SrilaSridharMaharaj-blu-150x150

Understand the Central Truth

Śrīla Bhakti Rakṣak Śrīdhar Dev-Goswāmī Mahārāj summarises the fundamental solution to life.

The backbone of the Upaniṣads is here:

yasmin jñāte sarvam idaṁ vijñatam bhavati
yasmin prāpte sarvam idaṁ prāptaṁ bhavati
tad vijijñāsasva tad eva brahma

There is someone by knowing whom we can know everything, something by getting which we can get everything. Such a solution to life is there that by getting that one thing, we can get everything.

Sometimes in a war, one tries to capture the opposing leader, the king. By taking him captive, one can demand from the opposition, “Now give us everything.” If an owner is captured, then their property is captured thereby. It is something like that. If I know the master, the controller of the whole by whose sweet will everything happens—if I can know that principle, then I will come to known everything. We are to search for that mystic man, that magical man, that designer of what we see—whatever He likes comes to exist. If we can find that designer of the world, of the whole, He who has destiny in His hand, then we will have everything. If we have the master, then we have His property as well. This is the way by which we shall march for our future success.

Now, is such a thing possible at all? The Upaniṣads, the revealed truth, says, “Yes. It is possible that if one is known, everything is known. Accept it. If food is put into the stomach, the whole body is fed. How? If water is put on the roots, the whole tree is nourished. How is it possible? We must understand the importance of the central truth. If that is known, if you have that, if you can find that, then you will have everything. It is possible, and the revealed truth has extended that real centre to us.

chhidyante sarva-saṁśayāḥ
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.20.30)

All misgivings and doubts will be cleared if you come have to such general knowledge. This knowledge is so universal that if you get it, you will have a key with which you can command everything. The central truth is such.

He is the controller of everything, and everything comes from Him, and He is by Himself and for Himself. This is the all-important point: there is nothing for you; you are for Him and you are to find your master. Everything is for Him, so you are for Him. As He is by Himself and for Himself, so we are all in a secondary position: we are for Him. What are we to do? This is our nature, so we are to accept it. Otherwise, we are nowhere. We have to swallow this bitter pill that everything is for Him and we are a part of His līlā. Otherwise, we will just run hither and thither like goats and jackals. We will have no peace.

Everything is for Him, and you are a part of that. This is the fact. If you can accept it, you will be happy. How much happiness can you as a particle of consciousness consume? You will get all that and more if you can become part of this harmony.

When you cannot earn enough for your livelihood, if you join a large farm or a big capitalist in an industry as a day labourer, then you can earn more than your own bread. If you detach from that, however, you will hardly earn your bread and end up fasting. So, it is something like joining an industrial company and earning more. Accept the harmonious work of the universal world, and you will find no misery; you will find ample happiness.

Source

Spoken 3 July 1982.

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