When one actually becomes situated on the transcendental platform, he becomes steady. Unless one is so situated, his position is not steady and he may fall down. When one is actually situated transcendentally, there is no fear of falling down. This stage is technically called sthāyi-bhāva. There are further developments within this stage, known as vibhāva, anubhāva, sāttvika and vyabhicārī. When these four ingredients are added to the steadfast position of pure transcendental life, there is actually an exchange of rasa, or transcendental mellows, with the Supreme Lord. This exchange in loving reciprocation between the lover and the beloved is generally called kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa, the transcendental taste of exchanging loving sentiments between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It should be noted, however, that the transcendental loving exchanges stand on the steadfast position of sthāyi-bhāva, as explained above. The basic principle of vibhāva is sthāyi-bhāva, and all other activities are auxiliary for the development of transcendental love.
Pure spiritual life
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 1 - 6
The process of linking oneself with the Supreme is called yoga. It may be compared to a ladder for attaining the topmost spiritual realization. This ladder begins from the lowest material condition of the living entity and rises up to perfect self-realization in pure spiritual life. According to various elevations, different parts of the ladder are known by different names. But all in all, the complete ladder is called yoga and may be divided into three parts, namely jñāna-yoga, dhyāna-yoga and bhakti-yoga. The beginning of the ladder is called the yogārurukṣu stage, and the highest rung is called yogārūḍha.
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 1
Religious rites prescribed in the scriptures are meant to purify the mundane qualities of the conditioned souls to enable them to be gradually promoted to the stage of rendering transcendental service unto the Supreme Lord. Attainment of this stage of pure spiritual life is the highest perfection, and this stage is called svarūpa, or the factual identity of the living being. Liberation means renovation of this stage of svarūpa. In that perfect stage of svarūpa, the living being is established in five phases of loving service, one of which is the stage of mādhurya-rasa, or the humor of conjugal love. The Lord is always perfect in Himself, and thus He has no hankering for Himself. He, however, becomes a master, a friend, a son or a husband to fulfill the intense love of the devotee concerned. Herein two classes of devotees of the Lord are mentioned in the stage of conjugal love. One is svakīya, and the other is parakīya. Both of them are in conjugal love with the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa. The queens at Dvārakā were svakīya, or duly married wives, but the damsels of Vraja were young friends of the Lord while He was unmarried. The Lord stayed at Vṛndāvana till the age of sixteen, and His friendly relations with the neighboring girls were in terms of parakīya. These girls, as well as the queens, underwent severe penances by taking vows, bathing and offering sacrifices in the fire, as prescribed in the scriptures.
There was no longer a need for material activities. Actually the activities of the mind cannot be stopped, for they are the reflection of the eternal soul, but the quality of the activities can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of the Lord. The material color of the mind is changed when one washes it from contaminations of life-breathing and thereby frees it from the contamination of repeated births and deaths and situates it in pure spiritual life. All is manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material body, which is a production of the mind at the time of death, and if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental loving service to the Lord and is constantly engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no more chance of the mind's producing another material body after death. It will be freed from absorption in material contamination. The pure soul will be able to return home, back to Godhead.
SB Canto 4
However, when one understands that the ultimate goal of life is to approach Kṛṣṇa, he realizes Kṛṣṇa within everyone's heart and therefore helps everyone who is interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Actually the perfection of life depends on one's inclination to hear about Kṛṣṇa. It is therefore mentioned in this verse: yāvad gadāgraja-kathāsu ratiṁ na kuryāt. Unless one becomes interested in Kṛṣṇa, in His pastimes and activities, there is no question of liberation by means of yoga practice or speculative knowledge.
Having attained to the stage of devotion, Mahārāja Pṛthu became uninterested in the practices of jñāna and yoga and abandoned them. This is the stage of pure devotional life as described by Rūpa Gosvāmī:
- anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
- jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
- ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
- (CC Madhya 19.167)
Real jñāna means understanding that the living entity is the eternal servant of the Lord. This knowledge is attained after many, many births, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.19): bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate. In the paramahaṁsa stage of life, one fully realizes Kṛṣṇa as everything: vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ. When one understands fully that Kṛṣṇa is everything and that Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the highest perfection of life, he becomes a paramahaṁsa, or mahātmā.
Other Books by Srila Prabhupada
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
We have to decide it that spiritual life and material life, they are different angles of vision. If we give more stress to the material life, material way of life, then it is not possible to have any spiritual realization or spiritual emancipation. Those things... Because the whole idea is, as we are discussing for several weeks, that I am spirit, pure consciousness. I have been put to this material contact somehow or other. Without tracing the history and how I have put into it... (break) But the fact is that I am put into these material circumstances, and therefore, due to my material condition of life, I am undergoing miseries, so many miseries. So the whole idea is that I have to get out of this material contact and reinstate myself in the pure spiritual life so that I shall not, I shall be free from all miseries. Because spirit soul, as it is, in its pure form, it is sac-cid-ānanda. It is eternal, it is blissful, and it is full of knowledge.
