Krišna-bhakti: mūsų egzistencijos galutinis tikslas

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Kas yra bhakti?

Apie bhakti mums papasakojo bei aprašė Gaudija vaišnavų dvasinių mokytojų seka, ateinanti iš dvasinio pasaulio, prasidedanti nuo Viešpaties Krišnos. Viskas, ką parašysiu, sužinota iš jų.

Bhakti tai mūsų ryšys su Aukščiausiąja Realybe, Aukščiausiuoju Asmeniu.

Dabar mes esame Aukščiausios Realybės išorinėje energijoje, materialiuose pasauliuose, kuriuose pilna problemų, kur mus kankina laikinumas, ligos, senatvė, mirtis, įvairios kančios, kurias kelia mūsų protas bei kūnas, kitos gyvos esybės ir gamtos stichijos.

Aukščiausioji Realybė turi kitą energiją - vidinę dvasinę energiją, kuri yra apreiškusi amžinus dvasinius pasaulius. Pagal savo prigimtį, mes esame tos vidinės dvasinės energijos dalelytės, mūsų tikrieji namai yra amžinieji dvasiniai pasauliai, Aukščiausiojo Asmens buveinė.

Aukščiausioji Realybė yra asmeniška ir vieninga. Tai asmeniška dvasinė absoliuti būtis, kuri išsiskleidė į daugybę formų, asmenų. Centrinė ir pirmapradė Aukščiausios Realybės asmenybė yra Krišna. Viskas kyla iš Krišnos, viskas yra arba Jis, arba Jo pilni bei daliniai skleidiniai, arba Jo energijos, arba Jo energijų dalelytės. Krišna yra būties centras ir šaltinis, Aukščiausioji Realybė viename Asmenyje.

Kaip galime nujausti ir suprasti, Krišna yra pats nuostabiausias, gražiausias, meiliausias asmuo visoje būtyje. Iš ko tai suprasti? Kadangi Jis yra visko šaltinis. Viskas ir bet kas, ką mes patiriame, ko mes siekiame, kas mus žavi, ką mylime, kyla iš Krišnos. Jis visų tobulybių ir idealų šaltinis, aukščiausia tobulybė ir idealas, tobuliausia absoliučioji pirmapradė realybė. Vadinasi, Jam būdingas absoliutus grožis, absoliuti jėga, absoliutus turtingumas, absoliutus žinomumas, absoliuti nepriklausomybė. Taip pat, absoliuti, pati gražiausia meilė, pats gražiausias pavidalas, patys meiliausi ir žaismingiausi santykiai. Viskas vyksta pagal Jo valią, pagal Jo norus. Viskas, kas egzistuoja, yra Jo žaidimai. Šitas pasaulis yra Jo žaidimas, dvasinis pasaulis irgi yra Jo žaidimas.

Mūsų buvimo šitos išorinės energijos apreikštuose pasauliuose vykstančiame Krišnos žaidime tikslas yra pereiti į dvasinio pasaulio Krišnos žaidimą. Dalyvavimas šiame išoriniame Krišnos žaidime yra laikinas, galiausiai mes turime patekti į amžinuosius Krišnos žaidimus. Kaip Krišnos vidinės energijos amžinos dalelytės, dvasinės sielos, pagal savo sandarą ir prigimtį esame mylintys/mylinčios Krišną. Tokia mūsų sielų natūrali dvasinė funkcija, plaukianti iš sielos dvasinės sandaros. Kaip vandens savybė yra skystumas, taip sielos savybė yra dvasinė meilė Krišnai. Mylėti Krišną reiškia būti dvasine asmenybe ir bendrauti ir dalyvauti Krišnos žaidimuose taip, kad Jis būtų laimingas, siekiant Jo džiaugsmo. Kai Krišna laimingas, tada visos Jo energijų dalelytės irgi patiria laimę, nes Aukščiausioji Realybė yra absoliuti, vieninga, nepadalinta. Tokiu būdu, bhakti - mylintis bendravimas su Krišna - padaro mus laimingus. Tokia yra giliausia ir aukščiausia egzistencijos forma, tikrasis gyvenimas, galutinis mūsų egzistencijos tikslas, link kurio išsipildymo mes judame, būdami šiame išoriniame Krišnos žaidime, suprasdami tai, arba nesuprasdami.

