how do you understand love?

[Guest guest]

 

 

I know that this question sounds a strange one, but so far I only have learnt what 'not' is love. At one time I was under impression that I know what love is? That it is natural quality in me. But looking deeper I am not sure. The love as portrayed by media is just an exaggerated emotion, that only is self-centred and seems good at screen only.

 

Even if it love towards a person or creator, it is need based. We seek fulfillment of our desires, may it be for material gains or spiritual gains. What are the attributes of real love?

 

Can anyone put forth some views on this?

 

 

[theist]

That there have been no responses. I don't know love myself so have nothing to say. I am just coming to understand that my present state of loving no one starting with Krsna is literally a state of death. So you question to me is like asking a zombie to speak on life.

 

This silence speaks volumns and is a lesson that we can think hard on.

 

There is a place where I believe we just get drawn into by the force of Krsna's attractive nature, a place beyond all calculations for personal needs and wants as to what we can get out of a relationship with Krsna and we just spontaneous engage.

 

Is this why devotees try to simply become absorbed in their devotional service abandoning all other considerations? Is this also why devotees meditate upon the loving exchanges between between Krsna and those that have attain the state you speak of?

 

What could we possibly say from our present position?

[Guest guest]

Anyone can put forth a thousand definitions of love, but if we are honest with ourselves we will have to admit real love is almost as elusive as Krsna Himself. We can only hope She comes to us some day.

[Guest guest]

 

 

okay thanks guys,

 

I appreciate the honesty in both the posts.

 

I am not sure of if that is what - I was meaning to ask.

 

Anyways, do you think if devotion can come without love? And what are the attributes of devotion? Do expectations come naturally in the process of devotion? How to grow love towards people in general? (without feeling superficial) I hope you understand what I mean.

 

[Guest guest]

 

I am not sure of if that is what - I was meaning to ask.

 

Anyways, do you think if devotion can come without love? And what are the attributes of devotion? Do expectations come naturally in the process of devotion? How to grow love towards people in general? (without feeling superficial) I hope you understand what I mean.

 

 

You were wanting definitions of what real love is. Examples of real love are easier to give then definitonsI believe and then the answers can be intuited from those examples. This is the only approach I know. The cross of Christ as well as the lives of Christ and also Srila Prabhupada as they gave it ALL to rescue the fallen souls in an effort to please Krsna.

 

Krsna once had a headach and the only cure was dust from His devotees feet. But for the devotee that meant going to hell as a reaction so no one could be found. When the gopis learned of Krsna's need they offered their dust immediately without hesitation, hell was not a consideration. This is the standard of love GV strive for.

 

Devotion without love? Devotion I have already but unfortunately it is to me false self. Devotion to Krsna? I wouldn't know how there could be such a split.

 

Others will speak to the attributes of devotion and the expectations that come.

 

How to grow love towards others without being superfical? My speculation is by practicing the activities of love like selling Prabhupada's books or other Krsna conscious outreach works. Our own bhajana. We can just be honest with ourselves and others that our motivations are mixed and that of a practioner. What is the practice of bhakti-yoga if not the practice of divine love?

 

[Guest guest]

Yes, the cultivation of devotional service to God will culminate in pure love and all the attributes of a devotee will ornament your person with time.

 

A Vaisnava is one who has surrendered onto the Lord.

 

Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja, the author of Caitanya-caritamrta, says that all good qualities become manifest in the body of a Vaisnava and that only by the presence of these good qualities can one distinguish a Vaisnava from a non-Vaisnava. Here is a list of devotional qualities:

 

(1) They are very kind to everyone.

(2) They do not make anyone Their enemy.

(3) They are truthful.

(4) They are equal to everyone.

(5) No one can find any fault in them.

(6) They are magnanimous.

(7) They are mild.

(8) They are always clean.

(9) They are without possessions.

(10) They work for everyone's benefit.

(11) They are very peaceful.

(12) They are always surrendered to Krsna.(God)

(13) They have no material desires.

(14) They are very meek.

(15) They are steady.

(16) They control their senses.

(17) They do not eat more than required.

(18) They are not influenced by the Lord's illusory energy.

(19) They offer respect to everyone.

