Illusory energy (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"illusory energy" |"illusory energies"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

You must know that all these honours and prestiges were false in as much as they were created by the Illusory Energy of Godhead called the maya.

Letter to Mahatma Gandhi -- Cawnpore 12 July, 1947: I tell you as a sincere friend that you must immediately retire from active politics if you do not desire to die an inglorious death. You have 125 years to live as you have desired to live but you if you die an inglorious death it is no worth. The honour and prestige that you have obtained during the course of you present life time, were not possible to be obtained by any one else within the living memory. But you must know that all these honours and prestiges were false in as much as they were created by the Illusory Energy of Godhead called the maya. By this falsity I do not mean to say that your so many friends were false to you nor you were false to them. By this falsity I mean illusion or in other words the false friendship and honours obtained thereby were but creation of maya and therefore they are always temporary or false as you may call it. But none of you neither your friends nor yourself knew this truth.

When a living entity improperly uses god-gifted independence, he at once develops the demonic qualities in contact with the illusory Energy of Godhead and becomes a full-fledged asura.

Letter to Gita Mandir Trust -- Calcutta 1 September, 1949: When a living entity improperly uses god-gifted independence and apply such independence for sense-gratification without fulfilling the will or the plan of Godhead, he at once develops the demonic qualities in contact with the illusory Energy of Godhead and becomes a full-fledged asura. But one who do not misuse the God gifted independence and does not engage himself in the act of sense-gratification but fulfills the plan of the Godhead, continues to be a deva or godly. In this act of sense-gratification the asura children of Godhead forgets the plan of Godhead and therefore tries to exploit the state of Godhead for their own benefit which is sometime centralized but sometimes extended. The gods or the godly sons of Godhead do not act like this and they are therefore distinguished from the asuras.

This illusory energy of Godhead is conducted under three modes of nature under the name of mundane goodness, passion and ignorance.

Letter to R. Prakash -- Allahabad 22 June, 1951: In the spiritual line of disciplic succession from Sri Brahmaji who was first transcendental student of the Vedas down to my spiritual master as above mentioned, the Vedic culture is aimed at reestablishing the eternal relation of living entity with the Absolute Truth of Whom the living entities are but parts & parcels. Forgetfulness of that eternal relation is called maya or illusion. This illusory energy of Godhead is conducted under three modes of nature under the name of mundane goodness, passion and ignorance. The whole material world is the creation of the external illusory energy of Godhead and the living entities who forget the eternal relation with Godhead are so to say entrapped by maya to undergo a conditional life under the modes of nature.

1967 Correspondence

Thank you for describing your meeting with a Maya the illusory energy and combating her by Krishna consciousness.

Letter to Brahmananda -- San Francisco 14 March, 1967: Please accept my thanks and blessings of Lord Krishna for your letter of the 12th instant describing your meeting with a Maya the illusory energy and combating her by Krishna consciousness. In future if any one challenges our philosophy one may put his questions in writing and must be prepared to receive the answers from human understanding. We cannot talk with any one who is not within the purview of human understanding. You are completely right when you refuse to debate and accept invitation for chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra. Although we should not chant in a society which is disruptive but as soon as one invites us for chanting we take it for granted that they are friendly and we must take the opportunity.

As a man haunted by a ghost talks so much nonsense, so also when a man is overpowered by the illusory energy—maya, also talks all sorts of nonsense.

Letter to Pradyumna -- Calcutta 17 October, 1967: Regarding Kirtanananda, he is undoubtedly a good soul, but lately he has been attacked by maya; he thinks too much of himself—even at the risk of disobeying his spiritual master & talking nonsense about Krishna. As a man haunted by a ghost talks so much nonsense, so also when a man is overpowered by the illusory energy—maya, also talks all sorts of nonsense. The last attack of maya upon the conditioned souls is impersonalism. There are 4 stages of attack of maya; viz.: 1) stage is that a man wants to be a protagonist of religion, 2) is that man neglects religiosity and tries to improve his economic development, 3) is to be protagonist of sense enjoyment & when a man is frustrated in all the above mentioned stages he comes to, 4) which is impersonalism, and thinks himself one with the Supreme. This last attack is very serious and fatal. Kirtanananda has very recently developed the 4th stage malady on account of his negligence & disobedience to his spiritual master. Sometimes a foolish patient when he is out of feverish attack by the grace of the physician, thinks that he is cured and does not take precaution against relapse. Kirtanananda's position is like that. Because he helped the society in starting the Montreal center I thought he is now able to start other branches & when he asked me to give him sannyasa I agreed taking the opportunity of his presence in Vrndavana. Simply by his Sannyas dress he thought himself as cured of all material diseases & all mistakes but under the influence of maya, he thought himself a liberated patient, just as the foolish patient thinks himself cured from the disease.

Of course, those who are sincere devotee, they take direct service as an opportunity, but the illusory energy is so strong that it acts on this doctrine of familiarity breeds contempt.

Letter to Madhusudana -- San Francisco 30 December, 1967: It is better service to Krishna and Spiritual Master in a feeling of separation; sometimes there is risk in the matter of direct service. For example, Kirtanananda was giving me direct service by massaging, cooking for me, and so many other things; but later on by dictation of Maya, he became puffed up, so much so that he thought his Spiritual Master a common man, and was existing only on account of his service. This mentality at once pushed him down. Of course, those who are sincere devotee, they take direct service as an opportunity, but the illusory energy is so strong that it acts on this doctrine of familiarity breeds contempt. Kirtanananda was thinking I was existing on his service, instead of realizing I was giving him opportunity to do me some service.

1968 Correspondence

The more a man advances in his material adventures, the more he becomes covered by the illusory energy.

Letter to Yadunandana -- San Francisco 13 April, 1968: We do not condemn any religion because the Bhagavatam says that the religious process is the best by which one can attain love of God. So we are teaching Love of Godhead, not any particular type of religion. Our Krishna Conscious movement is not a religious movement; it is a movement for purifying the heart. Modern civilization is defying the authority of the Personality of Godhead; the more a man advances in his material adventures, the more he becomes covered by the illusory energy.

Under the pressure of illusory energy, especially in the age of "Kali," all the people of the world are unhappy.

Letter to George Harrison -- Los Angeles 16 February, 1970: In other words, when a living entity, by rendering service to the Lord, feels happy, the Lord enjoys the situation.

Under the pressure of illusory energy, especially in the age of "Kali," all the people of the world are unhappy; but I am sure if they take to this simple chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

under the guidance of Lord Caitanya, certainly they will be happy.

I know that both you and John are very good souls. Both of you are pledged to do something for the peace of the world. By the grace of Krsna, you have already realized to some extent about the necessity and importance of Hare Krsna movement in the world. Similarly, if John also does so, it will be a great event.

1970 Correspondence

All living entities have become under control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 28 April, 1970: Yes, publish the Bengali poem which I am sending herewith. Get it transliterated by Pradyumna. The meaning is as follows:

My Dear Lord Krsna, You are so kind upon this useless soul, but I do not know why You have brought me here. Now You can do whatever You like with me. 1

But I can guess that You have got some business here, otherwise why should You call me here which is demoniac. 2

Most of the population here is covered by ignorance and passion modes of nature, and I do not know how they will be able to understand the transcendental message of Vasudeva. 3

But I know Your causeless mercy can make everything possible because You are the most expert mystic. 4

Therefore, I am simply praying for Your mercy so that I can be able to convince them about Your message. 5

All living entities have become under control of the illusory energy by Your will, and therefore, if You like, by Your will they can also be released from the clutches of illusion. 6

If You so desire, I wish that You may deliver them, and only by Your such desire all of them will be able to understand Your message. 7

The words of Srimad-Bhagavatam are Your incarnation, and if they receive it in submissive aural reception, repeatedly, then they will be able to understand your message. 8

1972 Correspondence

As your understanding increases, so will your disgust with the spell of illusory energy and when you voluntarily give up your entanglements in the material world, then the progress is assured.

Letter to Bob -- Los Angeles 16 June, 1972: Yes, by having some faith in me and in this Krishna Consciousness process, that is the first and only requirement for getting actual wisdom. If there is faith, understanding will follow. And as your understanding increases, so will your disgust with the spell of illusory energy and when you voluntarily give up your entanglements in the material world, then the progress is assured.