Revelation (Lectures)

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"revealation" |"revelation" |"revelations"

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

These boys are after God. It is not that I have shown him God, but they are realizing, understanding. Otherwise they are not so fool, they'll waste time. They are understanding. But it is not a subject matter to be seen like this. Neither you have got the eyes to see, neither God or His kingdom is visible in that way. It is to be realized, revelation. That is called revelation. But if you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, everything will be revealed to you. This is the process.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Janārdana: How come that if in this age of Kali people in general are less intelligent, in this particular age they've received the fullest revelation of knowledge? Why not in the Satya-yuga?

Prabhupāda: The fullest revelation of knowledge in Satya-yuga there was automatically. People were so advanced. Just like gradually we are declining our memory, duration of age, so many facilities we have declined. So in Satya-yuga people were by nature fortunate to have many facilities. So for this age, when we are in very fallen condition, this facility is offered so that we can take the same advantage as people in the Satya-yuga had by other processes.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Montreal, June 19, 1968:

One has to learn the subject matter. And how it can be learned? Simply by service attitude. Sevonmukhe. We cannot learn this transcendental subject matter by challenge. If we are submissive, if we are engaged in His service, then, by His divine grace, He reveals Himself. Everything understanding of Lord, that is revelation. By our experimental knowledge, we cannot understand what is God. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). Our senses are now materially contaminated; therefore we cannot understand what is God, what is His appearance, what is His disappearance. This is not possible. The whole thing is to accept the purificatory process of the senses.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974:

It is a revelation. It is not speculation. The speculators cannot understand what is Kṛṣṇa, that is not possible. Those who are actually devotees, teṣāṁ satata-yuktānām (BG 10.10). Twenty-four hours engaged in the service of the Lord.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Melbourne, June 29, 1974 :

What is that—phalena paricīyate. By the result you can understand. By service Kṛṣṇa, he will understand more about Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa will be clear to him. That is the test, because it is said, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam. Kṛṣṇa cannot be realized by so-called speculation, but if you render service to Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you. Revelation. So, he, how much service he is giving, that will be tested how much he has, I mean to say, realized Kṛṣṇa. This is the test. If Kṛṣṇa is still vague idea to him, then he has not advanced. This is the test. Just like if you are eating something, then you will feel satisfaction. You are hungry, you have been given some food, but you cannot say that "I am eating, also I am not satisfied in my hunger." That cannot be. If you are actually serving Kṛṣṇa, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal to you. You will know what is Kṛṣṇa, asaṁśayaṁ samagraṁ mām, without any doubt, and fullness. Here is the test. If somebody comes, "What is Kṛṣṇa," you say, "Yes, I am serving Kṛṣṇa, but I do not know what is Kṛṣṇa". What is his service? He must know, because here it is said, asaṁśayaṁ samagram, without any doubt... (end)

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Hyderabad, August 22, 1976:

So in this way if you increase your attachment for Kṛṣṇa, mayy āsakta-manāḥ pārtha yogaṁ yuñjan. This is the yoga, the first-class yoga. Yoginām api sarveṣāṁ mad-gaten..., sa me yuktatamo mataḥ (BG 6.47). That is first class. If you practice this yoga—very easy. Simply you come daily. If you can, offer patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam (BG 9.26), and offer obeisances. You'll increase your attachment. And that attachment, mayy āsakta-manāḥ—this yoga, if you practice, then what will... Asaṁśayaṁ samagram. Gradually, God, Kṛṣṇa, will reveal. You cannot understand God without revelation. So on account of your attachment He reveals Himself. So sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). If you want to see by your blunt material eyes, that is not possible. We have to purify. You'll see God with these eyes when it is purified. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam (CC Madhya 19.170). When the eyes will be nirmalam, without any designation, then you'll see Him.

Lecture on BG 7.7 -- Bombay, April 1, 1971:

It is not at all difficult to see Kṛṣṇa. Why do you say, "Can you show me God?" Why you are not seeing God? Here is God. So Kṛṣṇa says, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya prabhāsmi śaśi-sūryayoḥ (BG 7.8). So who has not seen the sunshine? Who has not seen the moonshine? Simply to understand, one has to understand that what is this sunshine? The sunshine is the reflection of Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Just like what is this moonshine? This is reflection of the sunshine. Similarly, the sun is also reflection of the brahmajyoti. And what is the brahmajyoti? Brahmajyoti is Kṛṣṇa's bodily effulgence. Then why do you say that you have not seen Kṛṣṇa? There are many other instances. Kṛṣṇa is giving some of them. If you study, if you meditate upon them, then you will see Kṛṣṇa gradually. He will be revealed. He'll be present immediately. It is all revelation. Not that by your eyes you can see. But if you follow the prescription, the direction, you will see Kṛṣṇa daily, always, twenty-four hours.

