Prabhupāda: In the material world one has to change his occupation for certain kind of success. Suppose if you are a potter. Now, if you want to become engineer, so you have to change your occupation as potter. But in the spiritual world you haven't got to change your position, and still, you get success, spiritual life. That is the beauty. You haven't got to change. If somebody says that "Sir, I am potter. How can I be Kṛṣṇa conscious? It requires that one should be a brāhmaṇa, one should be very learned man, Vedānta philosophy, and one must have the sacred thread, and this and that. So I am a potter. I am a cobbler. I am a washerman." No. Kṛṣṇa says, "No." You do not require to change. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also says, "You do not require to change." Kṛṣṇa says that svakarmaṇā tam abhyarcya. You just try to worship the Supreme Lord by the result of your occupation. Because Kṛṣṇa requires everything. So if you are a potter, you supply pots. If you are florist, you supply flower. If you are carpenter, you work for temple. If you are washerman, then wash clothing of the temple. Temple is the center, Kṛṣṇa.
Vedanta philosophy (Conversations and Letters)
Expressions researched:
"philosophy of the vedanta"
|"philosophy of vedanta"
|"vedanta philosopher"
|"vedanta philosophers"
|"vedanta philosophy"
Conversations and Morning Walks
1968 Conversations and Morning Walks
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Actually those who are followers of Vedas, they worship Kṛṣṇa, only Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ. Ṛg mantra. Tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ. And in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). What is the purpose of Vedas? To understand Kṛṣṇa. One who does not understand Kṛṣṇa, his Vedānta philosophy is nonsense. However you may advertise that "I am Vedāntist," is a pakka nonsense. Because he has not attained the perfection of Vedic knowledge. The perfection of Vedic knowledge is to know Kṛṣṇa, and that is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā: Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). After many, many births. Jñānavān. Jñānavān means Vedāntist. Not... They have made it, that Vedāntist... Vedāntist, Vaiṣṇavas, they are also Vedāntist, but it has become a common sense, a common affair that the impersonalists, they are called Vedāntists.
Prabhupāda: But it is the mission of human life to come to that point. So at least there must be some center or institution who may give them this idea. It is not that everyone will come. Just like there are many educational department. I know in Calcutta in our boyhood age, at that time Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee was vice-president. So he opened some classes in the university. In each class there were four or five professors, and at that time the professors' salary was 1300 dollar, 1400 dollar. And the fees were collected, at most thirty-six dollar per month. You see? But still the classes were to be maintained because the ideal must be there. So our mission is the intelligent persons of the world may know that this is not, simply seeking after sense gratification is not the aim of human life. Human life is meant by... Just like Bhāgavata says, jīvasya tattva-jijnasa. Vedānta says, athāto brahma jijñāsā. The same thing. Bhāgavata is nothing but explanation of Vedānta. So Vedānta says that this human form of life is meant for inquiring about Brahman. Atha ataḥ. Now. Atha means now. Atha, hereafter. That means after passing through all animalistic way of life, when a man comes to the stage of civilized life, perfect civilized life, at that time his business is to inquire about the Absolute Truth, what is the Absolute Truth. That is the whole Vedānta philosophy, "What is that Absolute Truth?"
Prabhupāda: No, not waste of time. Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Caitanya Mahāprabhu was chanting simply. Even He was criticized by great sannyāsīs that "You have taken sannyāsa. You do not read Vedānta. You are simply chanting and dancing." He was criticized. But the thing is, when Caitanya Mahāprabhu met such stalwart scholars, He was not lagging behind. Similarly, Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is sufficient. There is no doubt about it. But if somebody wants to understand this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra through philosophy, through study, through Vedānta, we are not lacking. We have got books. It is not that Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is insufficient, therefore we are recommending books. No. Not like that. Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is sufficient. But... Just like Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He was chanting, but when there was a Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, when there was a Sarvabhauma Bhaṭṭācārya, oh, He was ready to argue with him with Vedānta. So we should not be dumb. If somebody comes to argue with Vedānta philosophy, then we must be prepared. When we are preaching, there will be so many people, different types of people will come. Otherwise Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra is sufficient. Sufficient. It does not require any education, any reading, anything. Simply chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and you get the highest perfection. That's a fact.
