God Is The Supreme Whole - The Complete Absolute Truth
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the Absolute Truth is the complete, perfect entity. Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme whole, everything that emanates from Him is also perfectly arranged. The conditioned soul's suffering begins only when it forgets its relationship with this complete source and attempts to act independently.
The Part and the Complete Whole
The Vedic literatures define the fundamental relationship between the living entity and God as one of parts and the whole. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that although the minute souls share the spiritual qualities of the Lord, they can never become equal to the supreme whole in quantity or power.
- The living entities are eternally small fragments of the supreme spiritual whole. As a part can never be equal with the whole, so a living entity, as a minute fragment of the spiritual whole, cannot be equal at any time to the Supreme Whole.
- The individual sparks of the supreme whole possess almost eighty percent of the known qualities of the whole, but they are not quantitatively equal to the Supreme Lord.
- If that minute particle can play so much wonderful things, just see, just imagine what wonderful things cannot be done by the supreme particle. Or not particle: He is the whole.
- Personal features of the Lord are completely different from all kinds of mundane features. The living entities are all individual persons, and they are all parts and parcels of the supreme whole.
The Disease of Independence
To illustrate our constitutional position, Śrīla Prabhupāda often uses the analogy of the body and its parts. A finger is highly valuable when attached to the hand, but if severed, it becomes useless and dead. Similarly, a soul separated from the service of the Lord is in a diseased condition.
- A part of the body cannot in itself be independently happy. It can only derive its happiness and pleasure out of serving the entire body. The Supreme Lord is the whole, and we are the parts, but we are all busily engaged in activities of self-interest.
- Just like my finger cannot be separated; or can be separated, but in the diseased condition it cannot work. It cannot work in its original, constitutional position. Similarly, due to our this material disease, we cannot properly serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the whole.
- No one can artificially claim the supreme position of the Lord, but everyone is meant to serve the purpose of the supreme whole.
- Either you become brahmana or you become ksatriya or you become vaisya or sudra, if you are not attached to the service of the supreme whole, then you are useless.
The Cosmic Manifestation
Not only are the living entities parts of the Lord, but the entire material creation is also an emanation from Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that the cosmic manifestation operates perfectly because it is set in motion by the energy of the supreme whole.
- There is nothing extraneous; nor is there anything needed. This manifestation has its own time fixed by the energy of the supreme whole, and when its time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated.
- This manifestation has its own time fixed by the energy of the supreme whole, and when its time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete.
- In the Seventh Chapter He speaks of the living entity as part and parcel of the supreme whole and recommends that he transfer his attention fully to the whole.
- In this way, people may realize their true spiritual nature and their relationship to the supreme spiritual whole.
The Universal Duty of Worship
Because everyone is part of the Lord, the ultimate solution to all problems is to reconnect with Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda continually emphasizes the famous injunction from the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, stating that regardless of one's personal desires, one must worship the supreme whole.
- A person who has broader intelligence, whether he is full of all material desire, is free from material desire, or has a desire for liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.
- In the sastra it is recommended: A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of material desires, free from material desires, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.
- One should engage in full devotional service. "A person who has broader intelligence, whether he is full of material desires, free from material desires, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead."
- Whether full of all material desires, free from material desires or desiring liberation, a person who has broader intelligence must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead. This is the duty of a perfect human being.
Conclusion
The fundamental cause of suffering in the material world is the living entity's attempt to act independently. Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that this false independence is simply a diseased state of consciousness. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the supreme whole, and the living entities are His eternal parts and parcels. Just as a machine part has no value when disconnected from the machine, the soul has no lasting happiness or purpose outside the loving service of the Lord. The Māyāvādī attempt to artificially claim equality with the whole is a symptom of poor intelligence, as the part can never become the whole. The true perfection of human life is to recognize this constitutional relationship. By dedicating all actions, thoughts, and words to the satisfaction of the supreme whole, the conditioned soul is immediately cured of the material disease and reinstated in its natural, blissful position in the spiritual world.
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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 The Supreme Whole. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.