Fully Absorbed in God
The ultimate goal of human life is to achieve a state of consciousness where the mind is no longer distracted by the temporary fluctuations of the material world. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that this state is achieved when one is fully absorbed in God. This absorption is not a state of emptiness or void, but a dynamic engagement of the mind, intelligence, and senses in the service and contemplation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Real Meaning of Samādhi
In the modern age, the word "meditation" is often misunderstood, but Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies its actual Vedic meaning. Real meditation is the process of absorbing the mind in the lotus feet of the Lord. After practicing the regulative principles of the yoga system, such as sitting postures and breath control, one finally reaches the stage of samādhi, or total absorption in the Supreme. This is the perfection of the yoga system—to place the beautiful face of the Lord in the core of the heart so that material attractions can no longer disturb the mind.
- After practicing the sitting postures and other regulative principles of the system, one finally reaches the stage of samadhi - absorption in the Supreme.
- The word "meditation" is very popular in this age amongst the common people, but they do not know the actual meaning of meditation. However, from Vedic literature we learn that the yogis are always absorbed in meditation upon the lotus feet of the Lord.
- Meditation, dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa, mind is absorbed in the Supreme Personality. That is the real process of yoga system and meditation - to see the form of Visnu.
- If the yogi is able to place the beautiful face of the Lord in the core of his heart, he will be completely satisfied. In other words, when one is absorbed in seeing the beauty of the Lord within himself, the material attraction can no longer disturb him.
Absorption Through Practical Devotion
Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that being absorbed in God is a practical science known as bhakti. It is not a mere sentiment; it involves engaging in activities that keep the mind constantly fixed on Kṛṣṇa. Devotees invoke people to hear about Bhagavān, publish books, and perform worship to remain constantly absorbed. This state of Kṛṣṇa consciousness allows a person to lose their taste for material sense pleasure altogether because they have found a higher, spiritual taste in the loving service of the Lord.
- Bhaktas invoke people to hear about Bhagavan, publish books about Bhagavan and worship Bhagavan, and in this way they are constantly absorbed in Bhagavan. This is the process of bhakti.
- A person in brahma-yoga, or Krsna consciousness, is so absorbed in the loving service of the Lord that he loses his taste for material sense pleasure altogether.
- Bhakti is not a sentiment but a practical science. One may engage in many activities, but in all cases, one's mind must be fully absorbed in Krsna.
- While traveling as a pilgrim, one should not be worried about pleasing society. One should remain always absorbed in the function of pleasing the Lord.
Purification Through Service and Focus
To help the conditioned soul achieve absorption, the Lord appears in His eternal, transcendental forms, such as the Deity or His holy names. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that by concentrating the mind on the Deity, one becomes absorbed in a trance of constant thought. This process purifies the seeker of attachment, fear, and anger. As the devotee becomes deeply attached to the object of love, they enter a state where they cannot live for even a moment without contact with the Supreme Lord. By taking refuge in the Lord and becoming purified by knowledge of Him, one attains transcendental love.
- He (Dhruva Maharaja) concentrated his mind on the arca-vigraha, the worshipable Deity of the Lord, which exactly represents the Supreme Lord, and thus thinking constantly of that Deity, he became absorbed in trance.
- Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purifled by knowledge of Me-and thus they all attained transcendental love for Me.
- When the complete plant takes shelter under the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, one becomes fully absorbed in love of God; then he cannot live even for a moment without being in contact with the Supreme Lord.
- They (the six Gosvamis) are honored all over the three worlds, and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krsna.
The Cosmic Cycle of Absorption
Beyond individual practice, Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that absorption is a cosmic principle involving the entire material manifestation. The universe is created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, maintained by Him, and eventually absorbed back into His person. God generates the universes through His breathing and enters each one as Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, only to eventually wind up the manifestation and again absorb the whole thing into His person. As part and parcel of the Lord, our natural state is to return to this source of all creation.
- In Krsna consciousness we can understand that the entire material creation is created by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, maintained by Him, annihilated by Him and absorbed in Him. We are also part and parcel of the Lord.
- He (God) lies down and generates the universes by His breathing, and by entering into each universe as Garbhodakasayi Visnu, He creates Brahma, Siva and many other demigods for maintenance of the universe and again absorbs the whole thing into His person.
- Both the son and the father (Sukadeva Gosvami and Vyasadeva) were completely cognizant of transcendental knowledge in Brahman, and afterwards both of them became absorbed in the personal features of the Supreme Lord.
- Lord Visnu bestows all good fortune upon the living entities by teaching them to perform Vedic activities such as ritualistic ceremonies, mystic yoga, austerities, penances, and ultimately samadhi, ecstatic absorption in thoughts of You - SB 10.2.34.
Conclusion
The supreme instruction of the Bhagavad-gītā is for the living entity to always engage the mind in thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Śrīla Prabhupāda promises that by being completely absorbed in the Lord—through worship, obeisances, and hearing His message—one surely attains His company. This absorption removes the fear of death, as seen in the example of Maharaja Pariksit, and ensures that at the end of life, the soul returns back to Godhead. Whether through the broadcasting of the holy name or constant meditation on His lotus feet, the devotee remains on the transcendental platform, forever absorbed in the service of Hari.
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 Absorbed in God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.