Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 55

Sutra 50
They who know the truth give all their love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are equally friendly to all living beings, and are appropriately detached from this dull and inert material world.

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
In this sutra the final conclusion is clearly expressed. Here the word 'pare' means 'for the Supreme Personality of Godhead', 'purna' means 'unbroken' and also 'filled with bliss', and 'anuraktih' means 'the natural love in the living entity's heart'. That is the meaning. 'Itaresu' means 'for the individual spirit souls, who are different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead' and 'tulya' means 'equal love for all spirit souls'. Here is the meaning: A madhyama-adhikari devotee sees all living entities in three classes: 1. the great souls to whom all respect should be offered, 2. the like-minded devotees, with whom friendship should be made, and 3. the people in general, to whom compassion should be shown.

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THE SEARCH FOR WISDOM
The search for wisdom is a great challenge; to act on wisdom is an even greater challenge.


Siddhaswarupananda - Chris Butler Speaks


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However, an uttama-adhikari devotee does not see these three classes of living beings. Because he sees the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, present in the heart of every living being, such a devotee loves all living beings equally, thinking them all equally his brothers. "Jade" means 'dull and inert matter', and 'yukta-vairagya' means 'appropriate renunciation of material things, such as wealth, children, wife, friends, home, country, and the like.
This is the opinion of exalted Vaisnavas who know the truth, who do not unnecessarily try to cause dissension among the various Vaisnava sampradayas. What more need be said? Thus all the statements in this book have been supported with many quotes from the scriptures. Now this Tattva-sutra is completed. To please the learned devotees, a saintly devotee named Gopinatha dasa, who was born in a family of Vaisnava authors, wrote these sutras.
By the mercy of Lord Jagannatha, Gopinatha das, a resident of Jagannatha Puri and a learned scholar among the liberated souls, wrote these sutras.
With great respect, I (Bhaktivinoda Thakura) have written a brief commentary on these sutras. May the intelligent and learned Vaisnavas write many more commentaries on this book, commentaries filled with learned explanations and arguments.

Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 54

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.3.21) the Yogesvara explains:
"Any person who seriously desires to achieve real happiness must seek out a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of his spiritual master is that he must have realised the conclusion of the scriptures by deliberation and be able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations are to be understood as bona fide spiritual masters."

In the Mundaka Upanisad (1.2.12) it is said:
"To learn the transcendental subject matter one must approach a spiritual master. In doing so, he should carry fuel to burn in sacrifice. The symptom of such a spiritual master is that he is expert in understanding the Vedic conclusion, and therefore he constantly engages in the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the Chandogya Upanisad (6.14.2) it is also said:
"One who approaches a bona fide spiritual master can understand everything about spiritual realisation."

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This second mantra of the yogic scripture Sri Ishopanishad refers to karma yoga, or devotional service:
A person may desire to live for hundreds of years if he works according to this truth because that sort of work will not bind him to the law of karma. And there is no alternative to this way for man.

~Sri Ishopanishad, Mantra Two


Siddhaswarupananda - Jagad Guru Speaks


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In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.18-38-39) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"One who is detached from sense gratification, knowing its result to be miserable and who desires spiritual perfection, but who has not seriously analysed the process for obtaining Me, should approach a bona fide and learned spiritual master.

"Until a devotee has clearly realised spiritual knowledge, he should continue with great faith and respect and without envy to render personal service to the guru, who is non different from Me."

It is also said:
"As a bee greedy for honey flies from flower to flower, so a man greedy for transcendental knowledge goes from teacher to teacher."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (2.9.36) the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:
"A person who is searching after the Supreme Absolute Truth, the Personality of Godhead, must certainly search for it up to this, in all circumstances, in all space and time, and both directly and indirectly."

It is also said:
"Far past the bliss of Brahman is the nest of two birds of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna's transcendental pastimes, two birds that are not different from each other. That nest is placed on the branches of the kalpa-druma tree of Lord Caitanya. The shade of that tree brings relief from the sufferings of repeated birth and death. To fulfil the devotees' desires, that Caitanya tree has appeared in this world."

Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 53

Sutra 49
Now that Lord Caitanya, the teacher of all, has appeared in this world, there is no need for any other teacher.

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Here someone may ask: How is it possible to understand this knowledge of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead without first taking shelter of a spiritual master?
To answer this question, the author speaks this sutra. He says: Now that Lord Caitanya, the teacher of all saintly Vaisnavas who know the spiritual truth, has appeared in this world, there is no need for any other teacher. That is the meaning. In the Gopala-tapani Upanisad it is said:
"It was Krsna who in the beginning instructed Brahma in Vedic knowledge and who disseminated Vedic knowledge in the past. I, who desire liberation, surrender to Lord Krsna, who enlightens the intelligence with transcendental knowledge."

In Bhagavad-gita (10.11) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance."

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Everyone is engaged in action. The law of karma means that there are reactions to every action and that a person must endure the reactions to his actions.


Science of Identity Foundation - Siddhaswarupananda


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In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.17.27) Lord Krsna explains:
"One should know the acarya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way."

In the Narada-pancaratra, Guru-mahatmya, it is said:
"The spiritual master teaches the truth of spiritual mantras and the process of worshipping the Lord. It is because of his teaching of mantras and worship that devotional service to Lord Krsna is possible.

"O sage, at the highest place in the spiritual world is a thousand-petal lotus flower. In a spiritual form, the spiritual master resides there eternally."

In the Hari-bhakti-vilasa it is said:
"By the mercy of Lord Krsna, by the association of devotees, and by hearing the glories of devotional service, one desires to engage in devotional service. At that time one finds a spiritual master and dutifully worships him.'

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.20.17) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"When one wants to cross a large ocean he requires a strong boat. It is said that this human form of life is a good boat by which one can cross the ocean of nescience. In the human form of life one can obtain the guidance of a good navigator, the spiritual master. One also gets a favourable wind by the mercy of Krsna, and that wind is the instructions of Krsna. The human body is the boat, the instructions of Lord Krsna are the favourable winds, and the spiritual master is the navigator. The spiritual master knows well how to adjust the sails to catch the winds favourably and steer the boat to its destination. If, however, one does not take advantage of this opportunity, one wastes the human form of life. Wasting time and life in this way is the same as committing suicide."

Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 52

Sutra 48
Direct perception and logical inference both confirm that devotional service is the highest truth, for devotional service is filled with transcendental knowledge and is the resting place of all truth.

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
Here someone may ask: In this, the concluding chapter of your book, what do you consider the final conclusion, the highest truth?
Thinking that someone would ask this question, the author speaks this sutra. He says that direct perception and logical inference, which are two of the great evidences to discern what is the truth, both confirm that devotional service is the highest truth. This truth of devotional service, which was described in the Mahabharata by Lord Krsna to Arjuna, in the Eleventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam by Lord Krsna to Uddhava, in the four famous verses of Srimad Bhagavatam to Lord Brahma, in the very first verse of Srimad Bhagavatam, and in many other places in the scriptures in many philosophical dialogues with many questions and answers. Thus the view held by the devotees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the highest view, the highest truth. It is a truth higher and better than what is taught by the proponents of fruitive work, philosophical speculation, or other views. That is the meaning.

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KARMA
According to yoga, every action, good or bad, produces some karmic reaction. Actions that are “bad” create bad karmic reactions. A person who engages in heinous criminal actions or who lives simply like an animal, exploiting others, will have to eat the bitter fruit of such actions in the future.


Siddhaswarupananda - Chris Butler Speaks


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Because it is filled with pure transcendental knowledge, and because it is thus the best of all conclusions, the conclusion accepted by all noble-hearted and spiritually intelligent persons in all countries and at all times past, present and future, and because it is the root from which all truths have come, devotional service is the highest truth, the conclusion better than all other conclusions. This is confirmed by Lord Krsna, who in Bhagavad-gita (10.10) declares:
"To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (12.13.15) it is said:
"Srimad Bhagavatam is accepted as the essence of all Vedic literature and Vedanta philosophy. Whoever tastes the transcendental mellow of Srimad Bhagavatam is never attracted to any other literature."

Manu explains:
"Direct perception, logical inference, and scripture are three methods one may employ to understand pure religion."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.7.20) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"An intelligent person, expert in perceiving the world around him and applying sound logic, can achieve real benefit through his own intelligence. Thus sometimes one acts as one's own instructing spiritual master."

In Bhagavad-gita (6.5) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well."

Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 51

In Bhagavad-gita (9.25) the Supreme Personality of Godhead explains:
"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods, those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings, those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors, and those who worship Me will live with Me."

In Bhagavad-gita (9.22-25) the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:
"But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form, to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.

"Whatever a man may sacrifice to other gods, O son of Kunti, is really meant for Me alone, but it is offered without true understanding.

"I am the only enjoyer and the only object of sacrifice. Those who do not recognise My true transcendental nature fall down.

"Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods, those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings, those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors, and those who worship Me will live with Me."

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Many Chinese and Japanese acupuncturists (possibly out of a desire to “prove” the existence of chi to skeptical Westerners) have invented all sorts of electrical technological gadgetry to monitor the flow of chi through the meridians and to precisely locate the acupuncture points. So although chi cannot be perceived directly, its presence can be detected by a meter that monitors electrical activity.

Siddhaswarupananda - Jagad Guru Speaks


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In Bhagavad-gita (9.30) the Supreme Personality of Godhead again explains:
"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated."

In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.60) Srila Rupa Gosvami explains:
"Every man has the birthright to accept devotional service and to become Krsna conscious. This is proved with evidence from many scriptures."

In the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.38) Srila Rupa Gosvami again explains:
"Even one drop of happiness in Krsna consciousness stands beyond comparison with an ocean of happiness derived from any other activity."


In the Tantras it is said:
"By cultivating transcendental knowledge one easily attains liberation and by performing yajnas and pious deeds one easily attains sense gratification. However, even after thousands of spiritual struggles it is still very difficult to attain devotion to Lord Hari."