Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HH Lokanath Swami Maharaj at ISKCON Chowpatty on 11th Jan 2020.

Today I remembered an incident from New Delhi, perhaps in 1971. Gurudas and I had gone into a shop to make a purchase, and in the mood of saving Krishna’s money, I was bargaining fiercely. But he corrected me, citing a principle from The Nectar of Devotion—“Not Giving Pain to Any Living Entity.” Srila Prabhupada had written, “This is the statement of Mahabharata: ‘A person who does not disturb or cause painful action in the mind of any living entity, who treats everyone just like a loving father does his children, whose heart is so pure, certainly very soon becomes favored by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.’

“In so-called civilized society there is sometimes agitation against cruelty to animals, but at the same time regular slaughterhouses are always maintained. A Vaisnava is not like that. A Vaisnava can never support animal slaughter or even give pain to any living entity.”

I had related the principle to giving pain to living entities outside the course of devotional service, but Gurudas made me realize that I should not cause pain to the mind of the merchant, whether he was overcharging or not, even in the course of trying to save Krishna’s money.

“Not giving pain to any living entity”—an instructive lesson that I have always kept with me.

Hare Krishna.

Yours in service,
Giriraj Swami

Answer Podcast

Transcriber: Sharan Shetty

Edited by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: Can you explain brahman and paramatma realizations in detail?

Answer: There are different ways in which these realisations can be understood like the sac-cit-ananda progression perspective given by Srila Prabhupada in Sri Isopanisad and another perspective is -Energies of the Absolute given by Srila Jiva Goswami in the Sandarbhas. Srila Prabhupada explains that both – atma and Supreme Lord are sac-cid ananda. Brahman realisation is when one starts perceiving that everything in the material nature is temporary and tries to think about something that must be beyond this which is actually eternal because we all have a longing for eternity and if nothing were eternal then from where would that longing come from. Why would we long to live eternally if there were no such thing as eternal life just like a person who has never seen gold would never desire for gold.

When one starts looking for the eternal and comes to the level of perceiving the eternal then he has perceived the sat aspect of the sac-cid-ananda feature of the Supreme Lord. Thus, perceiving the sat aspect is the characteristic of those who have realised the brahman but the important thing is, it is not that Brahman has only sat feature because brahman, paramatma and bhagavan are non-different and so they all have sac-cit-ananda feature. But the seeker who has realised brahman has realised only the sat aspect of the Absolute Truth. Progressively, when one moves forward and thinks that there is order in this world and realises it is controlled by a conscious being who is overseeing everything and keeping this order then one comes to the cit level. Here, one understands that there is a being who is supreme and the controller. At this level, one’s focus is on God as the controller of the material world and this is the paramatma realization. Beyond this when one evolves, he starts to think about the activities performed by the Supreme Being (most people think of what God can do for them but not about what God himself does in his abode). When one understands that the goal of existence is to be happy and therefore the Absolute Truth must also have this opulence of happiness in full, at that time, one comes to the bhagavan realisation where one understands that God lives with his devotees and performs many pastimes and in those pastimes rejoices eternally.

Srila Prabhupada explains that the realisation of the all-pervasive spirit in the sense that beyond this ever changing matter, there is some substratum which is eternal, is brahman realisation. Progressively, the understanding of the localized expansion of the Supreme Lord who although is present everywhere and can control from anywhere still he is present within the universe and from there he co-ordinates and controls it as explained in Brahma Samhita Chapter 5 Verse 35,
andantara-stha-paramanu- chayantara-stham
(All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time)
So, the understanding that he is present in our heart, present in matter and in that way, pervasive as a Supersoul, is the paramatma realisation and he being present as a transcendental person in his own abode is the bhagavan realisation. The brahman and the paramatma level are fragmental or partial realisation of the Absolute Truth. Srila Jiva Goswami gives another frame of analysis where he says that,

– Brahman realisation is perception of the Absolute Truth with no potency,
– Paramatma realisation is perception of the Absolute Truth with material potency and
– Bhagavan realisation is perception of the Absolute Truth with both material and spiritual potency.

When one thinks of brahman, they have the conception of plain existence where the purpose of this existence is just to exist. They consider this entire material world an illusion and when one transcends it and attains brahman realisation, therein lies his perfection. This is the conception of brahman realisation where there is no activity, no energy needed for activity and there is passive existence.

