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The spiritual world is... (Lectures)

Lectures

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 2.12 -- Mexico, February 12, 1975:

A man can go to the higher planetary system when he is preparing himself to go there. So there are millions and trillions of planets. Wherever you want, you can go. The descriptions are there in the śāstra. But there is another description, the kingdom of God. That kingdom of God is there beyond this material sky. So we have to take information where that spiritual world is there. You can have it from Vedic literature. In the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature, the spiritual nature, which is beyond this material nature. That material nature... Vyaktāvyakta means some portion is manifested and some portion is not manifested. And we get information from Bhagavad-gītā that the spiritual nature is beyond this manifested and nonmanifested cosmic situation. So Kṛṣṇa says, the supreme authority says, mad-yājino 'pi yānti mām (BG 9.25). If somebody cultivates Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can go there. It is not difficult; simply you have to change your mode of life.

Lecture on BG 2.23-24 -- London, August 27, 1973:

Then there will be rainfall. Another. For hundred years. So the whole universe will be filled up with water. Then it will be evaporated, and the whole universe, cosmic manifestation finished. This is called annihilation. So in Bhagavad-gītā there is a statement that when everything is annihilated, the spiritual world is not annihilated. Na vinaśyasi. So as the spiritual world does not annihilate, similarly the soul, the spirit, by any such disturbances, the soul is never annihilated. Avyayam indestructible, immutable. So Kṛṣṇa is explaining in different ways the nature of the soul. We have to take it seriously, then we get perfect knowledge.

Lecture on BG 4.7 -- Montreal, June 13, 1968:

Prabhupāda: Subhadrā? Subhadrā is the sister of Kṛṣṇa, and she is incarnation of Durgā.

Devotee: Subhadrā is the external, external energy? Is Subhadrā in the spiritual world? Is Subhadrā in the spiritual world?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes.

Devotee: She's in the spiritual world?

Prabhupāda: No. In one sense, she is also in spiritual world because she is energy of Kṛṣṇa. So Kṛṣṇa's energy is also eternal. So wherever Kṛṣṇa is there, His energy is there. But her activities are in the material world.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Bombay, March 31, 1974:

If you have got a pinch of desire to enjoy this material world, then you'll have to remain here as, either as Lord Brahmā or as a small ant, according to your karma. But when you completely become free from material attachment, then the spiritual world is... So when the Buddha philosophy says śūnyavāda, nirvāṇa, nirvāṇa, it means the same thing, vīta-rāga, you have to become detached. You have to make this material enjoyment zero.

The bhakti also says, bhakti formula, anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam: (Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11) "You have to make your heart cleansed of all material desire." Then spiritual life will begin.

Lecture on BG 4.11 -- Geneva, June 1, 1974:

That I have already explained yesterday. Tapasā pūtā bahavaḥ. Tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā. Bahavo jñāna-tapasā pūtā mad-bhāvam āgatāḥ. The process of going to the spiritual world is knowledge and austerities. That is for everyone, either he is jñānī, yogi or bhakta. But even going to the spiritual platform, there are differences according to the angle of vision.

So risk of impersonal realization is that because in the impersonal feature you cannot enjoy that blissfulness eternally, therefore sometimes—not sometimes, mostly—they come back again into the material world. Because by nature we are jubilant, in the impersonal feature of brahma-jyotir, we cannot enjoy life. Therefore again we come back to this material enjoyment.

Lecture on BG 4.11-12 -- New York, July 28, 1966:

We living entities, we are spiritual atoms, and by material atomic combination we have developed this body, although this material body is foreign to me. Similarly, we can develop our spiritual body also in the spiritual world. Is it clear? Just like in the material world, in combination with matter we have developed this material body. Do you believe in this, that "I am spiritual atom, and I have developed this material body on the basis of spiritual atom?" It is a fact. It is a fact.

Just like in the mother's womb when the spiritual atom takes place, then it grows, it forms the material body. Without that spiritual atom, there cannot be any growth of body. Simply sex intercourse does not give guarantee of pregnancy. Unless that spiritual atom is there, the body does not grow.

Lecture on BG 4.12-13 -- New York, July 29, 1966:

One who knows Absolute Truth and enters into further, postgraduate study, he understands Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as he understands Kṛṣṇa, then his next life in the spiritual world is guaranteed.

So this is the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This is the simple process introduced by Lord Caitanya. Lord Caitanya also supported this philosophy of Kṛṣṇa, that anyone is eligible for going back to the kingdom of Kṛṣṇa. This simple process. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. We have discussed that simply by knowing the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, we become eligible for entering into His kingdom, simply by knowing. So try to know. Try to study what is Kṛṣṇa.

And do you know what is the recommendation of Caitanya Mahāprabhu?

Lecture on BG 4.14 -- Bombay, April 3, 1974:

Nitya-mukta, the living entities who are living, who are residing in the spiritual world, their number is greater than the conditioned soul. Just like some of our friends or citizens, they are in the jail. Their number is not as many as there, we are free. Similarly, the number of free living entities in the spiritual world is greater than the number of the conditioned souls. A few only, we are conditioned.

And this conditioned means karmāṇi. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur dehopapattaye (SB 3.31.1). As we are doing work, fruitive activities, under the influence of a particular type of modes of nature, we are getting different types of bodies, and there are 8,400,000 forms of bodies, and we are rotating. Because we do not know, we have forgotten how to become free from this cycle of birth and death and transmigration of the soul. This is called karma. Yajñārthāt karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9).

Lecture on BG 7.5 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

So these two energies, material energy and the spiritual energy—one is superior and one is inferior—they are working within this world, mixture. And the spiritual world means there is no material energy, simply spiritual energy. There is no material energy; everything is spiritual energy. There is no material body, there is no... This bhūmi... The land in the spiritual world is not land like this land.