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is the spreading the knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā as it is. So how one can become Kṛṣṇa conscious very easily without any loss, but gain is very much—why don't you take this advantage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement? What is the reason that you'll not take? Satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ yatantaś ca dṛḍha-vratāḥ (BG 9.14). If you become Kṛṣṇa conscious in this way, the profit is very, very great. Because the more you become Kṛṣṇa conscious, the more Kṛṣṇa becomes revealed to you. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Realization, revelation, that... With the blunt senses you cannot understand Kṛṣṇa, you cannot realize Kṛṣṇa. But if you purify... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136).

Lecture on BG 7.8 -- Bombay, February 23, 1974:

In this way, if you practice, and if you chant also Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and if you hear from realized souls about Kṛṣṇa, then you gradually become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. And when you come to perfection... Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. This Kṛṣṇa's appearance, disappearance, His activities, will be revealed to you. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When Kṛṣṇa becomes manifest, revelation, then you understand what is Kṛṣṇa, what is His activities, what is His name, what is His pastimes. Everything becomes revealed. Then you can understand perfectly. Not...

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So that tattvataḥ one can understand simply by pure devotional service. If you become a pure devotee, without any contamination-unalloyed devotee—then Kṛṣṇa reveals: "This is I am. I am like this." You cannot speculate upon Kṛṣṇa. That is not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na bahunā śrutena na medhayā. You cannot understand Kṛṣṇa simply because you are a learned Sanskrit scholar. You are a rascal. Kṛṣṇa is not so easy to be understood by scholarship or Sanskrit language. Don't commit this mistake. Kṛṣṇa is understood by a person to whom Kṛṣṇa reveals. That is understanding. Nāyam ātmā. This is completely said: Nāyam ātmā, nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyo na medhayā. Because you have got a fertile brain, therefore you'll be able to understand Kṛṣṇa? No. Na bahunā śrutena. Oh, because you are very good scholar, you have studied so much... No. If Kṛṣṇa reveals to you, then you'll be able. That revelation is possible when you are a devotee. Otherwise, it is not possible. Nāyam ātmā pravacanena labhyaḥ.

Lecture on SB 1.7.13-14 -- Vrndavana, September 12, 1976:

So we have to wait for that opportunity when Kṛṣṇa reveals. How that revelation is possible? Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). By sense perception or sense speculation you cannot. Nāmādi. Even the chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra you cannot understand. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi. Nāma, rūpa, līlā, parikara, vaiśiṣṭya..., everything. You cannot understand with these blunt senses. Then how? Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When you engage your senses, purified senses. Sevonmukhe. Purified senses means when the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord—everything—then you can understand Kṛṣṇa. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Kṛṣṇa is not your servant: "Kṛṣṇa, I want to see You." No. That you cannot see. Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. When He's pleased, when He sees that "Here is a pure devotee," then He reveals.

Lecture on SB 1.7.23 -- Vrndavana, September 20, 1976:

Then it will reveal. The whole thing is revelation. It is not by experience, by scholarship. No: revelation. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante. One who has surrendered proportionately, God reveals. Ye yathā māṁ prapadyante tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (BG 4.11).

Lecture on SB 2.9.16 -- Tokyo, April 30, 1972:

So discuss this. Tasmai sva-lokaṁ bhagavān sabhājitaḥ sandarśayām āsa. Sandarśayām āsa, manifested. This is called revelation. When... Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). God, Kṛṣṇa, His name, nāmādi... First God realization begins from the name. Therefore we are chanting the name. And by chanting the name, when our heart will be cleansed... Because we are now in unclean heart. So ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam, paraṁ vijayate śrī-kṛṣṇa-saṅkīrtanam (CC Antya 20.12). By chanting the holy name, when our heart should be cleansed, then everything will be revealed.

Lecture on SB Questions & Answers -- Hyderabad, April 10, 1975:

The Kṛṣṇa, His form, His name, His quality, His pastimes, His paraphernalia cannot be experienced by these material senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ. He is beyond the indriyas. But if one is engaged in devotional service, sevonmukhe hi jihvādau. That devotional service begins from jihvā, tongue. This tongue means can be utilized in devotional service in two ways, namely by chanting the holy name of God and by tasting prasādam. If first of all one engages his jihvā, means tongue, in devotional service by chanting the holy name, Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, and tasting only kṛṣṇa-prasādam, not anything else, then Kṛṣṇa, being pleased by his devotional service, He manifests Himself, reveals Himself. That revelation is experienced, very highly advanced devotee.

