This development of conjugal love for Kṛṣṇa is not manifested in women only. The material body has nothing to do with spiritual loving affairs. A woman may develop an attitude for becoming a friend of Kṛṣṇa, and, similarly, a man may develop the feature of becoming a gopī in Vṛndāvana. How a devotee in the form of a man can desire to become a gopī is stated in the Padma Purāṇa as follows: In days gone by there were many sages in Daṇḍakāraṇya. Daṇḍakāraṇya is the name of the forest where Lord Rāmacandra lived after being banished by His father for fourteen years. At that time there were many advanced sages who were captivated by the beauty of Lord Rāmacandra and who desired to become women in order to embrace the Lord. Later on, these sages appeared in Gokula Vṛndāvana when Kṛṣṇa advented Himself there, and they were born as gopīs, or girl friends of Kṛṣṇa. In this way they attained the perfection of spiritual life.
Perfection of spiritual life
Expressions researched:
"perfection in spiritual life"
|"perfection of our spiritual life"
|"perfection of spiritual life"
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
The target of perfection and realization is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Sixth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā it is clearly said that one who constantly engages in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the topmost yogī. The Personality of Godhead, Hari, also fulfills the desires of His surrendered devotee. One has to surrender unto the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead, Hari, or Kṛṣṇa, in order to achieve real success. Devotional service, or engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is the direct method, and all other methods, although recommended, are indirect. In this age of Kali the direct method is especially more feasible than the indirect because people are short-living, their intelligence is poor, and they are poverty-stricken and embarrassed by so many miserable disturbances. Lord Caitanya, therefore, has given the greatest boon: in this age one simply has to chant the holy name of God to attain perfection in spiritual life.
The perfection of transcendental life can be achieved simply by touching the holy dust of the lotus feet of a holy man. In the Bhāgavatam it is said, mahat-pāda-rajo-'bhiṣekam, which means to be blessed by the holy dust of the lotus feet of a mahat, a great devotee. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mahātmānas tu: those who are great souls are under the spell of spiritual energy, and their symptom is that they fully engage in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the service of the Lord. Therefore they are called mahat. Unless one is fortunate enough to have the dust of the lotus feet of a mahātmā on one's head, there is no possibility of perfection in spiritual life.
There are different departments of activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and a spiritual master, knowing the particular ability of a particular man, trains him in such a way that by his tendency to act he becomes perfect. Bhagavad-gītā makes it clear that one can attain the highest perfection of spiritual life simply by offering service according to his ability, just as Arjuna served Kṛṣṇa by his ability in the military art. Arjuna offered his service fully as a military man, and he became perfect. Similarly, an artist can attain perfection simply by performing artistic work under the direction of the spiritual master. If one is a literary man, he can write articles and poetry for the service of the Lord under the direction of the spiritual master. One has to receive the message of the spiritual master regarding how to act in one's capacity, for the spiritual master is expert in giving such instructions.
Maitreya continued: O Vidura, seeking to please his beloved wife, the sage Kardama exercised his yogic power and instantly produced an aerial mansion that could travel at his will.
Here the words yogam āsthitaḥ are significant. The sage Kardama was completely perfect in yoga. As the result of real yoga practice there are eight kinds of perfection: the yogī can become smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest or lighter than the lightest, he can achieve anything he likes, he can create even a planet, he can establish influence over anyone, etc. In this way yogic perfection is achieved, and after this one can achieve the perfection of spiritual life. Thus it was not very wonderful for Kardama Muni to create a mansion in the air, according to his own desire, to fulfill the desire of his beloved wife.
SB Canto 5
Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss can be bestowed upon anyone by a pure devotee. Vedeṣu durlabham adurlabham ātma-bhaktau (Bs. 5.33). One cannot attain the perfection of spiritual life simply by following the directions of the Vedas. One has to approach a pure devotee: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). By the grace of such a devotee, one can understand the Absolute Truth, Kṛṣṇa, and one's relationship with Him. A materialistic person sometimes thinks that simply by executing pious activities and remaining at home one can understand the Absolute Truth. That is denied in this verse. Nor can one understand the Absolute Truth simply by observing the rules and regulations of brahmacarya (celibacy). One only has to serve the pure devotee. That will help one understand the Absolute Truth without fail.