Lecture on BG 8.20-22 -- New York, November 18, 1966:

So whatever we are seeing here, beautiful, they are all imitation of the real. As the doll is imitation of a beautiful girl, similarly, yasya satyatayā nityāpi satyam eva abhipadyate. Śrīdhara Svāmī says, "Because the spiritual world is real and this unreal manifestation appears to be real, appears to be real, but it is not real, we can understand reality will exist; reality will not vanquish." That is... Reality means eternal. Therefore real pleasure, that is Kṛṣṇa. The material pleasure is temporary, not actual. Therefore those who are after reality, they don't take part in this shadow pleasure. Shadow pleasure, they don't take part. So Lord Kṛṣṇa says that yaḥ sa sarveṣu bhūteṣu naśyatsu na vinaśyati. That is reality. "When everything will be vanquished, that spiritual nature will continue to remain." That remains always.

Lecture on BG 8.21-22 -- New York, November 19, 1966:

This verse we have been discussing last day, that avyaktaḥ akṣaraḥ. Avyakta means which is not manifested. This material world is manifested, but the spiritual world is not manifested before us. But, although not manifested, that part of this creation is eternal. Akṣara. Akṣara means "which has no annihilation." In the material world everything is born, it stays for some time, it develops, it gives some by-products, then it dwindles and then vanishes. These six forms of changes of the material form—ṣaḍ-vikāra. This is called in Sanskrit word ṣaḍ-vikāra, six kinds of changes. But the spiritual world, avyakta, which is not manifested at the present moment before us, that is akṣara. Akṣara means it is eternal. It does not annihilate.

Lecture on BG 9.4 -- Melbourne, April 23, 1976:

So at the present moment we are living in the external energy. But this external energy is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, God's energy. It is not different from Him. But the external energy means we are captivated by the external energy. But the external energy is not permanent. The internal energy is permanent. The spiritual world is permanent, and we are also permanent, jīva-bhūta. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20).

So the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to transfer oneself from this external energy to the internal energy. That is the purpose of all Vedic literature. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). To understand God and go back to home, back to Godhead, that is perfection of life. So here we are in the God's energy. There is no doubt. Mayā tatam, mat-sthāni sarva-bhūtāni (BG 9.4). Everything. Bhūtāni means all living entities, anything which has grown. The trees, the plants, the hills, the ocean, the sky—everything is resting in God's energy.

Lecture on BG 13.18 -- Bombay, October 12, 1973:

Yasya prabhā, the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa, being illuminated... In that illumination, which is called brahma-jyotir, there are innumerable Vaikuṇṭha planets. The Vaikuṇṭha are self-illuminated. Therefore in the spiritual world there is no darkness. Tamasaḥ param. Therefore is said here that taj jyotis tamasaḥ param ucyate: "That spiritual world is beyond this material world." This material world is called tamaḥ. Tamaḥ means darkness. Just like this night, it is darkness. Why it is darkness? By nature it is dark. Simply by the sunshine, moonshine, electricity, we keep it brightened for some time. Otherwise, by nature it is darkness.

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Bombay, October 28, 1973:

Because Kṛṣṇa is everything. Parasya brahmaṇaḥ śaktiḥ. Whatever we see, whatever we experience, that is, everything, Kṛṣṇa's energy. This material world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Similarly, the spiritual world is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. The brahma-jyotir is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's energy. Paramātmā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa's plenary portion. In this way, when one understands perfectly well that whatever we are experiencing, that is Kṛṣṇa's energies...

Lecture on BG 15.1 -- Calcutta, February 26, 1974:

That tree can be found beside a reservoir of water. We can see that the trees on the bank reflect upon the water with their branches down and roots up. In other words, the tree of this material world is only a reflection of the real tree of the spiritual world. This reflection of the spiritual world is situated on desire, just as the tree's reflection is situated on water. Desire is the cause of things' being situated in this reflected material light. One who wants to get out of this material existence must know this tree thoroughly through analytical study. Then he can cut off his relationship with it.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.5 -- Aligarh, October 9, 1976:

When mind is engaged at the lotus feet of the Lord... As it is stated in the Śrīmad-..., sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). When the mind is fixed up in the lotus feet of the Lord, then the words are used, the vibration of the tongue used... Vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. Then the words are utilized for describing about the spiritual world. The spiritual world is called Vaikuṇṭha. There is no kuṇṭha, anxiety. That is spiritual world. When you become spiritualized, brahma-bhutaḥ prasannātmā (BG 18.54). There is no more kuṇṭha. This is the sign of becoming brahma-bhūtaḥ. At the present moment we are jīva-bhūtaḥ. Manaḥ saṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati (BG 15.7). Therefore our struggle for existence is with the mind and the six senses. But when your existence is spiritualized, then brahma-bhūtaḥ, you have no more anxieties. That is the sign. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na Prasannātmā means na śocati na kāṅkṣati (BG 18.54).

Lecture on SB 1.2.30 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

That is always existing. That is the spiritual world, sanātana. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvaḥ anyaḥ avyaktaḥ avyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). That, that manifestation, that is internal potency. This is external potency. This material world is manifestation of the external potency of Kṛṣṇa, whereas the spiritual world is the manifestation of His internal potency. Unfortunately, the modern advancement of education has no information what is that spiritual world. He has... They have no information. They are concerned with this material world only. That is also not perfectly. But there is spiritual world. Yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama (BG 15.6), Kṛṣṇa says. There is another, another manifestation of His internal potency. That is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Here, in this material world, material world means it is not eternal, not blissful and not full of knowledge.

Lecture on SB 1.7.15 -- Vrndavana, September 13, 1976:

Just like the sun is ninety-three millions of miles away from this earthly planet. Still we are getting heat and light energy of the sun. Goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūtaḥ (Bs. 5.37). That is Kṛṣṇa's energy. Although He is in the Goloka planet, which is the topmost planet in the spiritual world... You cannot estimate the how far the spiritual world is from this material world. From material calculation they say it takes about some forty thousands of years to go to the limit of this universe. Then beyond that universe there is the spiritual world. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20), another nature, avyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ. Then you pass through the spiritual world, brahma-jyotir. There are innumerable, unlimited number of Vaikuṇṭha planets. Then, above all of them, there is the planet Goloka Vṛndāvana, where Kṛṣṇa resides.

