Kṛṣṇa-bhaktas are free from all material desires. Those who are liberated theoretically by knowing simply that the living entity is not material may still have desires, although they may be technically classified amongst liberated souls. Their main desire is to become one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally such persons are very much attached to Vedic rituals and righteous activities, performing them in order to enjoy material prosperity. Even when some of them transcend material enjoyment, they still try to enjoy the spiritual world by merging into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Some of them are also desirous of attaining mystic powers through the execution of yoga. As long as these desires are within one's heart, he cannot understand the nature of pure devotional service. When one is constantly being agitated by such desires, he is not peaceful. Indeed, as long as there is any desire for material perfection at all, one cannot be at peace. Since the devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa do not desire anything material, they are the only peaceful persons within this material world. This is confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
Material perfection
Expressions researched:
"material mystic perfections"
|"material perfection"
|"material perfections"
|"material yoga perfections"
|"perfection in the material"
|"perfection in this material"
|"perfection of material"
|"perfectional life in the material"
|"perfectional stage? In this material"
|"perfections of material"
|"perfections only of the material"
|"perfections that are material"
|"perfections, are material"
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
There are still others who engage themselves in different kinds of mystic yogas like the Patañjali system (for merging into the existence of the Absolute), or haṭha-yoga or aṣṭāṅga-yoga (for particular perfections). And some travel to all the sanctified places of pilgrimage. All these practices are called yoga-yajña, sacrifice for a certain type of perfection in the material world.
The ultimate goal in practicing yoga is now clearly explained. Yoga practice is not meant for attaining any kind of material facility; it is to enable the cessation of all material existence. One who seeks an improvement in health or aspires after material perfection is no yogī according to Bhagavad-gītā. Nor does cessation of material existence entail one's entering into "the void," which is only a myth. There is no void anywhere within the creation of the Lord. Rather, the cessation of material existence enables one to enter into the spiritual sky, the abode of the Lord.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 2
The whole material creation is a jugglery of names only; in fact, it is nothing but a bewildering creation of matter like earth, water and fire. The buildings, furniture, cars, bungalows, mills, factories, industries, peace, war or even the highest perfection of material science, namely atomic energy and electronics, are all simply bewildering names of material elements with their concomitant reactions of the three modes.
Those who are after fruitive results for their pious activities, those who desire salvation and identity with the Supreme, and those who desire material perfections of mystic power are all restless because they want something for themselves, but the devotee is completely peaceful because he has no demand for himself and is always ready to serve the desire of the Lord.
Those who are on the path of self-realization are generally classified as karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs, or devotees of the Lord. The karmīs, who are much attracted by the fruitive activities of the Vedic rituals, are called bhukti-kāmī, or those who desire material enjoyment. The jñānīs, who try to become one with the Supreme by mental speculation, are called mukti-kāmī, or those who desire liberation from material existence. The mystic yogīs, who practice different types of austerities for attainment of eight kinds of material perfection and who ultimately meet the Supersoul (Paramātmā) in trance, are called siddhi-kāmī, or those who desire the perfection of becoming finer than the finest, becoming heavier than the heaviest, getting everything desired, having control over everyone, creating everything liked, etc. All these are abilities of a powerful yogī. But the devotees of the Lord do not want anything like that for self-satisfaction.
Those who are after fruitive results for their pious activities, those who desire salvation and identity with the Supreme, and those who desire material perfections of mystic power are all restless because they want something for themselves, but the devotee is completely peaceful because he has no demand for himself and is always ready to serve the desire of the Lord.
SB Canto 3
Therefore, one who fully engages in devotional service is always liberated. Bilvamaṅgala Ṭhākura, a great devotee of the Lord, stated: "If I have unflinching devotion to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, then Mother Liberation is always engaged in my service. The complete perfection of material enjoyment, religion and economic development is at my command."
Thus because he is completely absorbed in thought of Me, the devotee does not desire even the highest benediction obtainable in the upper planetary systems, including Satyaloka. He does not desire the eight material perfections obtained from mystic yoga, nor does he desire to be elevated to the kingdom of God. Yet even without desiring them, the devotee enjoys, even in this life, all the offered benedictions.
