The Supreme Lord is cognizant and all-powerful, and by His causeless mercy He empowers a living entity to receive His mercy. Being under the spell of conditional life, people in general are averse to rendering devotional service and practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In fact, most people are unaware of the principal teachings of Kṛṣṇa consciousness regarding one's eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the ultimate goal of life, which is to return home, back to Godhead. Nor are people aware of the process by which one can return to the spiritual world. Because these important subject matters are unknown to the conditioned soul, Lord Caitanya, out of His causeless mercy, instructed Rūpa Gosvāmī in the principles of devotional service. Later, for the good of the people in general, Rūpa Gosvāmī distributed this information of the science of devotional service.
Returns to the kingdom of God
Expressions researched:
"back to the kingdom"
|"back to the spiritual sky"
|"back to the spiritual world"
|"return to the kingdom of God"
|"return to the spiritual world"
|"returns to the kingdom of God"
|"returns to the spiritual world"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The Lord's descent from His transcendental abode is already explained in the 6th verse. One who can understand the truth of the appearance of the Personality of Godhead is already liberated from material bondage, and therefore he returns to the kingdom of God immediately after quitting this present material body. Such liberation of the living entity from material bondage is not at all easy. The impersonalists and the yogīs attain liberation only after much trouble and many, many births. Even then, the liberation they achieve—merging into the impersonal brahmajyoti of the Lord—is only partial, and there is the risk of returning to this material world. But the devotee, simply by understanding the transcendental nature of the body and activities of the Lord, attains the abode of the Lord after ending this body and does not run the risk of returning to this material world.
BG Chapters 7 - 12
Bhava, birth, should be understood to refer to the body. As far as the soul is concerned, there is neither birth nor death; that we have discussed in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā. Birth and death apply to one's embodiment in the material world. Fear is due to worrying about the future. A person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no fear because by his activities he is sure to go back to the spiritual sky, back home, back to Godhead. Therefore his future is very bright. Others, however, do not know what their future holds; they have no knowledge of what the next life holds. So they are therefore in constant anxiety. If we want to get free from anxiety, then the best course is to understand Kṛṣṇa and be situated always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In that way we will be free from all fear. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.2.37) it is stated, bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syāt: fear is caused by our absorption in the illusory energy. But those who are free from the illusory energy, those who are confident that they are not the material body, that they are spiritual parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and who are therefore engaged in the transcendental service of the Supreme Godhead, have nothing to fear. Their future is very bright. This fear is a condition of persons who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Abhayam, fearlessness, is possible only for one in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa was not that type of incarnation. He was actually the Personality of Godhead from the very beginning of His appearance. He appeared before His so-called mother as four-armed Viṣṇu. Then, at the request of the mother, He became like a human child and at once left her for another devotee at Gokula, where He was accepted as the son of Nanda Mahārāja and Yaśodā Mātā. Similarly, Śrī Baladeva, the counterpart of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, was also considered a human child born of another wife of Śrī Vasudeva. In Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord says that His birth and deeds are transcendental and that anyone who is so fortunate as to know the transcendental nature of His birth and deeds will at once become liberated and eligible to return to the kingdom of God. So knowledge of the transcendental nature of the birth and deeds of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is sufficient for liberation. In the Bhāgavatam, the transcendental nature of the Lord is described in nine cantos, and in the Tenth Canto His specific pastimes are taken up. All this becomes known as one's reading of this literature progresses.
He was not selfishly interested. Selfishness is either self-centered or self-extended. He was neither. His interest was to please the Supreme Truth, Personality of Godhead. The king is the representative of the Supreme Lord, and therefore the king's interest must be identical with that of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord wants all living beings to be obedient to Him and thereby become happy. Therefore the king's interest is to guide all subjects back to the kingdom of God. Hence the activities of the citizens should be so coordinated that they can at the end go back home, back to Godhead. Under the administration of a representative king, the kingdom is full of opulence. At that time, human beings need not eat animals. There are ample food grains, milk, fruit and vegetables so that the human beings as well as the animals can eat sumptuously and to their heart's content. If all living beings are satisfied with food and shelter and obey the prescribed rules, there cannot be any disturbance between one living being and another. Emperor Parīkṣit was a worthy king, and therefore all were happy during his reign.