Sukdamiesi materialiuose pasauliuose, keisdami kūnus, gyvendami daugybę gyvenimų, mes daugybę kartų sutinkame Krišną ir Jo skleidinius, įvairias Jo formas, tokiu būdu turime šansą aktualizuoti mūsų sielų dvasinę prigimtį, aktualizuoti mūsų ryšį su Krišna. Dabar mes neprisimename kad tokių kontaktų būta praeituose gyvenimuose, bet šiame gyvenime mes vėl gavome šansą kontaktuoti su Krišna ir kitomis Krišnos formomis. Štai ką mes iš tikrųjų veikiame materialiame pasaulyje - mes gyvenime šiuos gyvenimus tarsi sau, bet tikroji jų prasmė yra kontaktai su Krišna, kurie galiausiai mus pašauks į bhakti kaip tikslo suvokimą, ir tada to tikslo siekimą ir išsipildymą. Taip mes atrasime amžinąją laimę, amžinąją tobulybę, nukeliausime į galutinį mūsų kelionės tikslą.

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Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi, an 18th-century renowned classical Carnatic music composer, composed the highly popular Tamil devotional song "Maadu Meikkum Kanne Nee". Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi (1700 - 1765) was a Carnatic composer of songs and a poet. He is one of the greatest Carnatic composers of all time. He was a great composer who created beautiful melodies with a deep love for Krishna. Carnatic musicians all over the world still sing many of his songs today.

This song is constructed in the style of a discussion between Lord Krishna and his mother, Yashoda, in which Yashodha asks Krishna not to go  to cow herding with his friends. In response, little Krishna convinced his mom and asked her not to stop him. This track is enhanced by an amusing debate between a son and his worried mother.

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Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura:

Krishna's childhood pastimes in Goloka, His expansions as Vasudeva and Sankarshana in the spiritual planets, the functions of Vishnu-Puruṣa incarnations, the uncommon appearances as Matsya (Fish) or Kurma (Tortoise), incarnations at different ages, the incarnations in the different modes like Lord Śiva and Brahma, the empowered incarnations like King Pṛthu and Vyāsadeva, The Qualified Supersoul in the heart of all, the formless Brahman or effulgence are all His variegated pastimes. In comparison of the Supreme Lord's infinite pastimes, manifesting as above, the most superior is His conjugal loving mellows with the cowherd damsels of Vraja. The form of Krishna is very human-like. He is young in complexion and dresses like a cowherd boy. He, with flute in His hand, is expert in song and gait. The forms of His in His different pastimes in the material world is not mortal, neither is it limited or divided in any way, nor can it be covered by material nature in the slightest. The Deities in the mode of Absolute Goodness (paravyoma) does not have any control over this incredible internal potency of His (yogamāyā), which is under the sole jurisdiction of the Supreme Lord alone. The Lord has appeared from His spiritual abode with His extraordinary form worshipped by His devotees, also demonstrating at the same time the amazing power of His Yoga-māyā potency. Lord Krishna is the original Supreme Lord, He enacts His most nectarine pastimes as the Supreme Absolute Truth. All expansions emanate from Him. He is the final repose and controller of all beings. He presents Himself as a young cowherd boy and the son of Nanda Mahārāja, King of Vraja. He is eternally performing blissful pastimes in Vrindāvana, which is non-different from the original Goloka.

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Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī, "Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta":

The spiritual nature of the Lord's incarnations is described in the Varāha Purāṇa:

na tasya prākṛtā mūrtir māṁsa-medo-sthi-sambhavā
na yogitvād īśvaratvāt satya-rūpo 'cyuto vibhuḥ

"The Lord's form is not material. It is not made of flesh, fat, and bones. Because He is neither a yogī nor a demigod, the infallible Supreme Lord has an eternal spiritual form."

The Mahā-varāha Purāṇa explains:

sarve nityāḥ śāśvatāś ca dehās tasya parātmanaḥ
hānopadāna-rahitā naiva prakrtijā kvacit

"The transcendental forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are eternal and imperishable. They were not created at a certain point, and they are never to be destroyed. They are not products of the material energy.

paramānanda-sandohā jñāna-mātrāś ca sarvataḥ
sarve sarva-guṇāh pūrṇāḥ sarva-doṣa-vivarjitāḥ

"All the forms of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are completely filled with transcendental bliss, knowledge, and all auspicious qualities. These spiritual forms of the Lord are free from all material defects.

anyūnānadhikāś caiva guṇaiḥ sarvaiś ca sarvataḥ
dehi-deha-bhidā cātra neśvare vidyate kvacit

"They do not lack anything. Nothing is greater than they. They have all transcendental virtues. For the Supreme Personality of Godhead there is no difference between Himself and His form."

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Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Maharaja:

The first principle of any living entity is to remain alive; that is the first principle, that should be the starting point. In Bṛhad Āraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.3.28, we will find asato mā sad gamaya, tamaso mā jyotir gamaya, mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya. This should be the primary tendency of our quest. What are these three phases? Asato mā sad gamaya: I am transient and I am impermanent; make me eternal. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya: I am ignorant, in nescience; take me from ignorance to knowledge, from darkness unto light. Mṛtyor ma amṛtaṁ gamaya: I am in this mortal world, I am unhappy, unsatisfied; take me to the plane of ānandaṁ, enjoyment. From sorrow, misery, guide me to a fit life there.

This advice from the revealed scriptures is meant for all of us. Śṛṇvantu viśve amṛtasya putrāḥ. "Oh, you sons of nectar, please listen. You are born for amṛta, you were born to taste nectar. And you must not be satisfied with anything but amṛta. Awake, arise! Search for amṛtaṁ, that nectar, that satisfaction. Oṁ! A big Yes! Yes! What you seek, it exists! Don't be disappointed! The revealed scriptures say that it exists. Your thirst will be quenched. You are meant for this by nature; you deserve it. Don't be afraid. Don't be cowed down. In your real being, it is already given, it is there. You can never be satisfied anywhere else. Prepare yourself to receive the result of your long search, the long missing amṛtaṁ in the full form, in full quality. We should have no other business, no other engagement, but kṛṣṇānusandhāna."

We may have a taste of that divine life only in that plane of nectar. That we may live in the waves of that ocean of love is the highest objective of our lives.
    In that divine realm our individual personalities can be maintained. It is not necessary that if we dive deep into the plane of consciousness, we must lose our own personality, our own individuality. It is not necessary at all. And yet the nature of divine love, is that you are still living, but you are living on His behalf, wholesale converted into His service. It is a wonderful thing: you can keep your personality for the interest of Krsna. But you must have no selfish motive, no conception of separate interest. Merging there is not physical, mortal merging, not merging of the losing variety, but the kind of merging spoken of in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.29.34):

martyo yadā tyakta-samasta-karmā
niveditātmā vicikīrṣito me
tadāmṛtatvaṁ pratipadyamāno
mayātma-bhūyāya ca kalpate vai

"One who is subjected to birth and death attains immortality when he gives up all material activities, dedicates his life to the execution of My order, and acts according to My directions. In this way, he becomes fit to enjoy the spiritual bliss derived from exchanging loving mellows with Me."

And in Bhagavad-gita (18.55) Krsna says:

bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ
tato māṁ tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram

"Only through love and devotion can I be understood as I am. Thereafter, fully understanding Me, you can merge into My entourage."
This "merging" is explained by Krsna: "They enter into Me to become a person in My family. Among the circles of My friends, he enters: visate tad anantaram. He becomes as if My own. That means that without losing your personality you can be fully My own." To enter into the Lord's family is a living merging, not a physical or dead merging into Brahman, spirit. That is the result of prema, divine love.
    That ideal is above the general conception of merging into the oneness of Brahman, where one loses oneself in the ocean of consciousness as if in a sound sleep. We are not interested in that. Rather, through Krsna consciousness, we become lost swimming in the ocean of sweetness. This has been accepted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

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Srimad Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana) 1.6.33

pragāyataḥ sva-vīryāṇi tīrtha-pādaḥ priya-śravāḥ
āhūta iva me śīghraṁ darśanaṁ yāti cetasi

The Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose glories and activities are pleasing to hear, at once appears on the seat of my heart, as if called for, as soon as I begin to chant His holy activities.

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Prabhupada

The Absolute Personality of Godhead is not different from His transcendental name, form, pastimes and the sound vibrations thereof. As soon as a pure devotee engages himself in the pure devotional service of hearing, chanting and remembering the name, fame and activities of the Lord, at once He becomes visible to the transcendental eyes of the pure devotee by reflecting Himself on the mirror of the heart by spiritual television. Therefore a pure devotee who is related with the Lord in loving transcendental service can experience the presence of the Lord at every moment. It is a natural psychology in every individual case that a person likes to hear and enjoy his personal glories enumerated by others. That is a natural instinct, and the Lord, being also an individual personality like others, is not an exception to this psychology because psychological characteristics visible in the individual souls are but reflections of the same psychology in the Absolute Lord. The only difference is that the Lord is the greatest personality of all and absolute in all His affairs. If, therefore, the Lord is attracted by the pure devotee's chanting of His glories, there is nothing astonishing. Since He is absolute, He can appear Himself in the picture of His glorification, the two things being identical. Śrīla Nārada chants the glorification of the Lord not for his personal benefit but because the glorifications are identical with the Lord. Nārada Muni penetrates into the presence of the Lord by the transcendental chanting.

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yadi dāsyasi me kāmān
varāṁs tvaṁ varadarṣabha
kāmānāṁ hṛdy asaṁrohaṁ
bhavatas tu vṛṇe varam

yadi -- if; dāsyasi -- want to give; me -- me; kāmān -- anything desirable; varān -- as Your benediction; tvam -- You; varada-ṛṣabha -- O Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can give any benediction; kāmānām -- of all desires for material happiness; hṛdi -- within the core of my heart; asaṁroham -- no growth; bhavataḥ -- from You; tu -- then; vṛṇe -- I pray for; varam -- such a benediction.

"O my Lord, best of the givers of benediction, if You at all want to bestow a desirable benediction upon me, then I pray from Your Lordship that within the core of my heart there be no material desires." (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.10.7)

Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami: Offer this prayer, and if the Lord grants this boon then material desires will be gone. This is the prayer that all should offer. We have so many lusty desires. Who will root them out? So every one should offer prayers at the lotus feet of the Lord from the core of their heart. "If You want to give me a boon, please take away all lusty desire so that never at any time, in any condition, under any circumstance material desires will crop up in my heart." When Nṛsiṁhadeva was ready to give him any boon he desired, Prahlāda Mahārāja asked for this boon. (From a lecture on the Appearance Day of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva by Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami 14 May 1995 Bhubaneswar)

"...In the Nrsimha Purana it is mentioned that Prahlada Maharaja asked Nrsimhadeva how he could develop bhakti towards Him. In answer Nrsimhadeva said: 'In ancient days, in Avanti, there was a brahmana named Vasu Sharma, a pandita. He knew Veda very well. He had a devoted and chaste wife named Sushila who was endowed with all good qualities. She was celebrated for her devotion towards her husband. Vasu Sharma and Sushila gave birth to five sons. Four sons were naturally well behaved, learned, and obedient to their father, but the youngest son named Vasudeva, was an exception.' Nrsimhadeva pointed to Prahlada, 'Your name was Vasudeva. You had a bad character and were addicted to associating with prostitutes. One day you quarrelled and fought with a prostitute. That day and night both of you fasted because of this quarrelling and fighting. Fortunately, the day that you both fasted was My appearance day. Therefore both of you received the auspicious result of fasting on My appearance day. You were born as the son of Hiranyakasipu, My dear devotee Prahlada, and that prostitute took birth as a heavenly prostitute, an apsara, an angel in a heavenly planet, and she obtained so much material enjoyment there. After that she became My devotee, and now, you are a very dear devotee of Mine also, though born in a demoniac family. Observing My vrata, Brahma is endowed with creative potency. Brahma observes this vrata, Nrsimha-Caturdasi-Vrata, and Siva also observes this vrata. Observing this vrata, on My appearance day, Sivaji obtained such strength and potency that he was able to kill the demon Tripurasura. Those who observe My vrata on My appearance day, whatever desire they have, if they present it to Me, I immediately grant it to them.'..." (From a lecture by Śrīla Gour Govinda Swami, Bhubaneswar, 14 May 1995)

Šiandien ta diena, kai galima gauti šiuos palaiminimus.

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Ar mes galim pamatyti Krišną?

Galim. Krišna yra visagalis, ir gali bet kurią akimirką mums pasirodyti. Visas klausimas tame, ar Jis to nori, ir ar mes tam pasiruošę.

Mūsų situacija tokia, kad mes nusigręžėme nuo Krišnos ir pasinėrėme į Jo išorinę energiją. Tas nusigręžimas trunka nuo neatmenamų laikų, tūkstančius gyvenimų. Jo pradžia yra virš materialaus laiko. Taigi, kad pamatyti Krišną, mums reikia atgręžti dėmesį atgal į Krišną. Tai ilgalaikis laipsniškas procesas. Pradžioje, dėmesys sutelkiamas į Krišnos vardą. Kai Krišnos vardo dvasinės galios veikiama siela apsivalo nuo materialių norų ir prisirišimų, kai jos širdis tampa švari, tada ji tampa pasiruošusi išvysti Krišną.

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Written by Shri Vyasarajaru, sung in the traditional tune by Venugopal Khatavkar

kr̥ṣṇa kr̥ṣṇa kr̥ṣṇa ẏeṁdu mūru bāri neneẏiro
saṁtuṣṭa nāgi mukuti koṭṭu mikka bhāra horuvanō ||

Sri Vyasarajaru says that if one says "Krishna" three times, then Lord will be pleased with him and will shower his grace on him.
But one may say it three times and we have the experience that no such thing happens. This has to be understood more deeply. Here "muru bari" means in the three states of Jagara, Swapna and Suhupthi one should have his smarana continuously. That is possible only when one is in the state of Samadhi. So remembering Krishna in all the three states that are possible for the jiva in samsara is the goal for a bhakti yogya jiva. If one were able to accomplish this then the Lord's grace is sure to encompass such a person and he can rest assured that the Lord will grant him bhakti and burn off his sanchita and agami karmas. The heavy weight that accompanies the jiva is the weight of his karma over past lives. This weight will be unburdened by the Lord when the soul is eligible for his grace. Sir Vyasarajaru says 'mikka bAra' means the remaining karma which has not come into play. The karma which is not in the accumulated parcel but has been approved for the jiva's experience is called as prarabdha. This has to be endured even if it takes more than a life time, but Sri Vyasarajaru gives the assurance that the jeeva will be relieved of the  responsibility for the baggage of karma in store.

sakala vēda śāstra paṭhisi sāravannu tiḷidarēnu
makara kuṁḍala dharana nāmake sāṭṭiẏillavo ||1||

Study of the Vedas, Shastras is done in order to learn about the glories of the Lord. If one has studied the vedas and shastras and found out the essence of them, but does not implement what he has learnt or if he does not experience what he has learnt then his learning is not equivalent to one who can call out the names of the Lord with the understanding that the names of the Lord are to glorify Him and not just to call Him. A devotee who can experience the glory of the Lord by chanting His name is the ideal devotee.


kamala nābhana cinheẏannu dharisi koṁḍu mereẏiro
ẏamana bhaṭaru nōḍi aṁji aḍavi hoguvarō ||2||


He suggests that one should have those adornments on the body that show that he is a Hari-bhakta. Looking towards the spiritual side: Sri Vyasarajaru may want to convey that a person who has done the worship of the Lord as Kamalanabha is one who's mind is unadhered to any attachment of the world even though existing in it. "Kamalanabha" is the Lord with the lotus in his navel. Such a person will not be born again, and will not be chased by the servants of Yama. It means such a person will reach his higher goal of bhakti.

janma vetti madhva matava anusarisi naḍeẏiro
summānadi śrī kr̥ṣṇa tanna lōka koḍuvanō ||3||

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Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura:

Sri Sri Caitanya Siksamrta
The Nectarean Instructions Of Lord Caitanya


Chapter One
Part One

Obeisances to their Lordships Radha and Krsna.

There are countless philosophies, which [although attempting to reach the truth] are all incomplete and mutually conflicting, due to their origin in bewilderment. All these philosophies find their perfection in Krsna bhakti. I begin this book by offering my respects to Sri Krsna Caitanya, the bestower of Krsna bhakti. 

There are three objects in this universe: the Lord, conscious entities and matter. Matter is that substance without volition; for example, earth, rock, water, fire, air, ether, house, forest, grain, cloth or a body. Men, animals, insects, reptiles are living entities, as they have the power to discern and desire.  Of these, man has the greatest power of discernment. For this reason some people call man the master of all living and non-living entities. The Lord is the creator of all living and non-living entities. Since he does not have a material body, we cannot see him. He is the perfect, the complete form of pure consciousness.  He is our creator, protector and controller. By His will, we prosper; by His will, we meet with destruction.  In His personal form, He is master of Vaikuntha. He is the Lord of all lords. By His command, all the universes move.

As the Lord does not have the gross form of material objects, we cannot perceive Him with our senses. In this sense, He is called formless in the Vedas. However, as all objects have their own form, the Lord also has His form. Only material objects have material form. Conscious living entities have a conscious or spiritual form (cetana svarupa). Human beings, though spiritual entities, additionally have a material body. Thus our spiritual form has become hidden within the material form.

The Lord is pure consciousness or spirit. That is, he has no form except His spiritual form. This spiritual form is His body. We can see this form only with our pure, spiritual eyes. We cannot see it with material eyes.

Many unfortunate people do not believe in God, for their eye of knowledge is closed. Because they cannot see the Lord's form with their material eyes, they say He does not exist.  Just as blind men cannot understand the nature of sunlight, atheists cannot believe in the existence of God.  Though all men, by their very nature, believe in God, if they learn duplicitous logic through bad association from childhood, they gradually become overcome by that bad influence and disbelieve in the Lord's existence. That of course is their loss; it is no loss for the Lord.

One should not think that Vaikuntha is material place. Madras, Bombay, Benares, Calcutta, London, and Paris are examples of material places. To go to those places, one must traverse a great expanse of earth and many countries. Even if one travels by railway or ship, it may take a long time. The material body must be moved. Vaikuntha is not such a place; it has a different nature, transcending the material universes. It is conscious, eternal and faultless. It is not perceived by the eye, nor conceived of by the mind. The Supreme Lord resides in this inconceivable place. If a person is able to please the Lord, he can go there and serve the Lord eternally.

What is called happiness in this world is not eternal; it remains for a short time, and then disappears. Everything of this world is filled with suffering. Birth itself is difficult, a cause for sorrow.  After birth, we must nourish the body with food. If we have no food, we suffer. There is always some sort of affliction, such as excessive heat or cold.  To rid ourselves of the suffering we have to undergo bodily suffering to earn money. If we do not build a house we do not have a place to stay. On getting married, we have to raise children.  When old age finally approaches, it seems we are left with nothing. Throughout life, we suffer through argument and disagreement with others. There is no such thing as pure happiness in this world. Therefore people accept that happiness is the momentary cessation of grief or want. However, it is very difficult  to live in such a world. If one attains the Lord's abode, he does not experience temporary happiness and distress, but rather attains unlimited and eternal joy. To this end, we must try to satisfy the Lord.

Man's highest benefit starts when he begins to satisfy the Lord. But man begins this practice only after pure knowledge appears within him. Unfortunately, most people think that they can enjoy the world now and worship the Lord in old age. That, however, is unacceptable, for time is a precious thing. We should begin to practice from the very day that we see its urgency.

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The main reason why to be interested in the revelation which was received in India:

Srimad Bhagavad-gita 7.7

मत्त: परतरं नान्यत्किञ्चिदस्ति धनञ्जय ।
मयि सर्वमिदं प्रोतं सूत्रे मणिगणा इव ॥ ७ ॥

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañ-jaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

Synonyms

mattaḥ -- beyond Me; para-taram -- superior; na -- not; anyat kiñcit -- anything else; asti -- there is; dhanam-jaya -- O conqueror of wealth; mayi -- in Me; sarvam -- all that be; idam -- which we see; protam -- is strung; sūtre -- on a thread; maṇi-gaṇāḥ -- pearls; iva -- like.

Translation

O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.

From this statement it follows, that the highest reality revealed Himself in India. We may believe it or not, but this is confirmed by all the great spiritualists of India through thousands of years. It's quite probable, that they know more than us, and they know what they are talking about.

Srimad Bhagavad-gita 15.7

ममैवांशो जीवलोके जीवभूत: सनातन: ।
मन:षष्ठानीन्द्रियाणि प्रकृतिस्थानि कर्षति ॥ ७ ॥

mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ
manaḥ-ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati

Synonyms

mama -- My; eva -- certainly; aṁśaḥ -- fragmental particle; jīva-loke -- in the world of conditional life; jīva-bhūtaḥ -- the conditioned living entity; sanātanaḥ -- eternal; manaḥ -- with the mind; ṣaṣṭhāni -- the six; indriyāṇi -- senses; prakṛti -- in material nature; sthāni -- situated; karṣati -- is struggling hard.

Translation

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

And we are particles of that highest reality. We belong there. So, by coming in contact with this revelation, we find the open opportunity for ourselves to gradually attain our eternal perfect state of existence.

[a.t.sielis]

Krišna yra dvasinis, Jo vardas, žaidimai, žaidimų dalyviai, Jo buveinė yra dvasiniai, visa tai sudaryta iš dvasinės energijos, ne iš materialios energijos (materialioji energija yra Krišnos išorinė žemesnioji energija, dvasinė energija yra Krišnos vidinė aukščiausioji energija). Krišna ir Jo žaidimai nėra materialios gamtos dėsnių pavaldume:

Listening to the advice of Nārada, while Dvaipāyana Ṛṣi (Vyāsa) was completely absorbed in the single and natural deep meditation of the soul, he fully and clearly saw the name, form, attributes and pastimes of the Supreme Person. He also saw māyā, the shadow of para-śakti, as having no other shelter than the Absolute Truth, and understood the anarthas of jīvas, the atomic cit-tattvas, who are engrossed, fascinated and enslaved by māyā. Further realizing that such jīvas can come to perceive their own personal forms if absorbed in a profoundly meditative bhakti-yoga, he compiled the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, which describes the spiritual pastimes of Bhagavān.

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, "Harinama Cintamani", Ch. Nāma-bhajana

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is above the material energy and is engaged in spiritual pastimes.

SB 7.3.34 commentary by Srila Prabhupada

God has a form, but not a material form like ours. His form is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha [Bs. 5.1], a spiritual form full of eternity, bliss, and knowledge. Anyone who understands the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa's form achieves perfection. This Kṛṣṇa confirms in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.9):

janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so 'rjuna

"When I come, I do not accept a material body; My birth and activities are completely spiritual. And anyone who perfectly understands this is liberated." When Kṛṣṇa displayed Himself as the perfect child before Mother Yaśodā, He would break everything when she did not supply Him with butter -- as if He were in need of butter! So God can display Himself exactly like an ordinary human being, yet He remains the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Srila Prabhupada, "Second Chance" Ch. 2: In Imitation Of the Original

[a.t.sielis]

From Srila Bhaktiraksaka Sridhara Maharaja's, "Golden Volcano of Divine Love":

On the other hand, the great devotee-scholar Ramanujacarya, as well as other Vaisnava acaryas, are of the opinion that there is a fourth stage beyond this. That plane is called adhoksaja, transcendental, or that which exists beyond the scope of the senses, whether gross or subtle. It is a plane that we can experience only when, by its sweet will, it comes down to our gross plane of understanding. If it withdraws, we are helpless; we can't find it. We cannot say that the Absolute Truth is under the control of our knowledge. We can't measure it like that. It is independent. By its sweet will it may come down and we may experience that higher realm, but if it withdraws, we are quite helpless; we can do nothing. We may cry or we may pray, but we can't enter there forcibly by dint of our own power. This is the fourth plane of consciousness, and it is grand, all-powerful, and all-inspiring. Only if it reveals itself to us can we have some experience of that plane known as Vaikuntha, the unlimited spiritual region of awe and power.

