Category:Becoming a Philosopher
Theme Analysis
Becoming a philosopher in the mundane sense is ultimately an exercise in futility if one remains trapped in the bodily concept of life. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that while many ambitious people strive to become great scientists, leaders, or philosophers, their knowledge is temporary and perishes with the physical body. Academic degrees and mental speculation do not grant insight into the eternal soul, the destination of the next life, or the Supreme Lord, Kṛṣṇa. Mundane philosophers often propound new, conflicting systems of thought simply to be recognized as great thinkers, but without transcendental realization, this is merely a pretext for mental concoction.
Unfortunately, this intellectual vanity often degrades into exploitation. Many so-called philosophers, māyāvādīs, and religionists use their academic status merely to collect money, maintain a high standard of living, and cheat the innocent public. Because they refuse to accept the transcendental vibration of the Vedas as absolute, they remain foolish speculators despite their lofty societal positions. The general populace, lacking knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, blindly gives their votes and honor to these unqualified leaders, perpetuating a cycle of material illusion.
True philosophy is not about word jugglery or opposing established truths; it is the systematic culture of spiritual knowledge. A genuine philosopher conducts research into the eternal nature of the spirit soul and its relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, understanding the distinct features of Brahman, Paramātmā, and Bhagavān. To become a learned philosopher devotee, one must submissively hear the Vedānta philosophy from a bona fide spiritual master. Devotees of Kṛṣṇa do not aspire to be recognized as great mundane thinkers; rather, they seek to practically assimilate and apply the teachings of the authorized scriptures. As demonstrated by Arjuna, one does not need to be a formal academic to understand the Absolute Truth; the only actual qualification is unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord.
- Mundane Futility: Striving to become a mundane philosopher while remaining in the bodily concept of life only leads to repeated entanglement in birth and death.
- Mental Speculation: Philosophers who rely on mental concoction rather than authorized Vedic knowledge are simply bluffing the public to gain false prestige.
- False Preachers: Many so-called philosophers and religionists use their intellectual status merely to collect money and maintain a comfortable lifestyle for sense gratification.
- The True Philosopher: A genuine philosopher submissively hears from a bona fide spiritual master and researches the eternal science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to understand their next life.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Becoming a Philosopher - Beyond Mental Speculation.
Pages in category "Becoming a Philosopher"
The following 21 pages are in this category, out of 21 total.
A
- A human being can become philosopher. But the, so long I'm in the bodily concept of life, I'm in the line of cats and dogs. So how we can become philosopher? There is no question of philosopher. But they're philosophizing, means bluffing
- A man is becoming a great leader, a great scientist, a great philosopher, how? So long the spiritual spark is there. As soon as the spiritual spark is gone, the same very body is no longer a great leader, a great scientist, or great philosopher
- According to the teachings of Caitanya, the bona fide spiritual master, those who do not understand the transcendental vibration as being nondifferent from the Supreme and who try to become Mayavadi philosophers or experts in Vedanta-sutra are all fools
- All persons have some ambition - to become a very big businessman, to become a great industrialist, to become a great poet or philosopher. But they do not know that even if their ambition is fulfilled, the result is temporary
- Although they are not in darkness, but without being in the platform of sattva-guna, nobody can become very intelligent person, philosopher, or mental speculator also. Their position is very high in the material calculation
I
- If you become mundane moralist, or if you become mundane philosopher or if you stick to the ritualistic process of your particular faith, then there is no hope of reaching to the Absolute Truth
- If you want to become philosopher, then philosophically you try to understand what is brahma-tattva, what is Paramatma-tattva, what is Bhagavan-tattva. Etaj jnanam, this is jnana. Not these degrees, MA, Phd
- In spite of his becoming a philosopher he could not assimilate and practice the philosophy, and he went away, so you may write like him, but please do not go away
- It is even stated that one cannot become a rsi, a philosopher, unless one propounds a different system of philosophy. Nasav rsir yasya matam na bhinnam. Thus the truth of spiritual life is very complicated and difficult to understand
O
- One should culture knowledge in the following way: One should become a scientist or philosopher and conduct research into spiritual knowledge, recognizing that spiritual knowledge is permanent whereas material knowledge ends with the death of the body
- One who does not know whom to eulogize, whom to give honor, they give votes to these classes of men, without any knowledge of Krsna. They are becoming the great philosophers, leaders, scientists. They have no knowledge of Krsna
R
- Repeatedly one may become a philosopher, a scientist or a poet, and repeatedly become entangled in the same disadvantages of birth and death
- Repeatedly, one may become a philosopher, a scientist, or a poet, and, repeatedly, become entangled in the same disadvantages of birth and death. But, due to the illusion of the material energy, one thinks that that sort of life is pleasant. BG 1972 pur
T
- The word manarudhah is also very significant in this verse (SB 4.26.8). Under the pretext of becoming great philosophers and scientists, men throughout the whole world are working on the mental platform
- There are many materialistic persons who become preachers, gurus, religionists or philosophers only for the sake of maintaining a high standard of living and sense gratification for themselves and their families
- They (materialistic persons who become preachers, gurus, religionists or philosophers) spread a network of business schemes to collect money for sense gratification by cheating people in general, who have no knowledge of pure devotional service
- Those who are learned scholar, thoughtful, they can become philosopher. But if one has no knowledge how to behave with other living entities, what is the meaning of becoming a philosopher?
W
- We do not want to become great philosophers but rather to understand the philosophy in our own books
- What is the use in becoming a scientist or a philosopher if we cannot say what our next life will be? A realized student of KC can very easily say what his next life is, what God is, what the living entity is and what his relationship with God is