This kriyā-yoga or karma-yoga, as recommended by Śrī Nārada to Vyāsa, is specifically recommended because the principle is to satisfy the Lord. The Lord does not want His sons, the living beings, to suffer the threefold miseries of life. He desires that all of them come to Him and live with Him, but going back to Godhead means that one must purify himself from material infections. When work is performed, therefore, to satisfy the Lord, the performer becomes gradually purified from the material affection. This purification means attainment of spiritual knowledge. Therefore knowledge is dependent on karma, or work, done on behalf of the Lord. Other knowledge, being devoid of bhakti-yoga or satisfaction of the Lord, cannot lead one back to the kingdom of God, which means that it cannot even offer salvation, as already explained in connection with the stanza naiṣkarmyam apy acyuta-bhāva-varjitam (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.12). The conclusion is that a devotee engaged in the unalloyed service of the Lord, specifically in hearing and chanting of His transcendental glories, becomes simultaneously spiritually enlightened by the divine grace, as confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā.
A Vaiṣṇava is not puffed up, although the Lord guarantees His pure devotee entrance into His abode. Here Bhīṣmadeva says, "as long as I do not quit this body." This means that the great General would quit the body by his own will; he was not being forced by the laws of nature. He was so powerful that he could stay in his body as long as he desired. He got this benediction from his father. He desired that the Lord stay before him in His four-handed Nārāyaṇa feature so that he might concentrate upon Him and thus be in trance in that meditation. Then his mind might be sanctified with thinking of the Lord. Thus he did not mind wherever he might go. A pure devotee is never very anxious to go back to the kingdom of God. He entirely depends on the good will of the Lord. He is equally satisfied even if the Lord desires him to go to hell. The only desire that a pure devotee entertains is that he may always be in rapt attention with thinking of the lotus feet of the Lord, regardless. Bhīṣmadeva wanted this much only: that his mind be absorbed in thinking of the Lord and that he pass away thus. That is the highest ambition of a pure devotee.
SB Canto 2
The preliminary instruction in the Bhagavad-gītā is that one should know that the identity of the individual living entity is not lost even after the end of this present body, which is nothing but an outward dress only. As one changes an old garment, so the individual living being also changes his body, and this change of body is called death. Death is therefore a process of changing the body at the end of the duration of the present life. An intelligent person must be prepared for this and must try to have the best type of body in the next life. The best type of body is a spiritual body, which is obtained by those who go back to the kingdom of God or enter the realm of Brahman. In the second chapter of this canto, this matter will be broadly discussed, but as far as the change of body is concerned, one must prepare now for the next life. Foolish people attach more importance to the present temporary life, and thus the foolish leaders make appeals to the body and the bodily relations. The bodily relations extend not only to this body but also to the family members, wife, children, society, country and so many other things which end at the end of life.
SB Canto 3
Persons whose austerity is meager can hardly obtain the service of the pure devotees who are progressing on the path back to the kingdom of Godhead, the Vaikuṇṭhas. Pure devotees engage one hundred percent in glorifying the Supreme Lord, who is the Lord of the demigods and the controller of all living entities.
The path of liberation, as recommended by all authorities, is to serve the mahātmā transcendentalists. As far as Bhagavad-gītā is concerned, the mahātmās are the pure devotees who are on the path to Vaikuṇṭha, the kingdom of God, and who always chant and hear the glories of the Lord rather than talk of dry, profitless philosophy. This system of association has been recommended since time immemorial, but in this age of quarrel and hypocrisy it is especially recommended by Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Even if one has no assets of favorable austerity, if he nevertheless takes shelter of the mahātmās, who are engaged in chanting and hearing the glories of the Lord, he is sure to make progress on the path back home, back to Godhead.
