Prabhupada: The Champion of Compassion

Self-realization is not possible as long as our senses are engaged in harboring the previously mentioned desires and attachments of the heart.

Through the transcendental instructions in his books and by his divine inspiration, Srila Prabhupada is teaching the true meaning of compassion: We should be compassionate by raising one from the material platform to the spiritual platform. The only benefit we can render to suffering beings is to raise them to spiritual consciousness. Philanthropists and altruists do not realize that it is impossible to improve people’s material conditions. Material conditions are already established by the superior administration according to ones karma. They cannot be changed. If one is at all sympathetic or able to do good for others, he should endeavor to raise people to Krsna Consciousness. We should be very careful not to be misled by so-called welfare activities conducted in bodily terms. One should not give up his interest in attaining the favor of Lord Visnu at any cost. (5-8-10)

To attain the favor or the mercy of Lord Visnu or Krsna is the primary goal of life. It is the reason for life. Prabhupada If one is serious about going back home, he must consider the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead the summum bonum and chief aim of life. (5-6-15)

As stated in sastra, the mercy of Krsna and engagement in His pure bhakti, are available only for those who have attained to the transcendental platform. Unless one becomes transcendentally situated, he cannot expect the causeless mercy of the Lord, nor can he cross the vast ocean of material nescience. (Madhya 6-235) One cannot serve the lord without being situated on the transcendental platform. (4-28-5) The process of attaining to the transcendental or liberated platform is called self-realization and it is all about realizing Krsna by re-establishing our real contact with His exalted presence in our hearts and acting according to His desires. One has to understand that the basic principle of devotional service to the Lord is acting according to His desires. (3-29-2) Pure devotional service begins from the point when the Lord responds from within as caitya-guru. (3-5-4)

So Prabhupada is saying the only authentic act of compassion is to help raise the consciousness of the conditioned souls from mundane to transcendental. Of course, one cannot give something he doesn’t have, so to forward the mission of Prabhupada, his faithful followers must accept the responsibility of becoming self-realized. Prabhupada: This ignorance of self-realization is the greatest defeat in human life. (5-1-1)

It is not possible to forward a spiritual movement while on the material platform. All the money and manipulation of material energy in the world will not help. Without self-realization and knowledge, conditioned life continues. (5-10-11) Only the mercy of guru and God will bring about easy and automatic success. It is simply a matter of full surrender. One should surrender fully to the Lord, forgetting one’s so-called material happiness, opulence and education, which are not at all useful for pleasing the Lord. The Lord is pleased only by the process of surrender unto Him. (SB, ch.19 intro.)

Prabhupada explains: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized according to the proportion of ones surrender. Full surrender, however occurs when a man is perfectly in knowledge. (4-21-35) When one understands that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, and actually sees the Lord present everywhere, he has perfect knowledge (5-18-36) In the beginning of self-realization, seeing the Lord means realizing Him, perceiving His presence, tasting His association etc. It should be noted that the definition of perfect knowledge as stated by Prabhupada is not independent of knowledge of the ultimate Bhagavan feature of the Lord, but rather such knowledge is bestowed upon a devotee after he has already surrendered to the original Supreme Brahman, the two handed form of Krsna.

Prabhupada: There are many names and forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Krsna is the Supreme form. Therefore Krsna recommends to neophyte devotees that one should surrender unto Him only. Because neophyte devotees cannot understand what the forms of Narayan, Vasudeva, and Govinda are, Krsna directly says, man ekam. (6-1-19) Therefore, full surrender, which depends on the revelation of perfect knowledge, includes surrender to His expansions, (especially His personal expansion in everyone’s heart) and such full surrender usually takes place after one has already surrendered unto the ultimate, two handed form of Krsna.

