The Revival of Transcendental Vision

Sometimes we feel that it is hopeless when we see how the present world population is completely covered over by the darkness of ignorance, completely out of touch with the transcendental nature of the self and its relationship with the Supreme Self. But we should never feel it is hopeless.

Why?

The reason is that light destroys darkness and darkness cannot destroy light. Take a tiny lit candle into a large completely dark room and you will see that immediately the light of the candle spreads everywhere. Now take a can full of darkness and take it outside on a bright, sunny day and open it to spread its influence. You will see that immediately the darkness is completely destroyed by the light.

Therefore the light of transcendental knowledge is destined to drive away the darkness of ignorance. That transcendental torchlight of knowledge is carried by the spiritual master to rescue us and the entire world from the darkness of ignorance. Therefore we offer our respectful obeisances unto him with this wonderful prayer from the Gautamiya Tantra:

om ajnana-timirandhasya
jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena
tasmai sri-gurave namah

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto my spiritual master, who with the torchlight of knowledge has opened my eyes, which were blinded by the darkness of ignorance."

The spiritual master's duty is to open the disciple's eyes of knowledge. When the disciple's transcendental vision is revived, he will be able to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead everywhere because the Lord actually is everywhere.

Answers According to the Vedic Version

Question: Consciousness After Death...

I am in confusion about the nature of conciseness after death. People from the Mayavadi/Advaita camp have told me that after death a person's ego/mind dies and merges with God. I do not want to believe this but I feel that I do not grasp the differences between the ego, mind and soul. It's not that I doubt the survival of the soul but I have a hard time refuting those who say that conciseness ends at death. Any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

Your servant,

Randy Kasper

Answer: You Exist for a Good Reason...

Why should we take someone's opinion when God Himself, the ultimate authority, under whose direction everything is happening has clearly stated the eternal existence of the living being?

Here are Lord Krishna's words:

na tv evaham jatu nasam
na tvam neme janadhipah
na caiva na bhavisyamah
sarve vayam atah param

"Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be."
--Bhagavad-gita 2.12

If your ultimate perfection were to merge into God, why would you ever exist as a separate being to begin with? What purpose would your temporary illusory sense of separate existence serve? It would serve no purpose.

The eternal separate identity of the living being does make sense. The two-ness allows for an exchange of love between the Lord and the living beings. Do you think God wants to live in a world without love and without any association?

The Mayavadis say that everyone is one, but then they immediately contradict themselves by making a distinction between being Maya and Brahman.

The soul is the actual person, the actual self. The mind and the false ego are two of the subtle coverings of the self. The mind is the channel for our sensual desires. In this regard Srila Prabhupada describes it as, "the pivot of the active sense organs." The false ego is that which foolishly misidentifies with a rotting material body. The real ego is the soul.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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