Lecture on SB 7.6.1 -- Montreal, June 10, 1968:

Guest: I have here a Holy Bible.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Guest: The Holy Bible is written by the holy spirit of mankind. Should we believe on the Bible or not?

Prabhupāda: But so far I know, that, the man who wrote, he wrote with, on revelation.

Guest: The holy spirit.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Therefore you should read. That... Just try to understand. If somebody, ordinary man writes a book, he'll write book on his own experience. Therefore he's a, because he is imperfect, because his senses are imperfect, he has got a cheating propensity, he is sure to commit mistake and he's sure to be illusioned.

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 4, 1973:

So we have to create that eyes to see Kṛṣṇa. That will be done gradually. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adhaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). We cannot see Kṛṣṇa. We cannot command Kṛṣṇa, "Please come here. I'll see You." No. He will reveal Himself, being satisfied with your service. "Here I am. You see Me now." So we have to wait for that revelation. Not by force. Force will not act. Kṛṣṇa is not our order-supplier, servant: "Kṛṣṇa, please come here. I'll see You." No, no. That will not do. You must be submissive, first of all surrender. You follow the rules and regulations, be mad after Kṛṣṇa.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.100 -- Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976:

Women: ...convinced that they have some revelation or some experience that is assuring them of eternal life. So they are not very open to hear about Kṛṣṇa, and they...

Prabhupāda: If they are not open to hear about Kṛṣṇa, then don't waste your time. The simple thing. There are four things.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.391-405 -- New York, January 2, 1967:

You may not understand at the present moment about the extensive constitutional position and philosophy of Kṛṣṇa. Still, if we submissively give aural reception to these messages, as it is described in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta by Lord Caitanya, that will help us—Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Caitanya-caritāmṛta. This hearing process is very nice. That is recommended by Lord Caitanya. Simply by hearing. We do not require to be very highly educated or very good scholar in Vedānta philosophy. Whatever you are, you remain in your place. That doesn't matter. Simply try to hear, and by hearing everything will be... Svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ. Because the process is that we cannot understand God or we cannot see God unless He reveals. So this revelation will come if we submissively hear. We may not understand, but simply by hearing, we can achieve that stage of life.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.21-28 -- New York, January 11, 1967:

The Vedic knowledge, revelation, to whom it is revealed? It is revealed to a person who has unflinching faith and love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well as to the spiritual master. Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau. As much he has got faith in the Supreme, similarly he has faith in the spiritual master. Such a person gets revelation of the Vedic knowledge from within. So those who are actually serious in engaging themselves in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, for them knowledge is secondary. Knowledge automatically revealed to them. And those who do not take to the Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, simply indulge in dry speculation, for them liberation is not possible. Not possible.

Arrival Addresses and Talks

Arrival Address -- London, July 7, 1973:

It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti (BG 18.55). Kṛṣṇa has explained in the Bhagavad-gītā all systems-jñāna-yoga system, haṭha-yoga system, karma-yoga system, rāja-yoga system. But at the end He says that "If anyone actually wants to know Me, that is bhakti." Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. If anyone wants to know Kṛṣṇa as He is... Kṛṣṇa has different features, especially three: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate (SB 1.2.11)—as impersonal Brahman, all-pervasive Paramātmā, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So if anyone wants to know actually what is Kṛṣṇa... Of course, it is not possible to know Kṛṣṇa, but Kṛṣṇa reveals to the devotee, svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ, revelation. Just like Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself in the Bhagavad-gītā. People should know. Why they are searching unnecessarily?

Arrival Address -- London, July 7, 1973:

So bhakti science is very subtle science, but it is very simple thing to the bhaktas, one who knows things as it is, a very simple thing. Similarly, those who have taken to this bhakti-yoga seriously, for them it is very simple. For others it is very difficult. It is very difficult. Therefore we should go, approach to persons who are... Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet (MU 1.2.12). We should approach (a) person who knows the bhakti science and... Yasya deve parā bhaktir yathā deve tathā gurau (ŚU 6.23). And by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa and the spiritual master, then bhakti science becomes revealed. Without revelation, nobody can understand bhakti science, and without understanding bhakti science, nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa.