Prabhupada: Tattva, the Absolute Truth is experienced in three features. Even after coming to the platform of understanding tattva, one must worship Bhagavan, Visnu, and His expansions, or one is not yet perfect. After studying the Vedas and attaining the understanding of the Absolute Truth, one is supposed to be on the platform of perfect knowledge. (5-11-2) It need be repeated: When one understands that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, and actually sees the Lord present everywhere, he has perfect knowledge. (5-18-36)

Prabhupada: When one is convinced of the presence of the Lord by a practical service attitude, there is a revelation by the Lord’s mercy, and such a pure devotee can perceive of the Lord’s presence always and everywhere He can perceive that the intelligence is the form/direction of the Paramatma plenary portion of the Personality of Godhead. This intelligence, being the direction of some higher authority, is just like a father giving instruction to his son. We can easily attain to the true spiritual conception by realizing the Superself to be our friend and guide and by dovetailing our intelligence with the superior intelligence of Paramatma. (2-1-35) This dovetailing process is called surrender, or Krsna consciousness. (3-15-15)

The surrendering process of dovetailing with Supersoul is also the means of becoming free from the impurities of the heart, which are described as the three kinds of material desires (desire for acquisition of material opulence, enjoyment of wife and children, and elevation to higher planets; Krsna Book.v-2 pg. 12) and the five kinds of material attachments. (ignorance, false egoism, attachment to the material world, envy, and absorption in material consciousness; 4-22-26) Of these eight kinds of impurities of the heart, envy should addressed forthwith for one cannot move forward while blinded by the contamination of envy. Prabhupada: It is therefore said that Srimad Bhagavatam is meant for those who are completely free from envy. In other words, one who is not free from the contamination of envy cannot advance in Krsna consciousness (4-19-2) These eight items, along with sex desire are the primary components of the body conception of life. It should be noted that the propensity to dominate, control, and receive honor is also sex desire in its subtle form. Real detachment means becoming free from these things, and the Vedas enjoin that Krsna, Himself cleans these impurities from our hearts at the point of full surrender. As soon as the Lord is perceived in the heart, all material desires vanquish. (4-31-20) Thus whenever one fully surrenders to the Lord, one finds that He is sitting within one’s heart. (3-20-29)

So turning our attention to the Lord’s presence in our hearts is the panacea and the confidential secret of success in spiritual life. The reason for conditioned life and all of its miseries is forgetfulness of Krsna.: Forgetfulness of the Supreme Lord brings about our suffering in the material world, (5-10-11) The solution to this problem of forgetting Krsna, which is the number one problem of human life, is disclosed by Krsna, You may know from Me that I am always sitting within your hearts as Supersoul, and because you have now turned your faces toward Me, I, as master of everyone, shall always give you good council so that you may never forget Me. (K.B.,v-2 pg.136-137)

One should not think that turning our attention to the actual presence of Krsna in our hearts will somehow reduce our ability to think of His ultimate Bhagavan feature. Our real, transcendental mind and intelligence are part of our eternal spirit soul, and as such they are situated in the heart. All transcendental activity takes place in the heart, including the bhakti of always thinking of the ultimate two handed feature of the Lord and His pastimes, but success in transcendental thinking depends on the heart being cleansed of such attachments as ignorance, false ego and envy. This fact is clearly stated by Lord Caitanya, Himself: As soon as the heart is cleansed, the blazing fire of material existence is very quickly extinguished. Our hearts are meant for the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This means that one should be fully Krsna conscious, thinking of Krsna, as He, Himself advises. This should be our only business. One whose heart is not clean cannot think of the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, but if one can once again place the Supreme Personality of Godhead in his heart, he very quickly becomes qualified to renounce material attachments. One has to fix the lotus feet of the Lord within his heart. Thus he gets the strength to be freed from material entanglement. (5-1-38)

So turning our attention to caitya guru in humble, submissive surrender is not an option for one who desires self-realization, for it is the definition of self-realization. To disregard the necessity of linking with Supersoul or to neglect or ignore His presence everywhere is the greatest mistake, the greatest impediment a devotee can commit against the cause of compassion for one cannot help raise others to spiritual consciousness until he has attained such consciousness himself. To re-establish our devotional link with Supersoul by cleansing the impurities from our hearts is the reason and the goal for constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord. This re-linking with Krsna is in our hearts is called self-realization. It is the definition of full surrender; it is most pleasing, and it is the beginning of everlasting spiritual happiness. (Brahma- saukhya)

Prabhupada: There is no stronger obstruction to one’s self-interest than thinking other subject matters to be more pleasing than one’s self-realization. Human life is especially meant for self-realization. Self refers to the Superself and the individual self, the Supreme Personality and the living entity. (4-22-32)

