Perceiving the Absolute Truth Through God's Presence
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that although the Supreme Lord is seemingly invisible to the mundane eye, He is the most factual reality pervading the entire universe. By studying his instructions, we can learn how the Lord is situated in every atom, how pure devotees perceive Him constantly, how He manifests in sound and form, and how His presence brings supreme fearlessness.
The Omnipresent Supersoul
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is never restricted by time or space. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while Śrī Kṛṣṇa eternally enjoys His pastimes in Goloka Vṛndāvana, He simultaneously expands as the Paramātmā, residing within the heart of every living entity and within the core of every atom.
- Andantara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham (BS 5.35). He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead) is present within all the universes, although they are innumerable, and He is also present within the atom.
- Although His (Krsna's) personal abode is Goloka Vrndavana & He is always staying there, still, by His different manifestations of energy and by His plenary expansion, He is present everywhere in all parts of the material and spiritual creation.
- In the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says that He is present in everyone's heart, and from Him only all knowledge, remembrance or forgetfulness take place.
- According to the Vedic injunctions, sarvam khalv idam brahma: Brahman, the Supreme, is present in everything. Bhagavata-dharma captures this presence of the Supreme.
The Vision of the Pure Devotee
God's presence is a matter of realization, not material optics. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that pure devotees, whose consciousness is cleansed by unalloyed devotional service, easily and constantly perceive the Supreme Lord everywhere, recognizing everything in relationship to Him.
- A pure devotee can see the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in everything materially manifested.
- A pure devotee of the Lord sees the presence of his worshipable Lord everywhere.
- A pure devotee who is related with the Lord in loving transcendental service can experience the presence of the Lord at every moment.
- A pure devotee like Vidura always feels the presence of the Lord everywhere. He sees everything in the potency of the Lord and the Lord in everything.
The Presence in Sound and Form
The absolute nature of the Lord means there is no difference between His personal self, His name, and His authorized Deity. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that in this fallen age, God mercifully presents Himself directly in the chanting of the holy names and in the arcā-mūrti within the temple.
- Any time or anywhere pure devotees meet and chant the glories of the Lord, the Lord is present without any doubt. It is said by the Lord Himself that He always stays where His pure devotees chant His glories.
- Considering the fallen age at the present moment, God is so merciful and kind that He presents Himself as sound, sound vibration, which everyone can produce by his tongue and can hear, and God is present there.
- It is not that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is absent; He is present there. And when a devotee utters the transcendental name, it is not a material sound. Therefore, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is naturally pleased.
- If one puts letters in postboxes authorized by the general post office, the function of carrying letters is performed without a doubt. Similarly, the arca-murti can also deliver the same unlimited potency of the Lord as when He is personally present.
The Illumination of God's Presence
The Supreme Lord is compared to the brilliant sun, completely devoid of darkness. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that because the Lord is entirely transcendental, His direct presence immediately dissipates the dense gloom of material ignorance and the modes of passion and darkness.
- Because the Lord is always transcendentally situated, the material modes of passion and ignorance cannot touch Him. Whenever the Lord is present, there cannot be any darkness from the mode of ignorance.
- He (Mucukunda) could see also that the dense darkness within the mountain cave had been dissipated by the Lord's presence; therefore He could not be other than the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- As we cannot see anything in the absence of the sun, so also we cannot see anything including our own self, without the factual presence of the Lord. Without Him all our knowledge is covered by illusion.
- Our hearts, which are Your permanent abode, were all overtaken by him because the demoniac king Hiranyakasipu was most fearsome. Now, by Your presence, the gloom and darkness in our hearts have been dissipated.
Protection and Fearlessness
Acknowledging the Lord's presence is the ultimate cure for material anxiety. Śrīla Prabhupāda highlights that when a living entity understands that the Supreme Lord is personally present as a witness, protector, and guide, all illusions, fears, and darkness are immediately vanquished.
- By appearing from the pillar, the Lord encouraged His devotee (Prahlada Maharaja), saying in effect, "Don't worry. I am present here."
- Because of the presence of the Lord in the form of the transcendental vibration, the Vaikuntha atmosphere is evoked. This atmosphere is without fear and anxiety. One living entity does not fear another.
- Owing to the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Aditi was fully assured that the troublesome condition created for her by the demons would now be ended.
- A man in the renounced order of life must be purified by the process; thus he will feel the presence of the Lord everywhere and will have nothing to fear, such as being without any company.
The Ignorance of the Atheists
Despite the fact that God is situated everywhere, envious people deliberately close their eyes to Him. Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that materialistic demons, proud of their mundane assets, remain completely blind to the Lord's presence, often realizing His supremacy only at the time of death.
- Materialists like Ravana, Hiranyakasipu, Kamsa, Jarasandha and Sisupala, were highly qualified personalities by acquisition of material assets, but they were unable to appreciate the presence of the Lord.
- Although He (Lord Krsna) is present in every atom, the Supreme Personality of Godhead may not be visible to the dry speculators; still the mystery is unfolded before the eyes of the pure devotees because their eyes are anointed with love of Godhead.
- A demon may be a great soldier and commander of a large number of infantry, but in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead he is powerless and is destined to die.
- Even in the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, there was such a foolish person. His name was Paundraka, and he wanted to declare himself God.
Equal Vision Through Realization
When one understands that God is situated within the heart of every single entity, all material distinctions vanish. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that true spiritual equality is achieved only when one realizes the presence of the Paramātmā, naturally resulting in profound respect and nonviolence toward all life forms.
- A Krsna conscious person has full knowledge of this (the Paramatma is present in each and every body), and therefore he is truly learned and has equal vision.
- Because the Supreme Lord is present a pure devotee accepts each body as the temple of the Lord, and since the devotee offers respect to such temples in full knowledge, he gives respect to every living entity in relationship with the Lord.
- In every living entity, however insignificant he may be, even in an ant, God is present, and therefore every living entity should be kindly treated and should not be subjected to any violence.
- Differences of body are meaningless from the viewpoint of a learned transcendentalist. This is due to their relationship to the Supreme, for the Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion as Paramatma, is present in everyone's heart.
Appreciating God Through His Energies
For the neophyte who cannot yet perceive the Lord's personal form, God provides stepping stones for realization. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that one can begin to appreciate the Lord's presence by observing the magnificent workings of material nature and recognizing the divine management behind the cosmos.
- According to various stages of intelligence, one realizes the presence of the Supreme in everything through the manifestations of His energy.
- Because people are foolish in this age, they cannot understand that when we perceive the energy of the Lord, we can feel the presence of the Lord.
- In the material world the Supreme Personality of Godhead is not manifested by His personal presence, but the presence of the cosmic manifestation in different varieties is the proof that everything has been created under His direction.
- In this way one can see how God is existing and how everything is managed perfectly because of the presence of the Supreme Lord.
Conclusion
Śrīla Prabhupāda definitively illustrates that God is never absent from His creation. His presence is the fundamental reality that sustains both the macroscopic universe and the microscopic atom. While the atheists and those engrossed in material illusion fail to see Him, the pure devotees continually experience His shelter and guidance because they recognize that He is all-pervading as the Paramātmā. Furthermore, out of His boundless compassion, the Supreme Lord makes His absolute presence completely accessible to everyone in the current age through His holy names and His Deity incarnations in the temples. By engaging in the process of bhakti-yoga, specifically by chanting the holy names and associating with pure devotees, one's consciousness is purified. Once this purification takes place, the illusion of separation is destroyed, and the soul becomes entirely fearless, basking eternally in the all-auspicious, illuminating presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
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's Presence. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.