The Perfection of Happiness

The perfection is happiness is to be fully absorbed 24 hours a day in the service of the Lord. To whatever extent we are able to engage our lives in this way, to that extent we will relish true happiness. This the universal, eternal principle of happiness. No matter now much we may try to beat the system through selfishness and greed, we will ultimately find ourselves in a miserable condition. Therefore completely rejecting the happiness derived from selfishness and greed the intelligent person dedicates his entire life to becoming perfect in the devotional service of the Lord.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

ISKCON Temple--Suva, FijiISKCON Temple

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: Can Man Become God?

I know that we are small gods. But does ISKCON think man can be God? Is there a way that man can be a full representation of God by climbing? Or does God have to be represented strictly by a man who was appointed at a time and place? That might be full two questions!

Thanks,
Travis

Answer: Can the Part Become the Source?

God means the origin of all existence. So it is not possible for someone who is part of existence to become the source of the existence. The source always remains the source and the part always remains the part.

There is no such thing as someone being appointed as God. If there were, the one who does the appointing would be God, not the one who is appointed.

It is not that God is represented by a man. No. Just as a goldless gold mine cannot produce gold, an impersonal source of existence cannot produce persons. Therefore God, the source of existence, must necessarily possess personality and thus factually be a person. It is not that we are representing something impersonal as a person. This is not the case. The original source of existence must be a person. And the perfection of spiritual life is to develop a pure loving, relationship with that original person.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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