1972 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: You do not require to pass the milk through the finger, then with the toes. No. Simply put the tea, tea or milk, within, and every part of the body is satisfied. Just like you pour water in the root of the tree. The energy immediately, I mean to say, distributed to the leaves, to the tree, to the flowers, to the fruits, everything, immediately. Similarly, there must be something which is the root of everything. That is God. The Vedānta philosophy says God means the origin, the source of everything. That is God. Now you can imagine how that source should be. That is also explained. But God, or the Absolute Truth, is that, is the original source of everything.
Ambassador: Are you acquainted with Swami Ranganathanandaji? You have met him?
Prabhupāda: I am not very much well known to him, but sometimes I met him.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) Poverty's not question.
Guest (1): It's basically the character, the problem of the character.
Prabhupāda: (Hindi) They have no idea about Vedic... They are supposed to be preaching Vedānta philosophy, but they do not know what is Vedānta.
Guest (1): I like this philosophy of Swami Rama-tirtha... But I read his literature and I quite liked his philosophy.
Prabhupāda: Rama-tirtha also, he gave stress on oṁkāra. Is it not? Oṁkāra?
Guest (1): Hm. I think he is more on this karma-yoga. He believes that you should. Or... (Hindi)
Prabhupāda: According to Vedānta philosophy, every living entity is searching after delight. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature, a living entity is delightful, but he has been covered by this temporary material covering, and therefore his delightness is perverted. So our philosophy, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, is that paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (BG 2.59). If you give him better delight, then he can give up this inferior delight of material enjoyment. Otherwise, simply by instructing that "You give up this," it is difficult.
Prabhupāda: This is the opinion of Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Anyone who hears Śaṅkara's comment on Vedānta philosophy, he is doomed.
Professor: That's about it.
Prabhupāda: What is the purport?
Pradyumna: "Māyāvādī philosophers are very proud of exhibiting their Vedānta knowledge through grammatical jugglery, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā certifies that they are māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ (BG 7.15), bereft of real knowledge due to māyā. Māyā has two potencies with which to execute her two functions: prakṣepātmikā..."
Prabhupāda: Prakṣepātmikā.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Guest: It's a atheistic approach.
Prabhupāda: No soul, no God. Our Kṛṣṇa philosophy is God, soul, and Vedānta philosophy, that is also God. So Buddha philosophy different from Vedānta philosophy and Kṛṣṇa philosophy.
Guest: The approach is different, yes.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Guest: The approach is different.
Prabhupāda: Approach? The end is different. Now how you'll adjust Buddha philosophy and Kṛṣṇa philosophy?
Prabhupāda: If you want to be happy, then you must take to the superior type of religious system which teaches the followers how to love God without any motive, and which is never checked by any material condition. God's name is given here as Adhokṣaja. Adhokṣaja means beyond experimental knowledge. God has got many name according to different situation, and one of the name, for the materialistic person, adhokṣaja. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge. Akṣa means eyes or senses. Beyond sense perception. So we cannot speculate about God, but we can understand about God from authorities. This is the conception of Bhāgavata-dharma. So the human life is especially meant for understanding God. That is the version of the Vedānta-sūtra, Vedānta philosophy. The Vedānta philosophy teaches, athāto brahma jijñāsā, "Now this human form of body, which is above the lower grades of forms..." There are 8,400,000 forms of body. The soul is transmigrating, evolution. But when we get this human form of body, our main business is to inquire about God.
Jyotirmayī: (French) Before he came, he already knew a little Bhagavad-gītā, little Vedānta. So he has a lot of questions. There's some points, he likes very much Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and some, he says that maybe in the Vedānta philosophy is different things.
M. Lallier: She says that I knew that entire philosophy, but I knew it very badly, very... I'm not a great philosopher. No, not at all.
Prabhupāda: Which philosophy?
Yogeśvara: What kind of philosophy are you familiar with?
M. Lallier: Oh, I'm very interested by Indian philosophy, and I think it's the most high, the higher, the highest philosophy. But it's difficult to understand for us.