In other ages, the process of self-realization requires the execution of severe austerities, which can last for many lifetimes before success is finally achieved. But in this age of Kali people do not even know the meaning of austerity, therefore Prabhupada instructs as follows: Under the circumstances, the Lord has appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to bestow upon the fallen souls the easiest method of self-realization, technically called ceto-darpana-marjanam, cleansing of the dirt from the core of one’s heart. This method is very simple. Anyone can chant the glorious krsna-sankirtan-Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. (5-19-9)

By taking advantage of the incalculable mercy of Lord Caitanya, that is, by chanting the holy names of the Lord, with attention and humility, one becomes qualified, by dent of a pure heart, to read and understand the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad-Bhagavatam. These transcendental literatures direct the individual soul to re-establish his relationship with Supersoul, and by doing so, this Supersoul, who is in fact the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, reveals Himself to the fortunate devotee from within his heart. This revelation is called self-realization; it is what human life is meant for, and its success depends completely on the mercy of the Lord.

Some devotees assert that Prabhupada gave us a certain program (temple worship) and we should stick to that and nothing else. This mentality reflects a lack of knowledge and understanding concerning Prabhupada’s repeated instructions on the necessity of advancing in Krsna consciousness. Prabhupada’s books are full of such instructions and they must be assimilated, honored and obeyed for there to be any chance of his movement moving forward. While it is certain that Srila Prabhupada established Deity worship and continuously expresses the importance of engaging in Their service, it is also certain that he is strongly stressing the need to expand our knowledge of Krsna by regular reading and following the direction of the Vedas. He stresses the need to assimilate the essence of scripture and the essence of his instructions as well.

Prabhupada: Instructions should be taken from the acarya and should be assimilated. A devotee should not make plans out of self interest, but should always be without diplomacy and should avoid the company of those who are not advancing in spiritual life. (3-29-18)

There are many very strong statements by Prabhupada and by Krsna, Himself, that are meant to open one’s eyes and induce him to advance in Krsna consciousness. One such statement by Prabhupada is as follows : The third class devotee, or the neophytes, who have no knowledge nor are detached from the material association, but who are simply attracted to the preliminary process of worshiping the Deities in the Temple, are called material devotees. Material devotees are more attracted to material benefit (money, position in society, popularity etc.) than transcendental profit. Therefore, one must make definite progress from the position of material devotional service to the second class devotional position. In the second class position the devotee can see four principles in the devotional line, namely, the Personality of Godhead, His devotees, the ignorant and the envious. One has to raise himself at least to the second class position and thus become eligible to know the Absolute Truth . (Adi-Lila,7-102)

Prabhupada’s advanced instructions are contained in his books and they concern the process of self-realization, which is based on the bhakti of always thinking of Krsna, and is realized by linking with the Absolute in the heart. There is no other path for advancing in Krsna consciousness, for real devotional service begins with the relationship of the individual soul with the Supersoul. (3-21-12) Prabhupada’s preliminary instructions are instituted for the purpose of purification of the body, mind and finally and most importantly, the heart. Prabhupada: Our Krsna conscious movement has therefore adopted the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra for the general masses. When people gradually become purified, they are instructed in the lessons of the Bhagavad-gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam. (5-10-18)

Self-realization is not possible as long as our senses are engaged in harboring the previously mentioned desires and attachments of the heart. Prabhupada: In the beginning the senses are engaged in the service of the spiritual master and sastra, and after realization, when the same senses are purified, the engagement continues; the difference is, in the beginning, the senses are engaged in a mechanical way, and after realization, they are engaged in spiritual understanding. (4-9-6) It should be noted: Spiritual understanding means understanding the self and the Superself (Bg. 4-38)

Real spiritual life begins with our linking with the Absolute in the heart. We can understand Krsna to the extent that He reveals Himself to us and He reveals Himself to us to the extent that we can keep our minds fixed on Him, but it isn’t possible to keep our minds fixed on Krsna while ignoring His real presence within.. Prabhupada: The conclusion, therefore, is that meditation means thinking of the Lord within. (4-8-44)

