View source for We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible

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{{terms|"We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible"}}
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[[Category:We Cannot (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Cannot Understand]]
[[Category:God]]
[[Category:By Our (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Senses (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Seeing (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Our Hearing (Disciples of SP)]]
[[Category:Taste]]
[[Category:Touch]]
[[Category:Going]]
[[Category:That Is Not Possible]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures</h3>
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We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ (CC Madhya 17.136). You cannot perceive God or His holy name, nāma, nāmādi. Because first of all you hear the name of God, either you call "Kṛṣṇa," or you call "Jehovah," or you call something else. So we hear first of all about God by the name.
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[[Vanisource:710806 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 - London|710806 - Lecture SB 01.02.06 - London]]
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So..., but everyone is trying to be very satisfied with the idea of his program. And the process he has accepted, you can take it as dharma. Just like the Nationalist, they have taken dharma as country's advancement, deśa-dharma, and somebody is manufacturing another dharma, somebody is manufacturing another dharma. Dharma means occupational duty. But Bhāgavata says, sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo ([[Vanisource:SB 1.2.6|SB 1.2.6]]): that is first-class dharma, occupation, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, by which you can advance in your love for God. That is first class.

Everyone is advancing either for his love to the country or to the society or to the nation or to the humanity. There are different stages of dharma. But Bhāgavata says that is first-class occupation by which one can advance his love for God, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje. Adhokṣaja, another name of God. Akṣaja means experimental knowledge, and adha, adhakṛta, where experimental knowledge cannot reach. That is God.

We cannot understand God by our senses, by seeing or by hearing or by tasting or by touching or by going. No. That is not possible. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 17.136|CC Madhya 17.136]]). You cannot perceive God or His holy name, nāma, nāmādi. Because first of all you hear the name of God, either you call "Kṛṣṇa," or you call "Jehovah," or you call something else. So we hear first of all about God by the name.

In every religion they have got a particular type of name. But by our these senses we cannot understand God even by hearing His name. Ataḥśrī-kṛṣṇa-nāmādi na bhaved grāhyam indriyaiḥ—this indriya, the senses. Therefore His name is Adhokṣaja, where experimental knowledge of perception fails. He is called Adhokṣaja.

But we have to render service to the Adhokṣaja. Yato bhaktir adhokṣaje, ahaitukī. Ahaitukī means without any motive. We go to church or temple with some motive, for some material compensation: "God, give me this. God, give me this. God, give me that." But without motive. If we execute our dharma, or occupational duty, for attainment of the highest perfection of life, love of God, then it should be done without any motive: ahaituky apratihatā. If it is without any motive then it will never be checked by any material condition.

It is not that a poor man cannot realize God, only the rich man can realize God. Neither it is that a rich man cannot realize God, only the poor man can. Or it is neither that a learned man can understand God by his philosophical speculation and an illiterate man, who has no knowledge, he cannot understand God. In other word, perception of God, realization of God, love of God is not dependent on any material condition. Ahaituky apratihatā. If we can prosecute in that way our religious principle, that is first class religion. This is the definition of first-class religion. The religion's motive should be only realization of God, not any other.
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