Real spiritual life

Expressions researched:
"real, spiritual life" |"real spiritual life"

BG Chapters 7 - 12

The Bhagavad-gītā is a book directed to the conditioned souls, who are engaged in the material world with the purpose of lording it over nature and who do not know of the real, spiritual life.

BG 11.55, Purport: Anyone who wants to approach the supreme of all the Personalities of Godhead, on the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky, and be intimately connected with the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, must take this formula, as stated by the Supreme Himself. Therefore, this verse is considered to be the essence of Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā is a book directed to the conditioned souls, who are engaged in the material world with the purpose of lording it over nature and who do not know of the real, spiritual life. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant to show how one can understand his spiritual existence and his eternal relationship with the supreme spiritual personality and to teach one how to go back home, back to Godhead. Now here is the verse which clearly explains the process by which one can attain success in his spiritual activity: devotional service.

SB Canto 3

The devotee attains to the planets where real spiritual life prevails.

SB 3.5.46, Purport: The devotees, however, attain to the highest stage of knowledge and renunciation and achieve the Vaikuṇṭhalokas, the planets in the spiritual sky. The impersonalist attains only the sky, and does not achieve any tangible transcendental bliss, whereas the devotee attains to the planets where real spiritual life prevails. With a serious attitude, the devotee throws away all achievements like so much dust, and he accepts only devotional service, the transcendental culmination.

The primary necessity is the engagement of the soul in real, spiritual life.

SB 3.33.26, Purport: when one is Kṛṣṇa conscious, fully devoted, he forgets all his changes of body. We are always changing bodies, beginning at birth from the womb of our mother. But when we are awakened to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we forget all these bodies. The bodily necessities become secondary, for the primary necessity is the engagement of the soul in real, spiritual life. The activities of devotional service in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness are the cause of our being situated in transcendence. The words bhagavaty ātma-saṁśraye denote the Personality of Godhead as the Supreme Soul, or the soul of everyone. In Bhagavad-gītā Kṛṣṇa says, bījaṁ māṁ sarva-bhūtānām: [Bg. 7.10] "I am the seed of all entities." By taking shelter of the Supreme Being by the process of devotional service, one becomes fully situated in the concept of the Personality of Godhead.

SB Canto 5

The living entity allows himself to be attacked by jackals and foxes (wife and children), and thus his real spiritual life is finished.

SB 5.14 Summary: These senses are compared to rogues and thieves within the forest. They take away a man's knowledge and place him in a network of nescience. Thus the senses are like rogues and thieves that plunder his spiritual knowledge. Over and above this, there are family members, wife and children. who are exactly like ferocious animals in the forest. The business of such ferocious animals is to eat a man's flesh. The living entity allows himself to be attacked by jackals and foxes (wife and children), and thus his real spiritual life is finished.

SB Canto 10.1 to 10.13

Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation when real spiritual life declines and when rogues and thieves increase to disturb the situation of the world.

SB 10.10.34-35, Purport: Kṛṣṇa appears as an incarnation when real spiritual life declines and when rogues and thieves increase to disturb the situation of the world. Unfortunate, less intelligent persons, bereft of devotional service, cannot understand the Lord's activities, and therefore such persons describe these activities as kalpanā-mythology or imagination-because they are rascals and the lowest of men (na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ [Bg. 7.15]). Such men cannot understand that the events described by Vyāsadeva in the purāṇas and other śāstras are not fictitious or imaginary, but factual.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

And when we are actually free from material affinity, then your real spiritual life begins.

Lecture on BG 2.58-59 -- New York, April 27, 1966: Anartha means that creates my miseries. Material activities will continue to increase my misery. And if you adopt spiritual life, then your material miseries will be gradually decreased, and practically it will be nil. And when we are actually free from material affinity, then your real spiritual life begins. Athāsakti. You become attached. You cannot give up any more. When your anartha-nivṛtti, when your material activities are completely stop, then you cannot give up. Athāsakti. Ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo 'tha bhajana-kriyā tato 'nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā [Cc. Madhya 23.14-15]. Niṣṭhā means your faith becomes more firm, fixed up, steady. Tato niṣṭhā tato ruciḥ. Ruci. Ruci means you will simply hanker after spiritual things. You won't like to hear anything except spiritual message. You won't like to do anything except spiritual activities. You won't like to eat anything which is not spiritualized. So your life will be changed. Tato niṣṭhā athāsaktiḥ. Then attachment, then bhāva. Then you will be transcendentally, I mean to say, ecstaticized. There will be some ecstasy. And that is the... These are the different steps for highest platform of spiritual life. Tato bhāvaḥ. Tato bhāvaḥ. Bhāva, that bhāva stage, is the right platform from where you can directly talk with the Supreme Lord.