Paramatma realisation is when one understands that there is an eternal reality which is governing this world and this world is not an illusion because while it exists ,it is real, and requires real controllership and that role is done by the Supreme Lord. In that way, one understands that the Supreme Lord has material potencies which means that the Absolute Truth has the capacity and the energy to control material nature.

Beyond that then there is the conception of the Absolute Truth having spiritual potencies which means that not only does God control material nature but beyond that he also has his own life in the spiritual world and in that life at the spiritual level, God delights eternally in performing pastimes. There is mention of the Supreme Lord’s spiritual energies in the Chaitanya Caritamrta – samvit, sandhini and hladini.

To understand God’s self-existence is very important which means that he has a life separate from his role here in this world and that self-existent potency of the Lord is revealed when we understand he has spiritual potencies. This self-existential glory is not talked about much in other scriptures of this world, it is primarily revealed in the Vedic scriptures.
Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan realisations can be further understood, in terms of increased proximities, with the example of a child describing a train. Consider a village where a railway track has been constructed for the first time and three children (who have never seen a train) are waiting near the platform to see that train. It is night time and very dark. Finally, after waiting for some time, they hear a whistle and then see a light approaching. Seeing this, one child gets excited and runs into the village declaring that he saw the train. When asked by the villagers, the child describes that the train is light and sound. The child is not wrong but since he returned early, he could not get the full experience of the train. The other two children are still waiting near the platform and when the train approaches closer and their eyes familiarise, they perceive that more than the light and sound, the train also has an engine, several bogies, wheels etc. Seeing this, one of the children runs towards the village and describes his version of train. Again, this second child’s description is not wrong but is incomplete since the train is more than that.

The third child waits and sees that after the train has halted, there was a person driving it with whom the child gets the opportunity to shake hands and who explains the child everything about the train. When this third child returns to the village, he describes everything about the train (the driver, the engine, various bogies, the light, horn etc). It is not about whose version is correct or incorrect; it is a matter of complete or incomplete. In this case, the third child got an almost complete perception of the train because he was patient enough to see completely till the end (of course, nobody can know Krishna completely).
To summarize, initially, when one seeks spiritual truth, by practising and with patience, one gets a realisation that there is an effulgent or pervasive light that is eternal, this is brahman realisation which is like the first child’s perception of the train where he thinks it to be just light and sound. Those who keep seeking, understand, that just as light comes from sun similarly the brahmajyoti is also coming from a source and that source is controlling the world, this is paramatma realisation which is like the second child’s perception of the train. At this level, the seeker treats the Absolute Truth as a conscious being but not necessarily as a personal object of love. Only when the third child waits long enough and meets the driver and shakes hand with him, he is able to develop a personal relationship. Otherwise one may have some idea that the engine has a driver but may not know anything specific about him. Similarly, at paramatma level one has the understanding that there is a controller but at the bhagavan level one develops a relationship with the controller and sees the controller as a person to be loved. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita 10.08
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
(I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who perfectly know this engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.)
That is the aim of the devotees and that is what we can get by mercy of Srila Prabhupada, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Krishna if we can open-mindedly and determinately practise bhakti.

End of transcription.

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Answer Podcast

The post God usually acts in this world through secondary causes – what does this mean? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

During the morning puja, or worship, the Deity or a salagrama is bathed in pure ghee. Srila Prabhupada once explained the festival this way: “Krishna was just a toy in the hands of the Gopis, so one day the Gopis decided that we shall decorate Him.

Pusyabhisheka means a ceremony to decorate the deity profusely with flowers, ornaments, clothes. After there should be lavish feasting and a procession through the streets, so that all the citizens should see how beautiful Krishna appears.

Extraordinary artistry offered to Sri Sri Radha Madhava for today’s Pusya Abhishek!

Answer Podcast

Transcription: Dr Suresh Gupta

Question: Is it scientific to believe in weird things such as ghosts, hallucinations, and near-death experiences?