Prabhupāda: Call Karandhara also. You also hear the philosophy. So what is that philosophy?
Nitāi: He's talking about the Vedānta philosophy, that he is studying, but... He thinks it's the highest, but he finds it very hard to understand and apply.
Prabhupāda: So which part he finds very, very hard to understand?
M. Lallier: I think the relation between the, the, the body, material body and the ātmā...
Yogeśvara: The soul?
M. Lallier: The soul, soul. The relation between the two parts...
Bhagavān: To apply the fact that the soul exists and the body exists? How to practically apply that difference between the body and the soul?
Prabhupāda: No, no. Religion is not meant for Hindus or Christians—for everyone. So there must be a general definition of religion. (French)
Jyotirmayī: So he said that his idea is that advaita-vedānta philosophy is the best in the world?
Prabhupāda: What is that advaita? What is that advaita? (French)
Jyotirmayī: He said that advaita-vedānta...
Prabhupāda: What is that advaita-veda philosophy? Let him define. (French)
Jyotirmayī: Advaita. A means without. Dvaita...
Prabhupāda: "Without"?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes, right you are. This life, human life, is distinguished from animal life because the animal cannot inquire about transcendence. The human life, if it is not interested in transcendence, then he is animal. If simply he is interested with the bodily demands of life, namely eating, sleeping, sex and defense, these are bodily demands of life. So if we think that "Dog is eating on the street, and we are eating very palatable dishes, nicely made, very tasteful. That is advancement of civilization," that is not advancement of civilization because it is, after all, eating. Similarly, sleeping; the animals sleep on the street and we sleep in very nice apartment. But in sleeping, we dream horrible things more than the animals. So eating, sleeping, sex life and trying for defense, these are common formulas both for the animals and for the man. Therefore a human being is distinguished from the animal when he enquires about transcendence. And that is explained in the great literature Brahma-sūtra, or the philosophy of Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsā: "Now we have got this human form of life.
Prabhupāda: That is Vedānta philosophy. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. Now, by evolutionary process, we have come to the human form of life, and it is meant for asking, "What is my constitutional position? Am I this body, or I am something else?" The dogs, he cannot put this inquiry. A dog, he thinks that he is dog, that's all. He is jumping, he is barking, and eating, sleeping, and having sex. That's all. If I ask one dog, "Please sit down. Hear Bhagavad-gītā," it is not possible. But you are human being, if I ask you, "Mr. such and such, sit down, hear from the Bhagavad-gītā," you can do that. First of all we must know the difference between dog and me. The dog is incapable to understand Bhagavad-gītā. But human being... Just like we are selling this book in the Western countries, many millions of copies, because they are human being. We are not selling among the cats and dogs.
Prabhupāda: Because unless there is anger in God, how there is anger in me? But we, as we misuse our independence, we misuse our anger. And God does not misuse his independence; He does not misuse His anger. But the anger quality is there. Otherwise, how I have got anger? This is the Vedānta philosophy. Janmādyasya yataḥ: "Everything is emanating from the Supreme." So if the anger is there, it must be there.
John Mize: And jealousy?
Prabhupāda: Everything.
John Mize: It's difficult to imagine Kṛṣṇa jealous.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Prabhupāda: They are missing the aim of life. That is the... The aim of life is, an..., not according to Vedic, but anyone, the aim of life is how to realize God. That is aim. In the animal life or in other lives less important than the human being there is no question of God realization. In the human life, the civilized human life, there is religion. It doesn't matter whether one is Christian or a Hindu or a Muslim or a Buddhist. These are the principle religions of the world. So any civilized man must be inquisitive to know what is the original source of everything. That philosophy is there. It is called Brahma-sūtra or Vedānta-sūtra. Perhaps you have heard the name, Vedānta philosophy. Veda means knowledge, and anta means end. In the materialistic way of knowledge they did not find any end, and they accept it "That this is progress." But one must come to the end of the knowledge, what is the ultimate knowledge.
Satsvarūpa: We're going to do some of the chapters in installments in Back to Godhead. We're going to do Darwin as soon as possible, in a month or two. (break)
Prabhupāda: ...philosophy is the ultimate, Vedānta. Vedānta philosophy. And Bhāgavata is the commentary on the Vedānta philosophy. (break) ...Darwin's theory. Wherefrom he begins?
