Category:Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 03 Chapter 27 Purports - Understanding Material Nature
Pages in category "Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 03 Chapter 27 Purports - Understanding Material Nature"
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A
- A conditioned soul may be very good and act in the mode of goodness, but still he is conditioned under the spell of material nature
- A conditioned soul sees a very beautiful rose, and he thinks that the nice aromatic flower should be used for his own sense gratification. This is one kind of vision
- A conditioned soul under the spell of material nature cannot understand that any action he performs for sense gratification is faulty and that only his activities in devotional service to God can give him release from the reaction of faulty activities
- A devotee acts completely under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Thus his actions may not appear to be of a very high quality to the common man, but the devotee has no responsibility
- A devotee can get married under religious principles and live peacefully with a wife
- A devotee gives up the entire mentality of enjoying and engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. That is his constitutional glorified position. At that time he is isvara, fully independent
- A devotee has no enmity towards any living entity, but that does not mean that he mixes with everyone. That is prohibited. Aprasangatah means "not to be in intimate touch with everyone
- A devotee in full Krsna consciousness appears superficially to be a great karmi, always working, but the inner significance of the devotee's activities is that they are meant for the satisfaction of the Lord. This is called bhakti, or devotional service
- A devotee is concerned with his execution of devotional service, and he should therefore mix with devotees only, in order to advance his objective. He has no business mixing with others
- A devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who seriously engages in devotional service is equal to all living entities
- A devotee or a learned sage does not see any difference between a learned brahmana, a dog, an elephant or a cow because he knows that the body is the outer covering only and that the soul is actually part and parcel of the Supreme Lord
- A devotee should always remain atmavan, or situated in his spiritual position. He should not forget that his main concern is to make advancement in spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness
- A devotee should be compassionate towards them (innocent people) and instruct them as far as possible in making advancement in Krsna consciousness
- A devotee should eat only prasada, or food which is offered to the Personality of Godhead. His position is to accept the remnants of those foodstuffs
- A devotee should have compassion for persons who are innocent, who are neither atheistic nor very much advanced in spiritual realization
- A devotee should live in a secluded place. Generally a common man is interested in pounds, shillings and pence, or materialistic advancement in life, which is unnecessary for a devotee
- A devotee should not be greedy. It is also recommended that the devotee should be muni, or thoughtful; he should always think of Krsna and how to render better service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That should be his only anxiety
- A devotee should not speak needlessly
- A devotee should observe the vow of celibacy. Celibacy does not necessitate that one be absolutely free from sex life; satisfaction with one's wife is permitted also under the vow of celibacy
- A devotee should select a place of residence where everyone is interested in devotional service. Generally, therefore, a devotee goes to a sacred place of pilgrimage where devotees live
- A liberated soul sees the same flower as a reflection of the Supreme Lord. He thinks, "This beautiful flower is made possible by the superior energy of the Supreme Lord it belongs to the Supreme Lord and should be utilized in His service
- A living entity can never be lost. When one forgets his identity in deep sleep, he becomes absorbed in dreams, and he may think himself a different person or may think himself lost. But actually his identity is intact
- A living entity merged either in the material nature or in the spiritual nature does not give up his individuality. Real individuality is to understand oneself to be the eternal servitor of God. This information is received from the mouth of Caitanya
- A living entity's independence is lost by material contact. In the spiritual field he has full independence, and therefore there is no question of becoming dependent upon the three modes of material nature
- A mixed devotee engages in devotional service for the spiritual benefit of being eternally engaged in the transcendental abode of the Lord in full bliss and knowledge
- A person in the conditioned state who has no money is always found working very hard to earn some with the object of lording it over material nature
- A person should see things as the combination of matter and spirit
- A person who has lost a great sum of money may think that he is lost, but actually he is not lost-only his money is lost
- A person who is detached from the modes of material nature remains just like the sun reflected on water. When the sun is reflected on water, the movement of the water or the coolness or unsteadiness of the water cannot affect the sun
- A pure devotee can see the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in everything materially manifested
- A serious devotee has no time to speak of nonsense. He is always busy in Krsna consciousness
- A very poor man can execute Krsna consciousness as effectively as a very rich man. One should be very satisfied with his position as offered by the Lord
- According to the Bhagavatam conclusion, we are sometimes faced with dangerous or miserable conditions without endeavoring for them, and similarly we may have prosperous conditions without endeavoring for them
- According to the desire of the particular devotee, he is offered a particular abode, which is known as sva-samsthana, his desired destination
- Actual self-realization means becoming a pure devotee of the Lord. The existence of a devotee implies the function of devotion and the object of devotion
- Actually, as soon as a living entity puts himself under the control of the modes of material nature, his acts are influenced by the qualities of material nature, and he becomes passive
- Advancement in Krsna consciousness does not depend on any materially prosperous or distressed condition; it is free from the conditions imposed by material life
- After performing speculative activities for many, many births, when one actually comes to his real consciousness and surrenders unto the Supreme Lord, Krsna, then the fulfillment of his research in knowledge is actually achieved
- After reaching that abode, he (the self-realized devotee) never comes back to this material world
- Akartrtvat means not doing anything for sense gratification. When one does something at his own risk, there is a sense of proprietorship and a reaction, but when one does everything for Krsna, there is no proprietorship over the activities
- Although a devotee appears to be in the material world, actually he is in the transcendental world
