Teachings of Lord Chaitanya MahaPrabhu

Introduction-5

Why did Krishna assume the form of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? It is explained that Krishna desired to know the glory of Radha's love. "Why is she so much in love with Me?" Krishna asked. "What is My special qualification that attracts Her so? And what is the actual way in which She loves Me?" It seems strange that Krishna, as the Supreme, should be attracted by anyone's love. We search after the love of a woman or a man because we are imperfect and lack something. The love of a woman, that potency and pleasure, is absent in man, and therefore a man wants a woman, but this is not the case with Krishna, who is full in Himself. Thus Krishna expressed surprise: "Why am I attracted by Radharani? And when Radharani feels My love, what is She actually feeling?" In order to taste the essence of that loving affair, Krishna appeared just as the moon appears on the horizon of the sea. Just as the moon was produced by the churning of the sea, by the churning of spiritual love affairs the moon of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu appeared. Indeed, Chaitanya's complexion was golden, just like the moon. Although this is figurative language, it conveys the meaning behind the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The full significance of His appearance will be explained in later chapters.

The manifestations of the Supreme are also explained in Chaitanya-charitamrita. After offering respects to Lord Chaitanya, Krishnadasa Kaviraja next offers them to Nityananda. He explains that Nityananda is a manifestation of Sankarsana, who is the origin of the Maha-Visnu. Krishna's first manifestation is as Balarama and then Sankarsana, and after Sankarsana He is manifest as Pradyumna. In this way so many expansions take place. Although there are many expansions, Lord Sri Krishna is the origin, as confirmed in Brahma-samhita. He is like the original candle from which many thousands and millions of candles are lit. Although any number of candles can be lighted, the original candle still retains its identity as the origin. In this way Krishna expands Himself into so many lights, and all these expansions are called Visnu-tattva. Visnu is a large light, and we are small lights, but all are expansions of Krishna.

When it is necessary to create the material universe, Visnu expands Himself as the Maha-Visnu. This Maha-Visnu lies down on the Causal Ocean and breathes all the universes from His nostrils. Thus from the Maha-Visnu and the Causal Ocean all the universes spring, and all these universes float in the Causal Ocean. In this regard there is the story of Vamana, who, when He took three steps, stuck His foot through the covering of the universe. Water from the Causal Ocean flowed through the hole which His foot made, and it is said that that flow of water became the River Ganges. Therefore the Ganges is accepted as the most sacred water of Visnu and is worshiped by all Hindus from the Himalayas down to the Bay of Bengal.

That Maha-Visnu who lies on the Causal Ocean is actually an expansion of Balarama, who is Krishna's first expansion, and, in the Vrndavana pastimes, is the brother of Krishna. In the maha-mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the word Rama refers to Balarama. Since Nityananda is an expansion of Balarama, Rama also refers to Lord Nityananda. Thus Hare Krishna, Hare Rama addresses not only Krishna and Balarama but Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda as well.

The subject matter of Chaitanya-charitamrita primarily deals with what is beyond this material creation. The cosmic material expansion is called maya because it has no eternal existence. Because it is sometimes manifested and sometimes not manifested, it is regarded as illusory. But beyond this temporary manifestation there is a higher nature, as indicated in Bhagavad-gita:

paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo
'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah
yah sa sarvesu bhutesu
nasyatsu na vinasyati

"Yet there is another nature, which is eternal and is transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part remains as it is." (Bg. 8.20)

That supreme nature is beyond the manifested (vyaktah) and unmanifested (avyaktah). This superior nature which is beyond both creation and annihilation is the living force which is manifest in the bodies of all living entities. The body itself is composed of inferior nature, matter, but it is the superior nature that is moving the body. The symptom of that superior nature is consciousness. Thus in the spiritual world, where everything is composed of the superior nature, everything is conscious. In the material world inanimate objects are not conscious, but in the spiritual world this is not so. There a table is conscious, the land is conscious, the trees are conscious—everything is conscious.

