Actually that is the position. Men have forgotten their eternal relation with Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Some of them are so foolish as to think that everyone of them are so many Sri Krishnas (?) or Gods although we know that God is one, one without a second. But there is no doubt in the fact that the man, nay every living entity, is a part and parcel of the Supreme God in quality; and therefore qualitatively there is no difference between living being and God. But so far quantity of energy and potencies are concerned, there is a great ocean of difference between living being and God. Therefore, the right philosophy is that God is simultaneously one and different from the living being. Those, who therefore consider God and living beings are identical in every respect, are polluted in thought. This pollution of thought of the empiric and atheistic philosophers now prevailing practically all over the world, has caused a tremendous deterioration of human civilization as to become agnostics in dealings. Symptoms of this agnostic trend of human civilization is described in the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita and I need not describe it before you.
Simultaneously one and different (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"nondifferent and different simultaneously"
|"one and different"
|"one with and different"
|"oneness and difference"
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
In the Bhagavad-gita The Supreme Truth or the Absolute Personality of Godhead is the transcendental purusha and the two energies namely para and apara are emanations from Him. The Apara or the Inferior material energy may consist of many other elements like matter, anti-matter, proton, electron, neutron etc. in terms of physical science but according to the authority of the Bhagavad-gita—all of them are produced of the inferior energy called by the name Apara Prakrti. The Apara Prakrti consists of gross and subtle matters like mind, ego and intelligence. Spirit is transcendental to all these. The spiritual energy para Prakrti is simultaneously one and different from the spirit whole. Qualitatively they are one but quantitatively they are different. The Brahman Ray is the effulgence of the Supreme Person.
You have defined impersonal Brahman as the Divine Energy. I fully agree with you in pursuanee of its description in the Brahman Samhita, I am going to publish in the next issue an article of the name "Variety of Planetary System" in which there is reference from the Brahma Samhita.
1967 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter (Oct. 12). I've received copy of #14 BTG & it is very nice. I do not wish to disturb you in your responsibilities with BTG & you can go to London at your convenience. I am glad that you have started correspondence with Mrs. D.C. Bowtell, & that will settle matters more directly. One of our girl devotees, Srimati Annapurna devi, who is in San Francisco has also facilities to visit London because she belongs to that place. So you can open correspondence with her also.
I have already requested Brahmananda to stop Kirtanananda's speaking at any of our functions till my arrival. If he wants to preach anything he can do it on his own in a different place. Krishna is certainly one and different, but his oneness is stressed by the impersonalists which is distinct from our philosophy. Our philosophy of Krishna's oneness & difference is explained in the 9th ch, 4th verse of B.G. in which it is clearly stated that Krishna is one by distribution of his diverse energies. When Krishna controls his diverse energies he does not become impersonal. If Kirtanananda believes in one-Self, why does he stress the vibration & not the words? Why does he find difference in vibration & words? If he believes in one there is no difference between vibration & words? And why shouldn't one be attached to the chanting? All this means that he has no clear idea & he is talking nonsense. If Kirtanananda does not understand this philosophy then better he should stop speaking nonsense. I can understand his designs but I cannot help because I am far away from the place. I am leaving here with a note to Kirtanananda which you please show him & do the needful.
1968 Correspondence
I thank you very much for your nice letter, and for your inquisitiveness. You are Krishna's part and parcel. As you love your hands and legs, as you feel when your hand is in trouble, similarly Krishna feels for you when you are in trouble. The hand has value when it is attached to the body. Similarly, we have values when we are Krishna Conscious. The hand has no value detached from the whole body. Krishna is the Whole and we are His parts and parcel. Try to understand this philosophy of simultaneously one and different.
The hand and body is created all at a time. It is not that the body is created first and then the hand is created. Our relation with Krishna is like the hand and the body. Therefore, Krishna and we both are eternal, and there is no history of eternity. It has no beginning and no end. Krishna is blue because He is all attractive. The sky is blue because it reflects Krishna's blue color in the spiritual sky as much as the sunlight is reflected through skylight glasses.
I hope your questions are fully answered; if at any time you have got some questions, please write and send them to me. Thanking you once more for your nice letter.
Another example is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that Krishna begets the living entities, within the womb of material nature. The material nature is also expansion of Krishna's potency. The potency is not different from the potent. Just like the heat is not different from the fire. In other words, heat and fire is the same thing; so if we talk in that way, the material nature is the mother and Krishna is the father. But material nature being non-separable from Krishna, Krishna becomes both father and mother at the same time. The heat is fire and the fire is heat. Although you can bear the intensity of heat, but if you put into the fire, you will be burned. The heat and fire are simultaneously one and different. That is the philosophy of inconceivably one and different, expounded by Lord Caitanya. Try to understand in that way.