- Although both are engaged in the association of material activities, the devotee is liberated, and the materialist is conditioned
- Although one may understand that spirit soul and matter are different, their actual separation is not possible, either by philosophical speculation or by proper understanding
- Although the impersonalists also reach that spiritual sky after giving up the subtle and gross material bodies, they are not placed in the spiritual planets
- Although the living entity desires freedom from the contamination of matter, he is not given release
- Although the tendency for philosophical speculation exists, the material effects of fruitive activities and empiric speculation do not, because this activity is meant for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- Another important item described here (in SB 3.27.7) is sva-dharmena, or being exclusively occupied in one's eternal occupation, which is to act as the eternal servitor of the Lord, or to act in Krsna consciousness
- Another word here is mita-bhuk. This means that one should eat only as much as necessary to maintain the body and soul together. One should not be gluttonous to satisfy the tongue
- Anyone engaged in devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as a devotee, but there is a distinction between pure devotees and mixed devotees
- Anything done without the satisfaction of Visnu, or Yajna, produces bondage, so here it is also prescribed by Kapila Muni that one can transcend material entanglement by acting in Krsna consciousness, which means seriously engaging in devotional service
- Anything material has an aroma. The flower, the earth - everything - has an aroma. If the aroma is separated from the matter, the matter cannot be identified
- Arjuna was apparently a fighter but when by his fighting he satisfied the senses of Lord Krsna, he became a devotee
- Arjuna's prescribed duty was to fight, and the perfection of his fighting was tested by the satisfaction of Krsna. Krsna wanted him to fight, and when he fought for the satisfaction of the Lord, that was the perfection of his professional devotional duty
- Arjuna, in Bhagavad-gita, was trying to accept for himself the responsibility for killing his grandfather and teacher in the fight, but he became freed from that proprietorship of action when he acted under the direction of Krsna
- As a materialist engages in constructing a big skyscraper, a devotee engages in constructing a big temple for Visnu
- As a materialist is always thoughtful about improving his material condition, a devotee's thoughts should always be engaged in improving his condition in Krsna consciousness; therefore he should be a muni
- As a result of frustration, he desires more power than the ordinary living entity and thus wants to merge into the existence of the supreme enjoyer. In this way he develops a plan for greater enjoyment
- As for elevation to higher planets, a devotee considers this to be simply hallucinatory. A devotee's attention is concentrated only upon the eternal loving service of the Lord, and therefore the power of death has no influence over him
- As long as a conditioned soul does not have this knowledge (that Krsna is the proprietor), he wants to be the enjoyer of everything; he wants to become a humanitarian or philanthropist and open hospitals and schools for his fellow human beings
- As long as a philosopher, salvationist or voidist has some desire to be supreme, to be everything, or to deny the existence of God, the cause remains, and there is no question of his liberation
- As long as the soul and the body are combined, we can understand that there is life. But when they are separated, there is no manifested existence of the body or the soul
- As other material powers are created by the material energy, mystic yogic powers are also material. A perfect yogis mind is not attracted by any material power, but is simply attracted by unalloyed service to the Supreme Lord
- As soon as a person is awakened to the pure knowledge of understanding that he is an eternal servitor of the Lord, his own real position is revived
- As soon as he (the conditioned soul) comes to his senses, he develops the knowledge that he is not the enjoyer, for the only enjoyer is the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- As soon as he (the living entity) employs his energy and activities for sense gratification, this change of position is called vikara
- As soon as one engages in serious devotional service of the Lord, naturally the propensity to falsely claim lordship over material nature disappears. That detachment is called vairagya
- As soon as this false ego is eliminated, one is liberated. As confirmed in the Bhagavatam, situation in one's real constitutional position is called mukti, or liberation
- As stated in Bhagavad-gita, brahmano hi pratisthaham: the impersonal Brahman effulgence rests on the body of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, the bodily effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is kaivalya, or impersonal Brahman
- As the reflection of the sun appears to be on the water but is many millions of miles away from the water, so one engaged in the bhakti-yoga process is nirguna, or unaffected by the qualities of material nature
- As they (the impersonalists) desire, they are allowed to merge in the spiritual effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of the Lord
- As we can see the sun without a doubt, one who is fully developed in Krsna consciousness sees Krsna and His energy
- Atma, in the material sense, means the body or the mind, but when referring to one whose mind is fixed on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, atmarama means "one who is fixed in spiritual activities in relationship with the Supreme Soul
- Atmarama means "one who rejoices in the self," or "one who enjoys in the spiritual atmosphere"
- Atmavan especially means that one should be self-possessed. He should always remain in the pure consciousness that he is spirit soul and not the material body or the mind. That will make him progress confidently in Krsna consciousness
B
- Baliyasa, means "offering the results of all activities to the Supreme Personality of Godhead." A devotee does not act on his personal account for sense gratification
- Because everything is produced of His energy and exists on His energy, the energy is not different from Him - but still the Lord declares, "I am not there
- Because the living entity is not actually the enjoyer of the material resources, his attempt to lord it over material nature is, at the ultimate issue, frustrated
- Bhavena, or bhava, is a very important factor in the practice of yoga or in any spiritual process. Bhava is explained in Bhagavad-gita (BG 10.8). Budha bhava-samanvitah: one should be absorbed in the thought of love of Krsna
- By changlessness and by not claiming the proprietorship of activities, one can immediately situate himself in the transcendental position in which one is not touched by the modes of material nature as the reflection of the sun is unaffected by the water
- By continuous, regular hearing, the effects of the contamination of lust and greed to enjoy or lord it over material nature diminish, and when lust and greed diminish, one then becomes situated in the mode of goodness
- By practical experience one can see that when the soul is separated from the body, the body has no real existence, and when the body is separated from the soul one cannot perceive the existence of the soul
