Unfold

Expressions researched:
"unfold" |"unfolded" |"unfolding" |"unfolds"

SB Canto 2

SB 2.9.35, Purport:

Therefore, although He is present in every atom, the Supreme Personality of Godhead may not be visible to the dry speculators; still the mystery is unfolded before the eyes of the pure devotees because their eyes are anointed with love of Godhead. And this love of Godhead can be attained only by the practice of transcendental loving service of the Lord, and nothing else.

SB 2.9.36, Purport:

To unfold the mystery of bhakti-yoga, as it is explained in the previous verse, is the ultimate stage of all inquiries or the highest objective for the inquisitive. Everyone is searching after self-realization in different ways—by karma-yoga, by jñāna-yoga, by dhyāna-yoga, by rāja-yoga, by bhakti-yoga, etc. To engage in self-realization is the responsibility of every living entity developed in consciousness. One who is developed in consciousness certainly makes inquiries into the mystery of the self, of the cosmic situation and of the problems of life, in all spheres and fields—social, political, economic, cultural, religious, moral, etc.—and in their different branches. But here the goal of all such inquiries is explained.

Renunciation Through Wisdom

Renunciation Through Wisdom 5.1:

Within their hearts, the broad-minded, pure devotees of the Lord are informed of the Lord's orders and of the workings of the material nature. They are also aware that the fully independent Supreme Lord, who is eternally engaged in transcendental activities, chooses a particular land in which to unfold His earthly pastimes, and that this designated country is Bhārata-varṣa, or India. Therefore all Indians should execute the Supreme Lord's commands. As Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī says in his Caitanya-caritāmṛta (CC Adi 9.41),

bhārata-bhūmite haila manuṣya-janma yāra

janma sārthaka kari' kara para-upakāra

One who has taken his birth as a human being in the land of India (Bhārata-varṣa) should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 6.1 -- Los Angeles, February 13, 1969:

The whole, everyone is accepting all kinds of trouble to find out that pleasure.

Pleasure is the ultimate goal. But you do not know where is the pleasure. that is illusion. Real pleasure is in the transcendental form of Kṛṣṇa. You'll find Kṛṣṇa always jolly. There's so many pictures you see. And if we join, you become jolly. There's so many pictures you see. And if we join, you become jolly, that's all. Have you seen any picture Kṛṣṇa is working with machine? (laughter) Huge machine? Or have you seen any picture He is smoking? (laughter) By nature, pleasure, you see? Pleasure. So you have to unfold yourself, unfold yourself in that way and you find pleasure. Simply full of pleasure, that's all. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). By nature simply pleasure. Not by artificial means. Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhiḥ. In the Brahma-saṁhitā you find.

ānanda-cinmaya-rasa-pratibhāvitābhis

tābhir ya eva nija-rūpatayā kalābhiḥ

goloka eva nivasaty akhilātma-bhūto

govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

(Bs. 5.37)

Ānanda-cinmaya-rasa. Rasa means the taste, the mellow. Just like we try to taste a sweetmeat, a sweet candy, anything. Why? Because there is a very nice taste. So everyone is trying to have some taste from everything. We want to enjoy sex life. There is some taste. So that is called ādi—taste. So there are so many tastes.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:

The sun is not fixed up; sun is moving. The modern scientists or astronomers, they say, "Sun is fixed up. The earth is moving." So we don't say that. It is sa... Yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakraḥ. It has got its orbit. So there are so many things to be known still from Vedic literature, it is not yet unfolded, but we are trying.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Prabhupāda: Yes. He has no see. He has not eyes to see it, that it is spiritual. He has no knowledge.

Śyāmasundara: So God's plan is unfolding itself everywhere, whether we understand it or not.

Prabhupāda: Yes. He's unfolding Himself. In Bhagavad-gītā He is sending His representative for unfolding.

Śyāmasundara: But even in the material world, in the way water erodes the land and trees grow and die, like that. Even though there is no knowledge of the spiritual content aren't they still spiritual? Going on?

Prabhupāda: Yes. Like the same example, just like the earth when it comes to form it is also earth, and if there is no form, that is also earth. The earth remains always. Therefore spiritual energy. The sky is sky, but when there is cloud you'll say there's no big sky, it has become shortened or something like that; you cannot see. So cloud comes, and if there is no cloud, a sky, sky is always there.

Kīrtanānanda: It is both, isn't it Śrīla Prabhupāda, it is both material and spiritual. In essence it is spiritual.