That is the adhoksaja plane So, there is pratyaksa direct experience through sense perception, then paroksa, learning through the experience of others, then aparoksa, the negative plane of indistinct consciousness, and then the fourth dimension: adhoksaja. We are underground. Real knowledge is above, on the surface, beyond our experience. If we can pierce through the thick coverings walling up our experience, we can come in connection with another plane of consciousness: that is adhoksaja. Ahoksajam indnyam jnanam: adhoksaja means the superior knowledge which can force down our knowledge of the experience of this world. That transcendental, supramental knowledge is the fourth stage of knowledge. That plane is different in every way. It is not Similar to this world.

But through Srimad-Bhagavatam and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we come to know that there is a fifth stage of knowledge which is very similar to this mundane world, yet is not mundane. It is called aprakrta. That is Goloka, the full-fledged theistic conception which is only found in Krsna's domain. Central knowledge of the absolute must have a connection with even the lowest level of mundane creation; it must be able to harmonize the worst portion of the illusory world. This is known as aprakrta, supramundane. To enter that highest realm is possible only through divine love.

[a.t.sielis]

Ar krišnaitai yra sekta?

Sprendžiamas ne tas klausimas. Visų pirma, reikia klausti: "Ar Krišna yra Aukščiausiasis Asmuo, Aukščiausioji Realybė?" Jeigu Krišna yra tikras, realus, jeigu Krišna yra Aukščiausioji Realybė, ir tuo galima įsitikinti per tam tikrą dvasinį tos realybės atsiskleidimą mūsų širdyje, tada patyrus tokį Krišnos atsiskleidimą, viskas atrodys kitaip. Tada pasirodys, kad tie, kas garbina Krišną eina iš principo teisingu keliu. Tada išlieka tik ėjimo tuo keliu autentiškumo klausimas: ar jie eina tuo keliu taip, kaip nurodo ir vadovauja Krišna, šventieji raštai, dvasinių mokytojų seka, ar atvirkščiai, daro kažką ne taip. Toks yra tikrasis kriterijus.

Jeigu asmenys eina dvasiniu keliu link savo amžinosios prigimties ryšyje su Aukščiausiąja Realybe, pagal jos nurodymus, tada nėra ko prikišti. Ir atvirkščiai, jeigu jie nukryptų nuo Krišnos, šventųjų raštų, dvasinių mokytojų sekos nurodymų, tada tai tampa ne tikruoju keliu, ir kuria problemas tiek dvasiniu, tiek socialiniu aspektu.

Bet kuriuo atveju, pirma reikia spręsti svarbiausius klausimus: Kas yra Krišna? Ar Krišna yra Aukščiausiasis? Kuo grindžiamas tikėjimas, kad Krišna yra Aukščiausiasis? Kaip man pačiam patirti Krišnos realybę?

Koks man skirtumas, ar kas nors yra sektantai ar nėra sektantai? Pasaulyje pilna visokiausių žmonių. Man svarbu atrasti Aukščiausią Realybę ir užmegzti su ja ryšį. Žmogui rūpi arba Tiesa, Realybė, arba visokie antraeilės reikšmės dalykai. Iš antraeilių smulkmenų nieko nelaimėsim, tiesiog užklimpsim jose, ir tai mums trukdys atrasti Realybę. Jeigu žmogui atrodo, kad kokia nors tikinčiųjų grupė yra sektantai, Krišna neverčia jungtis prie tokios grupės. Krišna pats man parodys, kurie Jo garbintojai yra ne sektantai, o natūralūs ir autentiški Jo pasekėjai.