Teachings of Lord Chaitanya (Chapter 1 to 5)

1. It is not necessary for one to abandon his family. What must be renounced is the propensity for material enjoyment.

2. Love of Krishna’s service can only be attained by working for Krishna. In such work, we should leave no resource unused. Whatever is there, whatever we have, should be used for Krishna. We can use everything: typewriters, automobiles, airplanes, missiles—anything.

3. In material consciousness we are trying to love that which is not at all lovable. We give our love to dogs and cats, running the risk that at the time of death we may think of them and consequently take birth in a family of cats or dogs. Thus love that does not have Krishna as its object leads downward. It is not that Krishna or God is something obscure or something that only a few chosen people can attain. Caitanya Mahäprabhu informs us that in every country and in every scripture there is some hint of love of Godhead.

4. Krishna-bhaktas are free from all material desires. Those who are liberated theoretically by knowing simply that the living entity is not material may still have desires, although they may be technically classified amongst liberated souls. Their main desire is to become one with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Generally such persons are very much attached to Vedic rituals and righteous activities, performing them in order to enjoy material prosperity. Even when some of them transcend material enjoyment, they still try to enjoy the spiritual world by merging into the existence of the Supreme Lord. Some of them are also desirous of attaining mystic powers through the execution of yoga. As long as these desires are within one’s heart, he cannot understand the nature of pure devotional service. When one is constantly being agitated by such desires, he is not peaceful. Indeed, as long as there is any desire for material perfection at all, one cannot be at peace. Since the devotees of Lord Krishna do not desire anything material, they are the only peaceful persons within this material world. – Chapter 1.

5. Lord Caitanya said that by the mercy of the spiritual master one can achieve the causeless mercy of the Lord, and by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can attain the mercy of the bona fide spiritual master. – Chapter 1.

6. It is also considered to be disadvantageous to desire liberation. The only desire should be the desire to render service. Neglect of restrictions and prohibitions is also disadvantageous. The prohibitions are mentioned in the authorized scriptures: One should not indulge in illicit sex life, intoxication, meat eating or gambling. These things are forbidden to one who is attempting devotional service. If one does not follow these principles strictly, there may be a severe disturbance in the discharge of devotional service. – Chapter 1.

7. In pure devotional service there can be no desire other than the desire to advance in Krishna consciousness. In Krishna consciousness there is no scope for worshiping any demigod or any other form of Krishna, nor is there room for indulgence in speculative empiric philosophy, nor indulgence in fruitive activities. – Chapter 1.

8. Just as an ordinary materialistic businessman thinks of nothing else when he is absorbed in his business, a pure devotee, when engaged in the service of the Lord, does not think of anything beyond that engagement. – Chapter 1.

9. “Your constitutional position is that you are pure living soul,” the Lord told Sanätana. “This material body cannot be identified with your real self; nor is your mind your real identity, nor your intelligence, nor false ego. Your identity is that of eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Your position is that you’re transcendental. The superior energy of Krishna is spiritual in constitution, and the inferior external energy is material. Since you are between the material energy and the spiritual energy, your position is marginal. Belonging to the marginal potency of Krishna, you are simultaneously one with and different from Krishna. Because you are spirit, you are not different from Krishna, and because you are only a minute particle of Krishna, you are different from Him.” This simultaneous oneness and difference always exists in the relationship between the living entities and the Supreme Lord. From the marginal position of the living entities, this conception of “simultaneously one and different” can be understood. The living entity is just like a molecular particle of sunshine, whereas Krishna may be compared to the blazing, shining sun itself. Lord Caitanya compared the living entities to blazing sparks from a fire and the Supreme Lord to the blazing fire of the sun. – Chapter 3.

10. The execution of duties to attain perfection is known as devotional service, and in maturity such devotional service becomes love of God, the factual goal of life for every living being. Actually the living entity is not intended to achieve success in religious rituals, economic development or sense enjoyment. The living entity should not even desire success in liberation, what to speak of success in religion, economics and sense enjoyment. One’s real desire should only be to achieve the stage of loving transcendental service to the Lord. The all-attractive features of Lord Krishna help one in attaining this transcendental service, and it is by such service in Krishna consciousness that one can realize the relationship between Krishna and himself. – Chapter 4.

11. On the southern side there are Vedic rituals, and on the western side there is mental speculation, and on the northern side there is meditational yoga.” Sarvajïa’s advice should be carefully noted by everyone. If one searches for the ultimate goal by the ritualistic process, he will surely be baffled. Such a process involves the performance of rituals under the guidance of a priest who takes money in exchange for service. A man may think he will be happy by performing such rituals, but actually if he does gain some result from them, it is only temporary. His material distresses will continue. Thus he will never become truly happy by following the ritualistic process. Instead, he will simply increase his material pangs more and more. The same may be said for digging on the northern side, or searching for the treasure by means of the meditational yoga process. By this process a person thinks of becoming one with the Supreme Lord, but this merging into the Supreme is like being swallowed by a large serpent. Sometimes a large serpent swallows a smaller one, and merging into the spiritual existence of the Supreme is analogous. While the small serpent is searching after perfection, he is swallowed. Obviously there is no solution here. On the western side there is also an impediment in the form of a Yaksha, an evil spirit who protects the treasure. The idea is that a hidden treasure can never be found by one who asks the favor of a yaksha in order to attain it. The result is that one will simply be killed. This yaksha is the speculative mind, and in this case the speculative process of self-realization, or the gyaan process, is also suicidal. The only possibility then is to search for the hidden treasure on the eastern side by the process of devotional service in full Krishna consciousness. Indeed, that process of devotional service is the perpetual hidden treasure, and when one attains to it, he becomes perpetually rich. One who is poor in devotional service to Krishna is always in need of material gain. Sometimes he suffers the bites of poisonous creatures, and sometimes he is baffled; sometimes he follows the philosophy of monism and thereby loses his identity, and sometimes he is swallowed by a large serpent. It is only by abandoning all this and becoming fixed in Krishna consciousness, devotional service to the Lord, that one can actually achieve the perfection of life. – Chapter 4.

12. As one advances in devotional service, he attains love of Godhead, and as he advances in this love, he becomes free from all material bondage. – Chapter 5.

13. Caitanya Mahäprabhu pointed out that although (according to Padma Purana) there are different scriptures for worshiping different types of demigods, such instructions only bewilder people into thinking that the demigods are supreme. Yet if one carefully scrutinizes and studies the Puranas, he will find that Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the only object of worship. – Chapter 5.