Arrival Address -- Vrndavana, September 3, 1976:

Vedic knowledge is revelation. Vedic knowledge is not understood by so-called mundane scholarship, by reading grammar. No. Vedic knowledge is possible to be understood by a person who has got unflinching faith in the bona fide guru. Guru means representative of Kṛṣṇa—Kṛṣṇa and His representative. We have repeatedly discussed this fact that guru means the bona fide servant of Kṛṣṇa. Guru does not mean a magician or jugglery. That is not guru. Guru means, it is explained by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very easily, how to become guru. He has asked everyone, especially those who are born in India, bhārata bhūmite manuṣya-janma haila yāra (CC Adi 9.41). Especially. Because we Indians, bhāratīya, we have got facilities to become guru of the whole world. We have got the facility. Because here we have got the literatures, Vedic literatures, especially the Bhagavad-gītā, which is spoken by Kṛṣṇa Himself. If we try to understand what is the aim of life and preach all over the world, then you become guru. And if we want to cheat others in the name of so-called yogis, swami, scholar, that will not make you guru. Guru... Caitanya Mahāprabhu says you become, all Indians, all Bhāratīyas, guru. Āmāra ājñāya guru hañā tāra ei deśa (CC Madhya 7.128). Wherever you are. And how shall I become guru? Yāre dekha tāre kaha kṛṣṇa upadeśa. That's all.

General Lectures

Lecture -- Los Angeles, December 4, 1968:

You cannot understand what is God, but God will reveal to you, "Here I am." Just like you cannot ask the sun, "Please rise up. I want to see you." Oh, he is not your servant. But when sun reveals to you, you see yourself, you see the sun, and the whole world, everything nicely. So you have to wait for that revelation. And you have to practice this, first of all, this tongue. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau (Brs. 1.2.234). This particular tongue is mentioned. You can begin to reach that stage of revelation by training your tongue. What is that? Chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and taste Kṛṣṇa prasādam. Very simple method. You try it and see. Otherwise it is not possible. God is not so little that you can order Him and He'll... No, that is not possible. But if He's pleased, then He'll reveal Himself. So any other question? Or let us chant. (devotees offer obeisances) (end)

Lecture at Upsala University Faculty -- Stockholm, September 7, 1973:

Therefore another name of God is Brahman, Parabrahman. So brāhmaṇa, brāhmaṇa means one who knows Brahman. That is called brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is not a class which is to be found in India only. No. Anyone who knows God, who knows the Parabrahman, he is brāhmaṇa. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṇaḥ. So Vedic knowledge means ultimately to become a brāhmaṇa. That means to know God. That is Vedic knowledge. And the summary of Vedic knowledge is here in the Bhagavad-gītā, because here God directly is instructing about Himself. Therefore it is the essence of all Vedic knowledge. The ultimate goal of Vedic knowledge is to know God. But we cannot know God. We have blunt senses. Ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). With these material senses, blunt senses, imperfect senses, we cannot understand God. That is not possible. But if we can please God by your service, by our love, He reveals Himself, revelation. That is the process.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on David Hume:

Prabhupāda: No. You cannot search out God in your present condition. You have got some glimpse of idea that there is God. What is that mean—"There is God, then you are advanced"? At least you are better than the atheist. But by speculation you cannot understand what is God. Revelation is there to fortunate person, one who is very seriously searching after God. God is within himself. He reveals. And the other process is that if you are searching after God, then you know it from the person who has already known God, or directly from God. So the Bhagavad-gītā is direct perception from God, so with our all reasons, all logic, if we try to understand Bhagavad-gītā, then we understand what is God.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: But if you engage yourself in service, they become revealed. That will become confirmed: "Yes, there is Vaikuṇṭha, there is Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa's pastimes are going on, and I am perceiving myself." These things become revealed gradually, not abruptly you can understand. Therefore common men cannot understand that they say " 'Going back to home, back to Godhead?' What nonsense they are saying?" They cannot understand, because it is transcendental, beyond the reach of these gross senses. But it is revealed: sevonmukhe. If you become submissive, if you engage yourself in the service of the Lord, guru-Kṛṣṇa, and the spiritual master, then these things become revealed. Now one who has got the knowledge by revelation, nobody can mislead him. Just like we believe in the transcendental abode, cintāmaṇi, Goloka Vṛndāvana. If somebody pays out millions of dollars and asks you to forget all these things, we cannot do that. If you give him hundreds and thousands of dollars, that "You believe in this," no, he will not believe.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is our..., that the speculator cannot reach vicinity of God. It is not possible. Athāpi te. Only one can understand by the mercy of God, and this mercy is bestowed upon a person who is devotee, who is surrendered to God. Otherwise this mercy is reserved, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ: (BG 7.25) "I am not revealed to everyone and anyone; rather, I am covered by yoga-māyā." Because revelation means when one becomes devotee this covering curtain is... What is called, curtain?

