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The Meaning of "Tatastha s'akti"? -
07-12-2008, 11:37 PM
The Meaning of "Tatastha s'akti"? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" /><o:p></o:p>
BY: GAURAGOPALA DASA <o:p></o:p>
Jul 12, USA (SUN) — The Article "Falling From the Spiritual World" by Abhay caran dasa and the comments by Radhavallabha dasa, humbly, appear to me as a complete misunderstanding of tatastha s'akti and the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.
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Can someone please tell me the real meaning of the word tatastha s'akti and the jiva soul's 'eternal' origin according to the devout teachings of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada?
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This is how I understand his teachings:
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"So to go to God or Krishna means you will have to acquire your original, spiritual body. The spiritual body is already there, but we are now covered by this material body". His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Homburg, Germany, June 22, 1974
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This seems to be pretty clear according to Srila Prabhupada, who rejects the 'impersonal Brahmajyoti origin that claims that the marginal living entity is originally in a dormant state from where one can use their free will to choose either Vaikuntha or the mahat-tattva.
Many today in 'Hinduism' follow that misunderstanding and it appears to me, they have incorrectly used the word 'tatastha' to describe this impersonal dormant origin state of the jiva. Yes, I think I have understood this at least because Srila Prabhupada clearly rejected that idea.
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They have impersonally described tatastha to be our original state that is on the border, in-between the land and the ocean (meaning Goloka and the material world) but their understanding is incomplete and rejected by Srila Prabhupada <o:p></o:p>
It's therefore clear they do not understand the concept of the 'eternal present', where the full possible bodily expression and potential of the jiva tatastha is eternally found within the perpetual 'present' of Goloka.
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We, the Jiva tatastha (simply meaning we have the free will to choose) are expressed there as who we really are without the concept of past or future, that makes us imperishable in our endless body, ALWAYS within that realm of the perpetual 'present'.
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The eternal present or the forever 'now' is found only in Goloka. What is there is ALWAYS there, meaning we are in Goloka now even though we are dreaming we are in the material creation of past and future.
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It is there in Goloka or Krsnaloka our perpetual identity, personality and individuality is endlessly serving beautiful Krishna as our perpetual 'svarupa' body (nitya siddha), even if we sometimes forget that fact and 'dream' or 'think' we are in the material world.
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The paradox here is no one ever really leaves Goloka, they only dream, think and imagine they do by falling out of sync with the 'eternal present' and entering the dreams of Maha-Vishnu within His mahat-tattva creation.
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The only thing that has changed is one's awareness of 'eternal time' in relation to 'divided time' - hence it is not a division of consciousness but rather a division of time, just like when the concept of mundane time changes while one is dreaming.
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Actually, when one again becomes aware of their eternal nitya-siddha body in Goloka and the eternal relationship they have with Krishna, it will be as if their baddha-jiva dream state, that has entered the dreams of the sleeping Maha-Vishnu, then taking on the identity of one of His material bodily creations, never existed.
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On return to the 'eternal present’, it will be as if they never left because nothing has changed in Goloka.
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It is important to REALIZE that Goloka is a pure devotional place where perpetual loving service to Krsna, happens within the 'eternal present', devoid of past, future, decay and bodily absentees - every living entity is represented there by their permanent 'svarupa' body (also known as the Siddha-jiva) who is them without beginning or end.
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The material world, on the other hand, actually has NO 'present' at all; there is only past, future, decay, and impermanence.
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The mahat-tattva is where the living entities can 'sub-consciously' project themselves and experience their own dreamed-up manifestation, created by their own thoughts and dreams.
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This secondary consciousness, which cannot exist or be expressed in bodily form in Goloka, is called the baddha-jiva. <o:p></o:p>
Entering the material world therefore, is not a change of bodies, but rather a change of consciousness where the baddha-jiva is given bodily form by Maha-Vishnu in the restricted realm of past and future where the repercussion is a universe that is perishable and temporary.
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The 'eternal present' means exactly that, ones 'svarupa' body is always in Goloka even if one is dreaming they are in the mahat-tattva.
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What is nitya baddha BODILESS consciousness? What is the Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Brahman?
