Rise Beyond Impersonalism - I

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Dear Friend, Haribol! One of the most common issues of argument within devotees is whether God is personal or impersonal. Although it is baseless to stamp God is impersonal when the personality of every living being emanates from Him, the argument continues. This does not mean that God has no impersonal aspect. As a superset of everything, Krishna, very much a person, does have an impersonal aspect, but he condemns its worship in strong words in the Bhagavad-Gita. In this issue of the multipart series of the Hémãkśaram, we consider the question that lingers in the minds of neophyte devotees: whether to worship God as one with or without a personality.

 

HémãkśaramDedicated toHis Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedänta Swämi Srila PrabhupädaFounder-Achärya: International Society for Krishna Consciousness Rise Beyond Impersonalism - I

 

arjuna uvächa evam satata-yuktä ye bhaktäs tväm paryupäsate ye chäpy aksharam avyaktam teshäm ke yoga-vittamäh (BG. 12.1)“Arjuna inquired: Which is considered to be more perfect: those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service, or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?” Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes: The impersonalist, and the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The

impersonalist engages himself not directly in the service of Krishna but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Krishna indicates in the twelfth chapter that bhakti-yoga, or devotional service to Him, is highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead. In the Second Chapter the Lord explains that a living entity is not the material body but is a spiritual spark, a part of the Absolute Truth. In the Seventh Chapter He speaks of the living entity as part and parcel of the supreme whole and recommends that he transfer his attention fully to the whole. In the Eighth Chapter it is stated that whoever thinks of Krishna at the moment of death is at once transferred to the

spiritual sky, Krishna’s abode. And at the end of the Sixth Chapter the Lord says that out of all the yogis, he who thinks of Krishna within himself is considered to be the most perfect. So throughout the Gita personal devotion to Krishna is recommended as the highest form of spiritual realization. Yet there are those who are still attracted to Krishna’s impersonal brahmajyoti effulgence, which is the all-pervasive aspect of the Absolute Truth and which is unmanifest and beyond the reach of the senses. To Arjuna’s query, Krishna replies as follows. shri-bhagavän uvächa mayy äveshya mano ye mäm nitya-yuktä upäsate shraddhayä parayopetäs te me yuktatamä matäh (BG.

12.2-4)“The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.” In answer to Arjuna’s question, Krishna clearly says that he who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in yoga. For one in such Krishna consciousness there are no material activities because everything is done by Krishna. A pure devotee is constantly engaged—sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Krishna, or sometimes he cooks prasädam or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Krishna, or sometimes he washes the

temple or the dishes—whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Krishna. Such action is in full samädhi. Hope you enjoyed this edition of the Hémãkśaram. For any correspondence, you are invited to write to vedicvisions. Do allow a couple of days for a reply. In the next issue, we shall see that although Krishna admits that devotees treading on the impersonal path may somehow manage to reach Him, the path is, nevertheless, riddled with troubles. Till then, Haribol!Humbly yours,Friends of Lord

Krishna.

 

Please Chant:Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare HareHare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare HareAnd Be

Happy.

If you are interested in the subject matter, get in touch with:INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESSHare Krishna Hill,Chord

Road,Bangalore-560 010.Phone: 3578346, 3471956.(Web: www.iskconbangalore.org)

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