Godly means Servant of God

Pusta Krishna: This next question is rather interesting, Srila Prabhupada. “Is it not possible for all kinds of spiritualists—be they Advaitans [advocates of oneness of the self with God], Dvaitans [advocates of total difference between the self and God], or Visistadvaitans [advocates of qualified oneness of the self with God]—come together instead of remaining isolated as warring factions?”

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. This is the process taught by Caitanya Mahaprabhu—to bring all the Dvaitans and Advaitans together on one platform. Everyone has to understand that he is essentially a servant of God. The Advaitan wrongly thinks that he is absolutely one with God, that he himself is God. That is wrong. How can you become God? God is nad-aisvarya-purnam, full in six opulences. He has all power, all wealth, all beauty, all fame, all knowledge, and all renunciation. So this Advaitan idea is artificial—to think you’re able to become God.

The Dvaitans stress that one is utterly different from God, that God is separate from the living entity. But actually, from the Bhagavad-gita we understand that the living entities are part and parcel of God. And in the Vedas it is said, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam: both God and His creatures are living entities, though God is the chief. Eko yo bahunam vidadhati kaman: the difference between the two is that God maintains all the other living entities. That is a fact. We are maintained, and God is the maintainer. We are predominated—we are not independent—and God is the predominator. But because the predominated living entities are part and parcel of God, in quality they are one with God.

So Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s philosophy is acintya-bhedabheda: the living entities are simultaneously one with and different from the Lord. The living entity is one in the sense that he is part and parcel of God. So if God were gold, the living entity would also be gold. That is oneness in quality. But God is great, and we are minute. In that way we are different. That is why Caitanya Mahaprabhu enunciated this philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda: inconceivable, simultaneous oneness with and difference from God. That is real philosophy.

So on the platform of this philosophy, everyone can come together, if they are reasonable. If they remain unreasonably stuck up in their own concocted philosophy, then it is difficult. But it is a fact that the living entity is eternally one with and different from God. Find this verse: mamaivamso jiva-loke.

Hari-sauri:

mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah nanthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karnati

“The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.” [Bg. 15.7]

Srila Prabhupada: So if the living entity is eternally a fragmental part, how can he become one with the whole? The part is never equal to the whole. That is an axiomatic truth. So it is a wrong conception to try to become equal to God. The Mayavadis are trying to become God, but that is impossible. Let them try to become godly. Godly means “servant of God.” That will make them perfect. The Vaishnava philosophy teaches that we can remain in our natural position but act as a servant of God. That is perfect. But if the servant tries to become the master, that is artificial.

Of course, in the spiritual world there often seems to be no difference between the master and the servant. For instance, Krishna’s friends the cowherd boys—they do not know that Krishna is God. They play with Him on equal terms. When Krishna is defeated in play, He has to take His friend on His shoulder and carry him. The friends do not know who is God and who is not God. So that is the advanced spiritual conception. Of course, the difference is always there between God and the part-and-parcel living entities, but by the influence of God’s internal potency, the understanding is covered. We can attain that position after many, many lives of pious activities. That is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam [10.12.11]:

ittham satam brahma-sukhanubhutya
dasyam gatanam para-daivatena
mayasritanam nara-darakena
sakam vijahruh krta-punya-punjah

The cowherd boys are playing with Krishna. And who is Krishna? He is the essence of brahma-sukha, spiritual bliss. He is Param Brahman, the Supreme Spirit. So the boys are playing with Param Brahman, though to an ordinary man He appears to be an ordinary child. how have the cowherd boys gotten the position of being able to play with Krishna? Krta-punya-punjah: After many, many lives of pious activities, they have gotten the position of playing with Krishna on equal terms.

So this is the conception of pure devotional service—that when you go to Goloka Vrndavana, Krishna’s abode, you love Krishna so much that you will not distinguish between the Supreme Lord and His subordinates. The inhabitants of Krishna’s abode have such unflinching love for Krishna. That is Vrndavana life. The cows, the calves, the trees, the flowers, the water, the elderly men, Krishna’s parents Nanda Maharaja and Yasodamayi—everyone is intensely attached to Krishna. Everyone’s central point is Krishna. Everyone is loving Krishna so much that they do not know He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Sometimes the residents of Vrindavana see Krishna’s wonderful activities and think, “Krishna must be some demigod who has come here.” They never recognize that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead—or if they do, Krishna makes them immediately forget. When Krishna manifested His pastimes on earth some five thousands years ago, He passed through many dangerous situations—so many demons were coming—and mother Yasoda would chant mantras to protect Krishna, thinking, “He may not be put into some calamity.” Krishna’s family and friends never understood that Krishna is God. Their natural love for Krishna was so intense. Therefore Vrndavana life is so exalted. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu taught, aradhyo bhagavan vrajena-tanayas tad-dhama vrndavanam: First of all, Krishna—Vrajendra-nandana, the son of Nanda Maharaja—is aradhya, worshipable. Then, tad-dhama vrndavanam: His dhama, or abode—Vrindavana—is equally worshipable.

So these facts pertain to a higher standard of understanding. Only a devotee can understand that to become one with God is not a sublime idea. In Vrndavana the devotees want to become the father or mother of God—to control God with love. This fact the Mayavadis, or Advaitavadis, cannot understand. Only pure devotees can understand these things. What is the benefit of becoming one with God?

Even other Vaishnava philosophies cannot explain the higher relationships with God, which Caitanya Mahaprabhu explained. These are vatsalya-rasa [parenthood], and madhurya-rasa [conjugal love]. Caitanya Mahaprabhu especially taught that our relationship with Krishna can be in conjugal love, madhurya-rasa.

But as for our general understanding, Lord Caitanya introduced the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda—simultaneously one with and different from the Lord. That is explained by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita [15.7]: mamaivamso … jiva-bhutah—the living entities are part and parcel of God. So we are one with God, since we have God’s qualities in minute degree. But God is the master, and we are always subordinate. Eko bahunam yo vidadhati kaman: we are protected, we are maintained, we are predominated. That is our position. We cannot attain the position of predominator. That is not possible.