Category:Teachings of Lord Caitanya 1975 Chapter 28 - Relationship with the Supreme
Pages in category "Teachings of Lord Caitanya 1975 Chapter 28 - Relationship with the Supreme"
The following 56 pages are in this category, out of 56 total.
A
- A worker is simply instructed here to offer the results of his work to the Supreme Lord, but there is no information given to enable one to get out of the material entanglement. Therefore Lord Caitanya rejected his proposal
- A worker's identification with material existence cannot be changed without proper guidance. Such fruitive activity will continue one's material existence
- Actually this philosophy (of Karma-mimamsa) stresses the impersonal feature of the Supreme Absolute Truth. Because Lord Caitanya did not like such impersonalism, He rejected it
- After having his suggestions rejected twice, Ramananda proposed that one should forsake his occupational activities altogether and by detachment rise to the transcendental plane. In other words, he recommended complete renunciation of worldly life
- After his fourth proposal was rejected, Ramananda Raya said that devotional service rendered without any attempt at cultivation of knowledge or mental speculation is the highest stage of perfection
- Although Lord Caitanya accepted the principles, He still requested Ramananda Raya to further explain advanced devotional service. Thus Lord Caitanya gave Ramananda Raya a chance to discuss gradual advancement from the principles of varnasrama-dharma
- Although there is no material contamination when one attains the stage of Brahman realization, that stage is not perfect because there is no positive engagement in spiritual activity. Because it is still on the mental plane, it is external
- As described in Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 9.5.16), Durvasa Muni, a great mystic yogi who considered himself very elevated, envied Maharaja Ambarisa, who was known as the greatest devotee of the time
- As long as one is absorbed in impersonal thoughts or in thoughts of the void, his entrance into an eternal blissful life of knowledge is not completed
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita: For those whose minds are attracted to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied - BG 12.5
B
- Because most people are fallen and because there is no time to elevate them by a gradual process, the best course, according to Caitanya, is to let them remain in whatever condition they are in but to engage them in hearing of the activities of the God
- By receiving transcendental messages from the lips of realized souls a person may continue to live in whatever condition he is in and still make progress in spiritual advancement. Thus one can surely advance and fully realize the SPG
I
- If love of Godhead is elevated to the personal platform, it is called prema-bhakti
- In an attempt to harass Maharaja Ambarisa, Durvasa Muni met with a great catastrophe and was defeated by the sudarsana-cakra of the Lord
- In Stotra-ratna (46), Yamunacarya writes: "My Lord, those who keep themselves independent of Your service are helpless. They work on their own account, and they receive no support from superior authority"
- In Stotra-ratna (46), Yamunacarya writes: I long for the time when I shall engage fully in Your transcendental loving service without any desire for material satisfaction and without being confined to the mental plane
- In Stotra-ratna (46), Yamunacarya writes: Only when I engage in such unalloyed devotional service will I enjoy actual spiritual life
- In the beginning of prema-bhakti, a particular relationship between the Supreme Lord and the devotee is not established, but when prema-bhakti develops, a relationship with the Supreme Lord is manifested in different transcendental flavors
- In this age there is no possibility of acquiring spiritual knowledge by renunciation, by mixed devotional service, by fruitive activity in mixed devotional service, or by the culture of knowledge
L
- Lord Caitanya rejected the statement cited by Ramananda Raya from Visnu Purana because the Lord wished to reject a class of philosophers known as karma-mimamsa
- Lord Caitanya rejected the third proposal (of Ramananda Raya), for He wanted to demonstrate that renunciation in itself is not sufficient. There must be positive engagement. Without positive engagement, the highest perfectional stage cannot be attained
- Lord Caitanya rejected the varnasrama-dharma and the offering of fruitive activity because in the field of executing pure devotional service, there is very little use for such principles
- Lord Caitanya rejected this second statement (that it is better to give up the results of fruitive activities), saying, "If you (Ramananda Raya) know of something higher, state it"
- Lord Caitanya wanted to bring him to the stage of developed love of Godhead, and He wanted him to speak from that platform. Thus the discussion between Ramananda Raya and Lord Caitanya proceeds on the basis of love of Godhead
