Recognizing Our Total Dependence and the Fact that Kṛṣṇa Acts Without Help
Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently emphasizes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is ātmārāma, or completely self-satisfied, and acts without extraneous help. In contrast, the conditioned soul is utterly dependent on the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the guidance of the spiritual master for any meaningful progress.
The Absolute Self-Sufficiency of God
To understand the definition of the Supreme, one must recognize His absolute independence. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa can create, maintain, and dissolve the entire universe without any external help or assistants.
- King Prthu said, "My dear Lord, You are self-sufficient. You can do anything You like without the help of anyone else."
- He is atmarama, self-satisfied; He can derive all pleasure by Himself, without anyone's help. But when the Lord descends to play the part of a human being, He plays a role either as a husband, son, friend or enemy in full perfection.
- When yajna-pati wants to, He can do anything without the help of any subordinate. Therefore the Supreme Lord is known as almighty.
- My dear Lord, You are entirely devoid of material qualities. Without anyone's help, You can create, maintain and dissolve the entire qualitative material manifestation, yet in all such activities You do not change.
The Vital Help of the Spiritual Master
Release from material bondage is impossible through independent effort. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that the help of a bona fide spiritual master is the essential requirement for understanding the transcendental science of the Lord.
- Only Lord Krsna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature.
- It is difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita without the help of the guru. Therefore the guru appears in the parampara system.
- Without spiritual master's help, nobody can become self-realized. Our Vaisnava philosophy does not allow that you shall become self-realized by your own endeavor.
- Without the help of such a devotee spiritual master, one cannot make progress in the transcendental science of the Lord.
The Dependence of the Living Entity
Conditioned souls often falsely think they are independent, but Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that our very existence depends on the mercy of the Lord. Without the help of the sun, moon, and fire provided by Kṛṣṇa, life would be impossible.
- Without Krsna's mercy there cannot be sun, without His mercy there cannot be moon, and without His mercy there cannot be fire, and without the help of sun, moon and fire, no one can live. These are some thoughts to provoke Krsna consciousness.
- It is said, harim vina na mrtim taranti: without the help of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one cannot get out of the clutches of repeated birth and death.
- The example of the eyes and the bodily limbs is very appropriate. If the limbs could see, they could walk forward without the help of the eyes, but that is impossible.
- At the end of life, when one has to go back home, back to Godhead, everyone has to take care of himself without help rendered by another.
Spiritual Potency versus Mechanical Aid
Modern civilization relies heavily on technology, but Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that spiritual perfection allows for abilities far beyond mechanical help. Real spacemen travel between planets using yogic power rather than material vehicles.
- All the residents of Siddhaloka are spacemen, and they can travel in space without mechanical help. The residents of Siddhaloka can go from one planet to another individually by virtue of their yogic perfection.
- The yogi knows all these descriptions of the spiritual planets, and he can transfer himself to any planet he likes, without the help of spaceships. Space travel by mechanical means is not the accepted process for elevation to other planets.
- In the darkness of night, the sun cannot be obliged to appear, even by the power of our highest technology. But in the morning the sun reveals itself of its own accord without the help of any materialistic enterprise of ours.
- One can never solve such problems of life by satisfying the different demigods, by different modes of worship, or by so-called scientific advancement in knowledge without the help of God or the demigods.
Conclusion
The contrast between the absolute independence of the Supreme Lord and the total dependence of the living entity is a fundamental principle of Vedic knowledge. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that while Kṛṣṇa is ātmārāma and requires no external help to conduct the affairs of the universe, the living entity is hopelessly entangled in the material energy. Attempting to cross the ocean of birth and death without the help of the spiritual master or the mercy of the Lord is a futile endeavor. By recognizing one's subordinate position and seeking the superior help of the guru and Kṛṣṇa, one can transcend the limitations of the material body and mechanical civilization. Ultimately, Śrīla Prabhupāda concludes that acknowledging our dependence is the beginning of real spiritual strength and the only path back to the spiritual world.
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 Without Help. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.