And the whole Bhagavad-gītā scheme is how to get out of this material entanglement and be situated in your real spiritual life of bliss, knowledge and eternal life.

Lecture on BG 4.1 and Review -- New York, July 13, 1966: Our material bondage is due to hankering and lust for dominating over the resources of matter. We are, in essence, we are pure souls, but circumstantially we are now fallen in this material bondage and therefore we are undergoing threefold miseries of material existence. And the whole Bhagavad-gītā scheme is how to get out of this material entanglement and be situated in your real spiritual life of bliss, knowledge and eternal life. That is the whole scheme of Bhagavad-gītā.

"My business is to serve Parabrahman." That is real spiritual life.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974: Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, "I am spirit soul." That is real identification. And when the spirit soul is active, sometimes the Māyāvādī philosophers, they think, "Now I've realized that I am not this body, I am not matter, I am spirit soul, so now I have become Nārāyaṇa. I have become the Supreme." But no, that is also mistake. When you realize that "Supreme is the Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman, I am part and parcel of the Supreme, I am also Brahman, but I am not the Supreme Brahman, therefore my business is to serve Parabrahman." That is real spiritual life. That is the beginning of spiritual life.

Parā-bhakti, that is real spiritual life.

Lecture on BG 4.9 -- Bombay, March 29, 1974: Parā-bhakti, that is real spiritual life. Parā aparā, aparā bhakti means on the material platform. Generally, the Deity worship. This is the beginning, but as you go on worshiping the Deity you realize your spiritual identity. Then you do not see the Deity as made of stone or wood. You see directly the Supreme Personality of Godhead and you can talk, you can receive an inspiration. This is the beginning.

Real life, real spiritual life is this Vaiṣṇava philosophy.

Lecture on BG 5.26-29 -- Los Angeles, February 12, 1969: Real life, real spiritual life is this Vaiṣṇava philosophy. Vaiṣṇava philosophy, to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. Just like we are sitting here face to face. We are talking, you are hearing. You can have this perfection. That is personal conception of spiritual perfection.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Then real spiritual life begins. So long you are disturbed materially, there is no possibility.

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Hyderabad, April 18, 1974: So if you regularly chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, then the result will be ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam [Cc. Antya 20.12], our heart will be cleansed. Because we are in unclean heart, therefore we cannot understand what is God. But if your heart becomes cleansed, then any position, you will be able to understand what is God. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇam. And as soon as your heart is cleansed, your these material tribulations, the threefold miserable condition of this material world... It is compared with the forest fire. So forest fire is not very easy to extinguish, but it can be... There is process. That is God's arrangement. When there is rain from the sky, the forest fire is extinguished. Similarly, when mercy from Kṛṣṇa comes, your blazing fire of material existence will be extinguished. Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā... [Cc. Antya 20.12]. Then real spiritual life begins. So long you are disturbed materially, there is no possibility. But these material disturbances cannot be subsided by your concocted method. It can be subsided by the mercy bestowed by Kṛṣṇa. That is the process. Saṁsāra-dāvānala-līḍha-loka **. So spiritual life is real life. Material life is not real. Material life is temporary. So everyone can be situated in the spiritual life, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo yato bhaktiḥ [SB 1.2.6], simply by being situated in the devotional service of the Lord. Yato bhaktiḥ. Bhakti required.

The next stage is inquiring from the spiritual master about real spiritual life.

