Becoming God - an essential subject

God is not manufactured by ones mental speculation. God is God always, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is God from His childhood. When He was three months old He demonstrated His godly powers. He immediately killed Sakaṭāsura. He immediately killed Putanā. So He did not become God by meditation, manufactured in some mystic factory. God is God. God is always God. Even when He is a child, when He is a young man, when He is a boy. When Krishna was a boy of seven years old, He lifted the Govardhana Hill. That is God. Not that "Here is a man. By mystic power He has become God." No. Real God is always God. The idea that someone can become God by meditation is ridiculous. By hard endeavor one may realize his godly nature, but he will never become God.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Becoming God category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 11 quotes.

	HOME Choose Another Essential Subject Ability Abode of Krishna Absolute Knowledge Absolute Truth Absorbed in Thought of Krishna Absorbing the Mind Absorption Acarya Accepting a Spiritual Master Accepting God Accepting Krishna Accepting the Body as the Self Accumulating Money Accumulating Wealth Acquiring Knowledge Acting in Krishna Consciousness Activities in Devotional Service Adharma Advanced Devotees Advanced in Knowledge Advanced in Krishna Consciousness Advancement of Civilization Agitation Agriculture Aham Brahmasmi After Death Aim of Life All-pervading All-powerful Altar Ambition Ananda (Bliss) Anartha Anartha-nivrtti Anger Animal Civilization Animal Life Animal Slaughter Animal Propensities Animal Sacrifice Animalistic Animal Society Antimaterial Anxiety Appreciation Approaching a Spiritual Master Approaching Krishna Arati Aryan Asrama Assets Association of Devotees Association of Nondevotees Association of Pure Devotees At the Time of Death Athato Brahma Jijnasa Atheism Atma Atonement Attachment for Krishna Attachment for Women Attaining Perfection Attention Auspiciousness Austerity Authoritative Scriptures Authoritative Sources Authority of the Vedas Avatara Avidya Awareness Basic Principles Battle of Kuruksetra Becoming a Brahmana Becoming a Spiritual Master Becoming God Become God Conscious Become Happy Becoming Krishna Conscious Benediction Beneficial Benefits Benevolent Bewilderment Bhagavad-gita Says Bhagavan Bhagavata-dharma Bhakti Bhakti-yoga Bharata-varsa Bhava Bible Birth after Birth Birth and Death Birth, Death, Old Age and Disease Blasphemy Blessings Bliss Blissful Life Bodily Concept of Life Bodily Consciousness Bodily Necessities Body and Mind Body and Soul Body of The Lord Bona Fide Spiritual Master Brahma-bhuta Brahmacari Caitanya Mahaprabhu's Movement Caitya-guru - the Spiritual Master Within Celibacy Chanting Hare Krishna Charm Cheating Cheating Propensity Cognizant Committing Mistakes Common Sense Compassion Complete Knowledge Compromise Concentrating the Mind Conchshell Conditioned Living Entities Conditioned Souls Conditioned State Confidential Confusion Connection Contamination Controlling Deities Controlling the Mind Controlling the Senses Conviction Cooperating With The Krishna Consciousness Movement Cooperation Corruption Cosmic Manifestation Craziness Cruelty Cultivating Krishna Consciousness Culture Culture of Knowledge Curses Cycle of Birth and Death Danger Dead Bodies Death Means... Death Dedication Degradation Deity Worship Delusion Demigod Worship Democracy Demoniac Demons Depending on Krishna Depression Desireless Destiny Destruction Detachment Deterioration Determination Devastation Developing Krishna Consciousness Deviations Devotees Are Always... Devotees Are Not... Devotees Are... Devotees Can... Devotees Cannot... Devotee Do Not... Devotees Go Back to Godhead Devotees Know... Devotees Never... Devotees of Lord Caitanya Devotees of Lord Krishna Devotees of the Lord Devotees Should Not... Devotees Should... Devotees Sometimes... Devotees Compassion Devotion Devotional Ambition Devotional Anger Devotional Anxiety Devotional Attachment Devotional Service Devotional Service to Krishna Dharma Dirty Things