From the Editor
Ten Essential Points
THE GREAT SPIRITUAL teacher Bhaktivinoda Thakura (the father of Prabhupada’s spiritual master) summarized the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, or Krsna consciousness, in ten points. Here are those points, each followed by my brief comments.
1. The Vedic literature is the only source of knowledge about the Absolute Truth. Bhaktivinoda Thakura studied the other scriptures of the world before coming to this conclusion. He found that the Vedic scriptures deliver the deepest, most comprehensive philosophy of the Absolute Truth. And only in the Vedas can one get detailed information about God’s names, forms, qualities, pastimes, and so on.
2. Hari (Krsna), the Almighty, is the Supreme Lord. A superficial view of the Vedic scriptures may lead one to believe that they promote polytheism, when in fact they definitely point to Lord Krsna as the one Supreme Person, above all other powerful universal controllers.
3. Krsna is always invested with infinite powers. Unlike us, God can do anything. Because His powers are innumerable and unlimited, everything He desires to occur takes place simply by His will. And He is never forced to do anything.
4. Krsna is the ocean of rasa. Rasa is the spiritual exchange between God and the innumerable minute souls (jivas). Each of us has an eternal unique relationship with Krsna that will be revealed when our hearts fully open to receive His love.
5. The soul is Krsna’s separated part.Like Krsna, we are all sac-cid-ananda—eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. We are never equal to Krsna, but being part of Him, we are in that sense one with Him.
6. Certain souls are engrossed by Krsna’s illusory energy. Because of misused independence, some souls receive, and identify with, repeated bodies in the material world. That false identification causes the soul, fully happy by nature, to suffer miseries like old age, disease, death, and rebirth.
7. Certain souls are released from Krsna’s illusory energy. Some souls enjoy Krsna’s company eternally in the spiritual world and never leave there. Qualified souls in the material world can join them, never to return here.
8. All spiritual and material phenomena are simultaneously one with and different from Krsna.God is in one sense everything, because everything comes from Him. Still, everything has its own identity and exists in relationship to God. The jivas, for example, though spiritual by constitution, like God, possess unique identities and can eternally exchange love with Him.
9. Pure devotional service is the only means for attaining the final objective of life. The Vedas place all activity into four main categories: karma (work for material rewards), jnana (the philosophical pursuit of Truth), yoga (the pursuit of Truth through meditation), and bhakti (devotion to God). Because the Absolute Truth is a person, to know Him He must ultimately reveal Himself. He does so only when He is moved by the devotee’s bhakti, or love.
10. Pure love of Godhead is the final objective of life. The goal of karma is happiness within this world, either here on earth on in higher realms. Jnana aims to identify with, or merge with, an indescribable impersonal spiritual reality. At best, yogis can perceive the Supersoul, the expansion of God within the heart. But bhaktas, or devotees of the Lord, by awakening their innate love for Him, regain His company and the purpose for which all souls exist: unending exchanges of love with Him. Only the pure devotee is assured of never returning to the suffering and illusion of material existence.
—Nagaraja Dasa