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BHAKTI
-YOGA
Described as the PHD of religious study, the ancient science of God has
been freely distributed all over the world through the efforts of the 20th
Century's greatest spiritual genius Shrila Prabhupada, the Founder Acharya
(Guru) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. People in
the present materially motivated world thus have the chance for complete
enlightenment from the illusion of material life through the process of
bhakti - transcendental loving devotional service to the all-attractive
personal feature of the Supreme Lord.
This science is described
in Sanskrit texts like Bhagavad-Gita and hagavata-Purana. Instead of a
huge philosophical explanation we aim simply to quote texts from these
literature that will appeal and inspire the deepest yearning of the soul.
The function of
spiritual writing and teachings is twofold:
1) To help distinguish the misconception that we are a product of this
material world and firmly make us understand the temporary and ultimately
distressful nature of our body and everything in connection to it.
2) To describe the eternal transcendental Personality of Godhead Krishna,
the Supreme, His incarnations, His devotees, His creation and the
spiritual world where He resides with His eternal companions, in an
eternal place where the land, trees, rivers etc. are all made of spiritual
potency and are fully conscious (as opposed to matter which is unconscious
and can only be affected or manipulated, by consciousness, which is the
symptom of the spirit soul). It is this abode which is the eternal and
primeval home of the spirit soul and upon reaching it we never return to
this material world of repeated birth and death.
Image of Narasimha - Half-lion
half-human incarnation
From Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna speaks to Arjuna:
" When a man gives up all desires for sense gratification, which
arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds
satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure
transcendental consciousness." (2.55)
" The embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, though
the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by
experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness." (2.59)
" Everyone is forced to act helplessly
according to the qualities he has acquired from the modes of nature;
therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not even for a
moment." (3.5)
Spiritual Architecture in Vrndavana, India
From Srimad-Bhagavatam (The Bhagavata-Purana),
" By discussing spiritual knowledge one can conquer lamentation and
illusion, by serving a great devotee one can become free from pride, by
keeping silent one can avoid obstacles on the path of mystic yoga, and
simply by stopping sense gratification one can conquer envy."
(7.15.23)
" My dear Lord, all living beings within this material world are mad
after planning for things, and are always busy with a desire to do this or
that. This is due to uncontrollable greed. The greed for material
enjoyment is always existing in the living entity, but Your Lordship is
always alert, and in due course of time You strike him, just as a snake
seizes a mouse and very easily swallows him." (4th Canto)
" The conditioned soul sometimes personally appreciates the futility
of sense enjoyment in the material world, and he sometimes considers
material enjoyment to be full of miseries. However, due to his strong
bodily conception, his memory is destroyed, and again he runs after
material enjoyment, just as an animal runs after a mirage in the
desert." (4.14.10)
Lord Krishna
Descriptions of Krishna
" Wearing a peacock feather ornament upon His head, blue
karnikara flowers on His ears, yellow garments as brilliant as gold and
the Vaijayanti garland, Lord Krishna exhibits His transcendental from as
the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vrndavan, beautifying
it with the marks of His footprints, He filled the holes of His flute with
the nectar of His lips, and His friends sang His glories." (Srimad
Bhagavatam 10.21.5)
" I worship Govinda the Primeval Lord,
round whose neck is swinging a garland of flowers beautified with the moon
locket, whose two hands are adorned with the flute and jeweled ornaments,
who always revels in pastimes of love and whose graceful threefold-bending
form of Syamasundara is eternally manifest." (Bramha-Samhita 5.31)
" The Lord's beauty resembles a dark cloud
during the rainy season. As the rainfall glistens, His bodily features
also glisten. Indeed, He is the sum total of all beauty. The Lord has four
arms and an exquisitely beautiful face with eyes like lotus petals, a
beautiful highly raised nose, a mind -attracting smile, a beautiful
forehead and equally beautiful and fully decorated ears." (
Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.45)
From Bhagavad-Gita
" I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in
fire. I am the life of all that ;lives, and I am the penances of all
ascetics." (7.9)
" Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body,that
state he will attain without fail." (8.6)
" I am the source of all spiritual and
material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know
this engage in my devotional service and worship me with all their
hearts." (10.8)
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