entering other planets
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Imported quote 13164 Even in this material world the so-called scientists, philosophers and mental speculators strive to merge into the spiritual sky, but they can never go there. But a devotee, by executing devotional service, not only realizes what the spiritual world actually is, but factually goes there to live an eternal life of bliss and knowledge. The Krsna consciousness movement is so potent that by adopting these principles of life and developing love of God one can very easily go back home, back to Godhead. Here the practical example is the case of Dhruva Maharaja. While the scientist and philosopher go to the moon but are disappointed in their attempts to stay there and live, the devotee makes an easy journey to other planets and ultimately goes back to Godhead. Devotees have no interest in seeing other planets, but while going back to Godhead, they see all of them as passing phases, just as one who is going to a distant place passes through many small stations.
(More...) Imported quote 13183 The airplane was piloted by the two chief associates of Lord Visnu, namely Sunanda and Nanda. Only such spiritual astronauts can pilot their airplane beyond the seven planets and arrive in the region of eternal blissful life. It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita also (paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyaḥ) that beyond this planetary system begins the spiritual sky, where everything is permanent and blissful. The planets there are known as Visnuloka or Vaikunthaloka. Only there can one get an eternal blissful life of knowledge. Below Vaikunthaloka is the material universe, where Lord Brahma and others in Brahmaloka can live until the annihilation of this universe; but that life is not permanent. That is also confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (abrahma-bhuvanal lokaḥ). Even if one goes to the topmost planet, one cannot achieve eternal life. Only by arriving in Vaikunthaloka can one live an eternally blissful life.
(More...) Imported quote 18635 Therefore Caitanya-caritamrta-kara says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kami-sakali 'asanta' [Cc Madhya 19.149]. Kami. Kami means one who desires. So either you desire comforts of this material body in different standard of life, either in this planet or other planet... Just like they are trying to go to the moon planet for getting higher standard of life. Unfortunately, they are not allowed to stay there. They come back. So you cannot go in the higher planets in that way. You must be fit for going there. I have several times discussed this matter. Just like American standard of life is better than our Indian standard of life, but you cannot enter America or the Americans cannot enter India without required visa permission; similarly, it is not that by your whims you can enter into the higher planetary system. That is not possible.
(More...) Life in the higher planets is obtained not by the strength of spacecraft (as is now being contemplated by the inexperienced scientists), but by works done in the mode of goodness. There is even restriction on the very planet where we are now living for entrance of foreigners to a country where the citizens are more prosperous. For example, the American government has many restrictions for entrance of foreigners from less prosperous countries. The reason is that the Americans do not wish to share their prosperity with any foreigner who has not qualified himself as a citizen of America. Similarly, the same mentality is prevailing in every other planet also where there are more and more intelligent living beings residing. The higher planetary living conditions are all in the mode of goodness, and anyone desiring to enter the higher planets like the moon, sun, Venus, etc., must qualify thoroughly by activity in complete goodness.
(More...) Another significance of the present verse is that Arjuna, by the Grace of Lord Sri Krishna, was able to reach the heavenly planets even with the self same body and was honoured by the heavenly demigod Indradeva being seated with him half elevated. One can reach the heavenly planets by pious acts as they are recommended in the Shastras in the category of fruitive activities. And as stated, in the Bhagwat Geeta (Bg. 9.21) the reactions of such pious acts being spent up the enjoyer is again degraded to come down to this earthly planet. The Moon planet is also on the level of heavenly planet and only persons who have had performed virtue only namely performing sacrifices, giving in charties and undergone severe austerities etc can be allowed to enter into the heavenly planets after expiry of the duration of life of the body. Arjuna was allowed to enter into the heavenly planets in the self same body simply by the Grace of the Lord otherwise it was not possible to do so. The present attempts to enter into the heavenly planet by the modern scientists will certainly prove futile because such scientists are not on the level of Arjuna. They are ordinary human beings without any assets of sacrifice, charity or austerities. The material body is influenced by the three modes of material nature namely goodness, passion and ignorance. The present mass of population is more or less influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance and the symptoms for such influence is exhibited in becoming too much lusty and greedy. Such degraded lusty and greedy fellows can hardly approach the higher planetary system namely the heavenly planets or above them. Above the heavenly planets there are many other planets also where only those who are influenced by goodness can reach. In the heavenly and other higher planets within an universe, the inhabitants are all highly intelligent many more times than the human beings and they are all pious in the higher and the highest mode of goodness. They are all devotees of the Lord and although their goodness is not unadulterated still they are known as demigods possessing maximum amount of good qualities possible within the material world.
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