SB Canto 4
The Vedas provide the right direction for advancing in spiritual cultivation and economic development and regulating the principle of sense gratification, so that ultimately one may be liberated from material contamination to his real state of spiritual identification (ahaṁ brahmāsmi). As long as one is in the contamination of material existence, one changes bodies from the aquatics up to the position of Brahmā, but the human form of life is the highest perfectional life in the material world. The Vedas give directions by which to elevate oneself in the next life. The Vedas are the mother for such instructions, and the brāhmaṇas, or persons who are in knowledge of the Vedas, are the father.
This statement is from the Siddhas, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, where the eight kinds of material perfection are complete. The residents of Siddhaloka have full control in the eight kinds of yogic perfection, but from their statement it appears that they are pure devotees. They always merge in the nectarean river of hearing of the pastimes of the Lord. Hearing of the pastimes of the Lord is called kṛṣṇa-kathā.
SB Canto 5
The real purpose of the yoga system is to achieve the favor and shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but this purpose is covered by the illusory energy of yogamāyā. So-called yogīs are therefore allured by the superficial material perfections of aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti and so forth. Consequently ordinary yogīs cannot compare to Lord Ṛṣabhadeva, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Karmīs, jñānīs and yogīs are after some material elevation. The karmīs work hard day and night for some bodily comfort, and the jñānīs simply speculate about how to get out of the entanglement of karma and merge into the Brahman effulgence. The yogīs are very much addicted to the acquisition of material perfection and magical powers. All of them are trying to be materially perfect, but a devotee very easily comes to the platform of nirguṇa in devotional service, and consequently for the devotee the results of karma, jñāna and yoga become very insignificant. Therefore only the devotee is on the platform of tattva jñāna, not the others.
"One who falls from the path of self-realization takes birth in a family of brāhmaṇas or wealthy aristocrats." Although Mahārāja Bharata appeared in the royal family, he became neglectful and took birth as a deer. Because he was very cautious within his deer body, he took birth in a brāhmaṇa family as Jaḍa Bharata. During this lifetime, he remained perfectly Kṛṣṇa conscious and preached the gospel of Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly, beginning with his instructions to Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa. In this regard, the word yogāya is very significant. The purpose of aṣṭāṅga-yoga, as stated by Madhvācārya, is to link or connect with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The goal is not to display some material perfections.
SB Canto 9
For a devotee there is no pain, pleasure or material perfection. One may argue that at the time of death a devotee also suffers because of giving up his material body. But in this connection the example may be given that a cat carries a mouse in its mouth and also carries a kitten in its mouth. Both the mouse and the kitten are carried in the same mouth, but the perception of the mouse is different from that of the kitten. When a devotee gives up his body (tyaktvā deham), he is ready to go back home, back to Godhead. Thus his perception is certainly different from that of a person being taken away by Yamarāja for punishment.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
By various methods, some yogīs free the body from disease and old age and keep it perpetually youthful. Thus they engage in yoga for the purpose of achieving material mystic perfections.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Following the example of the gopīs, the devotees sometimes worship the goddess Kātyāyanī, but they understand that Kātyāyanī is an incarnation of Yogamāyā. The gopīs worshiped Kātyāyanī, Yogamāyā, to attain Kṛṣṇa as their husband. On the other hand, it is stated in the Sapta-śatī scripture that a kṣatriya king named Suratha and a rich vaiśya named Samādhi worshiped material nature in the form of goddess Durgā to attain material perfection. If one tries to mingle the worship of Yogamāyā with that of Mahāmāyā, considering them one and the same, he does not really show very high intelligence. The idea that everything is one is a kind of foolishness indulged in by those with less brain substance.
The unwanted creepers have been described by Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. He states that if one hears and chants without trying to give up offenses, one becomes materially attached to sense gratification. One may also desire freedom from material bondage like the Māyāvādīs, or one may become attached to the yoga-siddhis and desire wonderful yogic powers. If one is attached to wonderful material activities, one is called siddhi-lobhī, greedy for material perfection.
