Attaining the Kingdom of God - The Ultimate Spiritual Destination
Every living entity is knowingly or unknowingly searching for an eternal life full of bliss and knowledge. The Vedic literatures reveal that this supreme desire can only be fulfilled by returning to the spiritual sky. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that attaining the kingdom of God is not a myth or a vague hope, but a scientific process of purifying the consciousness. By understanding the true nature of this spiritual abode, adopting the process of bhakti-yoga, and developing the necessary qualifications, any sincere soul can achieve the ultimate destination.
The Nature of the Spiritual Kingdom
A widespread philosophical error is the belief that the ultimate spiritual reality is void or formless. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the kingdom of God as a dynamic, eternal establishment full of spiritual varieties, where the activities of pure devotional service continue forever on the absolute plane.
- Krsna's abode is not void. It is like an establishment, and in an establishment there is a variety of engagements. The successful yogi actually attains to the Kingdom of God where there is spiritual variegatedness.
- One attains to the kingdom of God, where spiritual varieties are there. They are not variety-less; otherwise, the Lord would not have said that samstham. There is a regular establishment.
- There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord. Since both of them are on the absolute plane, to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is to have attained the spiritual kingdom.
- One should desire and hanker after that supreme kingdom, for when one attains that kingdom, he does not have to return to this material world.
The Process of Devotional Service
The gap between the material world and the spiritual sky cannot be crossed by mechanical effort alone; it requires divine guidance. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that by systematically hearing and chanting about the Lord and engaging in practical devotional service, the Lord Himself provides the intelligence needed to return home.
- A person who is fully absorbed in Krsna Con. is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.
- Anyone who trains the mind to turn from matter to the spiritual form of the Godhead by performance of the prescribed rules of devotional service can easily attain the kingdom of God, in the anti-material sky.
- If we try to repeat what we hear, we become established in knowledge. By the process of sravanam kirtanam (Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.5.23), hearing and chanting, we can become free from material conditioning and attain to the kingdom of God.
- The Lord gives such a devotee (who always engage in Krsna's service) sufficient intelligence so that ultimately the devotee can attain Him in His spiritual kingdom.
Qualification and Detachment
Entrance into the supreme abode requires complete purification of consciousness. Śrīla Prabhupāda instructs that one must diligently practice mind and sense control, ridding the heart of all false prestige, illusion, and the deep-rooted desire for material lust and comfort.
- One who is free from illusion, false prestige, and false association, who understands the eternal, who is done with material lust and is freed from the duality of happiness and distress, attains to that eternal kingdom.
- Thus practicing constant control of the body, mind and activities, the mystic transcendentalist, his mind regulated, attains to the kingdom of God (or the abode of Krsna) by cessation of material existence.
- Youngsters who have had no taste of sex life can easily follow the vow of celibacy, and once fixed in the principle of such a life, one can very easily continue to the highest perfectional stage, attaining the kingdom of the three-fourths energy of God.
- Those who attained the comforts of a material civilization should try to attain the kingdom of God by following in the footsteps of Bali Maharaja, who exchanged his acquired material strength.
A Universal Opportunity
The mercy of the Supreme Lord is not restricted to any particular class of men. The Vedic scriptures confirm that anyone, regardless of their past or social standing, who adopts the genuine principles of spiritual life can attain the highest perfection.
- In the Bhagavad-Gita the Personality of Godhead says the following words: O son of Prtha, even those who are faithless and are of lower birth - including fallen women or professional prostitutes, ignorant manual laborers all shall attain perfection and reach the Kingdom of God.
- Lord Jesus Christ also, he taught like that - "The humble and meek will attain the kingdom of God." Is it not said like that.
- As a bona fide disciple of Vyasadeva, Sukadeva inquired from his father very extensively about religious principles and spiritual values, and his great father also satisfied him by teaching him the yoga system by which one can attain the spiritual kingdom.
- Essentially, those who are interested in material enjoyment are saktas, and those interested in spiritual salvation and attaining the spiritual kingdom are Vaisnavas.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Śrīla Prabhupāda masterfully dispels the illusion that the ultimate spiritual destination is an impersonal void. The kingdom of God is a highly dynamic, absolute realm brimming with spiritual varieties and loving devotional engagements. To qualify for entrance into this eternal abode, a practitioner must actively detach their mind from material allurements, false prestige, and lust, utilizing the powerful practices of hearing and chanting. Because the activities of pure devotional service and the spiritual kingdom are on the exact same absolute plane, one who absorbs their life in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is already residing in the spiritual world. Ultimately, this divine opportunity is universally open. Whether one is a highly regulated yogī or a simple person of lower birth, by adopting the humble, meek, and fully surrendered attitude prescribed by the Lord, anyone can effortlessly cross over the ocean of material existence and permanently attain the kingdom of God.
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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 Kingdom of God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.