles of irreligion, namely pride, illicit female association or
prostitution, intoxication and falsity, are checked by all means. And to make
the best use of a bad bargain, the personality of Kali may be transferred to
places of gambling, drinking, prostitution and slaughterhouses, if there are any
places like that. Those who are addicted to these irreligious habits may be
regulated by the injunctions of the scripture. In no circumstances should they
be encouraged by any state. In other words, the state should categorically stop
all sorts of gambling, drinking, prostitution and falsity. The state which wants
to eradicate corruption by majority may introduce the principles of religion in
the following manner:

1. Two compulsory fasting days in a month, if not more (austerity). Even from
the economic point of view, such two fasting days in a month in the state will
save tons of food, and the system will also act very favorably on the general
health of the citizens.

2. There must be compulsory marriage of young boys and girls attaining
twenty-four years of age and sixteen years of age respectively. There is no harm
in coeducation in the schools and colleges, provided the boys and girls are duly
married, and in case there is any intimate connection between a male and female
student, they should be married properly without illicit relation. The divorce
act is encouraging prostitution, and this should be abolished.

3. The citizens of the state must give in charity up to fifty percent of their
income for the purpose of creating a spiritual atmosphere in the state or in
human society, both individually and collectively. They should preach the
principles of Bhagavatam by (a) karma-yoga, or doing everything for the
satisfaction of the Lord, (b) regular hearing of the Srimad-Bhagavatam from
authorized persons or realized souls, (c) chanting of the glories of the Lord
congregationally at home or at places of worship, (d) rendering all kinds of
service to bhagavatas engaged in preaching Srimad-Bhagavatam and (e) residing in
a place where the atmosphere is saturated with God consciousness. If the state
is regulated by the above process, naturally there will be God consciousness
everywhere.

Gambling of all description, even speculative business enterprise, is considered
to be degrading, and when gambling is encouraged in the state, there is a
complete disappearance of truthfulness. Allowing young boys and girls to remain
unmarried more than the above-mentioned ages and licensing animal
slaughterhouses of all description should be at once prohibited. The
flesh-eaters may be allowed to take flesh as mentioned in the scriptures, and
not otherwise. Intoxication of all description-even smoking cigarettes, chewing
tobacco or the drinking of tea-must be prohibited.

The personality of Kali asked for something more, and because of his begging,
the King gave him permission to live where there is gold because wherever there
is gold there is also falsity, intoxication, lust, envy and enmity.

Although Maharaja Pariksit gave Kali permission to live in four places, it was
very difficult for him to find the places because during the reign of Maharaja
Pariksit there were no such places. Therefore Kali asked the King to give him
something practical which could be utilized for his nefarious purposes. Maharaja
Pariksit thus gave him permission to live in a place where there is gold,
because wherever there is gold there are all the above-mentioned four things,
and over and above them there is enmity also. So the personality of Kali became
gold-standardized. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, gold encourages falsity,
intoxication, prostitution, envy and enmity. Even a gold-standard exchange and
currency is bad. Gold-standard currency is based on falsehood because the
currency is not on a par with the reserved gold. The basic principle is falsity
because currency notes are issued in value beyond that of the actual reserved
gold. This artificial inflation of currency by the authorities
encourages prostitution of the state economy. The price of commodities becomes
artificially inflated because of bad money, or artificial currency notes. Bad
money drives away good money. Instead of paper currency, actual gold coins
should be used for exchange, and this will stop prostitution of gold. Gold
ornaments for women may be allowed by control, not by quality, but by quantity.
This will discourage lust, envy and enmity. When there is actual gold currency
in the form of coins, the influence of gold in producing falsity, prostitution,
etc., will automatically cease. There will be no need of an anticorruption
ministry for another term of prostitution and falsity of purpose.

Thus the personality of Kali, by the directions of Maharaja Pariksit, the son of
Uttara, was allowed to live in those five places.

Thus the age of Kali began with gold standardization, and therefore falsity,
intoxication, animal slaughter and prostitution are rampant all over the world,
and the saner section is eager to drive out corruption. The counteracting
process is suggested above, and everyone can take advantage of this suggestion.

Therefore, whoever desires progressive well-being, especially kings,
religionists, public leaders, brahmanas and sannyasis, should never come in
contact with the four above-mentioned irreligious principles.

The brahmanas are the religious preceptors for all other castes, and the
sannyasis are the spiritual masters for all the castes and orders of society. So
also are the king and the public leaders who are responsible for the material
welfare of all people. The progressive religionists and those who are
responsible human beings or those who do not want to spoil their valuable human
lives should refrain from all the principles of irreligiosity, especially
illicit connection with women. If a brahmana is not truthful, all his claims as
a brahmana at once become null and void. If a sannyasi is illicitly connected
with women, all his claims as a sannyasi at once become false. Similarly, if the
king and the public leader are unnecessarily proud or habituated to drinking and
smoking, certainly they become disqualified to discharge public welfare
activities. Truthfulness is the basic principle for all religions. The four
leaders of the human society, namely the sannyasis, the brahmana, the king
and the public leader, must be tested crucially by their character and
qualification. Before one can be accepted as a spiritual or material master of
society, he must be tested by the above-mentioned criteria of character. Such
public leaders may be less qualified in academic qualifications, but it is
necessary primarily that they be free from the contamination of the four
disqualifications, namely gambling, drinking, prostitution and animal slaughter.

(From Srimad Bhagavatam 1.17.38-41, purports by His Divine Grace Srila AC
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)






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