Lecture on SB 1.7.28-29 -- Vrndavana, September 25, 1976:

Nigama means Veda, and that is kalpa-taru. Nigama kalpa-taror galitaṁ phalam idam. It is compared with the tree. What kind of tree? Desire tree. Nigama-kalpa-taroḥ. Kalpa-taru. The kalpa-taru can be found in the spiritual world, not in this material world. The spiritual world is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā. What is that? Kalpa-taru, cintāmaṇi kalpa-taru. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-taru. In the spiritual world, Goloka Vṛndāvana, it is described that the houses, palaces, in that land, spiritual land, Goloka Vṛndāvana, is made of cintāmaṇi, cintāmaṇi kalpa-taru.

Lecture on SB 1.7.47-48 -- Vrndavana, October 6, 1976:

Guṇamayī. Triguṇamayī in this material world, sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. So those who are influenced by the sattva-guṇa, they are first class. First-class means first-class in this material world. Not in the spiritual world. Spiritual world is different. That is nirguṇa, no material qualities. There is no first-class, second-class, third-class. Everyone is first-class. That is absolute. Kṛṣṇa is first-class, His devotees are also first-class. The trees are first-class, the birds are first-class, the cows are first-class, the calves are first-class. Therefore it is called absolute. No conception of relative, second-class, third-class, fourth-class. No. Everything is first-class.

Lecture on SB 1.8.42 -- Los Angeles, May 4, 1973:

If we simply become inactive out of frustration, then it will be failure. We must engage with activities. That activity is devotional service. This is Brahman activity. The Māyāvādīs, they do not know.

Just like we were discussing in this beach morning about the spiritual world. Spiritual world is exactly like the material world, varieties. There is also house. There is also tree. There is also road. There is also chariot. There is... Everything is there—but without inebriety, without inebriety. There, cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). For example, just like there is tree also. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa. But they, those trees are not like this tree. Suppose you, here, you want some fruit, say mango. You go to the mango tree, you taking mango, at the same time desire, "Why not little grapes?"

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

Not like that. The selected words which Kuntī has used, it is not improper. They are properly used. Just like here is one word used, Vaikuṇṭha. Kṛṣṇa's another name is Vaikuṇṭha, or God's another name is Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha hy asmāt. Therefore spiritual world is called Vaikuṇṭha. And the material world is duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). It is not Vaikuṇṭha. You cannot even walk without anxiety. Just like we were walking on the street, and the leg slipped. So we should be very much careful even in walking. Beginning from your morning walk, you are full of anxiety. But Vaikuṇṭha means no anxiety, no anxiety. That is spiritual world. We must understand what is Vaikuṇṭhaloka, and what is Jaḍaloka.

So here, everywhere, simply danger. But if we take shelter of the Vaikuṇṭha, Kṛṣṇa... Samāśritā ye pada-pallava-plavam. It is just like the boat for crossing over a furious, dangerous ocean.

Lecture on SB 1.8.44 -- Mayapura, October 24, 1974:

So struggle is going on. So therefore this word is used, that you are struggling in this material world so much, even beginning from your life. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, sadā samudvigna-dhiyām asad-grahāt (SB 7.5.5). Asat. The spiritual world is called sat. Oṁ tat sat. So we should transfer ourself to the spiritual world. Asato mā gama, sad gama. Asato mā sad gama. This is the Vedic injunction. "Don't keep yourself in this asat." Asat means bad. Asat means which will not exist. That is called asat. Asad-grahāt. So because we have accepted this asat, grahāt, with very great eagerness, that "We shall become very happy; we shall live here very happily," therefore there is all... Actually there is no happiness. Suppose if you get some money all of a sudden, actually this is also asat, because when you did not get money, you were anxious to get it, and as soon as you get it, how to preserve it?

Lecture on SB 1.15.47-48 -- Los Angeles, December 25, 1973:

And this planet, earthly planets, is only a small planet in that universe. And on this earthly planet, there are so many cities. And in each city, there are so many newspapers. And each newspaper has got so many editions. This is the position of the material world. Now, think over the spiritual world. It is... The spiritual world is three fourths, three times bigger than this material... And there are so many planets, so many universes, and so many activities. So we can produce not one newspaper daily, but every minute a newspaper. We can produce. Unfortunately, there is no customer. You see? This is the difficulty. For material news, there are so many customers, but when we put something, spiritual news, no customer. This is the difficulty. Otherwise... You are thinking of one newspaper daily. We could issue every second a newspaper about spiritual news."

Lecture on SB 1.16.19 -- Hawaii, January 15, 1974:

In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find sanātanaḥ, and Kṛṣṇa is also addressed in the Eleventh Chapter as sanātanas tvam. And there is another place, or spiritual world, which is also called sanātana. In the Bhagavad-gītā you'll find, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). So this sanātana term is very important. The living entity is sanātana and God is sanātana and the spiritual world is sanātana, and the process by which your lost relationship with God established and you go back to home back to Godhead, that is called sanātana-dharma. Sanātana-dharma. That is our eternal relationship with God. And there is a place. So the system which makes these two sanātana, God and the living entity, meet again and they go back to enjoy life in the spiritual world, that system is called sanātana-dharma. Therefore sanātana-dharma is not meant for any particular class or particular country or particular nation or community.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Mombassa, September 13, 1971:

And from each city there are hundreds of newspapers. And each newspaper they are publishing four times. So if for this teeny place there are so many information, just imagine how much information you can have from the spiritual world. Just imagine. So sixty volumes of description of the spiritual world is nothing, it is simply sample. If sixty millions of volumes would have been written, it still was insufficient. There are so many information.

