Question 1: What exactly is the spiritual world?
Answer by Romapada Swami: The spiritual world lies beyond the material creation that we know of. To explain by negation, it is that place where there are no dualities of the material world such as happiness and distress, pain and pleasure, love and hatred etc. It is free from all inebriety of the material world such as birth, death, disease, old age, poverty, greed, competition, strife and loss. Stating positively, it is the kingdom of God, inhabited by those pure souls who are eternal, full of knowledge and bliss, who live in harmony with and in pure love for the Personality of Godhead, thereby enjoying unlimited happiness in relation with Him. There are innumerable spiritual planets as described in the scriptures where the residents exchange various types of loving relationships with the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Question 2: Brahma Samhita Text 29 describes the nature of the Goloka Vrindavana, which is said to contain millions of desire trees with spiritual gems. Why do we need desire trees there, if we go there only when we become sarvopadhi vinirmuktam or anyabhilashita sunyam? Why is there mention of gems to indicate the greatness of the place – is opulence greater than tranquility and purity?
Answer by Romapada Swami: As you have stated, the eligible inhabitants of Goloka Vrindavana are free from all material designations and material desires (anyabhilasita sunyam etc.) Nevertheless, they are not “devoid of desires”; rather they have ‘spiritual’ desires, because it is the symptom of life or symptom of spirit soul to desire. The desires of the pure devotees are entirely related to the loving service and the pleasure of Lord Sri Krishna, and all their desires to serve the Lord immediately become reality in the spiritual world, the land full of desire trees.
As far as the spiritual gems are concerned, why should the abode of the Lord not be opulent? After all, Krishna is the source of all opulence. God’s glory is not one-sided, it is all-encompassing.
Because of our experiences in the material world, many of us tend to have a limited conception or expectation of the spiritual world. However, the spiritual world is not only full of tranquility, beauty and love, it is also full of opulence, knowledge and inconceivable powers. Of course, in the material world it is difficult to find humility and love and compassion in the same place as great wealth, fame or beauty. However, in the spiritual world, such opulences serve as impetuses to increase one’s adoration of and devotion to the Personality of Godhead, not as hindrance or distraction from the ultimate object of love, Krishna.