SB Canto 6
Bhagavad-gītā (16.7) says, pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsurāḥ: demons, who are less than human beings but are not called animals, do not know the meaning of pravṛtti and nivṛtti, work to be done and work not to be done. In the material world, every living entity has a desire to lord it over the material world as much as possible. This is called pravṛtti-mārga. All the śāstras, however, advise nivṛtti-mārga, or release from the materialistic way of life. Apart from the śāstras of the Vedic civilization, which is the oldest of the world, other śāstras agree on this point. For example, in the Buddhist śāstras Lord Buddha advises that one achieve nirvāṇa by giving up the materialistic way of life. In the Bible, which is also śāstra, one will find the same advice: one should cease materialistic life and return to the kingdom of God. In any śāstra one may examine, especially the Vedic śāstra, the same advice is given: one should give up his materialistic life and return to his original, spiritual life. Śaṅkarācārya also propounds the same conclusion. Brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: this material world or materialistic life is simply illusion, and therefore one should stop his illusory activities and come to the platform of Brahman.
SB Canto 7
The mind is always agitated by acceptance and rejection, which are compared to mental waves that are constantly tossing. The living entity is floating in the waves of material existence because of his forgetfulness. Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has therefore sung in his Gītāvalī: miche māyāra vaśe, yāccha bhese', khāccha hābuḍubu, bhāi. "My dear mind, under the influence of māyā you are being carried away by the waves of rejection and acceptance. Simply take shelter of Kṛṣṇa." Jīva kṛṣṇa-dāsa, ei viśvāsa, karle ta' āra duḥkha nāi: if we simply regard the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa as our ultimate shelter, we shall be saved from all these waves of māyā, which are variously exhibited as mental and sensual activities and the agitation of rejection and acceptance. Kṛṣṇa instructs in Bhagavad-gītā (18.66):
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
"Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." Therefore if we simply place ourselves at the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa by taking to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and keeping always in touch with Him by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, we need not take much trouble in arranging to return to the spiritual world. By the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, this is very easy.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
“(Addressing Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu (the Mahāpuruṣa) said:) "I wanted to see both of you, and therefore I have brought the sons of the brāhmaṇa here. Both of you have appeared in the material world to reestablish religious principles, and you have both appeared here with all your potencies. After killing all the demons, please quickly return to the spiritual world."
This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.89.58) concerning Kṛṣṇa's endeavor to take Arjuna beyond the material universe when Arjuna was searching for the sons of a brāhmaṇa.
Lord Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is situated beyond this material world, was also attracted by the bodily features of Kṛṣṇa. Mahā-Viṣṇu had actually stolen the sons of the brāhmaṇa in Dvārakā so that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna would come visit Him. This verse is quoted to show that Kṛṣṇa is so attractive that He attracts Mahā-Viṣṇu.
""Those whose austerity is meager can hardly obtain the service of the pure devotees progressing on the path back to the kingdom of Godhead, the Vaikuṇṭhas. Pure devotees engage one hundred percent in glorifying the Supreme Lord, who is the Lord of the demigods and the controller of all living entities.""