Answer: Let us look at these many different experiences from a point-by-point perspective and analyze as to how they are scientific or not.
Today, science has adopted materialism as its default metaphysics. Science also considers that materialism should be the chosen philosophy of life for everyone as it is the result of linear studies extended over centuries. However, such a belief is unwarranted. Materialism is more of a pre-supposition than a conclusion. As far as scientific research is concerned, the father of modern psychology, William James, suggested that we focus more on the utility of psychological experiences than on whether they agree with current scientific orthodoxy or not. It means that from a pragmatic perspective if a particular experience has a beneficial effect then it should be considered seriously.

Initially, this line of thought was ignored. However, over a period of time, more and more scientific research started accumulating which suggested that actually people are benefitted from the kind of experiences that mainstream society may call weird or even pathological. For example, study on the experiences of the widowhood showed that a significant number of people who were recently widowed (men or women) actually became better when they had some kind of encounter with their deceased spouses. Through such experiences, they felt that it helped them to move on. Most of them reported not just the presence but also some tactile, visual, or audio sensation that seemed non-different from real-world experience. Only a small percentage said that they found these interactions disconcerting, but many found them to be healing, pacifying which enabled them to move forward. Over the years this line of study has caught up. Now in hospice care if people have some death bed experiences with some revered figures then that staff is trained to see such experiences positively because they help people to prepare for the impending arrival of death.

Such hallucinations can be considered unscientific but that raises a bigger question: What is science? Is science an objective evaluation of observed phenomenon to arrive at some conclusion? Or is science a world view that has to be sanctimoniously protected irrespective of the evidence? If we consider these observations or near-death experiences from the effect perspective, it has been observed that such experiences change the experiencers. This has been observed with a large number of people where there is a dramatic decrease in the competitiveness and consumerism of such people. There is a significant increase in empathy, altruism, and environmentalism. Basically, we could say that the higher values of life or sattva (qualities of goodness) increase and rajas (qualities of passion) decrease.

Now a skeptic may argue that just because some experiences feel good that does not mean they are right, e.g. intoxication provides some short-term feeling of high, but intoxication does not inspire people to take long-term positive changes in their life. Often it has a long-term negative consequence. On the contrary, near-death experiences (NDEs) can have enormous positive consequences on people.

At present, science is unequipped to evaluate the metaphysical status of what people experience during such situations because the scientific methodology in itself is largely methodological naturalism i.e. looking for a natural explanation for natural phenomena. Hence, whether there is something nonmaterial or not? Scientific orthodoxy would argue that there is nothing non-material whereas open-minded researchers might be a little more open to the presence of some higher reality. Either way, unless there is a radical redefinition of science, the higher reality will be difficult for science to investigate. However, the effects of such experiences can be investigated, and their therapeutic benefits can be understood.

What could be a reasonable explanation for such experiences? Are these placebos? A placebo is basically a treatment that seems to be a “real” medical treatment — but isn’t. It could be a sugar pill, a shot, or some other type of “fake” treatment. Although, placebos are not real medicines, but they do have real medicinal effects on people. At least for some people and to some degree. One may ask, are placebos real? Even if we assume that placebos are not real medicines, but it cannot be denied that they do have real medicinal effects and heal a certain number of people. The understanding here is that the placebos activate the mind’s innate healing mechanism.

Now, if some people are cured by placebos there is no justification for ridiculing, stigmatizing them. Similarly, if somebody’s life is radically transformed by having some kind of mystical experience then that needs to be acknowledged and not ridiculed or derided. One way to know whether the experiences are real is to look at some veridical experiences where the perception of those experiences coincides with reality. Could it be that people report accurate observations which they could not normally have known by any other means and yet they knew it accurately? There has been a significant amount of research in this area. In my book Demystifying Reincarnation I have given many cases of people having veridical perceptions during extraordinary events like near-death experiences.

At the empirical level, we can only see the event and its effect. At the empirical level, accurate perceptions are happening and also beneficial effects are happening. Therefore, to stigmatize and deride mystical experiences is definitely unscientific or anti-scientific. That raises a bigger question – as in the placebo effect brain releases chemicals to heal the body itself, so could the paranormal mystical experiences also be a result of brain phenomenon alone? Sometimes, experiences like NDEs can be simulated by some psychedelic chemicals but not everything, and no psychedelic chemical can give people veridical perceptions which coincide with reality.