Jayatīrtha: He begins in the ocean. He says that some fish-type animal climbed out of the ocean and began to breathe the air.
Prabhupāda: Then wherefrom the ocean came?
Devotee: He doesn't say.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Prof. Hopkins: Where in the... In the things that you've written, where would that message come through most clearly?
Prabhupāda: In Vedānta philosophy, the most important philosophy.
Brahmānanda: He's asking which one of your books?
Prabhupāda: Bhāgavata, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Brahmānanda: Which of your books do you consider to be the most important?
Prabhupāda: Well, beginning from the First Canto.
Brahmānanda: Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: "Śrī Nārada said: You have not actually broadcast the sublime and spotless glories of the Personality of Godhead. That philosophy which does not satisfy the transcendental senses of the Lord is considered worthless." Purport. "The eternal relation of an individual soul with the Supreme Soul Personality of Godhead is constitutionally one of being the eternal servitor of the eternal master. The Lord has expanded Himself as living beings in order to accept loving service from them, and this alone can satisfy both the Lord and the living beings. A scholar like Vyāsadeva has completed many expansions of the Vedic literatures, ending with the Vedānta philosophy, but none of them have been written directly glorifying the Personality of Godhead. Dry philosophical speculations even on the transcendental subject of the Absolute have very little attraction without directly dealing with the glorification of the Lord. The Personality of Godhead is the last word in transcendental realization. The absolute realized as impersonal Brahman or localized Supersoul, Paramātmā, is less productive of transcendental bliss than the supreme personal realization of His glories.
Prabhupāda: The so-called Vedantists are bluffers. They do not know what is Vedānta. But the things are going on that people want to be bluffed and the bluffers take advantage of it, and therefore... Veda means knowledge, and anta means end of knowledge. That is the combination of Vedānta. So in the Vedānta the beginning is, Vedānta-sūtra, athāto brahma jijñāsāḥ. "Now, in the human form of life, they should inquire about the Absolute Truth." That is the Vedānta philosophy. And what is that Absolute Truth? Sūtra means in aphorism, in small words, a big philosophy is given. That is called sūtra. A little link. So Vedānta-sūtra begins when one is inquisitive to understand the Absolute Truth. That is called Vedānta-sūtra. And it is answered, first question is now about brahma-jijñāsa, inquisitive, inquiry about Brahman.
Prabhupāda: No but dream is... It may be, but when there is fire, you call it dream, but why do you call fire brigade? When you are diseased why you go to physician? Dream it. (laughter) The major problem is birth, death, and old age, and disease. You do not want that. You must seek the measures. That is human life. Whether birth, death, old age, disease can be stopped? If there is any such life that there is no more birth, death, that is human life. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. That is the Vedānta philosophy: "Now the human life is meant for enquiring about these things." If you don't enquire, then you remain animal. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is trying to save the human society from this animal life. To bring him to the real human life. Animal life means there is suffering—go on suffering. Human life means there is suffering—how to get, how to counteract. That is human life. Suffering—so long you have got this body, there must be suffering.
Prabhupāda: That means you are not properly trained up. The thing is, the first business of human being is to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. Athāto brahma jijñāsā. This is the Vedānta philosophy. Now we have got this human form of body, it is your duty to inquire about the spiritual subject matter. But if your guardians, if your parents, if your government does not teach you, then it is our misfortune.
Interviewer (3): Do you want this to become a part of the educational system here?
Prabhupāda: This is the first education. Otherwise it is animal. Animal does not require absolute education. Animal is not able to understand what is self, what is God. But a man can. Therefore the man's first business is to understand this self-realization.
Prabhupāda: But whether you recognize Kṛṣṇa...
Dr. Patel: Yes sir, he was our guru. We have published a book from the Calcutta University, so just take your remise. Leave the book for you.
Prabhupāda: Oh, this is for me? Bheṭiye, bheṭiye.(?) Vedānta philosophy (Hindi) Let us discuss. What is Vedānta philosophy? Let us discuss something. You belong to this camp, so what is Vedānta?
