Philosophy and Theology

Begin or continue your systematic study of Srila Prabhupada's books in the following order:

1. Compilations such as Science of Self Realization, Journey of Self Discovery, 2. Sri Isopanishad, 3. Nectar of Instruction, 4. Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 5. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto One, 6. Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, 7. The Krishna Book, 8. Nectar of Devotion, 9. Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Two, Canto Six, 10. Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita, 11. Srimad Bhagavatam, remaining Cantos

What is philosophy?: 1. Seeking after wisdom or knowledge, esp. that which deals with ultimate reality, or with the general causes and principles of things. 2. The academic study of knowledge, thought, and the meaning of life. 3. The particular doctrines of a specific school relating to these issues. 4. Any system of belief or values. Philo- is from Greek and means to have a love or a liking for. -sophy comes from the Greek word for wisdom.

Philosophy is the science of sciences, states Srila Prabhupada, or the science from which all other sciences are derived. It means to search, research, inquire, and see with intelligence the nature of the absolute truth, the ultimate reality, the original source of everything. The search for the absolute truth (athato brahma-jijnasa), he explains, is the beginning of philosophy.

What is theology? A system of religion; rational analysis or study of a religious faith. Theo- comes from the Greek word for God. -logy refers to the study of something. Theology is the science of God, says Srila Prabhupada, which means knowing God, His nature, and our relationship to Him.

The Science of Love of God:Sambandha, Abhideya, Prayojana Three spiritual divisions of Vedic knowledge. Sambandha= the living entity's eternal relationship with Supreme Personality of Godhead. Abhidheya= The living entity's understanding of this relationship and acting accordingly. Prayojana=the ultimate goal of life: to develop love of God and return back to Godhead.

The three stages of spiritual advancement: First one has to establish his relationship with God as an eternal servant (sambandha), then he acts in that relationship (abhidheya) to achieve the goal of life, love for God (prayojana). The same applies to any relationship. A boy and girl, for example, may want a family. First they meet and establish a relationship. They marry. Then they act in that relationship, and then comes the children. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. They are the culmination of the entire Vedanta philosophy, the essence of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the great riches of life.

“Dharma means to understand our relationship with God and to act in that relation so that we may attain the ultimate goal of life. That is dharma. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. The whole Vedic civilization is based on this.” (Srila Prabhupada Lectures) “Caitanya Mahaprabhu concludes that we are after riches. He says that Krishna, devotional service, and love of Krishna, these three items are the topmost riches in life." (Srila Prabhupada Lectures)

The Methods of Attaining Knowledge: The starting point in philosophical discussion is epistemology-establishing the basis of knowledge. Jiva Goswami lists in his Sad-sandharbha ten methods of attaining knowledge, including tradition, history, guessing, comparison, probability, and logic, and shows how all of them fit into three main categories. Pratyaksa (Direct sense perception) The knowledge we get through the five senses, Anumana (Mental reasoning) Literally "to follow (anu) the mind (mana)" , Sabda (Authoritative testimony) Literally "sound"

About Vedic Authority: 1. The Vedas are like an instruction manual to the material world. 2. The artist knows best of his own painting. 3. Inductive (by own strength) and deductive (that comes down) knowledge: if the authority is perfect, then hearing from him the perfect method. 4. We can experiment and come to the same conclusion, but accepting authority will save us time. 5. The Vedic knowledge is described as apauruseya (not of man). 6. The Vedas are accepted as axiomatic (vanzelfsprekend, logisch).

The Four Defects of the Conditioned Soul: Imperfect Senses (Karanapatava) The senses are limited and can easily be misled. Illusion (Pramada) Accepting as real something that is not real. Mistakes (Bhrama) "To err is human." Cheating (Vipralipsa) To propagate falsehood, to present yourself as something you are not. Looking for the key under the street light: Using our material mind and senses to find the truth is like the man who dropped his car keys in the driveway but searches for it under the streetlight, where the light is better. Taking help from the scriptures is like using a torchlight in the driveway. God is all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing.

The Importance of Faith in Bhakti and the Danger of Doubts: A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace. But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is no happiness neither in this world nor in the next. (Bg 4.39-40)

Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world. (Bg 9.3). Anything done as sacrifice, charity or penance without faith in the Supreme, O son of Prtha, is impermanent. It is called asat and is useless both in this life and the next. (Bg 17.28). And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation of ours worships Me by his intelligence. And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reactions and attains to the auspicious planets where the pious dwell. (Bg 18.70-71). Srila Prabhupada describes in his purport to Bg 9.3 how one’s level of faith determines one’s degree of advancement in Krishna consciousness: "It is only by faith that one can advance in Krishna consciousness." "Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed." (Svetasvatara Upanisad) Doubts are compared to demons in the Bhagavad-gita. When doubts arise in the mind and create a disturbance, they can indicate the presence of stubborn material attachments that are being gradually removed by the process of devotional service. Doubt is a function of the intelligence. (SB 3.26.30) Nothing should be accepted blindly everything should be accepted with care and with caution. (Bg 10.4-5p) Before surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Bg 18.63p)

How to develop faith and destroy doubts: 1. Associate with faithful devotees. 2. Cleanse the heart of all the material dirt that causes doubt by chanting Hare Krishna and follow the Krishna consciousness process. 3. Take shelter of Krishna with prayer and submission. 4. Follow the process and see for yourself how it works. Examples: road map; jar of honey. 5. See how it works for others. 6. Cultivate knowledge and philosophical understanding, and destroy ignorance by study of the scriptures and through philosophical inquiry. One who follows the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita, as it is imparted by the Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, becomes free from all doubts by the grace of transcendental knowledge. . . .Therefore the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bharata, stand and fight. (Bg 4.41-42)

The Existence of God People are generally more inclined to listen to the positive case for God's existence after their objections against His existence are shown to be insubstantial. How could you deal with of the following objections?

1. Why is there so much suffering in the world? 2. You cannot give any proof of God. 3. You have a belief, but we have real knowledge (science). 4. It is just a psychological need of weak people. l The Ontological argument: There is no question of whether or not there is a Supreme - something must be supreme in the universe; it is just a matter of finding out what it is. l The origin is either nothing, impersonal, or personal. l The Absolute is by definition unlimited. It must therefore include both personal and impersonal aspects. l Everyone had a father before him. But ultimately the line must trace back to the original father. l We speak of Mother Nature, but who is the Father? Where do the souls come from that give life to the material bodies? l All the scriptures of the world confirm the existence of God. l Krishna as the Supersoul, causes remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness. Instinct and the occurrence of inspiration further indicate His presence in the heart.

Janmadyasya yathah "The Absolute Truth is that from which everything comes, upon which everything is based. It is the ultimate origin and foundation." A fundamental definition of the Absolute Truth from the Vedanta-sutra.

Intelligent Design If you didn’t know anything about watches, and you found one lying somewhere, you would not suppose that the watch’s form was an accident, with its intricate and finely tuned mechanics. You would assume it had been designed and created by someone with a particular purpose in mind. Similarly, the incredible complexity and perfection of the creation indicates intelligent design: the tiny atoms and molecules, the workings of cells and biological functions, the variety of life-forms, the balance of the ecosystem and nature, the planetary systems and stars, the universal laws. "It does not matter whether or not we see the lawmaker behind the common laws; we must admit that there is a lawmaker. Matter can never work automatically, without a living hand, and therefore we must admit the existence of God, the supreme living being, behind the laws of nature." -Srila Prabhupada, Light of the Bhagavat.