Hence, we could say that there is reasonable case for being open minded about these paranormal experiences in terms of their metaphysical content. However, there is a strong case for accepting their beneficial therapeutic effects. Therefore, the scientific basis for many of the paranormal events is undeniably strong.

End of transcription.

Answer Podcast

Transcriber: Sharan Shetty

Edited by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: Is Krishna brahman or parabrahman?

Answer: Krishna is referred by both the names in the scriptures. When the soul is to be distinguished from Krishna, at that time, the reference parabrahman is used which means he is the supreme spiritual reality and brahman is the standard reference used for the Absolute Truth in the Vedanta Sutra. Therefore, one should not think that only the word parabrahman refers to Krishna. Most of the time, when the word brahman is used, it can also refer to Krishna. We can see in the Bhagavad-gita that the word brahman is used to refer to the spirit soul. It also refers to the Supreme Lord and also to the material nature for example, in Bhagavad-gita 14.3,
mama yonir mahad brahma
Translation: The total material substance, called brahman
The important point and differentiation between brahman and parabrahman is that we are not the Absolute Truth. We are parts of the Absolute Truth. It is clearly stated in the Bhagavad-gita 15.07,
mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutaḥ sanatanaḥ
The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts.

It means that we are parts of Krishna and that too, eternal parts. Even after we become liberated, we remain parts of Krishna. Krishna is both brahman and parabrahman and the soul is a finite, limited, infinitesimal part of that Supreme Reality. Often the term – aham brahmasmi is used to refer to the point that we are spirit, but it does not mean that the soul is equal to the Absolute and neither the word Brahman is a monopoly of the impersonalists. The word brahman does not necessarily mean only brahmajyoti or the all-pervading effulgence of the Lord. In general, it refers to the Absolute Truth and there are many verses in the scriptures which indicate that it also refers to the personal Absolute Truth. Thus, we have to look at the context, to see, what is being referred by the particular term, the soul or the Supersoul. If at all we want to contrast between brahman and parabrahman then we can say that Krishna is the highest reality as explained in Bhagavad Gita 07.07

mattaḥ parataram nanyat
kincid asti dhanan-jaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva
(O conqueror of wealth, there is no truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.)
Also, in the Srimad Bhagavatam 08.03.04, Krishna is referred as parat parah or He who is transcendental to transcendental, or above all transcendence. The brahmajyoti which is considered as transcendence is coming from him and he is beyond the brahmajyoti and the source of it as explained in Bhagavad-gita 14.27,
brahmano hi pratisthaham.

(I am the basis of the impersonal brahman)

End of transcription.

The post Is Krishna brahman or parabrahman? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

It’s easy to get boxed into our own little worlds, sealed in a bubble and oblivious to reality, losing perspective and drowning in ethereal thoughts.

A beautiful prayer for the blessing of all of humanity performed by Jahnavi Harrison and released by Radha Krishna Records. The prayer is taken from the prayers of Prahlad Maharaj as found in the Srimad Bhagavatam 5:18:9.

"Why do I have to die? Why do I have to suffer? / But wait it will not. That minute is gone now and  / then another and another takes its place." 

By Vaisaki Das.

A video by ISKCON Desire Tree.

Greta and the Veda. Appreciation and advice from Vedic perspective on the climate change issue.

A winter festival that is held in December-January in Mayapur focuses on providing guests an insight into the importance of the Bhagavad Gita. 

From the 'Illuminize' album.

In this era dominated by technology and devices, there are very few devotees of Krishna who use technology or know how to use technology effectively to spread the message of Krishna-consciousness.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 28 May 2019, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Srimad Bhagavatam 6.11.25)

We make arguments that spiritual life is difficult. We always find a reason to say it is difficult. It is difficult because I am too young. It is difficult because I have to study. It is difficult because I have to work. It is difficult because I am married. It is difficult because I am not married. It is difficult because I have to cook. It is difficult because we have a house. It is difficult because we have a mouse! (laughter) We find so many reasons to make spiritual life and taking up Krsna consciousness sound difficult and then we blow up that excuse. We make it bigger and bigger and bigger until we have a really big reason why we cannot practice Krsna consciousness. “What can I do? These are my circumstances which make spiritual life difficult”.