Guest (4): Ādi Śaṅkarācārya's preaching, actually defining God as what he thought.
Prabhupāda: Then what is the meaning? Everyone can think of God according to his whim. You say, "As he thought." That is not standard.
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: He must do it because He's God. You do not... You have no conception. You explain that if there is no such things, then wherefrom it has come? God is the origin. In the Bible also it is said, "God said 'Let there be creation.' " So in the creation there are so many things. So therefore everything comes from God. That is Vedānta philosophy. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1). So why do you say, "Your God is like this"? God has everything. Otherwise how He's God? There is no meaning of God if He is deficient in something. But you do not know.
Satsvarūpa: They say He should be exemplary. God should be exemplary.
Prabhupāda: No. God is not bound to prove His example character to you. You are a rascal.
Prabhupāda: Yes. That's a fact. We are trying for that.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Here's another one from the Head of the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Madras. His name is Usair Mohammed Kasim. " 'Swami Prabhupāda's Bhagavad-gītā As It Is is a remarkable exposition of Vedānta philosophy. What impressed me most is its nonsectarian analysis and acceptability.' " He says its nonsectarian. Everyone would say... Most Hindus would say, "The Bhagavad-gītā is our book." But here is a Muslim saying it's nonsectarian. " 'Furthermore, this book I'm sure will inspire men of all faiths. The rendering is authentic and lucid. I am confident that this admirable classic will contribute to a greater understanding of Indian philosophical heritage.' " This book should be shown to these government men in Delhi, Śrīla Prabhupāda. This review. Usair Mohammed Kasim.
Bhavānanda: One sixty-nine.
- jīvera nistāra lāgi' sūtra kaila vyāsa
- māyāvādi-bhāṣya śunile haya sarva-nāśa
- (CC Madhya 6.169)
That's Sixth Chapter, Madhya-līlā, verse 169. "Śrīla Vyāsadeva presented the Vedānta philosophy for the deliverance of conditioned souls, but if one hears the commentary of Śaṅkarācārya, everything is spoiled." Shall I read the purport, Śrīla Prabhupāda?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Bhavānanda: Purport: "Factually the devotional service of the Lord is described in Vedānta-sūtra, but the Māyāvādī philosophers, the Śaṅkarites, prepared a commentary known as Śārīraka-bhāṣya, in which the transcendental form of the Lord is denied. The Māyāvādī philosophers think that the living entity is identical with the Supreme Soul, Brahman. Their commentaries on Vedānta-sūtra are completely opposed to the principle of devotional service.
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited Varanasi He was invited to a philosophical discourse by the Prakashananda Sarasvati a great giant scholar and sannyasi of the Mayavadi or Sankara sampradaya and discussion was made on the Vedanta philosophy. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was victorious in that discussion and converted the great sannyasi with his 60,000 followers to His cult of devotion and established His easy method of sankirtana movement the most suitable method for the deliverance of the people in general.
1968 Correspondence
I become very much proud of nonsense rascal disciples like you. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu represented Himself as a nonsense rascal to understand Vedanta philosophy. Actually, at the present day the people in general cannot understand Vedanta philosophy. The other day I met here Swami Pravhavananda, and I talked with him. To speak plainly how I found him—a great rascal. I know that this station is one of Rama-Krishna mission, beginning from Vivekananda, down to this age, all are living in fool's paradise. Pravhavananda said that Rama-Krishna in his previous life was Lord Caitanya. Similarly it is said that he was formerly Rama and Krishna. If actually he was Rama and Krishna and Lord Caitanya, why there are so many contradictions between Rama, Krishna, and Lord Caitanya one side, and the Rama-hamsa (Rama-Krishna Paramahamsa) on the other side.
Therefore the conception of Brahmajyoti is advanced realization than conception of nirvana. Nobody can be satisfied in void or Impersonalist philosophy; they are against the nature of the spirit soul. We understand from Vedanta philosophy that the spirit soul is by nature joyful. There is no joy in voidness or Impersonalism and because such imperfect philosophers do not know of the association of Krishna which is full of bliss and knowledge, they will fall down repeatedly into voidness and Impersonalism with the result that they cannot stay there and they fall down to the material atmosphere. In Bhagavad-gita it is said by the Lord that these people, void and Impersonalist philosophers, are in great trouble. If they are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee of Krishna and if they are sincere in their search for the absolute truth, they will find Krishna Consciousness as the last resort of their philosophical researches.
