Religious Satisfaction

[ancient_paztriot]

from Dialectic Spiritualism…

 

Hayagriva dasa: At times, Alexander takes the Aristotelian view in maintaining that “there is no reciprocal action from God. For though we speak, as we inevitably must, in human terms of God’s response to us, there is no direct experience of that response except through our own feeling that devotion to God or worship, carries with it its own satisfaction.”

 

Srila Prabhupada: This means that he does not understand God's omnipotence. God is omnipotent, and He comes before Arjuna to speak Bhagavad-gita. Being all powerful, god can come and speak to His devotee. If He cannot, what is the meaning of His omnipotence? Krsna reciprocates with the advanced devotees.

 

tesam satata-yuktanam

bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam

yena mam upayanti te

 

“To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.” (Bg. 10.10) God talks to His devotee who is fully in love with Him, but He does not talk with ordinary men.

 

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti

yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam

govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

 

“I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are annointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara situated within the heart of the devotee.” (Brahma-samhita 5.38) Just as a king talks with his immeditate officers and ministers and not with the ordinary man in the street, God personally talks to His devotees but not to the nondevotees or atheists. We understand that Krsna talked to the gopis and gopas in Vrndavana and reciprocated with His parents, Mother Yasoda and Maharaja Nanda. The cowherd boys who played with Krsna amassed many pious activities in their previous lives to arrive at a position where they could play with God. This is not an ordinary position. People generally think that such play is inconceivable, but when we come to that platform of devotion, we can play with God, ride on god's shoulders, and talk with Him just as with an ordinary friend. Of course, one comes to that position of perfection after many millions of pious births.