Ocean of Nectar: Material World Place of Suffering | His Holiness Bhakti Charu Swami Archives

1. TRANSCENDENTAL

So, we are now getting into Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s transcendental pastimes. What is the meaning of the word transcendental? How many of you know? Please raise your hands. Nrsimhananda your hand went up first. Nrsimhananda prabhu, “Beyond the modes of material nature, beyond the material realm.” Transcendental means beyond, transcending, superseding. That which is beyond material is transcendental and what is beyond transcendental? Is this world everything? Is there something beyond? Ultimately it is the spiritual sky. Material nature has one specific domain, that is the universe. There are many universes in this material world and each universe has fourteen planetary systems, that is the structure of each universe. Seven higher and seven lower planetary systems. We are in the middle which is known as Bhu-loka, beyond Bhu-loka there are six other higher planetary systems, beyond Bhu-loka is Bhuvar-loka and above Bhuvar-loka is Swarga-loka what we generally describe as heaven. Swarga is also part of this material nature. The demi-gods reside in the heavenly planets. Who are the demi-gods? They are controllers of

2. UNIVERSAL AFFAIR

Of the different affairs of this universe like the government has responsible personalities taking care of different departments of the State, similarly in the universal affair different departments are being taken care of by some appointed executives who are known as Devatas. Just as the government officials get some special benefits and facilities. In India it is very common to see government quarters, the government employees have their quarters, the higher officials have bungalows, big personalities like the Governors have their palaces. This is how just as government officials get facilities from the Government, in the universal affair, these executives who are taking care of different regions or different areas of responsibilities they get some facilities, so these heavenly planets have lots of facilities. What is their qualification? They are the appointed employees of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Beyond Swarga-loka is Mahar-loka then Jana-loka then Tapa-loka and Satya-loka. These areas are predominated by saintly personalities. Beyond the executives are the Brahmanas, thinkers, those who meditate on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

3. ALL THESE PLANETS ARE INHABITED

Those who act for the pleasure of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Accordingly, they are situated on even higher platforms. Even more exalted saintly personalities stay in Jana-loka and even more exalted personalities live in Tapa-loka. Tapa means austerities, there they simply perform austerity. What is austerity? Austerity, simply is negation of material needs. In the material nature the body needs different facilities and when one tries to negate or avoid those needs that practise is called Tapa or austerity. We can see the negation of body’s needs means more detached from the body which means more attached to the spiritual existence. In this way we can see the more spiritual one becomes the more exalted his position becomes in the universal affair. Finally, Satya-loka the abode of Lord Brahma. All these planets are inhabited by living entities. When we see luminaries in the sky, stars and other luminaries they are not empty space they all are filled with living entities and those planets have their controllers, predominating personalities, one supreme predominating personality in each planet.

4. CAUSAL OCEAN

Those planets are known according to him, for example there is a personality called Brihaspati, he has a planet and he lives there surrounded by his followers so that is the planet Brihaspat, in English is known as Jupiter. Similarly, Sukra, Venus. These are all planets dominated by different exalted personalities and inhabited by their associates. Beyond the universe is causal ocean. Each universe is submerged in an ocean and that ocean is causal ocean. It a substance like water called cause and to use the expression like because, behind every action there is a cause, nothing happens just by chance or accident, everything has a cause. Cause is a substance and there is an ocean of cause and the universe is actually submerged in that ocean. When you go beyond the causal ocean which is also known as Viraja river and this river separating the spiritual from the material. When you go across the Viraja or causal ocean then you come to the spiritual world. The spiritual world is diametrically opposed to the material world. Material nature is a Viraja a world of darkness, here everything is in darkness, just consider had the sun not risen and if there was no moon

5. MATERIAL WORLD OF DARKNESS

Electricity or fire what would have been the condition of this world? Would there have been any light and heat? No. So, in this way we can see that this world is a world of darkness and sun is actually providing the light not even the moon it doesn’t have its own light, it reflects the sun’s light. All the inflammable objects have derived the ability to burn from the sun. Example the trees collect the energy from the sun through their leaves through photosynthesis and preserve that energy in the cellulose, the wood of the tree and that is how they have light. In simple understanding this is the world of darkness but that world is diametrically opposed to this world. What is the diametrically opposed feature of darkness? Light. Just as this world is the world of darkness that is the world of light and that light is called Brahmajyoti which is generated by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is an effulgent personality and that light is coming out of Him. Beyond that light there are planets. Just as this is the world of darkness and there are different planets in the darkness, there also in the world of light there are different planets. Those planets are known as Vaikunta. The word Vaikunta means no anxiety. This world is full of

