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does not such a man, who is bewildered from the path of transcendence, fall away from both spiritual and material success and perish like a riven cloud, with no position in any sphere?”

“Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination It is herein stressed that one must be completely fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devoid of duality, and by virtue of pious activities executed in a previous life, his consciousness will be steadily fixed, and

“One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.” (Bhagavad-gītā 6.5) The word ātmā denotes body, mind, and soul – depending on different circumstances In the yoga system, the mind and the conditioned soul are especially important. The purpose of the yoga system is to control the mind and to draw it away from attachment to sense objects

“According to the Vedas, there are two ways of passing from this world – one in light and one in darkness (Bhagavad-gītā 8.26) The same description of departure and return is quoted by Ācārya Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa In such a way, those who are fruitive laborers and philosophical speculators from time immemorial are constantly going and coming.

by step, one should become situated in trance by means of intelligence sustained by full conviction, and thus the mind should be fixed on the Self alone and should think of nothing else.”

We cannot calculate the length and breadth of this universe. There are millions and millions of universes like this within this material world, and above this material This covering extends millions and millions of miles, and only after penetrating that covering can one therefore we are a combination of the material and spiritual. Spiritual nature is called superior, and material nature is called inferior, because without spirit,

, and the gross materials return to the elements. Or, as the Christian Bible says, “Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return.” In some societies the body is burned, in others it is buried, and in others it is thrown to animals. In India, the Hindus burn the body, and thus the body is transformed into ashes. Christians bury the body, and after some time in the grave, the body eventually turns to dust, which

The universe is divided into fourteen planetary systems (caturdaśa-bhuvana) – seven lower and seven higher The words punar āvartinaḥ mean “returning again,” or “repetition of birth and death.” We are changing bodies just as we change clothes, leaving one body and entering another. There are living entities on the higher planets and lower planets as well. The air is filled with birds, and if we analyze outer space, we will find many living entities.

We cannot demand, “Come and show Yourself.” No, we first have to qualify ourselves. Then we can see God at every moment and everywhere.

“Instruct everyone to follow the orders of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa as they are given in the Bhagavad-gītā and In this way become a spiritual master and try to liberate everyone in this land.”

Since the entire creation and annihilation of the material universes depend on the exhaling and inhaling And yet it is said here that this Mahā-viṣṇu is but a plenary portion of the plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa Mahā-viṣṇu enters into each universe as Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, and Garbhodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu further expands as Kṣīrodaka-śāyī Viṣṇu, and it is this Viṣṇu form that enters into the heart of every living entity

It has already been explained that one must sit in a certain way and concentrate the mind on the form According to the aṣṭāṅga-yoga system, first of all one has to control the senses, follow all the rules and regulations, practice the sitting posture and the breathing process, concentrate the mind on the form of Viṣṇu within the heart, and then become absorbed in that form. Indeed, he says that it “appears impractical and unendurable to me.”

And what is the result obtained by one who is temperate in his habits?

Vaikuṇṭha means “freedom from anxiety,” and in Vaikuṇṭha the liberated souls are always dancing, chanting , and taking prasāda. In the Vedānta-sūtra it is stated, ānandamayo ’bhyāsāt: God is ānandamaya, full of bliss and pleasure Since we are part and parcel of God, we also possess these same qualities.

regards honest well-wishers, affectionate benefactors, the neutral, mediators, the envious, friends and enemies, the pious and the sinners, all with an equal mind.” In this material world we are considering people friends and enemies on the bodily platform – that is If one gratifies our senses, he is our friend, and if he doesn’t, he is our enemy.

Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and the life air at the top of the

It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”

and who is not. There are five kinds of liberation: sāyujya, sārūpya, sālokya, sārṣṭi, and sāmīpya. We have discussed this, and have concluded that the attempt to merge and lose individuality is not desirable and is very risky. That, however, is a suicidal policy and is not recommended by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā.

“And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me – He is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is clearly stated that there are many types of yogis – aṣṭāṅga-yogīs, haṭha-yogīs, jñāna-yogīs, karma-yogīs, and bhakti-yogīs – and that of all the yogis, “he who always abides in Me” is said to be the greatest of great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and

We may look at millions and millions of stars through telescopes, but we cannot approach what we are Being incapable, we should not try to understand God and His kingdom by experimental knowledge. Similarly, in order to understand who God is and what His nature is, we have to accept the information Once we become advanced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we will realize God and His nature. We can come to understand, “Yes, there is God and a spiritual kingdom, and I have to go there.