Reaching the Supreme - The Process of Attaining God
The real purpose of human life is to solve the problems of birth, old age, disease, and death by mastering the process of attaining God. At the present moment, modern civilization is missing this point because people are too much attached to economic development and bodily comforts. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He cannot be caught by our tiny brain substance or heavy mental arguments. When a conditioned living entity stops trying to lord it over material nature and instead surrenders to the lotus feet of the Lord, his real spiritual life begins, and he easily goes back home, back to Godhead.
Abhidheya and Spiritual Attainment
The word abhidheya means the practical method of devotional service by which the living entity approaches the Supreme Lord. We must understand that factual immortality cannot be obtained by merging into the impersonal Brahman effulgence or by becoming one in quantity with God. The soul is eternally an individual part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, and its natural business is to serve the Lord under the direction of the spiritual master. This process of unflinching devotional service purifies the heart from the contamination of the material modes, conquers the spell of māyā, and brings the devotee to the perfect stage of love of God.
- All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.
- As clearly stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (BG 9.3): Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world.
- Devotional service is the only absolute path for self-realization, for the attainment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
- That process by which I (the Supreme Lord) can be attained by the living entity is called abhidheya. By it, one can attain the highest perfection of life, love of Godhead. When one attains love of Godhead, his life becomes perfect.
The Contrast Between Devotional Yoga and Material Disciplines
The process of bhakti-yoga is completely different from fruitive work, mental speculation, or mechanical dhyāna-yoga systems. While the jñānīs and yogīs undergo very severe types of penance and austerity just to reach the impersonal effulgence, the pure devotee easily receives the personal mercy of the Lord. Śrīla Prabhupāda notes that people who follow invented modes of worship or seek material opulences from demigods are acting out of lust and will surely fall down again. By simply desiring the favor of Lord Viṣṇu and working without attachment to the fruits, the devotee attains the platform of the Absolute without any difficulty.
- Behold the great fortune of the devotee Kholaveca. Lord Brahma and Siva shed tears upon seeing his greatness. One cannot attain Lord Krsna by any amount of wealth, followers, or learning. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is controlled only by pure devotion.
- It is impossible to obtain the mercy of the Lord by any means but bhakti-yoga. The word duraradhya is especially significant. It is very difficult to attain the lotus feet of the Lord by any method other than bhakti-yoga.
- The Lord is very difficult for the karma-yogis, jnana-yogis and dhyana-yogis to attain. Those who are bhakti-yogis, however, have no difficulty at all.
- The perfection of yoga, therefore, does not terminate in voidness or impersonalism; on the contrary, the perfection of yoga is attained when one actually sees the Personality of Godhead in His eternal form.
The Disqualification of Material Status and the Ease of Hearing
A very wonderful thing about devotional service is that it is open to everyone, regardless of worldly designation or country. To reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one does not need to belong to a high caste or have a highly developed secular intelligence. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that we do not need any material qualifications at all; we only have to hear from authoritative sources and repeat accurately what we hear. By engaging the ear, tongue, and mind in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa maha-mantra, any sincere person can revive his eternal relationship and see the Lord face to face.
- By this practice of chanting and hearing the sound vibration of the Supreme Lord, one's ear, tongue and mind are engaged. This mystic meditation is very easy to practice, and it helps one attain the Supreme Lord.
- Human beings even in the lower statuses of life (a merchant, a woman or a laborer) can attain the Supreme. One does not need highly developed intelligence.
- In this verse (CC Madhya 19.53), Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is described (by Rupa Gosvami) as maha-vadanya, the most munificent of charitable persons, because He gives Krsna so easily that one can attain Krsna simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
- We don't need any material qualifications in order to attain the Supreme. All we have to do is hear from authoritative sources and repeat accurately what we hear.
The Critical Moment of Transition and Divine Forms
The real test of our spiritual practice comes at the time of death, when we must give up this temporary material body. A real yogi who has controlled his mind and senses fixes his life air and leaves this world while fully remembering the form of Viṣṇu. Because of this unadulterated devotion, the liberated soul receives a spiritual form that is qualitatively equal to the Lord's, either with two hands or four hands. They are elevated to the Vaikuṇṭha planets or to the supreme planet of Goloka Vrīndāvana, where they live eternally as personal servants of Janārdana.
- A spiritual form like the Lord's, either two-handed or four-handed, is attained by the devotees of the Lord either in the Vaikunthas or in the Goloka planet, according to the original nature of the soul.
- As confirmed by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (BG 4.9): One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.
- At the time of death they (real yogis who always meditate on Visnu within their hearts) give up their bodies while thinking of the form of Visnu and thus attain Visnuloka, Vaikunthaloka, where they receive bodily features the same as those of the Lord.
- One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. BG 8.10
Conclusion
The human mission is completely successful only when we take to the direct process of attaining God. As Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches in all his books, the path of pure bhakti-yoga is the only actual way to cure our material disease and wake up our dormant love of Godhead. We do not need to rely on dry mental speculation, heavy arguments, or big bank balances, which are all temporary and useless at the time of death. By simply associating with pure devotees and engaging our ears and tongues in hearing and chanting about Kṛṣṇa, we are cleared of all material contamination. This pure process brings us directly to the spiritual sky, where we receive our original spiritual body and live eternally as loving servants 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 Attaining God. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.