- By the grace of the Lord, the self-realized devotee engaged in devotional service understands his destination even while in the material body
- By the understanding of the pure soul, called satya-drk, one can see everything as a reflection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
C
- Celibacy does not necessitate that one be absolutely free from sex life; satisfaction with one's wife is permitted also under the vow of celibacy. The best policy is to avoid sex life altogether. That is preferable
- Conditional existence is described here (in SB 3.27.4) as dhyayato visayan asya. Visaya means "an object of enjoyment." As long as one continues to think that he can enjoy material advantages, he is in conditioned life
- Consciousness acts in three stages under the material conception of life. When we are awake, consciousness acts in a particular way, when we are asleep it acts in a different way, and when we are in deep sleep, consciousness acts in still another way
D
- Devahuti very intelligently says, "One may theoretically analyze and say that by knowledge he has become freed, but actually, as long as the cause exists, he is not free
- Development of Krsna consciousness is exhibited by proportionate material detachment, or vairagya. If one does not separate himself from material enjoyment, it is to be understood that he is not advancing in Krsna consciousness
- Devotional service in Krsna consciousness cannot be performed blindly due to material emotion or mental concoction. It is specifically mentioned here that one has to perform devotional service in full knowledge by visualizing the Absolute Truth
- Devotional service is revealed to the pure devotee by the unlimited causeless mercy of the Lord. This is especially spoken of here (in SB 3.27.28-29) by the Lord - mat-prasadena, "by My special grace." This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita
- Due to absorption of one's identity in his money, when the money is lost he thinks that he is also lost. But actually he is not identical with the money, nor does the money belong to him
- Due to different mental conditions, in dreams we are put into advantageous and disadvantageous positions
- Due to his absorption in the money or identification with the money, he (a person who has lost money) thinks that he is lost. When we falsely identify with matter as our field of activities, we think that we are lost, although actually we are not
- Duri-bhutanya-darsanah, which means that when one attains perfect Krsna consciousness he does not see anything but Krsna
- Dvesa means "envy." When one becomes envious of Krsna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one thinks, "Why should Krsna be the all and all? I'm as good as Krsna"
E
- Each and every living entity is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, and thus his eternal position is to cooperate or to dovetail his energy with the Supreme Lord. That is his unchanging position
- Each and every soul is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he (the devotee) does not see any difference. That is the vision of a learned devotee
- Even in this material body, when he (the living entity) practices devotional service under the direction of the spiritual master, he comes to the position which is without change because that is his natural duty
- Even while merged in the twenty-four elements of matter, he can keep his individuality as the eternal servitor of the Lord. Either in the spiritual nature or in the material nature, such a servitor is to be considered a liberated soul
- Everyone has some prescribed duties to perform, but the perfection of such duties will be reached only if the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is satisfied by such actions
- Everyone who has accepted a material body must maintain the necessities of the body by acting or earning some livelihood. A devotee should only work for such income as is absolutely necessary
F
- Fire is conserved in wooden sticks, and when circumstances are favorable, the fire is ignited. But the wooden sticks which are the cause of the fire are also consumed by the fire if it is properly dealt with
- For a devotee, the process of merging into the Brahman effulgence is considered to be hellish, and yogic power or the preliminary perfection of yogic power, to be able to control the senses, is automatically achieved
- From history we can see that there were many powerful empires on the surface of the globe that were constructed with great pain and great perseverance, but in due course of time they have all been destroyed
H
- He (a devotee who is not completely purified) wants material gain, advancement in knowledge of the relationship between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity, or knowledge as to the real nature of the Supreme Lord
- He (a person) should distinguish between the nature of matter and the nature of spirit, and his real identification should be with spirit, not with matter. By this knowledge, one should avoid the false, bodily concept of life
- He (a pure devotee of God) is present there only as a reflection, but a pure devotee can realize that in the darkness of material illusion the only light is the Supreme Lord, who is its support
- He (Arjuna) fought, but he was actually freed from the reactions of fighting, although in the beginning, when he was nonviolent, unwilling to fight, the entire responsibility was upon him. That is the difference between liberation and conditioning
- He (God) is the actual friend of all living entities
- He (God) is the beneficiary for all the results of sacrifices and penances (bhoktaram yajna-tapasam), and He is the proprietor of all the three worlds - sarva-loka-mahesvaram
- He (Lord Caitanya) said clearly, upon the inquiry of Sanatana Gosvami, that a living entity is the servitor of Krsna eternally
- He (the conditioned soul) does not cease such faulty activities, he has to change to different bodies, some high and some low. That is called samsara-padavim, which means this material world, from which there is no release
- He (the conditioned soul) does not know that all such work is also faulty because it will not give him relief from the process of transmigration from one body to another
- He (the devotee) has no business mixing with others, for although he does not see anyone as his enemy, his dealings are only with persons who engage in devotional service
- He (the devotee) should be satisfied always with such income and should not endeavor to earn more and more simply to accumulate the unnecessary
- He (the devotee) should not ignorantly identify himself with the body or the mind. Atma means the body or the mind, but here (in SB 3.27.8) the word atmavan especially means that one should be self-possessed
- He (the living entity) has no opportunity to get out of the control of material nature because it has already conditioned him. In Bhagavad-gita it is also stated that it is very difficult to get out of the clutches of material nature
- He (the living entity) is under the qualities of nature, but he falsely thinks that he is the proprietor
- He (the self-realized devotee) performs his devotional activities steadily, without doubting, and after quitting his material body he at once reaches the destination for which he has prepared himself
