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Cosmic consciousness

Srimad-Bhagavatam

SB Canto 2

To claim to be one with the cosmic consciousness of the Lord is the last trap set by the illusory energy, or daivī māyā.
SB 2.9.33, Purport: Therefore in all ways the confidential part of spiritual knowledge is realization of the Personality of Godhead, and not His impersonal Brahman feature. One should therefore have his ultimate aim of realization not in the impersonal feature but in the personal feature of the Absolute Truth. The example of the sky within the pot and the sky outside the pot may be helpful to the student for his realization of the all-pervading quality of the cosmic consciousness of the Absolute Truth. But that does not mean that the individual part and parcel of the Lord becomes the Supreme by a false claim. It means only that the conditioned soul is a victim of the illusory energy in her last snare. To claim to be one with the cosmic consciousness of the Lord is the last trap set by the illusory energy, or daivī māyā. Even in the impersonal existence of the Lord, as it is in the material creation, one should aspire for personal realization of the Lord, and that is the meaning of paścād ahaṁ yad etac ca yo 'vaśiṣyeta so 'smy aham.
And what can the tiny ordinary man, falsely claiming to be one with the cosmic consciousness, know about his past, present and future?
SB 2.10.9, Purport: The propaganda of the identity of cosmic consciousness with the consciousness of the individual living entities is completely misleading because even such a person or individual soul as Arjuna could not remember his past deeds, although he is always with the Lord. And what can the tiny ordinary man, falsely claiming to be one with the cosmic consciousness, know about his past, present and future?

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means cosmic consciousness.
Lecture on BG 4.7-9 -- New York, July 22, 1966:

Guest: Are you referring to self-realization when you mentioned that Kṛṣṇa consciousness?

Prabhupāda: What is that?

Guest: Are you referring to self-realization, cosmic consciousness?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa consciousness means cosmic consciousness. Kṛṣṇa... When we speak of Kṛṣṇa, you don't take any personal view. Kṛṣṇa means all-attractive. So all-attraction is there in the cosmic. Cosmic consciousness is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Guest: Well, I believe that most of the westerners do not know the meaning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Prabhupāda: That we are explaining here.

Guest: You have yet to explain that it's cosmic consciousness, self-realization.

Prabhupāda: Yes. So we are explaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness here. And as you say, that most of the westerners, they do not know the meaning. So we are present here to explain the meaning. So that is our humble service. Because Kṛṣṇa and Bhagavad-gītā is very well known in the western countries, and there are so many editions and publication of Bhagavad-gītā, both in Europe and America and other parts of Asia. Kṛṣṇa is more or less well known. But actually, the science of Kṛṣṇa is not so well known. Therefore we have put up this association, International Association of Society for Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
What do you understand by "cosmic consciousness?"
Lecture on BG 4.11-18 -- Los Angeles, January 8, 1969:

Guest: Could you explain the picture?

Prabhupāda: This is Kṛṣṇa's picture. Yes.

Guest: I practice transcendental meditation myself and some of the concepts (indistinct) as far as levels of consciousness (indistinct) use the word cosmic consciousness and God consciousness and I was wondering how Kṛṣṇa consciousness would relate to this cosmic consciousness.

Prabhupāda: What do you understand by "cosmic consciousness?"

Guest: Transcendental consciousness simultaneous...

Prabhupāda: Just explain, just try to explain what do you mean by "cosmic consciousness."

Guest: Being in a transcendental state simultaneously with the waking, dreaming, and deep sleep states, the relative states (indistinct) and having the transcendental state also. Being...

Conversations and Morning Walks

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

In our Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement we also believe in individual consciousness and cosmic consciousness.
Room Conversation with Rosicrucians -- August 13, 1973, Paris:

Prabhupāda: What is that Rosicrucian?

Yogeśvara: It is a very big religious movement all around the world. (Yogeśvara speaks in French with Mr. Belfiore and then translates for Śrīla Prabhupāda throughout) He says our movement is very well known in the United States. Have you never come across our society?

Prabhupāda: What is the aim of this movement?

Yogeśvara: The evolution of man.

Prabhupāda: Evolution of man. So man is going to evolve more? What is that ultimate evolution?

Yogeśvara: To a reintegration of man with the cosmos or cosmic consciousness.

Prabhupāda: Cosmic consciousness. We also believe individual consciousness and cosmic consciousness. We are now studying this subject matter in our class. Kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. So kṣetra-jña, the knower... The individual soul is also knower, conscious, and the Supersoul, God, is also conscious. So we also admit, universal consciousness, that is God's consciousness. [break]... consciousness is limited.

Yogeśvara: [break] ...is studying the same thing.
Page Title:Cosmic consciousness
Compiler:Laksmipriya, ChrisF
Created:05 of Dec, 2008
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=2, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=2, Con=1, Let=0
No. of Quotes:5