The Career and Teachings of the Supreme Lord Sree
Krishna-Chaitanya
by Sri Narayan Das Bhakti Sadhukar
FOREWORD
by Sri Srila Bhaktisiddhanta
Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada
Men of culture are often found to devote
themselves in acquiring knowledge of various subjects which could prove
efficacious to them in their needs; so we may not confuse to accept all readers
in the same line of thought. The best scrutinizers of knowledge in their
cultural extension should possess all skill and dexterity to get their most
covetable end having had a care for Eternity and uninterrupted Blissful
unalloyed Knowledge. This incarnate of the acme of knowledge-seekers will be
the best reader of this book when they can have the privilege of comparing the
merits of different views of pure theists. Mental speculationists have diverse
objects of investigation and their diversity of seeking Knowledge would simply
disturb the peaceful mentality having been tempted by the duping features of
external manifestations, quite suitable and dove-tailing the present purposes
of enjoyment by their imperfect senses.
The writer has got the prime object of
furnishing a comparative study in which the position of a reader has the
highest place. This is his only ambition, of healing the depraved mentality of
the so-called culturists of True Knowledge. But the readers have different
motives of utilizing the product of their enterprise of perusing the book. One
class of readers are found to criticise the merits and demerits of the writer
in order to establish their superiority, with a view to puff up their vanity.
Another class is observed to muse over the subject by spending their time for
the gratification of their senses. The third section of readers mean to profit
by reading the book in order to regulate their life for a better purpose. The under-estimation
of a desirable element for some utilisation through temporal gratification of
senses, would not equipoise the third position of the reader who will surely
mark the distinctive situation by comparing other things and agree with the
author in spending his valuable time for true amelioration.
The body of the book will appear before
readers as a historical account of the Journey of life of a Hero. But the Hero
is not an ordinary mundane hero for a hallucinative ambition with a spiritual
tinge. The account will no doubt show that the targetted Object of the
manifestive spiritual world is Eternal and identical with the Hero of the
speaker. Hasty conclusions will be pouring forth to oppose this by welcoming
anthropomorphic and apotheotic thoughts. The delineations will prove that the
Object pointed to is beyond the comprehension of crippled senses. And the
Absolute Eternity made up of Pure Knowledge and Incessant Bliss is never to be
had within the compass of our senses. All objects of the phenomena which are
comprehended by senses have temporal situation and deformed entity void of
different ‘qualities’ that are always submissive to senses.
Sree Krishna-Chaitanya’s inculcations of
the Personality of Godhead cannot be restricted to or accused as Idolatry.
Idols are constructed of mundane materials and are subject to the inspection of
senses. The Eternal Absolute does not exactly submit to these senses as He does
not put Himself as a shareholder of phenomenal things. Whichever comes under
senses has equal value with one of Nature’s products and forms to be a subject
of the jurisdiction of senses. The Eternal Absolute is inconceivable by limited
senses. The partially eclipsed views of the Absolute are shaky, non-absolute,
liable to transformation and under the clutch of the span of Time. The physical
limitations are all accommodated in Space, Time and particular entities. The
naming of the Transcendental Absolute through the lips of a mundane agent will
surely seek after a size, a colour, etc., and must undergo the ocular
examination. The Transcendental Absolute should in no case submit to our dermal
perceptions, neither to our nasal or lingual activities as well.
The Transcendental Sound has got a
distinctive denomination from mundane sounds which often tend to submit to the
test of other senses. As the Transcendental Sound has not been originated in
mundane phenomena, He will not be diffident in showing His true phase whose
manifestive realisations are identical with the Name Himself. In that case the
essence of such Sound would not permit the different entities of the same
Object; as we find in phenomenal objects tracings of numerical base instead of
the integral unit. The differential values are integrated in the Transcendence.