- His (the living entity's) gross body is made up of five elements, his subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, false ego and contaminated consciousness, and he has five active senses and five knowledge-acquiring senses. In this way he merges in matter
- His (the person's) one interest is that he loves the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he spontaneously engages in satisfying Him
- How can one be in a pure state of spiritual existence as long as he is strongly held by the modes of material nature? This is also an indication to the false meditator
I
- "I am this body" or "Everything in relationship to the body is mine" is called false ego, but when one is self-realized and thinks that he is an eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, that identification is real ego
- If by predestination one is put into a certain condition of life which is not very prosperous in comparison to another's position, one should not be disturbed. He should simply try to utilize his valuable time to advance in Krsna consciousness
- If one gives up the auspicious path of devotional service and simply tries to know things by speculation, one wastes his valuable time. The result of such a labor of love is simply labor; there is no other result
- If one makes friendship with Krsna, one will never be cheated, and he will get all help needed. Arousing this consciousness of the conditioned soul is the greatest service, not posing oneself as a great friend of another living entity
- If one wants to artificially stop the activities of the senses, his attempt will be a failure. Even the great yogi Visvamitra, who was trying to control his senses by the yoga process, fell victim to the beauty of Menaka
- If one wants to perfect his life, he should discharge his prescribed duties for the satisfaction of Krsna. One must act in Krsna consciousness, for such action will never produce any reaction (animitta-nimittena). This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita
- If someone is in contact with the police department, that does not mean that he is a criminal. As long as one does not commit criminal acts, even though there is a police department, he is not punished
- If there is no taste to water, the water has no meaning; if there is no heat in the fire, the fire has no meaning. Similarly, when there is want of intelligence, spirit has no meaning
- If, while performing any activity, even in material existence, one's mind is fixed upon the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, one will not be entangled or conditioned
- Immediately after his high-sounding meditation, a "meditator" becomes thirsty and wants to smoke or drink. He is under the strong grip of material nature, yet he thinks that he is already free from the clutches of maya
- In all his observations he (the perfect devotee) sees Krsna only. In the Brahma-samhita (BS 5.38) it is stated that when one's eyes are smeared with love of Krsna (premanjana-cchurita), he always sees Krsna, outside and inside
- In Bhagavad-gita it is said, prakrteh kriyamanani: (BG 3.27) one acts according to the particular modes of nature he has acquired. Guna refers to the qualities of nature
- In contaminated consciousness one sees everything to be for his own enjoyment, but in pure, or Krsna consciousness, he sees that everything exists for the enjoyment of the supreme enjoyer. That is the difference between the dream state and wakefulness
- In discharging Krsna conscious duties, one should determine whether, by his professional or occupational duties, Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is satisfied
- In material existence, when a devotee is not completely purified, he expects material benefit from the Lord in the form of relief from material miseries, or he wants material gain, advancement in knowledge etc
- In Sanskrit this (identification with the body) is called aham-mamata, and it is the root cause of all conditional life
- In such a devotional state (being concentrated only upon the eternal loving service of the Lord), a perfect yogi can attain the status of immortal knowledge and bliss
- In that impersonal effulgence there are spiritual planets, which are known as Vaikunthas, chief of which is Krsnaloka
- In the beginning one has to perform his prescribed duties with a clean mind. Clean consciousness means Krsna consciousness. One has to perform his prescribed duties in Krsna consciousness
- In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the Supreme Lord, by His partial or plenary expansion, is present not only within this universe and each and every universe, but in every atom, although He is one without a second
- In the condition of dreaming, when one's consciousness is almost covered, one may see many unfavorable things which cause disturbance or anxiety, but upon awakening, although he remembers what happened in the dream, he is not disturbed
- In the conditioned state one accepts everything as an object of sense gratification, and in the liberated state one accepts everything for the service of the Supreme Lord
- In the material identity, the false ego acts, and because of false identification, one takes things to be different from what they actually are. That is the basic principle of conditional life
- In the Visnu Purana it is stated that as the presence of fire is understood by heat and light, so the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although one without a second, is perceived everywhere by the diffusion of His different energies
- Individuality is never lost, even when one thinks that the three different principles, namely the knower, the knowable and knowledge, are amalgamated or merged into one
- Innocent foods like grains, vegetables, fruits, flowers and milk preparations are offered to the Lord, and there is no scope for offering foods which are in the modes of passion and ignorance
- Instead of being absorbed in so-called material lordship, one engages in Krsna consciousness; that is control of consciousness. The yoga process necessitates controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-samyamah
- Instead of leaving proprietorship, enjoyment and the actual position as the friend of all living entities to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we claim that we are the proprietors, the enjoyers and the friends
- It is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita that the background of the material manifestation is Lord Krsna. And, as confirmed in the Brahma-samhita, Krsna is the cause of all causes
- It is confirmed in the Isopanisad that the presence of the Lord is perceived everywhere by the liberated soul, just as the sunshine and the reflection can be perceived everywhere although the sun is situated far away from the surface of the globe
- It is not possible that simply by endeavors to accumulate more money a person will be able to do so, otherwise almost everyone would be on the same level of wealth. In reality everyone is earning and acquiring according to his predestined karma
- It is recommended in this verse (in SB 3.27.5) that one engage very seriously in the devotional service of the Lord. This means that one should not think that he is the proprietor, benefactor, friend or enjoyer
- It is recommended that he (the devotee) live in a place where there is no large number of ordinary men. It is very important to live in a secluded place (vivikta-sarana). The next item is santa, or peacefulness
