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Blind persons

Expressions researched:
"blind persons" |"persons who are blind" |"these persons, those who are blind"

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 1

A sādhu like Vidura is meant to awaken such blind persons and thus help them go back to Godhead, where life is eternal.
SB 1.13.23, Purport:

Why was Dhṛtarāṣṭra living there at the house of the Pāṇḍavas? Because he wanted to continue his life comfortably, even at the risk of all humiliation. Vidura, therefore, was astonished how powerful is the urge to continue life. This sense of continuing one's life indicates that a living being is eternally a living entity and does not want to change his bodily habitation. The foolish man does not know that a particular term of bodily existence is awarded to him to undergo a term of imprisonment, and the human body is awarded, after many, many births and deaths, as a chance for self-realization to go back home, back to Godhead. But persons like Dhṛtarāṣṭra try to make plans to live there in a comfortable position with profit and interest, for they do not see things as they are. Dhṛtarāṣṭra is blind and continues to hope to live comfortably in the midst of all kinds of reverses of life. A sādhu like Vidura is meant to awaken such blind persons and thus help them go back to Godhead, where life is eternal. Once going there, no one wants to come back to this material world of miseries. We can just imagine how responsible a task is entrusted to a sādhu like Mahātmā Vidura.

When Kṛṣṇa was personally present, the codes of Kṛṣṇa were being followed without question, but in His absence such codes are presented in the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the guidance of the blind persons who happen to be at the helm of all affairs.
SB 1.17.12, Purport:

The kings or the executive heads of all states must know the codes of Lord Kṛṣṇa (generally Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam) and must act accordingly in order to fulfill the mission of human life, which is to make an end to all miseries of material conditions. One who knows the codes of Lord Kṛṣṇa can achieve this end without any difficulty. In the Bhagavad-gītā, in a synopsis, we can understand the codes of Godhead, and in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam the same codes are explained further. In a state where the codes of Kṛṣṇa are followed, no one is unhappy. Where such codes are not followed, the first sign is that three legs of the representative of religion are cut off, and thereby all miseries follow. When Kṛṣṇa was personally present, the codes of Kṛṣṇa were being followed without question, but in His absence such codes are presented in the pages of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam for the guidance of the blind persons who happen to be at the helm of all affairs.

SB Canto 2

The transcendentalist is required to be self-sufficient and should not beg from the rich blind persons to fulfill the bare necessities of life.
SB 2.2.12, Purport:

As a person feels his hunger satisfied after eating each morsel of foodstuff, he must similarly be able to see the degree to which he has been freed from sex desire. The sex desire is diminished along with its various forms by the process of bhakti-yoga because bhakti-yoga automatically, by the grace of the Lord, effectively results in knowledge and renunciation, even if the devotee is not materially very well educated. Knowledge means knowing things as they are, and if by deliberation it is found that there are things which are at all unnecessary, naturally the person who has acquired knowledge leaves aside such unwanted things. When the conditioned soul finds by culture of knowledge that material necessities are unwanted things, he becomes detached from such unwanted things. This stage of knowledge is called vairāgya, or detachment from unwanted things. We have previously discussed that the transcendentalist is required to be self-sufficient and should not beg from the rich blind persons to fulfill the bare necessities of life.

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

We are deficient: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our senses are imperfect. As such, there is no possibility of having perfect knowledge by a conditioned soul.
Lecture on SB 2.1.3 -- Delhi, November 6, 1973:

Prabhupāda:

nidrayā hriyate naktaṁ
vyavāyena ca vā vayaḥ
divā cārthehayā rājan
kuṭumba-bharaṇena vā
(SB 2.1.3)

This is the description of the persons who are blind. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). Yesterday we have discussed this verse. Apaśyatām means one who does not see. Apaśyatām, paśyati. Paśyati means "one who sees," and apaśyati, "one who does not see," "blind." So there are two kinds of men within the world: paśyati, apaśyati. Simply having the eyes, one cannot see. This is not... Because our senses are imperfect. We see every day the sun just like a small disc. But it is not a small disc. It is fourteen hundred thousand times bigger than this planet. Therefore our sensual perception is not all. That is not perfect. We are deficient: we commit mistake, we are illusioned, we cheat, and our senses are imperfect. As such, there is no possibility of having perfect knowledge by a conditioned soul. That is not possible.

These persons, those who are blind, those who are accepting this body as the self like cats and dogs, their description is given here again that deha... They are bodily, beginning from bodily cons...
Lecture on SB 2.1.4 -- Delhi, November 7, 1973:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.)

dehāpatya-kalatrādiṣv
ātma-sainyeṣv asatsv api
teṣāṁ pramatto nidhanaṁ
paśyann api na paśyati
(SB 2.1.4)

Translation: "Persons devoid of ātma-tattva do not inquire into the problems of life, being too attached to the fallible soldiers like the body, children and wife, etc. Although sufficiently experienced, still, they do not see their inevitable destruction."

Prabhupāda: Yes. The same word is being continued, apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2), "Those who are blind about ātma-tattva, the spiritual science, the knowledge of spirit soul." So these persons, those who are blind, those who are accepting this body as the self like cats and dogs, their description is given here again that deha... They are bodily, beginning from bodily cons... "I am this body." "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am this," "I am that." Deha and then apatya, children, and kalatra, wife. First of all, one deha, one body. Just like this child. His only one conception, "Yes, I am everything, this body." Gradually, when one grows, becomes youthful, there is sex desire. Therefore finding out the opposite sex, kalatra, wife, or girlfriend or boyfriend. So kalatra ādi, making the center kalatra, then ātma-sainyeṣu, we increase our attraction to this material world.

Correspondence

1975 Correspondence

There are many persons who are blind, crippled, lame, deformed, etc., but they are determined to practice Krishna Consciousness to their best ability. So, you should also do like that.
Letter to Krsna Vilasini -- Honolulu 3 June, 1975:

There are many examples in history of persons who have been very much disabled physically, but still have executed Krishna Consciousness. Still, up to date in places like Vrndavana, India, there are many persons who are blind, crippled, lame, deformed, etc., but they are determined to practice Krishna Consciousness to their best ability. So, you should also do like that. Simply be determined to practice the process of Bhakti-yoga with whatever abilities you may have. If you are really sincere, then Krishna will give you help. If you require any medical help, you can take as much as is needed.

Page Title:Blind persons
Compiler:Labangalatika, Ingrid
Created:23 of Mar, 2010
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=3, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=0, Let=1
No. of Quotes:6