Why did Lord Kapiladeva come ?


He came to give transcendental knowledge to the misguided conditioned souls. The living entities lost the
understanding of Krishna. There was no way the people could actually understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they became very, they became very philosophically inclined, very mental, intellectually.

So Kapiladeva came and through this intellectual endeavor He made them understand God. You are saying God, you don't, you are not interested in God because you cannot see Him, okay come, I'll prove that God is there. So, that's what Kapila did through Sankhya philosophy. If you want to, philosophy means, trying to understand things with your mental ability, intellectual ability. Philosophy means, philosophy is the process of
understanding things with your own ability, with your own perception, with your own intellect. Therefore, they come up with different ideas, because different people have different perceptions. But Kapiladeva came through that process, through that process of assimilating knowledge, come to the conclusion that the Lord is there.

And what is the conclusion, okay analyze the entire material creation the entire material world has been analyzed. The other day we discussed, how many of you remember ? With how many elements the material, how many considerations, the entire material creation has been analyzed ?

Devotees: twenty four
HH BCS : So tell me how, what are those twenty four ?

Devotee. Earth, water, fire, air, ether, then five senses, then sense objects.
HH BCS : How many ?
Devotee?. Fifteen
HH BCS : No, sense objects is how many ?
Devotee…. five
HH BCS : Okay, fifteen, okay, then ? Five working senses! How many ?
Devotee: five
HH BCS : Okay, fifteen ? Okay, then ? Five working senses, how many ? Twenty, okay, then ?
Devotee : Then, mind, intelligence, false ego.
HH BCS :  Twenty three
Devotee : Twenty three
HH BCS :  And then ?
Devotee…. Mahattatva
HH BCS : Twenty four, entire material nature has been analyzed.

But where were you ? (laughs) That's what Kapila, that is, the point is, He is raising, okay the whole material nature has been analyzed, but the material, this is being experienced by whom ? By the individual. So where is the individual ? Could He find the individual in the material nature ? No.

So, where is he found ? Beyond material nature. So, individual, therefore is non material. So, we see that how they transcended the material nature and came to the spiritual platform. Then, we all are individuals. So, do we have an origin ? So who is the origin of all individuals? Krishna. So, twenty six. So, Krishna is established. Ok, so that is the real sankhya. So, in this way, Kapiladeva made even the atheistic people recognize the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

In the mode of goodness, people tend can become too much involved in, in austerities and pious, piety for their personal elevation. So that is also another mistake. Like, forgetting Krishna they are trying to enjoy themselves, elevating to the heavenly planets. When you read the scriptures, you see specially Ramayan, you see all these sages were performing such severe austerities just to become elevated to the heavenly planets. Hardly anyone was actually pursuing devotional service. So,that means they were in mode of goodness but they were not involved in devotional service so Kapiladeva came and gave them the process of devotional service.

- HH Bhakti Charu Swami SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM, CANTO 3, CHAPTER 33, ACTIVITIES OF KAPILA, TEXT 5 :: October 2011

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"If you are not an optimist you are an atheist." B.R. Sridhar Swami


A person who actually has faith in God must be be optimistic because within every situation he can see the hand of God working to bring him closer to God. And to not see reality in this way, to see things negatively is a form of atheism, or lack of faith in God. As devotees of God we should be optimistic in every circumstance, even in what is normally considered the worst circumstance, the destruction of the physical body, a devotee can be completely optimistic, even while facing illness and eventual death.

Sometimes people criticize devotees for being pessimistic. Krishna says in Bhagavad Gita that part of knowledge is to see the evils of birth, death, old age, and disease. But that does not mean that devotees should be depressed or morose. A devotee is joyful, and despite the fact that he sees the reality of this world and how everyone is bound to suffer and eventually die, nevertheless he "is disposed to take a favorable view of events." Because rather than seeing the world as a hostile place full of danger he sees Krishna everywhere, in all situations, and in every situation he sees the loving merciful hand of the Lord.

