Becoming Prominent - From Material Phantasmagoria to Divine Ecstasy
In the modern world, the drive to become prominent is often seen as the height of success. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda identifies this ambition as a double-edged sword. While the desire for social and economic prominence can lead to spiritual entanglement and the reinforcement of the false ego, there is a transcendental form of prominence—where divine qualities and ecstatic emotions take center stage in the life of a devotee. This article examines the transition from material recognition to the prominence of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.
Illusion of Social Prominence
Śrīla Prabhupāda describes the typical material goals of acquiring a house, land, and children as a "phantasmagoria" or illusory dreams. When these desires become prominent, they encumber the human being and impede self-realization. This material prominence is rooted in the false sense of egoism—the idea of "myself and mine." In modern civilization, this has manifested as an overemphasis on economic development and sense gratification, which Śrīla Prabhupāda notes eventually leads to anarchy, cheating, and social disturbance.
- The desires for acquiring a house, possessing land, having children and becoming prominent in society, the affection for community and the place of birth, and the hankering for wealth, are all like phantasmagoria or illusory dreams.
- When all these (buildings, children, friends, relatives and wealth) are acquired, the conditioned soul becomes overwhelmed by such entanglements, and the false sense of egoism, or the sense of "myself" and "mine," becomes prominent.
- A human being is thus impeded (by the desires for acquiring a house, possessing land, having children and becoming prominent in society, the affection for community & the place of birth and the hankering for wealth) in his progress toward self-realization.
Struggle Between the Modes of Nature
The atmosphere of the mind and society is dictated by the modes of nature. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when the mode of passion becomes prominent, it defeats the mode of goodness, leading to increased greed and material activity. In the Age of Kali, atheists and miscreants become "prominently visible," much like glowworms appearing bright in the absence of the sun. However, the influence of these lower modes can be vanquished when the quality of pure goodness, or the Brahman effulgence of the Lord, becomes prominent through the appearance of the incarnation or the presence of pure devotees.
- Sometimes the mode of passion becomes prominent, defeating the mode of goodness, O son of Bharata.
- As soon as the Lord appeared, the influence of Hiranyakasipu's passion and ignorance was vanquished as the Lord's quality of pure goodness, or the Brahman effulgence, became prominent.
- In the Age of Kali, persons who are atheists or miscreants become very prominently visible, whereas persons who are actually following the Vedic principles for spiritual emancipation are practically obscured.
Spiritual Prominence and Ecstatic Symptoms
In the highest stages of devotion, the soul experiences a different kind of prominence. For Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, the eight spiritual transformations and thirty-three symptoms of vyabhicārī-bhāva became prominent in His body, signifying the peak of transcendental emotion. This spiritual prominence is fostered through the association of devotees, which causes the taste for chanting and hearing to become dominant over material enjoyment. Ultimately, the goal of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is to make Kṛṣṇa’s name the most prominent influence in the world, directly or indirectly.
- At that time, all eight kinds of spiritual transformations became manifest in Lord Caitanya's body. The thirty-three symptoms of vyabhicari-bhava, beginning with lamentation and jubilation, became prominent as well.
- By association (of devotees), his (Narada's) taste for chanting and hearing the transcendental glories of the Lord became prominent, and because the glories of the Lord are nondifferent from the Lord, he got direct association with the Lord.
- That Krsna is on our side is our only hope. Still we shall endeavor to do the needful. We want that Krsna's name will become the most prominent in the Western world, directly or indirectly.
Conclusion
The drive to become prominent is a misdirected expression of the soul’s desire for its original, glorious state. When channeled toward the material world, it leads to entanglement and social decay. However, through the association of pure devotees and submissive hearing, the attraction for transcendental activities becomes prominent, naturally slackening the ties of material enjoyment. By focusing on making Kṛṣṇa’s name prominent in our hearts and in society, we move away from illusory phantasmagoria and toward the true, ecstatic prominence of divine love.
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 Becoming Prominent. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.
(See our Vanipedia:Methodology for AI-Assisted Articles)