Philosophy Discussion on Charles Darwin:

Karandhara: They say the empiric mind just, you cannot accept revelation, that revelation isn't experimental to our limited knowledge, or to our knowledge. The hard-core scientist doesn't want to listen to revelation or what he considers theoretical spiritual knowledge, because he can't examine it or experiment with it himself; therefore he considers it a waste of time. If he can't see it or understand it with his mind, he doesn't think that it has any bearing or importance.

Prabhupāda: So scientific brain means ultimately becoming a fool. He'll talk all nonsense. Once he is recognized scientist, then he can talk all nonsense, and the people accept it as scientific truth.

Philosophy Discussion on Carl Gustav Jung:

Hayagrīva: He says, "It is not that God is a myth, but that myth is the revelation of a divine light in man. It is not we who invent myth; rather, it speaks to us as a word of God. The word of God comes to us, and we have no way of distinguishing whether and to what extent it is different from God."

Prabhupāda: It is not at all different from God. God is absolute; therefore His words are as good as God. That we were discussing this morning, that God's name and God is the same. God's pastimes and God is the same. God's Deity and God is the same. So anything in relationship with God is God, just like Bhagavad-gītā is God. Because everything is God, mayā tatam idaṁ sarvam (BG 9.4), everything is God, but when there is God realization, that is God. Otherwise God, everything is God. Without God, nothing can exist.

Philosophy Discussion on Aristotle:

Hayagrīva: Now for both Plato and Aristotle, God is known by reason, not by revelation or by religious experience, not by mystical experience...

Prabhupāda: That is nonsense. You cannot... God is unlimited. You have got limited power to see or to smell or to touch. You have got all limited, and God is unlimited. So you cannot understand God by your limited power of sensual activities. Therefore God is revelation. We say that ataḥ śrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot understand by speculating your senses. That is not possible. When you engage yourself in His service, then He reveals. Nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25). God says that "I am not exposed to everyone.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Hayagrīva: Aquinas believed that truths, religious truths, are attained through both reason and revelation. He ascribed to Anselm's statement, "I believe in all that I may understand," and also to Abelard's, "I understand in order that I may believe," so that reason and revelation complement one another as a means to truth.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Truth, through reason, that is... Of course human reason is not perfect; therefore revelation also wanted. So that truth arrived at by logic, philosophy and revelation, that is real truth. Our process is to arrive the truth through guru, spiritual master, and he is accepted as representative of the Absolute Truth, Personality of Godhead, and he carries the message of truth because he has seen the Absolute Truth through disciplic succession. So if we accept the bona fide spiritual master (as) representative of God and please him by submissive service, then by his mercy and pleasure we can understand God, the spiritual world, by revelation. We offer, therefore, our great respect to the spiritual master and say, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo **.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Hayagrīva: So he concludes that Divine revelation is absolutely necessary, because by the philosophical method very few men could arrive at the truth, and only after a long time and many errors.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. The so-called philosophers, they are imperfect, so there is no need of consulting them. Our path is that you directly contact the Supreme Person in knowledge, who has got complete knowledge—Kṛṣṇa—and we take His instructions and try to follow Him.

Hayagrīva: This knowledge based on revelation or scripture is called sacred doctrine or scripture. He says it, this scripture, "does not provide information about God and about creatures in equal fashion, but about God principally and about creatures as they are related to God as to a source or to an end. Hence the unity of the science is not ended." So scripture for him is the science of God.

Prabhupāda: This is science of God.

Hayagrīva: Yes.

Prabhupāda: God is explaining Himself... (break)

Philosophy Discussion on Blaise Pascal:

Hayagrīva: Descartes was more in the jñānī tradition, and Pascal more in the bhakti tradition. He says, "Employ the rule of love not of intellect," and for Pascal, knowledge can only be attained by curbing the passions, submitting to God, and accepting the revelation of God. And he was also Christian. And he said "There is no happiness apart from religion."

Prabhupāda: Yes. We say the same thing, that without religion one is animal. Because the animal society there is no church, there is no religion, there is no discussion about God. So if the human society, as they are doing now, that they are denying discussion about God even in the schools and colleges, so it is the most degraded form of society, and the consequence is there: they are all suffering.