krishna/articles/article/111

We are meant for enjoyment, but we are seeking enjoyment in a false place – in an illusion, like the desert animals that run after water in a mirage and eventually die of thirst.

They cannot relieve their thirst with such illusory water. Similarly, we are trying to manufacture many things to satisfy our thirst for enjoyment, but we are being baffled at every turn because material existence is an illusion. Real intelligence means to inquire, “Where is the reality? Where is the eternal substance behind the illusion?”

If we can find that out, we can experience real enjoyment.
- Los Angeles, April 28, 1973.

At Tirupati, there are so many hills. From the distant place, your vision is not clear. You simply see something cloudy, the same hill.

But if you make little further progress, you see the same hill greenish. And if you actually go in the same hill, you will find there are so many animals, men and houses.

Object is the same, but from different angle vision, it appears differently. Similarly, unless one can understand Krishna perfectly, he realizes the Absolute Truth as impersonal, nirakara Brahman.
- Tirupati, April 26, 1974.

Friday, 22 September, 1972
Los Angeles
Letter to Cyavana

Now concentrate your efforts by bringing our regular program up to the highest standards, that is, holding street sankirtana, holding at regular times of the day very opulent aratrika with prasadam distribution, having classes in philosophy, chanting sixteen rounds, etc. This is our strength.

If you practice these things now with full concentration and carry on the regular propaganda work, automatically people will come forward for helping and you will make also devotees there. That is our Krsna Consciousness process of regular program.

The difficulty is sometimes Krishna’s ashirvad (blessing) may be just the opposite. Krishna will take away. So at that time they become atheist.

- Tokyo, April 25, 1972.
Monday, 21 September, 1970
Calcutta

Letter to Isana and Vibhavati

Lately there has been some misunderstanding amongst our devotees about our Krishna Consciousness philosophy. Particularly there has been some confusion about the relationship between the Spiritual Master and Krishna.

The Vedas say that there is a Master Krishna. This Servant Krishna is the Spiritual Master and this is the conclusion. The Spiritual Master is the Mercy Representative of the Supreme Lord and as such He is given honor as good as Krishna, but He is never identical with Krishna.

Perhaps you know the picture of Madhvacarya, one of the great Acaryas in our line, who is holding two fingers up to indicate Krishna and jiva. The impersonalists hold up one finger because their idea is that everything is one. So if we make the Spiritual Master identical with Krishna, then we will also become impersonalists.

If we say that our Spiritual Master is Krishna, then the conclusion is that if we become Spiritual Master some day, then we will also become Krishna. Please try to understand how dangerous this kind of reasoning is.

In my books I have tried to explain clearly this simultaneously one and different philosophy acinta beda beda tattva propounded by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. But sometimes it happens that this philosophy is given a self-interested interpretation. As soon as personal motivation comes in it is not possible for one to understand our Krishna Consciousness philosophy.