Philosophy: Do you think you will go back to Godhead?

Be honest.

BUT, one day, one day... i will meet my sweet beloved lord again... its were we all belong

yes. btg. eternal abode, Goloka Vrndavana

> How to know if a devotee went back to Godhead or not? What are the
> criteria? Chanting the holy names, departing in the dhama, being
> surrounded by devotees, being 100% or 75% pure, having given
> everything to Guru and Gauranga?

The criteria are varied. The general ones are:

SAT SANGA DEVARCANA-SAT KATHASU
PAROPADESE 'BHIRATO MANUSYAH
SA YATI VISNOH PARAMAM PADAM TAT
DEHA AVASANE'CYUTA TULYA TEJAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 10/482 from BRHAN NARADIYA PURANA)

Those people who enjoy the association of Vaisnavas, who worship the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, who listen and speak the
transcendental glories of the Lord, who engage themselves in listening
and hearing to the transcendental glories of the Lord, after giving up
the present body, they achieve the same bright transcendental body as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead and attain His eternal abode.


Among the 'minimal' ones, applicable even for nondevotees, are
(Haribhaktivilasa lists many more):

Garuda Purana 2.38.9 "Undoubtedly one attains salvation if one dies
near a Salagrama stone which is powerful for annihilating all sins and
defects."

VILAYAM YANTI PAPANI PITE PADODAKE HAREH
KIM PUNAR VISNU PADODAM SALAGRAMA SILACYUTAM
VISESENA HARET PAPAM BRAHMA HATYADIKAM PRIYE
PITE PADODAKE VISNOR YADI PRANAIR VIMUCYATE
HATVA YAMA BHATAN SARVAN VAISVAVAM LOKAM APNUYAT

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 9/68,69 from SKANDA PURANA conversation between
Siva and Uma)

Whoever drinks the water emanated from the Deity of Lord Sri Hari, all
of his sins are removed. I say, oh dear wife, what more can I say
about the water emanated from the bathing of Salagram Sila which
actually cuts the sin acquired by killing a brahmana. Anybody who
quits his body while drinking the water which has emanated from the
lotus feet of Lord Hari, the messengers of Yamaraja run away from him
and he attains the abode of Lord Sri Visnu.

PRADAKSINAM YE KURVANTI BHAKTI YUKTENA CETASA
NA TE YAMAPURAM YANTI YANTI PUNYA KRTAM GATIM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 8/395 from VARAHA PURANA)

Those people who circumambulate Lord Hari with devotion, they do not
go to the abode of Yamaraja. They achieve the destination which is
achieved by devotees of the Supreme Lord.

SARANAGATA RAKSANODYATAM HARIM ISAM PRANAMANTI YENARAH
NA PATANTI BHAVAMBUDHAU SPHUTAM PATITANUDDHARATI SMA TANASAU

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 8/382 from BRAHMA-VAIVARTA PURANA)

Those people who pay obeisances to the Supreme Lord Hari, Who protects
those who come and take shelter at His lotus feet, they do not fall
into the material ocean again. Even if there is some chance to fall,
Lord Sri Hari liberates them again.

BALYE SAMKRIDA MANA YE PANSUBHIR BHAVANAM HAREH
VASUDEVASYA KURVANTI TE'PI TALLOKA GAMINAH

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 20/22 from VISNU RAHASYA)

The children who in their childhood play make a temple out of sand for
the pleasure of Lord Hari also attain the abode of Lord Hari.

Imho, the most wonderful one:

YATINAM VISNU BHAKTANAM PARICARYA PARAYANAIH
IKSITA API GACCHANTI PAPINO'PI PARAM GATIM

(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 10/147 from BRHAN NARADIYA PURANA spoken by the
Visnudutas)

One who serves a sannyasi and a devotee of the Supreme Lord Hari, if
such a devotee sees someone else, even if that person (the one he
sees) is sinful, he achieves the supreme abode, Vaikuntha.

So are you saved? 8)

BG1418, the verse re-quoted by you gives some characteristics of a Vaishnava. More chars are here:

http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/bhaktiyoga/vaisnavism.htm#7

Tilak is only an external sign but one who wears it shouldn't behave like an avaishnava.

Your BG quote is not against HBV quotes. It is about sadhana siddhi while HBV are more about kripa siddhi.

Veda,
Sorry I'm kinda new to this, can you please explain the difference between sadhana siddhi and kripa siddhi?

You said,
"Tilak is only an external sign but one who wears it shouldn't behave like an avaishnava."

But since pure devotional service is very rarely achieved, more often than not it is just an external show, not an external sign.

By the way you haven't answered the question. Do you think you will go back to Godhead?

Mishra,

especially if you had to hold your breath.

Thanks, Steve

Sorry, are they the quotes above where you are relying on mercy?

I weren't trying to say that tilak is reserved for pure devotees. I was trying to say that now days, tilak is more show than go. (Usually)

You said,
(And there is also a specific promise from Prabhupada to take home everyone who helps him with books.)

I wouldn't rely on this without doing the WORK of shedding illusions.

What "mode" are we operating in? Is it love? Or is it ????? Could be so many things. Is it love sometimes, or is it love 24/7?

I think this is what i am trying to say, when we serve Krishna, what is our motive? Is it pure?

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what Prabhupada said, if our motives are not above the mode of goodness. Pure goodness.

One will be recycled, on and on and on and...

There is no other way. Sadhana Bakti 24/7 will bring us to Kripa.

Or, you cant reach Krishna without his mercy, but work for it, pray for it, earn it.

Thanks

Steve

> Sorry, are they the quotes above where you are relying on mercy?

They are just a sample.

> I was trying to say that now days, tilak is more show than go. (Usually)

I wouldn't dare to say that.

> I wouldn't rely on this without doing the WORK of shedding illusions.

Your choice. Trust in guru's words is not automatic.

> Sadhana Bakti 24/7 will bring us to Kripa.

The above verses speak about ahaituki (causeless) kripa, not one caused by sadhana. They are two different things.

A devotee is not interested whether he is going to hell or heaven.
Everything is, for him... He knows hell is also kingdom of God and heaven is
also kingdom of God. A devotee's kingdom of God means where he gets the
chance of serving the Lord. That is wanted.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.14 — Vrndavana, September 17, 1975

Im going I think (meaning <i>Im on my way</i>), but I can only hope I will get there. Its not - going going gone.. its a very serious procedure of soul transfer from one reality to a completely different one. I hope to have a next birth in a situation close to Godhead, I do not think I will go back to Godhead in this lifetime, that would make me ''too lucky''.

deena... this is one of my favorite proclamations given by His Divine Grace... and so for this soul going Back Home, Back to Godhead, i figure i will need to learn to serve Srila Prabhupada properly before that ever happens... and that could be lifetimes... truly. Yet, i "hope against hope" and have (even in my current condition) faith that we are all on our way Home. Hare Krsna !!!