EDITORIAL
September 10, 2002 VNN7550
Jaiva Dharma
BY TRIDANDIBHIKSU BHAKTIVEDANTA ARANYA
MAHARAJA
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA, Sep 10 (VNN)
— World Tour 2002 - 30 May 2002 p.m. San Jose, California
In spiritual life, we must first take shelter of Sri Guru. Adau guru mukhat srutah.
First of all, we will have to hear from the lips of Sri Guru so we can develop a
clear conception of the answers to fundamental questions: "Who am I? What is the
goal of life? And what is the process to attain it?" Kanistha adhikari, the neophyte
devotee, is ka-nistha: that means no nistha, not steady. His mind is wandering everywhere
and he cannot decide which ideas are correct or what is actually siddhanta. And
because of this, he lacks confidence in the process of bhakti, in the chanting of
Harinama, and in the anugatya of Guru and Vaisnavas.
Therefore, it is very difficult for him to make progress. Kanistha is unsteady because
he has so many anarthas. Anarthas include unwanted desires and also philosophical
misconceptions, Svarupa Bhrama. There are some mistaken ideas in regard to the tattva
of guru, jiva, maya, bhakti, and harinama. So it is very important in the beginning
to sit and very patiently hear from Guru and Vaisnavas so that these misconceptions
and the shifting sand of changing ideas will go away. Then one will have great confidence
and a clear understanding of reality as explained by our acaryas. For this reason,
our Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami gave the following advice:
siddhanta baliya citte na kara alasa
iha haite krsna lage sudrdha manasa
(C.C. Adi-lila 2.117)
Don't be lazy when it comes to understanding siddhanta. Try very hard; it will be
worthwhile. Whatever effort you put in will bring great rewards, thousands and thousands
of times over. Why? Because, iha haite krsna lage sudrdha manasa, when your mind
is very sure about the conclusions of bhakti, then you will become fixed and attached
to Krsna. The mind will not wander here and there at the time of sadhana bhajana.
So learning siddhanta is very worthwhile. Our acaryas appeared in this world and
explained many of our siddhantas. Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave these in seed form to
Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. Later, their disciples expanded and explained
them in more detail. Because these siddhantas are somewhat complex, there was always
something leftover to be further clarified.
After many acaryas had descended to this world, Saptama Gosvami Saccidananda Srila
Bhaktivinoda Thakura wrote his great masterpiece, Jaiva Dharma, for the modern age.
And here, he clarified all ideas. His clear explanations of siddhanta were unprecedented,
making them accessible to ordinary people, and at the same time, not less profound
than what had been written by previous acaryas. In addition, Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura included some ideas which had been left untouched by even his predecessors.
Thus, Jaiva Dharma is quite a long book, more than 1,000 pages. Perhaps all of you
have it; perhaps you have read it a few times. Once I was sitting with Srila Gurudeva
and asked him a very hard question. He gave the answer with ease and he was smiling
because he saw my amazement at the depth of his knowledge. He had explained a very
profound point. Smiling, he said, "I have read Jaiva Dharma many, many times. This
is why my siddhanta is so strong."
So, over the next few days, I would like to spend some time extracting some of the
essential ideas from Jaiva Dharma. And you will see how this phrase 'Jaiva Dharma'
is like a key which causes all other siddhantas, which were somewhat out of focus,
vague or hazy, to become quite clear. If we will understand Jaiva Dharma, then guru-tattva,
sakti-tattva, nama-tattva, bhakti-tattva, sraddha-tattva, will all become crystal
clear. Everything will come into focus. So when the anartha of misunderstanding
in regard to the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaisnavism is removed, then the devotee can
chant and remember and enter into madhyama adhikari, the intermediate stage. Madhayama
adhikara is not a simple thing. There is a very high class of understanding and
realization in this stage.
Once Gurudeva said, "When I begin to speak about Bhaktivinoda Thakura, I become
so excited. It is just as if I am speaking about Rupa Gosvami." Srila Rupa Gosvamipada
is the prana, the life, of our sampradaya. We are Rupanuga. If we have a chance
to remember Srila Rupa Gosvamipada, or speak anything about him, it is a matter
of great excitement. So now I also feel like that, according to my limited capacity,
as I begin to recite the words of the Seventh Gosvami.
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has entitled this book Jaiva Dharma. So, first we should
know what is jaiva and what is dharma. Jaiva means 'of the jiva'. Dharma means 'religion'.
This is a general idea. But the meaning of the word dharma is very deep. It comes
from the Sanskrit verbal root 'dhr datu'. It means to hold. 'Dhr dhatu man pratyaya',
with the suffix man, it becomes this word 'dharma'.
