Nondifferent (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"non-different" |"nondifferent" |"not different"

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Balai -- San Francisco 29 December, 1967:

To answer you question regarding your names: Balai is the name of Baladeva., Krishna's elder brother. His wife is called Balai dasi, or His girlfriend is called Balai dasi. Baladeva. is not different from Krishna. He is first expansion from Krishna. All the incarnations and expansions begin from Baladeva. Lilasukha is name of Bilvamangala Thakura; this Bilvamangala Thakura was a great devotee of Krishna and he wrote a famous book Krishna Karnamrta, recognized by Lord Caitanya. Kancanbala was one of the gopis in the association of Krishna. Indira was also one of the gopis in the association of Krishna. Ekayani was the wife of a great sage who was in the Satya Yuga when all persons were paramahamsas or liberated persons. Ekayani's husband was a liberated person.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 13 February, 1968:

At the present moment there are so many Sampradayas, but we have to test them about their method of disciplic understanding. Anyway, all the four Sampradayas above mentioned, they are after worshiping the Supreme Lord Visnu, in His different Expansions, and some of them are in favor of worshiping Radha Krishna. In the later age the Brahma Sampradaya was handed down though Madhva Acarya; in this Madhva Acarya disciplic succession came Isvara Puri. This Isvara Puri was accepted as Spiritual Master of Lord Caitanya. Therefore, we being in disciplic succession of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we are known as the Madhva Sampradaya. And because Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal, which country is called Gaudadesa, our Sampradaya party is known as Madhva Gaudiya Sampradaya. But all these Sampradayas are non-different from one another because they believe and worship the Supreme Lord. Any other Sampradaya who are Impersonalist or voidist or nondevotee, they are rejected by us.

Letter to Mukunda -- Allston, Mass 6 May, 1968:

Syamasundara. wanted to go to London; what is his opinion about this? I am very much eager to open a center in London. If Syamasundara. and Malati go there, then one or two other Brahmacaris may go there to organize a center in London; and as soon as it is in makeup then I may also go there for sometime, to deal with the Beatles who are so much anxious to understand about spiritual knowledge. Any sincere person, never mind whether he is hippy or Beatle, if he is actually searching for something beyond this hackneyed material sense gratification, surely he will find the most comfortable shelter under the Lotus Feet of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Who is non-different from Lord Krishna. We should try our best, begging every person to give us some time to listen about this Krishna Consciousness movement, as it is taught by Lord Caitanya.

Letter to Sacisuta -- Montreal 17 June, 1968:

Another example is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, that Krishna begets the living entities, within the womb of material nature. The material nature is also expansion of Krishna's potency. The potency is not different from the potent. Just like the heat is not different from the fire. In other words, heat and fire is the same thing; so if we talk in that way, the material nature is the mother and Krishna is the father. But material nature being non-separable from Krishna, Krishna becomes both father and mother at the same time. The heat is fire and the fire is heat. Although you can bear the intensity of heat, but if you put into the fire, you will be burned. The heat and fire are simultaneously one and different. That is the philosophy of inconceivably one and different, expounded by Lord Caitanya. Try to understand in that way.

Letter to Gargamuni -- Montreal 18 June, 1968:

By following the disciplic succession, beginning from Krishna, everything becomes ultimately connected with Krishna. And Krishna being absolute, anything connected with Him becomes absolute, without any duality of concept like in the material world. In the material world, it is called illusion because everyone thinks I or my. But in the spiritual world, everything is Krishna. We being part and parcel of Krishna, when we surrender fully unto Krishna with sincerity of purpose, through the transparent via media of the spiritual master. One who thinks himself as Krishna's, he is non-different from Krishna. So the attitude which you are mentioning is the Grace of Krishna, and I wish by His Lordship's Mercy you will continue this aptitude of becoming more and more progressed in Krishna Consciousness. Thank you very much for thinking in such a nice way.

