Brahma-jyotir (Conversations and Letters)

Expressions researched:
"brahma-jyotir" |"brahmajoti" |"brahmajyo" |"brahmajyoti"

1969 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg -- May 12, 1969, Columbus, Ohio:

Prabhupāda: This Brahman effulgence is nothing but His bodily effulgence. You see whenever we put Kṛṣṇa, there's a bodily effulgence. Within that bodily effulgence every creation is there. Just like this effulgence of sun. Within the sunshine all these planets are moving, all this vegetation, everything growing, coming. The whole thing is existing on the sunshine. Similarly, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything existing on brahma-jyotir. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said māyā tatam idaṁ sarvaṁ jagad avyakta-mūrtinā. "This impersonal exhibition of this whole manifestation, it is I." Mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). "Everything existing in Me." Nahaṁ teṣu avasthitaḥ. "But I am not there."

1970 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Devotee (6): Śrīla Prabhupāda? The other day you talked about the spirit soul and his position in the brahmajyoti, that there's no shelter there. Just like we go up, up, up into the sky (indistinct) there's no shelter there so you have to go to some planet. So I was thinking that the reason why our position is shaky is due to this body, but spirit, being restless can remain anywhere...

Prabhupāda: Yes, but there the shelter is transcendental bliss. The impersonal Brahman is not transcendental bliss. It is simply eternity. But we want three things: eternity, full knowledge, and blissful life. So there is no bliss.

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Prabhupāda: Yes. So similarly, this living entity also requires shelter of blissful life. That is this association of Kṛṣṇa. So unless he gets that, he wants blissfulness, but—there is some spiritual blissfulness; he has no information—he comes down again to this perverted blissfulness of this material world.

Devotee (6): They don't take their pleasure in being there in the brahmajyoti?

Prabhupāda: There is no pleasure. Blissfulness is not there, brahmajyoti is simply eternity, that's all. The same example can be given. Just like sunlight. There is only light. But on a planet the effect of the light is there—there are so many trees, so many flowers, fruits. We, we want varieties of pleasure. Variety is the mother of...

devotees: "Variety is the spice of life."

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Room Conversation -- December 13, 1970, Indore:

Revatīnandana: I have a hazy memory that one time I heard that when a soul, when it finally does enter into brahmajyoti, that he has to remain there for some long duration of time, a daytime of Brahmā or a lifetime of Brahmā. Is that correct? What is that duration?

Prabhupāda: Not that. That is not like that.

Revatīnandana: Not like that. Thank you.

Prabhupāda: But he feels inconvenience without varieties of life. The Bhāgavata says, tvayy asta-bhāvād aviśuddha-buddhayaḥ: "Their intelligence is not clean." Arūhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ: (SB 10.2.32) "Although they rise up to the brahmajyoti," patanty adho tataḥ, "they again come back."

Haṁsadūta: And the nirvāṇa conception of life is just before Brahman?

Prabhupāda: Nirvāṇa conception is marginal position between brahmajyoti and this material world.

1971 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:

Revatīnandana: That's right. In preaching, in the movement, that there is no diversity between the jīva souls who are living...

Prabhupāda: But there is diversity. Why not?

Revatīnandana: And the brahmajyoti. They are saying...

Prabhupāda: Brahmajyoti is combination of jīva soul. And brahmajyoti is emanation from Kṛṣṇa. Brahmajyoti is coming from Kṛṣṇa. This is a function. Heat is coming constantly, incessantly, from the fire. But still, heat is not fire. You cannot say heat is fire. Fire is far away.

Revatīnandana: That's right. So the constitutional nature of the entities that naturally form brahmajyoti is the same as the constitutional nature of the jīvātmās that are forming the living entities?

Prabhupāda: Yes. It is comparison, a small spiritual spark. That's all. We are spark. So long it does not develop a body... That body is also the same. So it remains as spiritual spark. But because it is spirit, it cannot remain in that impersonal stage. He wants to enjoy. So, so long he has forgotten, he develops a body which is called matter.

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:

Revatīnandana: You very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the spirit soul then goes into the brahmajyoti, he is considered still fallen. Still fallen. Does that means the whole brahmajyoti is composed of fallen souls? You see my question? If I go there, I'm a jīva soul, and I go to the brahmajyoti I'm still fallen.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That means all jīva souls there are also fallen souls.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:

Revatīnandana: But we usually think of fallen as being forgetful.

Prabhupāda: Yes. This is also forgetfulness. In the brahmajyoti you are forgetful still. Because you are... That is stated in the śāstra, anādhṛta yuṣmad anghrayaḥ. Anādhṛta. They do not know how to adore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is forgetfulness.