There is a nature or a quality which is held by something-always-and it never lets
go of that. That quality which a substance never gives up, by which it can be identified,
is called its dharma. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has gone to great lengths just
to explain some concepts in relationship to dharma. We should try to assimilate
them, and apply them to the understanding of our own soul. The consequence of doing
so may produce something wonderful.
Thakura Bhaktivinoda is saying that any substance is called 'vastu'. The word vastu
means substance. There are so many substances. Those that are eternal are called
'vastava vastu', factual substances. And those substances that are manifest for
some time and then dissolve forever are called 'avastava vastu', non-factual substances.
Vastava vastu is the real substance; and the non-factual substance which disappears
forever is called avastava vastu. It is vastava vastu, the real substance that has
been discussed in Srimad-Bhagavatam.
dharma projjita-kaitavo'tra paramo nirmatsaranam satam
vedyam vastavam atra vastu sivadam tapa-trayonmulanam
Srimad-bhagavate maha-muni-krte kim va parair isvarah
sadhyo hrdy avarudhyate 'tra krtibhih susrusubhis tat-ksanat
(SB 1.1.2)
This is the second verse of Srimad-Bhagavatam, part of the mangalacaranam, or auspicious
introduction. Here it is stated: dharma projitakaitavo 'tra. All kinds of cheating
religion have been rejected from Bhagavatam. That means dharma, artha, kama, and
moksa. Parama nirmatsaranam satam: the subject can only be understood by Paramahamsas
who are not envious of anyone, who have forgiveness for everyone because their hearts
are very soft. Only those possessed of such a nature can understand vedyam (to know)
vastavam, the factual substance. Well, what is the use of that? Sivadam: it is very
auspicious to know these things. Tapa-trayonmulanam: this knowledge uproots all
problems. We have so many problems and we try to cut them down, but the roots are
still there, so they grow back. Therefore, Bhagavatam is saying, if you know the
vastava vastu, the factual substance, then your problems will be taken out by the
root, and they will never come back.
So vastu, 'vas dhatu tu pratyaya', vas means abiding; thus vastava vastu refers
to a truly abiding substance, something which has existence and will not go away.
This includes Brahma, Jiva and Maya-the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living
entity and the material nature-these are the real substances, vastava vastu. And
avastava vastu, non-factual substance, refers to the parinama, or the transformations,
which come out from the material energy. The substances which are caused by the
endless permutations and mutations of the material energy are called dravya. They
have some qualities also, called guna. Dravya and guna mean the material objects
and their qualities-they are not vastava vastu, they are not factual substance.
All the things that we see look very real, but they are avastava vastu; they are
not truly abiding substances. They will appear like smoke, taking a shape for a
moment, change and then depart forever. We see that all material knowledge, even
Sankhya philosophy, is only for analyzing dravya and guna. Thus all such knowledge,
being only knowledge of avastava vastu, the non-permanent substance, has no benefit
for the living entity.
Srimad-Bhagavatam gives knowledge of vastava vastu, the factual substance, along
with its svabhava, its eternal nature. It is very important to understand this.
Where does this svabhava come from? It comes from ghatana. Ghatana refers to the
very construction of that vastu. The substance itself is constructed in a particular
way, and the svabhava of that vastu arises naturally as a concomitant factor due
to its very construction. The svabhava, the nature of a vastu, does not have to
be acquired by that vastu; it does not have to be practiced by that vastu; it does
not have to be learned. Rather, it arises naturally from the very construction (ghatana)
of the vastu. That is called svabhava. For example, if you take a ball and you put
it on a slope, what will happen? It will start to roll. Why? Because by construction,
the ball is round. Therefore, you don't have to teach the ball, "OK, pay attention.
This is your first lesson. Today we are going to learn how to roll." No, it is not
learned or acquired. It is its nature due to its very construction.
In the language of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, what is dharma? Dharma is the svabhava
of vastava vastu which arises from its ghatana. Translated into English, real religion
is the nature of a truly abiding substance which arises from its internal constitution.
Take the simple example of graphite in a pencil-it is very soft-so soft that when
you drag it against a page, it just starts to fall off, leaving a line on the page.
This is how it works. Why? Because all the atoms in the graphite are arranged in
hexogen shapes which are in layers that are not connected. So when you rub it, the
layers just slide off each other. It is only made of carbon, but because of the
way it is constructed, it is really soft and the layers of atoms just slide off
each other. On the other hand, a diamond is also only carbon, but if you will try
to draw a line on a page with a diamond, you will cut your page in half. Actually,
you can cut steel with a diamond, it is so hard. Why? Because it's not arranged
in layers-every atom is joined with four other atoms in tetrahedral shapes. It is
bonded in such a way that no atom will budge from the rigid formation, and thus,
it is extremely hard. Where are the softness and hardness coming from? They are
not acquired or learned. They are coming from the structure.
