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. 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. The Absolute Truth is therefore the Absolute Person without an equal or high competitor Personality. Impersonal Brahman Rays are the rays of His body transcendental as much as the sun rays are emanations from the sun planet.
Three stages (Letters)
Expressions researched:
"three concurrent stages"
|"three different stages"
|"three kinds of devotional stages"
|"three of the above-mentioned stages"
|"three other stages"
|"three stage"
|"three stages"
Correspondence
1947 to 1965 Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
The question was why a sinful man commits sinful activities although he has full knowledge of the after result by knowing it from authority and by seeing it personally. A thief commits theft repeatedly and is imprisoned repeatedly, and he has full knowledge of it—then what is the cause of his putting himself into miserable condition of prison life?
The cause is diagnosed by Vedic Acaryas as the papa bija or the seed of sinful activities. This papa bija remains dormant within our heart in three stages—dormant, seedling and fructified. This chain of different stages of our papa bija is the cause of repeated birth and death transmigration in different species of life.
Actually this is the cause of suffering of the living entities. There are many processes for delivering the living entity from this life of entanglement. Generally it is summarized in the process of meditation, performances of great sacrifices and worshiping the Lord in the temple. But in this Age of Kali Yuga nobody can meditate perfectly, neither they have sufficient resources for performing great sacrifices, neither they have tendency to attend spiritual services in the temple, churches, or mosques or any such sanctuaries. Therefore, in the Brhad Naradiya Puranam it is stated that none of these three principles of spiritual upliftment is possible to perform in this Age of Kali. Therefore, the only possible means of spiritual realization is chanting the Holy Name of God or Krishna or Rama. Lord Caitanya propagated this formula of spiritual realization 500 years ago; and by His grace now it is introduced in the Western world, and practically we are experiencing that it is effective.
1971 Correspondence
I am in due receipt of your letter dated 31st December, 1970 and have noted the contents carefully. I am so glad to hear how you are strictly following the regulative principles of devotional service and chanting regularly 16 rounds daily, mostly before Lord Jagannatha. That is our strength in spiritual life and will make for your rapid advancement in Krishna Consciousness. There are three stages of chanting: offensively; free of offense, or in the liberated stage; and in full love of Godhead. Simply continue chanting and any offenses you may be committing, because they are not intentional, will soon vanish by the grace of Lord Jagannatha.
I am glad to see that incense distribution is increasing and your method of distribution, that is with our literature prasadam, etc. is very nice. So continue it. I am especially pleased at how you are distributing our books, particularly to the schools and universities. This program is so important and should be increased more and more. We want to flood the world over with our books. So go on in this way and Krishna will surely bless you.
I have studied your method for care of funds, etc. So far as filling out forms is concerned, that is too much botheration. No one should require money but simply you should see to it that the goods required are supplied. In materialistic calculation they think all these things are necessary, but in spiritual life it is not required. Things should be done as simply as possible. Presently Karandhara is seeing to keeping our books so that they meet with government standards. You can correspond with him in that regard.
1973 Correspondence
Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the incarnation of Godhead in this age has delivered the medicine for all problems of the world by his introducing the Sankirtan movement. Sankirtan means to chant that Holy names of the Lord and to give up all other engagements. The chanting is a process of purification. Just like we use soap to cleanse the body, this is material, but the chanting is spiritual cleansing. The three stages of cleansing are first to clean the mirror of the mind. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said, "The mind is the best friend and the worst enemy, for one who has learned to control the mind it is the best of friends but for one who has failed to do so it is the worst enemy." Due to long term association, the mind absorbed in material things has become contaminated, or dirty, the chanting process purifies the mind. Then the next stage, when the mind is cleansed one becomes free from the symptoms of material existence. Material existence means to be always hankering and lamenting. I must have a new automobile, I must have more money, I must have good wife, I must have this I must have that. Then when I have the thing, I lament, I have lost my wife, I have lost my money, I have lost my car, simply lamenting. So the second stage is to be free from this anxiety. The third stage is
- Brahma-bhutah prasannatma
- na socati na kanksati
- samah sarvesu bhutesu
- mad bhaktim labhate param
"He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto me." Bhagavad Gita 18/54
The next verse continues, "And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." It is further stated in the Gita that when one is so situated even in the midst of greatest danger he is not disturbed. In other words when one has achieved perfection in chanting the Holy name of God he is always joyful, even death does not disturb him, what to speak of other things.
The conclusion is that one should learn the art of chanting the Holy name of Krishna 24 hours a day and that alone is the remedy for all problems of material existence. How is it possible to chant 24 hours a day? Lord Chaitanya gave the hint, "One can chant the holy name of God in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street, more tolerant than a tree, devoid of all kinds of sense of false prestige, and always ready to offer all respects to others. In such a humble state of mind one can chant the Holy name of God constantly." So I cannot give you any better advice for your problem, simply chant Hare Krishna and everything will be all right.
| Page Title: | Three stages (Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti |
| Created: | 16 of Mar, 2012 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=0, Con=0, Let=4 |
| No. of Quotes: | 4 |