God Is Infinite - The Infinite and the Infinitesimal
Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the Absolute Truth is fundamentally defined by His boundless magnitude. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is eternally infinite, possessing unlimited potencies, whereas the individual spirit souls are eternally infinitesimal.
The Infinite and the Infinitesimal
According to Śrīla Prabhupāda, the living entities and the Supreme Lord are qualitatively identical, just like the sun and the sunshine. However, the fundamental distinction remains that God is the infinite supreme, while the living entity is an invisible, infinitesimal spark.
- Although both the Supreme Lord and the living entities are qualitatively fire, there is yet a distinction. Visnu the Supreme is infinite, whereas the living entities, which are but sparks, are infinitesimal.
- As living entities, we are very minute, infinitesimal, and God is infinite. Indeed, the magnitude of the individual spirit soul is so microscopic that it cannot be seen. One cannot even imagine it with his material senses.
- God is God, and the living entity is the living entity. God is supreme and infinite; we are infinitesimal. Our position is to serve God, and when we act according to our position, we become happy.
- The Supreme Spirit is infinite, but the living entity, or the individual soul, is infinitesimal, although it is not different in quality from the Supreme Spirit.
The Fallacy of Equality
Because the soul is eternally infinitesimal, it can never become the infinite Supreme Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda strongly refutes the idea that a finite living entity can artificially claim absolute equality with God, as this only causes further material bewilderment.
- One must know that he is finite and that the Lord is infinite. Thus it is not possible to actually become one with the Lord even if one aspires for this.
- The infinitesimal soul, being unchangeable, can never become equal to the infinite soul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This concept is repeated in the Vedas in different ways just to confirm the stability of the conception of the soul.
- If the jivas are artificially placed on the same level with the infinite Supreme - for both of them are Brahman, or spirit - bewilderment will certainly be the result.
- Unlike the bodily changes, there is no change in the soul. As eternally unchangeable, the soul remains atomic in comparison to the infinite Supreme Soul. The Supreme Soul is infinite, and the atomic soul is infinitesimal.
Infinite Potencies and Expansions
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Lord effortlessly displays His infinite nature by pervading the entire cosmic manifestation. By His plenary portions, the infinite Lord enters into every single universe and every atomic particle without being diminished.
- BS 5.35: "I worship the Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who by one of His plenary portions enters the existence of every universe and every atomic particle and thus manifests His infinite energy unlimitedly throughout the material creation."
- Stated in Brahma-samhita: "I worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda, who, by one of His plenary portions, enters into the existence of every universe and every particle of the atoms and thus unlimitedly manifests His infinite energy all over the material creation."
- Millions of universes emanate from the breathing of the Maha-Visnu. In the Tenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita (10.42), Krsna gives Arjuna some indication of His infinite glory, and He concludes His descriptions with the following statement.
- The Lord is within everything, and He is all-covering also, without being disturbed by the activities of the individual souls. He is infinite, and the living entities are infinitesimal.
Understanding the Infinite
Because the Lord is boundless, He cannot be gauged by mental speculation. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the tiny human brain can only understand the infinite when the Lord gracefully reveals Himself to His devoted servants.
- Due to a poor fund of knowledge, the mental speculators try to bring the Supreme within the purview of words and minds, but the Lord refuses to be so intelligible; the speculator has no adequate words or mind to gauge the infinity of the Lord.
- Arjuna could understand that for a living entity it is not possible to understand the unlimited infinite. If the infinite reveals Himself, then it is possible to understand the nature of the infinite by the grace of the infinite.
- The most wonderful manifestation of the Lord's power is exhibited when the infinite Lord becomes visible to our eyes as one of us. Yet His activities are different from those of the finite beings.
- It is the beautiful and exalted nature of devotional service that the infinite Lord becomes submissive to the infinitesimal living entity because of it.
Conclusion
To understand the Absolute Truth is to recognize the supreme distinction between the Lord and the living entity. Śrīla Prabhupāda confirms that God is the infinite master, and the soul is the infinitesimal servant. When the tiny living entity abandons mental speculation and artificial desires to become equal to the Lord, they can experience perfect spiritual happiness by rendering eternal, loving service to the infinite Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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