The Quest for Enlightenment: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:42, 16 April 2017

1. The Quest for Enlightenment

2. Matter, Spirit, and the Controller of Both

3. The Spiritual Master

4. Yoga and Meditation for the Age of Quarrel

5. Spiritual Solutions to Material Problems

6. Discussions on Western Philosophy and Science

7. Love of God, the Ultimate Goal

8. An Introduction to ISKCON and Devotee Lifestyle

Articles from Back to Godhead magazine

Introduction

Many people are reacting to today's high-pressure, fast-paced life by "downshifting." They accept lower incomes to pursue their special interests or to live with less stress in more natural surroundings. Often they will devote more time and energy to spiritual pursuits. Instead of vacationing in Disneyland, they explore the mysteries of Stonehenge, Egypt's pyramids, or the temples of the Maya in southern Mexico. They find more inspiration and illumination in the teachings of lost civilizations than in the offerings of our modern consumer society. Surveys of students routinely report an increasing interest in spiritual fulfillment.

This is a healthy trend. The sages of ancient India said, tamasi mā jyolir gams - "Don't stay in darkness, go toward the light." They advised thoughtful people to embark on the quest for enlightenment. The final goal of this quest is not, however, attained by everyone. The Bhagavad-gītā, India's classic book of spirituality, informs us that out of thousands of people who set out on the quest for enlightenment only a few will take to the right path, and of those who find the right path, only the most fortunate will achieve the final goal. Spiritual success requires determination and perseverance.

It also requires understanding the difference between matter and spirit, darkness and light. Today such understanding is rarely found, even among spiritual seekers. The Gītā informs us, "What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage." In his commentary on this passage in his Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (known popularly as Śrīla Prabhupāda) says, "Activities of the introspective sage ... are night for persons materially absorbed. Materialistic persons are asleep in such a night due to their ignorance of self-realization. The introspective sage remains alert in the 'night' of the materialistic men. The sage feels transcendental pleasure in the gradual advancement of spiritual culture, whereas the man in materialistic activities, being asleep to self-realization, dreams of varieties of sense pleasure, feeling sometimes happy and sometimes distressed in his sleeping condition."

In this book, The Quest for Enlightenment, Śrīla Prabhupāda shows us the true path of enlightenment and invites us to traverse this path from the dark night of materialism to the shining daylight of transcendence. Widely recognized by scholars and spiritual leaders as the most distinguished teacher of Indian culture and philosophy in the modern age, Śrīla Prabhupāda is the perfect guide and companion for the journey along the path of enlightenment.

The Quest for Enlightenment is a compilation of Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings, originally published as articles in Back to Godhead, the magazine of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Śrīla Prabhupāda founded this magazine in India in 1944, and since then it has become the world's foremost journal dedicated to the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

The first chapter of this book describes the need to embark on the quest for enlightenment. The second explains what matter is, what spirit is, and who controls them both. In the third chapter we learn about the attributes of the best kind of spiritual master to guide us on our personal quest. The fourth chapter outlines the techniques of yoga and meditation, and the fifth chapter explores spiritual solutions to material problems. In the sixth chapter Śrīla Prabhupāda critiques modern science and philosophy. And in the seventh and final chapter Śrīla Prabhupāda explains love of God, the highest goal for those on the path of transcendence.

The Quest for Enlightenment provides a comprehensive and comprehensible guide to the path of spiritual progress. Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks the truth without compromise. He represents the Vedic tradition faithfully and without personal motivation. And through his unique gift he communicates the most essential Vedic teachings to the modern world, inviting us all to embark on the journey that will take us from darkness to light, from the unreal to the real, from death to immortality.

The Publishers

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+[[File:1997 The Quest for Enlightenment-cover.jpg|thumb|400px|left|alt=The Quest for Enlightenment cover|link=http://vanimedia.org/w/images/f/f4/1997-The_Quest_for_Enlightenment.pdf|<div class="center">'''The Quest for Enlightenment<br />''(click on the picture to read the PDF)'''''</div>]]
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 ====Introduction====
-<p>Sanskrit words have become part of our everyday speech. For example, almost no one would need to crack a dictionary to understand such phrases as "media guru," "political pundit," or "bad karma."</p>
-<p>Another Sanskrit word that has established itself in the mainstream of our language is "dharma." Fans of Beat-generation writer Jack Kerouac might recall his novel Dharma Bums, and in 1997 American television viewers saw the debut of a popular sitcom with a flighty new-age heroine named Dharma.</p>
+Many people are reacting to today's high-pressure, fast-paced life by "downshifting." They accept lower incomes to pursue their special interests or to live with less stress in more natural surroundings. Often they will devote more time and energy to spiritual pursuits. Instead of vacationing in Disneyland, they explore the mysteries of Stonehenge, Egypt's pyramids, or the temples of the Maya in southern Mexico. They find more inspiration and illumination in the teachings of lost civilizations than in the offerings of our modern consumer society. Surveys of students routinely report an increasing interest in spiritual fulfillment.
-<p>But what is dharma, really? If we consult the teachings of the sages of ancient India, we find there are two main meanings—nature and duty.</p>
-<p>Let's first consider nature. Everything has its particular nature, a unique and essential quality that defines its existence. In this sense we can say that the dharma of sugar is its sweetness, or the dharma of water is its ability to quench our thirst with its pure taste. </p>
+This is a healthy trend. The sages of ancient India said, <i>tamasi mā jyolir gams</i> - "Don't stay in darkness, go toward the light." They advised thoughtful people to embark on the quest for enlightenment. The final goal of this quest is not, however, attained by everyone. The <i>Bhagavad-gītā</i>, India's classic book of spirituality, informs us that out of thousands of people who set out on the quest for enlightenment only a few will take to the right path, and of those who find the right path, only the most fortunate will achieve the final goal. Spiritual success requires determination and perseverance.
-<p>Each of us has an essential nature, too, and if we live in harmony with our essential nature, or dharma, we feel deeply satisfied. But as human beings, what is our dharma? According to the timeless wisdom of the Vedas, our dharma is a characteristic not of our body but of our soul—the spark of divine consciousness within. Each of us has this spark within. It emanates from the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, who may be likened to a cosmic fire, the source of all the divine sparks that are our very selves. </p>
-<p>And the dharma of each spark of divine consciousness is to dance in harmony around the central fire, Kṛṣṇa, the original supreme personality. We are all unique, individual, and personal manifestations of Kṛṣṇa, but our dharma is to recognize our source, to celebrate our eternal connection with Him through loving service. In short, our dharma, as eternally conscious selves, is to love and serve Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.</p>
+It also requires understanding the difference between matter and spirit, darkness and light. Today such understanding is rarely found, even among spiritual seekers. The Gītā informs us, "What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage." In his commentary on this passage in his <i>Bhagavad-gītā As It Is</i>, His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda (known popularly as Śrīla Prabhupāda) says, "Activities of the introspective sage ... are night for persons materially absorbed. Materialistic persons are asleep in such a night due to their ignorance of self-realization. The introspective sage remains alert in the 'night' of the materialistic men. The sage feels transcendental pleasure in the gradual advancement of spiritual culture, whereas the man in materialistic activities, being asleep to self-realization, dreams of varieties of sense pleasure, feeling sometimes happy and sometimes distressed in his sleeping condition."
-<p>In material consciousness we lose sight of our real nature. We forget our source and connection with Kṛṣṇa. And our original dharma of selfless service to Him transforms into the false dharma of competitive selfishness. Because we lose touch with our true dharma, we experience frustration and dissatisfaction. </p>
-<p>Dharma: The Way of Transcendence guides us back to our true nature, our original position as loving servants of Kṛṣṇa.</p>
+In this book, <i>The Quest for Enlightenment</i>, Śrīla Prabhupāda shows us the true path of enlightenment and invites us to traverse this path from the dark night of materialism to the shining daylight of transcendence. Widely recognized by scholars and spiritual leaders as the most distinguished teacher of Indian culture and philosophy in the modern age, Śrīla Prabhupāda is the perfect guide and companion for the journey along the path of enlightenment.
-<p>Another meaning of dharma is "duty." In the latter part of the twentieth century we've experimented with the abandonment of a sense of duty and responsibility in favor of an ethic of self-gratification—"If it feels good, do it!" But now many of us are sensing that the experiment has failed. People are feeling that they've lost their moral bearings amidst a chaotic sea of hedonism. Duty is once again in favor.</p>
-<p>But duty to whom, and for what? We can answer these questions only by understanding the other part of dharma—our essential characteristic. If our essential characteristic is to render loving service to Kṛṣṇa, then our primary duty is to focus our attention on awakening this loving service, or bhakti, in ourselves and helping others achieve the same goal. </p>
+<i>The Quest for Enlightenment</i> is a compilation of Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings, originally published as articles in <i>[[Back to Godhead Magazines 1944 to 1960|Back to Godhead]]</i>, the magazine of the Hare Kṛṣṇa movement. Śrīla Prabhupāda founded this magazine in India in 1944, and since then it has become the world's foremost journal dedicated to the teachings of Lord Kṛṣṇa.
-<p>Dharma can give us the insight and inspiritation we need. In this book, India's greatest spiritual ambassador to the world, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, takes us to the very heart of dharma, exploring its meaning in his penetrating commentary on an ancient Sanskrit book called the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, renowned as the ripe fruit of the tree of Vedic knowledge. In the portion of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Śrila Prabhupāda comments on here, the great sage Sūta Goswami concisely answers questions on dharma posed to him by an assembly of sages in the sacred Naimiṣāranya Forest (in present-day northern India).</p>
-<p>There is nothing more important than understanding our dharma. This book thus stands as an enduring literary landmark for humanity as we move forward toward the new challenges and opportunities of the twenty-first century.</p>
+The first chapter of this book describes the need to embark on the quest for enlightenment. The second explains what matter is, what spirit is, and who controls them both. In the third chapter we learn about the attributes of the best kind of spiritual master to guide us on our personal quest. The fourth chapter outlines the techniques of yoga and meditation, and the fifth chapter explores spiritual solutions to material problems. In the sixth chapter Śrīla Prabhupāda critiques modern science and philosophy. And in the seventh and final chapter Śrīla Prabhupāda explains love of God, the highest goal for those on the path of transcendence.
+<i>The Quest for Enlightenment</i> provides a comprehensive and comprehensible guide to the path of spiritual progress. Śrīla Prabhupāda speaks the truth without compromise. He represents the Vedic tradition faithfully and without personal motivation. And through his unique gift he communicates the most essential Vedic teachings to the modern world, inviting us all to embark on the journey that will take us from darkness to light, from the unreal to the real, from death to immortality.
+<div align=right>
+The Publishers
+</div>