KEY TAKEAWAYS from HH Harivilas Maharaj’s Morning Bhagavatam class on SB 2.1.20:
- Only persons conducted by the mode of goodness can have the knowledge of the Supreme Truth.
- One can rectify agitated mind conceptions (caused by the passionate mode of material nature) by the relation of Viṣṇu and thus become pacified by cleansing the dirty things created by them.
- And those who are too much after wealth and women can rectify their leanings only by constant remembrance of Viṣṇu in His feature composed of impersonal potencies.
- Nowadays women are not to be submissive, they are taught to be protagonists. There is a whole movement of Feminization of men. It is all based on a sense of gratification. Neither side is correct.
- Māyāvādīs, because they are seeing the Absolute Truth from a distant place, far away, they think that in the Absolute Truth there is no variety. However. The Absolute Truth is described in the Brahma-saṁhitā – There are, in the spiritual world, there are Vaikuṇṭhalokas. There are inhabitants, the devotees. They’re all liberated persons…
- If we simply stick to the indefinite, impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, then there is the chance of falling down. And most fall down.
- To acquire such a qualification of God-realization in the personal feature, the neophyte impersonalist is given a chance to realize the relation of the Lord in everything by the philosophy of pantheism.
- Pantheism in its higher status does not permit the student to form an impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth, but it extends the conception of the Absolute Truth into the field of the so-called material energy.
- Everything created by the material energy can be dovetailed with the Absolute by an attitude of service, which is the essential part of living energy.
- The pure devotee of the Lord knows the art of converting everything into its spiritual existence by this service attitude, and only in that devotional way can the theory of pantheism be perfected.
SB 2.1.20 Translation:
One’s mind is always agitated by the passionate mode of material nature and bewildered by the ignorant mode of nature. But one can rectify such conceptions by the relation of Viṣṇu and thus become pacified by cleansing the dirty things created by them.
CLASS NOTES: one can rectify such conceptions by the relation of Viṣṇu and thus become pacified by cleansing the dirty things created by them.
Persons generally conducted by the modes of passion and ignorance cannot be bona fide candidates for being situated in the transcendental stage of God-realization. Only persons conducted by the mode of goodness can have the knowledge of the Supreme Truth.
And those who are too much after wealth and women can rectify their leanings only by constant remembrance of Viṣṇu in His feature composed of impersonal potencies.
After many hundreds of births, the impersonal philosopher surrenders unto the Personality of Godhead.
Everything created by the material energy can be dovetailed with the Absolute by an attitude of service, which is the essential part of living energy. The pure devotee of the Lord knows the art of converting everything into its spiritual existence by this service attitude, and only in that devotional way can the theory of pantheism be perfected.
“One can rectify such conceptions by the relation of Viṣṇu and thus become pacified by cleansing the dirty things created by them.” – This is through personalism. Purify the mistakes and false ideas accumulated due to the mode of passion and ignorance. You can rectify that by the relation with Vishnu. One can become pacified. Bewilderment, hankering, lamentation, lust, greed will overcome otherwise due to mode ignorance and passion. Nowadays women are not to be submissive, they are taught to be protagonists. There is a whole movement of Feminization of men. It is all based on a sense of gratification. SP says – women want to become Purusha… everything has become mixed up and confused. The effect of passion and ignorance is hankering after wealth and women.
Maharaj asked a boy – you want to go to a good college to get an education and earn more money. Would you do something illegal to get more money if you can get away? The boy said yes. Every month, a stockbroker is caught because of cheating and they are prosecuted.
Most of the people are impersonalists. How many Vaishnavas are there in India?
What is Pantheism – Doctrine which identifies God with the whole universe. Conversely, the worship which admits all kinds of Gods. All the forces in the world are God. Example – They reject God as a person, all the forces in the world are God. Pantheism has some indirect concept of God.
Srila Prabhupada is showing in this verse how to preach to Pantheists.
(BG 4.24)
A person who is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.
This material veil can be removed at once by Kṛṣṇa consciousness; thus the offering for the sake of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the consuming agent of such an offering or contribution, the process of consumption, the contributor and the result are – all combined together – Brahman, or the Absolute Truth. The Absolute Truth covered by māyā is called matter. Matter dovetailed for the cause of the Absolute Truth regains its spiritual quality. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the process of converting the illusory consciousness into Brahman, or the Supreme. When the mind is fully absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is said to be in samādhi or trance. Anything done in such transcendental consciousness is called yajña, or sacrifice for the Absolute. In that condition of spiritual consciousness, the contributor, the contribution, the consumption, the performer or leader of the performance and the result or ultimate gain – everything – becomes one in the Absolute, the Supreme Brahman. That is the method of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
SP is the greatest preacher, he can take anything and bring it to KC. Impersonalism, pantheism…
SB 3.25.6 Lecture (https://vedabase.io/en/library/transcripts/741105sbbom/)
When Kapila, who could show her the ultimate goal of the Absolute Truth, was sitting leisurely before her, Devahūti remembered the words Brahmā had spoken to her, and she, therefore, began to question Kapila as follows.
Kapila Muni is teaching his mother Devahuti Tattva Jnana.
Just like these Māyāvādīs, they cannot understand that this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa name is actually getting direct association with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, in Benares, considered Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as a crazy fellow. Crazy fellow. Why? Now, because He was sannyāsī, and He was not reading Vedānta-sūtra. He was simply chanting and dancing. So some devotee of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very much praised Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu at the…, in the presence of Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī, and Prakāśānanda Sarasvatī became very angry, “Ah, don’t talk of this rascal sannyāsī. He is a sannyāsī, He does not read Vedānta-sūtra, and in sentimental moods He chants and dances. Don’t talk about Him. Better don’t go there.” So that devotee became very sorry, and he arranged a meeting between this Māyāvādī sannyāsī and Caitanya Mahāprabhu.