Within Our Heart Disagreement Disciplic Succession Disclosure Discrepancy Discrimination Dishonesty Disobedience Disrespectful Dissatisfaction Distress Disturbances Divisions of Human Society Divorce Doubt Dress of a Sannyasi Duality Duplicity Earn Money Eating, Sleeping, Mating and Defending Economic Development Economic Problems Ecstatic Love Ecstatic Love for Krishna‏‎ Ekadasi Embarrassment Embodied Souls Embryo Emotions Empowerment Encagement Encouragement Energies of the Lord Engaging in Devotional Service Engaging in the Service of the Lord Enjoying Sex Life Enjoying Life Entering into the Kingdom of God Enthusiasm Envious of God Envy Equal Rights Eternal Existence Eternal Life Eternal Relationships Eternal Time Everything Belongs to God Everything Belongs to Krishna Executing Devotional Service Executive Heads of States Extraordinary Faith Faith in God Faith in Krishna Fall Down False Ego False Identification Family Attachment Fear Fearfulness Fearlessness Firm Faith First-class Men Following in the Footsteps Fools and Rascals Forgetful Living Entities Forgetful Souls Forgiveness Free from Anxiety Free from Bondage Free from Contamination Free from Designation Free from Material Desire Free from Miseries Free from Reaction Friendship Fruitive Activities Fruitive Workers Frustration Full Krishna Consciousness Fully Surrendering Gains Gambling Ganges Gaudiya Vaisnava Gayatri Go Back to Home, Back to Godhead God Give Us Our Daily Bread God Conscious Godlessness God Says God Consciousness God is Everywhere God is Dead God is One God is God God is Not so Cheap God is Great God's Killing God's Creation God's Compassion God Realization Godless Civilization Godly Qualities Goloka Vrndavana - Krishnaloka Good Qualities Gosvami Govardhana Gratefulness Great Offenses Greatest Danger Great Acaryas Greatest Authority Great Service Greatest Service Greatest of All Grhastha Guru-parampara Happiness Happiness and Distress Hatha-yoga Hearing and Chanting Hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam Hellish Condition Hellish Life Highest Benefits Holy Names of God Honesty Human Civilization Human Form of Life Human Life is meant for Humanity Humble and Meek Humility Hypocrisy I Am God I Am Not This Body I Am Spirit Soul Identification With The Body Idol Worship Illicit Sex Life Impediment Incarnations of God Inferior Energy - Material Matter Influence of Time Instructions of the Spiritual Master Intoxication Isvara Jagannatha Puri Jealousy Jiva Jnana Jnana-kanda Jnani Kama Karma Karma-kanda Karma-yoga Killing Animals Kingdom of God Kirtana Knowing God Knowledge of God Knowledge of Krishna Krishna and the Gopis Krishna Conscious Education Krishna Conscious Persons Krishna Consciousness Means Krishna Consciousness Movement Means Krishna Consciousness Movement is a Spiritual Movement Krishna Consciousness Movement is an Educational Movement Krishna Consciousness Movement is Not a Sectarian Movement Krishna Consciousness Movement Is Not... Krishna Consciousness Movement is Saving the World Krishna Consciousness Movement is Teaching... Krishna Consciousness Movement Is... Krishna is Everywhere Krishna is God Krishna is So Kind Krishna-prema Krishna, the Friend of All Krishna's Beauty Krishna's Body Krishna's Disappearance Krishna's Face Ksatriyas Ksetra-jna Laws of God Leaders Leaving this Body Liberated from Liberated Persons Liberated Souls Life after Death Liberation Limited Line of Disciplic Succession Loving Affairs Loving Devotional Service Lover of God Loving God Loving Propensity Loving Service Madness Maha-bhagavata Maha-mantra Mahajanas Mahat-tattva Management Mantra Manufacturing Ideas Marginal Energy Marginal Potency Material Activities Material Advancement Material Association Material Atmosphere Material Attachment Material Benefits Material Bodies Material Body Material Bondage Material Civilization Material Comforts Material Conception Material Consciousness Material Contamination Material Creation Material Desires Material Disease Material Energy Material Enjoyment Material Entanglement Material Existence Material Form Material Gains Material Happiness Material Knowledge