Two parallel lines

Expressions researched:
"two lines parallel" |"two parallel lines"

General Lectures

Just like in the railway line you see two parallel lines. If they are in order, the railway carriages are carried very smoothly to the destination.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 18, 1968:

Prabhupāda: (sings "Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi). So we are worshiping Govindam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original person. So this sound, govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi, is reaching Him. He is hearing. You cannot say that He is not hearing. Can you say? No. Especially in this scientific age, when television, radio messages are broadcast thousands and thousands of miles away, and you can hear, now why can you...? Why Kṛṣṇa cannot hear your prayer, sincere prayer? How can you say it? Nobody can deny it. So, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti (Bs. 5.38). Just like thousands and thousands of miles away you can transfer the television picture or your radio sound, similarly, if you can prepare yourself, then you can see always Govinda. It is not difficult. This is stated in Brahma-saṁhitā, premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena. Simply you have to prepare your eyes, your mind in that way. Here is a television box within your heart. This is the perfection of yoga. It is not you have to purchase one machine, or television set. It is there, and God is also there. You can see, you can hear, you can talk, provided you have got the machine. You repair it, that's all. The repairing process is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Otherwise, everything is supplied, complete, complete set of machine you have got within you. And just like for repairing, an expert mechanic required, similarly, you require the help of someone expert. Then you'll see that your machine is working. It is not difficult to understand. Nobody can say that it is not possible.

In the śāstra we hear also. Sādhu śāstra, guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya. Spiritual realization can be perfected by three parallel process. Sādhu. Sādhu means saintly persons, who are realized souls, sādhu. And śāstra. Śāstra means scriptures, authoritative scriptures, Vedic scriptures, śāstra. Sādhu, śāstra, and guru, a spiritual master. Three parallel line. And if you place your car or vehicle on these three parallel line, your car will go direct to Kṛṣṇa. Tinete kariyā aikya. Just like in the railway line you see two parallel lines. If they are in order, the railway carriages are carried very smoothly to the destination. Here also, there are three parallel lines—sādhu, śāstra, guru: saintly person, association of saintly person, acceptance of bona fide spiritual master, and faith in the scriptures. That's all. Then your carriage will be going nicely, without any disturbance. Sādhu śāstra guru vākya, tinete kariya aikya.

1967 Correspondence

Guru and Krishna are two parallel lines on which the spiritual express runs very smoothly.

Letter to Devananda -- Delhi 27 September, 1967:

Please accept my blessings, Your nice letter with deep regard for Guru is quite appropriate. Guru and Krishna are two parallel lines on which the spiritual express runs very smoothly. In the Caitanya Caritamrta it is said "Guru Krsna prasade paya bhakti lata bija (CC Madhya 19.151)." By the Grace of Guru one gets Krishna and by the Grace of Krishna one gets a bona fide Guru. Therefore Krishna consciousness means staunch faith both in Guru and Krishna. One minus the other is no good for the devotee. So your faith in the principles of devotion to Guru will certainly help you more and more Krishna. Do not ever try to approach Krishna directly. Anyone who talks of Krishna without service to Guru will not be successful. So your faith in Guru and Krishna simultaneously will help you to become crowned with success in the progressive march in Krishna consciousness. Do not be worried, be situated in the present aptitude and everything will be clear.

1968 Correspondence

We should always remember that K. C. can only remain on two parallel lines of Krishna and Spiritual Master.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Los Angeles 11 January, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your statement regarding Jivanuga, and it is clear that he is crazy. I have already advised Jayananda in this connection that we cannot make the society an asylum for crazy people. It is not our business.

Jayananda is a very sincere and intelligent boy and I think his decision should be accepted as final in the matter. Not only in this case, but in every other complicated case. The elected authorities in the management of the temple should be the final authority in these matters. Otherwise, the society cannot be managed. Our main principle should be to advance the cause of K.C.

I am glad to learn that your co-operation for this society is appreciated by the authorities, We should learn to forget and forgive minor incidents because whenever there are two men in a place, there is always some misunderstanding. Such misunderstanding happens even between husband and wife—what to speak of others. But we have to adjust things on the basis of Krishna Consciousness. We should always remember that K.C. is a challenge to the modern misguided human society, and we have to meet many unfavorable incidents.

But of we are sincere to Krishna and the Spiritual Master, combinedly, then everything will be favorable settled. We should always remember that K. C. can only remain on two parallel lines of Krishna and Spiritual Master. Chant Hare Krishna sincerely and all good intelligence consultation shall come from within. Krishna says that those who are engaged in My service, I give intelligence for his progressive march.

The Spiritual Master and Krishna are two parallel lines. You have to make your progress on these two parallel lines, you cannot avoid one in preference of the other.