Letter to Tosana Krsna -- Los Angeles 13 November, 1968:

And your question about Bhisma deva, after he left this planet, he went to Vaikuntha. Because he was Narayana worshipper. In Bhisma's prayer, it is clear that he is worshipper of Four Handed Narayana. Although he knew that Narayana and Krishna are non-different, but his affection was for Narayana. Therefore he entered the Narayana loka.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Upendra -- Los Angeles 24 January, 1969:

In tending the deities, you may wash Balarama first, before washing Krishna. Krishna is always non-different from the deity of Krishna. Regarding your request for the Brihat-Sama mantra, this may be given, but a much better proposal is that you concentrate upon improving the quality of your chanting of Hare Krishna Mantra. This is more important consideration for the present time.

Letter to Sivananda -- Los Angeles 13 February, 1969:

As for your question about the ecstasy of chanting and working for Krishna, the ecstasy which is automatically manifest is very welcome, but we should not try to come to the ecstatic status by any artificial practice. You should give more stress on the importance of chanting. Working for Krishna is not different from chanting, but such work would be done under the direction of the Spiritual Master.

Letter to Syama -- Hawaii 30 March, 1969:

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.

Letter to Lilavati -- Allston, Mass 25 April, 1969:

Regarding your question about the relationship between the living entities and Krishna, the answer is that qualitatively we are one with Krishna: There is no qualitative difference, although the living entity has a different function than Krishna. Prakrti means nature. Just like fire; its nature is heat, and the heat is not a different quality although the function is different. In one sense, fire and heat are nondifferent. Therefore, Lord Caitanya's philosophy of inconceivably simultaneously one and different is the perfect philosophy of our relationship with the Absolute Truth. Everything is manifestation of the prakrti of the Lord, exactly like the heat and light of the fire. Heat and light are not different from the fire, but at the same time, heat and light are not the fire. In this way we have to understand the purusa and prakrti. The Lord is the purusa, or Enjoyer, and prakrti is the enjoyed.

Letter to Yamuna -- New Vrindaban 27 May, 1969:

The crimson color with silver decorations is quite all right. There is no strict regulation about decorating the cars. We can decorate the cars very fascinatingly with gold, silver, and other shiny metallic embroidery work as far as possible. The idea is the more we decorate Krishna, Who is nondifferent from His car also, the more we become decorated indirectly. We are compared as the shadow of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as it is stated in the Bible also, man is made after God. We understand from the scriptures that Krishna has His Vigraha, or Spiritual Body, exactly like a man who has two hands, two legs and all similar features. If you decorate your face, you do not see directly how your face has become beautiful, but when you see the reflection of your face in the mirror, then indirectly you can see the beauty. Therefore, by serving Krishna directly the result of the service indirectly comes to us.

Letter to Mandali Bhadra -- Los Angeles 28 July, 1969:

Regarding your question about Krishna's Name, the first principle is that Krishna is Absolute. He is not only identical with His Name, but with His Qualities, Form, Pastimes, Paraphernalia, etc. Krishna is identical with the whole creation because the creation means the expansion of Krishna's energy. The energy is never different from the source of the energy as much as heat and light are never different from the fire. The quality of fire is there existing both in heat and light. Naturally Krishna is not different from anything, and what to speak of His Transcendental Name? This is explained in the Bhagavad-gita where Krishna says that "everything is resting on Me, but I am not everything." This simultaneously one and different philosophy should be carefully understood. Then our Krishna Consciousness will be more clear.

Letter to Arundhati -- Hamburg 9 September, 1969:

Our position is always predominated. If we remain in that position and properly use our small independence, then we remain happily eternally. But artificially, if we want to be independent and imitate the Supreme Enjoyer, then it is delusion. Material life means trying to imitate the Enjoyer, and spiritual life means to remain in one's eternal position as enjoyed. This Hare Krishna Mantra is addressed to the energy of the Lord and the Lord Himself to keep the chanter in his eternal position of being enjoyed. The prayer is "My Lord, Oh the Spiritual Energy of the Lord, kindly keep me engaged in Your service." Regarding your other question, Krishna in His four-handed Visnu Form is within our hearts, but He is not different from two-handed Krishna.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Hamsaduta -- Los Angeles 23 January, 1970:

The next question: the body of a pure devotee is all spiritual and He is not different from His body. That is also a fact. The bodies of all living entities, even though they are not pure devotees, are not actually the bodies of the spirit soul. It is always separate from the spiritual body. The Vedic mantra confirm it by the sound vibration that this spirit soul is always nonattached with the material body. Therefore, we do not see the actual spiritual body of a pure devotee; but what we see, that is matter.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1970:

Regarding Sridhara Swami's article: I do not know what sort of article it is, but whatever it may be, the writer's name should be Swami B. R. Sridhara and not Sridhara Swami. Sridhara Swami is a different man. Besides that, there is no need of giving any short introductory note at the present moment. Whoever sends an article for publication in our paper, and if we publish such article, it is to be understood that the version of such article is not different from ours. There is no need of discussing Siksha Guru and diksa Guru in this connection.

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 10 February, 1970:

Avataras. Lord Caitanya's Abode is described in the Brahma-samhita and it is called Svetadvipa. It is an extension of Goloka Vrindaban. Gokula means "flocks of cows." Go means cow and kula means flocks. Vraja is not different from Vrndavana. Vraja means the pasturing grounds and Vrndavana is the woods where there are many Tulsi leaves. We do not find who is the mother of Subhadra, but she was one of Vasudeva's wives. So far putting kohl on the eyes of the Deities, that is not required. The Madhu demon was killed a very long time ago, in the beginning of the creation. The story may be found in one of the Puranas.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Los Angeles 14 February, 1970:

So far additions for this years Rathayatra, you may make three Rathas, one for each of the Deities. The rest of the details are already there, simply you may may supply more money for festoons, decorations, flowers, bells, flags, etc. The Spiritual Sky is far away, but you just try to do it following Jagannatha Puri Rathayatra. Jagannatha Puri or wherever Rathayatra is performed is not different from the spiritual sky.

Letter to Makhanlal -- Los Angeles 3 June, 1970:

So Lord Caitanya is combined form of Radha Krsna. If Caitanya is pleased, Radha and Krsna automatically become pleased. Now our mission, Krsna consciousness mission, is to execute the will of Lord Caitanya. In this old age whatever I am trying to do it is just to give a little service according to my capacity to Lord Caitanya's mission. I have not come here for some personal credit in this old age. I have also come here under the order of my Spiritual Master who is non-different from Lord Nityananda.

Letter to Ekayani -- Los Angeles 25 July, 1970:

Regarding your questions, the first answer is that it is correct that the body transcendental of Krsna and Krsna Himself are nondifferent. So what is the difficulty to understand that the soul of Aghasura merged into the body of Krsna? In other words Krsna benedicts the demons Whom He kills personally with the impersonal liberation of merging with Him.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Jadurani -- Calcutta 18 February, 1972:

Please accept my blessings. I have received your letter of February 4, 1972, and I shall answer your questions as follows:

(1) Varaha and Hiranyaksa were fighting on the water. Brahma was observing from the sky. The earth planet is being rescued from Garbhodaka sea, and from the earthly planet many rocks are coming while being balanced on the tusks of Varaha. Yes, the demigods are present in the sky around.

(2) Lord Brahma throwing off bodies is just like if there is some dirt on my body and I throw it off, a little disgustedly. Just like if our body becomes dirty many insects gather, and we remove these insects with one hand and throw them away.

(3) The demigods were in the clouds, and they were throwing down flowers just like water pours down from clouds.

(4) Kapiladeva's mother was questioning in the palatial house.

(5) This cosmic manifestation is different and nondifferent from the Lord, because it is coming out from His bodily effulgence; for example, from sunlight all the planets are being created, similarly, the effulgence emanating from the body of the Lord is creating so many universes.

(6) When S. Manu & his family attended arati many people and servants were there, because he was emperor or king.