So, the sum and substance of the concrete program is to organize a nice Sankirtana party in combination of Indian and American students. I want your cooperation in this adventure.
Regarding Vedanta and Bhagavad-gita. There is no doubt about it that Bhagavad-gita is real Vedanta philosophy. Lord Krishna says in the 15th chapter that He is the Compiler of Vedanta philosophy, and He is the Knower of Vedanta Philosophy. Lord Krishna says this, and who can be a better Knower of Vedanta philosophy than Krishna? In another place of the 13rd chapter, Lord Krishna had accepted the authority of Brahma Sutra, which is also Vedanta philosophy. So the question is only how one explains Vedanta philosophy or Bhagavad-gita. We are trying to explain Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any interpretation. And you will be glad to know that we are publishing one English edition of Bhagavad-gita, about 400 pages, through Messrs. MacMillan and Company.
1969 Correspondence
Now our policy should be as follows: 1. the layout should be done by us, 2. there should be no advertisements, 3. under different headings we shall publish articles from Bhagavad-gita As It Is, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahma Samhita, Nectar of Devotion, Vedanta Philosophy, Upanisads, etc. as well as comic pictures when possible. Besides that, if some of our students write as they have assimilated the philosophy, that also should be welcome. You say that Rohini Kumar is an artist, so he can do comic work. There are other girls there such as Indira who can also do this. So we shall fill up the pages simply with Vedic ideas. Now the policy should be straight that this Back to Godhead is completely different from all other magazines. As there are different magazines for different subject matters, this magazine will be simply devoted for Vaisnava philosophy, or Krishna Consciousness movement. That should be our policy.
Bhagavad-gita is the preliminary study of Srimad-Bhagavatam. In the Bhagavad-gita we understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna as He is explaining Himself. We cannot understand the position of Godhead by our mental speculation because God is beyond our mental, bodily and speaking capacity. But when we are sincere in service mood, just like Arjuna, who surrendered himself to Krishna, then we are able to understand who Krishna is. Arjuna understood Krishna after hearing the Bhagavad-gita submissively that Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Source of everything, the Supreme Purity and the Supreme Person. He also confirmed that Krishna is accepted as such not only by him, but also by other great authorities; such as Vyasadeva and Narada, who propagated the philosophy of Vedanta and Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the universe.
1970 Correspondence
Regarding New Testament, we can simply agree that the New Testament accepts God is great and the creation came into existence by His Word. I do not know the details of New Testament, but I know so far that it is stated there that all creation is made by God. So this statement is Vedic statement. In the Vedanta philosophy also the same thing is stated that the Supreme Brahman is the cause of all creation, maintenance and destruction.
So on the principle that God is Supreme, God is Great, I do not think there is any difference of opinion between us and the Christians. But the Vedic literatures being older and disseminated by many, many superior acaryas we can find out how God is great, how the creation took place one after another. These details are not found in any other scriptures in the world.
1976 Correspondence
How a rascal can become a professor? That is the defect of modern day education. It is said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: Na te vidhuh svartha gatim hi visnu. Philosophy means to find out the actual source of everything. Our Vedanta philosophy begins athāto brahma jijñāsā, to enquire about Brahma, that is real philosophy. And the Supreme Brahma is described as the original source of everything: Janmady asya yato (SB 1.1.1), etc. Srimad-Bhagavatam is the real philosophy because it describes the original source of everything—Janmady asya yatah. The first chapter of Srimad-Bhagavatam begins with this verse. Accept this, all other philosophies are simply jugglery of words to mislead the less intelligent class of men. You are benedicted by Lord Krishna that you are doubting the philosophical speculation of the mudhas.
| Page Title: | Vedanta philosophy (Conversations and Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari |
| Created: | 19 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=27, Let=8 |
| No. of Quotes: | 35 |