Śyāmasundara: So they become separated.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Room Conversation -- August 17, 1971, London:

Revatīnandana: The thing that was bothering me when I thought of this, that the brahmajyoti, if it is jīvas, that they're all fallen souls, then I thought...

Prabhupāda: Fallen anywhere. When Kṛṣṇa is forgotten, that is fallen.

Revatīnandana: Yes. But what I thought was just like in a room there is so many particles of light. Already inconceivable. And, then the whole brahmajyoti is all fallen souls, and they become so inconceivable...

Prabhupāda: Not so fallen as they are in the matter.

Śyāmasundara: Yes. Separated.

Revatīnandana: But not in their constitutional position.

Prabhupāda: They're not as fallen as those who are in this material.

1972 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Maharishi Impersonalists -- April 7, 1972, Melbourne:

Prabhupāda: Oneness means you keep your individuality, but you take the same interest. Then it is oneness. It is not possible that you lose your individuality. That is not possible. You are individual eternally. Do you understand this? You have got anything to say about this oneness? Do you differ? Just like the sunlight. The sunlight, physically, they are very small, shining, molecular, what is called?

Śyāmasundara: Particles? Prabhupāda: Yes. Very small, atom-like. They are combined together. It looks that it is one, sunshine. But they are mixture of molecular parts, very small. They are all shining. This is scientific. But it looks one. Even water, that also, small molecular parts. Everything. This matter—a small molecular atom. So everything is combination of several molecular, atomic parts. That's all. You are also atomic spirit. So all the atomic spirit, when they are together, that is called brahmajyo... (loud noise) This... This cannot be stopped? This nonsense bombing?

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: That movement is different. That is not independent movement.

Yogeśvara: Is that to say that a stone has a living entity in it?

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: Actually what we discussed is that every, even the elements, the atoms, everything is made of nothing but spirit souls in fallen conditions. Because everything comes from brahmajyoti, which is nothing but spirit souls, and brahmajyoti... Therefore soul never changes. So this manifestation is from brahmajyoti. Therefore, it is made of souls. It is nothing else but spirit souls. Yesterday, a few days ago we discussed that.

Prabhupāda: It is simply covered by another energy which is called material energy. And that is māyā. Māyā means that is not actual, not factual. The example is given, just like the sun is covered by the cloud. The cloud is nothing but another creation of sun. But when the cloud comes, sun is invisible. Similarly this condition, forgetfulness, is my creation and when I am covered by this forgetfulness I become stones and atoms, like that.

Room Conversation with David Wynne, Sculptor -- July 9, 1973, London:

Prabhupāda: Yes. To glorify God means the glorify the nature also. Just like here is a poem in Brahma-saṁ...

yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-

koṭisv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam

tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.40)

Now, the whole creation is there. Yasya prabhā prabhavataḥ (Bs. 5.40). On account of the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, which is called brahmajyoti... Just like on account of the sunshine, the whole universe is existing. So similarly, there is a shine, bodily shining, what is called brahmajyoti. So when the brahmajyoti is there, then innumerable universes are created. Yasya prabhā prabhavataḥ (Bs. 5.40). When the effulgence, brahmajyoti, is there, innumerable universes are created. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Jagad-aṇḍa means universe. Koṭi, innumerable. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭisv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). And in each universe is created with innumerable number of planets. And each planet has got different atmosphere. Now the whole universe is described. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. Yasya prabhā. The beginning: "Whose effulgence has created." That means simultaneously you praise His creation; at the same time, you get the universal knowledge how many universes are there, how they are situated, what is the atmosphere, everything. You get a glimpse of idea at the same time. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. This is the way.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 11, 1974, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the beginning He says, na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jaga... (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). "No, no, no, no," not this." Then there must be some positive. And the positive is: mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi. With simply negative, what you'll do? Simply negative? You must give something positive. Then you'll be satisfied. You are serving somewhere. You don't get sufficient salary. So you desire to give up this, this service. Resignation. But if you don't get any better service, then what will be the result of resignation? You'll starve. Again you'll go, "Master, I did wrong. Please give me that service." So that is... The Māyāvādīs' position is like that. They want to become merged into the Supreme. But that is not possible. After some time... āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ (SB 10.2.32). They undergo very good auster..., severe austerities and reach the brahmajyoti, but there, everything being vacant, they cannot remain there. And they have no information of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore they again come down. Patanty adhaḥ. He wants enjoyment, but there is no enjoyment. Simply thinking, "I am Brahman." What is the enjoyment there? You think like a rascal Brahman. Yes, you are Brahman already. Why these sputnik wālās, they go...?

