God Realization - The Ultimate Purpose of Human Life
Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently reminds us that the human form of life is a rare and precious opportunity. While modern society dedicates immense intelligence to technological advancement and sensory comfort, it often neglects the most vital science of all. The Vedic literatures definitively state that the ultimate, defining mission of a civilized human being is to achieve God realization.
The True Mission of Humanity
If a society focuses solely on economic development without spiritual education, it reduces human life to a polished form of animal existence. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that our higher intelligence was granted specifically to question our existence and realize the Supreme.
- A man should not live like cats and dogs, because he has got a mission. That mission is God realization. Cats and dogs cannot do it; human beings can do it. Therefore in any civilized human society, there is a type of religion.
- Human life is especially meant for God realization, as stated in the Vedanta-sutra: athato brahma jijnasa.
- Without God realization there is no difference between human life and animal life.
- If there is no God realization, simply working hard day and night for sense gratification, it is accepted as hog civilization, dog civilization.
The Three Phases of the Absolute Truth
The Absolute Truth is one non-dual substance, but it is realized in different ways depending on the practitioner's method and purity. Śrīla Prabhupāda often breaks this down into three progressive phases, culminating in the realization of the Supreme Person.
| Phase | Description | Practitioner |
|---|---|---|
| Brahman | The impersonal, all-pervading spiritual effulgence. | Empiric philosophers (jñānīs) |
| Paramatma | The localized Supersoul seated in the heart of all beings. | Mystic meditators (yogīs) |
| Bhagavan | The Supreme Personality of Godhead, full in all opulences. | Pure devotees (bhaktas) |
- In Srimad-Bhagavatam the Absolute Truth is described as the one without a second, but He is realized in three features - impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- The ascending approach to the Absolute Truth ends in the realization of impersonal Brahman and the localized Paramatma but not the Supreme Transcendental Personality.
- Ultimately the Supreme Brahman realization is the realization of the Personality of Godhead.
- A brahmana is one who has understood Brahman, and a Vaisnava is one who has understood the Personality of Godhead. Brahman realization is the beginning of realization of the Personality of Godhead.
The Practical Method for Kali-yuga
While ancient sages performed severe austerities in the forest for thousands of years to realize God, this is impossible in the modern age. Śrīla Prabhupāda reveals the great secret of bhakti-yoga: God realization simply begins with the proper use of the tongue.
- If you are in service attitude, then beginning from your tongue. Jihva, jihva means tongue. Jihvadau, beginning with tongue. The God realization begins with your tongue and ear.
- The God realization begins with your tongue and ear. You chant Hare Krsna and hear the transcendental name, and gradually you shall realize.
- The tongue engagement is you chant the holy name of the Lord, and you take the prasadam, remnants of foodstuff given to the Lord. Then you become self-realized, God realized. By these two methods.
- For this age Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given an easy process for God realization. All that is necessary is careful listening. We have to listen to Bhagavad-gita, and we have to chant the names of Krsna and listen to them carefully.
The Necessity of Authorized Guidance
God realization cannot be manufactured through mental gymnastics or independent study. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the scientific process of understanding the Supreme requires accepting knowledge from authorized Vedic scriptures and a self-realized spiritual master.
- The conclusion is that a serious devotee must first approach a spiritual master who not only is well versed in the Vedic literatures but is also a great devotee with factual realization of the Lord and His different energies.
- Srimad-Bhagavatam and Narada-pancaratra are authorized scriptures that are considered sat-sastra, or scriptures which lead one to the path of God realization. Asat-sastras are just the opposite.
- We have to study authorized books and Vedas, and we have to follow their example, then Krsna consciousness or God realization is not difficult. It is very easy. There is no, I mean to say, any stumbling block on the path of your understanding what is God.
- Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu said to Raghunatha Bhatta, "When you return home, serve your aged father and mother, who are devotees, and try to study Srimad-Bhagavatam from a pure Vaisnava who has realized God."
Overcoming False Paths
Many individuals become distracted by the byproducts of spiritual practices, such as mystic powers or a false sense of liberation. Śrīla Prabhupāda rigorously cautions against false prophets who claim to have "become" God or who exploit spiritual practices for material gain.
- Brahma said, "My dear Lord, I have nothing to say about people who advertise that they have already realized God or that by their realization they have themselves become God."
- If the mystic yogi is diverted by the accompanying feats of mystic control, then his mission of yogic success is a failure, because the ultimate aim is God realization.
- By the process of self-realization or God realization through fruitive activities, philosophical speculation or mystic yoga, one cannot actually approach the supreme source of everything.
- A godless civilization is exclusively conducted by such false ideas, and such persons, without any factual realization of God, accept a false God or falsely declare themselves to be God to mislead persons who are already bewildered by the deluding energy.
The Symptoms of True Realization
When a person actually achieves the pinnacle of God realization, their consciousness is completely transformed. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes that such a pure devotee loses all appetite for material benedictions and views every living entity with profound compassion and equal vision.
- He went to the forest and meditated for six months, and when he saw God, then he said: "My Lord, I am now fully satisfied. I do not want any benediction from You." That is the real realization of God, there is no more want.
- A pure devotee also does not want liberation. He is a soul completely surrendered to the Supreme Lord, and he does not demand anything from the Lord. This position was realized by Dhruva Maharaja when he saw the Supreme Personality of Godhead present.
- A Krsna conscious person who has realized God, he is samah sarvesu bhutesu, he is equal to all living entities. He will feel pain even for cutting a tree. He will feel pain, he will feel pain even he traverses over an ant.
- The culmination of the knowledge of Bhagavad-gita is God realization, and when one attains this stage of God realization, he naturally, voluntarily becomes a devotee of the Lord to render Him loving transcendental service.
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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 Realization. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.