Srila Prabhupada: “The brahmanas should give advice to the ksatriyas, to the government, and the government, according to the nice good advice, should maintain the state. In this way there will be peaceful condition of the society. Therefore there is the institution of varnasrama. Catur-varnyam maya... Krsna says, "I have made this varnasrama for the benefit of the whole human society, although I don't belong to any varna, asrama." Krsna has nothing to do. But to maintain the human society very peaceful, advancing in spiritual knowledge, this varnasrama is required. Therefore sometimes I become very eager to start a varnasrama college. We have nothing to do with varnasrama, we Krsna.., But we want to see that the whole human society is peaceful. That is our mission. Sarve sukhino bhavantu. This is the desire of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and those who are servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they should also desire how to do good to the whole human society. A Vaisnava is not only interested for his own benefit. His own benefit is already done as soon as he has taken shelter of Krsna's lotus feet.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam Lecture, Los Angeles, June 25, 1975)

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Participation in ISKCON is not based on varnashram – nor can it ever be.  Participation in ISKCON is open to everyone who desires it and meets whatever requirements are set by ISKCON as an organization. ISKCON has an organizational structure, including such roles as “members” and “officers”, as set up by Srila Prabhupada.

By contrast, varnashram is a social structure, applicable to society as a whole.  It is not the structure of an organization within society. Various organizations exist in society, and are therefore subsets of society, being smaller groups of people. People of various varnas and ashrams within society can choose to participate in ISKCON, according to their desire, and in other organizations of various types as well.

ISKCON is an organization of Vaishnavas, of devotees of Krsna, and more specifically is an organization which facilitates people becoming devotees of Krsna through their participation. ISKCON cannot directly implement varnashram within its structure. ISKCON does not have a social structure and does not need one. ISKCON has an organizational structure, and it exists within society, which has a societal structure. The individual members of ISKCON all naturally have roles in society - no human being can escape this. Everyone plays some role in society, and can also play various roles in various organizations.

The implementation of varnashram takes place in one of two ways. 1) By creating Vaishnavas who will act as brahmanas within the existing modern society and gradually purify the members of that society sufficiently that they all take up the appropriate varna and ashram for themselves in their present condition - including the real standards of each varna and ashram. This has to include the government, the scientists, the priests, the farmers, the workers - everyone. 2) By creating Vaishnavas and starting a new society separate from modern society where the members of that society can take up all the necessary roles. Especially in his later years this option is the model that Srila Prabhupada wanted. He wanted the city temples and preachers to extricate people from the cities who would then enter the new society which was based in rural communities.

An ISKCON temple within a particular community is separate and distinct from that community.  It is not “all one.” Every individual living in any community may or may not participate in ISKCON, even as it is now. But we do desire and hope that most residents in rural communities will participate in a morning program as Srila Prabhupada wanted, whether in a temple, a meeting hall, or their own homes, and chant 16 rounds and relish big kirtans and festivals. In fact, we believe it will be much easier to do these things in such rural environments.

Temple leadership and management is separate and distinct from community leadership and management.  A community always has some form of leadership. In modern society it might be a mayor and a council. There is some type of law enforcement which is called the police department, or in a very small town it is a sheriff and perhaps his deputy. Within such communities there are temples, schools, and many other public facilities.

We are followers of Srila Prabhupada, and accept the ISKCON Temple President and GBC structure as he designed it. We accept the authority of Srila Prabhupada and this is the system he set up for ISKCON. But this is not what he set up for entire communities or society as a whole, which must have a social structure and not an institutional one. For these he told us to establish varnashram.

Every single one of us has a relationship to ISKCON and a different relationship within society.  Granted, ISKCON may still be working to understand all the relationships one can have with the organization, such as staff, student, volunteer, congregation, member, and similar terms. By contrast, the social relationships are all with the other ashrams and varnas in society, are irrespective of organizational involvement, and are quite well known by devotees, being eight in number.

One is a sudra or brahmana by dint of his occupation in general society and his standards of behavior in general society, not his role within an organization. They might be the same, because ISKCON tries to engage people according to their varna and ashram as well as their desire and capability. Nevertheless, such engagement in ISKCON does not in itself make that person a sudra or brahmana, etc. That participation in ISKCON is as a member, or volunteer, or staff, etc.

Although all the land in such communities should not be owned by ISKCON (or an ISKCON affiliate), once a community becomes established the community should build at least one temple, and if they choose, it can be an ISKCON temple, which means ISKCON manages that temple.  While this is not a strict requirement it should help clarify the role of ISKCON as an organization within a community. Land should always be allocated for such community buildings at the time of purchase. A community may not have a main temple in the beginning, but within our villages we can gather for programs and kirtans and festivals. A community should build at least one temple at a later stage of their Master Plan.

Thus there is technically no such thing as an "ISKCON community". Involvement in ISKCON is a personal choice and cannot be mandated based on where one resides, unless one resides in a property owned by ISKCON. There are certainly ISKCON temples, and one of the primary functions of ISKCON leadership is to properly manage such temples. 

We want to help establish rural spiritually and agriculturally-based communities that will gradually progress toward a varnashram-based social structure as Srila Prabhupada taught varnashram, to whatever degree is practical and possible according to time, place and circumstance.  Therefore a proper understanding as described in summary above is absolutely critical.

We want to have nicely managed temples in our communities where we can worship, chant, have festivals, give contributions, get spiritually educated, and render various types of service. We want to chant Hare Krsna and be happy. We want to establish everything so carefully and nicely that we will attract others, and teach and encourage them to do the same

Such lifestyles and communities are meant for everyone who is favorable, not only those who are presently devotees.

Next - On Varnashram