hearts

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna.

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

In the Nectar of Devotion, (end of) Chapter 32: Symptoms of Continuous Love

it is stated:

 

'The heart of one who is highly elevated and grave is compared to gold. If

one’s heart is very soft and gentle, his heart is compared to a cotton swab.

When there is an ecstatic sensation within the mind, the golden heart or

grave heart is not agitated, but the soft heart immediately becomes

agitated.

To offer another example, a grave, magnanimous heart is compared to a great

city, and a soft heart to an insignificant cottage. There may be many

lights, or even great elephants in the big city, but no one will take

particular notice of them. But when such lights or elephants are seen near a

small cottage, everyone can distinctly point them out.'

 

This would indicate that to have a golden heart is best, whilst soft hearts

are considered weak.

 

However a little later it is stated:

 

'A soft heart is compared to honey, to butter and to nectar. And the

condition of the mind is compared to sunshine. As honey and butter become

melted even in slight sunshine, softhearted persons become easily melted.

Nectar, however, is by its nature always liquid. And the hearts of those who

are in pure ecstatic love with Krsna are by nature always liquified, just

like nectar.

A pure devotee of Krsna is always specifically qualified with nectarean

qualifications and sometimes with the qualifications of butter and honey. On

the whole, the heart in any of the different conditions mentioned above can

be melted under certain circumstances, just as a hard diamond is sometimes

melted by a combination of certain chemicals. In the Dana-keli-kaumudi it is

stated, “When love develops in the heart of a devotee, he cannot check the

transformation of his sentiments. His heart is just like the ocean at the

rising of the moon, when the ebb tide cannot be checked: immediately there

must be movement of high waves.” Although in its natural state the ocean is

always grave and unfathomable, when the moon rises, nothing can check the

ocean’s agitation. Similarly, those who are pure devotees cannot on any

account check the movement of their feelings within.'

 

This would tend to indicate that pure devotees are soft-hearted.

 

It seems that these two pieces of evidence are paradoxical.

 

Unfortunately I am a neophyte so these conclusions may not be correct.

Please can any of the learned sages offer any further insight?

 

Your servant,

Vraja Kumara das