I think that His Divine Grace Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura is always seeing my activities and guiding me within my heart by his words. As it is said in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye (SB 1.1.1). Spiritual inspiration comes from within the heart, wherein the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Paramātmā feature, is always sitting with all His devotees and associates. It is to be admitted that whatever translation work I have done is through the inspiration of my spiritual master, because personally I am most insignificant and incompetent to do this materially impossible work. I do not think myself a very learned scholar, but I have full faith in the service of my spiritual master, His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura. If there is any credit to my activities of translating, it is all due to His Divine Grace. Certainly if His Divine Grace were physically present at this time, it would have been a great occasion for jubilation, but even though he is not physically present, I am confident that he is very much pleased by this work of translation. He was very fond of seeing many books published to spread the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Therefore our society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, has been formed to execute the order of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and His Divine Grace Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura.
Not physically present
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Madhya-lila
Kṛṣṇa has two kinds of presence—prakaṭa and aprakaṭa, manifest and unmanifest. These are identical for the sincere devotee. Even if Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, the devotee's constant absorption in the affairs of Kṛṣṇa makes Him always present. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38):
- premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
- santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti
- yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
Due to his intense love, the pure devotee always sees Lord Kṛṣṇa present within his heart. All glories to Govinda, the primeval Personality of Godhead! When Kṛṣṇa is not manifest before the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, they are always absorbed in thoughts of Him. Therefore even though at that time Kṛṣṇa was living in Dvārakā, He was simultaneously present before all the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana. This was His aprakaṭa presence. Devotees who are always absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa will soon see Kṛṣṇa face to face without a doubt. In other words, devotees who are always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and are fully absorbed in thoughts of Kṛṣṇa certainly return home, back to Godhead. They then see Kṛṣṇa directly, face to face, talk with Him and enjoy His company. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9): tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna.
Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has described Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as mahā-vadānya-avatāra, the most munificent incarnation. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is not physically present now, simply by chanting His holy name (śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda) people throughout the world are becoming devotees. This is due to the ecstatic chanting of the holy name of the Lord. It is said that a pure devotee can see the Lord at every moment, and because of this he is empowered by the Lord. This is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.38): premāñjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santaḥ sadaiva hṛdayeṣu vilokayanti. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared five hundred years ago, but it cannot be said that now the potency of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is less than it was in His presence. By hearing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu through the paramparā system, one can be purified. Therefore in this verse it is said, tathāpi tāṅra darśana-śravaṇa-prabhāve. It is not that everyone is able to see Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu physically, but if one hears about Him through books like Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta and through the paramparā system of pure Vaiṣṇavas, there is no difficulty in becoming a pure Vaiṣṇava, free from mundane desires and personal motivations.
CC Antya-lila
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Tattva-darśinaḥ. Unless you have seen, how you can give information of the truth to others? So God is seen, not only seen in the history. In the history, when Kṛṣṇa was present on this planet, the history of Battle of Kurukṣetra where this Bhagavad-gītā was spoken, that is a historical fact. So we can see through history also Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa and through śāstra also. Śāstra-cakṣusā. Just like at the present moment, Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, but we understand through śāstra what is Kṛṣṇa.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Revatī-nandana: There'll be temporary changes due to Lord Caitanya's appearance. Right? Sometimes this question comes up, with the devotees especially, that it says the devotee makes advancement when the spiritual master is pleased. Right? So sometimes the spiritual master is far, far away. He may be in Los Angeles. Somebody is coming to Hamburg temple. He thinks, "How will the spiritual master be pleased?"
Prabhupāda: Just follow his order. Spiritual master is along with you by his words. Just like my spiritual master is not physically present, but I am associating with him by his words.
This is perfect conclusion, that "I shall execute the desire of Kṛṣṇa." "But Kṛṣṇa is not physically present before me. Then how I shall know what Kṛṣṇa desires?" That is not very difficult. Kṛṣṇa's representative is there, the spiritual master. If you fulfill the desire of the spiritual master, then you fulfill the desire of Kṛṣṇa. Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. That is stated by Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. If you please your spiritual master, then you know that "I have pleased Kṛṣṇa." Yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto 'pi: "If you displease your spiritual master, then you are nowhere. Your position is lost."
Therefore, yesterday we were explaining the ten kinds of offenses. Out of ten kinds of offenses, the serious offense is guror avajñā, disobedience of the order of guru. This is the verdict of the śāstra. Kṛṣṇa is helping us in so many ways. He comes personally to help us, to deliver us from these clutches of māyā, and He advises, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). And when He's not physically present, He keeps Bhagavad-gītā left by Him so that others may read and take advantage of this sublime instruction of Kṛṣṇa. So He is helping us from within—buddhi-yogaṁ dadāmi tam—from within. Tene brahma hṛdā. These statements are there in the śāstras. "He expounded the Vedic knowledge," hṛdā, "from the heart,"—brahma means Vedic knowledge, śabda-brahman—"to Brahmā." Because at that time there was nobody to instruct him. So how he got the instruction of Vedas? Because Kṛṣṇa instructed. Kṛṣṇa hoite catur-mukha, hoy kṛṣṇa-sevonmukha. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura has sung. Catur-mukha means Brahmā. So being instructed by Kṛṣṇa, Brahmā became inclined to serve Kṛṣṇa. Therefore he has written Brahma-saṁhitā. Govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi. He understands, "Here is ādi-puruṣa. I am the only creature now within the universe, so I am getting instruction from Kṛṣṇa, hṛdā, from my heart."