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"In the path of Krsna consciousness the first principle is enthusiasm. If you lack enthusiasm then other things will not happen. And you can keep enthusiastic if you follow the rules and regulation and chant regularly Hare Krsna mantra. Otherwise that enthusiasm also will dry. So six things are required for advancing Krsna consciousness. The first thing is enthusiasm. Utsahan dhairyat. And patience. And niscayad, with conviction, firm conviction. Utsahan dhairyat niscayad tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. Following the rules and regulation, chalked out plans. And sato vrtteh, dealing very straightforward. No diplomacy, no politics, no duplicity. That will not help. Sato vrtteh. Vrtteh, his profession should be very straightforward. No underhand dealings. Sato vrtteh and sadhu-sanga, and in the association of devotees.

Six things. Enthusiasm, patience, firm conviction, following the rules and regulations, dealing straightforward, no duplicity, and in association of devotees. If you can keep these six principles always in front then your progress in Krsna consciousness is sure. There is no doubt about it. So as far as possible I've tried to train you and you are doing nice. I'm satisfied. So keep the standard and go on. March forward and Krsna will bless you."

- Srila Prabhupada Letters :: LA,2.august 1970

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Srila Prabhupada was travelling from Mexico to Miami in 1975, and He landed at the Atlanta Temple. When Srila Prabhupada arrived at the temple, He said that He was very glad to see the devotees. He knows that the devotees were having issues but the issue is not on the basis of material existence. The issue is that I am struggling to be a devotee which is good because Krishna Consciousness is sweet but it is a sweet struggle nevertheless. Srila Prabhupada used to say if you are struggling in Krishna Consciousness it's fine, but if you are struggling in material life that is not good. In one lecture Srila Prabhupada said, to be pure is not difficult but to be impure is very difficult. Similarly, if we struggle in material life we are going nowhere, but if we struggle in spiritual life we are going somewhere.


So Srila Prabhupada was hearing there were difficulties and in His first words He said, 'I am glad to see you and your temple is the best.' Hearing this, all devotees went in ecstacy and immediately Prabhupada took away all their anxieties. 'These two Lords Nityananda and Chaitanya, Srila Prabhupada says, They are very kind. Krishna demands surrender but Nityananda and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu say, come as you are. So take shelter of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and be happy.'

- As told in a lecture by HH Bhakti Brhat Bhagavat Maharaj

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Locana dasa declares that the two Lords, Nitai-Gauracandra Lord Nitai and Lord Caitanyaare very merciful. They are the essence of all incarnations. The specific significance of these incarnations is that prosecuting their way of self-realization is simply joyful, for they introduced chanting and dancing. There are many incarnations, like Lord Rama and even Krishna, who taught Bhagavad-gita, which requires knowledge and understanding. But Lord Caitanya introduced a process which is simply joyful simply chant and dance.

Therefore Locana Das requests everyone: "My dear brother, I request that you just worship Lord Caitanya and Nityananda with firm conviction and faith." Don't think that this chanting and dancing will not lead to the desired goal. It will. It is the assurance of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu that one will get all perfection by this process. Therefore one must chant with firm faith and conviction.

But what is the process? If one wants to be Krishna conscious by this process, one has to give up his engagement in sense gratification. That is the only restriction. If one gives up sense gratification, it is sure that he will reach the desired goal. One simply has to chant "Hari Hari!" without any motive of sense gratification.

Locana das says, "My dear brother, you just try and examine this. Within the three worlds there is no one like Lord Caitanya or Lord Nityananda, because Their merciful qualities are so great that They make even birds and beasts cry, what to speak of human beings."
 
Actually, when Lord Caitanya passed through the forest known as Jharikhanda, the tigers, elephants, snakes, deer, and all other animals joined Him in chanting Hare Krishna. It is so nice that anyone can join. Even the animals can join, what to speak of human beings. Of course, it is not possible for ordinary men to induce animals to chant, but if Caitanya Mahaprabhu could inspire animals to chant, at least we can encourage human beings to adopt this path of Hare Krishna mantra chanting. It is so nice that even the most stonehearted man will be melted. It is so nice that even stone will melt.

But Locana dasa Thakura regrets that he is entrapped by sense gratification. He addresses himself, "My dear mind, you are entrapped in this sense gratification process, and you have no attraction for chanting Hare Krishna. Since you have no attraction for the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, what can I say? I can simply think of my misfortune. Yamaraja, the superintendent of death, is punishing me by not allowing me to be attracted by this movement."

- Srila Prabhupada's explanation of the beautiful bhajana by Locana Dasa Thakur
'Parama Karuna Pahu Dui Jana'

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