(20) They do not desire any respect for themselves.

(21) They are very grave.

(22) They are merciful.

(23) They are friendly.

(24) They are poetic.

(25) They are expert.

(26) and they are silent.

 

 

[Guest guest]

 

 

But too idealistic to be realistic. People are going to find fault with whatever I do or I don't do, no matter what. To be without possessions in the literal sense? and how can we work for benefit for all? One man's benefit is another man's loss. I wonder if most of these qualities are possible to aquire and 'sustain' for long in this age. Maybe at the time the mentioned text was written, the world was much different. But good reference list to aim for. Thanks !

[Guest guest]

Yes all we can do is aspire to these devotional qualities, we may attain some of them thereby becoming a better person,

but even the aspiration may help us from taking the opposite route and spiraling from down to further down..

 

As the world becomes darker these qualities will be more luminous if exemplified, they aply to any time, place or circumstance.

 

By watering the root of a tree the whole tree benefits.

yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati

yasmin prapte sarvam idam praptam bhavati

 

By knowing Him everything becomes known and by getting Him one gets everything.”

 

By serving the centre/Krsna one will serve all, or by loving the centre one will love all, as all are part of the original parcel.

If you have a good relationship with a zillionaire father you can do alot to help all your friends.

[Guest guest]

"A person is known by their ideal."

 

As vaisnavas/is we are 'Ideal Realists.'

To be without possessions doesn't mean we commit suicide because we even possess a material body or run naked in the street, or even take to sackcloth and ashes. It just means that we know to whom it all belongs and that we are just to utilize our alloted capitol in the service of the Lord, but just like a bank tellers hands that much wealth passers thru we don't pocket it for ourself as we just work for the Bank of Krsna.

Of course you have to 'know yourself' If you genuinly practice that consciousness or other motives are mixed in it.

 

[matadevi]

It seems God loves us even when we don't love him.

 

it seems we love family members and hate them all at the same time - the proverbial love/hate relationship.

 

love of man last only a short while sexually, and love for man for women and women for man or same for same, would have to expand beyond sex life to last long.

 

but if you have no love for self how can you love anyone? love of self isn't selfish, but it can be, maybe expanding ourselves with the patience and love of God will help us love ourselves and our neighbors and God himself more, a loving patient Father is our Lord and God!

[Guest guest]

"What could we possibly say from our present position?"

 

A lot more than we might think.

 

-Sam

[krsna]

 

(Reprinted from a journal of Tajpur, dated Friday, 25th August, 1871)

 

Written By Thakur Bhaktivinoda

 

It as Jesus Christ who first said “Love God with all thy heart, with all thy mind, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and love man as thy brother.” This is an absolute truth indeed; but different men put different interpretations to this noble expression. The expressions of all great men are nice but somewhat mysterious- when understood they bring the truth nearest to the heart otherwise they remain mere letters that “kill.” The reason of the mystery is that men, advanced in their inward approach to the Deity, are in the habit of receiving revelations which are but mysteries to those that are behind them.

 

The stages of progress are very much the same as the circles of spiritualism which, though not true themselves, explain a great deal about the gradual development of the soul. We have understood some spiritualists to maintain that matter when sublimated converts itself to spirit. This theory is indeed against any inward conviction. Matter is matter, and Spirit is Spirit; one of them cannot form the other. Spirit is certainly of a superior existence; though we cannot fully understand in our present state of material imprisonment, what relation Spirit does exactly bear to matter space and time.

 

Metaphysics apart, we decide that the human soul rises higher and higher and can understand things of which we have no idea at present. Subject to this important rule, Jesus Christ of Nazareth received and uttered the words quoted above. To readers who are a little above the scale of ordinary men, these expressions of Jesus teach that men should [-----missing part------] the affections of the heart perceivable in all children as apposed to hate, with all his mind, (meaning the intellect which knows as opposed to ignorance of good things) with all his soul, (meaning that principle of that human constitution which worships the almighty and feels its own immortality) and with all his strength (meaning all active work).