In the same way, one should understand dharma. What is the dharma of the jiva?
jivera 'svarupa' haya--krsnera 'nitya-dasa
krsnera 'tatastha-sakti' 'bhedabheda-prakasa
(CC Madhya 20.108)
We have been speaking some theory. Now we will apply it practically. What is the
dharma of the jiva? To serve Krsna. The service of Krsna is not something that you
will have to practice. It is not something that you will have to get from anywhere
else and learn. It is the very nature of the jiva, because the jiva has a subtle
spiritual form, with face, eyes, everything, all ornaments. How? Especially, those
who come in the line of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Rupa Gosvami have a soul's body
like a Brijabasi-a very sweet and beautiful teenage form. Everything is there in
the jiva. The service of Krsna is not a religion or faith. It is the dharma arising
from the construction of the jiva. But then someone can make a very strong argument
and say, "If you don't acquire this service from anywhere else, you don't have to
learn it, and it is natural, then why is it that in this world no one doing it naturally?
And when I try to do it, it doesn't seem very natural to me. I've been practicing
for years and I still can't get it right, and I still don't understand it." So then
how can the service of Krsna be jaiva dharma? How is it possible?
Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has pondered all these things and also he has disposed
of all of these questions in a wonderful way. If you want to find the answer to
this dilemma, then we have to come to another idea. Every substance has svabhava,
nature-that is his dharma. So the svabhava of the jiva is its dharma-that is called
Prema Dharma, Bhagavat Dharma, Sanantana Dharma, Vaisnava Dharma. These are all
names for the same thing. But if a substance, a vastu, comes in contact with another
energy or another substance, it may be that the proximity or the influence of that
substance causes 'vikara'. Vikara means transformation. This contact causes a transformation
in that vastu, and then the vastu takes on an acquired nature. Consequently, its
dharma, or svabhava, goes into a latent position. This is very easy to understand.
Take the example of water-pure water is liquid. If you put it into a very extreme
condition, such as a refrigerator, the water undergoes vikara, a transformation.
The water is still water; nothing has been added or taken away. Yet still, the water,
which was liquid, has now become hard. Its liquidity, that is called taralata, the
tendency to flow here and there, has disappeared. And if the water is solid for
a very long time, having become ice, you may think that water's nature is only to
be hard. But the liquidity, the svabhava of the water, is present there in a latent
condition. If it is returned to its natural environment, its hardness will go away,
and again taralata, the softness, will manifest. Its dharma, its svabhava (nature),
appears from the latent position and manifests again.
When a substance is put in an extreme condition and takes on an acquired nature,
remaining like that for a long time, he thinks that this is my real nature. That
is called nisarga, acquired nature. So two things: one is svabhava, real nature,
that is the jiva's dharma; and the other is the acquired nature, called nisarga.
When the jiva comes into the proximity of the material nature, vikara takes place.
At that time the jiva acquires nisarga, it takes on an acquired nature and his svabhava,
his dharma, goes into a latent position.
The jiva by nature is a servant of Krsna, but due to the influence of the material
energy, some vikara takes place in the jiva. His jaiva dharma becomes latent now
in the presence of his acquired nature (nisarga). When this acquired nature is present,
what does he do? Instead of serving Krsna, he does karma, jnana and yoga. He engages
in fruitive activities. He does something to get something in return. This is what
almost everyone in this world is doing. Why? This is their nisarga. By contact with
the material energy, now they have an acquired nature. They do this naturally. You
don't have to teach people to do fruitive activities. They know, "That's who I am.
I am the doer. I am the enjoyer of the fruit of my activity." It is their nature
now. They don't learn it, it is automatic. But that is not the svabhava of their
soul; it is only their nisarga, their acquired nature.
That acquired nature is reflected in the material elements, mind and false ego.
So the atma-vrtti, the function of the soul, which has acquired nisarga, is reflected
in mano-vritti, the tendency of the mind. Thus, the jivas are engaged in working
hard to enjoy the fruits of their activities. When they become frustrated in doing
that because it's really disappointing, gradually they think, "I quit! I want mukti.
I want out." So in order to get out of the situation, they turn to jnana, trying
to analyze everything by philosophy. They will think, "If I could know the nature
of illusion, then I could get out of it and be liberated. If I can just get out,
that's fine by me. I just want to get out. I don't want to hear about anything else."
So then they have the desire for mukti, liberation.
Alternatively, he makes a plan to control material nature by following the path
of yoga. He thinks that "if I were to have mystic power, then the material energy
would not continually slap me in the face." So somehow or other, when the jiva comes
in contact with the material energy and vikara takes place, his nature to serve
Krsna becomes dormant. He has an acquired nature, nisarga, and he engages in these
three paths. He has no idea of who he is, where to go, and what is his real good
fortune and path of auspiciousness. How will he know? Only when he meets pure Vaisnavas
he can have a chance.
