Rationalism

Expressions researched:
"rationalism"

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 7.9.11 -- Montreal, August 17, 1968: Just like if you decorate your face very nicely, how your face has become beautiful you cannot see. You cannot see. But as soon as you bring one mirror before your face, you'll see that in the mirror the reflection of your face is very nicely decorated. The same example is given here. We are reflection. We are reflection of God. Just like in the Bible it is said, "Man is made after God." God is not made after man. That is a mistake. The modern atheist class of men, they suggest that we manufacture a form of God according to our own form. Just like Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, the picture is there. They allege that we have made a Kṛṣṇa form, maybe very beautiful, according to my form. But actually it is not. The Biblical truth is that man is made after God. Because we are sons of God, therefore God has got two hands, you have got also two hands. Just like your father has got two hands and you have got two hands, so you are made according to the body of your father, not that your father's body is made after your body. This is rationalism. Similarly, God's body is not made according to your body, but your body is made according to God's body. But this body is material; therefore we have to change. When we come to the spiritual platform, we get as good a body as that of Kṛṣṇa, which is eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. This is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 10, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu means that every one of us, we are servant of God. That is ekatvam. Ekatvam anupaśyati. Anu means always. Anu means following the authority. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. [break] (Hindi) It is not that something, matter, becomes brahma-bhūtaḥ. No. He is Brahman.

Dr. Patel: He realizes that he is Brahman.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That's all.

Dr. Patel: He was not realizing it then.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: He was realizing he was body.

Prabhupāda: So long he thinks himself as the body, he is jīva-bhutaḥ.

Dr. Patel: You said very well yesterday.

Prabhupāda: Yes. Jīva-bhūtaḥ. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg. 15.7]. They are thinking, "Indian, American, brāhmaṇa, śūdra, man, dog, cat, tree." This is jīva-bhutaḥ. And when he understands that "I am not these things, I am Brahman," that is brahma... Therefore Caitanya Mahāprabhu begins from this brahma-bhūtaḥ stage. His teaching is completely on the spiritual platform. Therefore people misunderstand us. Because we are speaking from the spiritual platform everything, they cannot understand. It requires practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā [Bg. 8.8]. Hm? What is that?

Dr. Patel: Cetasā nānya-gāminā, that you must have continuous fixing of your mind.

Prabhupāda: No, that... No, I know that. But second line, abhyāsa yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya gāminā [Bg. 8.8], that "One can understand the param puruṣa."

Dr. Patel: Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā...

Prabhupāda: Upaiti puruṣam param, like that. So this bhakti-yoga means abhyāsa-yoga, practice.

Dr. Patel: Sir,

brahma bhūtaḥ prasannātmā

na śocati na kāṅkṣati

samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu

mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

[Bg. 18.54]

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Then he gets real bhakti.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: He becomes real bhakta, when he realizes that he's soul and not body.

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Dr. Patel: Till then he is not a bhakta.

Prabhupāda: That is the beginning. Therefore Kṛṣṇa, in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā, He says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. Because everyone is rascal, he is thinking, "I am this body." Arjuna was also thinking, "How shall I kill my other side, my brother, my nephews?" Bodily. Therefore the beginning of spiritual education is to understand that "I am not this body; I am soul." That is the beginning. For so many years people are reading Bhagavad-gītā, but still they are in bodily concept. That is the misfortune.

Dr. Patel: Mahāmāyā duratyayā.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (aside:) Hare Kṛṣṇa. Jaya. (dog barking) No, no, no, don't. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Indian man (1): Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Jaya. Jaya. [break]... concept of life means animals. So just see. In the whole world is going on, nationalism.

Dr. Patel: Bhramāyān sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61].

Prabhupāda: Huh?

Dr. Patel: Bhramayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā.

Prabhupāda: What is this nationalism? We said, there is no such thing as nationalism in the Vedic literature, no such thing.

Yaśomatīnandana: Nationalism?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Nowadays nationalism is very prominent, and we don't find this nationalism.

Dr. Patel: Now they are going to rationalism.

Prabhupāda: Rationalism is required, not nationalism. No. This nationalism... The Americans and the Russians, they are enemies and friend only on this principle. Prahlāda Mahārāja was astonished, "What is this enemy and friend?" because he is maha-bhāgavata. This is materialism. This is materialism. (aside:) Jaya. Why one should be treated as enemy and as friend? Everyone is servant of God. [break] He is going on at night also?