Category:Teachings of Lord Caitanya 1975 Chapter 03 - Teachings to Sanatana Gosvami
Pages in category "Teachings of Lord Caitanya 1975 Chapter 03 - Teachings to Sanatana Gosvami"
The following 57 pages are in this category, out of 57 total.
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- Although Sanatana Goswami was known by the masses of people as a greatly learned man (and actually he was a highly learned Sanskrit scholar), and although he accepted this designation, he did not actually know what his constitutional position really was
- Although the living entity is constitutionally conversant with spiritual energy, or has the potency to understand spiritual energy, he is covered by the material energy and consequently identifies the body with the self
- Approaching a spiritual master is not just a fashion but is a necessity for one who is seriously conscious of the material miseries and who wants to be free of them. It is the duty of such a person to approach a spiritual master
- As far as the adhidaivika miseries are concerned, these are natural disasters that originate with the demigods of the higher planets. For instance, we sometimes suffer from severe cold or hot weather, thunderbolt, earthquakes and many natural disasters
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- In Bhagavad-gita we are informed that the constitutional nature of the individual entity is spirit soul. He is not matter. As spirit soul, he is part and parcel of the supreme soul, the Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead
- In proportion to the different degrees of passion and ignorance, he (the living entity) suffers material miseries
- In the Narada-bhakti-sutra it is said that one who is very serious about developing Krsna consciousness has his desire to understand Krsna fulfilled very soon by the grace of the Lord
- It is accepted by great devotees that Lord Caitanya is Krsna Himself, and from this point of view He begins His instruction to Sanatana from the point where He ended His instructions to Arjuna in Bhagavad-gita
- It is stated in Bhagavad-gita that the superior energy is covered by the inferior energy. Due to this covering, the living entity is subjected to the miseries of the material world
- It is the duty of a disciple approaching a spiritual master to inquire about his constitutional position. In conformity to that spiritual process, Sanatana has already asked, "What am I, and why am I suffering from the threefold miseries?"
- It is the duty of the spirit soul to surrender, for only then can he be happy. The last instruction of Bhagavad-gita is that the spirit soul surrender completely unto the supreme soul, Krsna, and in that way realize happiness
- It is to be understood that the living entity is part and parcel of the spiritual energy of the Supreme Lord. Because the material energy is inferior, man has the ability to get uncovered from this material energy and utilize the spiritual energy
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- Lord Caitanya does not give the information about the spirit soul that is already described in Bhagavad-gita. Rather, He begins from the point where Krsna ended His instruction
- Lord Caitanya quoted from Visnu Purana (1.3.2) to the effect that all inconceivable energies reside in the Supreme Personality of the Lord and that the whole cosmic manifestation acts due to the Lord's inconceivable energy
- Lord Caitanya, answering the questions of Sanatana, repeats the same truth (the instructions of Bhagavad-gita). There is a difference, however
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- Sanatana fell at the feet of the Lord and with great humility asked about his own real identity. "I am born of a lower family," Sanatana said
- Sanatana further inquired Lord Caitanya, "I do not know how to question You about the advancement of spiritual life, but I beg that You kindly, mercifully, let me know everything that I need know"
- Sanatana further inquired, "Who am I? Why are the threefold miseries always giving me trouble? And finally, tell me how I can be relieved from this material entanglement?"
