Welcome - getting to know me, Dulal Chandra dasa, and my view along The Vedic Path
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What most attracts you to your chosen path?
Initially my attraction to the teachings of sanatana dharma, the eternal occupational engagement of the soul as presented in the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, was the scientific and logical explanation of the Supreme Lord, the soul, the material world and consciousness, self realization and ultimate liberation from the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. Throughout the wonderful text of the transcendental teachings of Bhagavad-gita, the practice of bhakti yoga, or the yoga of love and devotion to the absolute truth, the yoga of the heart, is emphasized. Amazingly everything presented in these very ancient teachings made perfect sense to me and I was not able to present any question that was not fully answered to my satisfaction. This initial satisfaction to my inquisitiveness continues to this day, forty years later.
What is the goal of your spiritual practice? Do you consider this the goal of life?
The goal of my spiritual practice is the attainment of pure unalloyed, uninterrupted devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Any goal independent of such spiritual perfection only prolongs our suffering within this material world, robbing us of the sweet transcendent pleasures which are our factual spiritual nature of eternity, knowledge and fully blissful existence.
What is the predominant spiritual practice you use right now in your life and how do you see it benefiting yourself and your interactions with others?
The primary spiritual practice I engage in is individual and congregational praise of the holy names of the Lord. I have experience that this simple process has the ability to uplift my spiritual awareness and I have faith that this process will uplift me, and anyone else who take to it, to the topmost platform of spiritual awareness and diminish the burden of sinful activities which so dominate our lives and simply cause untold suffering.
I also practice austerity, truthfulness, cleanliness and mercy. I do this by refraining from the sinful activities of meat eating, illicit sex indulgence, intoxication and gambling. I have experienced that by gradually introducing these simple practices into our daily lives we will see both individually and socially the diminishing of the quarrel and hypocrisy which dominates at present. By becoming a slave to unbridled materialistic desires we have robbed ourselves of any possibility of enjoying the simple God-given pleasures of life. Practical application of these practices in my life has resulted in a miraculous transformation that has lead to a joyous life free of anxiety and fear.
What is the teaching or story from your tradition that has had the greatest impact on how you live your
life?
Illuminating teachings on spiritual life are lavishly presented in the wonderful Bhagavat Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam. This transcendental literature was compiled by the Supreme Lord Himself in his incarnation as Srila Vyasadeva and is full of historical narrations based upon the highest truths of spiritual knowledge. It would be impossible for me to distinguish which one out of hundreds of enlightening stories has most contributed to my personal spiritual enlightenment and advancement.
That said, there is one very very wonderful narration of the life of a saintly personality who gave up his godly service and took up a very sinful lifestyle due to worldly mindedness. In very old age, he fathered a son who was given one of God’s names. While on his deathbed, his soul being dragged from his body by the agents of time, he cried out for his dear son. Immediately, the Lord’s angels appeared and saved this sinner from death because of his having called out the Lord’s name. They did not even consider that his plea was not really for the Supreme Lord but intended rather for his son. His salvation was that he chanted God’s name at the end of life.
What is the ultimate expression of the highest teaching of your tradition?
I have come to realize, by the grace of my spiritual teachers, that the ultimate expression of the highest teaching is pure unalloyed love for the Supreme Absolute Truth. This Supreme Absolute Truth is experienced in different aspects by transcendentalists, spiritual practitioners, according to the level of intimacy of their spiritual practice:
Of these varied realizations of the Supreme Absolute Truth, realization of the divine personal aspect is the most intimate. This highest understanding is fully experienced as unadulterated love for that Supreme personality who is the embodiment of all spiritual taste and the source of all existence both material and spiritual.
Initially my attraction to the teachings of sanatana dharma, the eternal occupational engagement of the soul as presented in the teachings of Bhagavad-gita, was the scientific and logical explanation of the Supreme Lord, the soul, the material world and consciousness, self realization and ultimate liberation from the miseries of birth, death, old age, and disease. Throughout the wonderful text of the transcendental teachings of Bhagavad-gita, the practice of bhakti yoga, or the yoga of love and devotion to the absolute truth, the yoga of the heart, is emphasized. Amazingly everything presented in these very ancient teachings made perfect sense to me and I was not able to present any question that was not fully answered to my satisfaction. This initial satisfaction to my inquisitiveness continues to this day, forty years later.
What is the goal of your spiritual practice? Do you consider this the goal of life?
The goal of my spiritual practice is the attainment of pure unalloyed, uninterrupted devotion for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Any goal independent of such spiritual perfection only prolongs our suffering within this material world, robbing us of the sweet transcendent pleasures which are our factual spiritual nature of eternity, knowledge and fully blissful existence.
What is the predominant spiritual practice you use right now in your life and how do you see it benefiting yourself and your interactions with others?
The primary spiritual practice I engage in is individual and congregational praise of the holy names of the Lord. I have experience that this simple process has the ability to uplift my spiritual awareness and I have faith that this process will uplift me, and anyone else who take to it, to the topmost platform of spiritual awareness and diminish the burden of sinful activities which so dominate our lives and simply cause untold suffering.
I also practice austerity, truthfulness, cleanliness and mercy. I do this by refraining from the sinful activities of meat eating, illicit sex indulgence, intoxication and gambling. I have experienced that by gradually introducing these simple practices into our daily lives we will see both individually and socially the diminishing of the quarrel and hypocrisy which dominates at present. By becoming a slave to unbridled materialistic desires we have robbed ourselves of any possibility of enjoying the simple God-given pleasures of life. Practical application of these practices in my life has resulted in a miraculous transformation that has lead to a joyous life free of anxiety and fear.
What is the teaching or story from your tradition that has had the greatest impact on how you live your
life?
Illuminating teachings on spiritual life are lavishly presented in the wonderful Bhagavat Purana, Srimad Bhagavatam. This transcendental literature was compiled by the Supreme Lord Himself in his incarnation as Srila Vyasadeva and is full of historical narrations based upon the highest truths of spiritual knowledge. It would be impossible for me to distinguish which one out of hundreds of enlightening stories has most contributed to my personal spiritual enlightenment and advancement.
That said, there is one very very wonderful narration of the life of a saintly personality who gave up his godly service and took up a very sinful lifestyle due to worldly mindedness. In very old age, he fathered a son who was given one of God’s names. While on his deathbed, his soul being dragged from his body by the agents of time, he cried out for his dear son. Immediately, the Lord’s angels appeared and saved this sinner from death because of his having called out the Lord’s name. They did not even consider that his plea was not really for the Supreme Lord but intended rather for his son. His salvation was that he chanted God’s name at the end of life.
What is the ultimate expression of the highest teaching of your tradition?
I have come to realize, by the grace of my spiritual teachers, that the ultimate expression of the highest teaching is pure unalloyed love for the Supreme Absolute Truth. This Supreme Absolute Truth is experienced in different aspects by transcendentalists, spiritual practitioners, according to the level of intimacy of their spiritual practice:
- Impersonal liberation into the Lord’s all pervasive spiritual energy
- Realization of the Supreme Lord who resides within the heart of all living entities
- Blissful loving exchange in complete surrender to the one Divine Personality of Godhead.
Of these varied realizations of the Supreme Absolute Truth, realization of the divine personal aspect is the most intimate. This highest understanding is fully experienced as unadulterated love for that Supreme personality who is the embodiment of all spiritual taste and the source of all existence both material and spiritual.
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