Regarding your question about Supersoul, we take it from Bhagavad-gita philosophy that the distinction between Supersoul and individual jiva soul must always be there. The Supersoul never will fall under the clutches of this illusory maya and the jiva soul has this tendency. So there is distinction, yet, the two, Supersoul and jiva soul are also the same as much as the sunlight and the Sun are qualitatively the same. So this is Krishna's message that we are simultaneously one and different from Krishna. When the jiva soul accepts the dictates of the Supreme consciousness Supersoul, his activities will no longer be for the sake of personal sense gratification but will be only for the purpose of gratifying the senses of Krishna. This attitude of service is the perfection of the living entity.
Please continue to try for the printing of Back To Godhead French edition. We work so that men of all languages and cultures may join us in chanting Hare Krishna and for this we need so many literatures in so many different languages. So please try for this. As you are His sincere servitor Krishna will provide you with the intelligence to do this nicely.
1969 Correspondence
As energy, they have a relationship as much as we are energies of Krishna, but the energies are working in different capacities. Although originally the energy is one, by their expansion, the accents of the energies are different, and as we are not impersonalists, this variegatedness of actions are essential for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as much as the government is one but there are multi-departments for management of the government. The education department and the criminal department are all departments of the government. The government is connected with all parts and departments, but the education activities are different from the criminal activities. This is the philosophy of inconceivably simultaneously one and different manifestations of the Absolute Truth.
I have received one nice letter from Ivan Levine, and I would like to know your opinion whether or not he should take initiation without his wife doing the same. I have no objection to initiate him alone, but will he be able to thereby follow the rules and regulations? If you recommend it, I shall initiate him. Of course, the best thing will be to initiate husband and wife together. If the wife is interested, why does she not agree to be initiated with her husband? What is the difficulty. On hearing from you in this matter, I will do the needful. Also, I understand that Mrs. Levine has not been feeling well due to her pregnancy. Please convey my request to her that she rest as much as possible and not too much exert her energies in any way. Upon hearing from you, I will inform Mr. Levine as to what is to be done.
I beg to thank you for your letter dated April 18, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Regarding your question about the relationship between the living entities and Krishna, the answer is that qualitatively we are one with Krishna: There is no qualitative difference, although the living entity has a different function than Krishna. Prakrti means nature. Just like fire; its nature is heat, and the heat is not a different quality although the function is different. In one sense, fire and heat are nondifferent. Therefore, Lord Caitanya's philosophy of inconceivably simultaneously one and different is the perfect philosophy of our relationship with the Absolute Truth. Everything is manifestation of the prakrti of the Lord, exactly like the heat and light of the fire. Heat and light are not different from the fire, but at the same time, heat and light are not the fire. In this way we have to understand the purusa and prakrti. The Lord is the purusa, or Enjoyer, and prakrti is the enjoyed.
Regarding your question about our relationship with Srimati Radharani, She is the internal energy, we are marginal energy. Marginal means sometimes internal, sometimes external. When we are under the internal energy, that is our normal life, and when we are under the external energy, that is our abnormal life. Therefore, we are called marginal energy; we can be either this way or that way. But being qualitatively one with the purusa, our tendency is to remain in the internal energy. Being in the external energy is our artificial attempt.
Regarding your question about Krishna's Name, the first principle is that Krishna is Absolute. He is not only identical with His Name, but with His Qualities, Form, Pastimes, Paraphernalia, etc. Krishna is identical with the whole creation because the creation means the expansion of Krishna's energy. The energy is never different from the source of the energy as much as heat and light are never different from the fire. The quality of fire is there existing both in heat and light. Naturally Krishna is not different from anything, and what to speak of His Transcendental Name? This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita where Krishna says that "everything is resting on Me, but I am not everything." This simultaneously one and different philosophy should be carefully understood. Then our Krishna Consciousness will be more clear.
1970 Correspondence
Because everything manifested is creation of the original transcendental Sound, therefore, factually everything is spiritual. But being covered by material cloud, we do not appreciate properly the spiritual nature of everything. The Krishna Consciousness Movement means gradually advancing towards that stage of spiritual realization. As such, the philosophy of acintya bhedabheda tattva is perfect. Everything is simultaneously one and different from the Supreme. One in quality because the original source is the Spiritual Whole, and different in quantity. This quantitative difference becomes more and more separate by increase of material consciousness.