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So pure bhakti-yoga, this bhakti-yoga, means sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam (CC Madhya 19.170), one has to be free from all designation. Now, these boys and girls, they have forgotten. Either they are American or Indian or African, they do not remember. They know that they are eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That is pure bhakti. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. This is freedom. Nirmalam means mukti. Mala means dirty things. So long we are enwrapped with the dirty things, there is no bhakti. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. When this nirmala, when dirty things are washed away, you remain in pure spiritual life or spiritual body, then the indriyas, the senses... You have got senses. In the spiritual life you will also... Spiritual life does not mean without senses. Otherwise, why it is said hṛṣīkeṇa? Hṛṣīka means indriya, senses. The senses are purified, not the senses are gone. Just like if you have got cataract, if it is operated, the cataract is taken away, not the eye is taken away. Eyes must remain there. Then what is the use of treatment? Similarly, our senses, at the present moment they are contaminated. You have to make it purified. Tat-paratvena nirmalam. And when it is purified, hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate, with that purified senses, when you serve Kṛṣṇa, that is called bhakti.
Spirit is described... We have already discussed on this point that the spirit is eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre: (BG 2.20) "Even after the destruction of this body, the consciousness is not destroyed." That continues. Rather, consciousness transferred to another type of body makes me again alive to the material conception of life. And that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). At the time of death, if our consciousness is pure, then it is sure that next life is not material. Next life's pure spiritual life. But if our consciousness is not pure at the point of the verge of death, just leaving this body, then we have to take again this material body. That is the process going on by nature's law. We have got our finer body. This is gross body. The body which you are seeing, which I am seeing, this is gross body. Just like shirt and coat. Within your coat, there is shirt, and within your shirt, there is a body. Similarly, the pure soul is covered by shirt and coat. The shirt is mind, intelligence and false ego. Mind, intelligence and false ego. False ego means that the wrong conception that "I am matter. I am something, product of this material world." This wrong conception makes me localized. Just like because I have taken my birth in America, therefore I think myself American. Because I have taken my birth in India, therefore I think myself as Indian. But as pure soul, I am neither Indian nor American. I am pure soul. Because this is designation. This American, or Indian, or German, or Englishman, or cats and dogs and this and that, black and white, all these are designations. Spiritual consciousness means to become free from all these designations.
There was no longer need for material activities. Actually, the activities of the mind cannot be stopped because they are the reflection of the eternal soul. But the quality of the activities can be changed from matter to the transcendental service of the Lord. The material color of the mind is changed by washing it from contaminations of life breathing and therefore getting it freed from the contamination of repeated birth and death and getting it situated in pure spiritual life. All was manifested by the temporary embodiment of the material body, which is a production of mind at the time of death. And if the mind is purified by practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord and the same is constantly engaged in the service of the lotus feet of the Lord, there is no more chance of the mind's producing another material body after death. It will be freed from the absorption of material contamination. The pure soul will be able to return back home, back to Godhead."
Whatever one may be in his past, that's all right. As soon as he is situated in pure devotee, devotional state, that's all. One hasn't got to inquire, "from the beginning" or "from the end." There is no need of such inquiry. As soon as he is situated in his original position, hitvā anyathā-rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ (SB 2.10.6), gives up nondevotional activities, but is situated in devotional service, immediately he is all right, pure devotee. Doesn't matter whether he was in the beginning. Because even a person, ordinary person, ordinarily, he is not contaminated. He lives aloof from this material existence. But for sometimes, even if he is influenced, that doesn't matter. As soon as he comes to his real position, he is a pure devotee. There is no question of tracing his past history. There is no question. You be situated in pure devotional service; you are pure devotee. That's all. There is no question of inquiring what he was in the past. That doesn't matter. Is it clear? Yes. Just like Ajāmila. In the past history he, simply sinful, Jagāi-Mādhāi, simply sinful, but as soon as they come to the position of pure devotional life, he is pure. That's all. Yes.
That is not possible. Therefore you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and that will help you, the process of purification. Therefore this is the only system at the present moment that one can be purified completely simply by chanting. Completely. Complete purification means to be situated in pure spiritual life. That is complete purification. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. Śuci means purified. The brāhmaṇa—not this caste brāhmaṇa, but actually, those who are brāhmaṇa, qualified brāhmaṇa—they are called śuci, purified, purified.
