Material modes – Light of Godhead

Wherever you are there is Vrindavan

Speakar: Srila Prabhupada
Source: On the Bowery

His duty, whether on the fourteenth floor of a Riverside Drive apartment building or in a corner of a Bowery loft, was to establish Kṛṣṇa consciousness as the prime necessity for all humanity. He went on with his translating and with his constant vision of a Kṛṣṇa temple in New York City. Because his consciousness was absorbed in Kṛṣṇa’s universal mission, he did not depend on his surroundings for shelter. Home for him was not a matter of bricks and wood, but of taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa in every circumstance. As Prabhupāda

light-of-godhead2018-09-21T15:59:10+00:00February 18th, 2016|Categories: Material modes, Pastimes of Srila Prabhupada, Vaikuntha, Vrndavana|Tags: Srila Prabhupada Lilamrta|

Rising above the modes

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Subtle Cosmic Button-pusher

We have to raise above the modes of material nature. Nirguna. Traigunya-visaya veda nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. That is the statement of Bhagavad-gita. In the Vedic instruction, traigunya, Vedic instruction is dealing with the three gunas, the three material modes of nature. Nistraigunyo bhavarjuna. Nistraigunya. What is that? Because when Krsna was asking Arjuna to fight, he was in the traigunya platform, in the material platform. He was thinking, “How shall I kill my grandfather? How shall I kill my teacher? How shall I kill

light-of-godhead2016-02-08T04:30:56+00:00October 2nd, 2015|Categories: Arjuna, Krsna, Material modes, Stories, Transcendental|Tags: Material platform|

The Lord is always transcendental

Source: SB 1.2.28-29

Lord Viṣṇu, or Vāsudeva, is always transcendentally situated. Even though He accepts the quality of goodness of the material world, He is still transcendental to all the material modes. The following example will clear that matter more explicitly. In the prison house there are the prisoners and the managers of the prison house. Both the managers and the prisoners are bound by the laws of the king. But even though the king sometimes comes in the prison, he is not bound by the

light-of-godhead2015-09-25T16:35:34+00:00September 17th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, Transcendental goodness, Vishnu|Tags: King, Laws, Managers, Prison house, Prisoners|

SB-1.2.26-27: Just worship Krsna

SB 1.2.26: Those who are serious about liberation are certainly nonenvious, and they respect all. Yet they reject the horrible and ghastly forms of the demigods and worship only the all-blissful forms of Lord Viṣṇu and His plenary portions.

Highly qualified brāhmaṇas situated in the mode of goodness have no grudges against the mode of worship of others. They have all respect for other demigods, even though they may look ghastly, like Kāla-bhairava or Mahākālī. They know very well that these horrible features of the Supreme Lord are all different servitors of the Lord under different conditions, yet they reject the worship of both horrible and attractive features of the demigods, and they concentrate only on the forms of Viṣṇu because they are serious about liberation from the material conditions. The demigods, even to the stage of Brahmā, the supreme of all the demigods, cannot offer liberation to anyone.

light-of-godhead2015-09-24T01:17:19+00:00September 10th, 2015|Categories: Canto 1, Demigod worship, Goodness, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|

SB 1.2.24-25: Beyond sense perception

SB 1.2.24: Firewood is a transformation of earth, but smoke is better than the raw wood. And fire is still better, for by fire we can derive the benefits of superior knowledge [through Vedic sacrifices]. Similarly, passion [rajas] is better than ignorance [tamas], but goodness [sattva] is best because by goodness one can come to realize the Absolute Truth.

As explained above, one can get release from the conditioned life of material existence by devotional service to the Personality of Godhead. It is further comprehended herein that one has to rise to the platform of the mode of goodness (sattva) so that one can be eligible for the devotional service of the Lord. But if there are impediments on the progressive path, anyone, even from the platform of tamas, can gradually rise to the sattva platform by the expert direction of the spiritual master. Sincere candidates must, therefore, approach an expert spiritual master for such a progressive march, and the bona fide, expert spiritual master is competent to direct a disciple from any stage of life: tamas, rajas or sattva.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00August 14th, 2015|Categories: Canto 1, God realization, Goodness, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|Tags: Performing duty|

Come out to see the light

Speaker: SrilaPrabhupada
Source: How to see the Absolute truth

To understand the Absolute Truth, even brahma-darsanam, Absolute Truth, you have come to the light, not in the darkness. If you want to see the sun at least, then you have come to the sunshine. Not that in the dark room, closing your doors, you can see sunshine. You have to come out. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. Therefore the Vedic injunction is “Don’t remain in the darkness. Come out to see the light.” Just like in the morning, somebody is sleeping,

light-of-godhead2015-08-13T02:12:20+00:00August 12th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, God realization, Goodness, Ignorance|Tags: Absolute truth, Darkness, Light, Sunshine|

Sober activity is required

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: How to see the Absolute truth

Foolish activity has no meaning. Without brain, simply active, that is dangerous. Sober activity is required. Just like a high court judge. He is paid very lump sum, money, but he’s sitting on his chair and simply thinking. The others may think that “We are working so hard, we are not getting so big salary, and this man is getting so big salary. He’s sitting only.” Because foolish activity has no value, it is dangerous. So this modern world, they’re very

light-of-godhead2015-08-13T01:55:02+00:00August 12th, 2015|Categories: Analogies, God realization, Goodness, Ignorance, Passion|Tags: Foolishness, Judge|

SB 1.2.20-21: How to know God

SB 1.2.20: Thus established in the mode of unalloyed goodness, the man whose mind has been enlivened by contact with devotional service to the Lord gains positive scientific knowledge of the Personality of Godhead in the stage of liberation from all material association.

The brahminical stage is the highest stage of human life because of its good qualities. So one cannot be a devotee unless one at least qualifies as a brāhmaṇa. The devotee is already a brāhmaṇa by action. But that is not the end of it. As referred to above, such a brāhmaṇa has to become a Vaiṣṇava in fact to be actually in the transcendental stage. A pure Vaiṣṇava is a liberated soul and is transcendental even to the position of abrāhmaṇa. In the material stage even a brāhmaṇa is also a conditioned soul because although in the brahminical stage the conception of Brahman or transcendence is realized, scientific knowledge of the Supreme Lord is lacking. One has to surpass the brahminical stage and reach the vasudeva stage to understand the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00July 31st, 2015|Categories: Canto 1, God realization, Goodness, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|Tags: Performing duty|

How to beget Krsna

Speaker: Srila Prabhupada
Source: Transcendental Goodness

Sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam, there is a verse. Pure goodness. Pure goodness means there is only Vasudeva. Vasudevah sarvam iti (BG. 7.19). That is pure sattva, when there is no other conception, simply Vasudeva. Vasudeva is the platform. Just like Vasudeva was the father of Krsna. When Krsna appeared, Vasudeva was the father. So suddha-sattva is Vasudeva. Vasudeva means there is no contamination of ignorance or passion, simply sattva-guna. Tato rajas tamo bhava kama-lobhadayas ca ye, ceta etair anaviddham. When your

light-of-godhead2015-07-31T18:57:43+00:00July 30th, 2015|Categories: Brahmana, Philosophical concepts, Transcendental goodness, Vasudeva|

SB 1.2.18-19: The two bhagavatas

SB 1.2.18: By regular attendance in classes on the Bhāgavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

Here is the remedy for eliminating all inauspicious things within the heart, which are considered to be obstacles in the path of self-realization. The remedy is the association of the Bhāgavatas. There are two types of Bhāgavatas, namely the book Bhāgavata and the devotee Bhāgavata. Both the Bhāgavatas are competent remedies, and both of them or either of them can be good enough to eliminate the obstacles. A devotee Bhāgavata is as good as the book Bhāgavata because the devotee Bhāgavata leads his life in terms of the book Bhāgavata and the book Bhāgavata is full of information about the Personality of Godhead and His pure devotees, who are also Bhāgavatas. Bhāgavata book and person are identical.

light-of-godhead2015-09-07T22:46:59+00:00July 9th, 2015|Categories: Association, Canto 1, Goodness, Srimad Bhagavatam notes|Tags: Performing duty|