Supreme Person (Letters)

Expressions researched:
"approach all these five supreme persons" |"supreme person" |"supreme persons"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik M.Sc., Ph.D -- Delhi 28 March, 1960:

The Apara or the Inferior material energy may consist of many other elements like matter, anti-matter, proton, electron, neutron etc. in terms of physical science but according to the authority of the Bhagavad-gita—all of them are produced of the inferior energy called by the name Apara Prakrti. The Apara Prakrti consists of gross and subtle matters like mind, ego and intelligence. Spirit is transcendental to all these. The spiritual energy para Prakrti is simultaneously one and different from the spirit whole. Qualitatively they are one but quantitatively they are different. The Brahman Ray is the effulgence of the Supreme Person.

You have defined impersonal Brahman as the Divine Energy. I fully agree with you in pursuanee of its description in the Brahman Samhita, I am going to publish in the next issue an article of the name "Variety of Planetary System" in which there is reference from the Brahma Samhita.

According to the Bhagavata Puranam the Supreme Truth is realized in three stages namely the Impersonal Brahman or the Nirakara Absolute. The Paramatma or the localized aspect of Brahman. The neutron part of the atom may be taken as the representation of Paramatma who enters into the atom also. It is described in the Brahma-samhita. But ultimately the Supreme Divine Being is realized as the Supreme Person all attractive (Krishna) with full and inconceivable potencies of opulence, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation.

Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik M.Sc., Ph.D -- Delhi 28 March, 1960:

The Apara Prakrti consists of gross and subtle matters like mind, ego and intelligence. Spirit is transcendental to all these. The spiritual energy para Prakrti is simultaneously one and different from the spirit whole. Qualitatively they are one but quantitatively they are different. The Brahman Ray is the effulgence of the Supreme Person.

Letter to Dr. Y. G. Naik M.Sc., Ph.D -- Delhi 28 March, 1960:

The Paramatma or the localized aspect of Brahman. The neutron part of the atom may be taken as the representation of Paramatma who enters into the atom also. It is described in the Brahma-samhita. But ultimately the Supreme Divine Being is realized as the Supreme Person all attractive (Krishna) with full and inconceivable potencies of opulence, strength, fame, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. The six potencies are fully exhibited by Sri Rama and Sri Krishna when He descends before the human being. Only a section of the human being who are unalloyed devotees could recognize Him on the authority of revealed scriptures but others are bewildered under the influence of material energy.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Brahmananda -- Vrindaban 27 August, 1967:

He is the Supreme Person and fully reciprocates. The impersonalist cannot reciprocate. Krishna does not take anything from them, neither does He give them anything. The Impersonal, therefore, simply enjoys the troubles of speculation.

Letter to Rayarama -- Calcutta 15 November, 1967:

We have tried our best in the Gita Upanisad that Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Supreme Person and His energies acting impersonally. The devotees are primarily concerned with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna and His impersonal expansion of energy is of secondary importance to the devotees. Less intelligent asuras are attracted by the impersonal manifestation because they have no chance to meet Krishna face to face.

1968 Correspondence

Letter to Harikrishnadas Aggarwal -- Los Angeles 3 March, 1968:

Akama means the devotees, sarvakama means the fruitive workers or Karmis, and Moksakama means the salvationist who wants to merge in the formless Brahman. So there are three classes of men and all are recommended to worship the Supreme Person Krishna with great energy of devotional service. So we invite everyone to join this movement, accepting Krishna as the tangible God for all practical purposes, and the worship of God is made easy by chanting the Mantra Hare Krishna, which is accepted even in far Western countries.

Letter to Dayananda -- Allston, Mass 10 May, 1968:

Of course, I have no particular instructions, save and except the instruction which I have also heard from my Spiritual Master. So all instructions in the disciplic succession directly comes from the Supreme Person. Therefore to follow the instructions of a Spiritual Master is to follow the instructions of the Supreme Person. And as soon as we are accustomed to this habit, then all our misgivings of material existence are over. Your ambition for chanting Hare Krishna exclusively is very good. But sacrificing the results of action is as good. A concrete example is Arjuna. He fought very chivalrously under the instructions of the Lord, and the Lord certified him to be the best devotee and friend of the Lord. So there is no distinction between chanting and offering the results of one's activity.

Letter to Rupanuga -- Montreal 3 July, 1968:

Regarding your questions, "how the simpler faith of a real Christian, that is not so advanced in knowledge of the Supreme Person, differs in ecstasy or the end result of God-consciousness," (1) and persons "a devotee who has experienced some ecstasy in the company of Christians suggests that if there be no quantitative or qualitative difference between the two forms of Kirtana, then the simpler philosophy of Christianity has the advantage, and that our philosophy is for the intelligent class of men, true, but of what advantage is such intelligence if the end is the same?" (2) There is no ecstasy in such simple faith; there cannot be any ecstasy.