It is not possible to imagine how far this material manifestation extends. In the material world everything is calculated by imagination or by some imperfect method, but Vedic literatures give information of what lies beyond the material universe. Those who believe in experimental knowledge may doubt the Vedic conclusions, for they cannot even calculate how far this universe is extended, nor can they reach far into the universe itself. It is not possible to obtain information of anything beyond this material nature by experimental means. That which is beyond our power of conception is called acintya, inconceivable. It is useless to argue or speculate about what is inconceivable. If it is truly inconceivable, it is not subject to speculation or experimentation. Our energy is limited, and our sense perception is limited; therefore we must rely on the Vedic conclusions regarding that subject matter which is inconceivable. Knowledge of the superior nature must simply be accepted without argument. How is it possible to argue about something to which we have no access? The method for understanding transcendental subject matter is given by Lord Krishna Himself in Bhagavad-gita, where Krishna tells Arjuna at the beginning of the Fourth Chapter:

imam vivasvate yogam
proktavan aham avyayam
vivasvan manave praha
manur iksvakave 'bravit

"I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvan, and Vivasvan instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Iksvaku." (Bg. 4.1)

This is the method of parampara, or disciplic succession. Similarly, in Srimad-Bhagavatam Krishna imparted knowledge into the heart of Brahma, the first created creature within the universe. Brahma imparted those lessons to his disciple, Narada, and Narada imparted that knowledge to his disciple, Vyasadeva. Vyasadeva imparted it to Madhvacarya, and from Madhvacarya the knowledge comes down to Madhavendra Puri, to Isvara Puri and from him to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

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Teachings of Lord Chaitanya MahaPrabhu

Introduction-4

We have often heard the phrase "love of Godhead." How far this love of Godhead can actually be developed can be learned from the Vaisnava philosophy. Theoretical knowledge of love of God can be found in many places and in many scriptures, but what that love of Godhead actually is and how it is developed can be found in Vaisnava literatures. It is the unique and highest development of love of God that is given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Even in this material world we can have a little sense of love. How is this possible? It is due to the love which is found in the Godhead. Whatever we find within our experience within this conditional life is situated in the Supreme Lord, who is the ultimate source of everything. In our original relationship with the Supreme Lord there is real love, and that love is reflected pervertedly through material conditions. Our real love is continuous and unending, but because that love is reflected pervertedly in this material world, it lacks continuity and is inebriating. If we want real transcendental love, we have to transfer our love to the supreme lovable object—the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the basic principle of Krishna consciousness.

In material consciousness we are trying to love that which is not at all lovable. We give our love to dogs and cats, running the risk that at the time of death we may think of them and consequently take birth in a family of cats or dogs. Thus love that does not have Krishna as its object leads downward. It is not that Krishna or God is something obscure or something that only a few chosen people can attain. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu informs us that in every country and in every scripture there is some hint of love of Godhead. Unfortunately no one knows what love of Godhead actually is. The Vedic scriptures, however, are different in that they can direct the individual in the proper way to love God. Other scriptures do not give information on how one can love God, nor do they actually define or describe what or who the Godhead actually is. Although they officially promote love of Godhead, they have no idea how to execute it. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gives a practical demonstration of how to love God in a conjugal relationship. Taking the part of Radharani, Chaitanya tries to love Krishna as Radharani loved Him. Krishna was always amazed by Radharani's love. "How does Radharani give Me such pleasure?" He would ask. In order to study Radharani, Krishna lived in Her role and tried to understand Himself. This is the secret of Lord Chaitanya's incarnation. Chaitanya is Krishna, but He has taken the mode or role of Radharani to show us how to love Krishna. Thus He is addressed: "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord who is absorbed in Radharani's thoughts."

This brings up the question of who Radharani is and what Radha-Krishna is. Actually Radha-Krishna is the exchange of love. This is not ordinary love; Krishna has immense potencies, of which three are principal: internal, external and marginal. In the internal potency there are three divisions: samvit, hladini and sandhini. The hladini potency is the pleasure potency. All living entities have this pleasure-seeking potency, for all beings are trying to have pleasure. This is the very nature of the living entity. At present we are trying to enjoy our pleasure potency by means of the body in this material condition. By bodily contact we are attempting to derive pleasure from material sense objects. We should not think, however, that Krishna, who is always spiritual, tries to seek pleasure on this material plane like us. Krishna describes the material universe as a nonpermanent place full of miseries. Why, then, would He seek pleasure in the material form? He is the Supersoul, the supreme spirit, and His pleasure is beyond the material conception.

In order to learn how Krishna's pleasure can be obtained, we must read the Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam in which Krishna's pleasure potency is displayed in His pastimes with Radharani and the damsels of Vraja. Unfortunately, unintelligent people turn at once to the sports of Krishna in the Dasama-skandha, the Tenth Canto. Krishna's embracing Radharani or His dancing with the cowherd girls in the rasa dance are generally not understood by ordinary men because they consider these pastimes in the light of mundane lust. They incorrectly think that Krishna is like themselves and that He embraces the gopis just as an ordinary man embraces a young girl. Some people thus become interested in Krishna because they think that His religion allows indulgence in sex. This is not Krishna-bhakti, love of Krishna, but prakrta-sahajiya—materialistic lust.

In order to avoid such errors, we should understand what Radha-Krishna actually is. Radha and Krishna display their pastimes through Krishna's internal energy. The pleasure potency of Krishna's internal energy is a most difficult subject matter, and unless one understands what Krishna is, he cannot understand it. Krishna does not take any pleasure in this material world, but He has pleasure potency. Because we are part and parcel of Krishna, the pleasure potency is within us also, but we are trying to exhibit that pleasure potency in matter. Krishna, however, does not make such a vain attempt. The object of Krishna's pleasure potency is Radharani, and He exhibits His potency or His energy as Radharani and then engages in loving affairs with Her. In other words, Krishna does not take pleasure in this external energy but exhibits His internal energy, His pleasure potency, as Radharani. Thus Krishna manifests Himself as Radharani in order to exhibit His internal pleasure potency. Of the many extensions, expansions and incarnations of the Lord, this pleasure potency is the foremost and chief.

It is not that Radharani is separate from Krishna. Radharani is also Krishna, for there is no difference between the energy and the energetic. Without energy, there is no meaning to the energetic, and without the energetic, there is no energy. Similarly, without Radha there is no meaning to Krishna, and without Krishna, there is no meaning to Radha. Because of this, the Vaisnava philosophy first of all pays obeisances to and worships the internal pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord. Thus the Lord and His potency are always referred to as Radha-Krishna. Similarly, those who worship the name of Narayana first of all utter the name of Laksmi, as Laksmi-Narayana. Similarly, those who worship Lord Rama first of all utter the name of Sita. In any case—Sita-Rama, Radha-Krishna, Laksmi-Narayana—the potency always comes first.

Radha and Krishna are one, and when Krishna desires to enjoy pleasure, He manifests Himself as Radharani. The spiritual exchange of love between Radha and Krishna is the actual display of the internal pleasure potency of Krishna. Although we speak of "when" Krishna desires, just when He did desire we cannot say. We only speak in this way because in conditional life we take it that everything has a beginning; however, in the absolute or spiritual life there is neither beginning nor end. Yet in order to understand that Radha and Krishna are one and that They also become divided, the question "When?" automatically comes to mind. When Krishna desired to enjoy His pleasure potency, He manifested Himself in the separate form of Radharani, and when He wanted to understand Himself through the agency of Radha, He united with Radharani, and that unification is called Lord Chaitanya.

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Teachings of Lord Chaitanya MahaPrabhu

Introduction-3

Actually Chaitanya-charitamrita is not intended for the novice, for it is the post-graduate study of spiritual knowledge. Ideally, one begins with and advances through Srimad-Bhagavatam to the Chaitanya-charitamrita. Although all these great scriptures are on the absolute level, for the sake of comparitive study Chaitanya-charitamrita is considered to be on the highest platform. Every verse in it is perfectly composed. Indeed, Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda are compared to the sun and moon in that They dissipate the darkness of the material world. In this instance both the sun and moon have risen together, and it is proper to offer obeisances directly to Lord Chaitanya and Nityananda.

In the Western world where the glories of Lord Chaitanya are relatively unknown, one may inquire, "Who is Krishna Chaitanya?" The scriptural conclusion in answer to that question is that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally in the Upanisads the Supreme Absolute Truth is described in an impersonal way, but the personal aspect of the Absolute Truth is mentioned in the Isopanisad, where, after a description of the all-pervading, we find the following verse:

hiranmayena patrena
satyasyapihitam mukham
tat tvam pusann apavrnu
satya-dharmaya drstaye

"O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee." (Sri Isopanisad, Mantra 15)