 

 

To the inspired, however, more things and better sublimer meanings appear beneath theses holy words of the Inspired Jesus. He teaches man to love God and not to know, infer, hate, or think of God. He tells us that man in his absolute state is not the intellect of the body but is the pure Soul itself. The essence of the soul is wisdom and its action is love absolute. The absolute condition of man is his absolute relation to the Deity in pure love. Love then alone is the religion of the Soul and consequently of the whole man. The pupil asks here “What have I to do with the heart?- my heart loves to see the ‘sun to smile’, to eat the sweetest dish and to see a dance’. Jesus profoundly replies “yes, you must love God with all thy heart, your heart now runs to other things than God, but you must, as you train a bad horse, make your feelings run to the loving God.” This is one of the four principles of worship or what they call in Vaishnava Literature, Shanta Rasa,

 

Then the pupil says “my Lord, the intellect takes me elsewhere from God, i.e., it wants to take me to Positivism; please instruct me what am I to do?” “ Yes”. Replies Jesus “you must love God with all your mind [--missing word--] and reason, you must not allow yourself to be a dry thinker but must love. Love alone can soften the dryness of the intellect; you must develop the intellect on all good and holy things by means of love of truth spiritual beauty and harmony.” This is the second phase of Vaishnava development which passes by the name of Dashya Rasa. The pupil then inquires whether the development of the affections and the intellect is quite enough for him. Then says the Lord “you must love God with thy soul also, i.e., you must perceive yourself in spiritual communication with the Deity and receive holy revelations in your sublimist hours of worship.” This is called the Sakhya Rasa of the Vaishnavas, - the Soul approaching the Deity in holy and fearless service. The disciple apprehends that he will be lost in such a position and will be unable to act. Then the Savior tells him these words “you must love God with all thy strength or will, - you are wrong in concluding that you will loose you active existence – you will get it the more. Work for God and work to God, proceeding from no interested views but from a holy free will (which is alone the strength of man) and identifying itself with pure love, will fully engross your attention.” This description is of Bhakti in general. Then Jesus proceeds to tell us “You must love man as thy brother.” From this is inferred to fourth phase of love which is a feeling that all men are brothers and God is their common Father. This is Baishalya Rasa in its first stage of development.

 

Bhakti (love) is thus perceived in the very first development of the man in the shape of heart, then in the shape of mind, then in the shape of soul and lastly in the shape of will. These shapes do not destroy each other but beautifully harmonize themselves into a pure construction of what we call the spiritual man or the Ekanta of Vaishnava Literature.

 

But there is another sublimer truth behind this fact which is revealed to a few that are prepared for it. We mean that spiritual conversion of the Soul into a woman. It is in that sublime and lofty state in which the soul can taste the sweets of an indissoluble marriage with God of love. The fifth or the highest stage of Vaishnava development is this, which we call Madura Rasa, and on this alone the most beautiful portions of the Vaishnava Literature so ably expatiates. This phase of human life, mysterious as it is, is not attainable by all, nay, we should say, by any but “Gods own”. It is so very beyond the reach of common men that the rationalists and even the ordinary theists cannot understand it, nay, they go so far as to sneer a tit as something unnatural. Oh God I reveal Thy most valuable truths to all so that Your own may not be numbered with the fanatics and the crazed and that the whole of mankind may be admitted as “Your own.”

 

[krsna]

 

 

 

 

TESTIMONY OF LOVE

by

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura

Testimony of Love

 

 

"Non-forgetfulness of the Twin Lotus Feet of Sri Krishna reduces non-good and augments positive well-being, by promoting purification of the living entity, devotion to the Supreme Soul, knowledge endowed with apprehension of the reality, and non-hankering for the mundane."

 

It is only if we are in a position to render devoted service to that Entity of the Supreme Soul, constantly remembered in the heart, that well-being would ensue. Hearing is rendered possible by the agency of Chanting (kirtana); and if hearing is maintained in the best manner real well being makes its appearance. In the absence of hearing and chanting (sravan and kirtana) the substantive manifestation is not possible.

