Steering Toward the Supreme 73

“T worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first
progenitor, who is tending the cows, fulfilling all de-
sire, in abodes built with spiritual gems, surrounded
by millions of wish-fulfilling trees, always served
with great reverence and affection by hundreds of
thousands of laksmis, or gopis.”’ There are also other
detailed descriptions given, specifically in Brahma-
samhita.

Those who are trying to realize the Absolute Truth
are categorized according to the aspect of the Abso-
lute Truth upon which they concentrate. Those who
concentrate on Brahman, the impersonalists, are
called brahmavadis. Generally, those who are trying
to realize the Absolute Truth first of all realize the
brahmajyoti. Those who concentrate on the Super-
soul, the localized form of the Lord in the heart,
called Paramatma, are known as paramatmavadis.
The Supreme Lord, by His plenary portion, is sitting
in everyone’s heart, and by meditation and concen-
tration one can perceive this form. Not only is He
within everyone’s heart, but He is situated also with-
in every atom of the creation. This Paramatma
realization is the second stage. The third and last
stage is the realization of Bhagavan, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Because there are three
main. stages of realization, the Supreme Absolute
Truth is not attained in one birth. Bahunam jan-
manam ante. If one is fortunate, he can achieve the
ultimate in one second. But generally it takes many,
many years and many, many births to realize what
God is.
