DEVOTEE: Rabbi, earlier we discussed that God has an eternal
personal identity. But the Vedas also speak of an impersonal aspect of God,
which is actually the effulgence from His body. That effulgence, the brahmajyoti,
is ultimately the source of all illumination. The brahmajyoti diffuses light
from the transcendental body of the Lord, and the same light is reflected
in many varieties: the light of the sun, the light of the moon, the light
of fire, or the light of electricity. [Bhag. 2.9.34 Purport] Do the Jewish
scriptures give any information of an effulgence coming from God and how
it illuminates everything?
RABBI: There is one verse in the Zohar: "The Most Recondite is beyond
cognition, but reveals of Himself a tenuous and veiled brightness shining
only along a narrow path which extends from Him, and this is the brightness
that irradiates all. This is the starting point of all esoteric mysteries,
itself being unknowable." [Zohar IV 146b]
DEVOTEE: The verse you just quoted form the Zohar indicates that there is
a higher understanding of God than "the brightness that irradiates
all." The Vedas emphatically conclude the same. "The Absolute
Truth (God) is realized in three phases of understanding by the knower of
the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases of the Absolute
Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavän." [Bhag.1.2.11]
Brahman refers to the impersonal all-pervasive spirit. That is the same
as the brahmajyoti, the effulgence of the Lord. Paramatma realization means
to realize the localized aspect of the Lord as He is situated in the heart
of every living being. And the highest realization of the Absolute Truth
is Bhagavän, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Who is full in all
opulences.
RABBI: I am a little confused of your explanation a few moments ago. You
told me that according to the Vedic version, the brahmajyoti was the source
of illumination for the sun, the moon and fire. But previously you said
that the Sudarshan Cakra was the illuminating principles of the sun, the
moon and fire. Why do the Vedas give such contradictory information?
DEVOTEE: There is no contradiction at all, for since the Lord is Absolute,
all apparent contradictions can be rectified within Him. Sudarshan is the
glance of the Lord, and the Brahmajyoti is the effulgence of the Lord. The
Lord has the ability to perform any function with any part of His body.
According to the Brahma-samhita, the body of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead can enjoy anything and do everything with any of His limbs. On the
absolute platform, the Lord's name, fame, form, pastimes, effulgence and
glance are all on an equal level. Just like when we chant the Lord's names
He is present with all of His potencies. When we speak about His pastimes
and activities, He is also present with all of His potencies. Similarly,
the effulgence of the Lord or the glance of the Lord contains all of His
potencies and thus both can perform the same functions. Since we only have
experience within the material atmosphere, it is difficult to comprehend
spiritual principles that are fully outside of our experience.
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