So this purification, how it is done? Now, yaḥ smaret, "one who remembers," puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ, "Kṛṣṇa, always," sa bāhya, means "externally," and abhyantaram, "internally," śuci, "purified." So if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa always, either loudly or silently or within yourself, mind, if you chant, so there is no question of impurification. It is... You remain always in, what is called, antiseptic stage, or prophylactic stage. Purification is there simply by remembering Kṛṣṇa. Yaḥ smaret puṇḍarīkākṣaṁ sa bāhyābhyantaraḥ śuciḥ. There is another verse. The purport of that verse is that simply by pronouncing this transcendental vibration, one becomes so purified that immediately he becomes eligible to operate sacrificial, ritualistic ceremonies. Now, sacrificial, ritualistic ceremonies, in the Vedas, priestly, that is, that work is, I mean to say, allotted to the brāhmaṇa class.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
So before beginning of pure devotional life, one must be Brahman realized. That is pure bhakti. That is actual, actually the platform of devotional service. Means one must be above the brahminical qualifications, a Vaiṣṇava. A Vaiṣṇava... Mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām. One who attains the devotional service, parām, parā bhakti... There are three stages of devotional life. Arcye śilā-dhīr...
- arcāyām eva haraye
- yat pūjāṁ śraddhayehate
- na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu
- sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ
A person who is worshiping the Deity in the temple with all regulative principles, arcāyām eva haraye yat pūjāṁ śraddhaya, with devotion, he's executing the service, but he does not know how to respect a devotee, na tad bhakteṣu... He has concentrated his mind on the arca-mūrti, the Deity form of the Lord within the temple... That is very nice. But if he does not now how to worship a devotee, na tad-bhakteṣu cānyeṣu, and he does not know how to elevate other persons, sa bhaktaḥ prākṛtaḥ smṛtaḥ, such kind of devotee is to be considered as material, prākṛtaḥ. Gradually, one has to become aprākṛtaḥ. So there are different stages of devotional service. Everything is explained in the scriptures.
Initiation Lectures
Whatever we shall do, as it is prescribed in the Bhagavad-gītā, yajñārthe karma anyatra lokaḥ ayam... (break) ...you do, act only for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then you are not entangled in the resultant action. Otherwise you'll be entangled. Entangled means for one resultant action we are now, we have got this body. Again we are going to take another material body. So this is a chain of birth and death. But if you dedicate your life for the satisfaction of the Yajñeśvara, then no more you are going to accept any material body. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). After quitting this body, he does not accept any more material body. The spiritual body is already there within this material body. So those who are engaged in Yajñeśvara's service, they are giving up this material body and developing a spiritual body. The example can be given: just like an iron rod. It, put into the fire, it become warm, then warmer, warmer, and at last, it becomes red hot. When the iron rod is red hot, it is no longer iron rod; it is fire. Similarly, if you practice this spiritual way of life, the same way, gradually you will become completely spiritualized. Completely spiritualized means that no more material activities. That is possible. If we follow the process, we can turn our life from material contamination to pure spiritual life. And that will help us going back to home, back to Godhead. That's all.
General Lectures
He's complete. He's full—how much His energy is perfect. He doesn't require. Immediately He desires... Just like in Bible it is said, "God said, 'Let there be creation,'—immediately there was creation." So His energy is so perfect that He wanted to see this material cosmic manifestation—immediately there was. But because we haven't got such energy we think this is all illusion or fictitious or something like that. Because if you want something immediately, you have no such energy that, immediately, the same thing is done. That is not possible. That is possible also when you are also in spiritual life. But now you are conditioned by the matter; therefore that is not being perfected. But when you are also in pure spiritual life, you can do like that, like God. Immediately, whatever you want, you can do. Immediately, wherever you want to go, you can go. That is the... That perfection is there.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1977 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: So long we are covered by this material body, we are not nirmala; we are polluted. So one has to give up this designation, bodily concept of life. Tanu-māninā. These words are given. Tanu-māninā. So long one is continuing in the bodily concept of life, it is sinful life, in comparison. This we have to give up, in order to come to the transcendental position. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam. Nirmala (CC Madhya 19.170).
Hṛṣīkeṇa hṛṣīkeśa-sevanaṁ bhaktir ucyate. When we become nirmala, in our original, pure spiritual life, then bhakti begins. And in Bhagavad-gītā also it is stated,
- brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
- na śocati na kāṅkṣati
- samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
- mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
- (BG 18.54)
Such person, brahma-bhūta (SB 4.30.20), ahaṁ brahmāsmi, that is the preliminary qualification to become bhakta. So these disciples, these devotees, they are not thinking that "I am American," "I am Indian," "I am brāhmaṇa," "I am..." No.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
Or, it is just like a madman who thinks to himself that he is king, he is free to do whatever he likes, and talks nonsense; but a sane man laughs at him.