First of all, I wanted to establish the definitions of dharma, vastu, vastava vastu,
avastava vastu, svabhava, ghatana, nisarga and vikara. This is also supported by
Patanjali in his Yoga-Sutra. All those who do astanga yoga also observe Patanjali
Yoga-Sutra. Mainly, they think that the goal of life is mukti, liberation, and impersonalism.
But in the very last sutra, Patanjali has said,
purusartha-sunyanam gunanam pratiprasavah
kaivalyam svarupa-pratistha va citi-saktir iti
(Yoga-sutra 3.34)
He is saying, "No, when you attain perfection, you go beyond dharma, artha, kama
and moksa. The perfection is beyond liberation. When, gunanam pratiprasavah-the
material energy is no longer acting on the soul. Then kaivalyam svarupa-pratistha-the
jiva becomes established in his svarupa, his real nature. Va citi-saktir iti-When
the moods of the material nature are no longer causing vikara, or transformation
of the soul, he becomes established in his svabhava, that is, service of Krsna.
Patanjali also accepts this philosophy, called atma-guna-vikara, the transformation
of the soul's qualities. This is a dilemma in many devotees' minds because they
always think, "Oh, wait a minute. Souls are transcendental and the material energy
is material. So how can the soul, being always on the transcendental position, be
entangled in the material modes of nature?
This was the discussion between Rahugana and Jada Bharat. Jada Bharat told him,
"If you take a pot of water, add some rice and put it on the fire, what will happen?
The rice will cook. The rice never touched the fire, but still the rice was cooked."
But Rahugana Maharaja said, "Just see! The rice never touched the fire but the fire
touched the pot and the pot touched the water, and the water touched the rice. So
in this way, there is some contact. But the soul is transcendental, spiritual energy,
and matter is material. So how is it that the soul can be conditioned in this world?
How is it possible?" What did Jada Bharat tell King Rahugana?
rahuganaitat tapasa na yati
na cejyaya nirvapanad grhad va
na cchandasa naiva jalagni-suryair
vina mahat-pada-rajo-'bhisekam
(SB 2.3.23)
"If you follow all the Vedas and study the religious principles very strictly, even
if you take sannyasa or perform very severe austerities, if you meditate under the
ice in the winter or you meditate surrounded by fire in the blazing sun midday in
the summer, still you would not be able to understand. The only way you will understand
is if you smear your entire body with the foot dust of a Maha-bhagavata. Then you
will understand."
This was his answer. The material mind cannot understand this. Although a jiva never
touches the gross material elements, the proximity of the modes of material nature
causes vikara in the jiva, transformation of the jiva's qualities. Then this acquired
nature is reflected in the manovrtti. The atma-vrtti is pure, but there is atma-guna-vikara,
transformation. That distorted tendency is reflected in the subtle body, and then
the subtle body controls the material body in this plane. This is a very difficult
thing to understand, but here we do not see that the soul is contaminated by matter.
Rather, because the jiva is very tiny and the guna-mayi Maya (the modes of material
nature) is very powerful, by being close to guna-mayi Maya, the jiva under goes
vikara. Just like when water becomes ice, it doesn't become impure water. It does
not become contaminated. Only due to its environment vikara occurs in its qualities.
In the case of the soul, this phenomenon is called atma-guna-vikara.
Next, Srila Bhaktivinoda asks in Jaiva Dharma, "What is a jiva?" Where does this
jiva come from and why? Krsna is the Supreme Absolute Truth. We should know that
the absolute Personality of Godhead, according to the sakti with which He is consorting,
will manifest Himself in a particular way. Thus, when Krsna is situated in His jiva-sakti,
He becomes Baladeva. Then, from Baladeva come unlimited jivas. When Baladeva is
the predominating deity of that jiva-sakti, those jivas are called nitya-mukta parsada,
eternally liberated associates. They are not called nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha refers
only to Radhika's kaya-vyuha. Even those jivas who have manifested directly from
Baladeva and are always in the spiritual world, though they are eternally perfect,
are not called nitya siddha.
They are not called nitya siddha because they are not complete in the same way that
Krsna's own expansions or Radharani's own kaya-vyuha are complete. Krsna and His
expansions are purna, and Radhika and Her kaya-vyuha are also purna, but the emanations
from jiva-sakti are not purna. Yet they are called nitya-mukta parsada jiva. Who
are they? Like Nanda Maharaja, all the cows, the sakhas-Subala, Sridama, Dama, Vasudama,
Arjuna, Stoka Krsna, Madhumangala, Ujjvala-so many friends. They are all nitya mukta
parsada jivas coming from Baladeva. If Krsna will situate Himself in His maya-sakti,
then He will manifest His form as purusa-avatara, Maha-Visnu. And if Maha-Visnu
will then situate Himself in jiva-sakti, uncountable millions of jivas come. They
are called jagatgata jivas. This refers to the jivas from the tatastha position,
who have the opportunity to go to the spiritual world or to the material world.