SB Canto 7
An expert geologist can understand where there is gold and by various processes can extract it from the gold ore. Similarly, a spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life. However, as one who is not expert cannot understand where there is gold, a foolish person who has not cultivated spiritual knowledge cannot understand how the spirit exists within the body.
SB Cantos 10.14 to 12 (Translations Only)
If one remembers Kṛṣṇa, he is immediately transferred to the eternal planet of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, since all the Vedic scriptures are meant for knowing Kṛṣṇa (vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15)), the ultimate goal of the Vedas cannot be any type of absorption in the material senses, either licit or illicit. The Vedic regulations governing married sex life are actually meant to prevent sinful illicit sex. However, one should not foolishly conclude that a lusty attraction to his wife's naked body is the perfection of self-realization and Vedic elevation. The actual perfection of spiritual life is to become free from all material desires, nivṛtti, and to fix the mind on Kṛṣṇa.
"Their consciousness was intensely and intimately attached to Lord Kṛṣṇa, and by such Kṛṣṇa consciousness their own bodies seemed very far away from them, even though people normally consider their body to be their closest possession. In fact, the gopīs did not think about their own existence. Although a young woman normally considers her husband and children to be her dearmost possessions, the gopīs did not even consider the existence of their so-called families. Nor could they think of this world or life after death. Indeed, they were not at all aware of these things. Just like great sages who become detached from the names and forms of the material world, the gopīs could not think of anything, because they were rapt in loving remembrance of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Just as rivers enter the ocean, similarly, the gopīs completely merged into consciousness of Lord Kṛṣṇa through intense love." Thus a day of Brahmā seemed like a single moment for the gopīs when Lord Kṛṣṇa was present with them, and a single moment seemed like a day of Brahmā when Lord Kṛṣṇa was absent. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness of the gopīs is the perfection of spiritual life, and the symptoms of such perfection are described here.
Even the most insignificant activity, when offered to the Supreme Lord without personal desire, can elevate one to the perfection of spiritual life. Actually, Lord Kṛṣṇa always protects and maintains His devotee. But if a devotee cries to the Lord for protection or maintenance, desiring to continue his devotional service unimpeded, Lord Kṛṣṇa accepts such apparently unnecessary appeals to be the highest religious process.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta
CC Antya-lila
If one regularly chants 333,333 names daily for a month (30 days) and then chants ten more names, he will thus chant ten million names. In this way a devotee worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such worship is called yajña. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ: (SB 11.5.32) those whose intelligence is brilliant accept this hari-nāma-yajña, the yajña of chanting the holy name of the Lord. By performing this yajña, one satisfies the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus attains perfection in spiritual life. According to external vision, Haridāsa Ṭhākura belonged to a Muslim family. Nevertheless, because he engaged himself in performing the yajña of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, he became a regularly initiated brāhmaṇa.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Nectar of Devotion
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
In the beginning he was not in agreement with Kṛṣṇa. He made so many arguments with Kṛṣṇa against fighting. And at the end, he agreed. "Yes," he said. He became a yes man. So we have to become a yes man to the Supreme Lord. That's all. That is the perfection of our spiritual life. Now we are all "no men." God says this, I say "no." Stubborn. I say, "no." Now simply we have to say "yes". That's all.
Out of many, many thousands of people, one is very much anxious for spiritual realization. And then Lord Kṛṣṇa says, yatatām api siddhānām (BG 7.3). And out of many perfected spiritualists, some may know what is Kṛṣṇa. Just try to understand. First of all out of many, many, many thousands of people, who wants to have perfection in spiritual life, then those persons who have attained such perfection, out of them, one or two may understand what is Kṛṣṇa. So the subject matter of Kṛṣṇa is not so easy. It is very difficult also. But one can understand very easily. That process is also prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā.