So re-establishing our lost relationship with Krsna in our hearts is the goal of all the nine devotional processes and conversely, it is also, at least in its preliminary stages, necessary for success in any of them. Prabhupada: When one engages himself in the nine processes of devotional service, ones heart becomes purified and he immediately understands his relationship with Krsna. (5-18-12) Ignoring the actual presence of the Lord is the root meaning of the word ignorance and any so called spiritual activity performed while ignoring His presence is performed in ignorance, and has little or no transcendental value. Lord Kapila: My dear mother, even if he worships Me with proper ritual and paraphernalia, a person who is ignorant of My presence in all living entities; never pleases Me by the worship of the Deities in the temple. (3-29-24)

Prabhupada: We may offer many valuable items to the Deities, but if we have no real sense of devotion, no sense of the Lord’s presence everywhere, then we are lacking in devotional service; in such a state of ignorance, we can offer nothing that is acceptable to the Lord. (3-29-24)

Real devotion and real devotional service means always thinking of Krsna, and as Prabhupada has just stated, such thinking must include a real devotional sense of His all-pervading presence. Advancement in spiritual life means increasing that sense of awareness of His presence, and real spiritual knowledge is complete awareness of the presence of Krsna: Real knowledge is the awareness that reveals My all-pervading presence (11-19-27) By becoming fixed in such transcendental awareness one’s relationship with Supersoul is solidified. At this point, pure devotional service begins, and ones only interest in life is staying in spiritual touch with the Lord by always thinking of Him and acting according to His desires. The basic principle of bhakti-yoga is to think of the Lord always. (3-16-2) In order to execute devotional service, one has to fix his mind on the lotus feet of Krsna. (4-24-36) This constant thinking of the Lord is described in the Bhagavad-gita as satata-yuktanam, always engaged in the Lord’s service. This is devotional service in love and affection. (4-29-46) Devotional service means always thinking of Krsna. (4-29-75) .But the bhakti of always thinking of Krsna, is possible only when one turns his attention to the Lords presence in his own heart and consistently and respectfully acknowledges that presence in the hearts of all others as well.

Once established, this relationship with Supersoul is so strong that, as Prabhupada states, when one attains it, there is no question of falling down. (3-21-12) Linking with Supersoul is in fact the mercy of Lord Caitanya. It is the goal, the importance and the transcendental benefit of constantly chanting the holy name, and it is available for anyone who is inclined to clean the dirt from his heart by chanting the holy names of the Lord. Prabhupada: Caitanya Mahaprabhu has recommended that everyone chant the holy name of the Lord just to cleanse the dust from the heart. When the dust is cleansed from the heart, one can understand the importance of chanting the holy name, but for those who are not inclined to cleanse the dust from the heart, but who want to keep things as they are, it is not possible to derive the transcendental benefit of chanting the holy name of the Lord. (Nectar of Devotion)

There are other statements in sastra that strongly stress the necessity of being aware of the actual presence of Krsna, for unless one is surrendered in such awareness, one’s devotional activities are not authentic. Lord kapila: I am present in every living being as Supersoul. If someone neglects or disregards that Supersoul everywhere and engages himself in the worship in the Deity in the temple, that is simply imitation. (3-39-21)

It need again be noted that such statements as these are spoken on behalf of the Deities, not against them. Deity worship, when performed properly, is potent, purifying, and very sweet and no one is suggesting that it should be stopped; but Prabhupada did not establish Deity worship as a means to control, collect funds and claim superiority over others. Deity worship is meant to help people advance in Krsna consciousness according to the direction of the Vedas. There can be no advancement in Krsna consciousness without understanding the expansion, or omnipresence, of the Lord. Prolong Deity worship without such understanding is not pleasing to the Deities.

Prabhupada If without this preliminary knowledge of the Lord’s omnipresence, one simply attaches himself to the rituals in a temple, church or mosque, it is as if he were offering butter into ashes rather than into fire. (3-29-29) In other words one should realize his relationship and the relationship of all living entities with the Supreme Soul. If one does not understand this, then even though he performs his prescribed duties properly, it is understood that he is simply laboring without profit. (3-29-25)

The profit Prabhupada is referring to is of course transcendental profit. Transcendental profit means understanding Krsna and this understanding is the goal of all Vedic study and assimilation. Only by such understanding can one attain love of Krsna, for it is not possible to love someone we do not know, and conversely, when one comes to know Krsna, it is not possible not to love Him.