Letter to Gurudasa -- Los Angeles 14 December, 1968:

The Mayavadi philosophers even they do not follow Sankaracarya because their philosophy itself is offensive. Sankaracarya has accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the Mayavadis take Krishna as a great personality only. That is their misfortune. On account of successive offensive attacks on the Supreme Person. So therefore the subsequent result of Mayavadi philosophy, on account of their rigidity to this misleading philosophy, they cannot make progress. Besides that, as it is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita, the Personal Feature of Krishna is very difficult to be understood by the nondevotee class of men.

1969 Correspondence

Letter to Vilasavigraha -- Los Angeles 22 January, 1969:

You have asked me how one can know that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead? How do you know that the president is the supreme person in your state? You know this through the government organizations, the constitution papers, and by traditional knowledge. Similarly, to know Who is the Supreme Personality you have to take evidence from the Vedic authorities, great personalities, and the Spiritual Master. Otherwise, what is the use of accepting a Spiritual Master if you can not take His words? Your Spiritual Master says Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna says He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the Vedic literature says that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Letter to Robert Hendry -- Los Angeles 3 August, 1969:

We cannot understand the position of Godhead by our mental speculation because God is beyond our mental, bodily and speaking capacity. But when we are sincere in service mood, just like Arjuna, who surrendered himself to Krishna, then we are able to understand who Krishna is. Arjuna understood Krishna after hearing the Bhagavad-gita submissively that Krishna is the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Source of everything, the Supreme Purity and the Supreme Person. He also confirmed that Krishna is accepted as such not only by him, but also by other great authorities; such as Vyasadeva and Narada, who propagated the philosophy of Vedanta and Srimad-Bhagavatam all over the universe.

Letter to Sai -- Tittenhurst 27 October, 1969:

The summary is that the Absolute Truth is the sum total of eternity, bliss and knowledge. Impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth is realization of eternity. Localized Paramatma realization is realization of transcendental knowledge. But above all these as they are described in Bhagavad-gita there is Purusottam, the Supreme Person. That is Krsna. In the Vedas it is stated that one who has understood the Supreme Person has understood everything. This is because everything is subordinate to the Supreme Person. So if you kindly try to understand this philosophy of the Supreme Person as described in Bhagavad-gita, 8th chapter, you will understand our activities more clearly.

1970 Correspondence

Letter to Bhagavan -- Los Angeles 10 January, 1970:

Regarding your question—What is meant by an object regaining spiritual quality?—the answer is that Krishna is pure knowledge and, therefore, He is the Supreme Person. In other words, He is the Supreme Power, and His Power is manifested throughout by different energies as much as the power of fireplace is expanded by light and heat. When we perceive heat and light, it means that we perceive the original fireplace. The perception of Krishna in everything is actually Krishna consciousness. In our conditioned state, we take it for granted something as separated from Krishna. But actually it is not so. Nothing can be separate from Krishna, everything is resting on Krishna, therefore, things which we consider now matter, when dovetailed for the cause of the Absolute Truth or Krishna, regains its spiritual quality.

Letter to Professor J. F. Staal -- Los Angeles 30 January, 1970:

This is accepted by the exemplary disciple, Arjuna, who has perfectly learned the conclusion of spiritual science from the Yogisvara, master of mystic knowledge, Krishna, recognizing Krishna to be the Supreme Brahman, Arjuna addresses Him: "Sthane Hrsikesa . . ." (B.G. 11:36)—"the world becomes joyful hearing Your Names; and thus do all become attached to You." The process of chanting is herein authorized as the direct means of contacting the Supreme Absolute Truth the Personality of Godhead. Simply by chanting the Holy Name, Krishna, the soul is attracted by the Supreme Person, Krishna, for going home, back to Godhead.

Letter to Unknown -- Los Angeles 12 April, 1970:

According to Sanskrit language, religion is not a kind of faith, but it is a prescribed form of duties to be discharged by respective human society, ultimately rising to the platform of Krishna Consciousness or God-consciousness. The first class religion is therefore that which teaches human being love of God because religion means to understand one's position in relationship with God. This God-realization also depends on three phases of life. When God-realization is there distinguished from material realization, this is called liberated stage of transcendental enlightenment.

The next stage is to realize God everywhere in His localized aspect, and the highest stage of God-realization is to know Him as the Supreme Person—all powerful, full of all riches, all reputation, all beauty, all wisdom, and all renunciation.