6. ANXIETY AND FEAR

Anxiety and fear. Anxiety and fear are actually connected to each other, from anxiety comes fear and fear causes anxiety. It is interesting to note the expression of fear in the German language is angst, see the link anxiety and angst. Also, in Dutch and Afrikaans. This is the reality it is a world of anxiety and that is the world where there is no anxiety. What is the actual shape of this no anxiety? No anxiety means joy. This is the world of fear anxiety due to suffering. What is diametrically opposed to suffering? Joy, that is the world of joy. Now just consider our situation, where are we actually from? We are from that world but somehow or the other we have fallen here. Is it a very pleasant situation? Therefore, the Lord makes the arrangement to reclaim us from here and take us back to the world of joy. In order to do that he makes various arrangements. In order to reclaim us He comes Himself from there and He reminds us, “Why are you suffering? You are actually meant to enjoy, so come back.” So that is why the Lord, although He does not have any business here, He comes. Just as the King does he have any business in the prison? Prison is meant for the prisoners, criminals, law breakers, it’s a place

7. CRIMINALS IN THE PRISON

Where they suffer, learn and rectify their mistakes, that is the purpose of the prison. This material nature is like a prison. Who goes to the prison? Criminals so those who are here who are they? Yes, criminals. Now what is the definition of crime? Disobedience to law. The laws are there and when somebody breaks the law then that is a crime. Just as in this material nature we have a prison house where the criminals are subjected to because of breaking the laws, similarly because we have broken the spiritual laws we have been put into this prison. That law is very simple, obedience to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So that is why the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes here and says, “Look, side with Me, be with Me.” When He comes, two opposing factors are created divine and demoniac. The Lord’s side is the divine side and the opposed side is the demoniac side. Who are the demons? Demons are the ones who do not accept the authority of the Lord rather they want to become the Lords themselves. He comes and shows through His pastimes. We always see when the Lord comes there is demoniac feature, Hiranyakasipu and Hiranyaksa, Lord appeared as Nrsinghadev and Varahadev; Ravana,

8. PURPOSE OF THE LORD’S APPEARANCE

Lord appeared as Ramachandra. There are demons like Sisupal and Duryodhan, they were against Krishna. The option is open to us should we go to the divine side or demoniac side? That is the choice we have when the Lord performs His pastimes. In India we are seeing a trend they are actually opting for the demoniac side, they making Ravana, Duryodhan and Karna the hero. Actually, in the normal society everyone understands who to follow. Like we grew up with the understanding to side with Ramachandra, Krishna, Pandavas and be like Arjuna. So that is the purpose of the Lord’s appearance. Sometimes the Lord comes Himself and sometimes He sends His devotees. His devotees are His agents, they carry His message to tell people what to do and who to side with by glorifying the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They don’t blindly follow; they see the wonderful qualities of the Lord that automatically inspires one to follow them. Like we see Ramachandra, Krishna all the wonderful qualities, so the devotees sing the glories of the Lord by broadcasting His pastimes.

9. SRI CHAITANYA MAHAPRABHU

Sometimes the Lord Himself comes as a devotee, that is a very rare occasion. When the Lord Himself comes say for example, the King goes to the prison and declares, “Ok, who is going to side with Me? “He displays is grandeur and glamour and the benefits of surrendering unto Him and then He makes an offer. “How many of you want to side with Me?” Those who side with Him, they get out of the prison. So that is how the Lord does, the King of Kings comes to this prison house and He makes that condition, “Those who want to side with Me, you will become free from this imprisonment. ”In some rare occasion the Lord assumes the role of a devotee say the King comes to the prison and He plays the role of a prisoner to teach the prisoners, “Come, I have surrendered Myself to the Lord and that’s what happened.” So that is the most magnanimous aspect of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In order to benefit the prisoners, He, Himself becomes a prisoner, the King becomes the prisoner, He acts like a prisoner, He dresses like a prisoner and He teaches the prisoners the benefit of surrendering to the King. The King Himself is teaching them and that is Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

10. SRILA PRABHUPADA'S APPRECIATION

As I carefully opened his door, Prabhupada looked up and asked, “So what do you want?”

“Srila Prabhupada, “I replied, "I just wanted to be with you.” “Then come in.” When I entered and sat down, he repeated, “So what do you want?” My heart was pounding. “Srila Prabhupada, “I managed to say, “Will you please give me initiation? Will you please accept me as your disciple?” “Sure, “Srila Prabhupada replied, “I will give you initiation. During the Gaur Purnima festival in Mayapur I will give you initiation.”

With my heart dancing in gratitude and ecstasy, I offered my humble obeisances to my eternal spiritual master.

(Extract from “Ocean of Mercy” book written by HH Bhakti Charu Swami)

11. GURU MAHARAJA’S INSTRUCTIONS

Actually, in the normal society everyone understands who to follow. Like we grew up with the understanding to side with Ramachandra, Krishna, Pandavas and be like Arjuna. So that is the purpose of the Lord’s appearance;
The devotees sing the glories of the Lord by broadcasting His pastimes;
They don’t blindly follow; they see the wonderful qualities of the Lord that automatically inspires one to follow them.
Those who side with Him, they get out of the prison. So that is how the Lord does, the King of Kings comes to this prison house and He makes that condition, “Those who want to side with Me, you will become free from this imprisonment.”

(Compiled and Edited by Hemavati Radhika Devi Dasi)

CONTENTS: