Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 1.3.24
Īśānukathā· The Lord and His devoteesCompassion Prepares the Path to God
“Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Añjanā, in the province of Gayā, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.”
What the purport teaches
- Lord Buddha appeared as the son of Añjanā in Gayā and preached nonviolence out of pity for animals. He opposed animal-killing carried out under the plea of Vedic sacrifice.
- By following Lord Buddha, faithless people placed faith in an incarnation of God without recognizing Him as such. Moral discipline and nonviolence prepared them to advance toward God realization.
- Vedic knowledge should be received through the authoritative disciplic succession, not reduced to ritual alone. Its purpose is to lead people to the Supreme Lord and ultimately back to Godhead.
Try this today
Choose a meal today that avoids animal-killing, remembering the compassion taught by Lord Buddha.
Ask yourself
How can my treatment of animals better support my desire for spiritual realization?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.