Krishna, difference from

Being affected by the conditioning of matter, Mayavadi philosophers cannot see the difference between the Supreme Lord and the living entity. When the sun is reflected in a pot of water, the sun knows that there is no difference between himself and the reflected sun in the water. Those in ignorance, however, perceive that there are many small suns reflected in each and every pot. As far as the brilliance is concerned, there is brilliance both in the original sun and in the reflections, but the reflections are small, whereas the original sun is very large. Vaisnava philosophers conclude that the living entity is simply a small sample of the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. Qualitatively, God and the living entities are one, but quantitatively the living entities are small fragments of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Supreme Lord is full, powerful and opulent. In the previous verse, the Lord says, "My dear friend, you and I are not different." This nondifference refers to qualitative oneness, for it was not necessary for the Paramatma, the Supreme Personality, to remind the conditioned soul that he is not one in quantity. The self-realized soul never thinks that he and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one in every respect. Although he and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are one in quality, the living entity is prone to forget his spiritual identity, whereas the Supreme Personality never forgets. This is the difference between lipta and alipta. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally alipta, uncontaminated by the external energy. The conditioned soul, however, being in contact with material nature, forgets his real identity; therefore when he sees himself in the conditioned state, he identifies himself with the body. For the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, there is no difference between the body and the soul. He is completely soul; He has no material body. Although the Supersoul, Paramatma, and the individual soul are both within the body, the Supersoul is devoid of designation, whereas the conditioned soul is designated by his particular type of body. The Supersoul is called antaryami, and He is extensive. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita: (More...)

Actually the living entity is part and parcel of the Lord; therefore he is spiritual in quality. The living entity is never material, and his material conception is simply a mistake due to forgetfulness. He is as brilliant as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Both the sun and the sunshine are very brilliant. The Lord is like the full shining sun, and the living entities are like the small particles of that sun which constitute the all-pervasive sunshine. When these small particles are covered by the cloud of maya, they lose their shining capacity. When the cloud of maya is gone, the particles again become brilliant and shining. As soon as the living entity is covered by the ignorance of maya or darkness, he cannot understand his relationship with the Supreme God. Somehow or other, if he comes before the Lord, he can see himself as shining as the Supreme Lord, although he is not as extensive as the Lord. Because the living entity desires to imitate the Supreme Lord, he is covered by maya. We cannot imitate the Lord, nor can we become the supreme enjoyer. This is not possible, and when we think it is, we become conditioned by maya. Thus the encagement of the living entity under the clutches of maya is brought about by forgetfulness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord. (More...)

There are Atheists of various categories who do not believe in the conception of a creator but that is due to a poor fund of knowledge only. The modern scientist has created a Sputnik and by some arrangement or other the sputnik is thrown in the outer space to fly on for some time at the control of a scientist who is far away from the flying sputniks. Similarly all the universes, with innumerable planets within them, are similar to the sputniks controlled by the best Brain of the Personality of Godhead. In the Vedic literatures it is said that the Absolute Truth Personality of Godhead is the chief amongst the living personalities. All living beings beginning from the first created Being Brahmaji, down to the smallest ant, all of them are individual living beings. And above Brahmaji, there are many other living beings with individual capacities and the Personality of Godhead is also a similar living being as individual as the other living beings; but the Supreme Lord or the Supreme living Being has the highest brain with the supermost and inconceivable energies of different varieties. If a man's brain can produce a sputnik we can very easily imagine that brains higher than the man can produce similar other wonderful things far superior than the man made sputniks. A reasonable person will easily accept this argument but there are stubborn obstinates who may not believe in this reasonable statement. But Srila Vyasdeva at once accepts the Supreme Brain as the Parameswara. He proposes to offer his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Brain addressed as the Para or the Parameswara or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that Parameshwara is Sri Krishna is admitted in the Bhagwat Geeta and all other scriptures delivered by Srila Vyasdeva and specifically in the Srimad Bhagwat. In the Bhagwat Geeta the Lord says that there is no other Paratatwa (Summum bonum) than Him. Therefore, the author at once worships the Paratatwa Sri Krishna whose transcendental activities are described in the 10th Canto. Unscrupulous persons go at once the 10th canto and specially to the five chapters where description of the Lord's Rasa Dance is kindly given. This portion of the Srimad Bhagwatam is the most confidential part of the great literature. Unless one has thoroughly accomplished himself in the transcendental knowledge of the Lord one is sure to misunderstand the Lord's worshipable transcendental pastimes in the form of Rasa Dance and His love affairs with the Gopies. The subject matter is highly spiritual technology and only the liberated persons who have gradually attained to the stage of Paramhansa, as referred to hereinbefore, can transcendentally relish worshipable Rasa Dance. (More...)

Devotee (5): Prabhupada, I would like to know if the Supersoul is, and the spirit soul, are they the same in the heart of... (More...)

Prabhupada: Same is quality. But the individual soul is not exactly like the Supersoul. The Supersoul is within you and within me, within everywhere. But I, individual soul, I am only within me; you are within you. That is the difference. I cannot feel your pains and pleasure; neither you can feel my pains and pleasure. Therefore we are individual. But Supersoul, because He is in everyone's heart, He knows what is going on in everyone's body. That is Supersoul. Therefore He is called Supersoul. That is explained in the Bhagavad-gita, ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi sarva-ksetresu bharata [Bg 13.3]. Supersoul, He is God. He can expand Himself in millions and millions of places. But I cannot do that; you cannot do that. (More...)

Prabhupada: Yes. The atma and Paramatma, Paramatma. As I was speaking, nityo nityanam. We are all nityas, eternal, but there is one chief nitya. Just like leader. Anywhere we go, we have got a leader. Now this, your Mexico state, there is a president. You cannot avoid it. In your college there is principal. There must be a leader. Similarly, the whole thing taken together, there must be one leader. You have to speak from experience that in your physical department or in your religious department there is a chief, leader, professor. Or you may be. But that is the way. Therefore Vedic information is that we are eternals, but there is another eternal who is chief eternal. That is God. He is eternal; we are also eternal. Then what is difference? The difference is that eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman: "That one eternal, chief eternal, He is maintaining all the subordinate eternals." So both the eternals are eternal and... The purpose is pleasure. Just like a small example: a family man. The father is the chief man in the family. The mother is there, the children are there, all together. But the father is the chief man in the family. He is maintaining the family, and there is ananda, pleasure. Similarly, ananda is the aim of both..., all the eternals, the chief eternal or the subordinate eternal. But the supplier is the chief eternal. So when we come together, the chief eternal and the subordinate eternals, and enjoy together, that is the purpose of life. [pause] (More...)