Eternal relationship (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"eternal relationship" |"relationship as eternal" |"relationship is eternal"

1967 Correspondence

Every one must be frustrated who is not Krishna conscious because the eternal relationship with Krishna is so nice. That eternal relationship with Krishna can be revived simply by chanting His Holy Name in right earnest.

Letter to Dayananda, Nandarani, Uddhava -- Delhi 20 September, 1967:

Your specific duty is to chant and hear the transcendental Name of the Lord, read some passages from my English version of the Srimad-Bhagavatam and Srimad Bhagavad-gita (Gitopanisad) and explain them as far as possible you have heard from me. Any devotee who has developed genuine Love for Krishna can also explain the truth about Krishna because Krishna helps such sincere devotee seated in his heart. Every one must be frustrated who is not Krishna conscious because the eternal relationship with Krishna is so nice. That eternal relationship with Krishna can be revived simply by chanting His Holy Name in right earnest.

1968 Correspondence

Our relationship is eternal. But if somebody lags behind, so in spite of our eternal relationship one may not meet other at the destination.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- San Francisco 20 September, 1968:

Our relationship is eternal. But if somebody lags behind, so in spite of our eternal relationship one may not meet other at the destination. Just like a flock of birds—although very intimately related, everyone of them has to fly in the sky by individual strength. If one is less strong, the other cannot keep him in the sky. That is the law of nature. So long everyone of us is strong in Krishna Consciousness, there is no doubt, you can fly in the spiritual sky and meet together without failure. Therefore, individual strength is most important. And that individual strength is achieved in the association of devotees also. So you can make your own judgment.

1969 Correspondence

People being scientifically advanced, are gradually forgetting their eternal relationship with God because they think that without God they can inquire sufficient progress in economic development which is required for sense gratification.

Letter to Janardana -- Los Angeles 2 March, 1969:

Generally men take to religious principles for economic development. Just like in the Christian religiosity the prayers for solving the economic problem or bread problem. Similarly, in the Vedic rituals also different methods of sacrifices are recommended for pleasing the demigods so that they will supply quantity of rain and there will be enough grain for eating. In this way, religious principles are generally practiced by men for some economic development.

In this modern age, people being scientifically advanced, they seek economic development without any reference to worship of God or following any religious principle. So such people are gradually forgetting their eternal relationship with God because they think that without God they can inquire sufficient progress in economic development which is required for sense gratification. Some of them, when they are frustrated, try thinking of voidness or merging into the impersonal absolute truth. So voidness or impersonal idea of the absolute truth is just an opposite of material variegatedness. So this idea can also be accepted as the material concept of transcendence. So things are going on like this, not only now, but it is the nature of the material world.

Therefore, the Srimad-Bhagavatam has used the suitable word, dharma projhita. That means to kick out the so-called religious principles, economic development, sense gratification, and liberation. According to Bhagavata, these are all cheating processes, because by following such processes, the living entity can never be happy. Such principles in different forms according to different circumstances of candidate, place, and time, they are simply cheating formulas. So our Krishna Consciousness movement does not belong to any such cheating process.

The living entities are eternal servitors and subordinate of God maintained by the Supreme Lord. This relationship is eternal, therefore time is also eternal.

Letter to Swami Bhaktivedanta -- Hawaii 14 March, 1969:

Our religious principle is as old as 5000 years and the whole thing is explained in our recent publication of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, published by MacMillan, of New York and London. If required, a copy of this book may be secured and the whole idea may be grasped. And this is a missionary society for enlightening the people about God-consciousness, which we are preaching as Krishna Consciousness. Our main principles are as follows:

God is the Supreme Lord. The living entities are qualitatively one with God, or in other words,, living entities and God are one in quality, but by quantity, God is great. As such the living entities are eternal servitors and subordinate of God maintained by the Supreme Lord. This relationship is eternal, therefore time is also eternal. There are two kinds of natures, the spiritual nature and the material nature. Material nature is temporary and spiritual nature is permanent; Material nature is simply temporary manifestation within the jurisdiction of spiritual nature. The living entities somehow or other being entrapped by material nature are meeting all kinds of material conditions. His birth, death, old age, and diseases are due to his contact with this material nature. The living entity is evolving different kinds of material body numbering 8,400,000 different forms. The human form is a great opportunity for the living entity to understand God, the living entity, time, nature, and different activities. The material activities are temporary, therefore if the living entities are trained to transform his activities from material to spiritual he regains his original spiritual nature. And after such achievements he is promoted to the spiritual world, which is far beyond this visible material sky. All these understandings are based on authentic Vedic knowledge.

If we take advantage of associating with any one of them that makes us fixed up in our eternal relationship with Syamasundara.

Letter to Syama -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

I hope by this time you must have improved your health and very soon you will be able to work fully along with your good husband. I think by the will of Krishna you two good souls, Hayagriva and yourself, are combined now to fulfill my mission of publishing the whole of Srimad-Bhagavatam. Krishna is sufficiently powerful and able to give facilities to His devotees provided a devotee works very sincerely to please Him. We shall always keep this motto in our view, and it is very nice to hear that you are feeling separation from most beautiful Syamasundara., but you are satisfied by chanting His Holy Name. Syamasundara. is not different from His Name. Krishna's Name, qualities, form, fame, abode and paraphernalia, all are identical with Krishna. So if we take advantage of associating with any one of them that makes us fixed up in our eternal relationship with Syamasundara..

