Category:Contamination of the Material World
Theme Analysis
Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the material world as a place of unavoidable contamination. Just as one contracts a disease by touching a germ, the living entity is contaminated by contact with the three modes of material nature (sattva, rajas, tamas). This category explores the nature of this contamination, its consequences (birth, death, and suffering), and the specific methods given by the Lord to remain immune while living within it.
- The Nature of Contamination: Contamination is defined as the influence of the material modes. Even the mode of goodness is considered a contamination because it binds one to the concept of happiness and knowledge. True purity is found only in the spiritual world (śuddha-sattva).
- The Antiseptic Method: Śrīla Prabhupāda presents Kṛṣṇa consciousness as an "antiseptic vaccine." By chanting the holy names, honoring prasādam, and engaging in Deity worship, a devotee is immunized against the material atmosphere.
- Utilization for Kṛṣṇa: The secret to remaining unpolluted is not renunciation of the world (phalgu-vairāgya) but utilization of everything for Kṛṣṇa (yukta-vairāgya). When actions are performed for the Lord, they do not produce karmic reactions.
- Liberation in this Life: One does not have to wait for death to be liberated. A person who is fully engaged in devotional service is considered liberated (jīvan-mukta) even while possessing a material body, because they are no longer affected by the dualities of the world.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: Contamination of the Material World.
Pages in category "Contamination of the Material World"
The following 77 pages are in this category, out of 77 total.
A
- A common man in this material world has a contaminated heart. He must therefore first purify his heart to come to the transcendental position. But Jagannatha Misra and Sacimata were not a common man and woman with contaminated hearts
- A living entity, as part and parcel of the Supreme, is originally spiritual, pure, and free from all material contaminations. Therefore, by nature he is not subjected to the sins of the material world. BG 1972 purports
- Although Priyavrata Maharaja was completely freed from all material contamination, he ruled the material world just to honor the orders of his superiors
- Although qualitatively one with the Lord, the living being, due to contamination of the material world, is pervertedly manifested, he experiences so-called happiness and distress in the material world
- Any activity, good or bad, performed in this material world - they are all contaminated, faulty actions because of material association. The foolish conditioned soul may think that he is offering charity by opening hospitals
- As long as this contamination (to enjoy this material world) continues, the conditioned soul will be unable to understand his real identity and will perpetually continue under illusion, life after life
- As long as we have to remain within this material world due to our material contamination and wander from one type of body to another and from one planet to another, we pray that we may associate with those who are engaged in discussing Your pastimes
B
- Beyond Brahma there is the Transcendence, who has no material form and is free from all material contaminations. Anyone who can know Him also becomes transcendental, but those who do not know Him suffer the miseries of the material world
- BG 10.10: "To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me (Krsna) with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me." This is the stage of becoming free from the contamination of the material world
- By contamination he is forced to transfer to this material world, where the living entities have three enemies, namely desire, anger and lust
- By proper utilization of thoughtfulness, one comes to the stage of thinking of the S P of Godhead. By thinking of the S P of Godhead, one becomes free from the contamination of the faulty association of the material world, and thus one becomes peaceful
- By vibrating the sound of omkara, or of Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, one can be delivered from the contamination of this material world
D
- Devotees always perform yajnas in different modes of devotional service, such as sravanam, kirtanam, etc., & these performances of yajnas keep them always aloof from all kinds of contamination of sinful association in the material world. BG 1972 purports
- Due to the propensity for material enjoyment, the living entity becomes contaminated by the material world
G
- Generally, in the material world, whatever knowledge we get is contaminated by the three modes of material nature. BG 1972 purports
- Gradually surpassing the mode of goodness, one is situated in pure goodness, which is not contaminated by the material qualities. When thus situated, a devotee no longer has any doubts; he knows that he will not come back to this material world
H
- He (a highly advanced devotee) can understand that in the material world there is nothing good; everything is bad due to its being contaminated by material nature
- Here (SB 3.15.47) it is confirmed that all the variegatedness of the absolute platform is constituted of suddha-sattva, pure goodness. In the material world, any quality - goodness, passion or ignorance - is contaminated