So here it is said apaśyatām ātma-tattvam (SB 2.1.2). One who has no information of the spiritual world, they are interested in these newspaper and magazines. Apaśyatām ātma-tattvaṁ gṛheṣu gṛha-medhinām. Gṛheṣu means they have an impact of understanding. This is my body. Or this is my society. Or this is my community. Or this is my nation. Or this is my humanitarian.

Lecture on SB 2.1.2 -- Paris, June 11, 1974:

"How much I shall go on speaking to you? Just try to understand about My potency, that this whole material world is sustained in one part of My energy." The spiritual world is the three-fourths part. Suppose Kṛṣṇa's energy is acting, one unit. So out of that, one-fourth unit is exhibited, this material world. And the material world is... What is that material world?

Lecture on SB 2.9.2 -- Melbourne, April 4, 1972:

Devotee: In the material world, we are bound by māyā, mahā-māyā. In the spiritual world, is there another relationship of yogamāyā?

Prabhupāda: Yogamāyā.

Devotee: Could you explain a little bit about that?

Prabhupāda: Yogamāyā means... Here, this is also Kṛṣṇa's exhibition of māyā, but it is temporary. In the another, spiritual world, that is also exhibition of Kṛṣṇa's māyā, but it is permanent. Here is a perverted reflection, we say. Just like shadow, shadow, the shadow of the tree in the water—everything is perverted, opposite. So that shadow is not the substance. The substance is there. On the bank of the river, that is really. Similarly the spiritual world is There also, everything is there. There are trees, there are fruits, there are flowers, there are men—everything is there, birds, beasts, everything. But they are all real. Here, bahu-rūpa. Bahu-rūpa means, which it is not reality.

Lecture on SB 2.9.10 -- Tokyo, April 26, 1972:

There is no need of sunlight, moonlight, what to speak of the stars, neither na pāvakaḥ, neither electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryo na candro na pāvakaḥ. Here in this material world we cannot see things without sunlight, moonlight or electricity. We are proud of our eyes, but as soon as there is no light... Now there is sunlight; we can see very nicely. The spiritual world is not like that. There is no need of sunlight, moonlight or electricity. The first impression is there in the Bhagavad-gītā. Similarly here also, pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ, na..., na pravartate. What is the meaning?

Lecture on SB 3.26.2 -- Bombay, December 14, 1974:

We have no experience in this material world, but there is a tree. That is not in this material world, that is in the spiritual world. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa-lakṣāvṛteṣu surabhīr abhipālayantam (Bs. 5.29). So we have to take knowledge from Vedic, Vedic scripture. Then the description of the spiritual world is there, what is that? Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu. They have got houses, they are made of touchstone. Here it is made of bricks and stone, ordinary stone. But there is another stone which is called touchstone. If you touch it with the iron, the iron becomes gold. That is called touchstone, pareṣapatha (?). So the spiritual world, all the houses are made of this touchstone. You can take the Tata iron factory and touch it there. (laughter) It will be very profitable. (laughter) Yes. Or go there and bring some touchstone as these moon exploiters.

Lecture on SB 3.26.8 -- Bombay, December 20, 1974:

"Why shall I serve Kṛṣṇa? Why shall I serve God? I shall become independent," so immediately we are placed in this material world.

There is a verse in the Bhagavad-gītā, icchā-dveṣa samutthena sarge yānti parantapa (BG 7.27). Sarge means in creation. This is the creation, created world. The spiritual world is not created. That is eternal. How it is created? Just like the sky is eternal, but the cloud is created. That we have got experience. That is in the clear sky, clear sky is always there, but at some time, seasonal changes, the cloud is created. The water is taken from the..., the stock is already there, taken from the sea, ocean, and it is made into gas, and that appears as cloud. And it covers the sun. The sun is the cause of cloud, but the cloud covers the sun and we cannot see the sun. Similarly, everything—creator is the Supreme Lord. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1).

Lecture on SB 3.26.47 -- Bombay, January 22, 1975:

This is called material world. You cannot estimate how many universes are there and how many planets are there. But this is only one-fourth manifestation of God's creation. All these universes taken together, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42)—this is only one-fourth manifestation. Therefore the Vaikuṇṭha, spiritual world, is called tripāda-vibhūti, three-fourth. This is one fourth. So just imagine. We cannot have any estimation even the one-fourth manifestation of the one-fourth energy of God, and what to speak of the three-fourth energy manifestation, opulence, everything. In the spiritual world the number of living entities are far greater than the number of living entities here in this material world.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

That is described in the śāstra. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). Kṛṣṇa's body is bluish or blackish; therefore you see the sky bluish because the rays in the spiritual world is effulgence, bluish effulgence, and that is being reflected through the sky. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti (Bs. 5.40). His bodily light is being reflected in millions and trillions of universes. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koti. Jagad-aṇḍa (Bs. 5.40). Jagad-aṇḍa means... Aṇḍa, it is round. Aṇḍa means egg shape. We don't say it is flat. Śāstra never says, "Flat." Then you correct, "No, no, it is not flat. It is round." This is śāstra. Long, long years, in the beginning, it was called round, aṇḍa. Goloka, go, Goloka, Bhurloka. Goloka means round. Goloka Vṛndāvana. Everything is round. So jagad-aṇḍa.

Lecture on SB 3.28.21 -- Nairobi, November 1, 1975:

"Why not see once America, how it is?" So similarly, here is the information about the spiritual world, and why don't you try to go back to home, back to Godhead?