(7) 1st Boar Incarnation is not different from Varaha. Lord Brahma was seeing from his plane.

Letter to Tamala Krsna -- New Vrindaban 7 September, 1972:

As it is our motto on the head of Back to Godhead, "Godhead is light, nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no darkness." The whole world is full of darkness. The so-called yogis, swamis, mayavadis, scientists, philosophers, political leaders, all are different types of glowworms, so in the darkness of cloudy night during the rainy season, the croaking of the frogs and glitterings of the glowworms are supposed to be very prominent. But as soon as there is clear sunlight or moonlight, all these insignificant glowing and croaking disappear. So our movement is Krishna. The Krishna Consciousness Movement is nondifferent from Krishna. If we therefore present the Krishna Consciousness in right earnestness, then certainly all these insignificant glowworms and frogs will have no more importance. Please therefore take it very seriously and do it on the right path which is not very difficult, then certainly we will come out victorious all over the world.

Letter to Krsnadasa -- Vrindaban 7 November, 1972:

If we are seeking to find out some fault, maya will give us all facility to find any small thing and make it very big, that is maya. But such questions as yours: why there is so-called discrepancy between the views of Bhagavat and modern scientists regarding the moon and other planets, and whether Hitler is good or bad man, these are most insignificant matters, and for anyone who is sincerely convinced that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for him these questions do not arise. Our information comes from Vedas, and if we believe Krishna, that

vedaham samatitani

vartamanani carjuna

bhavisyani ca bhutani

mam tu veda na kascana

(BG 7.26)

that He knows everything, and "vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham (BG 15.15)," that Krishna is non-different from Vedas, then these questions do not arise.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Dayananda -- Bombay 16 October, 1973:

Regarding your separating from Nandarani, nothing should be done artificially. Nandarani is not different from you. She also seeks Krsna consciousness. Your household life is not repugnant; it is favorable. . Do not separate artificially. When everyone is engaged in Krsna's service, there is no question of maya. I have got good estimation about Nandarani.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Madhavananda -- New Vrindaban 20 July, 1974:

Please accept my blessings. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter hand delivered by Brahmananda Swami. I have written to Saurabha Prabhu to send you the same pattern plans for your temple construction. You should build in the same pattern, not different. More when we meet soon.

Letter to Swami Jara Kumar -- Vrindaban 20 August, 1974:

We experience that people are becoming more friendly and helping our movement in America simply because we are performing this sankirtana yajna. I hope you can understand this. This movement is authorized and confirmed by great acaryas as well as the sastras and also by Lord Caitanya Himself Who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, non different from Krishna.

Letter to Mr. Majumdar -- Vrindaban 18 September, 1974:

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has very kindly introduced this method 500 years ago, and it has proved a very potent and active process. God being absolute, His holy names, form, pastimes, etc., are not different from Him. So this requires deep study and understanding, otherwise it is very difficult to understand. I have got my program to go to Calcutta by the end of the month. At that time you can try to meet me. But unless you intimately associate yourself with the devotees in this connection, it will be very difficult for you to understand the whole procedure.

Letter to Lilasakti -- Bombay 5 November, 1974:

I am glad to see that you are advancing in Krishna consciousness by this worship of the Deity. This is the practical application to what we find stated in the Bhagavad-gita, man manah bhava mad bhakto, mad yaji mam namaskuru. We do not speculate on what Krishna says but we follow whatever He says implicitly. I also follow this process. Every morning I go to the temple and see the Deity and offer obeisances, so I expect each and every one of my disciples should also follow what I have given in this connection, arising early, taking bath, attending mangal arati. yuktasya bhaktams ca niyunjato 'pi **. The Deity is non-different from Krishna Himself. This we have to understand.