The next question: the body of a pure devotee is all spiritual and He is not different from His body. That is also a fact. The bodies of all living entities, even though they are not pure devotees, are not actually the bodies of the spirit soul. It is always separate from the spiritual body. The Vedic mantra confirm it by the sound vibration that this spirit soul is always nonattached with the material body. Therefore, we do not see the actual spiritual body of a pure devotee; but what we see, that is matter.
So a devotee can continue his present occupation or he may change it if he likes. Krsna does not force a devotee because the devotee acts spontaneously according to the desire of the Lord; in this kind of loving service there is no question of force. Force is applied only when there is denial of Krsna. Just as the citizens of a state have freedom to follow the laws of the state, that is subordinate freedom, and the freedom of the living entities is also subordinate to Krsna. The clue is given there in the Bhagavad-gita that the living entities are fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, this means that all the qualities of Krsna are therefore present in minute quantity in each of His parts and parcels. That is simultaneously one and different philosophy—the living entities thus have free will because they are parts of Krsna and Krsna has free will, but the free will of Krsna is Supreme while the freedom of the parts and parcels is minute. So if the living entity out of love subordinates his free will to Krsna that is his liberation. He is no longer forced to act helplessly, but he acts freely rendering loving devotional service to Krsna in every way. Then we have the practical conclusion from Krsna confirmed by Him in Bhagavad-gita (18:66), "Just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore you have nothing to fear." In this way astral influences are also material and therefore they do not affect the devotee who has taken protection of Krsna's internal energy, by surrendering his life and soul in the service of the Lord.
Perhaps you know the picture of Madhvacarya, one of the great Acaryas in our line, who is holding two fingers up to indicate Krishna and jiva. The impersonalists hold up one finger because their idea is that everything is one. So if we make the Spiritual Master identical with Krishna, then we will also become impersonalists. If we say that our Spiritual Master is Krishna, then the conclusion is that if we become Spiritual Master some day, then we will also become Krishna. Please try to understand how dangerous this kind of reasoning is.
In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.
You have both been very nice devotees and I would like you both to continue to make nice advancement. So please patch up any crack that may have come between yourself and ISKCON. As husband and wife you must always remain together and raise your daughter in Krishna Consciousness. I would like you to go back to New Vrndavana and fix up a nice living place for yourselves and help to develop the New Vrndavana scheme. Our ISKCON should be taken as being a family based upon love and trust, so as the father becomes unhappy when one of his children wishes to break family connections I also become unhappy when there is difficulties within our ISKCON family. So please do not consider leaving as you are spiritual children of mine.
I am so pleased to receive your postcard dated 18th Sept., 1970. Unfortunately, I could not reply it very promptly on account of various engagements here almost twice, thrice daily besides my routine work. You will please excuse me.
I am so glad to learn that you are interested in the matter of Vaisnava philosophy. Vaisnava philosophy is very simple: that God is great and everyone is His servant. Nobody can be equal to or greater than God. They are simultaneously one and different. In quality they are one, but in magnitude they are different. This is the whole philosophy of the four Vaisnava sampradayas.
As we are now preaching Vaisnava philosophy throughout the world as a whole, your valuable service is most welcome. Most probably I am going out of station by the 5th instant and shall come back by the 20th or by the end of this month. If you kindly see me by that time it shall be very much appreciated and we can talk about this cooperation in detail.
1974 Correspondence
It is like a combination of nyaya sruti and smrti prasthans. The Bhagavad-gita supports the Vedanta Sutra brahma-sutra-padais caiva/ hetumadbhir viniscitaih (BG 13.5).
To the jiva brahma identification is one part of acintya-bheda bheda-tattva. As spirit soul or identical brahma, or jiva brahma is identical with the Supreme Brahma or the param brahma. In this sense jiva soul is avheda or non-different from the param brahma. But on account of the param brahma being the supreme, the biggest, the identical brahma or jiva brahma being very minute, it is different from the param brahma. The summary is that the simultaneous one and different jiva brahma is simultaneously one with and different from the param brahma. Because it is appreciated simultaneously which is very difficult to comprehend by the common man, this philosophy is called acintya-bheda bheda tattva, inconceivable. This is supported by the Katho Upanisad 2/5/13 nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam/ eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. This is almost similar to the visista-dvaita vada.
So far I am personally concerned, following the footsteps of my guru maharaj Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura Prabhupada, we accept the principles of all the acaryas, although officially we belong to the Madhva sampradaya. Our sampradaya is known as the Madhva Gaudiya sampradaya. We find great shelter at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanujacarya because his lotus feet are the strongest fort to combat the mayavadi philosophy.
| Page Title: | Simultaneously one and different (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 18 of Nov, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=14 |
| No. of Quotes: | 14 |