Importance of Proper Association

In the present age it is becoming increasingly difficult to become spiritually enlightened. This is because of the deteriorating influence of the present age of Kali, the age of quarrel and hypocrisy. In this age very few people are interested in spiritual life. And of those who are, because of insufficient guidance, even fewer are fortunate enough to be properly situated on the pathway of spiritual perfection.

Nowadays we see that many people want to concoct their own pathway of spiritual perfection. But only a liberated soul can show us the way out of bondage, not a conditioned soul. Therefore if we are serious about becoming delivered from the cycle of birth and death we must be careful to choose the association and guidance of those who are factually liberated from the cycle of birth and death, not the so-called guidance of those who are still in the grip of maya or illusion.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Non-Physical Form?

Namaste.

I am having a hard time with "transcendental". Does this word mean basically "non-physical"? If so, then how is it that Krishna has/is a transcendental body? I have always equated "body" with "form". I am schooled as an artist but also have mystical inclinations. How can something non-physical have a form?

Please help me to clear up this confusion.
Thank you.
Love always...

Tommi

Answer: Spiritual Form is Permanent, Material Form is Temporary

Transcendental means beyond this material existence. Krishna's body is transcendental because it is not composed of material elements. It is instead composed of eternity, knowledge, and bliss. This is confirmed as follows in the Brahma-samhita:

iśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ
sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead is Krishna. He has a body which is composed of eternity, knowledge and bliss. He has no beginning, for He is the beginning of everything. He is the cause of all causes."
--Brahma-samita 5.1

Even the Bible confirms that God has form because it says that man is created in the image of God.

Why do you think that something non-physical cannot have form? The spiritual elements also have tangibility. In fact they are more tangible than the material elements because the material elements come into being at a certain time and then are destroyed at the time of universal devastation. While countless phases of creation, maintenance, and destruction are going on for the material elements, the spiritual elements of eternity, knowledge, and bliss are always existing in an undisturbed way. Therefore spiritual form is permanent, and material form is temporary.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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