So this tendency is there in us. We can see that our mind is putting forward these arguments to make spiritual life sound difficult, but we must say no to that. No! Because Krsna is the source of all opportunities, so He makes everything possible for us. That is what we saw in Srila Prabhupada. Against all odds, he made it to New York, at the age of 70. I am approaching that age, but even now when I have to go to New York, I think, “Oh, forget it! Not New York!” But Prabhupada went alone and he did it. If there is one quality of Prabhupada that we can appreciate, it is that he never missed an opportunity. Whenever there was an opportunity, he tried. In English, it is to say that he left no stone unturned. He tried every opportunity. For instance, when he was at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport, he asked the devotees to inquire if it could be changed to O’Hare Krsna Airport (laughter). The devotees said, “Oh, that is a good joke Prabhupada!” But Prabhupada was not joking around! So in this way, we can see that he would try anything. yare dekha, tare kaha krsna-upadesa amara ajnana guru hana tara ei desa (Caitanya Caritamrta Madhya-lila 7.128). Whomever you meet, instruct them about Krsna-upadesa. That is actually the key!

The article " Is spiritual life difficult or an opportunity? " was published on KKSBlog.

Our "Paramahamster" comic strip follows an enthusiastic devotee as he navigates a 9 - 5 work day in the corporate world. 

The podcast is facilitated by the BBT’s Marketing, Communications and Innovations dept and was conceived by the department’s director Vaisesika Das as a way to make sankirtan (book distribution and harinama) relevant to a younger generation.

The TOVP Fundraising Team is pleased to announce the launch of yet another opportunity for serving this historic and world-changing project: The Steps of Surrender Campaign. 108 50′ long steps lead from the ground floor to the entrance of the TOVP and now you can be one of ten sponsors for each step and serve the lotus feet of all who come to visit.

Just as in spiritual life the steps of surrender start with the guru, then proceed to Lord Caitanya and finally culminate with Radha and Krishna, the 108 steps of surrender of the TOVP begin with 58 Guru Parampara steps, continue with 40 Pancha Tattva Steps and make their final ascension with 10 Radha Madhava steps. Become one of ten sponsors for each step and remember that millions of pilgrims for generations to come will benefit because you helped build that staircase which led them to Vaikuntha. Your name will be inscribed on a special Steps of Surrender section of the Devotional Wall of Fame inside the TOVP.

For more information go to The Steps of SurrenderPage on the TOVP website.

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

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The post TOVP Steps of Surrender Campaign appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

Starting in September last year, bush fires have been causing widespread devastation in Australia, particularly in New South Wales. According to ISKCON Australia Communications Director Bhakta Das, no devotees have been injured, as the fire is some distance from ISKCON’s farming communities.

We would like to share a brief update regarding the progress on the Pujari floor.

These are some images of the ceiling panels which are made of GRG (Glass Reinforced Gypsum). In them will be placed the light fixtures. As you can see they are looking quite lovely and give off a very opulent look to the area, adding a nice touch to the ceiling as well.

The post Pujari Floor Ceiling Fixtures appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

The first Rathayatra of 2020, Malaysia (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Sri Caitanya...

Morning Class SB 4.27.14 HH Prahaladananda Swami - 9 January 2020 in Hare Krishna Melbourne ...

Answer Podcast

Download by “right-click and save content”

Transcriber: Sharan Shetty

Edited by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: Is the brahman aspect also sat-cit-ananda or is it only sat?

Answer: Brahman, paramatma and bhagavan are three names of the same Absolute Truth. All three are not different but the same Absolute Truth referred to by different names. Brahman is also sat-cit-ananda.

The example of halwa (an Indian sweet or candy) can help us understand it better. Suppose a person who throughout their life, has only smelt the fragrance of halwa and never tasted it may come up with a new name for the halwa, maybe Henry. The object maybe called differently due to the person’s experience limited only to the fragrance but it will nevertheless remain a halwa because it has all the attributes of halwa.

Similarly, brahman paramatma and bhagavan are three names of the same Absolute Truth. All three are sat-cit-ananda because they are the same one Absolute Truth. The difference lies in the level of realisation. Those who have realised the brahman level have realised only the sat aspect.

End of transcription.