Letter to V. S. R. Chakravarti -- Bombay 22 November, 1974:

To the jiva brahma identification is one part of acintya-bheda bheda-tattva. As spirit soul or identical brahma, or jiva brahma is identical with the Supreme Brahma or the param brahma. In this sense jiva soul is avheda or non-different from the param brahma. But on account of the param brahma being the supreme, the biggest, the identical brahma or jiva brahma being very minute, it is different from the param brahma. The summary is that the simultaneous one and different jiva brahma is simultaneously one with and different from the param brahma. Because it is appreciated simultaneously which is very difficult to comprehend by the common man, this philosophy is called acintya-bheda bheda tattva, inconceivable. This is supported by the Katho Upanisad 2/5/13 nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam/ eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman. This is almost similar to the visista-dvaita vada.

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Mr. Vincent Karl -- Mayapur 6 April, 1975:

Regarding your question, you may refer to Ādi-lila, Chapter 6, Text 79 along with the purport, (Caitanya-caritamrta). The answer is there. The basic understanding is that Sada-Siva is an expansion of Maha-Visnu and that same Sada-Siva incarnates as Advaitacarya. Therefore, since Advaitacarya is an incarnation of Sada-Siva who is non-different from Maha-Visnu, we can say that Advaitacarya is an incarnation of Maha-Visnu. It can be said both ways, that He is an incarnation of Sada-Siva or Maha-Visnu.

Letter to Gopala Krsna -- Philadelphia 14 July, 1975:

Regarding Vrindaban, yes purchase immediately that land at Rs. 20/-. I have already advised the bank to issue one letter of credit for up to Rs. one lakh. If the cost is more, then we shall pay. Atul Krishna Goswami has given a good certificate. Yes, everybody says like that, that I am incarnation of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Actually Krishna and Krishna's representative are not different. Anything that is Krishna's is not different from Krishna. Therefore it is said saksadharitvena 'samasta sastrair. The spiritual master is accepted by all advanced devotees as Hari.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Yasomatinandana -- Vrindaban 24 September, 1976:

Regarding against propoganda, it is going on practically everywhere, especially Bengal. So we have to work very sincerely and Krishna will give us protection. The only hope, we can understand that demons are disturbed. That is quite natural. When Krishna was born, from the day of His birth, the demons wanted to kill him in so many ways but practically it was found that demons were killed by Krishna and He established His mission yada yada hi dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata/ abhyutthanam adharmasya tadatmanam srjamyaham (BG 4.7). So if we work sincerely, the Krishna Consciousness Movement is non-different from Krishna. As Krishna killed all the demons, we should also be able to kill all demons if we remain faithful in the discharge of our mission.

Letter to Makhanlal -- Vrindaban 24 October, 1976:

My blessings are always with you as you have requested. You are a very good devotee and servant of Krsna. So far your questions are concerned. Nityananda is the principle of the Guru. So, the Gurudeva is the incarnation of Nityananda. Anyone strictly following the instruction of the Guru is following Nityananda. The price one has to pay if he wants to become Krsna conscious is that he must dedicate himself to following the order of the spiritual master, mahat seva. If the Spiritual Master is pleased with disciple then the blessings of Guru will be there. That is the best way to become Krsna conscious, and Krsna is non-different from Nityananda. You may pray to Lord Nityananda to help you become dedicated in the service of your Guru. Krsna consciousness cannot be achieved artificially. You should approach Nityananda Prabhu through your Spiritual Master.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Nandarani, Unknown -- Unknown Place Unknown Date:

What is the real meaning of Omkara?

It is explained clearly in the twenty-first chapter of the Teachings of Lord Caitanya that the sound representation of Omkara is non-different than Krsna. Omkara is one of Krsna's innumerable incarnations and as such Omkara is completely transcendental. The impersonalist, however, has a tendency to place more emphasis on Omkara and less on the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Lord Caitanya appeared specifically to teach personal love of God through the chanting of the supreme Name of Krsna. For purification we need concern ourselves with no other teachings than those of Lord Caitanya; and what He taught was that in this age of Kali there is no other way to achieve God-realization than by chanting the Holy Names Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Omkara is there, and one may chant Omkara and achieve impersonal realization. But we are Vaisnavas and we are seeking the supreme perfection. Therefore we are chanting the supreme Name—Krsna.