So there is indication of One Object by the dinning of the ethereal vibrations
in different positions. These sounds converge in One Point Who is known as the
Absolute. This Absolute is on the Eternal plane of All-Knowledge and Incessant
Bliss and can have manifestive Absolute phases with Him. If the various sounds
are put into this chaotic plane, there is no reconciliation of a synthetic
method. This unharmonising tendency will surely bring a contending and
unpleasant atmosphere which we experience everyday.
The uneclipsed phase of the Integral
Sound will not in any case bring rupture, but harmonise the contending phase
due to the intervention of foreign intrusion. The demarcating lines of
comprehending the same thing through the chambers of senses would lead to
mundane enjoyment; whereas the ignorance of enjoying things through limited
scope would put the enjoyer within the barriers. When the Observer is One, He
sees everything and exercises all His Senses for His Own gratification. But the
servitors who are fractional entities cannot have any harmonious situation
unless all of them have got one aim of being predominated over by the Absolute.
The question of relativity does not become a barrier, as we notice such
deformities in these phenomena which are subject to Individuality, Space and
Time. This situation, solving the difficulties of mundane relativity and
Absolute, has been finally settled by the Transcendental unspotted manifestive
phase, instead of wrongly inculcating a hallucinative theory of Absolute by
negativing the conception of diversities.
The numerical situations of the different
entities here have got a relative representation which is certainly condemnable
for its undesirability. The glaring desirable features of relativity as
delineated in the Transcendence should not be anthropomorphised by our
poverty-stricken knowledge and narrow views of phenomenal disorders. In the
Absolute Region we find descriptions of mutual Manifestive phases, the Master
there being One with millions of servitors of four different classes. We further
notice the Absolute as the Eternally Blissful Son of the Entity of Unalloyed
Knowledge. The Absolute Friend is the Cynosure of all friendly eyes, as the
Single Object of friendship. He is the Consort of depending consorts and is the
Predominating Singular Object of unalloyed love of predominated objects.
Whereas, in the mundane plane we find many predominating agents together with
predominated sentients. People need not puzzle themselves with the ascription
of a motherly idea in the Supreme Absolute, as the seeming features of parents
here have got a dignified position which is nothing but a perverted conception
of the Real manifestive Absolute. Moreover we find that the parents get the
opportunity of serving their only coveted child from His very Birth in
different capacities. So the Eternal position of the Master is retained intact
from the very Advent of the Child. If we are to accept services from the Lord,
Whom we have to render our service, we are simply misled. The Divine Absolute
should not be classed as our servitor, as our eternal position is to render our
all-time and whole-hearted services to Him alone. A deviation from this will be
tampering the very principle of transcendental devotion. The author has wisely
delineated these crucial points in the Instructive Life of the Supreme Lord.
The enjoying temperament of this temporal
world will find a good jerk in the line of thought of approaching the
Transcendence. Sree Krishna-Chaitanya, the greatest world-teacher, has
exhibited to his taught the transcendental loving principle of unalloyed souls
towards the Absoute All-love where phenomenal dirts could not possibly
contaminate the pleasant situation of Manifestive Relativity. The unalloyed
devotional exhibition in the Pastimes of Sree Krishna-Chaitanya and His
followings are -the best and greatest Boon that could be had in the quest of
the Absolute. Readers might have noticed one thing in the vital principle of
Transcendence of the Desertion of the enjoying mood and the affinity for
temporal deformed objects. This abnegation at the very outset will create a
puzzling sensation among the youngsters who have embarked on the journey of
life to aim after sensuous enjoyment in temporal phenomena. So they may hastily
discard the principle of showing diffidence for their much coveted dream of
enjoyment in this world. Sree Krishna-Chaitanya has defined the proper use of
the Relief that is offered by the non-meddling with mundane affairs in an
enjoying mood. He has not asked anybody to adopt the indolent processes of
non-co-operating with the phenomenal objects. He has rather instructed to
practice accepting mundane things when we can trace the connections of the
essence of such things with Sree Krishna, the Manifested Fountain-head of the
Absolute. His disclosure has set right the topsy-turvy, hodge-podge situation
of this apparently chaotic world. He has further cautioned the renouncers not
to summarily reject the association of relative things for fear of their
proving to be detrimental to alienating the peaceful soul from the mundane
troubles by associating themselves with the purposes of the manifested
Absolute.
