The Three aspects of the Absolute Truth.

The Villagers and the train - Different realizations of the Absolute Truth

The three aspects of the Absolute Truth.

I - Sound - OM

2 - Light - Brahman (Brahmajyoti)

3 - Form (Vigraha) and Individuality that incorporates the first two revealing the full potential of the Absolute Truth as Krishna the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual marginal living entities as bodily Forms in their full potential.

Here in this story we understand beyond LIGHT (Brahmajyoti) is LIFE and individual FORM

Many years ago, the British came to India and began building a train line between Delhi and Mathura.

Many simple villages on the outskirts at the time had no idea what a train looked like, so when the time had come to greet the train, the village elders sent a young representative down to meet the train and ascertain what it is and then come back with the news of its anticipated arrival.

On the evening of its appearance, the villagers patiently and inquisitively waited in expectation and wonder of what a ‘train’ was.

Eventually day turned to night and everyone in the Village became anxious and excited, knowing the train’s arrival was imminent.

The fact was, no one had any inkling of what a train was.

The young boy was dispatched and was told to immediately report back to the Village elder as soon as he identifies the train. Off the young boy went in the dark and began to wait patiently.

The night sky was clear and there was very little breeze in the air, he could hear the usual sounds of native animals although; even they were quite on this still moonless chilly night.

Then to the young boys surprise, out of the pitch black darkness and the still of night, he heard this thunderous extended high-pitched sound (the train whistles), being excited, he was convinced he now new what the train was. He immediately ran back to the village elders and excitedly told them,

"The train is a big sound"

Most accepted the news as final that a train is a sound but some of the elders were still puzzled thinking there must be more  

Still not convinced the train was just a sound, feeling puzzled, a few decided to send another young villager down to investigate this sound and if there was more to the train.

The second boy the villager elders sent down was told to wait well into the darkness of night until the sound came closer to him to see if the train was just a sound.

Eventually, after hearing the sound many times in a mood of fear of the unknown and inquisitiveness of what a train really is, he finally saw in the distance an extremely bright light getting brighter and brighter that scared him.

The combination of the sound and the bright blinding light frightened him because he did not understand what he was experiencing!

Being afraid he rushed back to the elders proclaiming,

“The train is a 'bright blinding light and sound”

Many at the village were now convinced what a train was and most were satisfied and returned to their homes however, a few believed there might be more to a train than an impersonal sound and scary light.

So again they sent a third boy to investigate.

He also began to patiently wait and stay for as long as it takes until the sound and light reached him.

He experienced the sound getting louder and louder as it got closer and the light at the same time was getting brighter and brighter.

Then to the boy's surprise, both the sound and light rushed him by.

To his astonishment, he discovered the source of both the sound and light was coming from the people controlling the light and sound of a machine moving on rails called a train and behind the train controlling the sound and light were individual persons, people like himself.

Behind the sound and light was form like carriages filled with people like him, all engaging in all kinds of different activities?

He ran back to the village yelling,

“The train is full of people and form from where the sound and light has emanated!!

Behind the ''light'' are people in bodily forms engaged in all kinds of activity.

The light is NOT the ultimate state of existence because behind the light is where the full potential of who we really are as ''persons'' fully exists.

They all eventually saw the train for what it really is (Personalism)

The Brahmajyoti is like the sun rays that can also be individual sparks of living light in the secondary inactive conditional state of their nature as well as their fully ''original active devotional form'' in Vaikuntha and Goloka Vrindavana where they are in their full potential as individual persons with a bodily spiritual form in Vishnu or Krishna's pastimes.

Everything emanates from the Bodily Form of Krishna who is just like the Sun and Supreme Personality of Godhead and cause of all causes and origin of all Vishnu Forms as well.

To say we, the marginal living entities, came from an impersonal origin, is not the teachings of Srila Prabhupada.

Letter to: Revatinandana — Los Angeles 13 June, 1970  

Srila Prabhupada - 'The next question, about the living entities falling down in this material world are not from the impersonal brahman. Existence in the impersonal brahman is also within the category of non-Krsna consciousness.  

Those who are in the brahman effulgence they are also in the fallen condition, so there is no question of falling down from a fallen condition.

When fall takes place, it means falling down from the non-fallen condition.

The non-fallen condition is Krsna consciousness. So long one can maintain pure Krsna consciousness he is not fallen down. As soon as he becomes out of Krsna consciousness immediately he is fallen down. It does not matter where a living entity stays.

In the material world also there are different stages of living conditions, and to remain in the brahman effulgence is also another phase of that fallen condition.  

Just like in the Bhagavad-gita it is stated that conditioned souls by their pious activities are elevated to the higher planetary system, but as soon as the stock of pious activities is finished he again comes down on the earthly planet.  

Similarly those who are elevated beyond the planetary system to the brahma effulgence, they are also prone to fall down as much as a living entity from the higher planetary system.

As such those who are thinking that they are liberated by being situated in brahman effulgence are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as impurely intelligent.  

In other words, they are actually not liberated, and because they are not actually liberated they again come down to the material world as much as a living entity elevated to the higher planetary system comes down to this earthly planet.  

So we do not accept anyone elevated to the brahman effulgence as actually liberated.”

What Prabhupada is saying is the jivas were previously active ''before'' entering Maha Vishnu's effulgence or the impersonal brahmajyoti, he is saying they never originated from that brahmajyoti effulgent light even though it may ''appear'' they do because of an enormous time span.

They have actually fallen to that effulgence by entering it at the end of the previous material creation or may have entered it as an impersonalist yogi, they have never originated from there or Maha Vishnu either because long, long, long before that they fell from Vaikuntha  

This is explained here –

Revatīnandana: You very clearly explained to me once in a letter that if the spirit soul then goes into the brahma-jyotir, he is considered still fallen. Still fallen. Does that means the whole brahma-jyotir is composed of fallen souls? You see my question? If I go there, I'm a jīva soul, and I go to the brahma-jyotir I'm still fallen.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That means all jīva souls there are also fallen souls.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes.

Revatīnandana: That follows?

Srila Prabhupāda: That is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā. Vibhinnāṁśa. Separated parts. Separated parts, vibhinnāṁśa. You can call it fallen. 

Revatīnandana: But we usually think of fallen as being forgetful.

Srila Prabhupāda: Yes. This is also forgetfulness. In the brahma-jyotir you are forgetful still. Because you are... That is stated in the śāstra, anādhṛta yuṣmad anghrayaḥ. Anādhṛta. They do not know how to adore the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. That is forgetfulness. 

Srila Prabhupada was very clear on this subject - “Formerly we were with Krsna in His lila or sport” Letter to Madhudvisa Swami June 1972  

Srila Prabhupada - “We have also come down from Vaikuntha some millions and millions of years ago.” - (Lecture on Bhagavad-gita on August 6, 1973)

Srila Prabhupada - These spirit souls and all spirit souls are coming from Vaikuntha”. Letter to Jagadisa das, 1970  

Srila Prabhupada - “As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krsna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness has now become polluted by the material atmosphere.” Original Hare Krsna Happening album 1966