Title: Varieties of liberation, material attachement & real position

User: Swami Gaurangapada Date: 2004-12-22 06:44:22

 

Q 1.

>My question is in the purport Ch 14 text 27 ,in the last sentence ,"One

>who can thus situate himself in the Brahmajyoti or the different varieties of

>the Brahman conception is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in

>quality." It is not quite clear in my mind by what Prabhupada is referring to

>stating "or the different varieties of Brahman conception". By using the word "or"

>is he elaborating more on the Brahmajyoti or does he mean something else.

>Dear Swami could you please clarify.

 

Ans by Swami Gaurangapada:

He is talking about the five kinds of mukti or liberation:

 

Sayujya (merge in the Lord) - Brahmajyoti

Sarupya (get the same form as the Lord) - Vaikuntha

Samipya (Physical proximity to the Lord) - Vaikuntha

Sarsti (Same opulence as the Lord) - Vaikuntha

Salokya (Same spiritual planet as the Lord) - Vaikuntha

 

Q 2.

>Also I have some other question in this purport. In the previous sentence

>Prabhupada says "By following such a process one becomes completely

>"detached" from material activities." Am I speculating by thinking he uses the >word "detached" to mean that material activities may continue for some time due >to the influence of the 3 modes ,but being tanscendentally situated in Brahman we >will not be swayed or disturbed by these activities.?

 

Ans by Swami Gaurangapada:

It is like this. If one is 20% advanced in the chanting process, one becomes 20% detached from material activities and so on. Taste for the Holy Names is inversely proportional to the tase for materialistic activities.

 

Q 3.

>I also have one more question from this Ch 14 ,I hope you dont mind.

>In the purport to text 19 Prabhupada says "Unless one has the help of

>spiritual authority, he cannot understand in what postion he is actually

>situated.With the association of a bonafide spiritual master ,he can see

>his real position ,and by such an understaning he can become fixed in full

>Krishna consciousness." When Prabhupada says "he cannot understand in what >position he is actually situated" ,does he mean by what modes he is effected by or >more clearly simply that he is pure spirit soul which is his "real position".?

 

Ans by Swami Gaurangapada:

 

Real position means many different aspects:

 

(1) Whether one is a kanishtha, madhyama or uttama devotee,

(2) In what stage of the 9 stages of bhakti from shraddha to prema one is in and what one should do to go to the next stage.

(3) Ultimately in advanced stages the rasa of the soul with the Lord among the five rasas (mellows).