Lecture on SB 6.1.39-40 -- Surat, December 21, 1970: You cannot comment in your own way. That is not authorized. You have to hear from the authority. Therefore Kathopanisad says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum evābhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] "If anyone wants to learn the transcendental science, he has to accept." Gacchet. This is vidhiliṅ, "must." There is no exception. You cannot say that "Without going to a spiritual master, I shall learn the transcendental science." No, that is not possible. Therefore, in our Vaiṣṇava principles, it is said, ādau gurv-āśrayam. In the very beginning of understanding spiritual knowledge, one has to take shelter of a guru. Ādau gurv-āśrayam. Sad-dharma-pṛcchati: "The next stage is inquiring from the spiritual master about real spiritual life." These are the processes.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Spiritual life means devotional service. That is real spiritual life.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.137-146 -- Bombay, February 24, 1971: We are all spiritual sparks, part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. So however we may try to make ourself happy by material adjustment, it is not possible. We must turn to the spiritual life, or devotional... Spiritual life means devotional service. That is real spiritual life. As Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, māṁ ca vyabhicāriṇi-bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. "One who is engaged in bhakti-yoga service," sa guṇan samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg. 14.26], "he's already in the Brahman stage." People cannot understand how bhakti is on the Brahman platform. But here the Lord Himself says, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate.

Initiation Lectures

Actual aim of spiritual life—to come to the stage of loving God. That is real spiritual life.

Initiation Lecture -- Los Angeles, July 13, 1971: Actual aim of spiritual life—to come to the stage of loving God. That is real spiritual life. If one wants to take to spiritual life for some other gain, that is not. That is offense, that "I will chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. So my income is now one thousand dollar. It will be three thousand dollar." Not like that. It may be reduced (laughter) sometime.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

And in this wandering process, if he gets in touch with a devotee, then his real spiritual life begins.

Morning Walk At Cheviot Hills Golf Course -- May 13, 1973, Los Angeles: Prabhupāda: He has got already spiritual body. Material body is his covering. It is unnatural. Real body is spiritual. Just like your coat, this is unnatural. But your real body is natural. Otherwise how transmigration is possible? I am accepting different unnatural bodies. Unnatural means to my constitution. My real constitutional body is servant of Kṛṣṇa. So, so long I do not come to that position, I remain servant of nature and I get so many bodies. According to the nature's direction I am getting body, I am giving it up, again I am desiring something, I am getting another body. This is going on. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ, ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā [Bg. 3.27]. He is a rascal. He is thinking, "I am this body." Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati, bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. This is a yantra, machine. And we are traveling many species of life, all riding on this car, given by nature. Yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Māyā has given this vehicle, anywhere wandering, up and down, sometimes demigod, sometimes dog. This is going on. And in this wandering process, if he gets in touch with a devotee, then his real spiritual life begins. Otherwise he has to go on, rotating.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Real spiritual life you'll find in Vṛndāvana, in Navadvīpa.

Room Conversation with Robert Gouiran, Nuclear Physicist from European Center for Nuclear Research -- June 5, 1974, Geneva: Prabhupāda: Yes, you come to Vṛndāvana. We have got nice place there, and we shall accommodate you. Real spiritual life you'll find in Vṛndāvana, in Navadvīpa. We have got places... In Navadvīpa also we have got very big building, and Vṛndāvana.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

When he asked him that "I want real spiritual life," then he said, "Then go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

Morning Walk -- June 21, 1975, Los Angeles:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: He has a big following.

Prabhupāda: So he came to invite me. I indirectly refused.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. He has a very big following all over this country. But they have no books, no philosophy.

Bahulāśva: Actually, they read our books, Śrīla Prabhupāda. We were speaking at this one yoga center, and they say that they go to their swami to learn exercises, but for knowledge they must read the books by Your Divine Grace.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Even he has recommended, Mahesh Yogi.

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Really? To that boy.

Prabhupāda: Yes, you know? To his secretary. When he asked him that "I want real spiritual life," then he said, "Then go to Kṛṣṇa consciousness."

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

We are giving the real spiritual life.

Letter from Yugoslavia--"Books!" -- June 30, 1977, Vrndavana: Prabhupāda: How they'll do? They have no asset. Engrossed with bogus things, cheating. That was my ambition. You have seen that Delhi shop? He was preparing first-class ghee, and all, hundred... So we are giving the real spiritual life. Automatically there is response. Customers will come.

