Accepting Truth Revealed by Kṛṣṇa

In the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the method of acquiring knowledge is distinct from the mundane process of ascending research. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that because the human senses are imperfect and subject to illusion, one cannot ascertain the Absolute Truth through independent speculation or experimental logic. True knowledge is revealed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and must be accepted in total, just as Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa's words on the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. This article explores the necessity of submissive hearing, the limitations of material logic, and the importance of accepting the personal feature of the Lord as the ultimate reality.

Authority of Kṛṣṇa's Words

Śrīla Prabhupāda emphasizes that the primary qualification for understanding spiritual science is the complete acceptance of Kṛṣṇa's authority. Unlike the speculative philosopher who picks and chooses, a devotee follows in the footsteps of Arjuna, who declared that he accepted totally whatever the Lord said. This surrender to the revealed word of God is the foundation of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, where the statements of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are taken as final and axiomatic.

• Arjuna said: O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.
• Here is the truth, Bhagavad-gita, Krsna. So why don't you accept this truth? If you are actually trying to find out the truth, here is the truth. It is accepted by all learned scholars and acaryas of India: the Supreme Absolute Truth is Krsna.
• So far this Krsna consciousness movement, there is no need of analogy. It is accepted as truth, and Krsna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and whatever He says is truth. There is no mistake, and if we carry that message, there is no mistake.

Limitations of Experimental Logic

The materialist attempts to understand reality through direct perception and experimental proof, but Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that spiritual subjects, such as the existence of the soul, are beyond such empirical methods. We must accept the truth based on the authority of śruti, or Vedic wisdom, because the soul is beyond the range of material instruments. To rely solely on logic and argument is to remain in ignorance; one must accept the evidence of the scriptures to attain the perfection of liberation.

• As far as the soul's existence is concerned, no one can establish his existence experimentally beyond the proof of sruti or Vedic wisdom. We have to accept this truth.
• For logicians who want to accept only that which is proven through logic and argument, it is a fact that without logic and reason there can be no question of accepting the Absolute Truth.
• You can go on mental speculating, but if you do even for many hundreds and thousand of years, it is not possible to calculate. You have to accept this truth through the sastra; otherwise, it is not possible.

Accepting the Personal Nature of Truth

A common pitfall in spiritual understanding is the acceptance of only the impersonal feature of the Absolute, known as Brahman. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that if one accepts the various energies of the Lord, one must logically accept the energetic Person behind them. Denying the personality of Godhead is akin to accepting only half a hen; true understanding involves accepting the complete Absolute Truth—sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha—which includes both the impersonal effulgence and the Supreme Person.

• As soon as one accepts the various energies of the Absolute Truth, one must immediately accept the Absolute Truth to be personal, not impersonal.
• When we speak of the Supreme as impersonal, we deny His spiritual potencies. Logically, if you accept half of the truth, you cannot understand the whole.
• The only qualification that I see in your sampradaya is that you accept the form of the Lord as truth.

Path of the Mahājanas

Since the Absolute Truth is difficult to ascertain through one's own limited intelligence, Śrīla Prabhupāda advises us to follow the path of the mahājanas, or great authorities. The Vedic system of learning is based on receiving knowledge from authority through disciplic succession. Just as the followers of the Vedas accept the statements of Lord Brahmā as gospel truth, a sincere student accepts the conclusion of the ācāryas to avoid the pitfalls of false argumentation and mental fabrication.

• By studying the six philosophical theories, one cannot reach the Absolute Truth. It is therefore our duty to follow the path of the mahajanas, the authorities. Whatever they say should be accepted as the supreme truth.
• The followers of Vedic wisdom accept the statements of Brahmaji as gospel truth, and transcendental knowledge is thus being distributed all over the world by the process of disciplic succession from time immemorial, since the beginning of the creation.
• In the Bhagavad-gita this truth is confirmed in the Fourth Chapter (BG 4.2), and the perfect system of learning is to receive it from authority. The very same system is accepted universally as truth, but only the false arguer speaks against it.

Conclusion

Ultimately, the process of knowing the Absolute Truth is not one of ascending research but of submissive reception. Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that by accepting the words of Kṛṣṇa and the Vedic authorities as axiomatic truth, one is saved from the confusion of mental speculation. Whether confirming the existence of the soul or understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the devotee's success lies in faith and the acceptance of the revealed truth. As confirmed in the Bhagavad-gītā, those who accept Kṛṣṇa's message without doubt attain the highest perfection of liberation.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Accepting Truth. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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