The busy people of this world have
decided that the gratification of senses should be the essential aim of all our
enterprises here as well as in the next world. So they have deemed it fit to
adopt the principle of an ethical religion supplying their wants and to fulfill
whatever we are in need of. These triple results are the covetable solutions of
the enjoying calibre of sentient entities. This sort of mentality is found in
the enjoyers. But there is an opposite section who believes that unless such
desiring agencies are stopped, no eternal good can be expected. So they have
formulated a different goal for their purpose. These men consider that salvation
is required from phenomena by practising a non-co-operative mood from all and
even the necessaries of life, which tantamount to suicidal commission. By
following the high-sounding words of annihilation in the Absolute by dismissing
the three respective positions of observer, observation and observed, they
covet to be finally rescued from phenomenal troubles.
The Supreme Lord Sree Krishna-Chaitanya
has neither encouraged the enjoying elevationists nor the renouncing
salvationists. He has prescribed the pure theistic thought of spiritual
devotion to the Personality of All-love by the loving function of the unalloyed
souls instead of plunging into the ocean of miseries which offer extreme
troubles to elevationists and to persons who, having bitter worldly experience,
desire to terminate their animation by the process of annihilation. The Supreme
Lord has Thereby settled the question of transmigration. The Semites have,
however, adopted a principle, by rejecting the theory of metempsychosis, to
dispense with the long extending life of a migratory element. The love of the
Absolute can never be attained by men who seek after their aggrandisement or
after their liberation. Persons who entertain the view of their actual freedom
from such selfish propensities, can have the privilege of knowing what Prema
is—which has no bartering system of ‘give and take’ policy. The
unalloyed souls are meant to love the A11 love with the identification of their
eternal loving element. The loving souls are not at all dissatisfied whether
the Supreme Lover is inclined to grant their prayer, on the very understanding
that their loving connection is inseparable. They at the same time prove
themselves to be quite content as their only lover has deemed it fit to discard
them and thereby enjoy by the services offered by them. The consideration of
exchange has confined the elevationists and salvationists to their respective
gains; whereas, no such gain is aimed at by devotees who have thoroughly
comprehended their positions of non-traders. This unalloyed love can never be
expected in any agents who have got ulterior motives of satisfying their
pleasing and enjoying demeanor. Unalloyed service can only be found in Prema
which has a special characteristic of pure sacrifice without any
remuneration in return. No enjoying mood can have any place in that unalloyed
function.
The transcendental love should never be
compared with the lustful mundane position of an enjoyer. Prema reaches its acme in
consorthood and the lower stages in filial love, friendship, services and in
neutrality. So this Amorous transcendental love has no comparison with other
loving affinities.
The cardinal point of this unique
progression of love has got a steady infinite dimension of activity which can
have no equal in our experience. The Absolute Prema is never to be
confused with the shaky position of nuptial love of mundane mortal people which
tends to have reciprocal interest. But as it has no bearing with deformed
relativities, no claim can be asserted to combat with the challengers through
arguments.
The historical account connected with the
Pastimes of the Absolute need not be mixed with the mundane activities of
transformable entities. But the elaboration of transcendental accounts must not
be discouraged owing to the bitter experiences we have of our temporal life
here. The incidental mentions of history bear a reference of earthly things
liable to be perished in time. The essence of history need not be kept at arm’s
length in consideration of worldly associations which necessitate the existence
of components of matter or motion.