What is this foolishness? Why should you pay the electric bill? Go there and live there. There is no need of... Na yatra... Na tad bhāsayate. It is... The spiritual world is not lighted by the sun, moon. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. Because everyone is effulgent, every planet is effulgent, so therefore there is no need of these things. There is no ignorance. There is no scarcity. There is no miserable condition. That is called Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means vigata kuṇṭha yasmād iti vaikuṇṭha. Kuṇṭha, anxiety. Here every man, even the richest man is full of anxiety. Your president, he is the richest person in this country, and he is the third richest man in the world, somebody. But do you think he is without anxiety? No.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- London, August 30, 1971:

The material world, wherein you are trying to find out happiness, that is false, illusion. If you want real happiness, that is in the spiritual world. That is the verdict of Vedas. Tamasi mā jyotir gama. Don't try to be happy in this darkness. But real happiness is in the light, jyotir gama. Light. The spiritual world is light. The material world is dark. It is... Because this material world is dark, therefore we require sunlight, moonlight, electricity and so many things. In the spiritual world there is no need of this sunlight, moonlight or electricity. Na tad bhāsayate sūryaḥ. There is no need of sun, moon, or electricity. These are explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.

So therefore, this human form of life, as it is advised by Ṛṣabhadeva, is not meant for unnecessary sense gratification. This is not meant for. This is meant for the hogs and dogs, not for the human beings. This is division of life. The human life is to make a solution of all the problems of life.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Johannesburg, October 20, 1975:

So we request you to study this movement and take to it seriously. Then you will be all happy.

Thank you very much. Hare Kṛṣṇa. (break)

Yes. Creation means this material world. There are two worlds: material world and spiritual world. Spiritual world is eternal, and material world is created. We can experience. Anything material is created, it is maintained for some time, then it is annihilated. Nothing remains forever. So when... Creation means this material world, not the spiritual world. So when Kṛṣṇa says, aham ādir hi devānāṁ (Bg 10.2), ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8), that means God is not within this material world, created being. He is the creator. So creator was there in the beginning, and then the created material world was in existence or is in existence. Therefore God is not one of these created things. He is beyond created.

Lecture on SB 5.5.1 -- Delhi, November 28, 1975:

That is in the spiritual world. That is called desire tree. Whatever you want from that tree you can get. Kalpa-taru. The spiritual world, description of the spiritual world is there in the Brahma-saṁhitā. Cintāmaṇi-prakara-sadmasu kalpa-vṛkṣa (Bs. 5.29). There the trees are kalpa-vṛkṣa, or nigama-kalpa-taru. Kalpa-taru or kalpa-vṛkṣa, the same thing.

So Vedas means knowledge. So from the Vedas you can get all kinds of knowledge, both material and spiritual. Therefore it is called Veda, knowledge. So in that tree of knowledge the ripened fruit is Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is written by Vyāsadeva after writing four Vedas and the eighteen Purāṇas, the 108 Upaniṣads, then Vedānta-sūtra, and Mahābhārata, in which Bhagavad-gītā is set up.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

The difference between material world and spiritual world is that here in this material world these three qualities are acting. Therefore we find so many different varieties of men. There are three qualities: the quality of goodness, the quality of passion, and the quality of ignorance—sattva, rajas, tamas. Now, these qualities, again mixed up, they create several varieties of... Just like three multiplied by three becomes nine. Nine multiplied by nine becomes eighty-one. Eighty-one multiplied by eighty-one, it becomes so many varieties. Expert color men, they take three colors—that blue, red, and yellow—and mixes the color, and varieties of color is manufactured. Similarly, these three guṇas, originally they are coming from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Lecture on SB 6.1.41-42 -- Surat, December 23, 1970:

Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19). The nature of this material world is that it becomes manifest at a certain time and again it disappears. That is the difference between material world and spiritual world. Spiritual world is eternal. There is no question of occasional appearance and occasional disappearance. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyaḥ (BG 8.20). In the Bhagavad-gītā you will find the description that "There is another nature, bhāva." Bhāva means... Svabhāva, bhāva, these are the Sanskrit terms of the nature. So that nature is vyaktāvyakta. This nature is vyakta and avyakta, manifest and nonmanifest. So, and above this, beyond this manifested and nonmanifest material nature, there is another, spiritual nature, which is sanātana. Sanātana means eternal.

Lecture on SB 6.1.44 -- Los Angeles, June 10, 1976:

God's energy are varieties. All those varieties are grouped into three divisions. Out of that... Three divisions means tatastha-śakti, antarāṅga-śakti, cit-chakti. Tatastha-śakti and this external, or this karma-śakti... The... Tṛtīyā śaktiḥ karma-saṅgā anyā. It is mentioned that the spiritual world is just manifestation of cic-chakti, and this material world is creation of material energy or karma-saṅgā, where everyone has to work. Without work, it is said, na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ. That is very nice example. In the forest the lion is supposed to be the mightiest animal, and he is sometimes called the king of the animals, paśu-rāja. So in one place it is said that even the lion, who is the king of the forest, if he sleeps and he thinks that animals will come and enter in his mouth, that is not possible. He has to also find out how to eat. Na hi suptasya siṁhasya praviśanti mukhe mṛgāḥ.

Lecture on SB 6.2.2 -- Vrndavana, September 6, 1975:

So the conversation between the Yamadūta and Viṣṇudūta... So this material world is for Yamaduta, and the spiritual world is for Viṣṇudūta. We have discussed all these points. So in the material world, more or less, we are susceptible for being punished by the Yamadūtas or Yamarāja, not all. Who are punishable? They are nondevotees, those who are sinful. So anyone who is not following the principles of religion, they are to be punished, because the human form of life is meant for executing religion. Not the animals.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

They do not know. Why? Because durāśayā. They are thinking that "We shall make adjustment in this material life, and we shall be happy."

Durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ. Bahiḥ. Bahiḥ means external. This material world is the external energy of God, and the spiritual world is the internal energy of God. So we are in the external energy of God. The external energy of God means although we are eternal, we have to accept different types of body according to our desire, according to our tendency to enjoy this material world, and therefore that facility is given in this material world. In the spiritual world there is only one aim—they are all eternal servitors of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They have no other desire. That is spiritual world.

Lecture on SB 7.5.31 -- Mauritius, October 4, 1975:

Then it can be transformed into spiritual world, although spiritual world is differently situated. Paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). There is another nature which is spiritual world. They have no information. But we get information from Bhagavad-gītā and other śāstras that spiritual world is still bigger. This material world is the one-fourth of the God's creation, and the spiritual world is the three-fourth. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat.

