God Is Good - The Absolute Nature of the Supreme Lord
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the common phrase "God is good" holds deep absolute truth. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is fully transcendental and perfect, everything He does, speaks, and creates is fundamentally and undeniably good.
The Absolute Nature of God's Goodness
According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the Supreme Lord's goodness is absolute, meaning even actions that appear negative from a material perspective are entirely beneficial. Whether He rewards a devotee or kills a demon, His actions are equally good and auspicious.
- "God is good" means when He's favoring somebody and when He's killing somebody, both of them are benefited. Therefore God is always good, both ways. Nija-labha. He has no business to kill anybody as His enemy.
- It is said that God is good, and this is a fact. Whether He cheats or rewards, He is always good. Bali Maharaja therefore addressed Him as Uttamasloka.
- God is good; therefore His cheating is good, His thieving is good. Everything is absolute. Unless you cannot understand this Absolute Truth, there is no understanding of Krsna.
- What you call evil, that quality is also there in God. But God, being absolute, there is no evil; everything is good. God is good.
Qualitative Oneness with the Supreme
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that because the living entities are minute parts and parcels of the Lord, they inherently possess His good qualities. Like a tiny particle of gold, the soul's original nature is purely good before being covered by material infection.
- Good qualities means we are part and parcel of God, so God is good, so we are also good. Otherwise how can I be part and parcel of God?
- Qualitatively we are one. God is good, so in quality we are good; we are not bad. But why you have become bad? Because we are now differently dressed. A dog is thinking, "I am dog," and a man is thinking, "I am man." A cat is thinking, "I am cat."
- The position is that we are part and parcel of God. If God is good, we are also good. Just like gold and particle of gold. If gold is valuable, the little particle, it may be less valuable, but it is valuable.
- If God is good, then I am good. So because I am covered by the material dirty things, I look like not gold. So this is the test. As soon as you become God conscious, your original all good qualities will manifest automatically.
Beyond Preliminary Conceptions
Many people have only a vague, sentimental understanding of the Lord's goodness. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that to truly grasp how great and good God is, one must elevate their knowledge by studying authorized Vedic literatures like the Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.
- At the present moment, vague idea, what is God; practically no idea. What is their God? "God is good." They . . . sometimes they say: "God is great," but what is that God, how great He is, how He is good, nobody knows.
- One who only understands that "God is good" is in a preliminary stage, but one who actually understands how great and good God is, is further progressed. That knowledge is to be had in Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita.
- Nondevotees' conception of God means if God supplies my order, or carries my order, whatever I say, then God is good. And if he does not do so, then God is bad.
- If one does not know God is good, then he is imperfect in his knowledge.
The Perfection of Vedic Knowledge
Because the Supreme Lord is all-good, His instructions are perfect. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that following the religious principles given directly by God cures the material disease and restores the living entity to their original goodness.
- Why Vedic knowledge is perfect? Because it is spoken by God. God is perfect, and whatever He speaks, that is perfect. Therefore God is called "God is good." All-good. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, everything is good, perfect.
- First we must become good men; then we can understand God. God is all good, and if we don't become good we cannot understand Him.
- God has given us everything, and now it is up to us to make our choice. So God is good, and if we follow His instructions, we become good.
- God is good. So sex life which is not against the religious principles, that is good sex life. Otherwise, it is bad.
Conclusion
To realize that the Lord is absolute is the true understanding of His perfection. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that because God is good, His instructions, His actions, and His very nature are flawlessly perfect, inviting all covered souls to revive their original, godly qualities through devotion.
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 Is Good. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.