Transcendental Love - an essential subject: Difference between revisions

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Attaining transcendental love, also called pure, spontaneous love, for Krishna (God's Name) is the goal of all revealed scriptures, including the Koran and the Bible. For eg. the Bible tells us "Love thy Lord with all thy heart and all thy soul". Pure, transcendental love for Krishna is inherent to the living entities, but, due to forgetfulness of Krishna, is forgotten. This love is awakened again by serving the Lord, because then the Lord reminds the living entity of his eternal relation with Him, at which time the living entity remembers his love for God. This love is very difficult to understand or analyze. Unflinching, simple faith in the Lord is the symptom of pure love, and unconditional surrender (to Krishna) is its manifestation. Such a devotee has no agitation from material affections and is interested only in the service of Radha (the topmost lover of Krishna) and Krishna in Vrindavana (the original, primeval abode of God). Elevation to this stage of ecstasy is possible in two ways, 1. by constant association with pure devotees (of Krishna), which is obtained only by mercy, whereby one starts to perform devotional activities under the influence of that association and eventually attracts the attention or Krishna or His devotee, who bestow that love upon the practitioner, and 2. by a special mercy of Krishna or a pure devotee of Krishna, when one is favored even without having any devotional credits. In any case, ecstatic, pure, transcendental love can only be given/received, it is never learnt nor achieved (by efforts).  
The impersonalists can imagine or even perceive that the Supreme Brahman is thus all-pervading, and therefore they conclude that there is no possibility of His personal form. Herein lies the mystery of His transcendental knowledge. This mystery is transcendental love of Godhead, and one who is surcharged with such transcendental love of Godhead can without difficulty see the Personality of Godhead in every atom and every movable or immovable object. And at the same time he can see the Personality of Godhead in His own abode, Goloka, enjoying eternal pastimes with His eternal associates, who are also expansions of His transcendental existence.


Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes '''[[Vaniquotes:Category:Transcendental Love|Transcendental Love]]''' category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following NUMBER quotes.
Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes '''[[Vaniquotes:Category:Transcendental Love|Transcendental Love]]''' category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 8 quotes.
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== Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books ==
== Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books ==


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{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God|As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God. Such a flow of devotional service cannot stop. On the contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance. '''(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.28)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|Because of the Personality of Godhead's taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain in darkness|Because of the Personality of Godhead's taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain in darkness. He comes to know everything of the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach. '''(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.21)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|Being so surcharged with transcendental love, there comes a strong feeling of separation which leads to eight different kinds of ecstasies| This stage leads to attraction, and after this there is bhāva, or the prior stage of unalloyed love for God. All the above different stages are but different stages of development of transcendental love. Being so surcharged with transcendental love, there comes a strong feeling of separation which leads to eight different kinds of ecstasies. Tears from the eyes of a devotee is an automatic reaction, and because Śrī Nārada Muni in his previous birth attained that stage very quickly after his departure from home, it was quite possible for him to perceive the actual presence of the Lord, which he tangibly experienced by his developed spiritual senses without material tinge. '''(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.16)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|Bhakti-yoga begins if a person has the firm conviction that simply discharging devotional service to the Lord in full transcendental love can elevate him to the highest perfectional stage of life|This bhakti-yoga begins if a person has the firm conviction that simply discharging devotional service to the Lord in full transcendental love can elevate him to the highest perfectional stage of life. Brahmājī believed in this art of bhakti-yoga; he believed in the instruction of the Lord to execute tapa, and he discharged the function with great penance and thus achieved the great success of seeing the Vaikuṇṭhalokas and the Lord also by personal experience. '''(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.18)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|Just as liquid sugar juice progresses from one stage to another, similarly transcendental love for the Supreme Lord develops by stages|The progress from one stage to another can be compared to the thickening of sugar candy juice. In the first stage sugar candy juice is like a thin liquid. When, by evaporation, it becomes thicker and thicker, it turns into molasses. Finally it turns into granules and becomes sugar, rock candy and so on. Just as liquid sugar juice progresses from one stage to another, similarly transcendental love for the Supreme Lord develops by stages. '''(Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|In his (Living being) liberated state he renders service to the Lord in transcendental love and thus enjoys a life of full freedom, even sometimes on an equal level with the Lord or sometimes more than the Lord|In his liberated state he renders service to the Lord in transcendental love and thus enjoys a life of full freedom, even sometimes on an equal level with the Lord or sometimes more than the Lord. But in the conditioned material world, every living being wants to be the Lord of other living beings, and thus by the illusion of māyā this mentality of lording it over becomes a cause of further extension of conditional life. '''(Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.42)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|By nature they (women) are not very pure, nor are they very much attached to auspicious activities. Therefore, how wonderful it is that these women have developed transcendental love for Krsna, the Lord of all mystic yogis!|By nature they are not very pure, nor are they very much attached to auspicious activities. Therefore, how wonderful it is that these women have developed transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of all mystic yogīs! They have surpassed all of us in firm faith and devotion unto Kṛṣṇa. Although we are considered to be masters in all purificatory processes, we did not actually know what their goal is because we are too much attached to the materialistic way of lif. '''(Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 23)'''}}