The Vedas enjoin, and Prabhupada confirms, that real compassion means attaining such knowledge and love of God ourselves, then sharing it directly with the conditioned souls of this planet. This ultimate act of compassion is possible by the grace of Lord Caitanya and the potency of the holy name, but one must accept that the goal of constantly chanting the holy name of the Lord is to cleanse the impurities from the heart in order to re-establish our lost relationship with Supersoul and thereby attain real love of Krsna. In other words, love of Krsna begins when one re-establishes his relationship with His Supersoul presence.

Prabhupada: The Supreme Lord is the Supersoul of everything and therefore the supreme conception of affection is realized. The conception of affection is due to the relationship of soul to soul. As such there is an unlimited flow of everlasting happiness without fear of its being broken. (2-7-47)

Prabhupada: As soon as there is some question of devotion, one must consider the relationship of the Supersoul with the individual soul. The service of the individual soul to the Supersoul is eternal. (Bg.13-8 through 12)

Concerning the goal of chanting the holy name, Prabhupada clearly states: The supreme spiritual master is Krsna, who is therefore known as caitya-guru. This refers to the Supersoul, who is sitting in everyone’s heart. The conclusion, therefore, is that meditation means thinking of the Lord within. Whether one comes to that stage by the the astanga-yoga system or by the method recommended in the sastras especially for this present age-to constantly chant the holy name of the Lord-the goal is to meditate on the Supreme Personlity of Godhead. (4-8-44) The conclusion, therefore is that meditation means thinking of the Lord within.

One should not underestimate the extent of Lord Caitanya’s mercy, nor should one take shelter of false humility as an excuse for not doing the needful. Genuine humility means complete dependence on the mercy and protection of the Lord, offering all respects to others, and maintaining the understanding that we are not the doers. An exalted devotee of the Lord never thinks that he is a paramahamsa or a liberated person. (5-10-14) There will never be a better time for taking the mercy of Lord Caitanya. We are presently living in the heart of the golden age and that mercy is available for any sincere soul who is inclined and determined to clean the dirt from his heart.

Prabhupada: We should always remember that to become a bona-fide devotee of the Lord is not an easy task, but in this age, by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, it has become very easy. (4-8-72) Our obligation to Prabhupada is to raise ourselves to the spiritual platform and thereby become effective in helping others to do the same. This is real Krsna consciousness and it is the only act of real compassion, as stated by Prabhupada. When a man is sleeping, he can be aroused only when Supersoul helps him. It is not possible to link with Supersoul by material activities. Only by devotional service and detachment can one perform the process of linking with the Absolute. (3-26-71)

Devotional service means always thinking of Krsna and detachment means becoming free from the attachments and desires of the heart as before mentioned. Devotional service, detachment and self- realization can easily be achieved, by the mercy of the Lord, simply by turning our attention to His presence in our hearts. Prabhupada: As soon as one places the Supreme Personality of Godhead within ones heart, everything becomes easy and successful, (4-8-22) Of course, there is also the practical application of devotional service, but the success of any spiritual endeavor can be ascertained by the extent to which we can remember Krsna.

Prabhupada; The results of all of our spiritual activities are successful if we can remember Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The practical application of bhakti is epitomized in trying to uplift the condition of the fallen souls by helping to raise them to the spiritual platform, as Prabhupada has instructed. Preaching this science of self-realization, or full surrender, is also the epitome of cow protection and kindness to all living entities. As mentioned before; self refers to the Superself and the individual self, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity. (4-22-32) and full surrender means dovetailing with that same Superself, the Supreme Personality of Godhead within our hearts.

Prabhupada: No one can render a better service than one who distributes the knowledge of spiritual self-realization in relation to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (4-22-47) Only when a certain number of people, (Prabhupada says one percent) have accepted Krsna consciousness, and have surrendered unto the Lord, can compassion and cow protection begin to be realized on a global bases. This is not an unreachable goal, if we use properly the tools Prabhupada has given us. Even the slightest attempt in preaching the transcendental science of self-realization, according to the statements of spiritual master and sastra, will attract the attention and the mercy of the Lord.