Morning Walk -- March 2, 1974, Mayapura:

Jayapatākā: What is this land? (?) (break)

Prabhupāda: "...near the brahmajyoti, I don't want. Now I have merged." This is Māyāvāda theory.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: This is all that silt from the Ganges River, Prabhupāda.

Jayapatākā: This man, he wants to sell this land, seventeen bighās, for seven hundred rupees. (break)

Madhudviṣa: How is that possible?

Prabhupāda: Hmm?

Madhudviṣa: How is the Ganges flowing through the planetary systems?

Prabhupāda: So? It is not possible?

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Brahma means Vedas, Brahma means... There are so many things. So many things. So here brahmaṇaḥ, brahmajyoti... People are very much impersonalists. They think realization of brahmajyoti is final. To, just to reply them, this is, this śloka is: brahmaṇo aham pratiṣṭha. Wherefrom this jyoti's coming? This is very common sense. A jyoti does... Just like this jyoti, this clearness, no darkness, wherefrom it is coming? Everyone knows it is coming from the sun. Without this sun, why at night there was no such jyoti? Because the sun is rising, therefore this jyoti has come.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Why not... Just hear. It is very important point, that jyoti, it must come through some source.

Chandobhai: Jyoti has, jyoti has to come through source, correct.

Prabhupāda: Yes. And that is confirmed in the Brahmā-saṁhitā that yasya prabhā. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagadaṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi vibhūti-bhinnam (Bs. 5.40). This creation, all the whole creation, even this material, that is depending on the brahmajyoti. Therefore it is said, sarvaṁ khalv idaṁ brahma. Everything is depending on the brahmajyoti. And that is confirmed also in the Bhagavad-gītā: mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). This mat-sthāni means...

Chandobhai: Within the Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Within the Brahman. And this Brahman is the effulgence of body of Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: That is... Sahajānanda Swami says continually that you must always, you must never think that Kṛṣṇa is without a body.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Without body there cannot be anything, and Kṛṣṇa had body and all this is the brahmajyoti. (break) ...pratiṣṭha.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Amṛta. Brahman. That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). So the Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān, they are, these, one and the same. But it is the person's realization. Now, common man, they can understand what is this sunshine, but they cannot know what is the sun globe, or what is within the sun globe.

Chandobhai: What is within... Yes, correct.

Prabhupāda: So those who are satisfied only brahmajyoti, their knowledge is not yet perfect. They do not know wherefrom the brahmajyoti comes, who is the source of brahmajyoti.

Chandobhai: So He has stated here.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (break) ...as Paramātmā, He's kṣetra-jña of everybody.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: Brahman means Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Brahman is jyoti.

Prabhupāda: No, paraṁ brahma. Brahmajyoti, that is not paraṁ brahma. Paraṁ brahma is Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: Paraṁ brahma is Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Paraṁ brahma is Kṛṣṇa. Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So paraṁ brahman is Kṛṣṇa. The jñāna means one who knows Kṛṣṇa, he has got knowledge. Otherwise he's a rascal. That's all. Maybe a big rascal or small rascal.

Morning Walk -- March 30, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Here... Jyotiṣām api taj jyotiḥ.

Dr. Patel: Jñānam jñeyam jñāna-gamyaṁ...

Prabhupāda: This, this... We have got jyoti calculation of this sun. But the sun is only a reflection of the brahmajyoti.

Dr. Patel: Jyotiṣām api taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Morning Walk -- June 11, 1974, Paris:

Prabhupāda: He is already... That I have already explained. Suptottitha-nyāya. In the morning, as soon as you get up, you remember that you have to do so many things. That means it was already there.

Puṣṭa-kṛṣṇa: Right. Is that just like the impersonalists? They go up into the brahmajyoti, but they have desire. So they have to come back down.

Prabhupāda: No, this is not going to the brahmajyoti. Those who..., brahmajyoti, they do not come in that way. They come in their own frustration.

Paramahaṁsa: So Śrīla Prabhupāda, the living entities, when they come out of the body of Mahā-Viṣṇu, they, they...