I
- If one forgets all his bodily relationships within this material world and becomes situated in his spiritual identity, it is said that one has been freed from all material contamination by the blazing fire of yogic samadhi, or ecstasy
- If one takes to Krsna consciousness, one is fully purified, and thus one remains always transcendental to the contamination of the material world
- If we want to be aloof from the contamination of this material world, then everything, whatever we use, whatever we need, it must be in relation with Krsna. Then we can keep ourself aloof from the contamination. That is the liberated condition
- If you execute the prescribed duties of the humankind, then ultimately you will be elevated to the planet where there is no anxiety and you will be liberated, provided you keep yourself without any contamination of this material world
- If you want to go back home, back to home, back to Godhead, then you have to become pure, without any contamination of this material world
- In His original form the Supreme Personality of Godhead is full with transcendental opulences, which are free from the contamination of the material world
- In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad (4.3.16) it is stated, asango hy ayam purusah: the living entity is always free from the contamination of the material world
- In the material world we want to see beauty, but the desire is never satisfied. Because of material contamination, all the propensities we feel in the material world are ever unsatisfied
- In the material world, because everything is contaminated by the modes of material nature, there are feelings of pleasure and pain
- In the material world, everyone is contaminated by the dirt of sense gratification and is acting according to different designations, sometimes as a human being, sometimes a beast, sometimes a demigod or tree, and so on
- In the spiritual world all existence is unadulterated goodness. The goodness found in the material world is contaminated by the modes of passion and ignorance
- In the spiritual world, all the perverted forms of material variegatedness are fully represented in their original spiritual identity. The only difference is that material activities are contaminated by the three modes of material nature
- In the spiritual world, the Lord is the sublime enjoyer of everything, and the living entities there are all engaged in His transcendental loving service without any contamination of the modes of material nature
- In this verse (BG 9.34) it is clearly indicated that Krsna consciousness is the only means of being delivered from the clutches of this contaminated material world. BG 1972 purports
- It is also possible for the living entity to be liberated again when by cultivation of real knowledge he becomes completely freed from the contamination of the material world
K
- Krsna is always ready. Automatically it is going on. Karanam guna sango 'sya (BG 13.22). As you desire according to the contamination of different modes of material nature, immediately the body's ready. Immediately after death
- Krsna's magnanimous childhood pastimes are so great that simply chanting about them vanquishes the contamination of the material world - SB 10.8.47
L
- Learned devotees accept even conditions of distress as representing the presence of the SG. When a devotee is in distress, he sees that the Lord has appeared as distress just to relieve or purify the devotee from the contamination of the material world
- Let me offer my respectful obeisances to Krsna, who is always free & liberated from the contamination of material energy & who, when He appears in this material world, seems one of us, although He has an eternally spiritual, blissful, transcendental form
- Lord Caitanya has recommended constant chanting of the name of the Lord for protection from all contamination of the material world
- Lord Krsna continued, "My dear King, I give you the special benediction that you will always think of Me. Thus you will be able to traverse this material world freely, without being contaminated by the material qualities"
M
- Mukti means liberation from the contaminated consciousness of this material world and to become situated in pure consciousness. And the whole instruction, instruction of Bhagavad-gita, is targeted to awaken that pure consciousness
- My dear King Rahugana, as long as the conditioned soul accepts the material body and is not freed from the contamination of material enjoyment, has to wander among different places and different species of life in this material world
O
- One cannot expect to undergo tapasya to get Krsna as one's child, yet simply by chanting the HK maha-mantra, one can become so pure that one becomes free from all the contamination of this material world (mukta-sangah) and goes back home, back to Godhead
- One may conclude that in the material world no one can be completely free from the contamination of material nature. This example of fire and smoke is very appropriate in this connection. BG 1972 purports
- One must be freed from all the sinful dirt of material existence. Everyone in this material world is contaminated by material desire
- One who always thinks of the lotus feet of the Lord is certainly above all the contamination of the material world
- One who knows Krsna at once becomes free from all contamination of the material world. BG 1972 purports