Advancing in Krsna consciousness simply means receiving the mercy of guru and Govinda, and to become eligible to receive such mercy one must have total faith in the words of all of their instructions, not just those that suit one’s personal outlook. Unfortunately, there are those who cannot tolerate the advancement of others; and since self-realization has eluded them, they do not value hearing about it. One should be very careful not to discourage or dissuade anyone from preaching or pursuing the transcendental knowledge of self-realization. As long as one is speaking according to the statements of spiritual master and sastra, any person has the right and is actually duty bound to share those instructions with all who are interested. If, for any reason, someone tries to discourage or dissuade one from preaching or pursuing the transcendental science of self-realization, he is an obstructer to the causes of compassion, cow protection and spreading the mission of Lord Caitanya. Srila Prabhupada is instructing his followers to engage in the only act of real compassion, the ultimate bhakti of raising conditioned souls to the sptiritual platform: We should be compassionate by raising one from the material platform to the spiritual platform – otherwise at any moment our spiritual advancement may be spoiled, and we may fall down onto the material platform. (5-8-7)

The word jiva-himsa – envy of other living beings“ actually means stopping the preaching of Krsna consciousness. Everyone makes mistakes; that is understandable, but if one persists in speaking against the spreading of self-realization, which is the beginning of real Krsna consciousness, and is based on re-establishing our lost relationship with Supersoul, he should be considered the definition of envy, and should be neglected.

By the potency of the holy name, the influence of the golden age, and the grace of Prabhupada, the mercy of Lord Caitanya is available to an extent that is inconceivable. It is an opportunity that should be taken. Prabhupada: The topmost devotee is one who always thinks of Krsna within himself and chants the glories of the Lord. That is bhakti-yoga. We should take this opportunity in life to become as good as a great saint simply by not talking unnecessarily with unwanted persons. We should either talk of Krsna or chant Hare Krsna undeviatingly. If one takes these instructions from the spiritual master with great reverence and practices them accordingly, he will find this bhakti-yoga process to be very, very easy. (4-24-71)

As the golden age advances and Lord Caitanya liberally distributes bhakti to all surrendered souls, devotees will become attracted to the direct method of devotional service as recommended in Bhagavad-gita. Prabhupada explains the direct method as follows: The whole process is to understand the real position of the self in relation to the Superself. The indirect process is philosophical speculation, by which gradually, one may come to the point of Krsna consciousness; and the other process is connecting with everything in Krsna consciousness. Of these two, the path of Krsna consciousness is better because it does not depend on purifying the senses by a philosophical process. Krsna consciousness is itself the purifying process, and by the direct method of devotional service it is simultaneously easy and sublime. (Bg. 3-3)

Some ‘devotees are of the opinion that it is not possible to attain pure devotional service in this life. This defeatist attitude is grounded in ignorance, which results from persistent ignoring of Supersoul, and it is repeatedly rebuked by Prabhupada’s positive and encouraging instructions: Anyone can become successful in devotional service provided he displays no duplicity. One must be very frank and open minded. He must be open, frank and free from reservations. (4-21-33) The bhakti-yoga process, which depends completely on the mercy of Krsna, is very joyful and easily performed. (11-2-370)

His Devine Grace definitely, continuously, and emphatically stresses the importance of advancing in spiritual life, even to the point of perfection in self-realization. Self-realization is attained when one understands and accepts the Vedic conclusion.

Prabhupada: A mundane person cannot offer any prayer or glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead because he has no realization of the Vedic conclusion. That is the process of understanding Vedic literature. Only to one who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord as well as in the spiritual master is the Vedic conclusion revealed. The conclusion is based on proper understanding of difference between jiva and Paramatma, the individual soul and the Supersoul. The individual soul is forever a servant of the Supersoul and therefore his relationship with Supersoul is to render servive. That is called bhakti-yoga. (4-9-5&6)

There are certainly many conclusions of sastra as they pertain to different areas of knowledge, but the prapadye (full surrender) is the king of conclusions and the essence of the essence of revealed scripture. One can get an idea of the magnitude of the compassion and causeless mercy of Prabhupada and Krsna by understanding their instruction to deliver this essence directly to the conditioned souls of the world:

Prabhupada: In Bhagavad-gita it is clearly stated that persons who are trying to uplift the condition of the fallen souls by preaching the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita, namely, full surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead are very dear to Him. (3-29-6) The word prapadye refers to the conclusion of the Bhagavad-gita. The prapadye refers to the individual’s surrender (in devotional service) to the Supersoul. (4-22-38)

One may or may not realize the significance of understanding the Vedic conclusion or he may not accept that there is one main conclusion of sastra. The intelligent devotee, having full faith in the words of guru and God, accepts everything on the strength of their instructions. Only for such a fully surrendered person is the Vedic conclusion revealed. It is worth repeating: Only to one who has unflinching faith in the Supreme Lord as well as in the spiritual master is the Vedic conclusion revealed. The conclusion is based on proper understanding of the difference between jiva and Paramatma, the individual soul and the Supersoul. The individual soul is forever a servant of Supersoul, and therefore his relationship with Supersoul is to render service. That is called bhakti-yoga. (4-9-5&6) A person’s position should be ascertained by understanding to what extent he has realized the conclusion of sastra. (Mahabharata 592)

Even if a person faithfully worships the Deity form of the Lord, or is able to meditate on the ultimate Bhagavan feature of Krsna, if he has no knowledge of, or is neglectful of the exalted presence of His Supersoul expansion, he is still in ignorance, and such a person is not qualified to leave the material world. This fact is stated several times in sastra, and it is also disclosed by Lord Brahma in his famous prayer to Lord Krsna: Your Lordship, the conception of Supersoul as impersonal is wrongly accepted. You are the Supreme Soul present in everyone’s heart, therefore there is no necessity of one’s meditating on something beyond You. One who is always absorbed in meditation on Your original form of Krsna easily crosses over the ocean of material nescience. But persons who do not know that You are the Supreme Soul remain in this material world in spite of their so-called meditation. If, by association of Your devotees, a person comes to the knowledge that Lord Krsna is the original Supersoul, then it is possible for him to cross over the ocean of material ignorance. (K.B. pg. 105)

Perfect knowledge is not difficult for a sincere devotee to attain. It is simply a matter of understanding and accepting its definition. The definitions of perfect knowledge and full surrender are identical with that of the Vedic conclusion. It is the most important spiritual knowledge in all of sastra and it should be repeated again and again until it is prominent in one’s consciousness.

Prabhupada: The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized according to the proportion of one’s surrender. Full surrender, however, occurs when a man is perfectly in knowledge. (4-21-35) When one understands that the Lord is situated in everyone’s heart and actually sees the Lord present everywhere, he has perfect knowledge. (5-18-36) In conclusion, one should not waist time by so-called economic development but should cultivate spiritual knowledge to understand the Supersoul and the individual soul and their relationship. (4-22-39)

We should always remember that Prabhupada’s movement is transcendental in nature and therefore it will move forward again only when it is conducted on the transcendental platform. Any activity performed for any reason other than transcendental profit is material in nature and is a useless waste of time. Transcendental profit means increasing our awareness of the Lord’s presence, both within and without, and transcendental engagement means encouraging others to do the same. Only when devotees are armed with such awareness will there be success in forwarding the mission of Prabhupada and distributing his compassion to the conditioned souls of the world.

Prabhupada: One must overcome the delusion caused by the Lord’s external energy and realize His presence both externally and internally. (5-18-26) Maintaining an awareness of the actual presence of Krsna, and remembering His transcendental pastimes, qualities, forms, names, etc. is not difficult for the pure hearted devotee, but impossible for the personally motivated pretender. One should try to associate with devotees who are serious about transcendental progress and beware of those who are interested in nothing but ritualistic activity.