Lecture on SB 7.6.2 -- Toronto, June 18, 1976:

Yasya prabhā, that spiritual world is full of effulgence. Just like we have got example: the sun planet, sun globe, there is no darkness. There is always light. On account of presence of the sun, we are getting so much light and heat; just imagine what is the position in the sun globe, sun planet. It is always light. This is the example. Similarly, in the spiritual world, it is only light. Not only this light, but the light of knowledge. Therefore śāstra says, tamasi mā: "Don't remain in the darkness." Jyotir gama: "Come into the light."

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 29, 1972:

Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsuḥ śreyaḥ uttamam (SB 11.3.21). Person who is actually interested in uttamam. Uttamam means transcendental. Udgata-tamam. After darkness. This material world is darkness. Tamasi mā jyotir gamaḥ. The spiritual world is full of light. Therefore anything spiritual, that is called uttamam. There...

Kṛṣṇa's another name is Uttama-śloka. Bhagavaty uttama-śloke bhaktir bhavati naiṣṭikī. Kṛṣṇa does not belong to this material world. Only the fools and rascals, they think of Kṛṣṇa having material body. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhāḥ mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam (BG 9.11). Kṛṣṇa is always in His spiritual body, sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha. Īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ (Bs. 5.1).

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Adi-lila 7.108 -- San Francisco, February 18, 1967:

Prabhupāda: Yes. Material world means three modes.

Devotee: So is that like...? Well... Because the modes don't exist in the spiritual world. Is that right?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Just like if you go above the cloud, there is no cloud. That's all. But there is. In a certain portion of the sky, there is cloud. And that cloud is also not permanent. Sometimes sky is clear of all clouds, but sometimes cloud is there. The cloud is generating in the sky and it is vanquished in the sky. Similarly, this material world is sometimes being manifested and sometimes there is no manifestation, simply spiritual. Spiritual is always eternal. The sky, sunshine, is always eternal. Take this crude example. But the cloud is not eternal.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.108-109 -- New York, July 15, 1976:

We have got experience of the material world not completely. We do not know even what are going on in the whole material world. We see the universe. We see at night so many stars and planets, but we have no idea. So we do not know even what is this material world perfectly, and what to speak of spiritual world. But the spiritual world is there, as there is this material world, and the living entity belongs to the spiritual world. Actually he belongs to the spiritual world. By chance or some way he has come to the material world. So when he goes back again to the spiritual world, then he gets his normal condition of life. Unfortunately, in the modern education there is no information of the spiritual world, the spiritual identity, and go on, our relationship with God—nothing. Simply they are working like cats and dogs under the influence of māyā and the suffering. To stop this suffering, one must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness and understand the position of his life and be perfect.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

Actually, there is no creation in the spiritual world. The creation means it begins at a certain time and ends at a certain time, but in the spiritual world there is no such beginning. But because we find the creation of this material world by the kriyā-śakti potency of Lord, therefore it is understood that the spiritual world is also manifested by the same potency with the help of His spiritual energy.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.255-281 -- New York, December 17, 1966:

Now, the description of the spiritual world is that there is no rajas-tamaḥ. These modes of passion and modes of ignorance is not there. Śuddha-sattva. Śuddha-sattva means simply goodness, pure goodness, without any tinge of passion and ignorance. So pravartate yatra rajas tamas tayoḥ sattvaṁ ca miśraṁ na ca kāla-vikramaḥ. There is no mixed goodness; simply goodness. And na ca kāla-vikramaḥ: "And there is no influence of time." This is the description of the spiritual world: "There is no modes of passion, and there is no modes of ignorance, and there is no influence of time." That means there is simply pure goodness.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.354-358 -- New York, December 28, 1966:

So Lord Caitanya gives evidences from the Mahā-purāṇam, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that the Supreme Lord, the Absolute Truth, is analyzed in two characteristics. What are they? The, the personal characteristics and taṭastha characteristics. Taṭastha means they are sometimes manifested and they are not sometimes manifested. So this material world is the taṭastha characteristics, and the spiritual world is the personal characteristics. So our effort is to get out of this taṭastha, or, I mean to say, taṭastha means marginal, marginal characteristics to the permanent characteristics. That is called spiritual elevation. We should not remain in the marginal state, but we should go to the permanent state.

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 22.6 -- New York, January 8, 1967:

There is no place for them. This is a crude example. Similarly... And as the ocean is far, far greater than the river-thousands of rivers cannot be compared with the, I mean to say, measurement of the ocean—similarly, thousands and millions of this material world cannot be compared with the spiritual world. The spiritual world is so great that millions of material world taken together, it can be dropped into the spiritual world. It is such great. Therefore material world is called one-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy. And the spiritual world is called three-fourth manifestation of Kṛṣṇa's energy.

Sri Isopanisad Lectures

Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 7 -- Los Angeles, May 10, 1970:

Therefore this very word is used here, vijānataḥ. Vijānataḥ means one who knows, knower of things, how they are manifested. When one understands that things are manifested in this system exactly like the fire, heat and light... Fire is the original cause of heat and light. Similarly, whatever we see within this universe, within material world and spiritual world, the spiritual world is expansion of Kṛṣṇa's internal energy, and this material world is Kṛṣṇa's expansion of external energy, and we living entities, we are expansion of marginal energy. So three energies. He has got multi-energies. All the multi-energies grouped in three headings: antaraṅga-śakti, bahiraṅga-śakti, taṭastha-śakti. Antaraṅga-śakti means internal energy, bahiraṅga śakti means external energy, and taṭastha-śakti means these living entities. We are śakti; we are energy. We are not the energetic.

