How Can We Go Back To Godhead? by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur

Lord Sri Hari is the transcendental Absolute Truth situated beyond the material creation. There is no way to meet with that transcendental object, the Supreme Lord, other than to hear about Him. Discussions about Vaikuntha emanating from the lotus mouths of devotees have extraordinary potency. When these transcendental sound vibrations enter our ears, our consciousness is awakened and we become Krishna conscious. This is because these vibrations descend from Vaikuntha into this world to help us go back to Godhead.

Discussions about this material world only help us go to hell. Sri Chaitanyacandra came to this world to tell us about the realm of Vaikuntha. However, due to our misfortune, the teachings of this most merciful personality do not enter our ears. Those who are fortunate can understand Mahaprabhu’s teachings. If we want to become fortunate, we must develop the propensity to serve. Then Vaikuntha topics and teachings will enter our ears and we will understand them. We must try to make spiritual advancement from our present position by hearing enlivening discourses from living sources, bona fide Vaishnavas.

The moment we stop hearing hari-kathā from and real devotees, the moment we stop serving them, the Lord’s illusory energy, Maya, will immediately swallow us. Thus it is our duty to give attention to wherever actual hari-kathā is being discussed. Our constitutional propensity will be revived if we hear hari-kathā from a living source through service inclined ears. Then we will be able to realize or see the Supreme Lord in our purified hearts. We can realize the Supreme Lord only by aural reception. Apart from hearing, there is no way to go back to Godhead.

—From Amṛta Vāṇī: Nectar of Instructions of Immortality by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupāda » Translated from Bengali by Bhumipati dasa » Adapted and Published by Ishvara dasa(Touchstone Media).