Descriptive accounts of history help us
in considering the relation between the already acquired knowledge and the
welcoming of new thoughts. But in the present case, where we are to deal with a
case beyond Nature’s phenomena, we should be cautious not to confuse with human
frailties and mixing up with temporal defective impressions of mundane
relatives. Historicity of things need not be summarily rejected if it renders
help to comprehend the direction and nature of the transcendental views. So
every branch of knowledge has efficacy to offer us first aid towards our
advancement in the Region beyond Nature.
The transcendental sensuous Activities of
the Absolute have got transcendental reference and avoid submitting to human
senses which are but frail and inadequate. The descriptions of the
Transcendental Pastimes of the Absolute need not be confused with metaphorical
analogy, strictly confined to our present situation, of acquiring knowledge. Allegories
are figments and are treated as innovations of older thoughts in a systematic
way in order to place a certain view of things. If they are meant for the
purpose of the Transcendent and not for our sensuous gratification, we can
accept them for the safety of our transcendental health instead of eliminating
even the purpose.
Mental speculations may drag us to some
secular purpose which we should avoid for the sake of studying the Absolute
Transcendent Who has no contending character to expel the variegated similar
manifestations as we often perceive through our senses. So the author has
described the Deeds which bear a resemblance to that of history and allegory
provided they are not improperly carried to mundane restrictive merits.
History, fiction or poems have worldly
values; but when they help us towards the topics of Transcendence we need not
have an anthropomorphic disposition. If we bring down the Eternal Pastimes the
Character of the Transcendence is proselytised more or less to our sensuous purpose—a
solemn offense which we should not do.
Our intellectual advancement has proved
the three different ways of attaining to our different goals: (1) one track is
known as fruitive track to propitiate deities to meet and fulfill our demands
by physical and mental entities. The dearth of desired objects keeps us at a
lower level and we want an amelioration and elevation from the lowest level to
the highest summit. In that case we consider ourselves to be actors or
perpetrators of our intended actions. When we are actuated by such exciting
mood we entertain a definite result which can serve our purpose best. This
activity of our physical and mental entities is strictly confined in temporal
and inadequate phases. (2) The quest of a different track is insistently urged
on our intellectual function when we want to desert the fructifying demeanour
of the mind. Desertion from the active life shows us a different track of
seeking the Absolute Intelligence by the process of intellectualism. We want to
sever our pleasure-seeking aptitude in our passionate desires to destroy all
sorts of selfishness accrued in Nature’s temporary association. Renunciation
from all temporal activities in this plane of deformities offers us a mentality
of stupefaction which may be termed as abnegation. In the artificial process of
dissociating ourselves from the temporarily meddlings with foreign things which
are set apart from our entity, the actor merges himself in the Object pursued,
dismissing his active functions. This conglomeration is effected by the
synthetic process of grouping together limited things into an accumulative
effect; but the accumulation of diametrically opposite elements would never
alone yield an opposite element, save in the analogy of enhanced angularities
as in the case of two right angles. The neutral position of unalloyed
intellectualism would lead us to the result of the extended idea of limitation.
Speculative method of synthetical activities terminates in undifferenced
situation of Knower, knowledge and the object of knowledge.
(3) But the advancement would prove that
the track of transcendental devotion towards the Absolute is quite free from
the summation of the fruitive activities as well as the desertion from having a
selfish desire to get a lion’s share as a co-sharer. The tracks of elevation
and salvation have very little to do in leading to the track of Devotion, as
the devotional process has no object of encouraging the f fruitive activities
in extricating out the Variegated Transcendental Eternal situation. The very
process of salvation indicates in time the two different predicaments of the
situation which is a bar to the purpose of Eternity. The Devotional process is
quite independent of the two systems of fruitseekers or enjoyers and abnegators
or avoiders of self-destructive enjoyment. Readers will no doubt secure the
true rationalistic view from the writings of this author. Pure devotional
aptitude need not wait for any help from the two other tracks but is quite
independent of them. Devotion can only be carried out when the unalloyed
position of the soul is determined. Such function should have no component of
two other foreign garments which have more or less enshrouded the unalloyed
soul in the two planes of association and dissociation with temporal things.
The devotional functions of the unalloyed soul need not be observed by placing
patches of clouds which are adaptable for the limited plane, eclipsing the true
aspects of the true eternal plane of devotion.
The Absolute Knowledge should not bear any
reference of deviation and whenever there is the different views we find that
the different aspects deprive us of the exact entity of the thing by our
polytheistic views of the one thing. The Absolute Truth is ever ready to
welcome the different approaches of the atomic parts of the Unalloyed Absolute.
But when those atomic parts are mixed up with foreign views they need not be
dove-tailed with the Absolute like unalloyed entities associated with the
Unalloyed Absolute. The distorted demeanour of the mind cannot approach the
Unalloyed Absolute by the easy-going mandate of receiving all sorts of services
that may be rendered to the One; but that One need not have a disfigured entity
which is far off His original Beautiful and Sublime Existence. If the Object of
our approaching be considered to be contaminated with evil associations
inviting our nefarious aptitude of enjoyment, we cannot expect to include
ourselves to submit to His Wishes.
First of all, the Object need not be
tampered in any way by our whimsical mood and our determination of self need
not accompany any anthropomorphic deformities which have no bearing in Him. The
different relations we experience in society should be carefully watched in the
case of associating ourselves with the Eternal Absolute. We need not carry the
defects and unpleasant pains along with us when we trace out our eternal
relations with Him. The Absolute Knowledge need not undergo the variegated form
of the enjoyable articles, sentient and insentient we meet here. But we are to
approach Him with our serving mood for His Eternal Enjoyment. We must not be
thinking of eliminating all foreign attributions in us unless we mean to please
Him by considering ourselves to be exactly suiting to His purpose which may not
be proving to create His annoyance as we experience on this painful plane here.
A close reading of the accounts of Sree Krishna-Chaitanya will certainly lead
us to the Manifestation of the Absolute in proper order.
If we have a sincere heart to associate
ourselves with the Absolute, we must not be considering Him to be our Servitor
but we should pose ourselves in the position of a servitor to suit one of His
relationships. Our entities will then be different ingredients of the
service-holders of the Absolute. But as we are in the habit of securing
enjoyments as lords, we have got a quite different determination of self as to
lord it over other existences besides our own. In order to set right this
awkward taste, we should approach a true serving friend who can regulate our
evil propensities which are the bars of the true functions of the unalloyed
soul. We cannot make profit by the association of the people who are very busy
to culture their wrong habits as enjoyers of this world instead of eliminating
the undesirable inculcations of associating with temporal things. The company
of non-devotees and the counsels of apathetic disposition towards the Absolute
should by all means be avoided. If we fail to get rid of such intoxicants, we
are liable to miss the devotional functions of the unalloyed soul, without
making any progress towards the march for our eternal welfare.
The question of occupation has been
decided by the Personality of the Supreme Lord in the all-time engagement of all
individual souls proper for the Absolute. The occupation of the mind is found
to meddle with temporal objects of phenomena; whereas the parts of the body
have no other suitable position to fit themselves for limited and temporal
purposes. All acts should tend to acquire virtue and happiness. All virtues and
happinesses should lead to sacrifice instead of captivating the soul for
mundane purposes only. All such dissociating mood with worldly sensuous
attainment tends to the occupation of the Absolute and this occupation should
be no other function but go to show the interest of the Absolute. The very
conception of the external structure and the internal existence, which is also
considered as a subtle garment, must not forfeit the interest of the Principal
who is known to own these two environments. The interest of the Principal,
‘soul’, should have no ephemeral acquisition like the consumption of the mind
and the body. Altruism may prove to suffice for the higher aims of soul; but
such deluding features should not bar the progress of the soul in any way. The
body and the mind are shifting agents which, though at present incorporated
with the soul, tend to the temporary aggrandisement of the incorporated
changeable parts. So attention should be drawn to the interest of the soul
proper whose functions should not at all be crippled by the seeming necessaries
of the mind and the body revolting against the Eternal Blissful Knowledge,
viz., the Absolute.