So Kṛṣṇa has got two kinds of existence: prakaṭa and aprakaṭa. Prakaṭa means when you see Kṛṣṇa personally. When Kṛṣṇa is present on this planet, everyone can see Kṛṣṇa. And actually, everyone saw. But only the devotees could understand that "Here is the Supreme Personality of Godhead." So that is called prakaṭa, "physically present." And there is another phase, which is called aprakaṭa, "not physically present." But that does not mean Kṛṣṇa is dead or God is dead. That does not mean. Prakaṭa or aprakaṭa, physically present or not present, it doesn't matter.
Ekānta-bhakti means unalloyed devotion. This is the secret of devotional life. Even God is not physically present, a devotee can be very much exalted by devotional service. That is the teaching of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Because the sahajiyās... Sahajiyā means persons who take things very easily, according to his sense perception, manufactured. They are called sahajiyās. But these Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, the devotees following the footprints of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, they are not sahajiyās; they are devotee of the Adhokṣaja. Beyond the sense perception, still, they are devotee. This is the secret of Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava. Beyond the sense perception. Just like Gosvāmīs. They were living at Vṛndāvana. And what sort of living? Simply in separation and search. Caitanya Mahāprabhu also taught us like that. He was searching, "Where is Kṛṣṇa? Where is Kṛṣṇa?" and feeling separation. Just like you feel sometimes with your lover separation and you search, this is our process. Always feel separation from Kṛṣṇa and try to search out. This is ekānta. This is explained here, ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaje, "He is beyond my perception. Still, my devotion is unalloyed." Not that "I cannot see where is God. Oh, what is devotion?" Just try to understand. It appears to be contradictory. Because foolish people say that "If you cannot see God, where is the question of devotion? You want to serve God, but if you cannot see God, then how you can serve?" Therefore, particularly this word is used, ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhokṣaje niveśitātmopararāma saṁsṛteḥ. That is the process.
Festival Lectures
Indian lady: Can the death of a spiritual master take to us, or I can get... Is that spiritual master still guiding after the death? (?)
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes. Just like Kṛṣṇa is guiding us, similarly, spiritual master will guide. We are being guided by Kṛṣṇa, by the Bhagavad-gītā. Although Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, so-called... Kṛṣṇa is present always. But even if we say that Kṛṣṇa is not physically present as He was present before Arjuna, still, His book, Bhagavad-gītā, is there. And that Bhagavad-gītā is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's teaching, the same, absolute. That is Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa's... Here form, the same. It is not that we are making show of offering Kṛṣṇa some food. No, we are offering directly to Kṛṣṇa and He's eating. Kṛṣṇa being absolute, He can perform through anything provided we are sincere and serious. All right.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: At the time of Kṛṣṇa... You are taking simply the portion of the time when Kṛṣṇa was present. You are saying about that. But Kṛṣṇa is present always.
Guest (1): Yes, but if you say that, in that way, then he gets because...
Prabhupāda: Just like Kṛṣṇa says in the Bhagavad-gītā, raso 'ham apsu kaunteya: (BG 7.8) "I am the taste in the water." Now, this taste in the water is perpetual. When Kṛṣṇa was physically present or Kṛṣṇa is not physically present, this is a perpetual fact. Is it not? Do you think the taste in the water was different when Kṛṣṇa was present and the taste of water is different now?
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Jayādvaita: And if we have faith in what the guru says, then automatically we'll do that.
Prabhupāda: Yes. My Guru Mahārāja passed in 1936, and I started this movement in 1965, thirty years after. Then? I am getting the mercy of guru. This is vāṇī. Even the guru is not physically present, if you follow the vāṇī, then you are getting help.
Correspondence
1967 Correspondence
"Anyone who has developed unflinching faith in the Lord and the Spiritual Master can understand the revealed scripture unfold before him." So continue your present aptitude and you will be successful in your spiritual progress. I am sure that even if I am not physically present before you. Still you will be able to execute all spiritual duties in the matter of Krishna Consciousness; if you follow the above principles. I thank you once more for your service.
Dayananda, Nandarani and Uddhava first went to L.A. to open this branch & in the absence of Dayananda, Subala and Krishna devi have come to help. Whenever there is new branch of our society for Krishna Consciousness I become very very happy, & my blessings in heart and soul are with you. I went to your country for spreading this information of Krishna Consciousness & you are helping me in my mission although I am not physically present there but spiritually I am always with you. Our procedure is very simple and consistent. We chant, we read from Bhagavad-gita & Srimad-Bhagavatam and we distribute prasadam.
1969 Correspondence
Your description of that Yogi Sai, that is also little hopeful. He is reading Bhagavad-gita and quoting some lines. So you are very intelligent; you can tackle these people very nicely, assisted by your good husband and the other boys and girls. You write that you have desire to avail of my association again, but why do you forget that you are always in association with me? When you are helping my missionary activities I am always thinking of you and you are always thinking of me. That is real association. Just like I always think of my Guru Maharaja every moment, although He is not physically present, and because I am trying to serve Him to my best capacity, I am sure He is helping me by His spiritual blessings. So there are two kinds of association: physical and preceptorial. Physical association is not so important as preceptorial association. So try to preach this Krishna Consciousness Movement amongst the hippies there, and simply induce them to chant Hare Krishna. If they kindly join in chanting Hare Krishna, that will make our movement successful. Then gradually make them more and more advanced by participating in Love Feasts and ceremonies, like Janmastami and Rathayatra. Then everything will go smoothly. The only thing wanted is that we should work very sincerely, with full faith in Krishna and the Spiritual Master. Then all help will come automatically.
| Page Title: | Not physically present |
| Compiler: | Panna, Alakananda |
| Created: | 04 of Dec, 2008 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=3, OB=0, Lec=6, Con=2, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 14 |