 

The service of the holy Name, of the holy dham (the transcendental Abode) and of the supreme Desire of Godhead is available to all of us. There is no other means of escape from the clutches of worldly inclinations for any creature than the service of the holy Name. The service of the Name enables humanity to free itself from the hold of all superstitions and wrong ideas, and to be rooted in the service of the Desire of Krishna (Krishna-kama). The service of dham frees one from the jaws of Illusion (mayavada), the terribly wrong theory that a jiva or creature is himself God and Master, and that there is no existence, except in the human imagination, of the holy Name, Form, Attributes, Pastimes (lila) and Paraphernalia of Godhead. The service of Krishna's Desire saves one from the hand of the great foe of hankering for one's own sensuous gratification. One is thereby freed from serving the earthly passions and may be installed in the service of the De sire of the transcendental Despot, in the singing of the saving hymn of transcendental love (kama-gayatri).

 

As the consequence of putting on this gross physical body, base desires for the gratification of physical senses have cropped up. In consequence of the coil of the subtle material or mental body, indifference to the service of Godhead has grown, and mental speculations are ever driving us in the opposite direction. But this wrong direction is turned towards right if the inclination and taste for the service of Krishna's Desire dawns forth. The service of Krishna's desire is gained if and when we take to the service of sridham.

 

The Sanskrit word ‘dham’ has different lexiconic meanings. But in the sense in which it is understood by the wise or seers it means that region or place where there is no scope of any desire for injury, of envy and of mortality, and which is ever self-effulgent, spiritual and blissful. The service of sridham will lead us, as a matter of course, to the service of the holy Name and the holy Desire of Krishna. Relation with sridham being established, the Means of the service of the holy Name soon brings one to the Goal of the service of Krishna's Desire, and this is the only Object of life. Relation with the worldly abode, and hankering after the ordinary worldly life soon cease for one who realizes his relation with sridham.

 

The only spiritual Entity or Reality, Who has mercifully descended to this world, is the holy Name of Krishna, Who ever dwells in His transcendental realm. That transcendental locality where He manifests Himself and displays His Activities is sridham. By the service of sridham the service of the holy Name and the all-holy Desire of Krishna is attained. Mere pretence to serve the Name apart from the service of sridham, and living aloof from all relations therewith, does never lead to the goal of the service of the holy Desire of Krishna (Krishna-kama).

 

No good can ever accrue to any jiva or creature except by complete surrender to the lotus Feet of Sri Chaitanya. If it ever comes to our knowledge, even as a flash of lightening, through the causless mercy of Chaitanya's Own servants, as to what the function of the pure cognition, viz., the individual soul, is then and then only we can be saved from the counsels of our fellow mortals in this realm of the darkness of ignorance. But Ah! The curse of our fate! Many are still found to be wholly averse to the investigation of Truth. They are awfully busy with many other activities! But such non-essential activities are but an index of ignorance and of aversion to accept the unmixed blessing.

 

When He pointed out that Krishna is the only Word and also its only Meaning (the only object of connotation) as well, in all languages, and of all scripts, there was a great consternation among His pupils of secular learning. But lovers and seekers of the Truth began to flock round His lotus feet for education in the transcendental literature. But the service of the holy Name, Who is the Life and soul of this transcendental learning, is not possible unless and until one takes up his abode here in sridham. And the service of the holy Desire of Krishna (Krishna-kama) is not possible without the method of the successful service of Krishna's Name.

 

I will simply submit to harinama (Name of Hari) and leave off all other practices. I find that all liberated souls serve the Absolute by chanting the Name. I shall have recourse to the Name only by acting as a liberated soul, not as a bound soul. The Name is served by the highest hymns of the Vedas. The feet of the Name are served by the light coming out of the pearls that deck the crown on the head of all the Vedas. The best portions of the Vedas serve the feet of harinama by chanting Him. Persons under the clutches of maya are not ready to accept that process. But the process would relieve them from these hankerings for other activities. Aural activity offers the complete relief. We are meant for incessant felicity. Aural activity would accelerate us to that position. The best relishing food will be offered if we exercise our aural activity for receiving the Transcendental sound from the proper quarters.

 

People have advanced various performances for dharma, artha, kama and moksha. But we do not want them, we want only prema. Worldly People have got affinity for all other dictations, for all other so-called religionists, but have no desire for the Transcendental sound. The Name is not different from Godhead. The Transcendental Name is equipped with all sorts of Potencies that would regulate our senses and give us the Full-Thing. Every one is eligible. Whether we are sinners, poor or rich, it does not matter. The Transcendental Name welcomes one and all, whoever is willing to submit to hear. We must not disturb a little boy or a person of eighty for any other thing; but we should do so for this purpose. This has no reference to the other senses.