They can go to the spiritual world by correctly using their independence, their
free will. And those who want to enjoy independently from Krsna come into the material
world.
All jivas come from jiva-sakti, but the jivas who manifest when Balarama is the
adhistatri devata of the jiva-sakti are nitya mukta parsada. And the jivas who manifest
when Maha-Visnu is the adhistatri devata in the form of Paramatma (Ksirodaksayi
Visnu) have a chance to come into this world. These jivas are weak, while those
who manifested in Goloka Vrndavana, having the support of svarupa-sakti, are very
strong and can never fall down. Nevertheless, the jivas coming from Paramatma are
essentially the same as the other jivas. Just as nitya-mukta jivas are associates,
these jivas are also potentially associates. But because they are weak, because
they are not manifested in the shelter of svarupa-sakti in the spiritual world,
they have the possibilility of being over powered by the material energy.
To understand the nature of all these jivas, a very important analysis has been
given by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Krsna is called sat-cit-ananda vigraha. He
is the embodiment of sat-cit-ananda (eternity, knowledge, and bliss). His svarupa-sakti
comes from His svarupa. That sakti which has come from His svarupa and which is
non-different from His svarupa is called svarupa-sakti. So Krsna is sat-cit-ananda
vigraha. His svarupa is sat cit ananda. This svarupa-sakti has three vrttis.
There is only one energy of Krsna, svarupa-sakti. How many energies does Krsna have?
Only one. Some people say three. Some people say unlimited. No. Only one sakti-that
is para-sakti or svarupa-sakti. But depending on the activities performed by that
one energy, we give it so many names. And also within the svarupa-sakti there are
three vrttis, or functions. One is called hladini-vrtti, one is called samvit-vrtti,
one is called sandhini-vrtti. Sandhini-vrtti means existence potency-eternal existence.
Samvit-vrtti means knowledge potency-conciousness, cognizance, feeling. And hladini-vrtti
means ananda-joy, pleasure, happiness. In sastra these terms have been given: sat,
cit and ananda. Otherwise, they are called sandhini, samvit and hladini; or they
are called bala, jnana and kriya; or satyam, sivam, sundaram. Many phrases have
been used in the sastras but they are all speaking of the same thing. Sat cit ananda/
sandhini, samvit, hladini/ bala, jnana, kriya/ or satyam, sivam, sundaram-they all
refer to the existence function, the cognizance function and the bliss function,
respectively.
There is only one energy, svarupa-sakti, and that one energy undergoes transformation.
Because these three vrttis are present in the svarupa-sakti, when the svarupa-sakti
transforms, then these three vrttis continue to be present in that energy, but in
a state of vikara, in a transformed condition. Now I'll try to clarify. In svarupa-sakti,
what does sandhini do? It makes existence. It makes the dhama, Vrndavan dhama; all
the shapes and forms and bodies of living entities there. Every shape, everything
that has existence, comes from sandhini-vrtti, that is, eternal existence. Then
comes samvit, knowledge potency. In Vaikuntha, it manifests as knowledge-I am the
eternal servant of God.
Narayana is the Supreme Lord. He is sarva-saktiman, the master of all potencies,
omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent. But this samvit-sakti, knowledge potency, does
not work in Vrndavana, where samvit is nourished by hladini-vrtti, the pleasure
potency. There samvit becomes not knowledge of tattva, philosophy and the position
of God, but it becomes sambandha-jnana only. The knowledge of Vrndavana is: you
can ask Mother Yasoda, "Can you tell me the 258th sutra of Vedanta?" She doesn't
know. What does she know? "O, Krsna is my lala." Actually, she knows Vedanta better
than anyone else. Why? Because in beginning of Vedanta, it says, athato brahma jijnasa.
What does it mean? Atah means therefore, and athah means tadanantara-afterwards.
Therefore, after, one should make some inquiries about the absolute truth, brahma.
After what?
After understanding that this world is a place of suffering, after understanding
that money cannot save you, after understanding that the bodily relationships between
men and women only end in disaster and abysmal suffering, after understanding that
the demigods also cannot help you ultimately. Therefore, after understanding all
of these things, now ask about the truth-brahma. So, Vedanta advises one to search
for the Absolute Truth. But when Krsna wakes up in the morning, He rubs His eyes
and cries, "Maiya, Maiya!" and He looks for Mother Yasoda here and there. So Mother
Yasoda does not need to know Vedanta, because the Absolute Truth is searching for
her. "O Maiya, Maiya, where are you?" This is Bhakti-Vedanta. In the spiritual world,
jnana (samvit-sakti) gives relationship. Mother Yasoda knows, Krsna is my lala.
