Clearly, if perfect
knowledge concerning questions of the self, the universe,
and God, exists at all, it would have to be of a standard
higher than just your opinion or my opinion, or for that
matter Freud's or Einstein's or anyone else's opinion.
Because all of us have imperfect senses and because we are
all prone to make mistakes, our relative opinions about
matters beyond our experience can supply neither valid nor
reliable information.
Thus our attempt to approach such matters empirically will
be fraught with various imperfections and ultimately fail.
Therefore, so-called truths established exclusively on the
basis of mental speculation cannot help us understand the
Absolute Truth, which is beyond the reach of the imperfect
senses and mind.
The Vedas, or ancient scriptures written in Sanskrit,
explain that if we want to know about things beyond the
jurisdiction of our experience-beyond the limitations of
human perception and cognition-the process is to hear from
one who knows. The transcendental knowledge of the Vedas
was first uttered by the Supreme Lord Himself. The Lord,
the supremely powerful being, cannot fall under the
influence of any other force. As a logical consequence,
His knowledge must be perfect. And anyone who transmits
that knowledge without change gives the same perfect
knowledge. We need only accept this proposition
theoretically to progress in our understanding of Vedic
thought.
The idea is that the perfect knowledge of the Vedas has
been preserved over time by transmission through an
unbroken chain of spiritual masters. A.C Bhaktivedanta
Swami Prabhupada represents one such disciplic chain or
succession. That succession goes back thousands of years
to Lord Krishna Himself.
The writings of Srila Prabhupada are represented mainly by
three Vedic texts-the Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-Bhagavatam,
and Caitanya-caritamrta. Together these works of
literature comprise more than 25 volumes of detailed
information constituting the original Vedic science of God
realization, or bhagavata-dharma. Their translation into
the English language, along with elaborate explanations,
constitutes Srila Prabhupada's most significant
contribution to the spiritual, intellectual, and cultural
life of the world.
Srila Prabhupada's Books Present a Universal Science of
God Realization
The knowledge described in Srila Prabhupada's books
enables anyone to advance in his or her understanding of
God without having to change current religious, national,
or cultural affiliations. The science of how to understand
God, how to understand one's relationship with God, and
how to develop love for God has nothing to do with
sectarian faiths. These are objectives no religion in the
world could deny. They are, in other words, the essence of
religion-universal features by which all religions may be
understood.
Preferences regarding God's holy name may differ from one
religion to another, modes of worship may differ, and
details of ritual and doctrine may differ as well. But the
test is how much the practitioner actually develops
knowledge of God and love for God.
Real religion means to learn to love God. And how to love
God is the sum and substance of the teachings found in
Srila Prabhupada's books, which consist of translations
and explanations of Vedic Scriptures more than 5000 years
old, from Sanskrit to a modern contemporary English. Srila
Prabhupada explains how the ancient principles can be
applied practically in modern life, and this makes his
writings unique.
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For more information
and for copies of Srila Prabhupada's books, click here:
http://www.krishna.com/taxonomy/term/5 |
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