1968 Correspondence

There is ample possibilities for preaching Krishna Consciousness movement all over western world now, because the people are wanting something real spiritual life.

Letter to Mangalaniloy -- Montreal 7 July, 1968: I was thinking about you since I have come back this time to this country, how to get you here, because there is ample possibilities for preaching Krishna Consciousness movement all over western world now, because the people are wanting something real spiritual life. Unfortunately, so-called swamis and yogis come in this part of the world and they exploit people and then go away. So the government here is also not very optimistic of such kind of swamis. But in spite of all difficulties, there is ample possibility of spreading pure devotional service of the Lord, or Krishna Consciousness movement, all over the western world.

But if you put restrictions then not so many men will come, but sincere ones will come, those who are actually sincerely searching after real spiritual life.

Letter to Kris -- Los Angeles 13 November, 1968: Krishna says—Give up all nonsense engagements and come here and surrender unto Me!—that is real philosophy. Krishna says that anyone who is worshiping any demigod, it is all nonsense, and just give it up and come to me. Our philosophy is to worship Radha and Krishna. We don't make any hodge-podge or any compromise. If you like you can accept it, and if you are fortunate you will accept, and be happy, but this hodge-podge nonsense will never help you. Just like we prescribe certain rules and restrictions for our disciples so that they can make real advancement in spiritual life. This Yogananda gives no restrictions or regulative principles to his disciples, and thereby collects all nonsense class of men. But if you put restrictions then not so many men will come, but sincere ones will come, those who are actually sincerely searching after real spiritual life.

1970 Correspondence

One who has actually got life cannot do but preach this Krsna Consciousness—real spiritual life means he must preach, and he is really a preacher.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 14 February, 1970: I am so very happy to learn of your increasing desire to spread this Sankirtana movement. My Guru Maharaja used to say that one who has actually got life cannot do but preach this Krsna Consciousness—real spiritual life means he must preach, and he is really a preacher. Now we must prepare all our disciples for serious preaching work, so I am requesting everyone of my initiated students to very seriously chant daily sixteen rounds without fail and to strictly follow the regulative practices. If these two things are done regularly there will be no chance of falling down because these principles are the essential basis of spiritual strength.

1971 Correspondence

I shall also build a very nice temple in Vrindaban and Mayapur, so that our students and friends all over the world may come there and enjoy real spiritual life.

Letter to Vaikunthanatha -- Bombay 18 December, 1971: Now the war is nearly settled here, our programs are resuming, and I think that I shall also build a very nice temple in Vrindaban and Mayapur, so that our students and friends all over the world may come there and enjoy real spiritual life.

Kindly assist them by providing facilities for all the tourists coming from foreign places who are interested in seeing the real spiritual life of India.

Letter to Giriraja -- Bombay 28 December, 1971: Our real interest is in the western countries. The trouble in India is we cannot preach. There are language difficulties and the people think they already know everything. But now many foreign tourists are interested to come here to taste the spiritual life, so we shall concentrate on that field. Recently we have received one letter from Cox and King's, one of the world's biggest travel agencies, requesting us to kindly assist them by providing facilities for all the tourists coming from foreign places who are interested in seeing the real spiritual life of India. So in this way we shall work here.

1972 Correspondence

24 hours we should be engaged in some service to our capacity. That is real spiritual life.

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Tokyo 24 April, 1972: Everywhere we have got good devotees. Krishna consciousness is dormant in everyone and we can awaken it in them. All your news is very good and I thank you very much. This Krishna consciousness is so nice, the more one works and renders service, the more he becomes enthusiastic. This is the secret of spiritual life. The test of spiritual life is when one can work all day long and not be tired. In the material world, we do a little work and become exhausted. 24 hours we should be engaged in some service to our capacity. That is real spiritual life.

1974 Correspondence

I had no idea to spend money and energy of our society in a way which is not our real spiritual life.

Letter to Rupanuga -- 28 May, 1974: My only idea was to point out to the public that unless you have purified leaders there is no possibility of advancement even in the material condition. I had no idea to spend money and energy of our society in a way which is not our real spiritual life.