Can a Scientist Believe in God? One of the great dogmas that plague modern thinking is the idea that belief in God is irrationally based only on faith and sentiment. Those who hold this opinion admit that knowledge obtained by empirical means is limited and imperfect, but they still dismiss any alternative body of knowledge that lies beyond their inherently defective and limited empirical knowledge even though scientific attitude demands that alternative hypotheses be rejected only after sufficient consideration and testing. Such people, while calling religious texts dogmatic and while avoiding submission to God's authority, have imposed a great dogma on themselves in the name of science. "It is the business of science to offer rational explanations for all events in the real world, and any scientist who calls on God to explain something is failing in his job. This is one piece of dogmatism that a scientist can allow himself." (William Bonner, pg.119, The mystery of the Expanding Universe) It is one thing to say that we cannot experimentally verify the existence of God by currently available methodologies of modern science. But it is hasty and foolish to assume that there can exist no methodologies of a different nature that can help us directly verify the existence of God, or that the methods of science and religion cannot be integrated.

The Illogical Imagination of the Atheists When anthropologists dig in the earth and find a triangular piece of sharp flint, they conclude that it must have been designed by someone to be the tip of an arrow. Such things designed for a purpose, scientists agree, could not be products of chance. When it comes to living things, however, the same logic is often abandoned. A designer is considered unnecessary. But the simplest singlecelled organism, or just the DNA of the genetic code, is far more complex than a shaped piece of flint. Yet atheists insist that these had no designer and were shaped by chance events. Darwin at least recognised the need for some designing force, and he assigned the job to natural selection. "Natural selection", he said, "is daily and hourly scrutinising, throughout the world, the slightest variations; rejecting those that are bad, preserving and adding up all that are good."

More Evidence When we think calmly and carefully about this wonderful universe, we see order and design at every level - in the atoms, the molecules, the solar system and the universe. Scientists continue to find new and astonishing aspects of this order. The very word 'cosmos' means 'an orderly, harmonious systematic universe'. An atom includes a nucleus surrounded by orbiting electrons. All matter is made up of these building blocks. What makes one substance differ from another is the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and the arrangement of electrons revolving around it. This has an exquisite order. At the molecular level, networks of atoms are so fantastically arranged that even a slight change in the position of a few atoms or a little variation in the geometry of a molecule can cause the colour of a substance to change; a mild, pleasing odour to become repellent and pungent; and a flavour to change from bitter to sweet. As for the planet earth, the atmosphere among many other functions, maintains the temperature within safe limits for life and carries the vital supply of fresh water-vapour far inland from the oceans to irrigate the earth. It can be easily shown through many simple illustrations how God created this world and took care of every detail, so that we living beings can have all the necessary things for existence. One example is the four remarkable properties of water. l its power of absorbing vast quantities of oxygen at low temperatures l its maximum density at 4 degrees centigrade above the freezing point, whereby lakes and rivers remain liquid l the lesser density of ice than water, so that it remains on the surface l its power of releasing great quantities of heat as it freezes, which preserves life in oceans, lakes and rivers throughout long winters. From the infinitely large to the infinitesimally small, from galactic clusters to atoms, the universe is characterised by superb organisation. Indeed, the universe is so precisely organised that man can use the heavenly bodies as the basis for his timekeeping. One of the smallest seeds has packaged within it the biggest living thing on earth - the giant sequoia tree. It grows over 300 feet high. Four feet above the ground its diameter may be 36 feet. One tree may contain enough wood to build 50 six-room houses. The two-foot-thick bark is flavoured with tannin an insect repellent, and its spongy, fibrous texture makes it almost as fireproof as asbestos. Its roots cover three or four acres. It lives over 3000 years. Yet the seeds that a sequoia tree rains down by the millions are not much bigger than a pinhead surrounded by tiny wings. Does it make sense to believe that the majestic giant and the tiny seed that packages it were not shaped by design? Nobel-prize-winning physicist Robert A Millikan said at a meeting of the American Physical Society: "There's a Divinity that shapes our ends … A purely materialistic philosophy is to me the height of unintelligence. Wise men in all ages have always seen enough to at least make them reverent." Every day the sun supplies the solar system with a tremendous amount of heat, light and energy. The very tiny fraction of the sun's energy that falls on the earth - estimated at about five parts in a hundred million – is about 100,000 times greater than all the energy used in the world's industries. Put in a different way, the energy the sun emits in one second is greater than the whole amount of energy that the human species has consumed throughout its history! The development that has taken place in all of the physical sciences during the past hundred years has come about chiefly from the application of the scientific method to the study of matter and energy. In the experimental part of this study every effort is made to eliminate every known possibility that the results obtained are due in any way to mere chance. This study consistently has shown in the past and still continues to show that the behaviour of even insensible matter is not at all haphazard, but on the contrary obeys definite natural laws. As physicist Stephen W Hawking said: "The more we examine the universe, we find it is not arbitrary at all but obeys certain well-defined laws that operate in different areas. It seems very reasonable to suppose that there may be some unifying principle."

After commenting on all the special conditions of order and law that are so obvious in the universe, 'Science News' observed: Contemplation of these things disturbs cosmologists because it seems as if such particular and precise conditions could hardly have arisen at random. One way to deal with the question is to say the whole thing was contrived and lay it on Divine Providence." Many scientists have begun to acknowledge what the evidence keeps insisting – intelligence. Astrophysicist John Gribin admitted in 'New Scientist' that "Though scientists claim, by and large, to be able to describe in great detail what happened after the moment of creation, what brought about the instant of creation remains a mystery," And, he mused, "maybe God did make it, after all."

The Unseen Is Proven by the Seen One may not know God for sometime, but sooner or later, an intelligent person asks - "How is it that the material universe from the sub microscopic realm of the atom to the expanding reaches of the galactic objects is running like an intricate well-oiled clock? If hundreds of scientists have to break their heads to put a single satellite in orbit, how much greater giant brain, capable of careful planning, would be required to put millions of planets in orbit? Modern scientists are proud of automation, but there is a scientific brain behind automation also. What great intelligence has been able to imagine them, realise them and put them in motion?" A clear principle is established: "The unseen is proved by the seen. The creation reflects the creator at every point. God can be easily seen in this creation just as an inventor can be easily known by his invention." The Bhagavad-Gita explains that everything rests upon God just as pearls are strung on a thread. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita (7.7): "O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to me. Everything rests upon me, as pearls are strung on a thread." The analogy is clear. By superficial examination of a pearl necklace, one cannot see what is keeping all the pearls together. But we figure, that there must be some binding factor, else the pearls would have scattered. Similarly, God is the underlying thread of truth binding this entire cosmic manifestation together in an orderly manner. It is he who put all the planets and galaxies into precise orbits and it is he who maintains them.

Isaac Newton's Model There is a wonderful incident in the life of Sir Isaac Newton that goes to show how he was a strong believer of God. Newton had a small - scale model of the solar system, which, on completion, was installed on a large table in his home. The artisan had proximity, but also constructing the model in such a manner that everything rotated and orbited when a crank was turned. One day, one of Newton's atheistic friends came by for a visit and was naturally intrigued by the model. Having expressed admiration at the workmanship, he inquired about the artisan. Newton replied in all seriousness that there was no artisan. The model had just popped up by chance. Of course, the visitor was not convinced. Finally, Newton explained, "You refuse to believe that this puny contraption came about by chance and yet you are convinced that the great original, the actual solar system, of which this mechanism is only a model, has come into being without a designer or a maker. Now tell me, by what sort of reasoning do you reach such an absurd conclusion?" Thus Newton defeated his friend and made him realize that behind this marvellous creation of the universe, there is the hand of God. Once when Newton was standing on seashore, one of his friends praised him for his world-renowned laws of mechanics and other inventions. Newton replied, "All my findings are like the pebbles that you find on the seashore, whereas God's mysterious creation is like this unfathomable ocean! Who can begin to understand his energies?" Thus Newton recognized the greatness of God. Taken from ’Discover Your Self‘ by Radheyshyam Das (IYF Pune)

"You Are Not The Material Body" The Power of Identity The belief that you hold, about who you are, and your identity, is very powerful; the way you see yourself in relationship to everything else determines your behaviour and your goals. The transcendentalist is constantly endeavoring to realize himself as a spiritual soul, different from any of the temporary bodily designations which we so strongly identify ourselves. You are an eternal spirit; you were never born and you will never die.