“To taste the fruit of devotional service in Goloka Vṛndāvana is the highest perfection of life, and in the presence of such perfection, the four material perfections—religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation—are very insignificant achievements.
The highest achievement attained by the jñānīs, or impersonalists, is becoming one with the Supreme, generally known as mokṣa, liberation. The highest achievements of the yogīs are the eight material perfections, such as aṇimā, laghimā and prāpti. Yet these are nothing compared to the eternal bliss of the devotee who returns back to Godhead and tastes the fruit of devotional service to the lotus feet of the Lord. The material perfections, even up to the point of liberation, are very insignificant in comparison; therefore the pure devotee is never interested in such things. His only interest is in perfecting his devotional service to the Lord.
"As long as there is not the slightest fragrance of pure love of Kṛṣṇa, which is the perfect medicinal herb for controlling Lord Kṛṣṇa within the heart, the opulences of the material perfections known as the siddhis, the brahminical perfections (satya, śama, titikṣā and so on), the trance of the yogīs and the monistic bliss of Brahman all seem wonderful for men."
There are different types of perfections known as siddhi-vraja, and also the perfections of achieving brahminical qualifications, yogic trance and merging into the Supreme. All these material perfections are certainly very attractive for a mundane person, but their brilliance exists only as long as one does not take to devotional service. Devotional service can control the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the supreme controller of all universal affairs.
The word "hetu" ("cause") means that a thing is done for some motive. There can be three motives. One may act to enjoy the result personally, to achieve some material perfection, or to attain liberation.
The devotees are divided into three categories—akāma (desireless), mokṣa-kāma (desiring liberation) and sarva-kāma (desiring material perfection).
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lord Caitanya thus explained briefly the transcendental situation and spiritual enjoyment of life, and He taught that the first stage of perfection is to become a religious man in the ordinary sense, as known in the material world. The second stage of perfection is to become materially rich. The third stage of material perfection is the attainment of complete sense enjoyment, and in the fourth stage there is knowledge of liberation. Above this platform are those on the fifth stage who are already liberated and who are established in Kṛṣṇa consciousness or devotional service to the Lord. In the highest perfection of devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one experiences the taste of the ecstasy of spiritual relish.
Nectar of Devotion
Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest, because it is eternal. The happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman.
The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogīs are eight in number. Aṇimā-siddhi refers to the power by which one can become so small that he can enter into a stone. Modern scientific improvements also enable us to enter into stone, because they provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc. So aṇimā-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into stone, has also been achieved by material science. Similarly, all of the yoga-siddhis, or perfections, are material arts. For example, in one yoga-siddhi there is development of the power to become so light that one can float in the air or on water. That is also being performed by modern scientists. They are flying in the air, they are floating on the surface of the water, and they are traveling under the water.
There are many standards of perfection. The highest material perfections, obtained by perfect yogīs, are listed as eight: to become the smallest of the small, to become the greatest of the great, etc. All of these material perfections, as well as all spiritual perfections, can be found fully in Kṛṣṇa's personality.
Nectar of Instruction
Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura remarks that the cultivation of knowledge by philosophical speculation, the collection of mundane opulence by the advancement of fruitive activities, and the desire for yoga-siddhis, material perfections, are all contrary to the principles of devotional service. One has to become thoroughly callous to such nonpermanent activities and turn his intention instead to the regulative principles of devotional service.
Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead
The Vedic injunction is that no one can have full knowledge without being under the guidance of an ācārya. Ācāryavān puruṣo veda: one who has accepted an ācārya knows what is what. The Absolute Truth cannot be understood by arguments. One who has attained the perfect brahminical stage naturally becomes renounced; he does not strive for material gain because by spiritual knowledge he has come to the conclusion that in this world there is no insufficiency. Everything is sufficiently provided by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A real brāhmaṇa, therefore, does not endeavor for material perfection; rather, he approaches a bona fide spiritual master to accept orders from him.
