Go to Vanipedia | Go to Vanisource | Go to Vanimedia


Vaniquotes - the compiled essence of Vedic knowledge


Eka, the sun is one, but the sunshine means combination of many small atomic particles. Similarly, God is one, and we, part and parcel of God, we are many. Try to understand this. This is authoritative statement

Expressions researched:
"eka, the sun is one, but the sunshine means combination of many small atomic particles. Similarly, God is one, and we, part and parcel of God, we are many. Try to understand this. This is authoritative statement"

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Just like the sun and the sunshine. What is the difference? The difference is . . . you see the sun globe. That is also number one. And what is the sunshine? The sunshine is a combination of very, very small, atomic, bright particles, the sunshine. Molecules. In the science they are called molecules. But there are many millions of small atomic parts combined together—that appears to be sunshine. So eka, the sun is one, but the sunshine means combination of many small atomic particles. Similarly, God is one, and we, part and parcel of God, we are many. Try to understand this. This is authoritative statement. So quality, the sun and the small atomic molecule, particle, both of them are bright shining. But the sun as it is and the small particle, they are not equal. Equal in quality, not in quantity.

Prabhupāda: In the Vedas the description is there about God and ourselves: nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.2.13). What is God? God means He is the chief, nitya, chief. Nitya means eternal. Nityānām. There are millions and millions, unlimited. Nityānām, this is plural number. That we are, living entity. We are also nitya. We are also eternal, and God is also eternal, but He is the chief eternal. Nityo nityānāṁ cetanaś cetanānām. He is also living entity, we are also living entities, but He is the chief living entity. What is the difference between the chief and ourselves? Now, the difference is, eko yo bahūnāṁ vidadhāti kāmān. There are two chiefs, two eternal . . . one is . . . two eternal and two . . . cetana means living being, two living quality. So the singular number is maintaining the plural numbers. Eko yo bahūnām.

We, we living entities, we are plural number, many. Jīva-bhāgaḥ sa vijñeyaḥ sa anantyāya kalpate. Jīva . . . just like the sun and the sunshine. What is the difference? The difference is . . . you see the sun globe. That is also number one. And what is the sunshine? The sunshine is a combination of very, very small, atomic, bright particles, the sunshine. Molecules. In the science they are called molecules. But there are many millions of small atomic parts combined together—that appears to be sunshine. So eka, the sun is one, but the sunshine means combination of many small atomic particles. Similarly, God is one, and we, part and parcel of God, we are many. Try to understand this. This is authoritative statement. So quality, the sun and the small atomic molecule, particle, both of them are bright shining. But the sun as it is and the small particle, they are not equal. Equal in quality, not in quantity.

This is perfect understanding of philosophy. This is called acintya-bhedābheda-tattva, inconceivably one and different simultaneously. We are one with God in quality, but we are different in quantity. This is the understanding. Because we are particle of God, we have got all the qualities. Not all the qualities. They have calculated, big, big saintly persons, we have got seventy-eight percent of the qualities of God in very minute quantity. Say God is cent percent, hundred. So we are, when we are perfect, means without any material contamination, then we possess . . . we have already; it is now covered. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman," that's a fact, but it is now covered. When it is covered it is called jīva. Jīva-bhūtaḥ. When it is cleansed, then it is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. Brahma, brahma-bhūtaḥ. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā:

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
(BG 18.54)

We are now jīva-bhūtaḥ. Jīva-bhūtaḥ means we are the same eternal living entities, pure, but somehow or other we have come in contact with this material nature.

(children making sounds) (aside) You have to stop that. The child's disturbing.

Harikeśa: Take them outside.

Prabhupāda: This is called brahma-bhūtaḥ. We are now covered by the material energy. Just like we are covered now by the shirt and coat differently, but if we open our shirt and coat, we are human being—similarly, we are part and parcel of God. Now we are covered by this material body, subtle and gross. Subtle material body is mind, intelligence and ego, and gross material body means five elements: earth, water, air, fire, ether. So this is our situation.

Page Title:Eka, the sun is one, but the sunshine means combination of many small atomic particles. Similarly, God is one, and we, part and parcel of God, we are many. Try to understand this. This is authoritative statement
Compiler:Soham
Created:2023-02-14, 11:46:30
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1