Category:Actual Knowledge
Theme Analysis
In the teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda, actual knowledge is strictly differentiated from material literacy, academic degrees, or technological advancement. True education is defined not by the accumulation of information regarding the temporary material nature, but by the realization of the eternal self and its relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the ultimate culmination of all knowledge, after many lifetimes of inquiry, is the voluntary surrender to Kṛṣṇa. Without this surrender, and without the guidance of a pure devotee, even the most learned scholar remains covered by illusion, unaware of the ultimate goal of life.
- The Distinction Between Material and Spiritual Knowledge: Modern academic qualifications, such as M.A. or Ph.D., are often described by Śrīla Prabhupāda as illusory if they do not lead to understanding God. Knowledge of technology is merely the art of livelihood, whereas actual knowledge concerns the nature of the spirit soul and the rejection of the material bodily concept.
- Surrender as the Ultimate Conclusion: Citing the Bhagavad-gita, Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly asserts that the perfection of knowledge is achieved only when the living entity realizes that Kṛṣṇa is the cause of all causes and surrenders unto Him. This realization is the marker of a truly great soul, or mahatma.
- The Necessity of the Pure Devotee: One cannot attain transcendental knowledge simply by independent study of the Vedas. It is strictly bestowed by a pure devotee who can impart the science of Krsna consciousness and guide the conditioned soul out of darkness.
- Practical Application in Preaching: Real knowledge is not static; it manifests practically. A person in actual knowledge engages in preaching to benefit all of mankind, understanding that the greatest welfare work is to reestablish the lost relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Actual Knowledge Culminates in Surrender to Kṛṣṇa.
Pages in category "Actual Knowledge"
The following 48 pages are in this category, out of 48 total.
A
- A devotee of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must engage in preaching in order to increase the followers of the Lord. By thus preaching actual Vedic knowledge all over the world, one will benefit all mankind
- Actual knowledge means to understand what is the spirit soul, what is its nature, what is its necessity, how it is living, what is the ultimate goal. So many things are there. But unfortunately, there is no educational institution
- Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss can be bestowed upon anybody by a pure devotee. One cannot attain the perfection of spiritual life simply by following the directions of the Vedas. One has to approach a pure devotee
- Actual knowledge of transcendental bliss can be bestowed upon anyone by a pure devotee
- Actual peace, prosperity, knowledge and religion can be attained when the living entities are under the control of the quality of goodness in the material world
- Actual spiritual knowledge and its practical application are considered in all these sound vibrations. Although the external energy comes from Me, I am different from it
- After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me (Sri Krsna), knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare - BG 7.19
- After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes & all that is. Such a great soul is very rare
- After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare
- After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare. BG 7.19 - 1972
- Akrura continued, "Your (Krsna's) appearance is necessary to reestablish actual Vedic knowledge, as opposed to the atheistic philosophy which tries to establish that God and the living entities are one and the same"
- Any asura, mayayapahrta-jnanah . . . he may be M.A., Ph.D., from academic career, but his real knowledge is taken away. Therefore he is atheist. Actual knowledge is to know God
- Anyone who can see three things - the body, the proprietor of the body, or individual soul, and the friend of the individual soul, combined together by good association-is actually in knowledge. BG 1972 purports
- As Krsna says in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.19): "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare"
- As Krsna states in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.19), bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: "After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me"
- As stated by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.19): After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare
B
- Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate: (BG 7.19) after many births, one who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Krsna
- Because a devotee accepts everything in spiritual vision, he is equipoised; that is the symptom of being elevated to transcendental position. He automatically attains detachment, vairagya, then jnana, knowledge, and then actual transcendental knowledge
- Because people have no education in actual knowledge, they become irresponsible. To stop this irresponsibility, education for developing the mode of goodness of the people in general must be there. BG 1972 purports
- Bhagavad-gita (BG 7.19) Krsna tells Arjuna: After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare
E
- Etad veditum icchami jnanam jneyam ca kesava: what is actual knowledge and what is the subject matter of knowledge. That means six questions are presented by Arjuna before Krsna
- Everyone is sleeping in the darkness of Kali-yuga, but when there is a great acarya, by his calling only, everyone takes to the study of the Vedas to acquire actual knowledge
H
I
- I am the center of all relationships. Knowledge of Me and the practical application of that knowledge is actual knowledge. Approaching Me for devotional service is called abhidheya
- In this age people want false, I mean to say, designation that, "I am very religious," "I know everything," "I am God." These are false pride. Actual knowledge is that "I am smaller than the straw in the street." That is the instruction of Caitanya
- It is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita that the actual knowledge of the conditioned soul is now covered by nescience. Thus the theory that a living being is absolute impersonal Brahman is refuted herein
O
- One may ask whether scientists, philosophers, economists and mathematicians are also naradhamas, the lowest of men, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead replies that they are because they have no actual knowledge
- One must learn detachment by discussion of spiritual science based on authoritative scriptures, and one must hear from persons who are actually in knowledge. BG 1972 purports
T
- The attempts to go from the earth to the moon have failed, but the people of earth can understand what exists on other planets. There is no need of imagination; one may take actual knowledge from Srimad-Bhagavatam and be satisfied
- The knowledge of technology is not knowledge. That is ignorance. The knowledge of self-realization is actual knowledge. That is possible in this human form of life. That is not possible by the cats and dogs
- The living entity, or the soul, is ever existing and eternal. It cannot be lost, but learned scholars say that it is lost when actual knowledge is not working. That is the difference between animals and human beings
- The Mayavadis are very proud of their grammatical knowledge, but any person who has actual knowledge of grammar can understand that aham means "I" and that "I" refers to a personality
- The Vedic injunction is asato ma jyotir gama: everyone should give up the platform of temporary existence and approach the eternal platform. The soul is eternal, and topics concerning the eternal soul are actually knowledge
- The whole world is suffering for want of knowledge. Therefore Krsna consciousness movement is giving actual knowledge of the living entity, vimarsanam. Vimarsana means that think over the matter, that "Why I am doing this?" This is called brahma-jijnasa
- There are different types of knowledge. We are interested in ordinary knowledge for economic benefit, but that is not actual knowledge. That is the art of livelihood
- They have no knowledge. This material school, college, university, simply producing ordinary animal life. Actual knowledge is here in the Bhagavad-gita
W
- We are not concerned with other religions or yogas in terms of competition or sectarian spirit. Actual spiritual knowledge is to take the authoritative statements from the scriptures and from the great acaryas, spiritual masters in disciplic succession
- When a person is actually in the knowledge that Krsna is the fountainhead of everything, then when he acts in that spirit he acts for everyone. BG 1972 purports
- When persons with a small fund of intelligence, after endeavoring hard for many, many lives to understand the supreme cause, are finally in actual knowledge of Krsna, Vasudeva, they surrender unto Him. Thus they become great mahatmas, perfect souls
- When we attain transcendental knowledge and are established in the actual, eternal religion of the actual living entity - the spirit soul - then and then only can we attain real, undeniable peace, prosperity, and happiness in the world