He came from my womb. He cannot outsmart me, I know better than Him. Others think
that Krsna is my friend, or my beloved. Hladini transforms in so many ways and becomes,
prema, sneha, mana, pranaya, raga, anuraga, bhava, mahabhava. It is the pleasure
potency which transforms up to madanakhya mahabhava, and gives all pleasure to Krsna.
When this svarupa-sakti is acting within the mandala of cit-jagat, that means just
as this universe is called the solar system (surya-mandala), in the same way, the
cit-jagat is one mandala. Krsna is the sun, krsna--surya-sama; maya haya andhakara
(CC Madhya 22.31)-in the cit-jagat. Svarupa-sakti acts within the cit-jagat, which
is the mandala, the solar system of the spiritual sun, Krsna.. But when that svarupa-sakti
comes out from that mandala, it undergoes vikara, transformation. When it transforms,
it is called tatastha-sakti. The svarupa-sakti has another vikara, which is of the
nature of its shadow, and that is called maya-sakti. Because tatastha-sakti and
maya-sakti are both the vikara or parinama, the transformation of svarupa-sakti,
the three vrttis of svarupa-sakti must be present in tatastha-sakti and maya-sakti.
They will be present in a transformed way. For example, if you speak, your voice
sounds a particular way, but if you breathe some helium gas, what will happen? There
will be vikara in your vocal cords. It will still be your voice, but transformed
and so different; I'm just giving a material example. So in the same way, svarupa-sakti
is one and it has three functions, sat, cit, and ananda. When it transforms, it
has the same qualities but they are present in a different way. In what way are
they different? What is the vrtti of sandhini, samvit and hladini in tatastha-sakti
and maya-sakti?
The answer to this gives rise to many more questions. First I'll speak about maya-sakti.
When the svarupa-sakti is transformed and has the nature of the shadow of itself,
that is called maya-sakti. The transformations of sat-cit-ananda-sandhini, samvit
and hladini-are present there. Sandhini (existence) makes all the shapes we see
in this world. But what is the difference? These shapes do not last; they are temporary.
We have one nose, two eyes-the spiritual body is also like that because the material
body is a shadow of the spiritual body. All the things we see here have their origin
there. All the rasas from there are manifest here-dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, madhurya
rasa. They are similar, having the same appearance, but the quality is completely
different. That is why Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said, The material world is the
dictionary of the spiritual world. What does that mean? In the dictionary, everything
is there, everything you can think of you will find there, but it is only words,
symbols representing the real thing. Radharani's complexion is golden, so here some
complexions are golden. In this world, there is smiling, everything, but this is
only like a symbol, a sign of the real thing which is there. Sandhini makes existence
here, like a shadow or reflection of that world. That is the functioin of sandhini
in maya-sakti.
Samvit-sakti is the knowledge or cognizance potency, the awareness potency which
is present in svarupa-sakti in the cit jagat. When it comes in maya-sakti, it manifests
in all the forms of material knowledge, including relationships. Maya-sakti is manifesting
the idea of relationship-you are my husband, wife, mother, father, etc; or, this
is my country. All these types of material knowledge are only the action of samvit-sakti
reflected in maya-this is its vikara.
And what does hladini do? She metes out both happiness and distress, all the emotions
which are felt by the jiva. This is explained is Visnu Purana:
hladini sandhini samvit
tvayy eka sarva-samsthitau
hlada-tapa-kari misra
tvayi no guna-varjite
The mixed happiness and distress of the material world is the function of hladini-sakti.
This verse from Visnu Purana is quoted by Ramananda Raya to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
The happiness and distress we feel in this world is also illusory. The knowledge
potency makes us feel that we are related to this body and to our family members
and so on. Because everything is temporary and changing, when we lose those things
to which our body is related, we experience this loss as distress. We feel happiness
when we meet with them and distress when we go away, but this happiness and distress
is only the action of the material energy. It is not an action of the soul proper.
The soul is only suffering due to identification with the material energy.
We have discussed the vrtti of samvit, sandhini and hladini in svarupa-sakti and
maya-sakti. Now we come to the jiva, because we are discussing Jaiva Dharma. What
is the nature of the jiva? Now, the discussion becomes very interesting. What is
the function of sandhini in the jiva? We become very happy and overjoyed to discover
that the function of sandhini in the jiva is the spiritual body. The suddha deha,
the jiva's extremely subtle, pure form, is already there, but now it is covered
over. When samvit and hladini-sakti are transformed in the tatastha sakti, the function
of samvit (knowledge potency) is brahma-jnana, knowledge of brahma, nirvisesa-brahma.
And the function of hladini in the tatastha-sakti is brahmananda, only the bliss
of liberation, mukti, of realizing nirvisesa brahma. The jiva coming from tatastha,
though he has existence, can undergo vikara.