- It is stated in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu that one who has engaged everything - his vital energy, his wealth, his intelligence and his words - in the service of the Lord
- It is stated in the Isopanisad that everything belongs to the Lord. Isavasyam idam sarvam (ISO 1). Everything exists on the energy of the Supreme Lord. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita
- It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam that hearing about the Supreme Personality of Godhead cleanses the heart of all contamination caused by the influence of the three modes of material nature
- It is very difficult to get out of the clutches of material nature. Devahuti poses the question that although one may speculate in many ways, where is liberation as long as one is under the spell of material nature
K
- Kapiladeva instructs that we should not endeavor hard for things which may come automatically, without extraneous labor
- Krsna confirms in Bhagavad-gita that the living entity is eternally His part and parcel. The part and parcel is meant to serve the whole. This is individuality. It is so even in this material existence, when the living entity apparently merges in matter
- Krsna consciousness, devotional service, is the actual liberated stage of a living entity. Otherwise, both accepting and rejecting on the material platform or in voidness or impersonalism are imperfect conditions for the pure soul
L
- Less intelligent men cannot understand the position of the eternal servant of the Lord. Because the word "servant" is used, they become confused; they cannot understand that this servitude is not the servitude of this material world
- Liberation means reinstatement in one's original position. The original position is one of rendering service to the Lord
- Lord Kapila says that mayi manasam, a devotee whose mind is always fixed upon the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is called atmarama or vidita-tattva
- Lord Kapiladeva has concluded that simply by beginning the discharge of devotional service one can attain detachment and transcendental knowledge for understanding the science of God. Here (in SB 3.27.1) the same principle is confirmed
M
- Material bondage is caused by putting oneself under the control of matter because of the false ego of lording it over material nature. Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.27) states, iccha-dvesa-samutthena. Two kinds of propensities arise in the living entity
- Material contamination can be consumed by devotional service because in devotional service these two diseases, namely the desire to lord it over material nature and the desire to become one with the Supreme Lord, are absent
- Mauna means "silence." Silence does not mean that one should not speak at all, but that he should not speak of nonsense. He should be very enthusiastic in speaking about Krsna
N
- Next item is maitra, friendliness. A devotee should be friendly to everyone, but his intimate friendship should be with devotees only. With others he should be official. He may say, "Yes, sir, what you say is all right," but he is not intimate with them
- Nihsreyasa means "the ultimate destination." Sva-samsthana indicates that the impersonalists have no particular place to stay
- Not only should he (the conditioned soul) understand these principles himself, but he should try to convince others and propagate Krsna consciousness
O
- One becomes atma-drk, or self-realized. When the false ego of identifying the body with the self is removed, actual vision of life is perceivable. The senses also become purified
- One becomes fixed in devotional service, and his faith cannot be shaken by any material allurement
- One can be liberated from all adverse circumstances simply by seriously engaging in devotional service. How this devotional service develops and becomes mature is explained here - in SB 3.27.21
- One can see the reflection of the Supreme Lord in one's own senses, mind and body - in everything. With that correct vision, one can engage everything in the service of the Lord
- One conception is in the darkness of the threefold qualities of material nature - goodness, passion and ignorance - and the other is in the pure state of goodness, called suddha-sattva or vasudeva
- One has to act in such a way that in spite of being in the material nature he is not affected by contamination. Although the lotus flower is in association with water, it does not mix with the water. That is how one has to live
- One may falsely claim that he is the Lord, but actually he is not. This is the last snare of maya's influence upon the living entity. To think oneself equal with the Supreme Lord or to think oneself to be the Supreme Lord Himself is also due to false ego
- One may take birth in a very high family or he may take his birth in higher planets, among the demigods, for his so-called pious activities in the material world. But this work is also faulty because it does not give liberation
- One may try in different ways to think that everything is void in the ultimate issue, that there is no God and that even if the background of everything is spirit, it is impersonal
- One must be firmly convinced of these three principles: one should always think that Krsna is the proprietor, Krsna is the enjoyer and Krsna is the friend
- One must hear these scriptures (Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam) repeatedly from reliable sources in order to become fixed in serious devotional service. Through engagement in such devotional service, one becomes freed from the contamination of maya
- One propensity is iccha, which means desire to lord it over material nature or to be as great as the Supreme Lord. Everyone desires to be the greatest personality in this material world
- One should associate with devotees and hear from them about the Lord's transcendental appearance, activities, disappearance, instructions, etc
- One should be freed from all other vision, and in that way he is freed from the false egoistic identification and sees himself as the eternal servitor of the Lord
- One should fast on the two Ekadasi days, which fall on the eleventh day of the waxing and waning moon, and on the birthdays of Lord Krsna, Lord Rama and Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- One should not think that he is the proprietor, benefactor, friend or enjoyer. He should always be cognizant that the real enjoyer is Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; that is the basic principle of bhakti-yoga
- One understands the Vedanta aphorism janmady asya yatah (SB 1.1.1) ("the original source of everything"), and then he can become absorbed in bhava, or the preliminary stage of love of Godhead
- One who can understand that Krsna is the proprietor of all the three worlds and that He is the friend of everyone is peaceful and independent
- One who desires material liberation has to turn his activities to devotional service. There is no alternative
- One who desires to engage all these (his vital energy, his wealth, his intelligence and his words) in the service of the Lord, no matter how he is situated, is to be considered a liberated soul, or satya-drk. Such a man has understood things as they are
- One who knows this truth (God is the enjoyer), and who tries to engage all resources in the service of the Lord, escapes all material reactions and influences of the modes of material nature
