Attaining the Absolute Truth - The Supreme Goal of Material Existence
The material world, despite its temporary and miserable nature, serves a profound divine purpose: it provides the conditioned soul a chance to attain liberation. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the ultimate goal of all Vedic knowledge is not to secure temporary material benefits, but to attain the Absolute Truth, Lord Kṛṣṇa. By understanding the futility of mental speculation, the necessity of authorized guidance, and the supreme effectiveness of pure devotional service, a sincere seeker can transcend the relative truths of this world and reenter the eternal, spiritual reality.
Futility of Mental Speculation
To attain the Supreme, one must recognize the severe limitations of the human intellect. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that because the material senses are inherently imperfect, the ascending process of philosophical argument and intellectual speculation can never perfectly capture the unlimited Absolute Truth.
- No one can attain the Absolute Truth by argument.
- One must accept a principle of standard knowledge because one cannot attain the Absolute Truth simply by intellectual speculation.
- The Absolute Truth remains above the philosophers and their acquired knowledge. The conception of the Absolute is never perfectly attained by such an ascending process, because of its being born of imperfect, material senses.
- There are three ways to attain the lotus feet of the Absolute Truth, Krsna. There is the process of philosophical speculation, the practice of mystic yoga and the execution of devotional service. Each of these has its different characteristics.
Importance of Scripture, Guru, and Devotees
Because the Absolute Truth cannot be reached by ascending effort, one must accept the descending process of knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that one must strictly follow the scriptural regulations, approach a bona fide spiritual master solely for spiritual enlightenment, and secure the causeless mercy of a pure devotee.
- After studying the Vedas and attaining the understanding of the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is supposed to be on the platform of perfect knowledge.
- One should approach guru for seeing the tattva, the Absolute Truth. That is necessary. Not for any material benefit. One should not search out a guru for, I mean to say, curing some material disease. For that, there is medical practitioner.
- One who acts without following the regulations of the scriptures will not attain the Absolute Truth. He will get some temporary result, but not the ultimate end of life.
- There are many other processes to understand the Absolute Truth, but the Absolute Truth is only revealed to one who has attained the mercy of a great devotee.
Path of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and Detachment
The Absolute Truth is not merely an abstract concept, but the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, who exists eternally in all phases of time. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that to fully concentrate on Kṛṣṇa and attain this ultimate reality, one must develop detachment from the temporary, relative truths of the material world.
- One cannot concentrate one's mind and energy upon the Supreme unless one is detached from the material world. Following detachment from the material world, one can actually attain transcendental knowledge of the Absolute Truth.
- One who becomes fully Krsna conscious can attain the Absolute Truth. Krsna is the Absolute Truth because, unlike relative truth, He is Truth in all the three phases of eternal time.
- One who becomes fully Krsna conscious can attain the Absolute Truth. Krsna is the Absolute Truth. Relative truth is not truth in all the three phases of eternal time.
- By concentrating one's mind upon Krsna, one is able to know the Absolute Truth completely, but not otherwise.
Ultimate Goal and Stages of Realization
Realizing the Absolute Truth is a progressive journey that culminates in personal association with the Lord. While understanding the Lord's omnipresent feature or entering His Brahman effulgence are stages of realization, the Vedic literatures clarify that entering the spiritual planets requires pure devotional service, a perfection that can be achieved instantly if one is truly fortunate.
- Because there are three main stages of realization, the Supreme Absolute Truth is not attained in one birth. Bahunam janmanam ante (Bg. 7.19). If one is fortunate, he can achieve the ultimate in one second.
- Realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead's omnipresence is the perfect realization of the Absolute Truth to be attained through the study of the Vedic literatures.
- The absolute truth and His bodily effulgence are in the same way simultaneously one and different. Kamsa and Sisupala attained to the absolute truth, but they were not allowed to enter into the Goloka Vrndavana abode.
- The purpose of the material manifestation is to give the conditioned soul a chance to attain liberation and return to the asraya-tattva, or the Absolute Truth.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully teaches that attaining the Absolute Truth is the sole purpose of the material creation. Since this supreme reality—Lord Kṛṣṇa—is completely beyond the reach of the imperfect material senses, one must abandon the ascending path of philosophical argument and instead accept the descending path of authorized knowledge. By submitting to a bona fide spiritual master, strictly following the scriptural regulations, and receiving the mercy of a pure devotee, the conditioned soul is securely guided. Ultimately, true realization is not merely merging into the Brahman effulgence, but entering into a deeply personal, detached, and fully Kṛṣṇa conscious relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead across all phases of eternal time.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Attaining the Absolute Truth. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.