 

God is ever merciful. He has given us the only way, by means of our aural activity, to have a realization of the transcendental world. But I do not mind these things. I think these are but the mutterings of ignorant people. ‘Do not take the Name of God in vain.’ 'In vain' means 'for our selfish purpose.' We are to chant the Name constantly in the spiritual form. We, the souls, should have no other occupation. The uncontaminated soul has no function but to be in touch with Hari. By the agency of kirtana, or singing, the conditioned aptitude is dispelled. The word of that country, that unlimited Realm (vaikuntha), is a region that transcends the sphere of the measuring aptitude and reaches our ears. The word is song, on listening to that song our eternal well being manifests itself by the elimination of all evil.

 

'Vaikuntha or aprakrita sabda' may be rendered as 'Transcendental Sound'. The word 'transcend' signifies 'ascent', 'ascent' from the conditioned aptitude. To remain here is equivalent to being confined to the mundane experience, to practice one's masculine egotism or one's vanity of being the master. But there can be no real well-being if one remains entangled in such dominating egotism, for the reason that it is only those persons who are infatuated by the sense of their own superiority that are apt to be entrapped in the fetters of such dominating egotism. "The person whose soul is infatuated by dominating egotism regards himself as his own master." This is the testimony of the Gita and all sruti. "The individual soul perching on the same tree (as the Divinity) undergoes miseries due to his non-divinity and infatuation. When in the act of serving he perceives his companion to be the Divinity, he realizes His Glory being delivered from sorrow.When the perceiv ing entity has sight of the Master, the Supreme Lord, the Person Who is the Cause of the brahmanda, the One Who is of Golden Hue, he is completely cleansed of his virtues and vices, and freed from the obstruction of mundanity and obtaining real enlightenment, attains to the condition of supreme equipoise."

 

The supreme equipoise is altogether different from the position of equality that is postulated by our sense-originated judgment. The equality that relates itself to limited entities is not absolute. The equipoise in relation to the Great One is a different entity.

 

There is mention of one's meeting with the Person with the Golden Hue, and of sin and righteousness. But it is only when we are relieved from all these conditions that we are in a position to know that we are not non-spiritual entities, nor is it the function of our real nature to remain engrossed in the non-spiritual entity. So long as we remain entangled in our perverted self, by going off the track of our soul, it is not possible for us to meditate on the true Object of our meditation. The practice of mediation on limited entities has reduced us to the condition of the frog in the well.

 

I happen to be an entity dominated by the knowledge of the five mundane categories. I am entrapped in the functions of little-ness by abstaining from the thoughts of the Great One. And it is for the reason that I have preferred to remain confined to the functions of my little-ness that the egotistic sentiment, that I am the master of myself and of all entities, has appeared in me. It has become necessary to get rid of this desire for domination. Nothing is easier than to assert that the little should aim at being identified with the Great. If one allows himself to be mastered by such sense-less ambition and tries to realize his 'oneness' with the Divinity, such egotistic vanity effectively blocks the course of all real well-being.

 

When we are cast into the state of evil by harboring the hallucination that we are the equals of the Divinity, there appear simultaneously, (1) a condition which is experienced as one of grief, (2) the state of infatuation due to 'forgetfulness' of our real nature and (3) fear. In other words we lament on account of supposing ourselves to be identical with our gross and subtle bodies, being enchanted by the limiting energy (maya) of Godhead. The mischief makes its appearance when I begin dishonestly to think that Godhead, His devotee (vaishnava), the spiritual guide and myself are on a footing of equality, and that I am superior to them. From the wicked thought that I am the equal, of the spiritual guide and the Vaishnavas or that they are less than myself, the dreadful offence in the shape of the contempt for one's superiors gathers strength. This is the real culpable arrogance. The text of the Bhagavatam says, "If one, while worshipping Govinda, abstains on principle from worshipping His devotees, he is called arrogant." This arrogance manifests itself in one who neglects the worship of the devotees of Godhead. When the conviction that all entities connected with Godhead are objects of my worship as much as Godhead Himself, dawns upon our souls, then only we are freed from the clutches of grief, infatuation and fear. The only method by which this desideratum is realizable is the service of Godhead.