- Lord Caitanya, however, rejected the proposal (of Ramananda Raya) because simply by renouncing material results in Brahman realization one does not realize the spiritual world and spiritual activities
O
- Offering everything to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as enjoined by Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, is better than impersonally making the Supreme Lord subject to our work, but it is still short of surrendering activities to the Supreme Lord
- One should have a strong desire to engage in devotional service. Ramananda Raya has described the regulative principles and developed love of Godhead
R
- Ramananda cited from SB: My dear Lord, one should give up monistic speculation & the cultivation of knowledge altogether. He should begin his spiritual life in devotional service by receiving information of the Lord's activities from a realized devotee
- Ramananda quoted Lord Krsna's injunction in Bhagavad-gita: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear" - BG 18.66
- Ramananda Raya cited more evidence from BG: "One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments, nor desires, he is equally disposed. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me (Krsna)" - BG 18.54
- Ramananda Raya cited the verse from Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 11.11.32) wherein the Lord says: In the scriptures I have described the ritualistic principles and the way one can become situated in devotional service. That is the highest perfection of religion
- Ramananda raya cited verse from SB 10.14.3: If one cultivates his spiritual life by following these principles and keeping himself on the honest path in life, then although Your Lordship is never conquered, You become conquered by such a process
- Ramananda Raya could understand the motive of Lord Caitanya; therefore he stated that attainment of pure love of Godhead is the highest perfectional stage. There is a very nice verse in Padyavali which is said to be composed by Ramananda Raya himself
- Ramananda Raya first suggested devotional service rendered with renunciation of fruitive activities, but here he suggests that devotional service with full knowledge and spiritual realization added is superior
- Ramananda Raya quoted a verse from Bhagavad-gita: "O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me" - BG 9.27
- Ramananda Raya understood the purpose of Lord Caitanya, and, stating that it is better to give up the results of fruitive activities, he quoted a verse from Bhagavad-gita
S
- Srimad-Bhagavatam (SB 11.2.36) states that one should submit everything - his fruitive activities, body, speech, mind, senses, intelligence, soul and modes of nature - to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Narayana
- Such philosophers cannot imagine that they can reach beyond nirvana and the Brahman effulgence to the Vaikuntha planets of the spiritual sky. Because in simple renunciation there is no conception of spiritual planets and spiritual activities
T
- The first stage is that of servitude, wherein the Supreme Lord is accepted as the master and the devotee as the eternal servitor. When Lord Caitanya accepted this process, Ramananda Raya described the relationship between the servitor and the master
- The highest stage concentrates on the simple, favorable execution of pure devotional service
- The highest stage of transcendental activity is always free from all material desires, fruitive efforts and speculative attempts at knowledge
- The impersonalists are frustrated in their attempts to make the mind void by artificial meditation. It is very difficult to void the mind of all material conceptions
- The liberation which is obtained by such impersonal meditation is not complete; therefore Lord Caitanya rejected it
- The pure living entity is not liberated unless he is completely engaged in spiritual activity
- The purport of the verse (composed by Ramananda Raya) is: As long as there is hunger in the belly and one feels like eating and drinking, one can become happy by taking anything eatable
- The purport of the verse (composed by Ramananda Raya) is: There may be much paraphernalia for worshiping the Supreme Lord, but when that is mixed with pure love of Godhead, it becomes an actual source of transcendental happiness
- The transcendental messages of the scriptures should be received from the lips of realized souls
W
- When Ramananda Raya presented this proposal (from Srimad-Bhagavatam - SB 10.14.3), Lord Caitanya at once said, "Yes, this is right"
- When spiritual knowledge is not complete, one will be hindered in his attempt to cleanse the mind of all material variegatedness
- Without self-realization, the artificial methods of devotional service cannot be accepted as pure devotional service. Self-realized pure devotional service is completely different from all other kinds of transcendental activity