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The Impersonal Brahmajyoti or Impersonal Brahman is not a place where one goes; it is not some empty place or void, it is rather, a dormant state of bodiless consciousness the marginal living entities or souls, in the baddha-jiva condition, develop or attain, once they free themselves from the ethereal and biological material bodies, provided by Maha-Vishnu FROM within his mahat-tattva creation.
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However, this place is also just a further dream state separate from the mahat-tattva the marginal living entity enters (as baddha-jiva dream manifestation), and is also a temporary state of consciousness one enters.
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This motionless individual, inactive, dreamless, baddha-jiva consciousness within the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti can also be active or energetic in the mahat-tattva (material creation)
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This nitya-baddha inferior self, or the secondary dreaming state of the marginal living entity, is actually a bodiless condition of the jiva until it is provided bodily form or a vessel for expressing their desires, provided by Maha Vishnu within his dream creation.
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This nitya-baddha bodiless consciousness is the inferior dreaming condition that all marginal living entities can activate if they choose to use their free will to 'dream' of self importance and indulgence.
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Srila Prabhupada: <o:p></o:p>
"There are many energies, but they have been divided into three principal ones: the external energy, the internal energy, and the marginal energy. We living entities are the marginal energy. Marginal means that we may remain under the influence of the external energy or we may remain under the influence of the internal energy, as we like". "The Journey of Self Discovery - His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
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In other words, the marginal living entity's secondary conscious projection is known as the baddha-jiva soul within the maha-tattva.
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The marginal living entity actually has two aspects of consciousness; one is 'eternal form' of sat, cit, ananda, Vigraha or one's perpetual Krishna Conscious bodily form (nitya-siddha) that is imperishable and never fades away, due to being eternally established within the 'eternal present' of Goloka, while the other is a non-Krishna conscious dreaming bodiless state (nitya-baddha).
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The living entities, as their nitya-siddha body, are properly situated within the Lord's internal energy as a perpetual bodily servant that is known as one's perpetual 'Svarupa'.
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When the marginal living entity misuses their independence and tries to act as enjoyers or lords, they are transferred to the material energy or mahat-tattva, not as their nitya siddha body, but rather, as a secondary dreaming consciousness called nitya-baddha.
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The Lord has three basic energies: internal, external and marginal.
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The living entities do not only belong to the marginal energy, they ARE the marginal energy or tatastha sakti that is embodied in their original full constitutional foundation, which is expressed as nitya-siddha in their innovative perpetual position.
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Tatastha simply means the ability to choose the land and the ocean or Goloka and the mahat-tattva. The marginal is therefore known as "tatastha sakti"
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The nitya-baddha consciousness is the result of the jiva-tatastha executing its dormant free will to choose between Krsna and their own plans of existence.
When the baddha-jiva lower self enters a dormant inactive state of consciousness, they can only enter the impersonal aspect of the Brahmajyoti, ONLY after being liberated from the mahat-tattva, which is really and factually the Impersonal aspect of the Spiritual Sky or Brahmajyoti, or their own individual consciousness.
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That means, although we are properly situated within the Lord's internal energy in our 'svarupa' body eternally beyond mundane time and space, we always have the propensity to misuse our independence.
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This means we may choose to try and act as enjoyers or lords of all we purvey that immediately disqualifies us from being aware of our 'svarupa' body, and instead try to lord it over Krishna's material energy that is under the jurisdiction of the sleeping and dreaming Maha-Vishnu. <o:p></o:p>
Srila Prabhupada: <o:p></o:p>
"You are already in the spiritual sky, but you are simply covered. Just like the sun is already there. You are also already there…Try to understand. Actually we are not fallen therefore, at any moment we can revive our Krishna consciousness." Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture given in London, on July 30, 1971 <o:p></o:p>
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"You are ever-liberated (nitya-siddha). The sky is always spiritual, but it is sometimes overcrowded with cloud, Actually, you are NOT conditioned (nitya-baddha). You are thinking. Just like in the dream that tiger is eating you. You were never eaten by tiger. There is no tiger. So we have to get out of this dream".Lecture on Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.108--San Francisco, February 18, 1967 <o:p></o:p>
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"Actually we are not fallen therefore, at any moment we can revive (Regain, re-establish, wake up from the dream, remember who we really are as a body eternally in a state of originality) our Krishna consciousness. As soon as we understand that (my svarupa body is always in Krsnaloka), "I have nothing to do with (the material world and its bodily vessels my sub-conscious fallen nitya-baddha condition is housed in). I am simply Krishna's servant. Eternal servant. That's all".