This is the first point Krishna explains in the Bhagavad-gita. Understanding this is the first step in spiritual life. "The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendent of Bharata." The body changes throughout life but the self remains the same. We can remember having a child´s body. That form is gone now, but the inner self, the observer, remains.

Common Arguments: 1. What is the difference between a dead body and a living body? When someone dies, we say, "Oh, he has gone." Even a child can understand that the person is no longer there. 2. Any combination of non-conscious atoms or dull material elements cannot produce consciousness. This is common sense. 3. Energy is never lost or destroyed. So what happens to the source of consciousness, the living force, at the time of death? 4. We even say, "My body." That indicates that we intuitively know that the "I" owns the body; they are two different things. 5. Peoples testimonies about out of body experiences and past life memories give us powerful evidence. 6. The Vedas conclude: Matter, which can be percieved by the material senses, is temporal and unconscious. Spirit, which is imperceptible to the material senses, is the eternal consciousness. 7. Together they make up the whole of reality which we experience in this universe.

Some common objections: Q1:But the soul can´t be percieved in any way or measured with any instrument. Why should we believe in a hypothetical entity for which there is no evidence? A1:Actually, you can see the soul; it is just a matter of training, just as you must study in the university for many years to see how an atom exists. The soul is like a spiritual atom. The symptom of its presence is consciousness. Q2:Evolutionary theory has proven that life is a result of chemical combinations everyone knows that. A2: Evolutionary theory is still a theory, and real scientists know that it has many problems. And a significant body of discoveries defies the theory. It is far from having proven anything. We challenge people to prove that life comes from chemicals by demonstrating it in the laboratory. Q3: The brain is so complex, we cannot understand how it works, but you can tell that it is the source of consciousness because if certain parts are damaged, the consciousness is impaired. A3: Not necessarily. If a computer is damaged, the user’s ability to operate through the computer will be impaired, but that doesn’t mean that the user is created by the computer. Consciousness may work through the brain but that doesn’t mean that the brain is consciousness. It is still a collection of material elements. Atoms, electrons, and molecules cannot see, no matter what combination you put them in.

The Soul The soul is the life force within the body. It is the source of consciousness, your very self, which is experiencing the changes of the mind and body. Therefore it is also called the knower of the "field" (i.e. the body). Here is a list of important qualities of the soul: l Eternally an individual personality and identity l Pleasure-seeking by nature l Sat-cit-ananda l Transcendental / does not mix with anything l More powerful than ten thousand suns l Situated in the heart alongside with the Supersoul l Always dependent; must take shelter of Krishna or His energy l An eternal part and parcel of Krishna and therefore has the same qualities as Krishna l A servant and lover of Krishna l Controlled by Krishna l Naturally serves Krishna l Illuminates the entire body with consciousness, as sun illuminates the solar system. l Never born and never dies l Ten-thousandth of the tip of a hair l Unbreakable, insoluble, everlasting, indestructible l Unchangeable, invisible, inconceivable and immutable l Cannot be cut by any weapon, burned by fire, moistened by water, nor dried by the wind.

Sanatana-dharma The Constitutional Position of the Soul l Sanatana means eternal. l Self-realization means to understand the real nature (eternal identity) of the self. l Identity is defined in terms of relationships to others-parents, brothers, uncles, occupation, community, society, nation. l If we want to know our ultimate, eternal (constitutional) identity, we have to see our postion in relationship to the Absolute Truth, to God. So what is our relationship to God? That is our dharma, our eternal (sanatana-) dharma. l Colloquially, dharma means occupation, religion, or path. But these are not universal or eternal or the essence of the living being's existence. l The root meaning of dharma is "essence" or "that which sustains ones existence"; For instance saltiness is the essence of salt – you can not remove it. Heat and light are the essences of fire; they are it’s dharma. Similarily the essential nature of the living entitiy is activity in relationship to others => service. l Religion really means to re-link. And re-linking with God is a process universal to all religions. Yoga means the same thing: to connect oneself with God. And this connection is re-established through service.

Summary So, our constitutional identity is defined by our relationship to the Lord. And our essential nature is to serve. Therefore we are servants of the Lord, just as the part is to the whole. This is our sanatana-dharma, our eternal occupation, our real religion. What is the difference between mundane religion and transcendental religion? Mundane religion is bound to the material and involves the four material principles: eating, sleeping, mating and defending. Or dharma, artha, kama and moksha. Krishna consciousness rejects these four mundane principles (Bg 18.66) {although a devotee still achieves the benefits of them all automatically without separate endeavour (Bg 9.22)} and embraces the principle of bhakti yoga.

Consider the peace and satisfaction felt in serving others as compared to the frustration of trying to lord it over others. A cook or a nurse for example feels satisfaction when the recipients of their services are satisfied; whereas an ambitious status seeker is always envious of those above him.

The Law of Karma What is Karma? l Literally means "work" or "activity" l The law of karma means for every action there is a reaction (the law of cause and effect) l The pain or pleasure we cause others will sooner or later return back to us. Therefore whatever pain or pleasure we are experiencing now is a result of our previous activities. → "As you sow, so shall you reap." There are various stages both in cause and effect. Each effect is also a cause for future effect.

Bija → Seed → Desire, to enjoy and control separate from Krishna in various ways. Kutastha → Bud → Decision, thinking, feeling and willing in the mind, coming to the decision to perform a particular activity. Phalonmukha → Fruit → Activity, performing it. Prarabdha → Reap/harvest → Reaction, happiness and distress.

Karma is administered by the Supersoul l He knows everything-past, present, and future l He keeps track of our karmic accounts l He arranges for the particular body and circumstances we get in life l He makes sure that we get the karmic reactions we deserve by both (a) giving us the knowledge, forgetfulness, remembrance, and inspiration that will guide us in the required direction; and (b) arranging other appropriate circumstances externally. l He awards the living beings what they desire and deserve

Three divisions of action and subsequent reaction (karma) Karma: Pious work that adheres to Vedic principles → Elevates one to higher status, a good birth or life on the heavenly planets. Vikarma: Work that contravenes Vedic injunctions, sinful → Produces negative reactions, lower birth. Akarma: Not a negation of work but of reactions. i.e. work with no reactions. Work done not for oneself but for Krishna → Gives liberation and establishes one in loving devotional service.

Points of discussion l Even so-called good karma is bondage. l Action in inaction / inaction in action = reaction from not working / no reaction from work (see Bg 4.18) l Action in Krishna consciousness burns up previous reactions l Everything depends on desire; we cannot obliterate desire-we must change it. l Giving and accepting money in charity.

Destiny and Free Will Is the living entity in the material world controlled or free? Are his activities pre-determined or does he choose them himself? Philosophers, theologians, and scientists throughout the centuries have pondered and discussed this age-old theme. People generally like to think that they are totally free. Why wouldn't it be correct to say that we are completely controlled and have absolutely no free will? l We wouldn't be responsible for our own actions and get karma (animals don't accumulate karma, because they cannot make independent decisions). l That would make God whimsical for sending some living entities to enjoy in heaven and other to suffer in hell. l Krishna is supremely independent; His parts and parcels are therefore also minutely independent. l If we had no free will, how could we surrender? And how could there be any love? What is our freedom? How does our free will manifest in daily life? Here are a few examples: l Following Krishna's instructions or not (We have the free will to submit ourselves to the control of material nature or Krishna's instructions.) l Choosing to do good in moments of moral dilemma l A person may become attracted to a certain mode and thus associate with it and thus develop that mode more within himself.

Points of Discussion l Common misinterpretations of karma; dodging responsibility l The soul is responsible for her own entanglement; Krishna never wanted us to leave his association. l Entanglement and liberation are results of desire; Use and misuse of freedom; l What is freedom really? l Breaking laws leads to loss of freedom.

Re-incarnation "As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up old and useless ones. " (Bg 2.22)

Definitions: Re-incarnation: the incarnation or embodiment of a soul in a new body after it has left the old one at physical death. Transmigration: the passing (of souls) from one body to another at death.