Prabhupāda: Essence is spiritual, that's it. But my imperfect vision makes it material.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: His idea was that the truth is in the sum of all moments, he called the organic theory of truth. The truth is not static or composed of isolated segments or parts, but it is the sum total of everything and it is constantly changing. So he says that these phenomena or facts of nature or these moments, they are progressing in an evolutionary process according to a course which is prescribed by a universal reason or the world spirit, weltgeist. That the world spirit is unfolding itself through phenomenal events.

Prabhupāda: That means... This is another nonsense proposition. According to the universal reason. So wherefrom the reason comes unless there is a person? That he does not know.

Śyāmasundara: He called it weltgeist, which means world spirit, world mind.

Prabhupāda: World spirit? That is a person. Unless you accept a person where there is question of reason? That he does not know. He's trying to explain (how could God be) but he has not clear knowledge. But as soon as speaks of reason there must be some person. That reason is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10), under my superintendence, under my guidance, direction. So direction means reason. So as soon as we speak of reason, you must accept the person, the supreme person who is giving this reason, who is directing all these things.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: So would you say that all world events, all phenomenon of the world are expressions of this world reason unfolding itself? There is a gradual development.

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes, there is a plan. After this, this should be done. After this, this should be done. Otherwise why Kṛṣṇa says superintendence, mayādhyakṣeṇa (BG 9.10)? Just like you stand, you get your assistant, "Work like this. Do like this. Do like this. Do like that." So there is a plan, and there is direction. And there is reason also.

Śyāmasundara: What is the purpose of the plan? Is there any ultimate...?

Prabhupāda: Plan is... The whole plan is that living entities, they're part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Somehow or other they wanted to enjoy this material world so Kṛṣṇa has given them chance (indistinct). Just like children, some small children, they want to play with something but the father guides so that they may not meet(?), fall down, so many things. "No, no, don't do this. You can play like this." So Kṛṣṇa says, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭho, I am sitting in everyone's heart, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca (BG 15.15), I am giving him intelligence, forgetfulness, everything. So he wanted to play, "All right, give to him the chance to play." But the whole plan is that "Let him play, and again come back." That is Vedic knowledge, that he wants to play, "All right, you play." But when he's fatigued by this nonsense play, he says, "Give up this. Come to me," sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the plan.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: But if the truth is unfolding itself in history, in biology, in sociology...

Prabhupāda: Everything. Center is Kṛṣṇa.

Śyāmasundara: So all events are leading toward what?

Prabhupāda: Then all, everything is emanating from Kṛṣṇa and after some manifestation, temporary, again going to Kṛṣṇa. Bhūtvā bhūtvā pralīyate (BG 8.19).

Śyāmasundara: So everything is coming from Kṛṣṇa and going toward Kṛṣṇa.

Prabhupāda: Going to Kṛṣṇa. Going back. In the mean time there is some manifestation.

Śyāmasundara: Oh. So the unfolding of history is simply a...

Prabhupāda: Repetition. That's all. History repeats.

Philosophy Discussion on Hegel:

Śyāmasundara: He says that religion unfolds in three phases. In the first phase, or natural religions, they worship objects of nature like the thunderbolt, trees. Then as men become more advanced, they begin to think of God as localized, like the Jewish religion, perhaps God is somewhere, as one thing. Then highest religion, he says, is Christianity because it gives us a clear idea of God, His son, and the Holy Ghost. He says that Christian religion is the perfect religion.

Prabhupāda: Why perfect? God has only one son? Is that perfect? God is unlimited, and He is limited to one son? Why He should be limited to one son?

Śyāmasundara: He says that this son represents nature and the objective world, because it is God incarnate; we can see Him, we know what He looks like...

Prabhupāda: Then he believes in incarnation? So, when there is son incarnation and God incarnation, which is better? Incarnation, He incarnates as son and He incarnates Himself.

Philosophy Discussion on Jean-Paul Sartre:

Śyāmasundara: It means that existence is prior to essence. In other words, the fact that I am first of all existing, living here, is the important thing, and that I determine what I am, my essence, as I unfold my life. Existence is the most important thing, prior to essence, what I am, my nature.

Prabhupāda: What is the essence and what is existence?

Śyāmasundara: Well, according to Sartre, existence... All I know when I am analyzing what I am, all I know is that I exist.

Prabhupāda: Everyone knows that.

Śyāmasundara: "I am." This is the first fact. What I am more than that is determined as I live my life, as I grow older...

Prabhupāda: That is no standard of why living. The dog is living. He also exists. The cat is living. He also exists. And man is also living, exists. So different types of living beings are existing in different consciousness. So what is the standard consciousness?