Festival Lectures

Radhastami, Srimati Radharani's Appearance Day -- London, August 29, 1971:

"Under My superintendence the material energy is working." The material energy is not blind. It is... On the background there is Kṛṣṇa. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ (BG 9.10). Prakṛti means this material energy. Similarly... This is external energy. Similarly, there is another energy, which is internal energy. By the internal energy the spiritual world is being manifested. Parās tasmāt tu bhavaḥ anyaḥ (BG 8.20). Another energy, parā, superior, transcendental, the spiritual world. As this material world is being manipulated under the external energy, similarly, the spiritual world is also conducted by the internal potency. That internal potency is Rādhārāṇī.

Rādhārāṇī..., today is Rādhārāṇī's appearance day. So we should try to understand Rādhārāṇī's feature. Rādhārāṇī is the pleasure potency, hlādinī-śakti. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). In the Vedānta-sūtra the Absolute Truth is described as ānandamaya, always in pleasure potency.

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami's Appearance Day -- Vrndavana, October 19, 1972:

So durātmā means one who is under the influence of this material nature, far, far away from Kṛṣṇa. This material nature actually situated many, many, many, many thousands and millions of miles far away from Vaikuṇṭhaloka. This universe is unlimited according to our measurement. And beyond this universe there is the spiritual world, paravyoma. And far, far away, the topmost planet of the spiritual world is Kṛṣṇaloka. So those who are in this material world, actually they are durātmā in this sense that they are far, far away from the planet which is known as Kṛṣṇaloka, or Goloka Vṛndāvana. This Vṛndāvana is the replica of that original Vṛndāvana. Because when Kṛṣṇa comes on this planet He appears in this spot of land, Vṛndāvana. Just like when the governor goes somewhere, they have got a circuit house. It is something like that. And there is no difference between that original Vṛndāvana and this Vṛndāvana.

General Lectures

Lecture on Maha-mantra -- New York, September 8, 1966:

The fire is behind it. That is spiritual sky. But still, in the smoke, you can feel some heat also. So similarly, this sound vibration of the spiritual world is here so that even in this material world, where there is a scarcity of that spiritual fire, we can appreciate, we can feel, the warmth of that fire.

So this is the meaning of, in a nutshell, meaning of this, I mean to say, spiritual vibration. And grammatical meaning is these, all these words, sixteen words: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, sixteen... Now, according to grammatical rules, when somebody is addressed... Just like in your English language it is, note of address is, "O Mr. such and such." Similarly, in grammar, Sanskrit grammar, the same note of address, which is called sambodhana, that is expressed in this way. So Hare, Hare is the note of address form of the sound Harā. Harā. Harā means the potency of the Supreme Lord, potency.

Lecture -- Seattle, October 4, 1968:

That is His mercy; that is His magnanimity. So the more you increase your anxiety to serve Kṛṣṇa, the more it becomes perfect. He's unlimited. Your anxiety, you become unlimited. So there is competition. The more you serve Kṛṣṇa, the more He accepts you and the more He gives you intelligence. You see? So the spiritual world is unlimited. There is no end of service, and there is no end of accepting the service. It is not that. So eagerness. Tatra laulyam eka mūlyam. I am not manufacturing the answer, but I am giving you evidence from Rūpa Gosvāmī, our ācārya. He says, kṛṣṇa-bhakti-rasa-bhāvitā matiḥ krīyatāṁ yadi kuto 'pi labhyate: "My dear gentlemen, my dear boys and girls, if you can purchase a..., your sense of loving Kṛṣṇa—'How I can love Kṛṣṇa more and more'—this, this much, this anxiety, if you can purchase this matiḥ,"—means intelligence; it is very nice intelligence—" 'How I shall serve Kṛṣṇa...' "

Lecture -- Seattle, October 7, 1968:

That means it is illuminating. There is no need of sunshine. Just like this planet is not illuminating; therefore we want light from the sun, from the moon, from electricity. But Bhagavad-gītā says that the planet of the Lord, there is no... Why planet? The sky. There is no need of sunshine. Every planet in the spiritual world is illuminating. So because every planet is illuminating, the whole spiritual sky is dazzling illumination. So one who approaches that dazzling illumination called brahma-jyotir, they are called impersonalists. Is it clear?

Lecture -- Hawaii, March 23, 1969:

Caitanya Mahāprabhu has said that this universe is a grain of mustard seed in the bag of a mustard seeds. Just imagine. Can anyone count what is the number of mustards seeds in a bag, in a one-ton or two-ton bag? Innumerable. It is beyond our experience. But there are so many universes just like packed up in a bag. This is called material world. So what to speak of the spiritual world? The spiritual world is at least three times greater than this material world. That information we get from Bhagavad-gītā. Ekāṁśena sthito... Ekam means one part. Even you take... One part, maybe, one hundred. But even not going so far, one part means divide the whole thing into four parts. That will be one fourth. This material world is only one fourth of the whole creation, and the three-fourth part is spiritual world. In the spiritual world there is similarly innumerable planets, innumerable living entities. Just like, as I have already explained, that this material world is the just like prison house of the criminals.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

There is a spiritual world. Those who have read Bhagavad-gītā, they can understand. The spiritual world is described there, paras tasmāt tu bhāvo 'nyo 'vyakto 'vyaktāt sanātanaḥ (BG 8.20). Bhāvaḥ means nature. There is another nature beyond this nature. We can see this nature up to the limit of the sky. The scientists, they're trying to go to the highest planet, but they are calculating it will take forty thousands of years. So who is going to live for forty thousands of years, go and come back? But there is planet. So we cannot calculate even the length and breadth of this material world, what to speak of the spiritual world. Therefore we have to know from authoritative sources. That authoritative source is Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture -- Los Angeles, May 18, 1972:

And that sky is far, far greater than this sky. It is one-fourth only. And the spiritual sky is three-fourths. That is described in the Bhagavad-gītā, ekāṁśena sthito jagat (BG 10.42). This is only one-fourth, this material world. The other spiritual world is three-fourths. Suppose God's creation is one hundred. It is only twenty-five percent; seventy-five percent is there. Similarly, the living entities also, a very small fragmental portion of the living entities are here. And there, in the spiritual world, the major portion are there.

