Feeling the presence of Lord Sri Krishna

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Home Base: Sri Mayapur Candrodaya Mandir, Navadwip Dham, Nadia, WB, INDIA

Sri Bhaktivinode Thakur Vyasa-Puja, Srila Prabhupada's Birth-city, Calcutta.

 

> I would like to ask you some questions very important to me.

> It is said that a feeling of separation from Krsna is the higher stage of

> love to Krsna. But obviously first one must feel the presence of Krsna. So

> before feeling of separation there is the feeling of presence of the

> Supreme Person.

 

According to the sastra and previous acaryas Mahabhava is the highest level

of love of Lord Sri Krishna and only Radharani and Lord Sri Krishna Caitanya

Mahaprabhu and Madhavendra Puri have experienced that level of Krsna Prema.

 

Feeling the presence of Lord Sri Krishna or feeling seperation for Lord Sri

Krishna are also included within Bhava and even more so within Prema. One

may feel the presence of Lord Sri Krishna at various levels of devotional

service and this will increase as one is advancing in Krishna consciousness.

 

> My questions are:

 

> 1) How can one know if someone can feel the presence of or separation from

Krsna? Is it all right to ask someone if they have realized Lord Sri

Krishna?

 

Asking someone if they have realized Lord Sri Krishna is a very personal

question. Personal questions are sensitive and some things a devotee has no

right to ask. Specifically what realization one is having is one of those

things. Also it doesn't serve any useful purpose to ask since if one is a

cheater he may say he is realized when he isn't actually realized. If he is

bona fide, out of humility he might not admit anything and say he is the

most fallen of the fallen. One of the qualities of the highest level of

devotee is feeling himself the most insignificant and fallen. Since this

question cannot be verified it is not wise to ask it. One still might stay

with doubts.

 

Sastra tells us that we can study the qualities of a devotee and from his

Anu-bhava's we can tell if he is advanced or not. This is mentioned in CC.

Bhaktivinode Thakura also recommends seeing the anu-bhavas. Sometimes

cheaters show off crying or some external emotions (bhavas), but it is like

acting. Imitating the anu-bhavas is not so easy. For instance when a

devotee is always remaining engaged in devotional service naturally from his

own desire and never remains idle from Krishna consciousness that is an

anubhava. When one is equal in fame and infamy or in gaining something

material or losing something that is an anubhava. There are about eleven

anubhavas and if one wants an indication about how advanced in Krishna

consciousness someone is then it is advised to study these characteristics

of the person as an index.

 

> 2) Can a bona fide Guru make me feel the presence of Krsna?

 

It is not that the Guru can push a button and make you feel the mercy or

presence of Lord Sri Krishna. By following the instructions of the bona

fide Spiritual Master you can experience Krishna consciousness and the

presence of Lord Sri Krishna. You can also feel seperation. A devotee

normally first feels seperation from the Spiritual Master. When one develops

attachment towards the Spiritual Master and feels seperation in his absence

that helps one to mature further to experience devotion and seperation for

Lord Sri Krishna.

 

In Nectar of Devotion there are so many things mentioned which can serve as

an impetus for a devotee to experience an awakening of attachment for Lord

Sri Krishna and thus a feeling of His presence, etc. By performing the

different activities in devotional service in the correct attitude then you

can eventually experience increasingly enhanced levels of devotional

service. So long as you avoid making offenses (especially to the Spiritual

Master and the devotees of Lord Sri Krishna) then you can make progress

while practicing hearing, chanting, remembering, etc.

 

> 3) There are different yoga systems which allows one to feel or to realize

> the presence of God. Are you sure in 100% that by this simple method of

> hearing, chanting, remembering etc. and observing the rules, one can

> realize or feel the presence of Supreme Personality of Godhead?

 

Yes. I have no doubt about this. Other yoga systems only give a partial

experience of God realization. So even if one feels the presence of God by

another process of Yoga it would not be complete. Like Jnana Yoga only gives

the experience of the presence of God as impersonal reality. Astanga Yoga

or Dyana Yoga only gives the experience of God in His localized Paramatma

form. It is Bhakti-yoga which gives us the full experience of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead Lord Sri Krishna. This is confirmed by all

authorities and by the sastras.

 

Your ever well wisher,

 

Jayapataka Swami