Journey of the Soul

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Journey of the Soul The inhabitants of those planets are liberated from birth, death, old age, and diseases, and have full knowledge of every­thing; they are all godly and free from all sorts of material hankerings. They have nothing to do there except to render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Näräyaëa, who is the predominating Deity of such Vaikuëöha planets. (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 2.6.18) All the residents of Vaikuëöha-loka know perfectly well that their master is Näräyaëa, or Kåñëa, and that they are all His servants. They are all self-realized souls who are nitya-mukta, everlastingly liberated. Although they could conceivably declare themselves Näräyaëa or Viñëu, they never do so; they always remain Kåñëa conscious and serve the Lord faithfully. Such is the atmosphere of Vaikuëöha-loka. (Çrémad-Bhägavatam 6.1.34–6, purport)

In the following conversation, Çréla Prabhupäda reveals that the emotions and feelings of this world are reflections of the spiritual world, but they are full of imperfections and inebriety. In contrast, all the emotions and feelings of the residents of the Lord’s spiritual abode, the real world, are perfect and beautiful. Question: Sväméji, if all things here are a reflection of what is perfect in the spiritual world, then shouldn’t hate and frustration and despair and prejudice also appear in the spiritual world? Prabhupäda: Yes. Question: Does it? Prabhupäda: Yes. Question: Then isn’t that... aren’t they bad? Prabhupäda: But that frustration has no disappointment. That is the beauty. Just like Lord Caitanya is manifesting that spiritual frustration: “Oh Kåñëa, I could not see You.” He’s jumping in the sea in frustration, but that frustration is the highest perfection of love. Yes, everything is there, but without inebriety. There is frustration, but not this material frustration. That spiritual frustration enriches one’s eagerness of love for Kåñëa. Now, see Viñëu. Of course, in Vaikuëöha-jagat there is no violence. But Viñëu is taking the symbol of violence. Otherwise what is the meaning of this disc and club? So when He wants to be


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