Re: Churn it! Churn it!

Dear Guruji and Vaisnavas,

      Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna! Please accept my obeisances!

      These are too beautiful jewels of realisation. I could say that there are 2 ways to become a pure devotee very quickly. One is by chanting and the other is by reading Chaitanya Bhagavata!

       Speaking of acintya bhedabheda, the phrase part and parcel really does contain the whole philosophy in 3 words! For a long time I couldn't understand head and tail of simultaneous oneness and difference, but then somewhere in Caitanya Caritamrta I read of how Advaita Acarya was called a limb of Gauranga and immediately the example came to my mind of a body and its parts. The reason is that Prabhupada mentioned about the various parts of the body all trying to serve the stomach.

        That day someone picked up an argument with me saying that everything is one (mayavada) just like the body parts are also the body. I however pointed out that the part was not equal to the whole as each of the body parts could not do everything which an entire body could, so they were different.

        But then I later thought about it and all of a sudden I thought of the body and its parts. My challenger was partially correct. Certainly the parts of the body are one with the whole body and do not have a separate existence apart from the body as a whole and yet each part has its own individuality and specific function and is therefore different from other parts and the body as a whole. At that time I remembered the phrase 'part and parcel' of the Lord and then it all struck me and then it was as if a curtain had been removed and I could see the scenery beyond. The analogy was quite appopriate to describe the relationship between the Lord and ourselves to some good extent.

         However the analogy is also not completely accurate as in a material body the parts make up the whole, whereas in the Lord, it is the whole that makes up the parts. We exist because of the Lord. At once all the Vaisnava philospohies of bhedabheda, dvaita, suddhadvaita and vishistadvaita came together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and I could see that all of them derived their existence from the philosophy of acintya bhedabheda which is the complete truth. The other philosophies are parts of Mahaprabhu's words. I also understood the Navadvipa Dham Mahatmya, where Lord Gauranga orders each Vaisnava acarya to preach a specific aspect of Vaisnava philosophy according to his plan.

          But in our siddhanta one also finds many things which are not completely there in other sampradayas too. It is true that my little puny realisation is only in the mental category and is jus tan insignificant finding of rationalism, whereas your realisations are on the spiritual level and so full of substance. Advaita acarya being callled a limb of Gauranga shows their deep and intimate relationship and the acintya bhedabheda philosophy not just gives the quantitative and qualitative status relationship between the Lord and the living entities, but it also goes further and delves deep into their intimate devotional relationship with each other.

          HH Gour Govinda Swami used to take one line or phrase of Prabhupada and explain it for hours together going up to the very highest levels beyond imagination. By reading your realisation I got a glimpse of what they would have seen and I am unlimitedly grateful for having brought this foolish sinner to this path again and again with your infinite love and patience despite my frequent transgressions and offensive behaviour. The only thing I can pray is that the whole universe come to know and appreciate the infinite glories of devotees like yourself. Right now people think many materialists and scientists and philosophers and others to be great, but they should come to know what is real greatness. I pray that somewhere I become a small particle in your midst with the only desire to serve you with whatever insignificant ability I have.

Daaso'smi,
Srinath

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