Material Life Material Manifestation Material Miseries Material Nature Material Opulence Material Platform Material Possessions Material Qualities Material Science Material Senses Material Universe Materialism Materialists Matter and Spirit Maya the Illusory Energy Mayavada Philosophy Mayavadi Philosophers Mayavadi Sannyasis Meat-eating Meditation Memory Mental Concoction Mental Speculation Mental Speculators Mercantile Class - Vaisyas Mercy Mercy of God Mercy of Guru Mind Miscreants Miserable Conditions Miseries of Life Misinterpretation Mission of Caitanya Mahaprabhu Mission of Human Life Mistakes Misuse Mleccha Mode of Goodness Mode of Ignorance Mode of Passion Modern Civilization Mortality Money Mudha Mukti Mystery Naked Nastiness Negative Neophyte devotee Next Life Nine Processes of Devotional Service Nirvana Nitya No Limit Nondevotees Nonsense Nonviolence Not Believing in God Not Envious Not Surrendered Occupational Duties Offering Prayers Offering Garlands to the Lord Old Age Omkara One With God Opulence Orders of Krishna Orders of the Spiritual Master Origin Of All Origin Original Consciousness Original Cause Original Form of God Original Personality of Godhead Original Position Original Source Paramahamsa Paramatma Parampara Parampara System Part and Parcel of Krishna Past Life Past, Present and Future Passing Away Pastimes of the Lord Path of Devotional Service Path of Liberation Path of Self-realization Patience Peace and Prosperity Penance Perfect Knowledge Perfection Perfection of Life Performing Sacrifices Perpetuity Personal Benefits Personal Feature of the Lord Pessimistic Philosophical Speculation Pious Activities Places of Pilgrimage Planetary Systems Platform of Devotional Service Pleasing Krishna Politicians Politics Poor Fund of Knowledge Positive Pradhana Prakrti Prasadam Preaching Preaching the Krishna Consciousness Movement Predominating Deities Prema Preparing for Our Next Life Presence of Krishna Previous Acaryas Previous births Previous Lives Pride Principles of Devotional Service Private Problems of Life Process of Bhakti Process of Devotional Service Producing Food Grains Propagating the Krishna Consciousness Movement Prosperity Protected by The Lord Protecting Cows Protection of Women Psychology Puffed Up Puranas Pure Consciousness Pure Devotional Service Pure Devotees of the Lord Pure Goodness Pure Love Pure Souls Purification of the Heart Purified Senses Purity Purpose of the Krishna Consciousness Movement Purusa Pushing on the Krishna Consciousness Movement Qualification‏‎ Qualities of Krishna Quality of Goodness Quitting this Body Radha-Krishna Worship Ramayana Rasa-lila Rascal Civilization Rascaldom Reaction Reality Real Happiness Real Identity Real Knowledge Real Love Real Purpose Real Religion Receiving Knowledge Regulative Principles Relationship with God Relationship with Krishna Religion Religious Principles Remedies Remembering Krishna Rendering Devotional Service Rendering Service Rendering Service to the Lord Renounced Order of Life Renunciation Repentance Repetition of Birth and Death Representative of God Responsibility Return Home Back to Godhead Reveal Revealed Scriptures Revelation Rewards Rising Early in the Morning Rogues and Thieves Root Cause Rules and Regulations Sacred Thread Sadhana-bhakti Sadhu Sadhu-sanga Sahajiyas Saintly Persons Saktyavesa-avataras Salvation Samadhi Sampradaya Sanatana Sanatana-dharma Sanctify Sankhya Philosophy Sankirtana Sankirtana Movement Sannyasa Sastra Satisfying Krishna Satisfying Our Senses Sattva-guna Satyaloka Scholarship Science of God Scripture Searching after God Secret Secret of Success Seeing God Seeing God Face to Face Seeing Krishna Self-realization Self-realized Souls Self-sufficient Sense Enjoyment Sense Gratification Sense Objects Sense Organs Sense Perception Sense Pleasures Sentiments Servant of God Servant of God Servant of Krishna Service Attitude Service to Humanity Serving Krishna Servitude Seva Sex Desire Sex Enjoyment Sex Indulgence Shelter of Krishna Shyness Silence Simplicity‏‎ Simultaneously One and Different‏‎ Sin Sincere Devotees Sincerity Sinful Activities Sinful Life Sinful