We are eternal family members of the Lord, but due to our misuse of independence we have now forgotten our eternal relationship with Krishna, exactly like a man who is mad forgets his family relationship and loiters in the street.

Letter to Uttamasloka -- New Vrindaban 7 June, 1969:

As individuals there may be disagreement sometimes, but that is quite natural. Even in ordinary family affairs there is sometimes disagreement, but that does not mean immediately the disagreeing members shall leave the family. Similarly our Krishna Consciousness Movement means we are all gathering together in families of Krishna. Actually we are eternal family members of the Lord, but due to our misuse of independence we have now forgotten our eternal relationship with Krishna, exactly like a man who is mad forgets his family relationship and loiters in the street. But when he is again in his normal mental condition, he remembers his family members and goes back to them. Similarly this Krishna Consciousness Movement is a treatment for reviving the memory that we all belong to Krishna's family. So we are trying to establish a replica of Krishna's family in this material world wherein there is no material activities. To avoid the material activities means to follow the four regulative principles and to engage ourselves constantly in Krishna Consciousness activities and to have the association of pure devotees. We should not give indulgence to our senses more than what is required just to keep body and soul together. We should not engage ourselves in very difficult tasks, and we should not talk anything more than what is necessary for spreading Krishna Consciousness. We should follow the regulative principles, regard being had to situation, circumstances and objectives. We should not be greedy and we should not mix with persons not interested in Krishna. In this way, we can make steady progress and maintain our membership in Krishna's family. Thus, at the end of this life we will enter actually into the spiritual world.

All living entities are the servants of Krishna, but the living entities who have fallen into this conditioned life are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Lord. The role of the bona fide Spiritual Master is to lead the conditioned souls out of forgetfulness and back into pure consciousness of serving the Lord in transcendental loving service.

Letter to Visala -- West Virginia 16 June, 1969:

Regarding your first question, what is the difference in full between the Spiritual Master, Krishna, and the devotee? The answer is that Krishna is the source of all energies of the spiritual and material creations, the devotee is the part and parcel servant of Krishna, and the Spiritual Master is the transparent via media for leading the conditioned souls back to home, back to Godhead. All living entities are the servants of Krishna, but the living entities who have fallen into this conditioned life are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Lord. The role of the bona fide Spiritual Master is to lead the conditioned souls out of forgetfulness and back into pure consciousness of serving the Lord in transcendental loving service. In material consciousness one is identifying himself with his particular body, and he is forgetting that he is spirit soul, servant of Krishna. Then by the association and instructions of the purified servants of Krishna, the living entity gradually comes to remember that I am not part of this miserable material world, but I too am the eternal servant of Krishna, and my only business is to give pleasure to the Lord in pure Krishna Consciousness. In this way, such devotee becomes himself eligible to lead other back to the path of devotional service and thus he too may become a Spiritual Master. This process is called parampara, or the line of disciplic succession.

1970 Correspondence

Under the spell of material energy, man is forgetful of his eternal relationship with God.

Letter to Subala -- Los Angeles 11 April, 1970:

Regarding religion, not only at present, but also in the past, all of them are described as pseudo-religions. The Bhagavat has condemned such pseudo-religion in the second verse of the first chapter, first canto. Under the spell of material energy, man is forgetful of his eternal relationship with God. They create some religion to derive some material benefit as they create political organization for mutual undisturbed sense gratification. So religion is also a part of that concept of life. As such, in most of the religions you will find some instruction on morality and goodness, and God consciousness is superfluous.

So except Krsna Consciousness or Bhagavata Dharma or religion of the Bhagavata, any other system of religion is only pretension, that is the fact. It is not therefore surprising that your impression of the meeting of the Jews and Christians, where you had opportunity to speak, was that they were lacking so much in God-consciousness. So far we are concerned, our principle is to live with God as actual fact, and not to make God a supplying agent. Our process is different because we want to supply God everything—whatever we have got and whatever we have not got.

Regarding your need for men, Krsna will give you many assistants, don't worry.

1972 Correspondence

We may pass away, but my disciples will carry on this festival yearly, and so it will be remembered forever our eternal relationship with Sri Sri Jagannathaji and Sri Sri Radha-Govindaji.

Letter to Shyamsundar Mallik -- London 13 July, 1972:

I hope you are making the Ratha-yatra Festival very successful, along with my disciples headed by Bhavananda and Acyutananda Swami. In my childhood I used to take my ratha with my little friends, about 60 years ago. Again I am reviving the same attempt with my young disciples. I have become old, and you are also old, although not so old as I am. We may pass away, but my disciples will carry on this festival yearly, and so it will be remembered forever our eternal relationship with Sri Sri Jagannathaji and Sri Sri Radha-Govindaji. Ask your sons also to cooperate so that in future this festival will be continued for good.