Those jivas manifested from the jiva-sakti in the spiritual realm from Balarama
can never undergo vikara by associating with material energy-they cannot associate
with material energy; it is very far away from them. But the sandhini, the very
existence, of those jivas who are close to maya-sakti is of the nature of a transformation
of svarupa-sakti. Therefore, they can undergo vikara. The jiva-svarupa can be transformed-acquiring
nisarga, his quality of being Krsna-dasa becomes become latent, and therefore he
naturally engages in karma, jnana and yoga.
If he will give up all karma and become perfect in either jnana or yoga, then by
his austerities, he can detach his senses from the effects of the modes of material
nature, and the vikara, his acquired nature, starts to go away. The transformation
starts to be reversed by his very hard austerities. When the vikara has gone away
completely by his knowledge and hard austerities, he is no longer in a distorted
position, and he is no longer affected by the modes of material nature. Now he is
mukta, liberated, and he can realize brahma-jnana and brahmananda-only. Because
that is the vrtti of samvit and hladini in the tatastha-sakti. When devotees learn
this fact for the first time, they panic, Only brahma-jnana and brahmananda are
in me? This is a very great mystery. We will delve into this mystery tomorrow.
Try to understand the constitution of the jiva and that he has come from tatastha-sakti.
Try to understand the nature of tatastha-sakti, and how the vrttis of svarupa-sakti
are present in tatastha-sakti in a transformed way-in the form of the jivas and
brahma-jnana and brahmananda. And therefore, whatever the jiva does to become free
from nisarga, his acquired nature, even if he is free, his potential is only as
far as understanding brahma-jnana and brahmananda. What a drag. Oh, but don't worry.
There's a secret, When this mystery of the secret potential of the jiva has been
unlocked, then every single tattva-guru-tattva, vaisnava-tattva, diksa, what is
sadhu sanga, how much sadhu sanga we need, why we need it, what is nama-tattva,
bhakti-tattva-all tattvas at once will become clear, but only when this secret has
been unlocked. We will do this tomorrow.
Question: What is karma yoga? And is it the same as bhakti?
Answer: Gita explains what is the difference between karma yoga and bhakti. If you
are following all religious principles given in the Vedas, but doing this only for
your own sake, this is karma. If you are just acting independently of sastric injunctions,
it is vikarama, against the Vedas. And if you are neglectful of your duty, it is
akarma. Akarma and vikarama are dangerous. So you should do your duty in life-that
is called karma. However, if you are doing your duty in life, but only because God
has ordained that we must perform our duties, and you are giving up the results
of your labor without wanting to enjoy the fruit, this will be called karma yoga.
The result of karma yoga is that the avidya potency, the ignorance potency of maya,
will recede and the vidya-sakti of maya will manifest in the form of knowledge.
Then you can understand intuitively, I am not this body; this world is temporary,
and all kinds of siddhantas related to atma-tattva and brahma-jnana will be realized
automatically.
Even a simple person doing their duty everyday without attachment will automatically
realize, I am not this body. But there is one point worthy of our consideration-we
see that everyone is working in this world, so how is it that by doing the work
which is prescribed in the Vedas, one becomes purified? The reason is that every
activity has a particular quality. The activities of varnasrama dharma come from
the Vedas, which, in turn, have emanated from the breathing of the Lord. Visnu is
called yajna, so to perfrom prescribed duties is also called yajna.
yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra
loko 'yam karma-bandhanah
tad-artham karma kaunteya
mukta-sangah samacara
(BG 3.9)
Work performed as a sacrifice for Visnu must be done. Otherwise it causes bondage
in this material world. But if you do your duty only for yajna, for Visnu, then
you'll become liberated. Why? Visnu is transcendental, and prescribed duties have
come from Him, so there is a potency in them, a quality, which is of the same nature
as Visnu.
brahmarpanam brahma havir
brahmagnau brahmana hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyam
brahma-karma-samadhina
Krsna stated in the fourth chapter of Bhagavad Gita (verse 24): If a person will
perform those activities which are imbued with the quality of Visnu, then gradually
the modes of material nature will go away, and he becomes liberated. But prescribed
duties of karma yoga have come from Visnu, and no jiva in the whole universe is
eternally related to Visnu. No jiva svarupa has any eternal relationship with the
purusa-avataras, from whom the prescribed duties and all the rules of karma yoga
have come. Paramatma is in your heart, but when you go to Goloka Vrndavana, He will
not go with you. Paramatma is Ksirodaksayi Visnu He stays in this world to monitor
everything. Thus, even though the prescribed duties come from Visnu and even though
they are liberating, they are not svarupa-anubandhi. That means that they have no
connection with jiva svarupa. The jiva, by svarupa (constitution) has a form and
a role to play in the eternal pastimes of Krsna. Therefore, when Ramananda Raya
told Caitanya Mahaprabhu:
varnasramacara-vata
purusena parah puman
visnur aradhyate pantha
nanyat tat-tosa-karanam
(Visnu Purana 3.8.8, CC Madhya 8.58)
You should observe the regulations of varnasrama dharma. Mahaprabhu replied, This
is external. One might object, But it came from God, it is transcendental, it is
liberating. That is true. Nevertheless, prescribed duty is not svarupa-anubandhi;
it is not connected with the eternal occupational activity of the soul, which is
to participate in Krsna's sweet pastimes in Vrndavana. Therefore, varnasrama dharma
is external. It can never be a sadhana to manifest jiva-svarupa. Visnu is not visuddha-tattva.