{{VaniQuotebox|VANIQUOTESPAGETITLE|QUOTESEENBYTHEREADER. '''(REFERENCE)'''}}
{{VaniQuotebox|If we want real, transcendental love, we have to transfer our love to the supreme lovable object - Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the basic principle of Krsna consciousness|In our original relationship with the Supreme Lord there is real love, and that love is reflected pervertedly through material conditions. Our real love is continuous and unending, but because that love is reflected pervertedly in this material world, it lacks continuity and is inebriating. If we want real, transcendental love, we have to transfer our love to the supreme lovable object—Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. '''(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Introduction)'''}}
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'''Transcendental Love - [[Vaniquotes:Category:Transcendental Love|explore more within this category]]'''.
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Latest revision as of 17:57, 22 November 2020

The impersonalists can imagine or even perceive that the Supreme Brahman is thus all-pervading, and therefore they conclude that there is no possibility of His personal form. Herein lies the mystery of His transcendental knowledge. This mystery is transcendental love of Godhead, and one who is surcharged with such transcendental love of Godhead can without difficulty see the Personality of Godhead in every atom and every movable or immovable object. And at the same time he can see the Personality of Godhead in His own abode, Goloka, enjoying eternal pastimes with His eternal associates, who are also expansions of His transcendental existence.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Transcendental Love category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 8 quotes.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books


vanipedia.org 		As the river flows on till she reaches the sea, similarly pure devotional service flows by the association of pure devotees till it reaches the ultimate goal, namely, transcendental love of God. Such a flow of devotional service cannot stop. On the contrary, it increases more and more without limitation. The flow of devotional service is so potent that any onlooker also becomes liberated from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.5.28)



vanipedia.org 		Because of the Personality of Godhead's taking charge of illuminating the heart of His devotee, certainly a devotee, engaged in His service in transcendental love, cannot remain in darkness. He comes to know everything of the absolute and the relative truths. The devotee cannot remain in darkness, and because a devotee is enlightened by the Personality of Godhead, his knowledge is certainly perfect. This is not the case for those who speculate on the Absolute Truth by dint of their own limited power of approach. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.21)



vanipedia.org 		This stage leads to attraction, and after this there is bhāva, or the prior stage of unalloyed love for God. All the above different stages are but different stages of development of transcendental love. Being so surcharged with transcendental love, there comes a strong feeling of separation which leads to eight different kinds of ecstasies. Tears from the eyes of a devotee is an automatic reaction, and because Śrī Nārada Muni in his previous birth attained that stage very quickly after his departure from home, it was quite possible for him to perceive the actual presence of the Lord, which he tangibly experienced by his developed spiritual senses without material tinge. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.6.16)



vanipedia.org 		This bhakti-yoga begins if a person has the firm conviction that simply discharging devotional service to the Lord in full transcendental love can elevate him to the highest perfectional stage of life. Brahmājī believed in this art of bhakti-yoga; he believed in the instruction of the Lord to execute tapa, and he discharged the function with great penance and thus achieved the great success of seeing the Vaikuṇṭhalokas and the Lord also by personal experience. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.18)



vanipedia.org 		The progress from one stage to another can be compared to the thickening of sugar candy juice. In the first stage sugar candy juice is like a thin liquid. When, by evaporation, it becomes thicker and thicker, it turns into molasses. Finally it turns into granules and becomes sugar, rock candy and so on. Just as liquid sugar juice progresses from one stage to another, similarly transcendental love for the Supreme Lord develops by stages. (Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 1)



vanipedia.org 		In his liberated state he renders service to the Lord in transcendental love and thus enjoys a life of full freedom, even sometimes on an equal level with the Lord or sometimes more than the Lord. But in the conditioned material world, every living being wants to be the Lord of other living beings, and thus by the illusion of māyā this mentality of lording it over becomes a cause of further extension of conditional life. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.13.42)



vanipedia.org 		By nature they are not very pure, nor are they very much attached to auspicious activities. Therefore, how wonderful it is that these women have developed transcendental love for Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of all mystic yogīs! They have surpassed all of us in firm faith and devotion unto Kṛṣṇa. Although we are considered to be masters in all purificatory processes, we did not actually know what their goal is because we are too much attached to the materialistic way of lif. (Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 23)



vanipedia.org 		In our original relationship with the Supreme Lord there is real love, and that love is reflected pervertedly through material conditions. Our real love is continuous and unending, but because that love is reflected pervertedly in this material world, it lacks continuity and is inebriating. If we want real, transcendental love, we have to transfer our love to the supreme lovable object—Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the basic principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Introduction)


Transcendental Love - explore more within this category.

Vanipedia has now over 903 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's books under the series titled Essential Subjects. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the breadth and depth of Srila Prabhupada's teachings - There is a subject for everyone.


   
 

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