- Only in ignorance does a living entity think that he is lost. If by attainment of knowledge he comes to the real position of his eternal existence, he knows that he is not lost
- Only one who has surrendered himself unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Krsna (mam eva ye prapadyante) can be freed from the clutches of maya
- Only those who engage in devotional service with love and faith receive the necessary intelligence from the Supreme Personality of Godhead so that gradually and progressively they can advance to the abode of the Personality of Godhead
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- Real service of the Lord begins when the senses are purified. One does not have to stop the activities of the senses, but the false ego of identifying with the body has to be removed
- Renunciation in Krsna consciousness is so strong that it cannot be deviated by any attractive illusion. One has to perform devotional service in full tapasya, austerity
S
- Self-realization ultimately means to understand the Personality of Godhead and the living entities; to know the individual self and the reciprocal exchanges of loving service between the Supreme and the living entity is real self-realization
- Simply by the speculative process one cannot be freed from material bondage, for the cause still exists. One has to nullify the cause, and then the effect will be nullified
- Since a devotee engages in philosophical research to understand the Supreme Person as He is his activities may thus appear to be like those of a mental speculator, but actually he is trying to understand the spiritual nature and transcendental activities
- Since Devahuti is gradually coming to the point of surrender, her questions are very intelligent. How can one be liberated
- Since the senses are always active, their activities should be engaged in devotional service - one cannot stop their activities
- Sridhara Svami comments in this connection that by association with material nature alone one does not become conditioned. Conditional life begins only after one is infected by the modes of material nature
- Superficially, the skyscraper constructor and temple constructor are on the same level, for both are collecting wood, stone, iron and other building materials
T
- That platform (the one of the gopis) of love is the pure state of devotional service
- The best service to the people in general is to awaken them to Krsna consciousness so that they may know that the supreme enjoyer, the supreme proprietor and the supreme friend is Krsna. This illusory dream of lording it over material nature will vanish
- The cause of material existence is at once consumed by the careful discharge of devotional service in Krsna consciousness
- The conditioned soul is forced to act under the pressure of the modes of material nature. The living entity has no independence
- The conditioned soul thinks, "I am this body," but a liberated soul thinks, "I am not this body. I am spirit soul." This "I am" is called ego, or identification of the self
- The conditioned souls are eager to identify with the body and consider that the body is "myself" and that anything in relationship with the body or possessions of the body is "mine
- The devotee should not be agitated. He should be satisfied with his natural income, eat only as much as he needs to keep his health, live in a secluded place and always remain peaceful. Peace of mind is necessary for prosecuting Krsna consciousness
- The devotee, who is constructing the temple, has fixed his mind upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the nondevotee, who is constructing the skyscraper, has his mind fixed in sense gratification
- The difference between a devotee and an impersonalist is that an impersonalist tries to become one with the Supreme so that he can enjoy without impediment
- The example given by Jiva Gosvami is that a green bird that enters a green tree appears to merge in the color of greenness, but actually the bird does not lose its individuality
- The foolish conditioned soul may think that he is offering charity by opening hospitals for material benefit or by opening an educational institution for material education
- The highest example of pure devotional service is that of the gopis in Vrndavana. They are not interested in understanding Krsna, but only in loving Him
- The identification of oneself with one's material possessions in the conditional stage must be purified, and one must identify himself in relationship with the Supreme Lord
- The impersonalists sacrifice their individuality so that the living spark can merge into the impersonal effulgence emanating from the transcendental body of the Lord, but the devotee has a specific abode
- The individual soul who is perceiving this knowledge still remains an individual. Both in material existence and in spiritual existence the individuality continues; the only difference is in the quality of the identity
- The jnanis, the salvationists, who have become frustrated in enjoying the material resources, want to become one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or merge into the impersonal effulgence
- The karmis try to utilize the resources of material nature and thus become its lord and enjoy sense gratification
- The labor of speculation is ended only by exhaustion. The example is given that there is no benefit in husking the skin of an empty paddy; the rice is already gone
- The liberated soul is not affected, although he is in the material nature. Even the Supreme Personality of Godhead is supposed to be in association with material nature when He descends, but He is not affected
- The living entity acts according to the qualities or modes of material nature. He falsely thinks that he is acting, but unfortunately he is passive
- The living entity who has become satya-drk, may remain apparently merged in 2) the ten senses and the mind and intelligence, but still he is considered to be awake and to be freed from the reaction of false ego
- The living entity who has become satya-drk, who realizes his position in relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, may remain apparently merged 1) in the five elements of matter, the five material sense objects
- The living entity's conditional life of material existence is due to his desire to lord it over material nature and due to his envy of the Supreme Lord
- The materialist tries to satisfy himself in relation to his body by constructing a skyscraper, but the devotee tries to satisfy the Superself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by constructing the temple
- The Mayavadi philosophers recommend merging in the impersonal effulgence of Brahman; that is their ultimate goal, or destination. That merging is also mentioned here. But in spite of merging, one can keep his individuality
- The Mayavadi philosophers' concept of becoming one with the Supreme Lord is another symptom of being lost in false ego
- The Mayavadi philosophers' position is that at the ultimate issue the individual is lost, everything becomes one, and there is no distinction between the knower, the knowable and knowledge
- The mind has to be fixed at the eternal lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh (SB 9.4.18). One has to fix the mind at the lotus feet of Krsna; then everything will be very nice. The seriousness of bhakti-yoga is stressed
- The money is the property of the Supreme Lord, and there is no question of its being lost. But as long as one falsely thinks, "I am the enjoyer," or "I am the Lord," this concept of life continues, and one remains conditioned