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Śyāmasundara: He also sees things in that way. He sees the unfolding of reality as the fulfillment of duty, that one must always strive for what ought to be, what is fulfillment of his duty.

Prabhupāda: That, that information we are giving that in reality everyone is servant, but he is under misconception, he's thinking he's master and he's forced to serve māyā. This is reality. Just like a outlaw, he is thinking that free from the state law but he's forced to abide by the state law in the kingdom. Similarly my position is I must carry the order. I am inferior. I must carry out the order of the superior. The superior, the supreme superior is Kṛṣṇa. If I voluntarily become the servant and carry out His order, then it is my normal life. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇam vraja (BG 18.66). Otherwise it is abnormal life. I have to serve māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). Māyā will kick upon my face and force me to do something, prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi (BG 3.27). So I will be servant of prakṛti, material nature. That means I will be servant of my senses. By nature, my senses dictate, "Now you do this," I will be forced to do it. This is my position.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: Duty means superior order. That is duty. You cannot manufacture your duty.

Śyāmasundara: His idea is a little impersonal because he says that we discern what ought to be from the forces of nature around you, reality unfolding.

Prabhupāda: Then he abides by the forces of nature. That is nature is superior. He does not know beyond nature there is another superior being, that is God. That is his lack of knowledge. That is the difficulty. If you are not perfect, where is that philosopher?

Śyāmasundara: He sees an intelligence acting in nature.

Prabhupāda: Anyway he accepts the superiority of nature, superior position of nature. He accepts it. So but beyond the nature there is a... the Supreme Personality Godhead. Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram (BG 9.10). Under My direction nature works. So he has no vision to see the background of nature.

Śyāmasundara: They term nature as the unfolding of events, as a thing in itself. They don't understand that beyond that is the controller.

Prabhupāda: That is lack of knowledge, poor fund of knowledge. So these persons with poor fund of knowledge, they should not take the position of a philosopher. This is misguided, misleading. That is going on. Mental concoction, speculating, without any authority.

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: But there is already the law, if he falls down there will be noise(?). The thing is already there, but it becomes manifested under certain circumstances, that's all.

Śyāmasundara: But his idea is that dropping of this does not cause it to be necessary that there is noise, but that because the world purpose is unfolding...

Prabhupāda: Where is that... Causeless means... There are two kinds of causes, efficient(?) cause and (indistinct) So it may be (indistinct) cause where there are many remote causes. But ultimate cause is Kṛṣṇa. Sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam (Bs. 5.1).

Śyāmasundara: That's his idea. He's looking at the ultimate cause, there is a motivation for everything. It's not accidental, that nothing is, no event is...

Prabhupāda: That we say, there is no such thing as accident.

Śyāmasundara: In other words if I perform some act with the expectation that something will result, it's not necessary that that act, that will result. There's no necessity for that.

Prabhupāda: That is our philosophy, that let Kṛṣṇa sanction. There cannot be (indistinct).

Śyāmasundara: There's no necessity...

Prabhupāda: I may try to do something with my expert knowledge but still if it is not sanctioned by Kṛṣṇa, it will not (indistinct).

Philosophy Discussion on Johann Gottlieb Fichte:

Prabhupāda: Yes. But practical means he will require guidance. (laughter)

Śyāmasundara: He says the institutions such as laws can participate in this unfolding of the reason of the universe, duty of the universe for instance by controlling conflicts between personalities and so on. Law, the laws of the state, the laws of (indistinct) can participate in the unfolding of the universe, the purpose of the universe.

Prabhupāda: Yes. We accept that personality may be (indistinct), not that we pick up any man from the street and we accept guru. That will not (indistinct). Śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham (MU 1.2.12), one who has heard properly from his spiritual master and as a result of such hearing he is perfectly in God consciousness (indistinct).

Śyāmasundara: How does this fit in with what I was just saying about institutions such as laws, things like that. They can participate in the purpose of the universe, in bringing out the purpose of the universe. I make a law that you shall not kill, does that participate...

Prabhupāda: No, you cannot make law. Law can be made by God. You have to abide by the law. You cannot (indistinct), you are imperfect, how you can make law? Your law will be imperfect.

Philosophy Discussion on George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel:

Hayagrīva: Hegel considered history and theodicy to be integral. He looks on history as a justification of God, and he rejects the Vedic conception of history because he doesn't see it unfolding any particular meaning. That is, universes are created, maintained and annihilated in an apparently meaningless way. For Hegel, history has to tell the story of man's elevation to God. Apart from the history of man, God would be alone and lifeless. God seems to depend on human history. God is not transcendental but is manifest in the world.