The impersonalists do not have the power to go beyond the effulgence of God and arrive at the personality from whom this effulgence is emanating. At the end of Isopanisad, however, there is a hymn to the Personality of Godhead. It is not that the impersonal Brahman is denied; it is also described, but that Brahman is considered to be the glaring effulgence of the body of Chaitanya. In other words, Krishna Chaitanya is the basis of the impersonal Brahman. It is also stated by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita that the impersonal Brahman rests on Him (brahmano hi pratisthaham, Bg. 14.27). The Paramatma, or Supersoul, which is present within the heart of every living entity and within every atom of the universe, is but the partial representation of Chaitanya. Krishna Chaitanya is therefore the basis of Brahman and the Supreme Personality of Godhead as well. As the Supreme, He is full in six opulences: wealth, fame, strength, beauty, knowledge and renunciation. In short, we should know that He is Krishna, God, and nothing is equal to or greater than Him. There is no superior to be conceived. He is the Supreme Person.

It was Rupa Gosvami, a confidential devotee taught for more than ten days continuously by Lord Chaitanya, who wrote:

namo maha-vadanyaya
Krishna-prema-pradaya te
Krishnaya Krishna-Chaitanya-
namne gaura-tvise namah
[Cc. Madhya 19.53]

"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatara, even Krishna Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given—pure love of Krishna."

It is not that Chaitanya teaches a long and elaborate path to God realization. He is completely spiritual, and He begins from the point of surrender to Krishna. He does not pursue the paths of karma-yoga or jnana-yoga or hatha-yoga but begins at the end of material existence, at the point where one gives up all material attachment. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna began His teachings by distinguishing the soul from matter and in the Eighteenth Chapter concluded at the point where the soul surrenders to Him in devotion. The Mayavadis would have all talk cease there, but at that point the real discussion only begins. It is the Vedanta-sutra which begins: athato brahma jijnasa: "Now let us begin to inquire about the Supreme Absolute Truth." Rupa Gosvami thus praises Chaitanya as the most munificent incarnation of all, for He gives the greatest gift by indicating the highest form of devotional service. In other words, He answers the most important inquiries that anyone can make.

There are different stages of devotional service and God realization. Strictly speaking, anyone who accepts the existence of God is situated in devotional service. To acknowledge that God is great is something, but not much. Chaitanya, preaching as an acarya, a great teacher, taught that we can enter into a relationship with God and actually become God's friend. In Bhagavad-gita Krishna showed Arjuna His universal form because Arjuna was His "very dear friend." Upon seeing Krishna as the Lord of the universes, however, Arjuna actually asked Krishna to forgive the familiarity of his friendship. Chaitanya goes beyond this point. Through Lord Chaitanya we can become friends with Krishna, and there is no limit to this friendship. We can become friends of Krishna not in awe or adoration but in complete freedom. We can even relate to God as His father. This is not only the philosophy of Chaitanya-charitamrita but of Srimad-Bhagavatam as well. There are no other literatures in the world in which God is treated as the son of a devotee. Usually God is seen as the almighty Father who supplies the demands of His sons. The great devotees, however, sometimes treat God as a son in their execution of devotional service. The son demands, and the father supplies, and in supplying Krishna the devotee becomes like a father. Instead of taking from God, we give to God. It was in this relationship that Krishna's mother, Yasoda, told the Lord, "Here, eat this or You'll die. Eat nicely." In this way Krishna, although the proprietor of everything, depends on the mercy of His devotee. This is a uniquely high level of friendship in which the devotee actually believes himself to be the father of Krishna.

However, Lord Chaitanya's greatest gift was His teaching that Krishna can be actually treated as one's lover. In this relationship the Lord is so much attached that He expresses His inability to reciprocate. Krishna was so obliged to the gopis, the cowherd girls of Vrndavana, that He felt unable to return their love. "I cannot repay your love," He told them. "I have no more assets to return." Thus devotional service is performed on this excellent platform, and knowledge of the devotee's relationship to Krishna as lover and beloved was given by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It was never given by any previous incarnation or acarya. Thus Rupa Gosvami wrote of Chaitanya: "Devotional service itself is the highest platform, the glorious platform which You have contributed. You are Krishna in a yellow complexion, and You are Sacinandana, the son of mother Saci. Those who hear Chaitanya-charitamrita will keep You in their hearts. It will be easy to understand Krishna through You." Thus Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to deliver Krishna. His method of deliverance was not meditation, fruitive activities or scriptural study, but love.

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