Basic Description l The human being's activities create karmic reactions or karmaphala (‘work-fruit’). His desires, thoughts, words, and actions in life produce a total impression on the mind. l As long as the living entity still has material desires, Krishna continues to give him another opportunity to fulfill them. l After death, the living being gets another body according to his desire, the total impression on the mind, and his karma-phala. l The 8,400,000 species are created with different sets of senses to fulfill the different desires of the living entity. l Karma-phala, which determines the path one takes through various species or to other human bodies, is accrued only in the human form of life. l The soul uses up his accumulated karma-phala as he passes through the non-human species. l Eventually, the soul returns to the human platform, where he gets a new opportunity to carve out a new destiny. l This cycle continues until the living entity becomes free of material desire, which holds him in the material world. "Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail." (Bg 8.6)

Quotes: Throughout the ages, many famous thinkers (philosophers, writers, scholars, theologians, sceintists, artists, etc.) have accepted the concept of reincarnation: "I am confident that there is truly such a thing as living again, and that the living spring from the dead." (Socrates while drinking the cup of poison) "Every soul comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life.... Its work in this world determines its place in the world which is to follow this." (Origen) "God generates beings and sends them back over and over again, until they return to Him." (Koran)

"It is not more surprising to be born twice than once." (Voltaire) They will come back, come back again As long as the red earth rolls. He never wasted a leaf or a tree. Do you think He would squander souls? (Rudyard Kipling)

"I am no Hindu, but I hold the doctrine of the Hindus concerning a future state to be incomparably more rational, more pious, and more likely to deter men from vice, than the horrid opinions inculcated by Christians on punishments without end." (Sir William Jones, founder of the Asiatic Society of Bengal). "It is absolutely necessary that the soul be purified, and if this does not take place in this life on earth, it must be accomplished in future lives." (St. Gregory, bishop of Nyssa)

The Body of Benjamin Franklin Printer Like the Cover of an Old Book Its Contents Torn Out And Stripped of its Lettering and Guilding Lies Here, Food for Worms. But the Work Shall Not Be Lost For It Will (As He Believed) Appear Once More In a New and Elegant Edition Revised and Corrected by The Author - Benjamin B Franklin's selfcomposed epitaph. "Who do men say that I am? John the Baptist, Elias or Jeremias." (Jesus)

The Three Aspects of the Absolute Truth: Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan. Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramatma or Bhagavan. (SB 1.2.11). Brahman Brahman: means spirit, the greatest, supreme, Krishna’s all-pervading energy. It is the oneness that underlies the variety of manifestations, the substance of existence. Saguna Brahman -Brahman with manifested qualities (material world). Nirguna Brahman-means without manifested qualities (spiritual world). Paramatma (Supersoul) A localised expansion of the Lord, expanded everywhere in every heart and atom of the material universe. l He is one but appears divided, just as the sun shines on everyone. l He knows all bodies, unlike the individual soul. l His source and identity: Ksirodakasayi Vishnu. He is sometimes detectable as conscience or the inner voice. He has all knowledge and is our best well-wishing friend. Therefore we should surrender to Him. That will be the best for us. Bhagavan (= of opulence [bhaga] the owner [van]) l The personal and original aspect of the Absolute Truth. l Bhagavan realization includes Paramatma and Brahman realization. l Parasara Muni’s definition: the Supreme Personality who possesses all six opulences in full. = Wealth (Aisvarya), Strength (Virya), Fame (Yasasah), Beauty (Sriyah), Knowledge (Jnana) and Renunciation (Vairagya). Inter-relationship of All Three: l train coming: seeing smoke, light, meeting the driver l approaching a distant mountain l the three aspects of the sun: rays, globe & personality. Brahman (worshippers: Brahmavadis) → (possible attainment: Brahmajyoti) → (realization: Sat). Paramatma (worshippers: Yogis) → (possible attainment: Brahmajyoti or Vaikuntha planets) → (realization: Sat, cit). Bhagavan (worshippers: Bhaktas) → (possible attainment: Vaikuntha planets or Goloka Vrndavana) → (realization: Sat, cit, ananda).

Krishna, the Supreme Absolute Truth Why do we accept Krishna as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead? Here are some typical counter-arguments: l He is an incarnation of Vishnu (seen at birth). l Brahma or Shiva are more powerful. l He exhibited human traits (Rancor, fight with Salva). l He takes the form of a small child and then grows to an adult. l Just a bias: other scriptures glorify demigods like Indra as the Supreme. The Supreme Lord and His Abode What makes Krishna unique? isvarah paramah krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam: "Krishna, who is known as Govinda, is the Supreme Godhead. He has a spiritual form of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. He is the origin of all and He has no other origin, for He is the primeval cause of all causes." Krishna is the original source of everything in existence: all energies, all Vishnu-tattva expansions, all living beings. Everything everywhere that expands from Him, is a part of Him. He is the supreme object of worship, the supreme master, the supreme friend, the supreme lover. Krishna is known as the son of Nanda and Yasoda. He is renowned for playing His flute and wearing a peacock feather on His hair. He always appears as a fresh youth and He is called Syama because His bodily hue is like the blackish-blue monsoon clouds. Govinda means the giver of pleasure to the cows or the senses. He plays as a cowherd boy in the forests of Vrndavana and enjoys conjugal pastimes with the beautiful cowherd damsels, especially with His internal pleasure potency, Radharani. The crown-jewel among His wonderful varieties of pastimes is the rasa-lila dance. His devotees’ love for Him is the most exalted anywhere in the universe.

He can attract all living entities by playing His flute. His name means the all-attractive one. The exquisite beauty of His form cannot be rivaled by any one in the creation. Radharani and Her Expansions Radharani is Krishna’s supreme and eternal consort. She expands Herself into innumerable forms for the Lords pleasure. All the gopis, the queens of Dvaraka and the Laksmis, consorts of Vishnu or Narayana, are all expansions of Radharani.

The Four Dhams or Abodes Knowing these four realms or abodes gives one an overview of the sum totality of existence (summum bonum). Goloka Dham, Vaikuntha Dham or Hari Dham (Spiritual world), Mahesa Dham (Lord Shiva’s abode in the Viraja River (Causal Ocean) between the material and spiritual worlds.), Devi Dham (The abode of Mayadevi; the material world).

Devi-dham l Where the living entities go when they give up the desire to serve Krishna and desire to enjoy separately from the Lord l Meant for fulfilling the living entity's desires and for his rehabilitation l A temporal place of illusory enjoyment and constant suffering l Conditioned by birth, old age, disease and death l The knowledge of the living entity is covered by ignorance and illusion l False ego makes the living entity identify with the material body l A place of duality and relativity.

Mahesa-dham l A marginal place between Devi-dham and Hari-dham l Not part of the spiritual world, nor the material world l No opportunity to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead l For impersonalists who want to merge into the Transcendence l For liberated souls who have not realized the opulence of Haridhama l The destination of nirvana, the Buddha philosophy l System of jnana-yoga makes one eligible to enter there.

General Description of Vaikuntha (Vai-free from; kuntha-anxiety) l Unlimited planets, each being unlimited l Once having gone there, we never return to the material world l Everincreasing pleasure and love l No artificial lighting - everything is self-illuminating l Ever-fresh, youthful, eternal, immortal l Each planet is predominated by a particular expansion of Narayana l Everyone and everything there is perfect l Everything is made of pure consciousness l Kama-dhenu cows, Kalpa-vrksa wish-fulfilling trees l Described: SB 3.15.12-24.

Krishnaloka or Goloka-dham l the supreme spiritual planet in Vaikuntha l It is like the whorl of a lotus flower (other planets are the petals) l Three divisions: Vrndavana, Mathura, Dvaraka l It emanates the bright rays of effulgence (brahmajyoti) throughout the entire spiritual world. l Krishna performs wonderful pastimes there and reveals His sweetness. l Every step is a dance, every word is a song. Being the abode of the original Supreme Personality, Goloka-dham displays special features not found anywhere else in Vaikuntha. Among them are the especially sweet relationships (rasas) Krishna has with His devotees there.

The Five Primary (Direct) Rasas These rasas are eternally manifested in the hearts of the pure devotees. Rasa, Activities, Qualities and Examples: Santa (Neutrality) → Meditation and worship of Brahman and Paramatma;Appreciating Krishna´s beauty → Full attachment to Krishna → Sukadeva Gosvami, Bilvamangala, Four Kumaras, Navayogendras.

Dasya (Servitude) → Menial service, Prayers, obeisances, fanning, carrying umbrella supplying betel,cleaning clothes → Full attachment to Krishna’s Service → Brahma, Daruka, Uddhava, Pradyumna, Bhisma.

Sakhya (Friendship) → Joking, fighting, playing, massaging, counselling, relaying confidential messages, singing, dancing → Full attachment to Krishna’s Service Relaxed intimacy → Sudama, Arjuna, Bhima, Ujjvala, Stoka Krishna.

Vatsalya (Parental) → Bathing, dressing, decorating, smelling head, chastising, instructing, protecting. → Full attachment to Krishna’s Service Relaxed intimacy Maintenance → Yasoda-mata, Nanda Maharaj, Devaki, Vasudeva, Kunti, Rohini, Sandipani Muni.

Madhurya (Conjugal) → Exchange of glances and sweet smiles, dancing, kissing, embracing, talks and arguments → Full attachment to Krishna’s Service Relaxed intimacy Maintenance Offering the body → Radharani, Rukmini, Satyabhama, Lalita, Visakha, Candravali.

The Development of Qualities in the Rasas Full attachment to Krishna in Santa-rasa is accompanied by complete detachment from material enjoyment. The devotee does not perform any personal service unto the Lord, but is fixed in a state of appreciation, awe, and reverence. This is the beginning of devotional service. The stage of Dasya-rasa adds service to the foundation of appreciation. The devotee is convinced that the living entity is the servant and the Lord is the master. Relaxed intimacy is added to the previous two qualities in Sakhya-rasa. This quality replaces the mood of awe and reverence, and devotees on this level consider themselves equal to Krishna. The maintenance (and protection) characteristic of Vatsalya-rasa indicates that the devotee in this relationship with Krishna considers himself or herself in a superior position. He or she feels that Krishna is dependent on them. The conjugal loving relationship includes all of the previous characteristics and adds to them the offering of the body. Krishna’s female companions make themselves look beautiful for Krishna’s pleasure and Krishna becomes attracted to them. In this way, each successive rasa builds on the previous one, adding one more element each time. For more details, see Nectar of Devotion, Chapters 35 to 44.

Perceiving Krishna in His Creation Krishna is......the essence of everything: the taste in water, the sound in ether, the ability in man, the heat in fire, the life of all that lives, the intelligence of the intelligent, the prowess of all powerful men, the original fragrance of the earth, the light of the sun and the moon, the strength of the strong.

Krishna is... ...the very best of everything: of lights → the radiant sun, among stars → the moon, of the sages → Vyasa, of the senses → the mind, of vibrations → transcendental om, of sacrifices → chanting japa, among men → the monarch, of science → science of the self, among logicians → the conclusive truth, of seasons → flower-bearing spring, of weapons → the thunderbolt, among cows → the surabhi, of fishes → the shark, of bodies of water → the ocean, of immovable things → the Himalayas, of wielders of weapons → Rama, of those seeking victory → morality, of the demigods → Indra, of secret things → silence, of flowing rivers → the Ganges, among lawkeepers → Yamaraja, among the demons → Prahlada, among subduers → time, among beasts → the lion, among birds → Garuda, of creators → Brahma

The Supreme Lord is directing the wandering of all living entities. Know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor. . . . With a single fragment of Myself, I pervade and support this entire universe. (Bg 10.41-42)

One can percieve Krishna's Virat-Rupa, or 'universal-form' everywhere in the creation. The Rupa described below is a highly conceptualized form originally intended for impersonalists (Krishna has no ‘bones’, for instance!), and is a different Virat-Rupa to the one shown to Arjuna on the battlefield. : Hills/mountains → Stacks of His bones, Physical sound → His sense of hearing, Material aroma → His sense of smell, Trees → The hairs of His body, Clouds → Hairs on His head, Day and night → His eyelids, Religion → His breast, Irreligion → His back, The ocean → His waist, Rivers → Veins, Twilight → His dress, The air → His breath, The ten directions → His ears, The blazing fire → His mouth, The sun and moon → His eyes, Alluring material energy → His smile, The passing ages → His movements, The horse, mule, camel → His nails, Varieties of birds → His artistry, The brahmanas → His face, The ksatriyas → His arms, The vaisyas → His thighs, The sudras → Under His feet

The Three Energies of the Lord The Lord has unlimited energies, but all of these energies can be divided into three main categories. Antaranga-sakti = Internal energy = The spiritual world, Bahiranga-sakti = External energy = Material world, Tatastha-sakti = Marginal energy = The living entities. Bahiranga-sakti Is everything a part of Krishna and connected to Him? Why is the material world called the external energy or Krishna’s separated energy (bhinnaprakriti)? Inconceivably one and different simultaneously (Acintya-bhedabheda-tattva) Sunshine and clouds come from the sun; thus they are simultaneously one with the sun and different from the sun. Similarly, the living entities and the material creation come from Krishna and are thus simultaneously one with and different from Krishna. Tatastha-sakti Stha means position. Tata is the point at the edge of the waves that roll up on the beach, the margin between water and land. The living entities, the marginal energy of the Lord, are compared to seaweed that can drift in the ocean waves or wash up on the shore.

Why is it important to know this? Overcoming maya This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (Bg 7.14) Taking shelter O son of Prtha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible. (Bg 9.13). If you don’t take shelter of the internal energy, you will remain in the shelter of the external energy. The living entity is always under the shelter of one of these two. You cannot be outside of both. You cannot realize one while in the other. Antaranga-sakti Antaranga-sakti includes everything in the spiritual world and is under the direct shelter of the spiritual energy. Maya Devotees often refer to the material world as maya. Maya means ‘that which is not’, or illusion. Knowing the illusions of the material world is important in spiritual life.

The Material World is a Place of Suffering Srila Prabhupada often emphasised that the material world is a place of suffering.

The Three-Fold Miseries of Life:

Adhyatmika: miseries coming from one's own body and mind (aching bones, rotting teeth, headaches, worry and stress.) Adhibhautika: miseries coming from other living beings (mosquitoes, envious people, vicious dogs, etc.) Adhidaivika: miseries coming from nature (demigods) (earthquake, famine, extreme weather conditions, etc.)

Birth, Death, Old age, and Disease Seeing how these four limiting factors of the material world create suffering for the living entity is an item of knowledge listed in Bg 13.8-12. It takes a little contemplation and discussion to grasp. We usually forget the suffering of birth, and while we are young and healthy, old age, disease, and death seem distant and irrelevant. Therefore the Bhagavatam attempts to awaken us. l Consider the suffering the child goes through at birth. l Disease is a misery that repeatedly arises throughout life. See how many different kinds of disease and affliction you can think of. l Consider also the disturbing symptoms of old age. l Lord Kapila describes (SB 3.30) the typical miseries surrounding death. l Old age, severe disease, and death are bad enough in themselves but they also cause pain to loved ones who see the suffering condition. Hmmm . . . something to think about . . .The material nature provides the living entity with much more opportunitiy to suffer than to enjoy. For example, how many different ways can you give pain to your foot compared with how many ways you can give it pleasure? Even if we don’t realize personally that the material world is a place of suffering, Lord Krishna certifies it in Bhagavad-gita 8.15 (duhkhalayam).

Drawbacks of Material Happiness Material happiness . . .l is simply a relief from suffering l is temporary and limited l is based on envy and is therefore unreal l is nothing compared to what we are missing l makes us attached l keeps us bound to material life and the bodily concept of life l is never as good as one expects

The soul in the material world is like a fish out of water...or a starving bird in a cage

Avataras Avatara: "One who descends"; in this case the word specifically refers to one who descends from the spiritual sky. The Six Types of Incarnations (avataras): purusa-avataras → Incarnations of Vishnu, guna-avataras → Incarnations that control the material qualities, lila-avataras → Incarnations for the performance of pastimes, yuga-avataras → Incarnations who establish the yuga-dharma, manvantara-avataras → The Manus – creators, saktyavesa-avataras → Empowered beings - ‘immersed in shakti

Purusa-avataras: A succession of expansions lead to the creation of the material world through the three Purusaavataras, a spark of a spark of Krishna´s potency: KRISHNA → BALARAMA → SANKARSANA (from which expands VASUDEVA, from Vasudeva expands ANIRUDDHA and from Aniruddha expands PRADYUMNA). → FROM SANKARSANA expands NARAYANA → then again SANKARSANA (from which expands VASUDEVA, from Vasudeva expands ANIRUDDHA and from Aniruddha expands PRADYUMNA). FROM THIS SANKARSANA (the 2^nd one) comes MAHA-VISNU (The universes emanate from the pores of His skin like bubbles ) → GARBHODAKASAYI VISNU (Expands into each universe and creates Brahma from His navel. ) → KSIRODAKASAYI VISNU (Enters into every atom and every heart.)

Purusha Avataras: Karanadakasayi-Vishnu (or Maha-Vishnu): l First avatara l Lies on the Causal Ocean l Creates material ingredients and universes l Supersoul of all the universes l Expands as Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu. GarbhodakasayiVishnu l Second Vishnu avatara l Enters all universes l Lies on the Garbhodaka Ocean l Supersoul of the universe l Gives birth to Brahma from a lotus l Expands as Ksirodakasayi-Vishnu. Ksirodakasayi-Vishnu l Third Vishnu avatara l Enters every atom l Supersoul of all living entities l Resides on the Milk Ocean in Svetadvip l Also the avatara for the mode of goodness.

Lila-avataras: Here are 25 examples: (1) Four Kumaras (2) Narada (3) Varaha (4) Matsya (5) Yajna (6) Nara-narayana (7) Kardami Kapila (8) Dattatreya (9) Hayasirsa (10) Hamsa (11) Prsnigarbha (12) Rsabha (13) Prthu (14) Nrsimha (15) Kurma (16) Dhanvantari (17) Mohini (18) Vamana (19) Parasurama (20) Raghavendra (21) Vyasa (22) Balarama (23) Krishna (24) Buddha (25) Kalki.

Guna-avataras The three deities in charge of the three modes of material nature.: Brahma, l Mode of passion l Empowered living entity l Creates planetary systems and all species l Born from lotus flower of G-Vishnu l Has four heads l Body made of intelligence. Vishnu, l Mode of Goodness l Same as Ksirodakasayi Vishnu l Maintains the universe l Completely transcendental; not influenced by material energy l As powerful as Krishna. Shiva l Mode of ignorance l Expansion of Maha-Vishnu l Responsible for annihilation l Manifests in material world from Brahma's forehead l Impregnates the material energy with living entities.

Manvantara-avataras Incarnations of the Manus, the fathers of mankind. l In each day of Brahma (Kalpa), there are fourteen Manus who rule in turn. Therefore in the life of Brahma (the total existence of the universe, 504,000 incarnations of Manu come and go. l In our present Kalpa, the first Manu was Svayambhuva. l The present Manu, Vaivasvata, is the seventh for this Kalpa.

Yuga-avataras Incarnations who establish the spiritual process of the age (yuga). In each age, the yuga-avatara appears in a different colour. Yuga color: Satya → White (Sukla), Treta → Red (Rakta), Dvapara → Blackish blue (Syama), Kali → Black (Krishna) or Yellow (pita).

The following quotes refer to the yuga-avataras in this day of Brahma. In the Satya-yuga, the Lord appeared in a body colored white with four arms and matted hair. He wore tree bark and bore a black antelope skin. He wore a sacred thread and a garland of rudraksa beads. He carried a rod and a waterpot, and He was a brahmacari. (Cc Mad.20.332). In the Treta-yuga, the Lord appeared in a body that had a reddish hue and four arms. There were three distinctive lines on His abdomen, and His hair was golden. His form manifested the Vedic knowledge, and He bore the symbols of a sacrificial spoon, ladle and so on. (Cc Mad.20.333). In the Dvapara-yuga the Personality of Godhead appears in a blackish hue. He is dressed in yellow, He holds His own weapons, and He is decorated with the Kaustubha jewel and marks of Srivatsa. That is how His symptoms are described. (Cc Mad.20.337). Accompanied by His personal devotees, Lord Krishna, assuming a golden color, introduces the hari-nama-sankirtana, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, in the age of Kali. By this process, He delivers love for Krishna to the general populace. (Cc Mad.20.340).

Saktyavesa-avataras: Incarnations of empowered beings when Krishna invests a being with a particular potency (sakti). 1. Direct (saksat): an expansion of the Lord Himself (Vishnu-tattva) empowered with a particular potency: Sesa Naga incarnation → Power of personal service (potency) → sva-sevana-sakti (sanskrit). Anantadeva incarnation → Power to bear all the planets (potency) → bhu-dharana-sakti (sanskrit). 2. Indirect (avesa): a living entity empowered to represent Krishna: Four Kumaras incarnation → Power of knowledge (potency) → Jnana-sakti (sanskrit), Narada Muni incarnation → Power of devotional service (potency) → Bhakti-sakti (sanskrit), Brahma incarnation → Power of creation (potency) → Sristi-sakti (sanskrit), King Prithu incarnation → Power of administration (potency) → Palana-sakti (sanskrit), Parasurama incarnation → Power to subdue evil elements (potency) → Dusta-nasaka-virya-sancarana-sakti (sanskrit). Kapila and Rsabadeva are known as forms of divine absorption (bhagavat-avesa). O brahmanas, the incarnations of the Lord are innumerable, like rivulets flowing from inexhaustible sources of water. (SB 1.3.26).

Dasavataras: Ten of the avataras are particularly well-known as the Dasavataras. They are depicted in a song by Jayadeva Goswami. Matsya, Varaha, Kurma, Nrsimha, Vamana, Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Buddha and Kalki.

How can one identify an incarnation? Some people claim to be the latest incarnation or claim that they know one. Incarnations cannot be accepted whimsically; one can only determine an incarnation by referring to authorised scriptures. When Sanatana Goswami asked Lord Caitanya the above question, the Lord first of all stated that an incarnation of God never declares Himself to be an incarnation. He then delineated the following guidelines: Two aspects of the personalities features must be scrutinized: 1. svarupa-laksana-the principal features, i.e. the bodily characteristics, nature, and form, as described in the scriptures. 2. tatastha-laksana-the marginal features, i.e. his specific activities as described in the scriptures. The great sage Vyasadeva, knowing all, has already recorded the characteristics of the avataras in the sastras. The Lord does not have a material body, yet He descends among human beings in His transcendental body as an incarnation. Therefore it is very difficult for us to understand who is an incarnation. Only by His extraordinary prowess and uncommon activities, which are impossible for embodied living entities, can one partially understand the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Cc Mad.20.355) . . . Great saintly persons understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead's incarnations by the indications of the two characteristics, svarupa and tatastha. All the incarnations of Krishna should be understood in this way. (Cc Mad.20.362)

The Creation A brief summary: 1. In one corner of the spiritual sky, a "cloud" covers one portion of the brahmajyoti. This is where the Causal Ocean is (also known as the Viraja River). 2. Maha-Vishnu lies down in the Causal Ocean. At this time, the material nature is in a neutral state (pradhana). 3. Maha-Vishnu (through His Shiva expansion) glances over the material nature, impregnating her with living entities, and agitating her into activity; she transforms into mahat-tattva, the active state. 4. The mahat-tattva produces the various elements, starting with the false ego. 5. The innumerable universes emanate from Maha-Vishnu’s pores like bubbles. 6. Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu expands from Maha-Vishnu into each of the universes. 7. Garbhodakasayi-Vishnu creates within the universe another ocean, upon which He rests with the help of Sesa-naga. He produces the first living entity, Lord Brahma, from a lotus flower that sprouts from His navel. 8. Lord Brahma creates the various planetary systems, the sun, the moon, etc., and species of life. The living entities obtain bodies according to their previous karma.

Mahat-tattva l The aggregate of all the ingredients for the material creation, including the conditioned souls. l The germinating place for all the varieties of creation, starting with the false ego. l Material nature's primal state. l The shadow of pure (spiritual) consciousness l The junction between pure spiritual existence and material existence.

False Ego (ahankara) l The binding force of material existence. l Causes one to identify with the body and mind, to think oneself a product of matter, and to see oneself as the controller and enjoyer. l The basic principle of the material world and its activities.

Mind (mana) l Basic functions are sankalpa (accepting) and vikalpa (rejecting), which are manifestations of material attachment. l Storehouse of all knowledge, experiences, all perceptions l Simultaneously like an attorney pleading the case of the senses and a courtroom within which the judge (intelligence) works.

Intelligence (buddhi) l The power of discrimination and making distinctions l The ability to utilize and synthesize knowledge (experience) into usable forms and reach conclusions for action. l The power to understand the nature of an object. l It figures out plans and discriminates - what is to be done and what not to be done, based on time, place and circumstance.

Knowledge-acquiring Senses (jnanendriya) l eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch l Enable the living being to relate to this world l They cover the original spiritual senses like transformers, but have no power of perception without the spiritual senses l Feed information about the material world through sense objects (taste, form, touch, sound, and aroma) to the mind l Always active and attracted to sense objects like a magnet to iron; thus desires for sense gratification flow into the mind l Have to be controlled through devotional service.

Sense Objects (indriyartha) Sound, touch, form, taste, and aroma are the subtle forms of ether, air, fire, water, and earth respectively. Sound → Loud/quiet, pitch, direction | Touch → Soft/hard, warm/cold, wet/dry, smooth/rough, still/moving (vibration), up/down (balance) | Form → Shape, colour, dimension, position, distance, individuality, movement | Taste → Sweet, salty, sour, bitter, astringent, pungent | Aroma → Fragrant/offensive, mild/strong, acidic.

Gross Elements (maha-bhuta) l Ether is the three-dimensional space that accommodates the existence of everything in the universe. Radio and television transmissions travel through ether. l Air, water and earth represent gas, liquid, and solid respectively. l Fire represents all effulgent emanations, electricity, and the entire electromagnetic spectrum. l Air exists in a subtler form in the body and contributes to its proper functioning. A subtle form of fire in the body enables digestion. Sound for instance is a characteristic of all the elements, whereas aroma is a characteristic only of earth. Conversely, ether only has one characteristic, sound, whereas earth contains them all. The individual is the passenger in the chariot of the material body, the intelligence is the driver, the mind is the reins, and the senses are the horses.

Time (kala) l The twenty-fifth element. The mixing element l Represents the presence of the Supreme Lord l Causes fear of death The soul and the Supersoul are sometimes counted as the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh elements.

The Hierarchy of the bodily components The senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence. (Bg 3.42)

The Planetary Systems Brahma provides the universe with fourteen planetary systems for the diverse range of living beings. Some sages group them into three categories: Upper Planetary Systems (Svargaloka), Middle Planetary Systems (Martyaloka), Lower Planetary Systems (Patalaloka).

The Species of Life The Species of Life: 1,000,000 Birds, 900,000 Aquatics, 400,000 Humans, 2,000,000 Plants & Trees, 1,100,000 Insects & Reptiles, 3,000,000 Beasts

Universal Time

Het is nu 2018, straks 2019, etc. Teruggaand in de tijd kom je tot Sri Caitainya (18 feb 1486 - 1533).

Hiervoor tot 1000, dan 0 dan 4000 voor Christus etc. Vraag je af wie de voorouders zijn van de oude koningen van India voor de vele invasies. Je komt zo uit op Srimad Bhagavatam.

Onze universum is de kleinste met een diameter van 4 biljoen mijl en een leeftijd van 311040000000000 (311 trillion 40 billion years). Dit is de tijd welke voorbij gaat op planeet Aarde als Maha Visnu (een expansie van de Heer Krsna) 1 keer in of uitademt.

Wanneer Maha Visnu uitademt, komen miljoenen universums uit de poren van Zijn gigantische lichaam en wanneer Hij inademt, gaan alle universums weer terug in Zijn lichaam. Dit is hoe groot de Heer Krsna (God) is. God is niet onbekend of een onzichtbare kracht. De Heer Krsna is de grootste Persoon welke kompleet bekend is en gezien wordt door degenen die gekwalificeerd zijn.

Er zijn cycles van kreatie en vernietiging. Elke duurt 311040000000000 jaar. In de huidige cycle bestaat ons universum al 155521970000000 jaar. We hebben nog 155518030000000 jaar te gaan voordat het einde van het universum en huidge cycle nadert. De leeftijd van het universum is direct gerelateerd aan de leeftijd van een persoon genaamd Brahma. Hij is het eerste levend wezen in het universum gecreerd door de Heer Krsna (God) via Zijn expansie Garbhodakasayi Visnu. Brahma leeft 100 jaar wat 1 Maha Kalpa wordt genoemd. Zijn 1 dag (12 uur) wordt een Kalpa genoemd welke 4320000000 jaar duurt. Dus 100 jaar is (1 dag van Brahma[4320000000]x2(dag+nacht)x30(dagen in maand)x12(maanden in jaar)x100(jaar) = 311040000000000.

De huidige leeftijd van Brahma is 50 jaar en hij is nu in zijn 1ste dag van zijn 51ste jaar. 1 dag van Brahma (12 uur) is verdeeld in 14 delen genaamd Manvantaras. Er is een gedeeltelijke creatie en vernietiging aan het begin en eind van elke Manvantara. Tussen elke Manvantara is er een juncture (Sandhya) van 1728000 jaar. In elke Manvantara is er een andere Manu, de eerste Mens in elke Manvantara. Er zijn 71 CaturYugas (elk 4320000 durend) in 1 Manvantara.

We zitten in Kali Yuga. Deze duurt 432000 jaar (1200 jaren van de half-goden). Hiervoor had je Dvapara Yuga, 864000 jaar (2400 jaren van de half-goden) en daarvoor Treta Yuga, 1296000 jaar (3600 jaren van de half-goden). Hiervoor had je de Satya Yuga van 1728000 jaar (4800 jaren van de half-goden). Dit samen heet een Divya-Yuga (of Catur-Yuga), 4320000 jaar. (12000 jaren van de half-goden) = 1 Yuga Cycle. 1 dag en 1 nacht voor half-goden is 1 jaar op aarde. 1 half-god jaar is dus 360 jaren op aarde.

1 Manvantara duurt 71 van deze Catur-Yugas, dus 71x4320000= 306720000 jaar.

1 Manvantara Juncture (Sandhya - Interval between Manvantaras) = 1728000 jaar

1 Daytime of Brahma (14 Manvantaras[14x306720000]+15 Junctures[15x1728000]) = 4294080000 + 25920000 = 4320000000 jaar

Tijd wat nu voorbij is in huidige Catur-Yuga:

(Satya[1728000]+Treta[1296000]+Dvapar[864000]+5000 jaar van Kali)= 3893000 jaar

Tijd wat nu voorbij is in huidige dag van Brahma:

(6 Manvantaras[1840320000]+27 CaturYugas[116640000]+7 Manvantaras Junctures[12096000]+Tijd wat voorbij is in huidige CaturYuga[3893000]): 1972949000 jaar

Tijd wat overblijft in huidige dag van Brahma (1 Day of Brahma - Tijd voorbij in huidige dag) = 4320000000 - 1972949000 = 2347051000 jaar

Leeftijd van huidige Manu (Vaivasvata)/Tijd passed in huidige Manvantara (27 catur yugas[116640000]+Tijd wat nu voor bij is in huidige Catur yuga[3893000] = 120533000 jaar

1 Maha Kalpa (1 leven van Brahma, 100 jaar) = (1 dag van Brahma[4320000000]x2(dag+nacht)x30(dagen in maand)x12(maanden in jaar)x100(jaar) = 311040000000000 jaar

1 jaar van Brahma = 311040000000000 / 100 = 3110400000000 jaar

1 maand van Brahma = 3110400000000 / 12 = 259200000000 jaar

1 dag en nacht van Brahma = 259200000000 / 30 = 8640000000 jaar

1 dag of nacht van Brahma = 8640000000 / 2 = 4320000000 jaar

Huidige leeftijd van Brahma en Universum = (1 dag van Brahma[4320000000]x2(dag+nacht)x30(dagen in maand)x12(maanden in jaar)x50(jaar) = 155521970000000 jaar

Tijd dat overblijft tot einde van huidige Brahma en Universum = 1 Maha Kalpa - Current age of Brahma = 311040000000000 - 155521970000000 = 155518030000000 jaar

We zijn nu 120533000 in de huidige Manvantara (Vaivasvata). We zijn nu 5000 jaar in Kali Yuga van de 28ste CaturYuga van de 7de Manvantara in de 1ste dag van Brahma in zijn 51ste jaar.

The Three Modes of Material Nature The three modes of material nature are three categories that describe the primary characteristics of the external energy. Material nature consists of these modes. The broad pallete of material characteristics (including all species of life) derive from various mixtures of the modes, just as all possible colours are mixtures of the three primary colours. In the material world, the modes never exist in a pure state. They are always mixed to some degree or another.

They compete with one another for superiority, sometimes one particular mode gaining prominence over the other two. The particular mixture of the modes comprising one’s body determines one's behaviour, speech, and state of mind. Everyone is conditioned by the modes they have acquired. The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature. (Bg 3.27)

They influence one's particular kind of faith, what one believes, and how one sees the world. Thus the material modes of nature are a significant factor in shaping existence in the material world. Krishna dedicates the entire 14th chapter of the Bhagavad-gita to explaining the modes of the material nature and He continues this theme in the 17th and 18th chapters. l Why is understanding this knowledge so important for spiritual life? l Why does Krishna (Bg 14.1) call this knowledge of the modes of material nature "the best of all knowledge, knowing which all the sages have attained the supreme perfection"? l How is it that (Bg 14.2) "By becoming fixed in this knowledge, one can attain to the transcendental nature..."? In his purport to the first verse, Srila Prabhupada says, "Now, in this chapter, the Supreme Personality explains what those modes of nature are, how they act, how they bind, and how they give liberation."

The bewildered spirit soul thinks himself the doer of activities that are actually carried out by the three modes of nature.

Death The time of death is a crucial moment for the human being, because this is when his next destination is determined. This is the moment when he has the opportunity to go back to Godhead. Everything in a devotee's life is leading up to this point, is a preparation for this one major exam. As it is said, " Whatever we do in life will be tested at the time of death." The atheist and the devotee each perceive death differently, just as a kitten and a rat each perceive the jaws of a mother cat differently.

The jaws of a mother cat represent shelter to the kitten, but they represent a horrible end to the rat. Similarly, when Krishna comes in the form of death, it is the ultimate defeat to the atheist, but the devotee accepts it as Krishna coming to take him back. What determines a person's next destination? Ignorance → If he is attached to living in the mode of darkness; associates with ghostly beings. → Descends to the lower species or hellish worlds. Passion → If he "worships" or idolises other humans → Remains on the human plane. Goodness → If he is godly and pious and attached to righteous living. → Elevates to heavenly planets. Transcendental → He serves and worships Krishna and associates with devotees. → Goes beyond the material to the spiritual world.

What one experiences at death: When the body is no longer habitable for the soul, he is forced to leave. Wherever the soul travels to in the material world, the subtle body and the Supersoul go with him. When he leaves the gross body, he feels great relief, and the subtle body together with the Supersoul carries him to his new mother. This applies to everyone, whether one is passing into lower species, human species, or taking birth on the heavenly planets. If one is very sinful, then he must suffer punishment in the hellish planets. At death, he is forcefully dragged out of his body by the Yamadutas--frighteningly hideous chastisers with fierce, twisted faces, and wild hair. In great fear, he passes stool and urine. They pull him out of the gross body with subtle ropes. On the road to Yamaräja, he suffers greatly and is reminded of his past sinful activities. When one attains perfection, he first sees a spiritual airplane approaching. The airplane is very beautiful, as brilliant as the moon, has the form of a swan, and is covered in gold. It carries transcendental four-armed personalities from Vaikuntha. The liberated soul begins to glow and he pays obeisances to his escorts. He boards the airplane in spiritual bliss and flies back with them to the spiritual world. One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna. (Bg 4.9). Whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt. (Bg 8.5). The highest perfection of human life is to remember the Personality of Godhead at the end of life. (SB 2.1.6). At the time of death, all the bodily functions are disrupted, the mind is disturbed, and therefore one is bewildered. It is very difficult to remember Krishna at this time. The mind turns toward its greatest attachment. To ensure that we can remember Krishna at the time of death, we have to cultivate attachment to Him throughout life. This is the preparation that a devotee undergoes. "As sure as death," death is the only thing certain in life. Everyone must die--even Yamaraja, even Brahma, even you. " One who has taken his birth is sure to die." Therefore, you must prepare yourself. If you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego you will be lost.

Liberation After trying to enjoy in the material world for a long time, the living being may realize that there is nothing but different kinds of suffering and want to attain liberation from material existence. Liberation actually means freedom from the influence of the illusory material energy.

The five kinds of liberation (mukti): Sayujya → one with God, Salokya → same residence as the Lord, Sarsti → same opulence as the Lord, Sarupya → same bodily features as the Lord, Samipya → association as the Lord. Four of these types of liberation are meant for the devotees and one is meant for the impersonalists. The four Vaishnava kinds of liberation bring one to the Vaikuntha planets.

Qualities of a Liberated Soul l Experiences a higher taste. l Never laments l Finds satisfaction in the self alone l Joyful l Mind is established in sameness and equanimity l Unaffected by whatever good or evil he may obtain, neither praising it nor despising it l Remains neutral, unwavering, and undisturbed through the reactions of the material qualities l Detached l Is steady, situated equally well in praise and blame, honor and dishonor l Not disturbed by distress or elated when there is happiness l Controls the mind, senses, and speech with determination l Withdraws his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell l Free from attraction, hatred, attachment, fear, anger, false pride, lust, desires for sense gratification and proprietorship l Peaceful l He is equally disposed toward every living entity. l Treats alike both friend and enemy l Looks upon a lump of earth, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye. l Unaffected by the incessant flow of desires. Undoubtedly one can attain liberation on the impersonal path, but...For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied. (Bg 12.5). But those who worship Me, giving up all their activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, having fixed their minds upon Me, O son of Prtha-for them I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death. (Bg 12.6-7). Being the Lord of illusory energy, Krishna can order this insurmountable energy to release the conditioned soul. This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it. (Bg 7.14). One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman. (Bg 14.26).

Liberation is simply negation, but bhakti is positive. l Liberation is automatically achieved by bhakti-yoga. l But actual devotional service starts after liberation.

He reasons ill who says that Vaishnavs die

When they are living still in sound.

A Vaishnav dies to live, and living tries

To spread the holy name around.

- Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur