Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 3

The question may be asked, "O Lord, what are You like?" The verse explains, "O Lord, You are beyond the material modes of goodness, passion and ignorance." This means that the material modes, which cause happiness, misery and mixtures of the two, do not exist in the Lord. It is the potency of spiritual bliss that exists in the Lord. Thus it is said.
In the Markandeya Purana, Sakti-mahatmya, First Chapter, Candi declares:
"No one should be surprised that the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoys pastimes of yoga-nidra (mystic sleep). After all, the Lord's illusory potency maya bewilders the entire material world.
"Entering even the sages' hearts, Goddess Maha-maya bewilders the conditioned souls.
"By her this entire material universe of moving and unmoving beings is created. When she is satisfied she gives the blessing of liberation to the conditioned souls.
"She is the eternal transcendental knowledge that brings liberation. She is also the potency that binds the conditioned souls in the world of birth and death. She is the goddess of all goddesses."

In the Bhagavad-gita (9.8-9), the Supreme Personality of Godhead declares:
"The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end.
"O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached, seated as though neutral."

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There is enough in the world to fulfill everyone’s needs, but not enough to fulfill everyone’s greed. In some parts of the world, people are dying from severe undernourishment, while in other parts of the world people are dying from obesity.

Science of Identity Foundation - Siddhaswarupananda

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In the Hayasirsa-pancaratra it is said:
"The Supreme Lord's transcendental bliss is said to be of two kinds: 1. that of His form, and 2. that of His formless aspect. The form of the Lord is the shelter of His formless aspect. Therefore it is the bliss of the Lord's aspect with form that is really eternal and imperishable.
"The Lord's form and His formless aspect are both full of knowledge and beyond the touch of the material modes. These qualities are also present in the original forms of the individual spirit souls.
"In truth, there is no real difference between the Lord's form and His formless aspect. The difference is only an imagination of the Vedas. The two are like a jewel and its splendour."

In the Kapila-pancaratra it is said:
"The Supreme has two aspects: 1. His transcendental form, and 2. His formless aspect. Thus it should be known that all-powerful Lord Narayana has a form and is formless also."

In the Hayasirsa-pancaratra it is said:
"The Vedas say that the Supreme has no qualities. But they also say that He certainly does have qualities. By carefully considering all the statement of the Vedas, we have come to the conclusion that more weight should be given to the statements affirming the Lord's possession of transcendental qualities."

Aphorisms of the Truth - by Bhaktivinode Thakur part 2

Here someone may protest: You consider the Supreme both beyond the modes of material nature and the master of all potencies. How is it possible to ascribe these two mutually contradictory natures to the Lord? In the following words the author of the sutras refutes this protest:

Sutra 3
“No one should be surprised that the Supreme possesses mutually contradictory natures.”

Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.
That the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses mutually contradictory natures should not be a source of wonder. In the Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.19) it is said:
"Although the Supreme Lord is described as having no hands or legs, He nonetheless accepts all sacrificial offerings and moves very quickly. He has no material eyes, yet He sees everything. He has no material ears, yet He hears everything."

In Bhagavad-gita (4.39-40), the Lord declares:
"A faithful man who is dedicated to transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses is eligible to achieve such knowledge, and having achieved it he quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.
But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. They fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next."

Here someone may ask: How can one understand the truth of this Supreme who has many mutually contradictory natures?
To answer this question the author of the sutras speaks the following words:

Sutra 4
He is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. He cannot be known by ordinary knowledge, for He is known only by devotional service.

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DISPOSABLE PLANET
Most people are not concerned about the problems we are creating on earth. Our whole attitude towards this planet is that it is disposable. Everyone thinks that they can take anything they want, exploit it, and then conveniently throw it away. So many things have become disposable, not only diapers, towels, plates and spoons, but babies, wives, husbands and old people too.

Science of Identity Foundation - Siddhaswarupananda

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Commentary by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss. He cannot be known by the material mind or described by material words. He is known only by devotional service. The Sruti-sastra declares:
"The material mind cannot understand the Supreme. Material words cannot describe Him."

In Srimad Bhagavatam (11.12.21), the Supreme Lord Himself declares:
"I am understood only by devotional service."

In the Sruti-sastra it is said:
"The Supreme is eternal and full of knowledge and bliss."

In the Brahma-samhita (5.1) it is said:
"Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes."

In the Visnu Purana is the following explanation of the word sac-cid-ananda:
"O Lord, You are the support of everything. The three attributes hladini, sandhini, and samvit exist in You as one spiritual energy. But the material modes, which cause happiness, misery, and mixtures of the two, do not exist in You, for You have no material qualities."

A commentary on this verse follows:
The verse means, "O Supreme Personality of Godhead, in You, who are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the supreme controller, and the shelter of all, exists one inconceivable potency, which is manifested in three as hladini, sandhini, and samvit." That is the meaning.