The Transcendental Nature of God's Moving

Śrīla Prabhupāda refutes the misconception that the Supreme Absolute Truth is an inactive, static void. By studying his instructions, we can understand how the entire creation depends on the Lord's dynamic movement, how He exhibits inconceivable pastimes throughout the universe, and how His sweet, personal movements captivate the hearts of His pure devotees.

The Supreme Cause of All Movement

The cosmic manifestation is not a self-operating machine; its constant activity is driven by the Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the progression of time, the changing of ages, and the fundamental mechanics of creation are all direct results of the Lord's supreme movement.

• The creation depends on the movement of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all causes.
• O King, the rivers are the veins of the gigantic body, the trees are the hairs of His body, and the omnipotent air is His breath. The passing ages are His movements, and His activities are the reactions of the three modes of material nature.
• The Personality of God is not a dead stone, nor is He inactive, as is poorly thought by some schools. He moves with the progress of time, and therefore He knows all about the past and future, along with His present activities. There is nothing unknown to Him.

Refuting Impersonal Misconceptions

Impersonalist philosophers attempt to strip the Lord of His transcendental attributes, claiming He is formless and immobile. Śrīla Prabhupāda exposes this folly, confirming that the Lord moves everywhere simultaneously, although His movements remain completely incomprehensible to mundane speculators.

• According to the Mayavada philosophy, when one becomes a sannyasi he is to be considered a moving Narayana. Mayavada philosophy holds that the real Narayana does not move because, being impersonal, He has no legs.
• The word carantam means "moving." The Lord moves everywhere - within and without - and we simply have to make our vision clear so that we may see Him.
• What then is to be said of ordinary speculators like the so-called philosophers of this material world? - even great yogis, demigods, saints and sages have been unable to understand the Supreme Lord's bodily feature and His movements.
• Even great yogis, demigods, saints and sages have been unable to understand the bodily features of that great artist (the Supreme Lord), nor could they understand the meaning of His movements.

The All-Pervading Yet Localized Movements

The Supreme Lord is not bound by the physical laws of space or gravity; He moves entirely by His own sweet will. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights how the Lord executes unimaginable feats, whether manifesting as a gigantic tortoise moving a mountain or as Trivikrama effortlessly stepping across the universe.

• Lord Jagannatha is the maintainer of the whole universe. Who can carry Him from one place to another? The Lord moves by His personal will just to perform His pastimes.
• It is He only who in His form of Trivikrama moved His leg effortlessly beyond the topmost planet, Satyaloka, up to the neutral state of the three modes of material nature. And all were moved.
• By churning the ocean of milk, Ajita produced nectar for the demigods. In the form of a tortoise, He moved here and there, carrying on His back the great mountain known as Mandara.

The Sweetness of His Loving Pastimes

Beyond His cosmic movements, the Lord's most intimate, personal movements are an endless source of bliss for His devotees. Śrīla Prabhupāda beautifully describes how the simple ringing of baby Kṛṣṇa's ankle bells or the graceful movement of the Lord's eyebrows completely captivates the hearts of His eternal associates.

• It is stated that when Mother Yasoda saw that the child was moving, ringing the bells on His waist, smiling at her with a pearl between His nostrils and with butter on His hands, she became wonderfully pleased to see her little child in that fashion.
• Yasoda said, "I want to enjoy the sight of His (Krsna) eyebrows moving in this cunning way, and I want to see His fearful eyes and beautiful face."
• Sincerely extolled in these words, Lord Visnu, shining very beautifully on the shoulders of Garuda, replied with words as sweet as nectar. His eyebrows moved gracefully as He looked at the sage (Kardama Muni) with a smile full of affection.
• He (Lord Ramacandra) became angry, moving His eyebrows and thus frightening the ocean, who then allowed the Lord to construct a bridge to cross the ocean.

The Moving Temple of the Devotee

A true devotee never considers the Lord to be distant or unapproachable. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the highest stage of yoga involves visualizing the dynamic, moving form of the Lord within, transforming the pure devotee into a walking, living sanctuary of God.

• Since an advanced devotee carries Lord Visnu within his heart, he is a moving temple and a moving Visnu.
• Thus always merged in devotional service, the yogi visualizes the Lord standing, moving, lying down or sitting within him, for the pastimes of the Supreme Lord are always beautiful and attractive.
• Yoga necessitates meditation on the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, whether He is standing, moving, lying down, etc.

Conclusion

Śrīla Prabhupāda completely shatters the dry, impersonal conception of a static, inactive Absolute Truth. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is infinitely dynamic; His very movements govern the passing of the ages, the progression of time, and the intricate workings of the cosmic manifestation. While foolish speculators and proud demigods fail to comprehend how the Lord effortlessly moves His foot past the boundaries of the universe, His pure devotees relish meditating on His every gesture. Whether He is playfully moving as a child to delight mother Yaśodā, gracefully arching His eyebrows to bless a sage, or moving in anger to subdue the ocean, the Lord's movements are always full of absolute sweetness and power. By absorbing one's consciousness in these beautiful, dynamic pastimes, the advanced Vaiṣṇava carries the active, moving Lord within their heart, thus becoming a sanctified, moving temple of God in the material world.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God's Moving. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

(See our Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles)

This content is a part of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani Temple. Source: https://vanipedia.org