- bhaktyā mām abhijānāti
- yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
- tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā
- viśate tad-anantaram
- (BG 18.55)
Bhakti, devotional service. That devotional service, if you accept, you can understand that difficult subject matter of Kṛṣṇa very easily. Bhaktyā mām abhijānāti. Abhijānāti means perfectly you can understand. Yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ. Tattvataḥ means the Absolute Truth as it is, you can understand. And tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā, and after understanding the Kṛṣṇa science very perfectly, he becomes eligible to enter into that spiritual kingdom. These things are stated.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: The Absolute Truth is manifested in three features: Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. Bhagavān is the personal feature, and Paramātmā feature may be compared with the Holy Ghost when situated in everyone's heart. And Brahman feature, everywhere. By His energy He is present everywhere. So the perfection, highest perfection of spiritual life, is to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the person, personal feature of the Lord, and engages himself, the living entity engages himself in His service. Then he is situated in his original, constitutional position, and he is eternally happy and blissful.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1971 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is the Gosvāmīs, nidrāhāra-vihāra-vijitau, conquered over sleeping, eating, and mating. Because these three, four things āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithun..., these are material life. The spiritual life means reduction of these things. When it is nil, no more sleeping, no more eating, that is spiritual..., perfection of spiritual life. So we cannot make it nil so long this body is there, but our policy should be like that. Policy should be like that. We shall not eat more, we shall not sleep more, we shall not mate more. Those who are gṛhasthas, they can have sex life only for producing children, that's all, no more. And those who are sannyāsī, brahmacārī, they have no sex life, there is no question of sex life. Sex life is prohibited.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Demonic qualities, they have some activity and laziness is ignorance, darkness. Therefore too much sleeping is very, very bad. That is another part of laziness. Nidrāhāra-vihārakādi-vijitau **, one has to conquer over this sleeping and laziness. Eating, nidrā, ahāra, vihāra, sense gratification, vihāra means sense gratification. One has to minimize these things up to the point of nil, that is perfect. When there is no more sleeping, no more eating, no more mating, and no more fearing, that is perfection of spiritual life. And that is not possible, but as much as possible. (break) ...they cannot sleep more that the culture (?) is very great gain, profit.
Correspondence
1969 Correspondence
I am pleased also that Bhavananda, Palika Dasi and Prabhavati Dasi are all working so sincerely and steadfastly to promote this Sankirtana Movement, and surely Caitanya Mahaprabhu will bestow His full blessings upon all of you. This is a qualification of activities in Krishna Consciousness that if one renders even a small amount of sincere devotional service, Krishna becomes obliged to elevate such person; and what to speak of one whose entire life and soul has been dedicated to Krishna's service. So continue to push on as you are now doing and as far as possible distribute our books and magazines. Now that our press is ready in Boston, we have more than one dozen books which are ready to be printed, so with your help I wish to overflood the marketplaces with our literatures. Now people are reading all kinds of nonsense books, and thus their reading capacity is helping to pave their way through the circles of birth and death. If they will simply take to reading this transcendental literature we are presenting, the same reading capacity will elevate them to the highest perfection of spiritual life.
1973 Correspondence
You are householder, and you are teaching your family Krsna consciousness, that is the best example of grhastha model life. So go on in this way, and become the perfect example of grhastha devotee family. I think that you may also assist Tejyas by approaching the big men and professional men like members of Parliament, doctors, lawyers, like that, in your city, and enroll them as our life members. This activity of preaching, along with your daily program as you have given me, that will be sufficient to bring you to the platform of perfection in spiritual life in very short time.
1977 Correspondence
I am sometimes thinking of you with fond appreciation how much you are helping us to push on this Krsna Consciousness movement all over the world. That is the perfection of spiritual life, when one may utilize his occupational duty to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this way, although he is engaged in normal business pursuits, because he is contributing something of his energy for satisfying the Supreme, in return he shall be rewarded with something more satisfying than simple monetary considerations. Without such making sacrifice for God or Krsna, our life is only full of anxieties, worries, insecurities, and false ideas.
| Page Title: | Perfection of spiritual life |
| Compiler: | Labangalatika, Ingrid, Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 18 of Feb, 2010 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=9, CC=1, OB=1, Lec=3, Con=2, Let=3 |
| No. of Quotes: | 19 |