Prabhupāda: But if He is dependent on history, how He is God? This is nonsense proposal. (laughing) He is dependent on history!

Hayagrīva: Doesn't the history of mankind necessarily...

Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, God is independent, satandhara (?). Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayād itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāṭ (SB 1.1.1). Svarāṭ, independent. He does not depend on anything; still He is God. That is God. If He is dependent on anything, then He is not God.

Hayagrīva: But does the history of man necessarily make any sense? He saw it as progressing, as man, here again is evolution...

Prabhupāda: As soon as there is creation there is history, from the very beginning, that this is the point of creation and it will go on, history, until it is ended. Just like as soon as you are born, your horoscope is made, the history. Now throughout your whole life there are so many activities, and after, we also believe next life the history continues. But superficially we make history from the beginning to the end of this body, that's all. But God is not subject to such rule that "God is created at a certain point and He is ended at a certain point." Then where is the question of history? There is no history. History is for the small things. For me there is past, present, future. For God there is no such thing as past, present, future. So where is the history? History means past, present, future.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation with Indian Guest -- October 4, 1973, Bombay:

Guest (1): Sir, then today's lower, lower, higher, will be tomorrow's lower. Because tomorrow will be another unfolding.

Prabhupāda: But, but then you have to admit... Tomorrow he may be higher, but there, there is always the same thing, higher and lower. That you have to admit.

Guest (1): It's a manifestation.

Prabhupāda: Eh?

Guest (1): It's a manifestation of (indistinct).

Prabhupāda: That's all right, but you have to accept... Just like your son, your son. Tomorrow he'll be grown up like you, but at the present moment, his mental condition, your mental condition, there are different.

Guest (1): He's in evolution.

Prabhupāda: Yes, evolution. That, I understand. But these two things will continue.

Guest (1): As long as he's evolving and I'm evolving separately...

Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.

Guest (1): As individual...

Prabhupāda: No...,

Guest (1): ...because we are individualized.

Prabhupāda: But do you think that Aurobindo's mental condition or your mental condition, the same?

Room Conversation with Indian Guest -- October 4, 1973, Bombay:

Guest (1): It will be always unfolding.

Prabhupāda: That means it is always unknown.

Guest (1): Yes, the Lord is... Nobody can limit Lord.

Prabhupāda: No, no. That is, that is unknown to you. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, it is not unknown. There is a standard. There is a perfection stage.

Guest (1): As long as I have got body, I can never know God fully.

Prabhupāda: No, no, that's all right, so long you have got the body.

Guest (1): All of our śāstras says...

Prabhupāda: But, you hear me. You have come to take some light. You kindly hear.

Guest (1): Yes. Yes.

Prabhupāda: You were talking on the Bhagavad-gītā. I say on the Bhagavad-gītā. So so long you have got this body, there is no perfection. That's a fact.

Guest (1): Yes, sir.

Prabhupāda: But Bhagavad-gītā says, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti kaunteya (BG 4.9). Bhagavad-gītā says that if you understand the Kṛṣṇa consciousness philosophy, janma karma me... First of all, you always remember that whatever we are talking, we are talking on the Bhagavad-gītā, on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā. The Bhagavad-gītā says, janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). If you simply understand Kṛṣṇa, what is Kṛṣṇa, then tyaktvā deham, giving up this body, you'll not have to accept another material body. This is the statement of Bhagavad-gītā. But so long you'll accept this body, material body, you'll remain imperfect. There cannot be any perfection. It may be gradation. There are eight million, four hundred forms of life. There is Brahmā, and there is ant also.

1967 Correspondence

Letter to Subala -- Delhi 29 September, 1967:

"Anyone who has developed unflinching faith in the Lord and the Spiritual Master can understand the revealed scripture unfold before him." So continue your present aptitude and you will be successful in your spiritual progress. I am sure that even if I am not physically present before you. Still you will be able to execute all spiritual duties in the matter of Krishna Consciousness; if you follow the above principles. I thank you once more for your service.

So far as my health is concerned, I feel that I am now fit to return to your country. You can send me now an official invitation letter with guarantee for my maintenance and expenditure on printed stationery, and not only you, but also all the centers would send me such invitation so that they may be used for getting my permanent visa. Kirtanananda and Acyutananda went to the American Embassy and it was learnt that such letter are required for getting a permanent visa.