Prabhupāda: In Mahā-Viṣṇu's body they simply rest during the annihilation. That's all.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Yoga Student -- March 14, 1975, Iran:

Prabhupāda: So heat and light is the cause of all this material creation. And heat and light is coming from the sunshine, er, sun. Therefore heat becomes the origin of creation even in this material world. Similarly, there is another light. That is the original light. This is reflection. That is called brahmajyoti, spiritual light. So in this way one conception of God is like that. Another conception of God is: God is situated everywhere. Aṇḍāntara-sthaṁ paramāṇu-cayāntara-stham. Because God is situated within the universe, within the atom, therefore they are existing. Just like the ātmā, or spirit soul, is situated in you, in me, in everyone. This is called Paramātmā feature. And at the ultimate end there is the person, God as person, the Supreme Person, the Supreme Being, a person like you and me—we are person—but He is almighty, all-powerful. This is the conception of Absolute Truth: God, Paramātmā, and Brahmājyoti. Brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11). This is the Sanskrit word. He is realized as Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Bhagavān is person; Paramātmā is all-pervading, means localized, situated; and Brahman means all-pervading. All together-God. This is the idea.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- January 12, 1976, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: So you go to Brahman but not to Parabrahman. When you try to realize Parabrahman, that is personal God; Brahman is impersonal God. Right, sir?

Prabhupāda: And He says, brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā: "Brahmajyoti is emanating from Me." Brahmajyoti, although impersonal, it is coming from Kṛṣṇa.

Dr. Patel: So I will one day preach in your place. (laughs) I will.... (Hindi) I was a professor in college, and I have got a knack of explaining everything. Yes.

Indian man: So, all right. I will be your śiṣya.

Room Conversation -- July 6, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Svarūpa Dāmodara: I think there is also reference in the Bhagavad-gītā, this hiraṇmaya, because sometimes it's also called Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Brahmajyoti. What?

Svarūpa Dāmodara: Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Brahman, yes. He's called Hiraṇya-garbha, Brahmā.

Svarūpa Dāmodara: It's also said in this state, pradhāna state, the cause and effect are not clearly manifested.

Prabhupāda: :Caitanya caritāmṛta, did you refer Nityānanda-tattva?

Room Conversation with Life Member, Mr. Malhotra -- December 22, 1976, Poona:

Prabhupāda: Always. Therefore it is said in the śāstra, āruhya kṛcchreṇa paraṁ padaṁ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ (SB 10.2.32), ye 'nye 'ravindākṣa vimukta-māninaḥ... It is said, "My Lord, the lotus-eyed, vimukta-mānina, if somebody artificially is thinking that he has become liberated or merged into the existence, āruhya kṛcchreṇa, for which he has undergone very severe tapasya," āruhya kṛcchreṇa... Kṛcchreṇa means with great difficulty. Paraṁ padam, brahmajyoti, patanti adhaḥ, "again he falls down," anādṛta-yuṣmad-aṅghrayaḥ... Just like these rascals that are going in the sky to find out a place in the Mars and in the Moon. And why they are coming back? If actually one has gone, then why he's coming back?

Mr. Malhotra: To tells to others that they saw something.

Prabhupāda: That's it. Similarly you will find the so-called sannyāsīs, not bhaktas, they undergo severe austerities, penances, but after some time they come to the worldly atmosphere. Because they could not get any place, therefore they come down. Just like the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs they say that this duniyā, (world) jagat mithyā.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- January 8, 1977, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: This is śāstra, Brahma-saṁhitā, that "This brahmajyoti is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa. Govinda." So the rays of Govinda is not so important as Govinda is important. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi **. And Govinda personally says, ahaṁ sarvasya... Sarvasya means everything, including Brahman.

Guest (2): With all due respect, I was talking of Brahman. Prabhupāda: I am speaking of Brahman. Brahman means this brahmajyoti. You mean that. Yes, I am speaking that. This brahmajyoti... Guest (2): Īśvara is different from Brahman? Prabhupāda: Īśvara everyone. But īśvara parama is Kṛṣṇa.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 21 January, 1968:

The marginal position of voidness between Brahmajyoti and the material world manifestation is the destination of the Buddhist philosophers. Therefore the voidness philosophy is worse than Impersonalist philosophy. This voidness philosophy is simply nirvana, or absence of material manifestation, but actually it is a material stand whereas Impersonalist monism is transcendental to material manifestation and voidness. Therefore the conception of Brahmajyoti is advanced realization than conception of nirvana. Nobody can be satisfied in void or Impersonalist philosophy; they are against the nature of the spirit soul. We understand from Vedanta philosophy that the spirit soul is by nature joyful. There is no joy in voidness or Impersonalism and because such imperfect philosophers do not know of the association of Krishna which is full of bliss and knowledge, they will fall down repeatedly into voidness and Impersonalism with the result that they cannot stay there and they fall down to the material atmosphere. In Bhagavad-gita it is said by the Lord that these people, void and Impersonalist philosophers, are in great trouble.