The post Is the Brahman aspect also sat-cit-ananda or is it only sat? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Automatic percussion for a temple of Jagannath (1 min. video)
Some devotees were approaching to visit the temple thinking to meet a group of kirtaniyas who were playing their instruments. Instead, this is what they found :-)
Read More...

A special program at Bhaktivedanta Manor (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: All glories to the chanting of Hare Krishna mantra or Krishna sankirtana movement. All glories. All victory. How it is victory, all victory? If you chant this Hare Krishna mantra, then the dirty things which have accumulated in your heart due to material contamination will be cleared off. (Purport to Siksastakam)

Holy Name Retreat in Govardhana (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: How can we think mundane thoughts and at the same time chant? Two things are happening, and one will conquer. As maya is working to drag you from Krishna consciousness, you can challenge maya by chanting Hare Krishna. (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita, 3.6.10, Los Angeles 1968)

Gita Mela is an event organised by ISKCON Mayapur dedicated solely for interacting with the tourists. A winter festival that is held from December to January pays close attention to the guests by giving them valuable association of the devotees and showing them the importance of Bhagavad Gita. Also called the big ‘fair’ of knowledge, […]

The post Gita Mela-The Holy Name for One’s Faith appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HG Deena Bandhu Prabhu in ISKCON Chowpatty

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Answer Podcast

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Transcriber: Sharan Shetty

Edited by: Keshavgopal Das

Question: Does brahman always refer to the Lord’s effulgence?

Answer: There are words which have multiple meanings, and, in some context, certain words are given specific meanings. For example, Srila Jiva Goswami, in his analysis, uses the word bhagavan very specifically to refer to that Absolute Truth who has six opulences in full and beyond comparison – strength, wealth, knowledge, fame, beauty and renunciation. However, in the Srimad Bhagavatam, the word bhagavan is also used to refer to great sages – Bhagavan Narada, Bhagavan Vyasa although these personalities do not have six opulences. Thus, the word bhagavan has different meanings in different context.

In a particular analytical framework, brahman may have a precise technical meaning but generally speaking, if we look at the Vedic literature, the word brahman is used to refer to the Absolute Truth and not necessarily just the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth. It is said that Lord Rama when he completed his past-times, he entered into the effulgence (atma jyotir agata). But that does not mean Lord Rama merged, it is a way to refer to the spiritual world in general. Broadly speaking, the Absolute Truth is referred to by the name brahman and in
the Bhagavad-gita 10.12,

param brahma param dhama
pavitram paramam bhavan

Arjuna also addresses Krishna as brahma.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has explained the features of the Absolute Truth and within that context, he uses the word brahman to refer to a particular understanding of the Absolute Truth. That means, the word itself has two different meanings. It cannot be said that in all scriptural references, brahman will refer only to the effulgence. Within a particular analytical framework, the word brahman refers to the effulgence which is the analysis of the Absolute Truth but many times in the scriptures, the word brahman is used to refer to the Absolute Truth in general. To understand with another example, consider the word father which in general refers to one’s own biological father but in Christianity, the word father also refers to the priest of the Church. Both the words are true, and the same word has two different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. Likewise, the word brahman generally refers to the Absolute Truth but specifically and within a particular analytical framework, it also refers to the impersonal aspect of the Absolute Truth.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave the philosophy of achintya bhedabheda (inconceivable oneness and difference of the Absolute Truth and His energies) and when we consider the word brahman referring to the impersonal aspect, we are focusing more on the bheda (difference) where brahman is the impersonal aspect, paramatma is the witness and bhagavan is the personal aspect. But there is also abheda (oneness) which means that actually these three are non-different and they are all one Absolute Truth.

In terms of analysis, we can say that there is an impersonal effulgence and some spiritual seekers focus only on the impersonal effulgence. The impersonal effulgence referred to as brahmajyoti is also spirit, it is not material light. It is beyond the material world, and is not matter. Just like atma (spirit soul) is sat-cit-ananda (full of eternity, knowledge and bliss), the brahman effulgence is also part of the Absolute Truth. As we are the separated energy, brahman is the integrated energy and integral part of the Absolute Truth. In that sense, for analysis, we can separate but we should not have so much emphasis of bheda that we forget the abheda aspect. Both exist simultaneously.

End of transcription.

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