To help us make good choices in an election or at any time in our lives, we need to understand who we are, what is in our best interest, the purpose of government, and the qualities of good leadership. As the November elections in the United States of America approach, this is the first of several articles in which I will address these issues and more.

In American politics, various judges and politicians consider themselves “originalists,” claiming their perspective is based on the original intentions of the Founding Fathers. The Founders created the US legal system and system of government after they gained their independence from the British in 1783. When it comes to spiritual or religious principles, Srila Prabhupada, founder of the Krishna Movement in the West, also considered himself an “originalist.” He used the term “our original constitutional position” on numerous occasions.  

Prabhupada used the words “original’ and “constitutional” to describe our actual, eternal position. In a talk he gave on The Nectar of Devotion (October 20, 1972), he described our relationship with God:  “…devotional relationship with Kṛishna, you cannot establish artificially. Everyone has got a particular relationship with Krishna in his original constitutional position. That will be revealed gradually as you advance in devotional service in the prescribed rules and regulations as they are directed in the sastras (sacred literatures) and by spiritual master.”

In his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 4.3.23, Prabhupada explains our deviation: “The identification of the body with the soul is due to misunderstanding. As soon as one is fully Krishna conscious, it is to be understood that one is in his pure, original constitutional position. This state of existence is called suddha-sattva, which means that it is transcendental to the material qualities.”

In a letter (February 5, 1970), Prabhupada wrote, “Where does the spiritual life lead us?…Answer: Spiritual life leads us to our original constitutional position, free from all designations. This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita (18.54) as brahma-bhutah status. This brahma-bhutah status means free from all anxieties, without any hankering or lamentation. At that stage only, one can think of universal brotherhood. And the next stage is to be engaged in pure Krishna Consciousness, and thus gradually be transferred to the spiritual world where there is eternal life full of bliss and knowledge.”

A year later, in a lecture in Mumbai (April 6, 1971), Prabhupada clarified our position: “All of us are individuals. Krishna is individual. We are sitting here. We are all individual. So we keep our individuality, but our senses become purified. That is called mukti…Mukti means when one gives up his engagement, activities, hitva anyatha rupam, identifying himself with something material, and he is engaged in his own original, constitutional position…The original constitutional position is every living entity is a part and parcel of the Supreme Person.”

In a lecture in Hyderabad (November 21, 1972), Prabhupada says, “Here, in this material world, we are put into mṛtatva, subject to birth, death, old age, and disease. But there is another position where there is no birth, death, old age and disease. So which position we should like…in our own original, constitutional position, we are not subjected to birth, death, old age and disease. Just like Kṛishna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha (Brahma Samhita 5.1), eternal, blissful, knowledgeable. Similarly, we, being part and parcel of Kṛishna, we are also of the same quality.”

In a lecture in Dallas (July 29, 1975),  Prabhupada explained the meaning of dharma: “Dharma means which will bring me again to my original, constitutional position, and adharma means which will take me down from my original, constitutional position. This is the test of dharma and adharma. I am eternal part and parcel of God, so my dharma is to render service to God and go back to home, back to Godhead. This is my real business. So adharma means I forget my relationship with the Supreme Lord.” 

Advancement in the material world is often based on greed, lies, and exploitation. This material realm is considered to be a world of cheaters and the cheated. Understanding the fallacy of the human heart, the Founding Fathers were very careful in crafting the government of the United States. In 1790, George Washington, its first president, declared the nation as a “great experiment for promoting human happiness.” The Founders sought to establish a government based on laws and a system of justice that was equal to everyone. This included dividing the function of the government into three parts (legislative, executive, and judicial), which would check and balance each other. The citizens played an important role by voting “leaders” into office only for a certain period. In this way, there were many levels of checks and balances to ensure that those in office would behave honestly and honorably. It seems today, many Americans have forgotten the purpose of these checks and balances.

In our conditioned, unnatural state, we have also forgotten our true identity and our eternal relationship with God, Sri Krishna, who is residing within our hearts. Our position is one of eternal loving service to God.  But in the conditioned state, our hearts are contaminated, and our efforts are misdirected. In this state, our goal in life becomes focused on satisfying our impure desires and longings.

The real goal of life is to cleanse the heart from these impurities and the illusionary influences of the material world.  As citizens, we seek to understand and abide by the laws and intentions of the Founding Fathers, and as eternal souls, we must also seek to understand who we are and re-establish our loving relationship with the Supreme Lord.

The principles of dharma are a system of regulation for human beings. Even if we are not interested in reviving our spiritual lives, being trained in the principles of dharma would at least help us behave honestly and honorably. We must each accept that responsibility for ourselves and for the good of society at large. As Prabhupada explains, we can’t have a good government without being good citizens first.

Sankirtana Das (aka Andy Fraenkel), a disciple of Srila Prabhupada, is a longtime resident of the New Vrindaban Community and an award-winning author and storyteller. His most recent book, Hanuman’s Quest, is acclaimed by scholars and has received a Storytelling World Resource Honors. He also sits on the board of directors for the Vedic Friends Association. At New Vrindaban, Sankirtana offers sacred storytelling and scheduled in-depth tours. For more info about his work, visit www.mahabharata-project.com.

Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of ISKCON or ISKCON News. Photo courtesy of Element5 Digital.