Our all-time occupation need not be
confined to the highest reference of mental culture in pure and simple
altruism, where the reference of the Absolute along with the reference of our
behaviour towards the lower creation is neglected. The inclusion of an indirect
service to an Impersonal God or our charitable disposition to some extent
towards lower animals by tutored sympathising mentality, is optional and not
compulsory.
The Great Absolute should predominate
over the crippled forms of infinitesimal absolutes who may appear at the outset
as illustrations of non-absolute. If the synthetic process of all isolated
entities does not go to One Undeviated Object of the Absolute, it would prove
to be a chaotic emporium of unassimilating differences; so our mentalities
require rectification to arrange their order in a particular line. One of our
friendly co-sharers should come forward to explain before us the nature of the
course that should be adopted for our methodic comprehension of the
irregularities in one line. This unparalleled mercy of the One Friend and His
associates is to regulate the disorderly conduct of the body and the mind. The
rhetorical principle of the predominating and predominated functions in their
bases of activities could give us the result of one of the four ingredients
that follow when we are relieved of the worldly deformed conceptions in the
pure spontaneity of a defined nature of eternal relationship that exists
between the Absolute and the significatory aspects of the internal parts of the
Absolute.
Whenever the specification of the
Predominator is prominent, we necessarily find the reciprocal predominated
aspects, which may prove to be more than One, as distinguished from the case of
the Predominator. The Predominating Agent has a singular significance over the
multifarious predominated. This portion of the analysis of the Transcendental
Integer has become the most conspicuous explanation offered to mankind by any
of the guiding leaders to bring us towards the Transcendence. Earnest readers
will no doubt find this unique explanation offered by the writer in the line of
instructions received by him from the Transcendental Hero, Whose Career and
accounts have been portrayed in this book.
The peculiar feature noticed in men apart
from the lower creation is this that the former can exchange thoughts and have
the superiority of utilising their experience through the recollections from
history and acquired branches of knowledge. They can show their felicitous mood
in listening to Scriptures also. So a comparative student can easily demarcate
the line of the best and full apart from transitory experiences of this world.
The question of Eternity, Full Knowledge and Bliss cannot be dealt by other
agencies of life-save man; so man need not neglect the position of the Absolute
in the Ever-existence, in Full Knowledge void of all sorts of ignorance and
ills that flesh is heir to, and Beatific Constancy of the Fountain-head. The
solution of human life should tend towards the approach of the Absolute Who is
always courting us to offer His help towards the fulfillment of the inadequate
specialty we have in us. And in order to gain an approach we should require the
guidance of an individual in whom we can place our reliance, instead of being
credulous with the strugglers of this world.
The Supreme Lord has left in this world a
band of His followers who are always helpful to mankind instead of deluding the
intellectuals to turn themselves idealists and evil-doers with an apparent
phase of seekers of their welfare. The author will no doubt be gratified if any
of the readers can see his way to scrutinise the Subject of the Transcendence
in Whom we are all vitally interested by sparing his valuable time to go
through this book.
Before concluding this Foreword, I would
like to introduce to the respected readers the aspiring attitude of
enlightening his readers on the Transcendental Entity of Sree Krishna as well as His Phase of Instructor in Sree
Krishna-Chaitanya in the following points, with references to the context.
(N.B.—All the references are to chapter and
verse of the .tenth skandha of Srimad Bhagavatam).
by the sacred lore (71/30).
SREE
KRISHNA-CHAITANYA MATH,
BRINDABAN,
CAMP:OFFICE OF' THE CIRCUMAMBULATION
SIDDHANTA SARASWATI
OF THE CIRCLE OF BRAJA,
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