This verse is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (3.7.20). It was spoken by Vidura in his conversation with Maitreya Ṛṣi, a great devotee of the Lord.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Light of the Bhagavata
In the same way, one cannot achieve the desired results of one's penances until one attains freedom from the present body. There are various ways to practice the various kinds of yoga to attain various results in various spheres of life. It is not that everything is the same. There are varieties of life, varieties of planets, and varieties of success in spiritual realization. And all these can be achieved only when we have finished the Cāturmāsya-like period of life. It is a foolish imagination, therefore, that we can go to other planets in the present body. If we want to go to Devaloka, the planets of the demigods, we must achieve the required qualifications, and the same is true if we want to go back to the kingdom of God. If we want to remain on this planet in some better condition of life, that also will depend on the required achievements. In any case, those achievements can be fulfilled just after one leaves the body.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
All these designations, so long we'll have attachment for all these designations... Because after all these designations belong to the body, and we are not this body. This is the first conception of spiritual realization. So one has no attraction for designation. And jita-saṅga-doṣā, saṅga-doṣā. Now we are associated with the three modes of material qualities, and if we become detached by devotional service of the Lord... So long we are not attracted by devotional service of the Lord, we cannot be detached from the three modes of material nature. Therefore the Lord says, vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ, these designations or these attachments are due to our lust, desire. We want to lord it over the material nature. So, so long we do not give up this propensity of lording it over the material nature, up to that time there is no possibility of going back to the kingdom of the Supreme, the sanātana-dhāma. Dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair gacchanty amūḍhāḥ, amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat (BG 15.5). That eternal kingdom, which is never destructible like this material world, can be approached by amūḍhāḥ. Amūḍhāḥ means nonbewildered, one who is not bewildered by the attraction of this false enjoyment. And one is situated in the supreme service of the Lord, he is the right person to approach that eternal kingdom.
"Whenever there is any flaw in the standard process of religiosity, at that time I take My incarnation and I come on this earth." So this is a fact. This is a fact. The whole material nature is working under the superintendence of the Supreme Lord. Now, whenever there is any discrepancy, just to rectify, sometimes punishment is given or sometimes the Lord comes Himself, or sometimes He sends His representative, or sometimes He leaves some books of knowledge. In this way the whole process from God's side is to put ourself always on the right path. That is the process going on. Now, just like in your Christian religion. Lord Jesus Christ, he claimed himself that he is coming from God as son of God to reclaim to back to Godhead, back to home. That is the mission. Every, every reformer or every great religious leader or God Himself, He comes on this earth to reclaim these conditioned soul to back to Godhead, back to the kingdom of Godhead. That is the whole idea of incarnation. Now, at the present moment... Not at the present moment. Practically always, the people, by material contact they forget their relation, their relationship with the Supreme Lord, their constitutional position.
Naturally fallen from higher to lower. Then you make progress, again come to this human being. This is a via media with good consciousness. If you utilize your good consciousness then you go still higher, you go to God. But if you don't use your higher consciousness then again go to down. This is going on, cycle of birth and death. This human form of life is meant for self-realization, God realization. If you don't use properly our this life for God consciousness or Kṛṣṇa consciousness and go back to the kingdom of God, then we have to suffer again in the 8,400,000 species of life cycle, one after another. That is our choice.
So the best choice is to take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness or God consciousness and your life is perfect. Don't be misguided. Take to God consciousness, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and your life... Then it will be proper use of this human form of life. Otherwise, if we indulge in meat-eating like tiger, I may get life like a tiger next life, but where is the use?
Our life has become without any purpose. We do not understand why this human life we have got, why it is distinct from the dogs' life or the hogs' life or the animal life. We do not understand that. We have to understand that this human life is not meant for the animal propensities of life like cats and dog; it is meant for some other divine purpose. We have to get rid of this material encagement and attain our spiritual life and be happy forever. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). One has to return back to the kingdom of God. That is the mission of human life.
So one who does not know this mission of human life. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, he is living uselessly. His purpose of life, he has no. Just like a ship without a rudder, a man without aim, you have no aim or purpose of life. This is the purpose of life. So we have to perform yajña. So those who are engaged in activities, by the result of his activities...
Just like Lord Kṛṣṇa says here, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9), that anyone who understands Kṛṣṇa's appearance, disappearance and activities, all these transcendental things, he goes back to the kingdom of Godhead after leaving this body. Now this fact should be clearly understood. So I am trying to make you understand it clearly, how it can be possible. This is possible in this way, that you have to think of Kṛṣṇa always, "How is that that Kṛṣṇa appears in His transcendental body and how He disappears?" So everything, scrutinizingly we have to understand.
In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā (BG 4.34). One has to learn all these things from the person who is in the knowledge of these things. It is not that simply by purchasing one Bhagavad-gītā we understand everything. No. Tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā. You have to approach a person who is in the knowledge of the thing. Without this, you cannot understand. It is recommended; it is essential.