Our encagement in the matter is just like a madman's activities. When one is treated by the treatment of Krishna Consciousness, he becomes relieved from all these designative engagements. When I feel as American or when I feel as Indian, and act accordingly, that is the cause of all sorts of anxieties and frustrations. Krishna Consciousness means to come to the pure understanding that one is neither American nor Indian, but he is eternal servant of Krishna, and thus engages himself in rendering loving service to the Lord. This is his pure spiritual life.
As long as he does not come to that standard, he is supposed to be materially contaminated. Krishna Consciousness Movement means to engage our sense in the service of the Lord, just opposed to the materialistic way of life wherein the senses are engaged for sense gratification.
Your third question is, "As You have explained in "Two Essays", that as body is covered by shirt and coat, similarly, soul is covered by mind, intelligence, and false ego—if it is so, then who are mind, intelligence and false ego? Who controls them?" The soul controls the mind and intelligence. When he is designated, he controls the mind and intelligence in one way; but when he is free from designation, he controls the mind and intelligence in another way.
1971 Correspondence
I am glad that you have found all our West Coast Temples to be going on nicely to the standard and I am also very enthusiastic for you to continue opening more branches as far as possible. But the first thing is that the already established Temples must be maintained and the second is that once a center is opened it may not be closed down. That is very bad. So all considerations must be done very thoughtfully and carefully.
Please continue to work with determination and great faith in Krsna and Guru and full cooperation of your God-brothers and fellow members of the Governing Body. If you all keep to the standard practices of pure spiritual life as I have humbly instructed you, there is no doubt that this Sankirtana Movement of Lord Caitanya will overtake all the earth and all opposing parties will be cracked down to nothing.
And they appear to be all responding very enthusiastically to your preaching; that is very good sign. If you remain pure and enthusiastic, you will have the spiritual strength to enthuse others with the chanting of Hare Krsna Mahamantra and devotional service to the Lord.
I am a little concerned, however, that you are being somewhat harassed in your activities by these so-called swamis. But do not be discouraged by their foolish talkings, we have got more important business. We do not judge the man by his dress, so we are not concerned with the color of our cloth as much as we are concerned to keep our conduct on the plane of pure spiritual life. Our Krsna consciousness is practically being accepted by all kinds of persons all over the world and there is no discrimination of types of dress. Generally Grhasthas wear white for the men and colorful saris for the women. While performing sacrifices, etc. they may wear yellow cloth which is considered auspicious. But you are always engaged in such religious activity in direct service of the transcendental Lord, so yellow garments are not inappropriate. In India our householder devotee men are all wearing white cloths and they all look very, very nice. You can do also if you like.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated February 2nd, 1971, and noted the contents. I am very glad that you are carrying on your programs for spreading Krsna consciousness to the people with great enthusiasm and good response. The good reports are coming and it is a fact that we are being highly appreciated for our efforts to introduce this pure spiritual life to the society at large, but we must not lose our own status of advancement in Krsna consciousness. Everything must be done very intelligently.
I have the seven sacred threads (including one for Sriman Yasodanandana) and they are returned by separate post with my blessings. I have received the Bank of America deposit slips for $1,080.00. Thank you very much.
I am encouraged by your new membership drive. This membership program is so important that we get money, sympathizers and push on our mission of distributing books, all simultaneously. Anyone reading our Krsna book, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Bhagavad-gita will certainly become a Krsna conscious person. Someway or other we have to push these literatures, whether through schools, colleges, libraries, membership or ordinary sales. In your country practically there is no illiteracy. Everyone can read and write. So when they will read Krsna book, certainly they will enjoy this as a story or as philosophy, morality, religion, etc. and gradually they will become perfect in Krsna consciousness.
I am in due receipt of your letter dated February 2nd, 1971, and noted the contents. I am very glad that you are carrying on your programs for spreading Krsna consciousness to the people with great enthusiasm and good response. The good reports are coming and it is a fact that we are being highly appreciated for our efforts to introduce this pure spiritual life to the society at large, but we must not lose our own status of advancement in Krsna consciousness. Everything must be done very intelligently.
I have the seven sacred threads (including one for Sriman Yasodanandana) and they are returned by separate post with my blessings. I have received the Bank of America deposit slips for $1,080.00. Thank you very much.
I am encouraged by your new membership drive. This membership program is so important that we get money, sympathizers and push on our mission of distributing books, all simultaneously. Anyone reading our Krsna book, Nectar of Devotion, Teachings of Lord Caitanya and Bhagavad-gita will certainly become a Krsna conscious person. Someway or other we have to push these literatures, whether through schools, colleges, libraries, membership or ordinary sales. In your country practically there is no illiteracy. Everyone can read and write. So when they will read Krsna book, certainly they will enjoy this as a story or as philosophy, morality, religion, etc. and gradually they will become perfect in Krsna consciousness.
| Page Title: | Pure spiritual life |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, RupaManjari, Mayapur |
| Created: | 21 of Sep, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=3, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=9, Con=1, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 20 |