The material world -- a perverted reflection of the spiritual world
This material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world. As the tree on the bank of the river is pervertedly reflected on the water so the spiritual world is reflected in the material world. As the reflection of the tree is situated on the water and the reflection is distorted by the movement of the water similarly the reflection of the spiritual world in the material world is situated on desire. The pure desire is to serve Krishna and the perverted desire is to serve ourselves, our families, our country and so on. As the reflection of the tree in the water gives an idea of the actual tree so this material world gives us an idea of the original spiritual world. Everything we see here has its origin in the spiritual world. We see trees here so the original trees are in the spiritual world, we see animals, rivers, oceans, buildings, people and cities here so the originals are in the spiritual world.
As there is a difference in quality between the original tree and the reflected tree there is similarly a difference in quality between the original spiritual existence and the reflected, perverted material existence. The original tree has fruit and the reflected tree also has fruit. The fruit on the original tree is real and can be tasted and actually enjoyed, however, the reflected fruit is simply illusory. It may appear to be enjoyable but there is actually no enjoyable substance there, it is simply a reflection situated on the water. Similarly the enjoyable things in the material world are illusory. It looks like an enjoyable object, but the enjoyable substance is not there. That enjoyable substance is with Krishna in the spiritual world and we are seeing but a perverted reflection.
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Here we work for our own pleasure -- there we work for Krishna's pleasure
The point of this discussion is what we see in the material world is a perverted reflection of what is going on in the spiritual world so everything we see here has its origin there. The difference between the material world and the spiritual world is here we are working for our own pleasure and in the spiritual world we work for Krishna's pleasure. One pleasure is illusory and the other real.
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Different relationships with Krishna
We can have many different relationships with other people here and these relationships are simply perverted reflections of the original relationships we have with Krishna. Everybody has an eternal relationship with Krishna in one of four different moods. We have already discussed the mood of aware and reverence, the only relationship approachable outside Krishna consciousness, but there are others. As we can have somebody as our friend here we can also become the friend of Krishna in the spiritual world. As we can become the parent of a child here we can also become a parent of Krishna. As we have our husband or lover here we can also become a wife or lover of Krishna. If you want to understand anything of God beyond the relationship of aware and reverence you have to study the Vedic literature because outside the Vedic literature there is no information of these highly elevated spiritual concepts.
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Krishna consciousness -- "higher education" in spiritual knowledge
From the above discussion on can conclude that Krishna consciousness is the "higher education" in spiritual knowledge. It is the natural progression for anyone who has understood God or spiritual knowledge up to a certain point. We don't condemn any valid spiritual path. Every valid spiritual path leads to understanding God, Krishna and Krishna is completely described in the Bhagavada-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. These books are the natural higher education course for any person on any spiritual path and they are so nicely presented that anyone seriously studying them will automatically develop their natural, dormant love of God and experience transcendental bliss. My humble request is that you PLEASE READ THESE BOOKS. Thank you. Hare Krishna.
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Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!