And Kṛṣṇa is Parambrahman. Parambrahman. You'll find in the Tenth Chapter. He is addressed by Arjuna, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān: (BG 10.12) "By studying Bhagavad-gītā I now understand that Kṛṣṇa, You are Parambrahman." Paraṁ dhāma: "You are the shelter of everyone." So He is Parambrahman. So anyone who becomes a brāhmaṇa, he first of all knows what is Brahman—brahma-jijñāsā—the Supreme, the Absolute Truth. And the Absolute... One who knows Absolute Truth and enters into further, postgraduate study, he understands Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa, then his next life in the spiritual world is guaranteed.
So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the simple process introduced by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya also supported this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, that anyone is eligible for going back to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This simple process. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have discussed that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, we become eligible for entering into His kingdom, simply by knowing. So try to know. Try to study what is Kṛṣṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in another chapter, Twelfth Canto, it is said, kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan. These instructions were given by Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit. So he addressed the king, "My dear king, in this age the faults are like the ocean," kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan. Doṣa-nidhe. Nidhi means ocean. "There are so many faults in this age that it can be accepted as the ocean of faults." Kaler doṣa-nidhe rājan asti hy eko mahān guṇaḥ. "There is one great opportunity. Although it is full of faulty things, still there is one hope. That hope is," kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ paraṁ vrajet (SB 12.3.51), "if one simply chants the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, then gradually he becomes purified from the contamination of this age." Kīrtanād eva kṛṣṇasya mukta-saṅgaḥ: "He becomes free from the contamination of this age." It is just like vaccine. In contagious disease, there is vaccine, cholera. So this mantra, mahā-mantra, this is not ordinary sound. This is spiritual. So by chanting this mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—one becomes free from the contamination of this age. And not only he becomes free from the contamination of this age, but paraṁ vrajet, he goes back to the spiritual world.
Pradyumna: "Therefore he returns to the kingdom of God immediately after quitting this present material body..."
Prabhupāda: Yes, immediately after giving up this body. The example is given in the śāstras that if, when you walk... Just like the steps, like this. So this step is secure, the another step, when you feel it is secure, then you get up, get up this step. This is our practical experience. Similarly, unless our next birth is fixed up, we do not leave this body. At the time of death, by superior authority, what body I'm going to take next, that has to be decided. Then, when it is decided, if he takes little... Because that is for the most sinful person. And for the devotee, it is already decided. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9)— immediately transferred to the spiritual world. Immediately. There is no question of decision; it is already decided. Kṛṣṇa's decision. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti (BG 4.9). Therefore it is said, "A devotee..." Jīvo vā māro vā: "A devotee, either you live or die, the same thing." Why? "You are living, you are serving Kṛṣṇa. When you die, you go to serve Kṛṣṇa. That's all." Jīvo vā māro vā. Therefore they are called jīvan-mukta. The same thing which he will do after death, he's doing the same thing here. Therefore he is jīvan-mukta, liberated even in this material existence.
It will be simply pandemonium. You see? So that is going on. Everyone is manufacturing a type of religion, meditation, without any reference to the authorized books. Śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi (Brs. 1.2.101). Therefore, people are becoming atheists, no religion, no principles, and the whole world is in chaos due to this. So Rūpa Gosvāmī has forbidden. And in Bhagavad-gītā also it is said, yaḥ śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya vartate kāma-kārataḥ: (BG 16.23) "Anyone who does not give respect to the authorized śāstras, but he lives whimsically, according to his own way," na sa siddhim avāpnoti, "Such kind of discovering new path of religious system, new path of this or that, he never gets perfection," na sa siddhim avāpnoti, na sukham, "neither happiness." Na parāṁ gatim. Because our whole aim is how to get out of this material encagement and go back to the spiritual world, go back to home. That is the aim. That is called parāṁ gatim. Parā means transcendental; gati means aim of life. Parāṁ gatim.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: This is not suicide. This is... Our life is continuation, but on account of impure understanding we are getting different types of body and you are suffering different varieties of miseries. So this suicidal, this is not suicidal, that voluntarily accepting death, so that by dying, if he thinks of the spiritual life, he gets it. Just like Kulaśekhara, he has got a poetry that... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is stated, yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajanty ante: (BG 8.6) we get next life according to the desire at the point of death. So generally, when death takes place, one sometimes remains in coma, all the bodily functions becomes defunct, he dreams in different ways and so on, so on. So he cannot dream or think independently. Therefore sometimes the intelligent class, they think that "If I meet death in sound health, then I can think of my next life, go back to home, back to Godhead, and I achieve it. Because at the time of death my thinking will be taken into consideration. So if by thinking of Jagannātha if I die, then I go back to Jagannātha."
Hayagrīva: Yes.
Prabhupāda: That is not suicide. That is voluntarily accepting death so that immediately he can return back to the spiritual world.
Prabhupāda: Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. That is the Vedic injunction, that people are searching after knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, knowledge, so when one understands the Absolute Truth, then he understands everything. Yasmin vijñāte sarvam evaṁ vijñātaṁ bhavanti. And Bhāgavata says, na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇum: (SB 7.5.31) "They are trying to approach the objective, but they do not know the objective is Viṣṇu." Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ: "They are simply trying to adjust by so many revolutions, these material things." But he has no knowledge that he is spiritual being. Unless he goes back to the spiritual world and associates with the supreme spirit, God, there is no question of happiness. Exactly, if you have taken a fish from the water, there is no question of happiness of this fish unless it is again thrown into the water. So we have come... We are part and parcel of the supreme spirit. We have come from the spiritual world with the mentality of enjoying this material world. So unless we divert, reverse ourself to that spiritual conclusion, we understand our spiritual position and go back to home, we go to back... Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramam (BG 15.6). When you come to this position, that is happiness.
Prabhupāda: No. Without your... This is the thing, you have to gain by your own endeavor. Other things naturally come in. Tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovidaḥ. Therefore śāstra says, "For that perfection, one should devote his life." Here people are taught to struggle how to get material comforts, but according to Vedic system, material comforts you will have whatever is destined to you. But so far your spiritual development is concerned, you have to understand that you are spirit soul and you can develop yourself to go back to the spiritual world, you can be associated with the Lord. So many things, spiritual activities. So the śāstra says that one should try to achieve spiritual perfection, and for that he should endeavor. Not for material comforts. Material comforts will come to you as material distress come upon you. You don't ask for material distress, but it comes. Similarly, material comforts also will come automatically. So there is no need of wasting time. Just like see in the nature there are so many millions of living entities. They have no business, they have no profession. These birds, early in the morning, they have no fixed (?) (figs?). But they know there is food somewhere. They go to a tree and enough fruits there are you eat. Āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca. They have got their nest upon the tree, and another female bird is there already.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, ultimate aim is that there is spirit and matter. As there is material world, there is spiritual world also. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). The spiritual world is eternal. The material world is temporary. We are spirit soul. We are eternal. Therefore our business is to go back to the spiritual world, not that we remain in the material world and change body from bad to worse or worse to bad, er, good. That is not our business. That is a disease. Our healthy life is to enjoy eternal life. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6). So our human life should be utilized for attaining that perfectional stage—not to get any more this material body which we have to change. This is the aim of life.
Guest (3): Is that perfection possible in one life?