Letter to Mahapurusa -- Los Angeles 12 February, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I am in receipt of your letter dated February 8, 1968, and have noted the contents carefully. I am very glad to learn that you are holding Kirtana on the University campus, do it nicely. Do not bother your head about that rascal Maharishi Mahesa. His activities are like the waves tossing foam on the ocean. It will stay for some time and then vanquish. For the time the ocean appears to be all devouring, but in proper time it is calm and quiet. Krishna Consciousness isn't like that. It is a great science. It requires great spiritual asset to adopt the principles. You have desired to meet with Maharishi Mahesa for argument, and as Lord Caitanya argued with Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya. Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya was talking on the basic principle of Vedanta. So there was a via media interpretation. This man does not follow any Sastra or any authority. He is authority by himself, and has manufactured his own meditation process. Therefore, he is not standard. We cannot waste our time with a non-standard loafer class man. Therefore do not agitate your mind in this way. We are following the footprints of Lord Caitanya. We are not going to become God, as Maharishi says every one of us is God. You should be firmly convinced in your own philosophy, Bhagavad-gita, otherwise you may be misled. Why don't you try to convince the followers of Maharishi that they are following a rascal, a cheat. Because he does not follow a standard process. So try to understand the followers of Maharishi, how far they have advanced in spiritual consciousness, and get it corroborated from the teaching of Bhagavad-gita as you learned. Lord Caitanya talked with Sarvabhauma on the basis of Vedanta Sutra. The Maharishi has no basic principle, he is manufacturing his own way. So it is useless to talk with him. He has gathered the not very intelligent class of men, and they will not stay. We are teaching Bhagavad-gita as it is, that is called Krishna Consciousness. Why don't you try to understand Maharishi from the point of view of Bhagavad-gita.

To stick to the principles advised by the Spiritual Master and serve Krishna under the direction of the Spiritual Master is the only hope of our advancing in Krishna Consciousness. The Spiritual Master and Krishna are two parallel lines. You have to make your progress on these two parallel lines, you cannot avoid one in preference of the other. The train, on two tracks, moves forward. The Spiritual Master and Krishna are like these two tracks, they must be served simultaneously. Krishna helps one to find bona fide Spiritual Master, and bona fide Spiritual Master helps one to understand Krishna. If one does not get bona fide Spiritual Master, then how he can ever understand Krishna? You cannot serve Krishna without Spiritual Master, or serve just Spiritual Master without serving Krishna. They must be served simultaneously.

Yes, you may ask them to bow down, if they have made offense, they should bow down.

As I have repeatedly said, that Krishna Consciousness is developed by following two parallel lines, means service of Krishna, and service of the Spiritual Master.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 February, 1968:

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your nice letter dated Feb. 15, 1968. I can appreciate your advancement in Krishna Consciousness by the sentiments expressed by you. As I have repeatedly said, that Krishna Consciousness is developed by following two parallel lines, means service of Krishna, and service of the Spiritual Master. This is the secret of success. The Spiritual Master must be bona fide, that is, he must come down from a bona fide Spiritual Master and must act according to the directions of the Spiritual Master, and by doing so, he gives proper directions about Krishna and the devotees serve Krishna under the direction of such Spiritual Master, and Krishna accepts service, and in this way the whole thing becomes beautiful and successful. I am very much pleased that you are following the same principle and there is no doubt that you will develop more and more in the service of Krishna. I always pray to Krishna for your advancement, and what I can do more than this.

1970 Correspondence

The Temple worship will keep us sanctified, and when we shall preach in sanctified, pure heart, the preaching will be immediately effective. We have to follow the two parallel lines simultaneously for successful execution of Devotional service.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 15 March, 1970:

Side by side, both of you should train your junior brothers and sisters in the service of the Lord, so that in case both of you go for preaching work, the scheduled program of the Temple may not be hampered. We should follow two important lines, namely the Pancaratriki Bidhi as well as Bhagavata Bidhi. The Bhagavata Bidhi is preaching work, and Sankirtana, and Pancaratriki Bidhi is Temple worship of the Deities. The Temple worship will keep us sanctified, and when we shall preach in sanctified, pure heart, the preaching will be immediately effective. So we have to follow the two parallel lines simultaneously for successful execution of Devotional service.

This ISKCON Press insignia is very appropriately drawn. It bears the real meaning of mrdanga or press and mrdanga are two parallel lines.

Letter to Brahmananda -- Los Angeles 20 April, 1970:

This ISKCON Press insignia is very appropriately drawn. It bears the real meaning of mrdanga or press and mrdanga are two parallel lines. The one Japanese printer has quoted for 10,000 copies of books, at a cost of less than $9,000, so why not print our First Canto Bhagavatam from there? I have asked them if they would give free delivery to our ports at that price, so if they agree, I think the First Canto Bhagavatam may be printed there.

As I have already said many times that we have to maintain two lines parallel; namely the path of Srimad-Bhagavatam and the path of Pancaratriki. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the path for Paramahamsas, ansd Pancaratra path is for the neophytes.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1970:

I am so pleased to learn that you are satisfied to see the Los Angeles Temple situation. Actually it is very, very nice to our purpose, and if we can maintain the standard of the Temple atmosphere certainly anyone who will come here will be influenced by the spiritual effect. As I have already said many times that we have to maintain two lines parallel; namely the path of Srimad-Bhagavatam and the path of Pancaratriki. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the path for Paramahamsas, ansd Pancaratra path is for the neophytes. So the Temple worship is necessary for the beginners so that by following the regulative principles such devotees become more and more purified and thus gradually come on the platform to understand Srimad-Bhagavatam. So we shall always keep these principles in view and maintain our centers on this standard.