- The only friend is Krsna. One should try to raise the consciousness of the conditioned soul to the platform of understanding that Krsna is his actual friend
- The perfect devotee may see many movable and immovable objects, but in everything he sees that the energy of Krsna is acting. As soon as he remembers the energy of Krsna, he immediately remembers Krsna in His personal form
- The person who constructs a skyscraper is a materialist, and the person who constructs a temple of Visnu is atmarama
- The planets rest in the sunshine, but the sunshine itself has no particular resting place. When one reaches a particular planet, then he has a resting place
- The position of self-realization, or understanding of one's real relationship with the Supreme Lord, makes one completely satisfied, and the three modes of material nature, which are the cause of all disturbances, cannot affect him
- The power of friendship is limited. Although one claims to be a friend, he cannot be a friend unlimitedly
- The practice of yoga by physical exercise is not the ultimate goal; the real end is to concentrate and to control the mind and train oneself to be situated in faithful devotional service
- The process of liberation is very nicely explained in this verse (in SB 3.27.5). The cause of one's becoming conditioned by material nature is his thinking himself the enjoyer, the proprietor or the friend of all living entities
- The real isvara or isvarah paramah, the supreme isvara, or supreme independent, is Krsna. The living entity is isvara only when engaged in the service of the Lord
- The room is dark, and the sun is far away in the sky, but the sun's reflection on the water illuminates the darkness of the room. A pure devotee can realize the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in everything by the reflection of His energy
- The senses automatically become purified, and with purified senses one can actually discharge devotional service
- The so-called national leader or humanist does not serve everyone; he serves his senses only. That is a fact. But the conditioned soul cannot understand this because he is bewildered by the spell of material nature
- The spirit soul has nothing to do with this material nature, but because of his mentality of lording it over, he is put into the position of conditional existence
- The spirit soul is the marginal potency of the Supreme Lord, and matter is the external potency of the Lord
- The spiritual sky, which is known as kaivalya, is simply blissful light on all sides, and it is under the protection of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- The state of contaminated consciousness is compared to dream consciousness, and Krsna consciousness is compared to the awakened stage of life. Actually, as stated in Bhagavad-gita, the only absolute enjoyer is Krsna
- The subtle body is made of mind, intelligence, false ego and contaminated consciousness, and the gross body is made of five elements - earth, water, fire, air and ether
- The sun is situated in the sky, far, far away from the surface of the earth, but its reflection can be seen in a pot of water in the corner of a room
- The Supreme Soul is the Personality of Godhead, and the individual soul is the living entity. When they engage in reciprocation of service and benediction, the living entity is said to be in the atmarama position
- The symptom of this Krsna consciousness is that he (the mixed devotee) is no longer interested in any sort of materially elevated life. He does not even aspire to become a personality like Lord Brahma
- The two eternal potencies have somehow or other been combined, and since it is so difficult to separate one from the other, how is it possible for the individual soul to become liberated
- The very concept that the three merge into one is another form of knowledge, and since the perceiver of the knowledge still exists, how can one say that the knower, knowledge and knowable have become one?
- The voidists say that consciousness is a product of a combination of matter and that as soon as the consciousness is gone, the material combination dissolves, and therefore there is ultimately nothing but voidness
- The word advayam, "without a second," which is used in this verse (in SB 3.27.11), indicates that although the Supreme Personality of Godhead is represented in everything, including the atoms, He is not divided. His presence in everything is explained
- The word karma-dosaih means "by faulty actions." This refers to any activity, good or bad, performed in this material world - they are all contaminated, faulty actions because of material association
- The word sva-samsthanam is also very significant. As a living entity prepares himself, so he attains his abode. The impersonal Brahman effulgence is offered to the impersonalists
- The words lingad vinirgame, which are used here (in SB 3.27.28-29), mean "after being freed from the two kinds of material bodies, subtle and gross
- The worker in devotional service, in full Krsna consciousness, is always independent of the influence of material nature
- There are an unlimited number of living entities, and our resources are limited; therefore we cannot be of any real benefit to the people in general
- There are many so-called meditators who think, "I am the Supreme Spirit Soul. I am conducting the activities of material nature. Under my direction the sun is moving and the moon is rising
- There are two kinds of sruti, or scripture. One is spoken by the Lord, and the other is spoken about the Lord and His devotees
- There are various species of living entities, but a devotee does not see the outward covering; he sees the inner soul inhabiting the body
- There is a gulf of difference between theoretical freedom and actual freedom from material bondage
- There is no necessity of changing one's prescribed duties; one simply has to act in Krsna consciousness
- These are material desires (to enjoy a comfortable life), but because a mixed devotee engages in the service of the Lord, ultimately, after many, many lives of material enjoyment, he undoubtedly develops Krsna consciousness
- These are two kinds of vision. The conditioned soul sees the flower for his own enjoyment, and the devotee sees the flower as an object to be used in the service of the Lord
- These two items, desire to be the Lord and envy of the Lord, are the beginning cause of material bondage
- They (the so-called meditators) think that by such contemplation or meditation they can become free, but it is seen that just three minutes after finishing such nonsensical meditation, they are immediately captured by the modes of material nature
- This (real self-realization) cannot be attained by the impersonalists or other transcendentalists; they cannot understand the science of devotional service. Devotional service is revealed to the pure devotee by the unlimited causeless mercy of the Lord
- This absence of consciousness is called nirvana in Mayavada philosophy
- This atmarama position can be attained by one who knows the truth as it is. The truth is that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the enjoyer and that the living entities are meant for His service and enjoyment
- This concept of being lost is due to false ego, and it continues as long as one is not awakened to the sense of his existence as an eternal servitor of the Lord