Letter to Robert, Karen -- Los Angeles 19 April, 1970:

The truth within this material world is relative. The Absolute Truth is outside the relative world. Just like when a child is born, he is relative—he is born by his father. Then you go on researching and you will find that his father is also born of his father and so on. In this way if we go on searching out the Absolute Truth, you will find Him, the Supreme Person, not imperson. Just like the child is a person, therefore the agent or the truth which begot the child is taken without any hesitation as a person. Therefore the Absolute Truth cannot be imperson—that is a fact.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Calcutta 19 September, 1970:

I am in receipt of your letter dated Sept. 5, 1970, and the essay "THE SPIRITUAL MASTER: EMISSARY OF THE SUPREME PERSON" enclosed therein. I have read it, and am glad that you have understood the matter so thoroughly, and have now substantiated your conclusions with so much scriptural proof. Actually, that is our method of preaching, simply to repeat the message as it is coming down from higher authority. Here in Calcutta everything is going nicely. Hundreds of people join in our Sankirtana Party daily in downtown Calcutta, and I am confident that this mission of Lord Caitanya's will be successful if only we continue to push on this great movement, without any personal motivation.

Letter to Hayagriva -- Bombay 8 November, 1970:

Your essay "The Spiritual Master: Emissary of the Supreme Person" is so nice, so why not have ISKCON PRESS publish it and then all our students can study it.

Letter to Bhagavan -- Bombay 24 November, 1970:

The perfection of every living creature is to render transcendental loving service to that Supreme Person and thereby go back home, back to Godhead. Krishna has said in Bhagavad-gita that "whoever explains my transcendental glories to others is most dear to me in this world and never will there be one more dear to me than he". So go on with your organization for distribution of my books through press and other modern media and Krishna will certainly be pleased upon you.

1971 Correspondence

Letter to Karandhara -- Bombay 9 April, 1971:

Your very sincere attitude for serving your Spiritual Master, as indicated in your letters, is the only way for making advancement is spiritual life. To offer the highest respects to the Supreme Person and as much respect to the Spiritual Master, makes one bona fide to receive spiritual knowledge by revelation; that is the injunction of the Vedas. I see that your attitude is quite appropriate and so I pray to Krishna to bestow upon you all his blessings.

1972 Correspondence

Letter to Jyotirmayi -- Los Angeles 28 May, 1972:

Harivilasa is complaining that the French people do not so much like our "Back to Godhead" as it is not suitable to the French taste. So I have appointed Bhagavan dasa adhikari to be the GBC representative for France zone and Mediterranean zone, so he shall be going there sometime this summer for taking charge of things, and I hope that you and your good husband will also go there to Paris and take charge of this French literature. If you cooperate with our French devotees in producing our French literatures very profusely, that will be the best plan. So far our question is concerned there are two possibilities. You may say that Krishna is God the Supreme Personality and that He is God the Supreme Person.

1973 Correspondence

Letter to Sir Alistair Hardy -- Bhaktivedanta Manor 28 July, 1973:

When we understand the powerful then immediately we can know his different powers perfectly. The powerful has multi powers. if a A person can understand what is that powerful God, then he can easily understand what are his powers. So this whole world is being conducted by the power of the supreme person, or the powerful.

1974 Correspondence

Letter to Richard -- Vrindaban 20 August, 1974:

He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead his mind constantly engaged in remembering me, undeviated from the path, He oh Partha is sure to reach Me. The proccess for remembering Krishna is very easily done by chanting Hare Krishna Maha mantra. How one should think of Krishna, that is given in the next verse: "One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, Who is the oldest, Who is the controller, Who is smaller than the smallest, Maintainer of everything, and Who is beyond all material conception, Who is inconceivable, Who is always a person and luminous like the sun, and Being transcendental, beyond this material nature." So Krishna is not something impersonal or void. So you should read my books and try to understand the nature of Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then it will be easy for you to think of Him.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 3 November, 1974:

If one intelligently reads the Puranas and Vedas, then he can understand that Visnu is the Supreme Person. But, for those on the stage of ignorance and passion, sometimes such statements are there. So it depends on the quality of the nature of the person that one accepts Lord Siva or Lord Visnu as the Supreme, but one who studies scrutinizingly all the Vedic literature and who accepts the statements of the acaryas who guide the destiny of Vedic culture of India who all accept Visnu as the Supreme Person, then he will also have the same conclusion.

Letter to Satsvarupa -- Bombay 3 November, 1974:

So far we are concerned in the Krishna consciousness movement, we are preaching the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita. Krishna is the Supreme Person even before all demigods including Lord Visnu even, and of course Lord Siva. Our fundamental principle is the teaching of the Bhagavad-gita. Those persons who cannot understand this on account of particular modes of nature, such persons require further education, and until such time is fulfilled, we are helpless. To an animal in the modes of ignorance, how can we preach? Then we are helpless.

1977 Correspondence

Letter to Inquirer -- Boston Unknown Date:

This God realization also depends on three phases of life. When God realization is there, distinguished from material realization, this is called the liberated stage of transcendental enlightenment. The next stage is to realize God everywhere in His localized aspect, and the highest stage of God realization is to know Him as the Supreme Person—all-powerful, full of all riches, all reputation, all beauty, all wisdom, and all renunciation.