Dissipating Darkness of Ignorance: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "The Vedas describe the material world as a place of darkness (''tamas''). This darkness is not merely the absence of photons but a profound ignorance that covers the living entity's true identity. Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently contrasts this gloomy condition with the brilliance of the spiritual world, urging humanity to heed the Vedic call to move from darkness to light. By taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is compared to the sun, the dense fog...") |
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The Vedas describe the material world as a place of darkness (''tamas''). This darkness is not merely the absence of photons but a profound ignorance that covers the living entity's true identity. Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently contrasts this gloomy condition with the brilliance of the spiritual world, urging humanity to heed the Vedic call to move from darkness to light. By taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is compared to the sun, the dense fog of illusion is immediately dispersed. | The ''Vedas'' describe the material world as a place of darkness (''tamas''). This darkness is not merely the absence of photons but a profound ignorance that covers the living entity's true identity. Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently contrasts this gloomy condition with the brilliance of the spiritual world, urging humanity to heed the Vedic call to move from darkness to light. By taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is compared to the sun, the dense fog of illusion is immediately dispersed. | ||
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Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently employs the analogy of the sun to explain the relationship between God and illusion. Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual sun, and ''māyā'' is darkness. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of the sun, illusion cannot stand before Kṛṣṇa. Darkness is simply a shadow created when the living entity turns their back on the Lord. | Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently employs the analogy of the sun to explain the relationship between God and illusion. Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual sun, and ''māyā'' is darkness. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of the sun, illusion cannot stand before Kṛṣṇa. Darkness is simply a shadow created when the living entity turns their back on the Lord. | ||
* [[Vaniquotes:Krsna is just like the brilliant sun, and maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot be darkness|Krsna is just like the brilliant sun, and maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot be darkness.]] | * [[Vaniquotes:Krsna is just like the brilliant sun, and maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot be darkness|Krsna is just like the brilliant sun, and maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot be darkness.]] | ||
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=== Tamasi Mā Jyotir Gama === | === Tamasi Mā Jyotir Gama === | ||
The instructions of the Vedas are clear: do not stagnate in the lower modes of nature. The ''mantra'' ''tamasi mā jyotir gama''—"Don't remain in darkness; go to the light"—is a directive for the human being to utilize their intelligence for spiritual inquiry. To remain absorbed in eating, sleeping, defending, and mating is to waste the human opportunity. | The instructions of the ''Vedas'' are clear: do not stagnate in the lower modes of nature. The ''mantra'' ''tamasi mā jyotir gama''—"Don't remain in darkness; go to the light"—is a directive for the human being to utilize their intelligence for spiritual inquiry. To remain absorbed in eating, sleeping, defending, and mating is to waste the human opportunity. | ||
* [[Vaniquotes:The Vedic information is that tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that, Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light|The Vedic information is that tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that, Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light.]] | * [[Vaniquotes:The Vedic information is that tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that, Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light|The Vedic information is that tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that, Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light.]] | ||
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(See our [[Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles|Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles]]) | (See our [[Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles|Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles]]) | ||
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<div id="vani-provenance" style="display:none;" data-source="Vanipedia" data-author="Srila Prabhupada Vani Temple" data-license="CC BY-NC-SA 4.0" data-origin-url="{{fullurl:{{PAGENAME}}}}">This content is a part of Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani Temple. Source: https://vanipedia.org</div> | |||
Latest revision as of 06:34, 24 January 2026
The Vedas describe the material world as a place of darkness (tamas). This darkness is not merely the absence of photons but a profound ignorance that covers the living entity's true identity. Śrīla Prabhupāda consistently contrasts this gloomy condition with the brilliance of the spiritual world, urging humanity to heed the Vedic call to move from darkness to light. By taking shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is compared to the sun, the dense fog of illusion is immediately dispersed.
World of Darkness
The material universe is constitutionally dark. Unlike the spiritual sky, which is illuminated by the self-effulgent rays of the Lord (brahmajyoti), the material cosmos requires the sun, moon, and electricity. This physical darkness parallels the psychological darkness of the bodily concept of life, where the soul forgets its eternal nature.
- The Vedic literatures describe this material world as darkness. Actually it is dark, and therefore we require sunlight, moonlight and electricity. If it were not by nature dark, why would we require so many arrangements for artificial light.
- Krsna consciousness means not to remain in the dark consciousness. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. That is the Vedic instruction, "Don't remain in the darkness." And what is that darkness? The darkness is bodily concept of life.
- Especially in the present age, every man is in darkness, in the bodily conception of life, not knowing anything of the spirit soul and its needs.
Kṛṣṇa is Sun
Śrīla Prabhupāda frequently employs the analogy of the sun to explain the relationship between God and illusion. Kṛṣṇa is the spiritual sun, and māyā is darkness. Just as darkness cannot exist in the presence of the sun, illusion cannot stand before Kṛṣṇa. Darkness is simply a shadow created when the living entity turns their back on the Lord.
- Krsna is just like the brilliant sun, and maya, ignorance, is just like darkness. When the sun is present, there cannot be darkness.
- If you keep yourself faced to the sunlight, you will never see the darkness, and as soon as you turn your back to the sun, then immediately you find in your front a huge shadow of your own body. This shadow is Maya.
- As the sun dissipates the darkness of the universe, so when the light of the Supreme Personality of Godhead comes down, it at once dissipates the darkness of maya.
Tamasi Mā Jyotir Gama
The instructions of the Vedas are clear: do not stagnate in the lower modes of nature. The mantra tamasi mā jyotir gama—"Don't remain in darkness; go to the light"—is a directive for the human being to utilize their intelligence for spiritual inquiry. To remain absorbed in eating, sleeping, defending, and mating is to waste the human opportunity.
- The Vedic information is that tamasi ma jyotir gama: "Don't remain in the darkness. Just go out to the light." Jyotir gama. Jyoti means light. So Vedic injunction is that, Don't remain in the darkness. Go to the light.
- Actual life, this human form of life, is meant for to get out of this darkness of material world. Tamasi ma jyotir gama. This is the information, Vedic information - Don't remain in this darkness.
Torchlight of Guru
Because the conditioned soul is born into darkness, they require external help to see the truth. This help comes from the guru, or spiritual master. The guru does not manufacture knowledge but shines the torchlight of śāstra (scripture) into the heart of the disciple, dispelling the gloom of nescience.
- Guru means he gives light to the persons who are living in darkness.
- It is my duty to open your eyes, because a Spiritual Master is he who can save his disciples from the darkness of nescience, illusion.
- By nature we are part and parcel of Krsna, and Krsna is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. In order to transcend the darkness of material life and go to the world of light, we need to approach a guru.
Conclusion
The motto of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is "Godhead is light. Nescience is darkness. Where there is Godhead there is no nescience." By turning toward Kṛṣṇa through the process of bhakti-yoga, the darkness of material existence is instantaneously dissipated, revealing the eternal, blissful nature of the soul.
Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani
Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Darkness. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.