- Sanatana Goswami did not actually know what his constitutional position really was and just why he was subjected to the threefold miseries
- Sanatana said to Lord Caitanya: Although I am what is known in the world as a great learned man, I am in fact so much of a fool that I myself even think that I am learned
- Sanatana said to Lord Caitanya: You have accepted me as Your servant, and You have delivered me from the entanglement of material life. Now please tell me what my duty is in this liberated state
- Sanatana said: My associations are all abominable, and I am fallen, the most wretched of mankind. I was suffering in the dark well of material enjoyment, and I never knew the actual goal of my life. Indeed, I do not even know what is beneficial for me
- Sanatana's inquiry was therefore an intelligent one. "What is the position of the living entities?" he asked. "Why are they always undergoing these three kinds of miseries?" Sanatana had admitted his weakness
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- The conditioned life of the living entity is due to forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord in the superior energy. When that relationship is forgotten, conditioned life is the result
- The cosmic manifestation, which is made of material elements, has no power to act unless it is moved by the superior energy, the living entity
- The energy of the Supreme Lord is transcendental and spiritual, and the living entities are part and parcel of that energy
- The living entity is covered by the material energy and consequently identifies the body with the self. This false identification is called "false ego"
- The living entity is just like a molecular particle of sunshine, whereas Krsna may be compared to the blazing, shining sun itself. Lord Caitanya compared the living entities to blazing sparks from a fire & the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire of the sun
- The Lord (Caitanya) cites a verse from Visnu Purana (1.22.52): As fire emanating from one place diffuses its illumination and heat all around, so the Lord, although situated in one place in the spiritual world, manifests His different energies everywhere
- The Lord (Caitanya) cites a verse from Visnu Purana (1.22.52): Everything that is manifested within this cosmic world is but the energy of the Supreme Lord
- The Lord (Caitanya) cites a verse from Visnu Purana (1.22.52): The whole cosmic creation is composed of different manifestations of His (God's) energy
- The Lord Caitanya told Sanatana: Because you are spirit, you are not different from Krsna, and because you are only a minute particle of Krsna, you are different from Him
- The Lord Caitanya told Sanatana: Since you are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, your position is marginal. Belonging to the marginal potency of Krsna, you are simultaneously one with and different from Krsna
- The Lord Caitanya told Sanatana: Your identity is that of eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Krsna. Your position is that you're transcendental. The superior energy of Krsna is spiritual in constitution, and the inferior external energy is material
- The Lord pointed out that because Sanatana was in Krsna consciousness, he was naturally, by the grace of Krsna, already conversant with everything
- The Lord said that the living entities are known as ksetrajna, or "knowers of the field of activities." In the Thirteenth Chapter of BG, the body is described as the field of activities, and the living entity as ksetrajna, the knower of that field
- The Lord was pleased by Sanatana's submissive behavior, and He replied, "You have already received benediction from Lord Krsna, and therefore you know everything and are free from all the miseries of material existence"
- The simultaneous oneness and difference always exists in the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. From the marginal position of the living entities, this conception of "simultaneously one and different" can be understood
- The superior energy, however, is the real identity of the living being, and it is because of that energy that the whole material world functions
- The threefold miseries are called adhyatmika, adhibhautika, & adhidaivika. The word adhyatmika refers to those miseries caused by mind & body. Sometimes the living entity suffers bodily, & sometimes he is distressed mentally. Both are adhyatmika miseries
- There are many insignificant living entities, like cockroaches, that sometimes give us pain, and there are also other living entities who are born on different kinds of planets and who give us (adhibhautika) miseries
- There is another energy, however, called material energy, which is covered by the cloud of ignorance. This energy, which is material nature, is divided into three modes, or gunas - goodness, passion and ignorance
- This is the process of accepting a spiritual master. One should approach a spiritual master, humbly submit to him and then inquire from him about one's spiritual progress
- Those who are a little enlightened suffer less, but on the whole everyone is subjected to material miseries due to being covered by the material energy
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- We are always suffering from either one or a combination of these three kinds of miseries - adhyatmika, adhibhautika, and adhidaivika
- We can understand that liberation is not the final word in perfection. There must be activities in liberation. Sanatana clearly says, "You (Lord Caitanya) have saved me from the material existence. Now, after liberation, what is my duty?"
- We experience these (adhyatmika) miseries even in the womb of our mother. As we well know, there are many types of miseries that take advantage of the delicate human body and give us pain
- When Arjuna was perplexed by so many problems involving whether to fight or not, he accepted Lord Krsna as his spiritual master. It was also a case of the supreme spiritual master instructing Arjuna about the constitutional position of the living entity
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- "You are a suitable person to protect the devotional service of the Lord," Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued (saying Sanatana Gosvami). "Therefore it is My duty to instruct you in the science of God, and I will explain everything to you step by step"
- "Your constitutional position is that you are pure living soul," the Lord told Sanatana. "This material body cannot be identified with your real self; nor is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor false ego"