Dovetailing Our Consciousness with God's Mind
Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals that the Supreme Lord's mind is not like the material mind of a conditioned soul; it is completely absolute, eternal, and full of bliss. By studying his instructions, we can understand the transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa's mind, how it acts as the source of creation, and how we can achieve perfection by dovetailing our own consciousness with His supreme will.
The Absolute Nature of the Lord
In material existence, the living entity is different from their gross body and subtle mind. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, meaning there is absolutely no distinction between His body, His mind, and His self; everything about Him is absolute and spiritual.
- He (God) is described there as sac-cid-ananda-vigraha, which means that He is the eternal form fully representing transcendental existence, knowledge and bliss. As such, He does not require a separate body or mind, as we do in material existence.
- He (God) is the Complete Whole, and His mind, body and He Himself are all one and the same.
- In materially conditioned life, the soul is different from the gross embodiment and subtle mind. For the Supreme Lord, however, there is never any such difference between Him and His body and mind.
- One who does not know the spiritual potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead thinks of the Lord as an ordinary human being. But the Lord's mind, intelligence and senses can never be affected by material conditions.
The Source of Universal Creation
The material cosmos is a product of the Lord's divine contemplation and energy. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that the Lord's mind existed prior to the creation and is the actual source from which prominent universal controllers, such as the moon-god, were originally generated.
- Since His transcendental body and all His senses existed before the material creation, the Lord also has a transcendental mind and transcendental thinking, feeling and willing. This is the conclusion of all Vedic literature.
- Caitanya continued, "Before the creation there were no mundane eyes or mind; therefore the transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth's mind and eyes is confirmed."
- According to the Vedic description, Soma, the moon-god, was born from the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (candrama manaso jatah). But here (in SB 9.14.3) we find that Soma was born from the tears in the eyes of Atri.
- The demigod of the moon, Candra, came from the mind of Narayana, and the sun-god came from His eyes. The controlling deities of hearing and the life air came from Narayana, and the controlling deity of fire was generated from His mouth.
The Ignorance of Materialists
Because atheists have no spiritual vision, they tend to anthropomorphize God, projecting their own material defects onto Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that demons like Hiraṇyakaśipu falsely assume that the Lord's mind is partial, restless, or susceptible to bribery like a child's.
- Hiranyakasipu accused the Supreme Lord of having a restless mind like that of a small child who can be induced to do anything if simply offered some cakes and laddus.
- Hiranyakasipu thought that Visnu also becomes partial, like a child whose mind is not steady or resolute. The Lord can change His mind at any time, Hiranyakasipu thought, and therefore His words and activities are like those of children.
- Wrath can never enter into the heart of Him (the Lord), who is above all this. So how can lust take shelter in His mind?
The Perfection of Pure Devotion
True spiritual oneness is not the cessation of existence, but a perfect harmony of will. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that a pure Vaiṣṇava reaches the ultimate perfection of life when they completely purify their consciousness and dovetail their own mind with the mind and desires of the Supreme Lord.
- Actually, pure devotion is explained in the previous chapter: the mind of the Supreme Lord and the mind of the devotee should be dovetailed. A devotee should not wish anything but to execute the desire of the Supreme. That is oneness.
- When the mind is completely purified in love of Godhead, the mind becomes the mind of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The mind at that time does not act separately, nor does it act without inspiration to fulfill the desire of the Lord.
- The next day, Caitanya dasa, the son of Sivananda Sena, extended an invitation to the Lord. He could understand the Lord's mind, however, and therefore he arranged for a different kind of food.
- When Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, His mind was satisfied. Only They could understand each other's minds.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda establishes that God's mind is completely distinct from the material mind of the conditioned soul. As sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead's body, mind, and self are one undivided, absolute, spiritual reality. While atheistic individuals incorrectly project their own fickle, restless tendencies onto the Lord, the Vedic literature confirms that His mind is the supreme intelligence guiding the cosmos and is entirely unaffected by the material modes of nature. For the aspiring devotee, the path to ultimate liberation and pure love of God does not involve artificially voiding the mind. Instead, the highest state of spiritual "oneness" is achieved when a devotee completely purifies their consciousness, abandoning all separate material motives, and perfectly dovetails their mind with the mind of Kṛṣṇa, desiring nothing other than to execute His supreme will.
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 Mind. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.