God Is Not Dead - The Eternal Supreme Being
Śrīla Prabhupāda vigorously challenges the atheistic propaganda that God is dead. He teaches that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the eternally living, fully cognizant source of all existence. Far from being a dead or inactive principle, God is a supreme person who actively maintains the universe and invites all living entities into an eternal, loving relationship.
Refuting Atheistic Theories
In modern times, many materialistic philosophers have propagated the foolish idea that God is dead or nonexistent. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this is simply the illusion of atheists, who fail to perceive the eternal presence of the Lord due to their own spiritual blindness.
- When I first went to your country in New York, I found everyone imbibed with the idea that God is dead. Now gradually people are understanding that God is not only not dead, but He is factually present with us at every moment.
- Even today, many people follow the philosophy that God is dead. But God is never dead. Even the living entity, who is part of God, never dies.
- Atheists generally follow the Bauddha philosophical conclusion that at death everything is finished. Hiranyakasipu, being an atheist, thought this way. Because Lord Visnu was not visible to him, he thought that the Lord was dead.
The Living Absolute Truth
The Vedic scriptures define the Absolute Truth not as an empty void, but as the supreme conscious individual. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that God is abhijñaḥ—fully cognizant, aware, and engaged in dynamic, transcendental activities.
- What is the nature of the Absolute Truth? So that is replied, janmady asya yatah anvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah (SB 1.1.1). Abhijnah means cognizant, living. The Absolute Truth is not dead; it is living. We are pushing forward this theory.
- The Personality of God is not a dead stone, nor is He inactive, as is poorly thought by some schools. He moves with the progress of time, & therefore He knows all about the past & future, along with His present activities. There is nothing unknown to Him.
- God is neither dead, nor it is fictitious, but it is factual, and here is this God, Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam (SB 1.3.28). This is the verdict of the Vedic literature. There are may be many other gods.
The Eternal Maintainer
The continuous, orderly function of the universe is practical proof of God's active presence. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that because the Lord continuously supplies our daily necessities and maintains the cosmic laws, it is absurd to declare that He is dead.
- If we are praying to God, "O God, give us our daily bread," and the bread is supplied to us, how God is dead? God cannot be dead.
- In the dictionary, English dictionary, God means Supreme Being. So Supreme Being, He's also living being. He's not a dead stone. The difference is that He is the maintainer, and we are maintained. He is the ruler; we are ruled.
- Suppose a king dies; does it mean the government dies? The government will go on. You can say, "God is dead." God is not dead, neither you are dead. But if you foolishly say that God is dead, that does not mean His law is also dead. The law will go on.
Approaching the Supreme Person
The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement provides the practical method to personally experience the existence of God. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that if one develops the proper spiritual qualifications, the Supreme Lord can be approached and seen face to face.
- Gradually people are understanding that God is not only not dead, but He is factually present with us at every moment. If we have the necessary qualification, to see God eye-to-eye is quite possible.
- So far we are concerned, we cannot accept this philosophy, that God is dead. But we preach on the other hand, that God is not only not dead, but He can be approached finally face to face.
- How you can say that God is dead? What is your reason? No. God is not dead. God is alive, and you can meet also God because He is a person and you are a person.
Conclusion
The statement "God is dead" is nothing more than the wishful thinking of those who wish to avoid the supreme authority of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda definitively establishes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the eternally vibrant, conscious, and active source of all life. He is the supreme maintainer who never dies, and by taking to the path of unalloyed devotional service, any sincere soul can awaken their dormant spiritual vision and realize the living presence of God face to face.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God Is Not Dead. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.