680121 - Letter to Janardana written from Los Angeles

Letters by Date, 1968

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

January 21, 1968

Montreal

My Dear Janardana,

Please accept my blessings. I become very much proud of nonsense rascal disciples like you. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu represented Himself as a nonsense rascal to understand Vedanta philosophy. Actually, at the present day the people in general cannot understand Vedanta philosophy. The other day I met here Swami Pravhavananda, and I talked with him. To speak plainly how I found him—a great rascal. I know that this station is one of Rama-Krishna mission, beginning from Vivekananda, down to this age, all are living in fool's paradise. Pravhavananda said that Rama-Krishna in his previous life was Lord Caitanya. Similarly it is said that he was formerly Rama and Krishna. If actually he was Rama and Krishna and Lord Caitanya, why there are so many contradictions between Rama, Krishna, and Lord Caitanya one side, and the Rama-hamsa (Rama-Krishna Paramahamsa) on the other side. Do you think that the Ramahansa was Lord Caitanya and just after 400 years he changed the whole philosophy? Lord Caitanya propagated worship of Krishna; Krishna propagated that one should worship Him, Krishna; how is it that this Rama-Krishna worships the material goddess Kali? Ask the question. So, such rascaldom is going on all over the world. So we have to be very careful in understanding Krishna Consciousness and therefore if we remain continuously rascals and try to understand Krishna Consciousness, to understand Krishna as He has spoken in the Bhagavad-gita or in other Vedic literatures through the right sources of disciplic succession, that is our real knowledge. The idea is everyone should try to place himself as if he doesn't know anything. That is his position is secure. But as soon as he says that I know everything, and I was previously such and such, actually rascal. So I know that you are trying to know things from the real source, and you are not puffed up like other fools who think that they know everything. Your humbleness is very much appreciated by me.

Regarding your questions about Easy Journey: purusa is Krishna, and Visnu Tattva, Visnu expansions. In Gita, in 10th Chapter, it is accepted by Arjuna that Krishna is the Original purusa or predominating factor or the Supreme Enjoyer. Stree is the enjoyed, or the energy, or the potency. God has got 3 energies in the spiritual world. One energy is existential, one is cognition, one is enjoyment. The same energy when reflected in the material world is exhibited in 3 mode—goodness, passion, and ignorance. Goodness is manifested in proper maintenance of the creation in the gradual development of spiritual realization, passion is exhibition in the matter of production, and ignorance is exhibited in the absence of real happiness. All these internal energies are acting in favor of the Supreme purusa; in the spiritual world they are acting harmoniously and in the material world they are acting in forgetfulness. Prakrti or stree is in forgetfulness is zero; and the living entities is also prakrti or stree, but he is in forgetfulness in the material existence. The living entities, the same living entities in cognition, are liberated souls, residents of the spiritual world. Daivi means pertaining to the Supreme purusa or Brahma. In everything there is Daivi influence; the Daivi influence is beyond the control of the living entities. Therefore the Daivi energy is spiritual energy or internal potency. I think you can develop this idea and if you have still any doubt you can put questions.

Nirguna means untouched by material contamination. In Bhagavad-gita it is said that the Supreme Enjoyer is uncontaminated by the material qualities of goodness, passion, and ignorance, but His qualities are transcendental without any touch or tinge of material qualities. For example: sex life, the most prominent feature of this material world. This sex life is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam, 3rd Canto, in the explanation of Vaikuntha world, when it is said that in the Vaikuntha planets, the women or the fair sex is many many more times beautiful, well-constructed, their face and smiling more attractive, their breasts and hips are very high, and they clearly and freely mix with male devotees,, But their strong sense of devotion towards the Lord and being absorbed in Krishna Consciousness, all the features of womanly beauty cannot stimulate their sex passion. In the material world the same reflection of beauty and bodily features at once stimulate sex passion. Therefore, the enjoyment of opposite sex in the Vaikuntha world has no action of sex life whereas in the material world the perverted reflection of beauty has resultant action of sex life which is the cause of dragging material existence. So the description of the Vaikuntha life is nirguna, and the description of worldly life is sahaguna. Our devotional activities are executed by transferring epithet; our senses are there, they are acting pervertedly and putting us into difficulty. The Impersonalist philosopher wants to stop this difficult reactions of the senses but they don't know how to place the senses in healthy life. For example: one may try to get out of diseased condition. This attempt does not mean that one should be killed so that one may get out of miserable condition of diseased life. The real method is to remove diseased condition and be placed in healthy life. Krishna Consciousness means to get out of the material qualities and be reinstated in the spiritual nirguna activities. When one can understand nirguna he can understand nirakara, also. This akar or form of material existence is temporary. When we get out of this temporary changes of different forms as we are transmigrating from one form to another and be placed in our real spiritual form, or purified our existence, that is called nirakara. Or in other words nirakara means absence of material form. Praiidrabya is mentioned by Dr. Naik as the counteracting agent of matter. I do not know whether this word is in Bhagavad-gita, but praii means transcendental and drabya means matter, that which exists. This praiidrabya is explained in Gita as paraprakrti or internal energy which is exhibited in the transcendental world. What interpretation I have replied Dr. Naik later. We have one difference of opinion of the scientific statement of antimatter. I have interpreted antimatter as spiritual where there is opposite matter or eternal. Matter is temporary manifestation and I interpreted antimatter as eternal manifestation or paraprakrti.

Your attempt to present a nice article on Krishna Consciousness on the basis of scholastic understanding is very much encouraging to my mission, and I shall be thinking successful in my mission when you present your Krishna Conscious article before the misguided philosophers and religionists of the world. Vedanta means ultimate knowledge. Knowledge is never perfect unless one comes to the point of understanding Krishna. To remain in Krishna Consciousness is actual understanding of Vedanta. Anything which is not Krishna Consciousness is polluted profane consciousness. Generally the philosophers are acting on the mental plane. The Bhagavatam clearly confirms it, unless one is not situated in Krishna Consciousness he is sure to fall down to material consciousness because he has no other platform. Just like one man flying in the sky, if he doesn't get any supporting planet, he has to come back again on the planet from which he started. Similarly those who are hovering on the mental plane, they must come back to the material manifestation without being in knowledge of spiritual life.

The marginal position of voidness between Brahmajyoti and the material world manifestation is the destination of the Buddhist philosophers. Therefore the voidness philosophy is worse than Impersonalist philosophy. This voidness philosophy is simply nirvana, or absence of material manifestation, but actually it is a material stand whereas Impersonalist monism is transcendental to material manifestation and voidness. Therefore the conception of Brahmajyoti is advanced realization than conception of nirvana. Nobody can be satisfied in void or Impersonalist philosophy; they are against the nature of the spirit soul. We understand from Vedanta philosophy that the spirit soul is by nature joyful. There is no joy in voidness or Impersonalism and because such imperfect philosophers do not know of the association of Krishna which is full of bliss and knowledge, they will fall down repeatedly into voidness and Impersonalism with the result that they cannot stay there and they fall down to the material atmosphere. In Bhagavad-gita it is said by the Lord that these people, void and Impersonalist philosophers, are in great trouble. If they are fortunate enough to meet a pure devotee of Krishna and if they are sincere in their search for the absolute truth, they will find Krishna Consciousness as the last resort of their philosophical researches. Try to help these bewildered philosophers by presentation of your nice Krishna Consciousness thesis which you have prepared, and I am sure Krishna will help you in all respects. Simply your sincerity of service is required and He will dictate from within you how to make your thesis. It will be a great service to the humanity, especially to the Western world.

Regarding Ba'hai philosophy: I have read the pamphlet you sent me, and I find in it that this Ba'hai movement is more or less a humanitarian movement which has no spiritual information. Generally people are attracted by humanitarian movements and Swami Vivekananda was a popular figure of this platform but this humanitarian movement of the material platform is always unsuccessful because one has to counteract the 3 modes of material platform. I do not find any hint in Ba'hai literature where one can surmount the reactions of material qualities. The idea of Ba'hai movement is more graciously presented in our Krishna Consciousness movement. The Ba'hai movement doesn't take any consideration of living entities beyond the human society. But our Krishna Consciousness movement includes everything in the creation of God. As a scholar, you can read such books but I am sure it will not help very much in the matter of advancing our Krishna Consciousness movement. Humanitarian movements is certainly very attractive for the people in general, just like if you start a movement to stop war, it will be very attractive to the people in general. But as a matter of fact, war cannot be stopped. We aren't after stopping the war, but we are after utilizing war actions for satisfying of Krishna, as Arjuna practically performed. War cannot be stopped from the material world, but it can be purified. Therefore, so called humanitarians are our target of Krishna Consciousness. Their statement about Krishna that He is an Individual chosen by God as His representative means that they have no knowledge of God. They require to learn what is God, then they will understand Krishna. Generally speaking everyone has got the conception of God, but actually they do not know what is God. That is explained in Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam, therefore our knowledge of God is far better than any other one in the world. That means if the Ba'hais do not accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they have never read Bhagavad-gita as it is. Their claims of reading of Gita is false. You should try to convince them of the Supremacy of Godhead Krishna. Whenever we are able to meet such opposing elements about Krishna, we should know that our Krishna Consciousness is perfected. The Ba'hai people if they are really sincere, they should try to understand Bhagavad-gita sincerely. As soon as they say they have understood Bhagavad-gita and at the same time accept Krishna as a chosen individual person, their sincerity fails. There is less rational thinking in Ba'hai philosophy as I can understand from the pamphlet. There is already contradiction that they accept Krishna as chosen person and not as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is contradiction of Bhagavad-gita.

I have received letter from Prabhansu Chosal and I understand that they appreciate your service very nicely. I understand that your God-brothers are as your younger dependent brothers; kindly treat them as your younger dependent brothers and try to advance them in Krishna Consciousness as good as you can.

The new boy who is from England, Chris, may be kindly treated so that when I go to Montreal in the month of May, I may be able to accompany the boy to England and try to start a center there with his help. I have another disciple here, Annapurna, she also comes from England, and I think we may be able to do something in England with the help of these boys and girls. Please treat Srimans Chris, Eric, and Ronald with good kindness.

Yes, anything of which we have no conception, the unknown particle, that is the representation of Paramatma. Yes, your interpretation is quite feasible, because from the Vedic literature that spiritual particle is measured as 1/10,000 part of the upper portion of the hair. So if the physicist's conclusion about the measurement of the soul, that is 100 times finer than what they are already discovered. But however fine and smallest it may be, there is measurement of spirit soul, maybe beyond the experimental knowledge of human scientists. The confusion must continue because this measurement of spirit soul is beyond the range of experimental mind, and understanding. Therefore, confusion. Therefore you have to accept the experience of spirit soul from Vedic literature. If one tries to understand otherwise they will remain in confusion. Subject which is beyond their understanding by experimental knowledge, and if they try to understand it by the same experimental knowledge, that means confusion. This has to be understood by descending process of disciplic succession, or by deductive process, meaning for instance, my mother says this man is my father, I accept, there is no experience. God's name is therefore Adhoksaja which means beyond experimental knowledge. You can inform them that here is statement in Vedic literature (Padma Purāṇa) that the measurement of soul is 1/10,000 of the upper portion of the hair. You are meant for doing this and I shall assist you as far as possible. I thank you for your promise to send me one letter a week.

We are trying to get U.S.A. Immigration, permanent visa, and I am waiting for the result.

Lord Caitanya's Birthdate is on the Phalguna Purnima between 15 of Feb. and 15th of March. The full moon day is Lord Caitanya's Birthday. I think you can send for Rayarama's calendar which he has published. The exact day is 14th March, Thursday, 1968. The procedure is that you should fast from morning to evening (about 7:00) after that there should be offering to Lord Caitanya and prasadam should be accepted just like on Ekadasi day, and next day, Friday, full love feasting may be provided to as many devotees as you can.