This material world is compared as a prison. So if you go to the prison house, it is not that the whole population of the country is within the prison house. No. A fragmental portion of the population, those who are criminals, they are in the prison house. Similarly, those who are criminals, those who have revolted against God, they are within this material world.

Lecture -- Jakarta, February 28, 1973:

"This material world is being maintained by one of My plenary portions. He is known as Paramātmā." Viṣṭabhya aham. "I enter by one of My plenary portions, and this whole material world is maintained in that." This material world is one-fourth manifestation of God's creation, and the spiritual world is three-fourth manifestation of... (break) ...which is known as brahma-jyotir. There are millions and trillions of Vaikuṇṭha planets. Vaikuṇṭha planets... Vaikuṇṭha, Vaikuṇṭha means vigata-kuṇṭha yasmād. Kuṇṭha means anxiety. Just like within this material world we are full of anxieties. Similarly, when you..., when we go to the spiritual world there is also planet like this, but there is no kuṇṭha, there is no anxieties. Here anyone, up to Brahmā, ā-brahma bhuvanāl lokān punar āvartino 'rjuna, even if you go to the highest planetary system within this universe, still your anxiety will go with you. Your anxiety for what?

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: So simply by understanding that he is spirit, gradually he understands that there is a spiritual world. This spiritual world is full of varieties. Everything is there, exactly like this, but that is eternal and this is temporary.

Śyāmasundara: He says that this pure reason has a regulative value, that is, by attempting to grasp the totality of conditions by connecting a particular phenomenon with the whole experience. In other words, for example, the idea of a supreme being is a regulative principle of reason because it tells us to view everything in the world in connection, as if it proceeded from the necessary cause, or the Supreme Being.

Philosophy Discussion on Immanuel Kant:

Prabhupāda: That is not very important subject, unless there is willing. So that good or bad also has to be trained. The conditioned soul, anyone in this material world, he is in ignorance. It is called darkness. This material world is called darkness. Everyone, more or less, they are in darkness. The Vedas therefore say, "Don't remain in darkness. Go to the light." And the spiritual world is light. Just like day and night. Side by side there is day and night, or sunlight and darkness. So the Vedas say "Don't remain in darkness. Go to the light." So willingness in darkness is imperfect. So this willingness has to be dragged to the light. That requires superior help.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: So somewhere must be the square root of minus one, even though...

Prabhupāda: Yes, that is, spiritual world is like that. But here in this material world, we have got experience, one plus one equal to two, and one minus one equal to zero. In the spiritual world this does not apply. There one plus one equals one and one minus one equals one. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate (Iso Invocation), Vedic wisdom. Pūrṇam, that from the complete, you take the complete, still it is complete. So where you have got this idea? So therefore you have to know from the Vedic.

Śyāmasundara: So it must exist if I can...

Philosophy Discussion on The Evolutionists Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander:

Prabhupāda: Yes. That is accepted. That is called jagat. Gacchati. Everything is going on, forward. That is called jagat.

Śyāmasundara: Even the activities of the spiritual world are like that?

Prabhupāda: No. Spiritual world is different. We are speaking of material world. In spiritual world the activity is eternal. In material world activity is not eternal.

Śyāmasundara: But motion, the motion is eternal because everything is moving.

Prabhupāda: Motion is interaction of the three qualities. Just like you put soda and alkali, alkali and acid together, there is a reaction, effervescence. So both of them are material, but in due course of time it reacts, and then creation takes place.

Śyāmasundara: What about activities in the spiritual sky, beyond...?

Philosophy Discussion on Plato:

Hayagrīva: This is the additional notations on Plato. For Plato, the spiritual world is not a mental conception. For Plato, truth is the same as the ultimate reality, the ideal or the highest good, and it is from this that all manifestations and cognitions flow. Plato uses the word "idea" in order to denote a subject's primordial existence, or maybe it's archetype. I think that Kṛṣṇa uses the word bījam.

Prabhupāda: Hm?

Hayagrīva: Bījam, seed, "I am the seed of all existence"?

Prabhupāda: Oh, yes.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Hayagrīva: This is St. Thomas, Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Aquinas, who lived from 1225-1274. He compiled the entire body of Church philosophy called Summa Theologe, and the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas is the official philosophy of the Roman Catholic Church. He, unlike Augustine, he did not distinguish so sharply between the material world and the spiritual world, or between secular society and the city of God. He felt that the entire creation, both material and spiritual, has its origin in the Personality of Godhead. He acknowledges at the same time that the spiritual world is superior to the material world.

Prabhupāda: Yes. (indistinct) Material world means temporary, and some philosophers, like the Māyāvādīs, they say it is false. But we Vaiṣṇavas, we don't say it is false, but it is temporary illusion. It is reflection of the spiritual world, but there is no reality. Sometimes it is compared with the mirage in the desert. There is no water in the desert, but sometimes, by reflection of the sun, it appears that there is water. Similarly, in the material world there is no happiness, but the transcendental bliss and happiness existing in the spiritual world is reflected here, and those who are less intelligent, they are after this illusory happiness, forgetting real happiness in the spiritual life.

Philosophy Discussion on Thomas Aquinas:

Prabhupāda: Yes.

Hayagrīva: ...there must be some absolute perfection.

Prabhupāda: Yes. That the spiritual world is the absolute perfection, and the reflection of the spiritual world is this temporary material world. So whatever perfection we find in this material world, that is derived from the spiritual world. Janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), the Vedānta-sūtra, that whatever is generated, that is the param... Whatever is generated, it is from the Absolute Truth.

Hayagrīva: And the, I believe the statement that "Since in the material world we see that nothing can create itself..." It requires something different...

Prabhupāda: Yes. Brain.

Page Title:The spiritual world is... (Lectures)
Compiler:Visnu Murti, RupaManjari
Created:22 of Feb, 2012
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=68, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:68