Sb 5.5.2

[theist]

TRANSLATION

One can attain the path of liberation frommaterial bondage only by rendering service to highly advanced spiritualpersonalities. These personalities are impersonalists and devotees.Whether one wants to merge into the Lord’s existence or wants toassociate with the Personality of Godhead, one should render service tothe mahātmās. For those who are not interested in such activities, whoassociate with people fond of women and sex, the path to hell is wideopen. The mahātmās are equipoised. They do not see any differencebetween one living entity and another. They are very peaceful and arefully engaged in devotional service. They are devoid of anger, and theywork for the benefit of everyone. They do not behave in any abominableway. Such people are known as mahātmās.

PURPORT

The human body is like a junction. One may eithertake the path of liberation or the path leading to a hellish condition.How one can take these paths is described herein. On the path ofliberation, one associate; with mahātmās, and on the path of bondage one associates with those attached to sense gratification and women. There are two types of mahātmās—theimpersonalist and the devotee. Although their ultimate goal isdifferent, the process of emancipation is almost the same. Both wanteternal happiness. One seeks happiness in impersonal Brahman, and theother seeks happiness in the association of the Supreme Personality ofGodhead. As described in the first verse: brahma-saukhyam.Brahman means spiritual or eternal; both the impersonalist and thedevotee seek eternal blissful life. In any case, it is advised that onebecome perfect. In the words of Caitanya-caritāmṛta (Madhya 22.87):

asat-saṅga-tyāga,——ei vaiṣṇava-ācāra

‘strī-saṅgī’——eka asādhu, ‘kṛṣṇābhakta’ āra

 

To remain unattached to the modes of material nature, one should avoid associating with those who are asat,materialistic. There are two kinds of materialists. One is attached towomen and sense gratification, and the other is simply a nondevotee. Onthe positive side is association with mahātmās, and on the negative side is the avoidance of nondevotees and women-hunters.

[theist]

So impersonalists are also Mahatma's. Says to me we should be respectful even when strenuously debating philosophy.

 

Of course the word mahatma denotes genuine practitioners and not the showbottle crowd of "I am Godists" that are on the world stage today.

[suchandra]

 

The human body is like a junction. One may either take the path of liberation or the path leading to a hellish condition.

Developments like upraising to spiritual consciousness or the degradation of consciousness and to actually become situated on a desired status of live takes time.

 

Although one might contemplate a goal, till one actually becomes fully established it takes a lot of hurdles and barriers to overcome, things don't go speedily. Therefore the Gaudiya Vaishnavas did not protest so strongly about the ritual in Puri, first become born in a Hindu family, then take your next steps.

 

In the same way what we have now in the Western world, it should be clear that all these people take birth because they worked hard in previous life-times to get the chance to enjoy on Earth unristricted sex, meat eating, intoxication, sinful actions of cheating each other and to do all this among like-minded people.

 

I say on Earth because when you perform sinful activities on Earth you clearly do this in order to enter the lower planets to investigate and explore the sinful activities on millions of planets of the seven lower planetary systems. The catalyst at the beginning is always a deliberate decision, yes, I want this.

 

Therefore, it should be clear, in order to preach KC to present hell-bent humanity it takes much more input than to just do what is presently done. People have activated their way to hell already in their last lifetime. The way how they are presently informed about spiritual life is just rather a joke, damp squib, barrel burst. What the present Vaishnava institutions are doing is this full sunlight? No, it is not.

 

Prabhupada, December 16, 1976, Hyderabad: Just like in the morning there is no full sunshine, but there is some glimpse of light. That is not real light. Real light is full sunshine but before the sun rises fully there is some light. That light and this light is different. We have to come to the full light. Then our life will be success. Not partial light. That will not help. The full light you can get from the Supreme Person, Krsna.

[Sarva gattah]

Nice and sobering post theist - the fifth Canto gives the source.

[theist]

 

Nice and sobering post theist - the fifth Canto gives the source.

 

 

Yes it is a mistake to see presenting Krishna consciousness as a vehicle for releasing our own personal anger and resentments we have pent up due to our life in the material world.

 

 

When I was a teenager my enemy was the Capitalist state. Then I became a theist and I redirected that anger onto to atheists and impersonalists.

 

 

Same anger. Materially motivated and not Krishna inspired. Such presentations of Krishna consciousness lack the true spirit of Krishna consciousness.

 

 

The devotee will naturally hold a great aversion to impersonalist teachings but it doesn't prevent him from seeing the the so-called impersonalist as a particle of Krishna and maintaining his respect for that soul.