Prabhupada: The brahmanas, the priests, have been against this Krsna conscious movement ever since it began with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. They are described as karma-jada-smartas; priests engaged in ritualistic ceremonies. To save oneself from the smartas one should strictly follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (4-29-57) Anyone who directly executes such orders from the Personality of Godhead is actually a religious person. Others are described as pretenders. (4-20-23) The main purpose in life is to follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (5-1-15) Our actual duty is to carry out the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (5-1-19) There is actually only one religious principle: The only religious principle is to follow the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (5-26-15)

Krsna says: With a pure heart one should see Me, the Supreme Soul, within all living beings, and also within one’s own self, as both unblemished by anything material and also present everywhere, both externally and internally, just like the omnipresent sky. For him who constantly meditates on My presence within all persons, the bad tendencies of rivalry, envy, abusiveness, along with the false ego, are very quickly destroyed. Indeed, I consider this process – using one’s mind, words and bodily functions, for realizing Me within all living beings – to be the best possible method for spiritual enlightenment. (11-29-12,15,19)

As stated so many times in scripture, one cannot expect the mercy of Krsna or engage in actual devotional service to Him without becoming transcendentally situated. One must come to the transcendental platform, otherwise life’s mission is never fulfilled. (5-11-5) It is like a tightrope walk; trying to balance the need to advance on one hand with the need to remain humble and meek on the other; but as Prabhupada has instructed “ if one follows the orders of the spiritual master, there is no question of falling down. (5-12-14)

Prabhupada relates the perfect elevation to the transcendental platform by quoting the words of Lord Caitanya: I am not a brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, or sudra. I am not a brahmacari, grhastha, vanaaprastha, or sannyasi. What am I? I am the eternal servant of the servant of the servant of Lord Krsna. Through the disciplic succession one can attain this conclusion, which is the perfect elevation to the transcendental platform. (4-29-46)

Prabhupada states the exact terminology for Krsna consciousness is krsna-parayana. Parayana means going forward. Anyone who is going forward to the goal of Krsna is called krsna-parayana, or fully Krsna conscious. (4-12-38) We must give up the fighting spirit and use our intelligence to move ahead. (letter to Upendra 8-6-1970)

If the followers of Prabhupada come to the understanding that the only possibility of success is to wholeheartedly accept the transcendental path, there is all possibility of working together in a cooperative spirit. Linking with the Lord is the way that works, but although it is enunciated throughout the Vedic literature, so many devotees haven’t yet taken it seriously. Prabhupada and the Vedas direct the individual soul to re-establish his relationship with Supersoul, and indeed the conclusion of all the scripture states just that. Full surrender to Krsna is possible only when one includes Supersoul in that surrender. Pabhupada: If we move according to the instructions of the Vedas, the perfect paths of our lives will be set.(5-1-14)

No one is suggesting that the regulative principles Prabhupada has given us should be given up, but one should understand the purpose of these principles and should not be satisfied until perfect knowledge and full surrender are awarded to Him by the Lord’s mercy.

For there to be any chance of receiving the mercy of Lord Krsna, one must give up the competitive spirit among god brothers who have all accepted Prabhupada as the only initiating spiritual master for the duration of his movement. All decisions and disputes should be settled by accepting the particular conclusion of sastra which pertains to the nature of the question being considered. Prabhupada: When speaking in spiritual circles, one’s statements must be upheld by the scripture. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying. (Bg. 17-15) Srila Rupa Gpsvami: If one poses himself as advanced in spiritual life but does not refer to the srutis (Vedic injunctions) and smrtis, (supplementary presentations given by great sages) he is simply a disturbance in society. (4-18-3)

The real competition is between the individual soul and his attachment for the impurities in his heart. Moving forward means qualifying ourselves to receive the mercy of Krsna by acknowledging those impurities to our own selves and doing something about it. This is not difficult for the pride less devotee. Krsna will do it for us, if we can simply remain attentive to His personal presence within as well as without. The actual transcendental path leads inward, to the core of one’s heart, wherein the Lord is located in all of His glory.

This simple presentation has been written as a humble and honest attempt to remind all sincere devotees that full surrender is the secret of success and that full surrender to the Lord requires surrendering to Krsna and His expansions and full surrender to the spiritual master requires surrendering to caitya-guru as well as Prabhupada. Without such full surrender nothing is authentic or successful. How can we expect to succeed in delivering Prabhupada’s compassion to the world if we are not, ourselves, transcendentally fixed? How can we even claim to be situated properly in disciplic succession if we are not surrendered to the original spiritual master? On the other hand, as His Divine Grace instructs: As soon as one places the Supreme Personality of Godhead within one’s heart, everything becomes easy and successful. (4-8-22)

Your humble servant, Mike Duncan