Prabhupāda: Yes, in one moment, if you agree. Kṛṣṇa says that
- sarva-dharmān parityajya
- mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
- ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo
- mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
- (BG 18.66)
We change our body on account of sinful activities, but if we surrender to Kṛṣṇa and take Kṛṣṇa consciousness, immediately you are on the spiritual platform.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
I am also an insignificant servant of Lord Jesus Christ because I am preaching the same message as Lord Jesus did. I'm preaching God consciousness or Krishna consciousness. Fools thought that Lord Jesus Christ was dead by crucifixion but He resurrected. All living entities are parts and parcel of the Supreme Lord and therefore they are also eternal. All our ailments are due to the external body. Although we have to suffer some time from bodily inconveniences specially in the old age, still if we are God conscious, we shall not feel the pangs. The best thing is therefore to Chant the holy Name of the Lord Constantly. I would you request you to chant always God's holy Name. We are chanting God's holy name always and instructing our students to do so. If you have any holy name for God do chant Him always and it will do you the greatest benefit. And by chanting so when you will be remembering Him always then you transfer to the Kingdom of God is guaranteed. When you return to the Kingdom of God there is no necessity to come back again to the rotten world full of miseries.
1969 Correspondence
You have inquired about how we leave our body and enter into the Spiritual Sky. This information is very nicely explained in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, First Chapter. The idea is that this universe is just like a coconut fruit, and exactly like the coconut fruit there is covering of several layers. Each layer is said to be ten times more than the other. So when a living entity is eligible and fully prepared to enter into the Spiritual Sky, he merges his different bodily elements which are called earth, fire, water, air, and ether. In those covering layers these bodily elements return, and the living entity goes back to the Spiritual Sky. Pure devotees do not desire to enter into any one of the higher planetary systems of this universe. Sometimes mystic yogis are interested to see the higher planetary systems, and before entering into the Spiritual Sky, they take advantage of seeing the higher planetary systems. But a pure devotee is so much eager to enter back into the Spiritual Sky, especially devotees of Krishna, so they do not try even to enter into the Vaikuntha Lokas.
1970 Correspondence
The last point you have inquired the meaning of the name Jananivasa. Jananivasa is the name of Lord Visnu. Jana means the living entities. Lord Visnu in His incarnation of Mahavisnu lying in the Causal Ocean gives shelter to all living entities who are not liberated at the time of dissolution. Again, when there is creation, these living entities are given chance to liberate themselves in the manifest creation by devotional activities. This process is going on eternally, and fortunate living entities take advantage of this manifest creation and return back to the spiritual world by devotional activities. So the rest of the living entities during dissolution is Mahavisnu. Thus His name is Jananivasa.
1974 Correspondence
Yes there are example of Krsna Conscious persons whose worship was solitary life, and the greatest example is Haridasa Thakura. Haridasa Thakura used to live only in a cave sometimes and would spend his whole time chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra. Similarly Gaura Keshore das Babaji the spiritual master of my guru maharaj would chant alone in a solitary place so as not to be bothered by anyone in his meditation on Krsna. But these great personalities are not to be imitated. If we artificially imitate, out of some negative feeling or out of desire for adoration as a saintly person, it will not be very beneficial. On the authority of Lord Caitanya and my spiritual master, I am requesting my disciples to always stay in the association of devotees and to propagate the sankirtana movement all over the world, so that others may get a chance also to become liberated from the material condition. Prahlada Maharaja prayed I am not satisfied to go back to the kingdom of God alone, but I must bring back with me all these poor fools who have no alternative ultimately than to surrender to You. This form of worship called gostananandi is more superior than the gostananandi or the holy man who lives alone in meditation of the Lord within the heart. This is the estimation of the scripture.
1975 Correspondence
Please accept my greetings. I have received your kind offering of guava jam through your daughter, Urvasi devi dasi. I wanted to thank you very much for becoming so much interested in our Krishna Consciousness movement. Actually, because Krishna Consciousness is the nature of the soul, it is not unusual that one becomes attracted to the method. We are trying very hard to give everyone in the world, in all walks of life, a chance to hear the message of Krishna and to take up the process which is recommended in the Bhagavad-gita for becoming freed from the cycle of birth and death, and thus go back to the kingdom of God to render eternal service to Him. I sincerely hope that you will continue the process as your good daughter has done and achieve the perfection of human life.
| Page Title: | Returns to the kingdom of God |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Matea |
| Created: | 11 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=2, SB=8, CC=2, OB=2, Lec=12, Con=1, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 32 |