The true nature of the soul explained in gist.
By Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakur
Translated from a Bengali editorial
published in Sri Gaudiya Darsan,
Volume 11, Issue 2,
Monday, 13 September 1965.
- Dharma is one; it is not two or various.
- The soul has only one dharma, and that dharma’s name is Vaisnava-dharma.
- Vaisnava-dharma alone is the eternal dharma of the soul.
- Unconditional, eternal, unalloyed devotion to the Lord is known as pure Vaisnava-dharma, the eternal dharma, the soul’s dharma, Bhagavat-dharma, spiritual dharma, and the supreme dharma.
- In the world, two different dharmas pass in the name of Vaisnava-dharma: pure Vaisnava-dharma and vitiated Vaisnava-dharma.
- Pure Vaisnava-dharma is one, non-dual, and eternal.
- There are two types of vitiated Vaisnava-dharma: that vitiated by exploitation (karma) and that vitiated by renunciation (jnan).
- The artificial worship of Visnu found in the conception of the materialistic followers of the smrti scriptures (smartas) and in the conception of the seekers of nondifferentiated spirit who worship five deities [Visnu, Siva, Devi, Ganesa, and Surya] is not worthy of being called pure Vaisnava dharma or eternal dharma.
- All the forms of dharma that have developed from the pursuit of Brahman and Paramatma are incidental—they have arisen from the causes of either the desire for release from bondage or desire for the pleasure of meditation (samadhi).
- Pure Vaisnava-dharma is not something that has been created at random or contrived by man; it is the eternal propensity of the true nature of all pure souls.
- Therefore, regardless of whether some accept it and some do not, in truth everyone is a Vaisnava.
- Through good fortune, souls awaken to their true self and immerse themselves in the eternal activities of their eternal, perfected nature—in the joy of eternal service.
- Therefore, Vaisnava-dharma alone is the one and only universal and all-inclusive eternal dharma.