Letter to Harer Nama -- Los Angeles 21 December, 1968:

Your second question about falling down from the brahmajyoti is answered that it is not that one must fall down, but that they generally fall down. There is a verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10th canto, 2nd chapter, verse 26, which says: "My Dear Lotus Eyed Personality of Godhead, persons who are very proud of becoming one with the brahma effulgence and thereby consider that they have become liberated are factually in a contaminated consciousness on account of the absence of devotional service unto You. Such persons may rise to a high level of spiritual understanding as far as the impersonal brahmajyoti but on account of the lack of devotional service unto You, they generally fall down again into material contamination."

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 24 July, 1969:

Regarding your question, "what is the difference between the spirit souls comprising the Brahmajyoti and the spirit souls here in Maya?", in the Brahmajyoti the spirit souls on account of their impersonal views are devoid of a body, exactly like here in Maya there are ghosts who are devoid of any gross bodies. The ghost being devoid of a body, he suffers terribly because he is unable to satisfy his senses. The spirit souls in the Brahmajyoti, although they have no desire for sense gratification, still they feel inconvenience like the ghost, and they fall down again in the Maya's atmosphere and develop a material body.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Los Angeles 24 July, 1969:

The conclusion is that without developing the spiritual body and without being situated on one of the spiritual planets, the so-called liberation is also illusion, or it is not complete. A spirit soul who falls down from the Brahmajyoti to the Kingdom of Maya may have a chance of associating with a pure devotee, and then he may be elevated to the spiritual planets of Vaikuntha or to Goloka Vrindaban. From the Brahmajyoti there is no direct promotion to the spiritual planets, and it is clearly stated in the Bhagavatam that such souls fall down: patanty adha.

Letter to Bhadra Bardhan -- London 4 December, 1969:

Regarding your question about the Brahmajyoti, it is explained in Bhagavad-gita that the impersonal Brahman effulgence is emanating from Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The brahmajyoti is just like the sunlight, which emanates from the Sun God: Because the sunlight has no personal form, this does not mean that the Sun God has become impersonal. You have seen in pictures of Lord Krishna that there is a nice effulgence coming forth from His body. This effulgence is the Brahmajyoti, and it is pervading throughout the entire spiritual and material manifestation. But above this Brahmajyoti is the Supreme Source of everything, Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I hope this important point is clear to you now.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Vrndavana Candra -- Los Angeles 19 July, 1970:

One who knows what is Om knows that Om is the sound representation of Krsna he immediately remembers Krsna just like we chant Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya. This conception of Om and impersonal conception is different. The impersonalist has no information of Krsna, he thinks of something like the Brahmajyoti effulgence.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Bombay 31 December, 1971:

Regarding whether the Brahmajoti should be painted rainbow colored. It is our experience that in the material world when the sunshine is very bright there is not any color, just whiteness. Colors of sunshine only become manifest when there is a tinge of clouds. So in the Brahmajoti there is no possibility of material tinge. So how it can be rainbow colored? In the dazzling light there is no possibility of colors. Considering all these points, Muralidhara should paint maintaining the artistic sense as well.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 16 May, 1972:

The living entity is the manifestation of the marginal energy of Krishna, and Krishna's energy is everywhere, so the living entity is also spread everywhere. Just like the sunshine is composed of small particles, so sunshine is distributed all over the universe, so also the shining particles are distributed. Similarly, the atomic living entities are existent in the Brahmajyoti and the Brahmajyoti is distributed everywhere, so the living entities are also spread everywhere. Their another name is "sarvaga," all-pervading.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Sridhara -- Vrindaban 19 August, 1974:

Regarding your question about eternal spiritual and temporary spiritual, the temporary spiritual is the impersonal brahmajyoti. The impersonalists by severe austerities and penances arise to the Brahman effulgence. But it is only temporary. Eternally we cannot remain aloof. As living entities, we want pleasure in association; therefore we see in the material world where for sense gratification the karmis take so much responsibility. First of all they accept one wife. The more he enjoys the wife, the more he becomes implicated. So, this means that we must have pleasure even at the risk of gross implication. Therefore our Krishna Consciousness movement is that we want pleasure but without any implication.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Srutadeva -- Vrindaban 30 October, 1976:

It is correct that the brahmajyoti is comprised of spiritual souls and that ultimately nothing is impersonal. Dead matter means forgetfulness of Krsna. If you want to stay in Krsna Consciousness you will have to develop firm faith in Guru and Sastra. Therefore, you must study my books very scrutinizingly, follow the four regulative principles very strictly and chant 16 rounds daily avoiding the ten offenses. Don't take this movement as something cheap.