Men Sinful Persons Sinful Reactions Sinner Slaughterhouse‏‎ So-called Happiness‏‎ So-called Scientists‏‎ So-called Devotees So-called Education‏‎ So-called Scholars‏‎ Society, Friendship and Love‏‎ Solving all Economical Problems Solving Problems Solving The Problems Of Life Sons of God Source of Everything‏‎ Soul within the Body‏‎ Speculative Knowledge Spiritual Activities Spiritual Advancement Spiritual Bliss Spiritual Benefits Spiritual Body Spiritual Consciousness Spiritual Culture Spiritual Education Spiritual Energy Spiritual Existence Spiritual Form Spiritual Happiness Spiritual Identity Spiritual Kingdom Spiritual Knowledge Spiritual Life Spiritual Master Spiritual Nature Spiritual Perfection Spiritual Planets Spiritual Position Spiritual Potency Spiritual Progress Spiritual Realization Spiritual Science Spiritual Sky Spiritual Spark Spiritual Understanding Spiritual World Spiritualists Spiritually Advanced Spontaneous Love Spreading Krishna Consciousness Spreading the Krishna Consciousness Movement Sraddha Sravana Sruti Stages of Devotional Service Starting the Krishna Consciousness Movement Starvation Stopping Death Stringent Laws of Material Nature Struggle for Existence Submission Subtle Body Success Successful Life Suffering Suicide Supersoul Supreme Absolute Truth Supreme Consciousness Supreme Controller Supreme Enjoyer Supreme Father Supreme Friend Supreme Goal Supreme Person Supreme Personality of Godhead Supreme Spirit Supreme Source Supreme Truth Surrender Surrender to Krishna Surrendered Souls Sympathetic Sympathy Taking Birth Taking Shelter Taking Sannyasa Taking to Devotional Service Talking Nonsense Tamo-guna Tapasya Tattva There is No God Tests Temple Worship The Holy Names of God Give Liberation The Time Will Come Theism Theoretical Knowledge Thinking of Krishna Three Modes of Material Nature Tilaka Time Factor Time Immemorial Time, Place and Circumstances Tolerance Tradition Transcendence Transcendental Activities Transcendental Bliss Transcendental Body Transcendental Devotional Service Transcendental Form Transcendental Knowledge Transcendental Life Transcendental Literature Transcendental Love Transcendental Loving Service Transcendental Loving Service of the Lord Transcendental Mellows Transcendental Nature of the Lord Transcendental Position Transcendental Qualities Transcendental Science Transcendental Service of the Lord Transcendental Subject Matter Transferring to the Spiritual World Transformation Transmigrating From One Body To Another Transmigration of the Soul Tribulations Trust Trust in God Truth Truthfulness Tulasi Ugra-karma Ultimate Destination Ultimate Goal of Life Unalloyed Devotees Unalloyed Devotional Service Unchasity Uncivilized Unconscious Uncontaminated Under The Direction of Krishna Understanding Bhagavad-gita Understanding God Understanding Krishna Understanding Srimad-Bhagavatam Understanding the Absolute Truth Understanding the Krishna Consciousness Movement Undesirable Undisturbed Unfortunate Unhappy Unintelligent Unsuccessful Untruth Unwanted Things Useless Waste of Time Vaikuntha Vairagya Vaisnava Vaisnava Philosophy Vanaprastha Vani Vapu Varnasrama Varnasrama-dharma Vedanta Philosophy Vedas Vedic Civilization Vedic Culture Vedic Evidence Vedic Hymns Vedic Injunctions Vedic Instructions Vedic Knowledge Vedic Literature Vedic Mantras Vedic Principles Vedic Rituals Vedic Scriptures Vedic Society Vedic Version Vedic Wisdom Vegetarian Very Expert Very Happy Very Intelligent Very Sincere Vijnana Vikarma Visnu-tattva Vital Force Vrndavana War War and Sinful Activities Wasting Time Water of the Ganges Welfare Activities Western Civilization Western World What is Bhagavad-gita What is Education What is God What is Srimad-Bhagavatam Whole Human Society Will of the Lord Wisdom Within the Heart Without Any Doubt Without Deviation Without Hesitation Without Knowledge Without Krishna Consciousness Words of Krishna Working for Krishna Worshiping Worshiping God Worshiping Krishna Worshiping Lord Vishnu Worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead Yajna Yamuna River Yoga Yoga Practice Yoga System Yogamaya Yogi Yukta-vairagya

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books

vanipedia.org

By undergoing severe austerities and penances, one cannot become one or equal with God, but one can attain most of the godly qualities. A living being can attain godly qualities to a large extent, but he cannot become God, whereas Kṛṣṇa, without undergoing any type of penance, is God always, either in the lap of His mother or growing up or at any stage of growth. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.7.27)

vanipedia.org

No one else can perform such extraordinary activities as Kṛṣṇa. When He was a child on the lap of His mother, He killed the demon Pūtanā. Then He killed the demons Tṛṇāvarta, Vatsāsura and Baka. When He was a little more grown up, He killed the demons Aghāsura and Ṛṣabhāsura. Therefore God is God from the very beginning. The idea that someone can become God by meditation is ridiculous. By hard endeavor one may realize his godly nature, but he will never become God. The asuras, or demons, who think that anyone can become God, are condemned. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 3.87)

vanipedia.org

Lord Brahmā is a pure devotee, even though the first dominating deity in the material world and therefore able to do many wonderful things, he would never, like the nondevotee with a poor fund of knowledge, have the audacity to think of becoming one with the Lord. People with a poor fund of knowledge should take lessons from Brahmā when they are puffed up with the false notion of becoming God. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.30)

vanipedia.org

The doctrines of anthropomorphism and zoomorphism are never applicable to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, or the Personality of Godhead. The theory that a man becomes God by dint of penance and austerities is very much rampant nowadays, especially in India. Since Lord Rāma, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu were detected by the sages and saints to be the Personality of Godhead as indicated in revealed scriptures, many unscrupulous men have created their own incarnations. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.1.20)

vanipedia.org

Pūtanā was immediately aware that the child whom she was observing in the house of Nanda Mahārāja was the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He was lying there as a small baby, but that does not mean He was less powerful. The materialistic theory that God-worship is anthropomorphic is not correct. No living being can become God by undergoing meditation or austerities. God is always God. Kṛṣṇa as a baby is as complete as He is as a full-fledged youth. (Kṛṣṇa Book, Chapter 6)

vanipedia.org

The goddess of learning, Sarasvatī, inspired Dr. Radhakrishnan to say "Man cannot become God." We would like to clarify this statement by saying "Even after becoming liberated, a man cannot become God." A liberated person can become a pure devotee of God, but he cannot become God or merge into God and lose his identity. (Renunciation Through Wisdom, Chapter 4.4)

vanipedia.org

The standard of perfection for a human being is to develop the attributes up to seventy-eight percent in full. The living being can never possess attributes like Śiva, Viṣṇu or Lord Kṛṣṇa. A living being can become godly by developing the seventy-eight-percent transcendental attributes in fullness, but he can never become a God like Śiva, Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa. He can become a Brahmā in due course. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.3.28)

vanipedia.org

God's creations are always innumerable. Even the leaves of a tree cannot be counted by a man, nor can the hairs on his head. However, foolish men are puffed up with the idea of becoming God Himself, though unable to create a hair of their own bodies. Man may discover so many wonderful vehicles of journey, but even if he reaches the moon by his much advertised spacecraft, he cannot remain there. The sane man, therefore, without being puffed up, as if he were the God of the universe, abides by the instructions of the Vedic literature, the easiest way to acquire knowledge in transcendence. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.10)

vanipedia.org

The Personality of Godhead is an established fact in all the revealed scriptures, and in the Bhagavad-gītā the personal feature of the Supreme Lord is especially mentioned, so much so that the last portion of the great literature has emphatically stressed that one should surrender unto the Personality of Godhead to be saved from the miseries of life. Unfortunately, persons with impious backgrounds do not believe in the Personality of Godhead, and everyone wants to become God himself without any qualification. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 2.9.18)

vanipedia.org

In his eternal conditioned existence the jīva is full of the desire to enjoy matter, while in his eternal liberated state he is full of the desire to render devotional service to the Lord. Thus the jīva can never become God. It is sheer insanity to equate man with God, or vice versa. The Māyāvādī's unnatural desire to deny the inherent characteristics of his conscious self is the very same desire that keeps him from attaining liberation. (Renunciation Through Wisdom, Chapter 3.4)

vanipedia.org

One should approach a guru who can extinguish the blazing fire of this material world, the struggle for existence, people want to be cheated, and therefore they go to yogīs and svāmīs who play tricks, but tricks do not mitigate the miseries of material life. If being able to manufacture gold is a criterion for becoming God, then why not accept Kṛṣṇa, the proprietor of the entire universe, wherein there are countless tons of gold?. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.14.13)

Becoming God - 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.