Hare Krsna,
I am simply grateful to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu for making the process of self-realization very simple for us. Considering that we are living in Kali-yuga, Mahaprabhu has been extremely merciful to us. He instructed us that there is no need to waste our time in realizing the Brahman and Paramatma features of the Absolute Truth. We can easily attain the Bhagavan feature of the Absolute Truth simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.
harer nāma harer nāma
harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva
nāsty eva gatir anyathā
In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way. (CC Madhya 6.242)
The self-realization that was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation, in the Tretā millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the Dvāpara millennium by worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa can be achieved in the Age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Therefore there is no need to uselessly labor in mental speculation to estimate the Lord’s qualities. There is no need of adopting the speculative method or exercising the body to attain mystic yoga perfection…The best course is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead with body, mind and words and always be engaged in His service. This transcendental labor is fruitful, but other attempts to understand the Absolute Truth are never successful. Therefore an intelligent man does not try to understand the Absolute Truth by speculative or mystic power. Rather, he engages in devotional service and depends on the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (Krsna book)
Even Lord Brahma realized that. He has rejected other processes and accepted bhakti as the means to attain Bhagavan Sri Kṛṣṇa. And in the process if we undergo some suffering or reversals, we should consider that as special mercy of the Lord. The Lord knows what is best for us. A sincere devotee accepts whatever happens to him as the arrangement of Lord acting for his benefit.
The unhappiness suffered by a sincere devotee is not technically a karmic reaction; it is rather the Lord’s special mercy for inducing His devotee to completely let go of the material world and return home, back to Godhead.
Only by the mercy of the pure devotees of the Lord or by associating with the Lord Himself can one begin the process of realizing the personal feature of God — a process that culminates in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the final and supreme perfection of knowledge. All we have to do is stay alive in Krsna consciousness (dāya-bhāk) by following the rules and regulations given to us by guru parampara to inherit pure love of Godhead, and go back home, back to Godhead.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Krsna Katha 