I am presently engaged here in London for celebrating the Ratha-yatra Festival also. A huge festival will begin at Marble Arch and proceed to Trafalgar Square, where I shall speak to at least 10,000 persons. Similarly, my disciples are holding Ratha-yatra festival at San Francisco, Philadelphia, New York, Tokyo, Melbourne (Australia), Calcutta, and other places. So what was my childhood play 65 years ago is now a worldwide event. The same Radha-Govindaji worship and Jagannatha worship is going on all over the world.

1975 Correspondence

The Bhagavad-gita As It Is is pure knowledge. It tells us of our relationship as eternal spirit soul with the supersoul Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Letter to Mr. Gordon T. Gattone -- Dallas 30 July, 1975:

Your feeling on seeing the Ratha Yatra in Philadelphia, which you say cannot be expressed in words but which has since given you great peace in your life—is not astounding. In the authoritative transcendental literature which we have published as The Nectar of Devotion, it is stated that one can be liberated from all material suffering simply by seeing the Ratha Yatra cart passing.

You say, "I am not sure I want to learn more," but a human being should desire to know the science of God consciousness, which is the most important part of human life. Krishna consciousness is not sectarian. One should not think that because he is a Jew or a Christian he should not read the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita As It Is is pure knowledge. It tells us of our relationship as eternal spirit soul with the supersoul Lord Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In no other philosophy will you find such a clear conception of God. So I request you to kindly study with seriousness our books, and you may compare Krishna consciousness with other philosophies.

We are eternally related to the Lord as servant, so naturally when we forget our eternal relationship as servants of the supreme master, Krishna, we suffer.

Letter to Mark Phillips -- Vrindaban 4 December, 1975:

Yes we are eternally related to the Lord as servant, so naturally when we forget our eternal relationship as servants of the supreme master, Krishna, we suffer. A child is naturally subservient to the parent, but if he rebels then the child suffers in so many ways. Therefore Krishna advises everyone in Bhagavad-gita to simply surrender to him, and he will take care of us.

In Australia we have got our temples, consult the Back to Godhead magazine for the temple nearest you. Please visit the temple and take advantage of the pure spiritual atmosphere, this will immediately extinguish the burning fire of material suffering in your heart. Meanwhile I humbly request you to chant Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This chanting will bring you all perfection of life, please try it.

We accept Krishna as the supreme being, and nobody is equal to him or greater than him. How he is supreme is lucidly explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we try to revive our eternal relationship with him.

Letter to Sri Krishna C. Batra -- Vrindaban 8 December, 1975:

Our International Society for Krishna Consciousness is a Bhakti yoga asram as it is enunciated in the Bhagavad-gita. The main purpose of the society is to understand the nature of God and our relationship with Him. The very word yoga means connecting link with the supreme being. We accept Krishna as the supreme being, and nobody is equal to him or greater than him. How he is supreme is lucidly explained in the Bhagavad-gita, and we try to revive our eternal relationship with him. In the Bhagavad-gita itself there are different processes of yoga systems, karma yoga, jnana yoga, dhayana yoga, hatha yoga, bhakti yoga and so many patterns of yoga. Others may practice different patterns of yoga, and we can understand that everyone is trying to pass on the path of yoga, but bhakti yoga is the ultimate goal, and if anyone is actually interested to understand God as he is, he has to come to the platform of bhakti yoga.

1976 Correspondence

The conditioned souls who have come to this world on account of forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with God is prone to be cheated, but a person who is sincere is not cheated, but he takes up the path which leads one to the perfection of life, how to love God.

Letter to Mr. Dhawan -- Vrindaban 2 April, 1976:

Question #4: why all the present religions and spiritual systems came into existence, contradicting each other when humanity is meant to follow only one religion?

Answer: Religious system means the law given by God. In every system of religion the order is to follow the instruction given by God or His representative. Unfortunately, the so-called followers deviate from the orders of the master and sometimes create their own concocted religious system. Otherwise, there can't be different religions. We therefore accept only one religion which teaches one how to love God. Any religious system which doesn't teach this, how to love God is not religion, but is cheating system. The conditioned souls who have come to this world on account of forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with God is prone to be cheated, but a person who is sincere is not cheated, but he takes up the path which leads one to the perfection of life, how to love God. The present religious and spiritual systems in varieties come into existence on account of imperfect leaders who defied the authority of God. My suggestion is therefore that the leaders who actually agree as eternal servant of God may sit together and find out the ways and means of one religious system in this world. God is one. There cannot be many gods, otherwise there is no meaning of God. In the English dictionary, you find that God means the "Supreme Being." There are unlimited number of living beings, but God is one Supreme Being. Supreme Being must be one. Nobody can be equal to Him, and nobody can be greater than Him, otherwise there is no meaning of God. At the present moment it has become a fashion to become God very cheaply, therefore, such system being very cheap and not authorized, there are so many religious systems. Otherwise, God is one, all living entities are His eternal servants, and therefore, the real religious system is to learn how to serve God.