He is pure, but He has some connection with the temporary manifestation. Even names
like Jagannatha, Isvara, Paramatma and so on are called gauna nama, secondary names.
They have incredible power, but they cannot be compared to mukhya nama, names which
are related directly to the nitya-lila.
Every jiva has free will. But those jivas in the spiritual realm, by nature, are
called ragatmika jana. The raga or the thirst to serve Krsna is in their atma and
it can never come out. So their free will is not manifested as, Will I serve Krsna
or serve my senses? Rather, they manifest their free will, wondering, How will I
serve Krsna? Should I massage His right foot first or His left foot? The jivas coming
from tatastha-sakti have a special nature. But I will discuss that tomorrow. If
I tell too much tonight, smoke may come out from your ears.
This is tattva-siddhanta. You should not be lazy to learn it. Today, I have only
made a platform of interest-and frustration and a little bit of confusion. Because
this is also Krsna's nature. He never gives anything directly. First He will drive
you a little crazy. When you are really desperate and you don't know what to do,
then He comes. Krsna saved Rukmini from Sisupala, but when? On the eve of her wedding
day. This is His nature. Sri Krsna likes 'cliff-hangers'. Krsna spoke the Bhagavad-Gita
to Arjuna in the middle of the battlefield when he was throwing his bow on the ground,
and crying 'I can't go on.' Why didn't He tell him two weeks before the battle was
to start? This is Krsna's nature-there's more rasa in this. Today I am only trying
to make a disturbance and controversy. Then you'll all argue with each other until
the next class. And when the clarification comes, oh, the harmonization is momentous
and leaves a lasting impression.
Devotee: A doubt can come because the jiva has the tendency to become transformed
when it comes in contact with material nature. Then someone can say, why isn't that
same tendency in Krsna?
Maharaja: Yes, this question concerns ghatana, because all svabhava and nisarga
depend on ghatana, the construction. Krsna, by His construction, is svarupa-sakti
(sat-cit-ananda), but the jagatgata jiva is not of svarupa-sakti; he is a manifestation
of tatastha-sakti. Those jivas who are manifest from svarupa-sakti are strong. But
when svarupa-sakti comes out from the mandala of cit-jagat, it is transformed and
the actions of samvit, sandhini and hladini become different. They become existence
of the form, brahma-jnana, and brahmananda. So now he has a neutral nature. But
there are some other secret things in the ghatana, in the construction of the jiva,
which will explain why he is prone to go into maya. This we will discuss tomorrow.
If you read Jaiva Dharma once, you may not understand what I am saying. But if you
read it again and again, then an understanding can come. I am taking ideas from
here and there in the book and putting the conception together. Srila Bhaktivinoda
Thakura has made such a remarkable contribution. When the topic is clarified, then
we can appreciate it. Now we may feel anxiety, Is it that in my heart there is only
brahma-jnana and brahmananda? No wonder I always wanted to be liberated. No wonder
I don't really feel like serving. So this is something serious, but the situation
can change.
Once Gurudeva was telling so much complex siddhanta in Italy. He saw that many devotees
were falling asleep, because in Italy, they eat pasta three times a day. So Gurudeva
said, Hey, you have no taste in siddhanta. If you have no taste in siddhanta, you
will not have taste in rasa-tattva also. If really you have taste for those things,
then you will have taste in this first. So if you will understand these fundamental
ideas, you will find them to be very valuable for making a strong platform.
We want to hear the sweet pastimes of Krsna, Rupa Manjari and Rati Manjari, but
how strong is our digestion? If we'll hear, sometimes the mind and body also experience
some vikara or disturbance. Why? Because our platform is not strong; our digestion
is not strong enough. Hearing tattva-siddhanta makes the digestion very strong.
This creates a platform for hearing the sweet pastimes of Radha and Krsna so that
they will be accepted in purity without any mixture of the mind. We should hear
Their lilas without the interference of ku-samskara, the interruption of unfavorable
impressions arising from our material experience. This is very important.
Gaura premanande!
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