Renunciation Through Wisdom
According to the above verse, the devotees attain the highest perfection—that is, they join the elevated corps of the Lord's eternal associates. The mystic yogī's eightfold mystic perfection is not the same as the devotee's para-siddhi, or "highest perfection." While mystic yoga brings perfections that are material and temporary, devotional service to the Supreme Lord brings absolute perfection, which is transcendental and eternal.
Message of Godhead
According to Patañjali's system, mysticism means perfect control of the mental plane with its various fickle inclinations. According to Patañjali, the transcendental state is to become free from sensuous activities and to attain the stage of perfection perceptible purely by the spirit soul. In such a state, the attention of the mystic never deviates from that spiritual achievement. The eightfold material perfections—such as aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, prākāmya, and so on—are concomitant in the attainment of perfection in mysticism, and are but indirect by-products of that process.
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental. Moral codes, they are up to material perfection. Of course, one who has not attained material perfection, he cannot attain to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Just like one who has not passed his graduation in the university, he cannot take up law course.
So one who is serious about Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all these wonderful things, they do not captivate. You see? For them, two cents worth. Two cents. Suppose you can fly in the air. What is that? A rich man pay something to the aeroplane and, say, hundred dollars. He can fly from one place to another. Modern science, modern, has made everything cheap. So don't be after this perfection, material perfection. Any kind of material perfection will not solve our real problem. Our real problem is how to get rid of this material entanglement, the threefold miseries, birth after birth, I am going, repeating transmigration of, repetition of, getting one birth after... These are the problems.
There are still others who engage themselves in different kinds of mystic yogas like the Patañjali system for merging into the existence of the Absolute, or haṭha-yoga or aṣṭāṅga-yoga, for particular perfections. And some travel to all the sanctified places of pilgrimage. All these practices are called yoga-yajña, sacrifice for a certain type of perfection in the material world.
Ātma-viśuddhaye. The whole process is, yoga system is, for purifying ātmā. Purifying ātmā... You always remember that ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the soul. So purifying these things. So yoga system is made not that cheaply I want some power. Sometimes the yogis they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfect, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogis, they do not exhibit it.
So you can become Kṛṣṇa conscious while drinking any liquid or water, while seeing the sunshine, while seeing the moonshine, while, if you are a scholar, brāhmaṇa, advanced, while chanting the praṇava, praṇavaḥ sarva-vedeṣu. Or even if you, sound, if you hear the sound... There are so many sounds going on. If you remember Kṛṣṇa. And also, pauruṣaṁ nṛṣu. Pauruṣam. You meet so many men in your dealings with this material world. There are many very big, big men. Big, big industrialists, big, big scholars, big, big manufacturers, and big, big bankers. So this is pauruṣam, ode(?) who has attained perfection in the material world.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Ordinary way to accumulate crores of rupees, it may not be possible in your life. But if some friend or some rich man becomes kind upon you and delivers you, "Take it," you can get it immediately, without any hard labor. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa, the supreme rich man, supreme rich being, is offering you, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām... (BG 18.66). "You haven't got to do anything. Come on. You surrender unto Me, and I give you immediately liberation." Ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ. There is no anxiety.So that is Kṛṣṇa. He can give you immediately liberation. Simply you have to surrender. Therefore He's deva-deva. Sometimes we go to this demigod, to that demigod for some material perfection or ultimate liberation. But Kṛṣṇa can give you liberation within a second. That is Kṛṣṇa.
This is Dhruva Mahārāja said. He had desires, very, very great desires that "I shall have, I shall possess a kingdom greater than Brahmā, greater than my father." He was insulted by his stepmother. This is desire. This is We are Action and reaction. So he desired that "I shall have a great kingdom—greater kingdom than my father." He went to the forest and he underwent very severe austerities, a five-years-old boy. He saw, Kṛṣṇa came. So when He wanted to give him, fulfill his desires, he said, svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce: "No, no, no, no. I have nothing to ask from You." This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. No more desires. Otherwise, karmī, jñānī, yogi, and bhakta. Akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ (SB 2.3.10). Mokṣa-kāma, the jñānīs they want mokṣa, to merge into the existence of Brahman. The yogis, they want siddhis, some perfection, material perfection, to show some magic. And the karmīs, they want sense gratification. Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu said that karmī jñānī yogi sakali aśānta. Aśānta, they cannot be at peace because they are desiring. So long you want, you desire, there will be no peace. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva śānta (CC Madhya 19.149).
Similarly, those who are already engrossed in material qualities, the science of God is not their subject matter at all. So that is the test. Just like who shall be the guru? Whose subject matter is only Kṛṣṇa or God, he shall be guru, not an amateur man. He is doing some other business, and in some pastime he makes a guru business. No, that is not their subject matter. The subject matter is different.
Therefore Śrīdhāra Swami says, aviṣayatvāc ca tasya ity āha, gobhir indriyair na cittena: "Because the subject matter is not for them, however they may exercise their senses, gobhiḥ..." Go means indra (indriya). Simply by exercising... Just like there are so many yogis. They exercise their senses only—yama, niyama, prāṇāyāma—senses. But it is not their subject matter to understand God. They may show some jugglery or some gymnastic, wonderful, or they may get some material perfection, animā... The eight kinds of perfection in yoga system... One can become very small. Just like there was a trailiṅga swami in Benares. He was staying naked on the street, and the police objected, and he was put into police custody. He again came out. That means people became more devoted to him. But still... This is a perfection by the gymnastic of yoga process, but that does not mean he knows God.
Therefore Kṛṣṇa is called Yogeśvara. By yogic power one can have anything he desires. But that is not possible in this material world, but people try to achieve as far as possible these yogic powers. They are called eight kinds of siddhis, perfection. So there is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. So here it is meant, siddha-mukhyāḥ. Mukhya means the chief of the siddhas. They also cannot manufacture religion. Although they have got all the perfections of material existence, still, they cannot. Now, in this world, just like in Christian religion also... Because in... What is that king? John? He did not like that one man cannot marry more than once. He started the Protestant religion. Is it not?
Although Prahlāda Mahārāja stands there, the first-class devotee... Because all other demigods, they are also devotees, they could not pacify the Lord, and they pushed Prahlāda Mahārāja, that "My dear boy, you do it." So in that meeting he was the first-class devotee, but he presents himself that "I am ugra-jāteḥ. I am born of demoniac father." So when brahmādayaḥ, demigods like Brahmā, sura-ganaḥ, and other demigods, munayaḥ, great sages, and siddhaḥ... Siddhaḥ means those who have got many material perfections. There is a planet which is called Siddhaloka. In Siddhaloka the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, they can fly in the air without any machine. Just like in this planet we can fly in the space with the help of some machine, but in the Siddhaloka they can fly in this body. They have got eight kinds of siddhas, perfection, material perfection. So out of that, this perfection is called laghimā. They can become so light that they can fly in the air. They are called Siddhas.
Siddhaloka means there the inhabitants are so highly elevated. They are also materialists. They are also not spiritualists. But still, they are materially so advanced that the description is... Here, in this planet, we are flying in the sky in the outer space with some machine, but there, in that planet, Siddhaloka, the persons are so elevated, either you call materially or spiritually... Actually, they are materially. These are material, that they can fly in the sky without any machine, without any machine. Wherever they like, they can go. Whatever they want, immediately... That is yoga-siddhi. You have heard of so much advertisement of yoga. Actually, when one becomes perfect in yoga, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, eight kinds of material perfection, that he can become the smallest... Smaller than the atom he can become. He can go out from anywhere. You lock him in airtight packed, but he'll come out. This is called animā-siddhi.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Acyutānanda (reading): "Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal, but the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is only temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived from identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."
Prabhupāda: Yes. Happiness, it is our experience that happiness derived from material enjoyment, that is not permanent. That we can understand. But happiness of identifying oneself with Brahman, ahaṁ brahmāsmi, nirbheda-brahmānusandhana, that happiness is also not permanent.
Pradyumna (reading): " 'Happiness In Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.' Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has analyzed the different sources of happiness. He has divided happiness into three categories, which are (1) happiness derived from material enjoyment, (2) happiness derived by identifying oneself with the Supreme Brahman, and (3) happiness derived (through) from Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In the tantra-śāstra, Lord Śiva speaks to his wife, Satī, in this way: 'My dear wife, a person who has surrendered himself to the lotus feet of Govinda and who has thus developed pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be very easily awarded all the perfections desired by the impersonalists; and beyond this, he can enjoy the happiness achieved by the pure devotees.' Happiness derived from pure devotional service is the highest because it is eternal. But the happiness derived from material perfection or understanding oneself to be Brahman is inferior because it is temporary. There is no preventing one's falling down from material happiness, and there is even every chance of falling down from the spiritual happiness derived out of identifying oneself with the impersonal Brahman."
Prabhupāda: This we have explained last night, how the, a person enjoying happiness as Brahman realization... There are many examples, both in the East and the West.
Pradyumna (reading) :But a person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness will never return to any sort of material platform. However alluring and attracting they may be, he always knows that no material welfare activities can be compared with the spiritual activity of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The mystic perfections achieved by actually successful yogis are eight in number. Aṇimā-siddhi refers to the power by which one can become so small that he can enter into a stone. Modern scientific improvements also enable us to enter into stone because they provide for excavating so many subways, penetrating the hills, etc. So aṇimā-siddhi, the mystic perfection of trying to enter into stone, has also been achieved by material science. Similarly, all of the yoga siddhis, or perfections, are material arts."
Prabhupāda: Yoga siddhis, they are simply material arts.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
A yogi can become very light. They can become the smallest. Such siddhis, such mystic powers, they can attain. So they have also demand. They are trying to get some material perfection. Just like flying in the sky or walking on the water—these things are very wonderful, and people are very much amazed. If you can walk on the water, so many followers you will get immediately. That is a wonderful thing for common man.
Initiation Lectures
If you want śānti, peacefulness, then you have to become completely Kṛṣṇa conscious-kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma—because he has no more demand. And bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. And those who are karmīs, trying to elevate material position, they are all disturbed. And mukti, those who are hankering after liberation, he is also disturbed. And siddhi, those who are yogis hankering after some material perfection, mystic perfection, he is also disturbed.
General Lectures
Athāto brahma jijñāsā. When one has reached to the material perfection, then the next business is to inquire. If we do not inquire, if we do not try to understand what is Brahman, then we must be frustrated. Because the hankering is there, advancement, advancement of knowledge. The theory of advancement of knowledge is that nobody should be satisfied by the knowledge, what he already knows. He must know more and more.
Just like mango, when it is ripe, somebody eats, that's all right. Otherwise it will overripe, it will decompose, it will fall down, and finish. That is material. But spiritual is not like that. It is not finished. If you once come to the stage of mature stage of love, then that perfectional stage continues eternally, and your life is successful. Premā pum-artho mahān. There are many different types of perfection in this material world.
Correspondence
1968 Correspondence
Your question, "Is it to be understood that once the yogi sees the Narayana Form, his desires for travel and material perfections cease? (as did the desires of Dhruva Maharaja) Or do the yogis still persist in desiring to do wonders even after seeing Narayana Form? You say, in your essay, Super Consciousness, that the topmost is to see Narayana Form and take dictation. In short the question is, is it true that the yogi who is travelling to planets and performing siddhis—has never seen Narayana?" The example of Dhruva Maharaja, he was a devotee. The yogis are not devotees. They are more or less after some material perfection. But generally one who sees Narayana, he becomes a devotee.
| Page Title: | Material perfection |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Labangalatika, Sureshwardas |
| Created: | 09 of Jan, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=2, SB=13, CC=8, OB=9, Lec=18, Con=0, Let=1 |
| No. of Quotes: | 51 |