- This false sense of proprietorship can be avoided simply by engaging oneself in devotional service under the direction of the Supreme Lord or His bona fide representative
- This false thinking (thinking himself the enjoyer) is a result of contemplation on sense enjoyment
- This is all illusion, for one cannot benefit anyone by material activities. If one wishes to benefit his fellow brother, he must awaken his dormant Krsna consciousness. The Krsna conscious position is that of pratibuddha, which means pure consciousness
- This is the stage of Brahman realization, or spiritual realization. In this way one becomes fixed on the transcendental platform. Remaining fixed on the transcendental platform is liberation from material entanglement
- This position (of independence) is attained by a devotee, and he gives up the tendency for material enjoyment after seeing its faultiness
- This question (does material nature ever give release to the spirit soul?) asked by Devahuti of Kapiladeva is more or less impelled by the philosophy of voidism
- This question of Devahuti's is for such a person who falsely claims that he is everything, that ultimately everything is void, and that there are no sinful or pious activities. These are all atheistic inventions
- This serious devotional service can develop by hearing for long periods of time. Chanting and hearing is the beginning of the process of devotional service
- Those who want to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His transcendental form as Narayana in the Vaikunthas, or with Krsna in Krsnaloka, go to those abodes, wherefrom they never return
- To be the servant of the Lord is the greatest position; if one can understand this and can thus revive one's original nature of eternal servitorship, one stands fully independent
- To become Krsna conscious, one has to become transcendental to these three stages of consciousness. Our present consciousness should be freed from all perceptions of life other than consciousness of Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- To take birth in a nice place or a high family does not mean that one avoids undergoing the material tribulations, the pangs of birth, death, old age and disease
- Transcendental pleasure derived from loving service to the Lord is actual independence
U
- Unless a living entity surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead as instructed in Bhagavad-gita, there is no liberation or freedom from the clutches of maya
- Unless one is advanced to this pure state of devotional service, there is a tendency to desire elevation to a higher material position. A mixed devotee may desire to enjoy a comfortable life on another planet with a greater span of life
- Unless one's mind and consciousness are fully engaged in devotional service, there is always the opportunity for the mind to become occupied with desires for sense gratification
W
- We are advised to let these things come as predestined. We should engage our valuable time in prosecuting Krsna consciousness. In other words, one should be satisfied by his natural condition
- We can understand about the Absolute Truth by evolving transcendental knowledge, and the result of such transcendental knowledge will be manifested by renunciation. That renunciation is not temporary or artificial, but is very strong
- We perform philanthropic work, thinking that we are the friends of human society. Someone may proclaim himself to be a very good national worker, the best friend of the people and of the country, but actually he cannot be the greatest friend of everyone
- Whatever he (the devotee) earns, whatever he eats and whatever he does, he offers for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
- When a person is transcendental to these conditions, he is called a pure devotee. He does not engage himself in the service of the Lord for any material benefit or for understanding of the Supreme Lord
- When he (the living entity) is under the direction of the Personality of Godhead he is free, but when, under the impression that he is satisfying his senses, he engages in sense gratificatory activities, he is actually under the spell of material nature
- When one becomes detached from material attraction and engages fully in devotional service, that is changlessness
- When one clearly understands one's constitutional position, everything becomes manifest. False egoistic acceptance of things conditions one, whereas acceptance of things as they are makes one liberated
- When one engages fully in the activities of devotional service, bhakti-yoga, he becomes just like the sun reflected on water
- When one is actually situated in devotional service, that is his independent position
- When one is reflected through the material contamination of the body and mind in false identification, he is in the conditional state, but when he is reflected in the pure stage he is called liberated
- When one is transferred to the spiritual world, he gives up both the subtle and gross bodies of this material world. He enters the spiritual sky in his pure, spiritual body and is stationed in one of the spiritual planets
- When one knows that Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the source of everything and that everything emanates from Him - aham sarvasya prabhavah
- When one thinks that he is the best friend to his countrymen, to society or to humanity and he engages in various nationalistic, philanthropic and altruistic activities, all that is just so much concentration on sense gratification
- When the actual situation is revealed, we understand that the money does not belong to any individual person or living entity, nor is it produced by man
- When the false ego is purified, one takes everything in the right perspective. That is the state of liberation
- When we say that we give up our ego, this means that we give up our false ego, but real ego is always present
- When, contrary to the wish of Krsna, he (Arjuna) was not willing to fight, that was imperfect
- Whenever he (the devotee) speaks, he speaks about Krsna
Y
- Yadrcchaya, means that every living entity has a predestined happiness and distress in his present body; this is called the law of karma
- Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra: all activities should be performed simply for Yajna, or the satisfaction of Visnu. Anything done otherwise, without the satisfaction of Visnu, or Yajna, produces bondage
- Yama and niyama mean practicing the controlling process by following strict regulations, and asana refers to the sitting postures. These help raise one to the standard of faithfulness in devotional service
- Yoga is practiced in eight different stages: yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi
- Yogena means "by controlling the senses and mind." Yoga indriya-samyamah. Yogena implies that one is seriously absorbed in the self and is able, by development of knowledge, to understand his constitutional position in relationship with the Superself
- Yogis are generally attracted to the by-products of mystic yogic power, for they can become smaller than the smallest or greater than the greatest, achieve anything they desire, have power even to create a planet, or bring anyone under their subjection
- Yogis who have incomplete information of the result of devotional service are attracted by these powers, but these powers are material; they have nothing to do with spiritual progress