- Out of humility, a devotee considers himself unfit to be transferred to the spiritual world. He always thinks himself contaminated by the modes of material nature. Nor is there any need for a devotee to ask to be freed from the modes of material nature
R
- Religious ritualistic performances are actually meant to cleanse the contaminated mind in the material world
- Rupa Gosvami said, "Because the Mayavadis do not know that everything has a utilization for the service of the Lord, they take the world to be false and falsely think they are liberated from the contamination of the material world"
S
- SB 10.1.4 states: Who but the animal-killer or the killer of the soul will not care to hear glorification of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? Such glorification is enjoyed by persons liberated from the contamination of this material world
- Since a devotee constantly chants the Hare Krsna mantra, no contamination of the material world can touch him. He is, therefore, actually purified. Muci haya suci haya yadi krsna bhaje
- Suppose there is some epidemic in the city, and one has taken the antiseptic vaccine of measure. He's not affected. Similarly this Krsna consciousness is the antiseptic method to become free from the contamination of this material world
T
- The atheist, therefore, understands the presence of God as death, but the devotee understands the presence of God always within his heart, takes dictation from You and lives transcendentally, unaffected by the contamination of the material world
- The contamination of material world is called sin. That is sin. Just like you infect some disease, germ, you become diseased. I have got some infection, so I am diseased. You may know it or not know it, that doesn't matter
- The contamination of the material world does not affect the Supreme Godhead. Krsna therefore says in the Bhagavad-gita that those who are rascals and fools think of Him as an ordinary human being, not knowing His param bhavam
- The contamination of the material world is going on, sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. If you contaminate with the tamo-guna, then you must suffer. If you contaminate rajo-guna, you must get disease
- The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasadam of the Lord (food offered to Visnu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination. BG 1972 purports
- The material world is so contaminated that even in Vrndavana the asuras, or demons, tried to disturb the peaceful situation
- The original consciousness is polluted by contamination of this material world. Just like water, when it falls from the cloud directly, it is clear and without any dirty things, but as soon as it touches the ground, it becomes muddy
- The real question is how can we remain unpolluted by material contamination while in the material world. It was Rupa Gosvami who explained that we can remain uncontaminated while in the world if we simply make it our ambition to serve Krsna
- The real question is, How can we remain unpolluted by material contamination while in the material world? Srila Rupa Gosvami explains that we can remain uncontaminated while in the world if we simply make it our ambition to serve Krsna - CC Intro
- The second Sandarbha, called Bhagavat-sandarbha, draws a distinction between impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma and describes the spiritual world and the domination of the mode of goodness devoid of contamination by the other two material modes
- The word vidhuta, meaning "cleansed," is very significant. Everyone in this material world is contaminated (karanam guna-sango 'sya). Because we are in a material condition, we are contaminated either by sattva-guna, by rajo-guna or by tamo-guna
- There are many devotees in Vrndavana who regularly bathe in the Yamuna, and this cleanses all the contamination of the material world
- These practices (sańga-tyaga etc.) greatly help the devotee remain fixed on the path of DS & avoid the tendency to enjoy temporary, material things. Thus the activities of a devotee remain always pure and without any contamination of the material world
- They (the jnanis) simply think of becoming free from the contamination of the material world, but because they do not take shelter at the lotus feet of Vasudeva their knowledge is impure. When they become pure they surrender to the lotus feet of Vasudeva
- To deliver all the materially contaminated people of the world, that same Krsna has descended in the moving form of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu
- To understand the Lord and His activities, one must free his mind from all contamination of the material world, and this one can achieve by simply chanting the Lord's holy name. Thus one becomes free from all material bondage
W
- We (sages) know well that persons who have become liberated by engagement in Your devotional service are no longer contaminated by the material modes of nature; thus they have become eligible to be promoted to the kingdom of God in the spiritual world
- We are contaminated in the material world by association with the three modes of material nature
- When one becomes free from all bodily relationships within this material world and simply places himself in the position of an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, it is to be understood that all contamination of his material attachment has been burned