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Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture given in London, on July 30, 1971 <o:p></o:p>
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"You are liberated. You are liberated. Simply just a cloud has covered you. Drive away the cloud. There is no question that you were ever (conditioned as nitya-baddha in the material world)".Lecture on Sri Caitanya-Caritamrita, Adi-lila 7.108--San Francisco, February 18, 1967 <o:p></o:p>
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"You are ever-liberated (meaning in our original and eternal state, we are all nitya-siddha). The sky is always spiritual but is sometimes overcrowded with cloud (known as the mahat-tattva or material creation that is in one corner of the Spiritual Sky), this is Maya (The cloud is created by Maha-Vishnu and His Wife Maya-Devi, through her powerful s'akti, controls all the bodily vessels occupied by the visiting DREAMING baddha-jivas)". Lecture on Sri Caitanya-Caritamrita, Adi-lila 7.108--San Francisco, February 18, 1967 <o:p></o:p>
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"This is called Maya. Actually, you are not conditioned. You are thinking. Just like in the dream you are thinking that tiger is eating you. You were never eaten by tiger. There is no tiger. So we have to get out of this dream". Lecture on Sri Caitanya-Caritamrta, Adi-lila 7.108--San Francisco, February 18, 1967
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Nothing is lost or regained in Goloka except for our memory and 'awareness' of who we really are. Everything is set eternally there is in a state of the living entities 'full potential originality as a nitya siddha embodied devotee of Krsna or Vishnu', which means ALL living entities or jiva sparks, have a Svarupa body that is eternally unchangable, eternally youthful, eternally original and eternal a person with bodily form sat, chit, ananda, VIGRAHA.
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If there is no past or future and only the present, then we are all in a perpetual state of originality. Remember, the living entity leaves Goloka not as one's eternal svarupa body, but via their sub-conscious dream, thought and imagination, so just as one's material body never changes while one is dreaming they are a King, ones 'svarupa' body never changes while one is living out their dreams in the material world.
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The nitya-siddha-svarupa body is locked and secured perpetually within the 'eternal present, which is an eternal state of originality' that has no past and future. This means when one finishes their dreams within the material world and again become 'aware' of their full potential 'svarupa body, it is like waking up from a dream and finding themselves as the body they always were and always have been.
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"We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago." Lecture on Bhagavad-gita on August 6, 1973 <o:p></o:p>
Srila Prabhupada explains it this way: "There is nothing to be gained in Goloka, only regained". "Originally everyone is nitya-siddha. nitya-siddha krsna-bhakti 'sadhya' kabhu naya sravanadi-suddha-citte karaye udaya Every living entity originally nitya-siddha". Srimad-Bhagavatam Class 7.9.4- Mayapur, February 18, 1977 <o:p></o:p>
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"You have got original relationship with Krishna. Nitya-siddha krishna-bhakti. . Srimad-Bhagavatam lecture, December 7, 1974, Bombay <o:p></o:p>
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"Everyone has got a particular relationship with Krishna in his original constitutional position that is called svarupa-siddhi". Nectar of Devotion lecture, 20 October 1972, Vrindaban <o:p></o:p>
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"Because he falls down from Brahma-sayujya (impersonal liberated condition ), he thinks that may be his origin, but he does not remember that long, long, long, long ago before that even, he was with Krishna". Letter to Australian devotees 1972 under Madhudvisa Swami <o:p></o:p>
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur: <o:p></o:p>
"However, because of contact with matter, the imprisoned soul loses the memory of his original spiritual form in Vaikuntha. . . material rasas are perverted reflections of the soul's original spiritual rasas." Prema-pradipa, p. 83 <o:p></o:p>
Srila Prabhupada: <o:p></o:p>
"Everyone has got a particular relationship with Krishna in his original, constitutional position. That will be revealed gradually as you advance in devotional service in the prescribed rules and regulations as they are directed in the shastras and by spiritual master. When you are trained up properly, you come to the platform of raga-marga, then your devotional si-… That is called svarupa-siddhi. Nectar of Devotion lecture, 20 October 1972, Vrindaban <o:p></o:p>
Your fallen servant, <o:p></o:p>
Gauragopala dasa ACBSP <o:p></o:p>
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