 

The Western savants are naturally trained up with the theistic idea of the Father-hood of Godhead. They have practiced the devotional culture of offering their active enterprise towards an object who at first sight proves to be venerable in every respect. To think in such a light is natural. In human society, we find our parents nurturing their children from the beginning of their existence and they continue to do so till the latter stand on their own legs. From this illustration people may be likely to to the opinion of considering the object of their worship in the Father-hood of Godhead. But there is some other loftier thought that can convince them, as well, of the other counterpart as the true center of devotion. If the epistemological view of bhakti is properly scrutinized, the idea of concentrating their devotion towards their Father may tend to target the very thing to their most loving children. The three different ideas that are prevailing among the enquirers of t he next world in a theistic mood, will tell us the positions of elevationists, salvationists and devotees. In other words, their respective systems may be branded as the medium of actors, of stupefiers of manifestation and of God-lovers. The elevationists are found to secure the fruition of their desires as they are in need of removing their manifold wants, but their proposition would fail when they run fast. When such enterprisers are disgusted with their multifarious trade, they want to cut off all connection with their aspiring engine and they want an eternal peace for their final location. Here we find two different tracks that are trodden by salvationists, viz. (1) one of these surmises to have the final goal in non-specification of material phenomena and (2) the other finds it prudent to target the termination in an unspecified object which has been concealed by extreme temperature. The latter wants to diffuse his plan by asking the people to follow him and to neglect the three different situations of o bserved, observation and observers. The third system of devotion has got a different denotation when the final end is taken into account which can only differentiate his position from the other two. The first two were engaged in ameliorating their condition whereas the last one in view is apathetic to such misconceived selfishness. The former were busy to aggrandize their ugly interests; 'ugly'-because wrong, selfish motives are present in their attempts. But the latter, from the very beginning and during his whole course, clings tenaciously to the interests of the Personal Godhead, incorporating his self with Him; whereas the process of isolation is prominent in the former two. The salvationists may question how they are guilty of advocating the principle of detachment when they are always attempting to merge with the Absolute Impersonality. The very idea of Impersonality is tantamount to innate impression of isolation from the true Personality of Godhead. The limited brain of an elevationist is never given an opportunity, by copperplate inscription, to target a supersensuous thing which he has not experienced by his so-called senses and decisions before; moreover, he was simply driven by the phenomenal reasons that surround him, as he has been fully under the clutch of the octopus, maya. But the case is different with a devotee when we scrutinize the relative position of the three impartially.

 

The school of devotees may clearly be reached if we study it in reference to the comparative positions along with the other two. The first, viz. the elevationists are busy with their temporal activities; whereas the other sections are eager to have an eternal rest. The latter thoughts have got their distinctive merits in impersonality and vague conception. The prediction of an impersonalist detests the devotee by assigning to him the ever shifting mundane phenomena in the attempt to fix himself on the path of eternal personified standard; but the God-lover is not likely to deviate from the loving Fountain-head. The devotee does not advise the salvationist to give up his claim as a knower, having been tempted and deceived by phantasmagoria of natural transitory phenomena. He does not advise him further to hanker after a hallucinative peace which may have no true existence as per his surmise. All that a salvationist wants is to get rid of the unpleasantness as offered to him by the defective atmosphere of Nature, so he need not be indulging in total abnegation of the eternal world behind the phenomena. The salvationist might be disappointed if he seeks the counsel of an elevationist who has had no more property beyond Nature. The best thing for a salvationist is to seek the counsel of a devotee who has much to do with an atmosphere far off the speculative range of animation which is strictly confined to things of three dimensions. The devotees as well as the salvationists do not confine their visual range within the horizon of phenomena. Limitations of time and space no doubt permit the human scope to conceive a person who creates time and space and objects therein and can keep himself aloof from his created objects. Yet the personality with His Almighty Power conceals Himself from the puppy brains of pedants rejecting the fertility of the poor designing brain. The devotees point out to the agnostics, skeptics and atheists various clues of removing the clutch of the Octopus, which has shackled th em by the iron chains of defective, finite observations. The unsettled conception of space and time, as of objects of more than three dimensions, as well as of the meeting point of hyperbolic and parabolic curves of infinitesimal microscopic objects, of macroscope, is not in a position to appease our hunger of knowledge, though we may deceive ourselves with settled views in our present logic. Reason can prevail on atheists to solve the indeterminate unknown when they experience innumerable miseries in everyday life. They cannot deny the tangible fact of a supersensuous agent whom they can, at the worst, designate as a lifeless thing, but they can as well single Him out whenever they get sufficient light of the cosmic creation. The aphorisms of Vyasa have disclosed many a fact which can enlighten every rationalist in having the tract through which he can proceed towards the personality. Here we find that the salvationist and the devotee differ by their respective views. The former thinks it proper to designate this personality to his hallucinative impersonal views as he cherishes unpardonable aspiration of monopolising the situation of Godhead in him; but it proves to be ineffectual. Such illusory theory is not tenable by the school of devotion which is confident of the Absolute Truth. The extreme idealist may run fast to compromise with the realistic devotees, but the latter cannot agree with him when he confines his method of suggestion to mundane things only.

 

Hitherto we have been dealing with the three different conceptions to reach three different goals, and in the course of comparison we have shown our predilection to chalk out the path of devotion which will best serve us in the progress of our eternal life. The next thing we are to determine is the object of devotion. As rational men, we have shown the course of our taste to lie in the three directions. If we have confidence in a devotee we are naturally supposed to enquire, 'where does his destination terminate?' Our guide in devotion shows different apparels at different times to help us from our particular phase of love. When the object of love is fixed in the all-embracing figure of the Loving, we naturally show our inattention to worldly phenomena that were guiding us in our human existence. The spontaneous attachment towards ephemeral things requires a change in the guidance of a devotee; so we, in order to follow our guide, should regulate, to adhere to his heart-felt injunctions, th e direction as well as know the final point of our present mission. In the school of devotion we are taught to direct all our energy towards the infinite Fountainhead of everything who has attracted by His love all-detachable elements which consider themselves to be a different integer instead of a part of the all-loving center. Now we naturally ask our preceptor who has had experience of loving Him with all his heart the question of the name, size including the color, His distinctive qualities, His paraphernalia and His exploits. The devotional absolutist in answer to our question delineates the different names, different color and size, the distinctive features, qualifying Him for our comprehension, His different locations, the whereabouts of His satellites and His different achievements, in different atmospheres. These varieties should not puzzle us in targeting the absolute monopoly of the all-pervading Spirit, namely the position of Godhead. Language, circumstances and other similar barricades may stand against our prosecution of the present studies. But with the aid and kind help of the generous director we can tide over these petty difficulties which evil spirits might put in the form of counsels against making our actual progress towards the spiritual Kingdom. Our present empiric atmosphere has compelled us to take recourse to analogical attempts, but this analogy may either help us or stand against our progress. God is one and without a second and this idea need not bar our access to innumerable simultaneous transcendental figures in Him. As our object of investigation was not accepted as a finite sensuous object we should refrain from showing a misdirected activity with our present acquisitional intelligence. If we do not disturb our attention in thoughts detrimental to our cause we are sure to strengthen our position in admitting ourselves to the undisputed region transcendent. Here we are to adopt the process of the descending order of the Absolute Truth and not to make an irregular move towards diver se finite things. If we are relieved by proper instruction not to meddle with sensuous objects we have taken the longest journey to approach the Absolute Truth in Person.

 

Our dire experience of this dusty atmosphere leads us to submit ourselves to offer reverence to the powerful great and to persons of whom we beg for something. With this idea we make a division of things we come across in a scale of graduations. When we point out one side of a rod we ignore the specification of the other extremity, the intermediate gap is measured by graduated meter. The two extreme points are named and their directions, size, color, attributions, neighboring values and efficacy are also defined. In the present case the object of worship and veneration bar us at the first sight to consider the object in a different mood. In the infinite existence of Godhead it is natural to accept Him as the greatest object of veneration, but this adoration when macroscopically enlarged is metamorphosed into a transcendental predicament which may be called the Ocean of Love. In other words love, when disfigured and contaminated by unhealthy dirts, is worded in a hundred different styles. Lo ve devoid of confidence gives the result of less loving activity from the proffer. Want of love is found in different shapes in the worldly tie which is but a misnomer of the transcendental word, love. When the integer is scrutinized diverse fractional parts or distinctive impressions are offered by the same integral standard. The different fractions are incorporated in the integer by ties which go by the name of tie of love. The idea of absolute monism is confined in an idealist and that idealist cannot keep up his dogma when a stern realist examines his monistic thought. Idealistic monism shows the result of distinctive and differentiative monism in analytical standard. We are speaking of ties just now which are called the tying potency of the All-loving towards His loved millions. If we are not sanguine to investigate the All-loving and His perpetual faculty we will be at a loss to approach Him properly. His transcendental existence, His love and His loved -- all have got the indispensable existence of lov e, and this is to be singled out from varieties of phenomena and of transcendental manifestation. The mundane phenomena have got some distinctive quality by which we can give a direction of eternal manifestation that lies behind the material world in an inexplicable condition. The rupturous condition of the pessimistic view is remedied by his opposite school by the tie which goes by the name of love. Whenever we miss this tie, our existive corporation fails to trace out our connection with the infinite absolute Truth. We cannot but call this to have a chaotic fountainhead

 

 

[Guest guest]

Dawn in the Land of Love

Vrndavan The Divine Civilization

Srila B.R. Sridhara Maharaj

 

Student: By following the process of purification, I’ve been told we can experience the spiritual world in this lifetime. Does everyone who follows the instruction of Guru and shastra have that taste, does it come to everybody.

 

 

Srila Guru Maharaj: There is gradation, variety is there. Some are going on, some coming back, up, down, this way, that way. Some are running away, some are running to the goal. The individual traveller is responsible for his own progress and trouble, sometimes the environment is considered also. From that higher domain we must accept that decision which descends, still partiality may also be traced; whoever has the capacity to receive more, will be given more.

To live in that land of love is most judicious for us, for there our life is ensured. If in any way we can secure a place in that realm, we are home.

 

Disciple: Is duality only necessary for the conditioned soul?

 

Srila Guru Maharaj: Duality is a relative term, but wherever there is gradation, there can’t but be duality, comparison, hierarchy. Yet the duality of the conditioned soul is different from that of the liberated soul.

The nature of the Absolute is of an organic whole, it is dynamic, and within it there are so many different sections. Within the Krsna conception we find so much variety according to His temperament and satisfaction.

 

Mallanam asinir nrnan naravarah srinam smaro murtinam.

 

Different parties are getting a view of Him in so many different ways. Just as when Krsna enters Kamsa’s arena, they all perceive Him from different angles. Kamsa, the wrestlers, the parents, the yogis and the residents all have their unique angle of vision.

Learn to submit and through submission He will come to you. Don’t try to understand Him, but approach Him through faith.

 

yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati

yasmin prapte sarvam idam praptam bhavati

 

If I get Him I will get everything. You will be able to have Him as He wants to give Himself. The smallest drop will quench all of your thirst, so try to approach in the spirit of service. Your inner duty is towards that environment, you can’t ignore that.

Love your environment. Sincerely try to love one another and you will find yourself in Vrndavan, Chintamani Dham, the land of Krsna under His guidance.

 

Just try to find your sweet self within that domain, there you will live in sweetness where all movement is like dancing and speech is a song, the water is nectar and the trees are kalpataru – whatever you like they are giving to you. Your innermost self is entitled to live in that Divine civilization. And the king of that land with all His entourage and paraphernalia are also sweet to the extreme.

 

The lila (pastimes) of that world are all harmless. In His play, both parties, the victorious and the defeated are both blissful, no loss is possible, no death. Lila means the harmless movement necessary for pleasing, and our provincial interest prevents us from experiencing that absolute current of self-giving sacrifice. We shall be able to go and live in the land of the souls dream, not the mortal dreams of the mind in this sham world, where even good things are bad, but in His world, where even the bad things are good.

 

You are really a child of that soil, a child of nectar. So let us go to that ground where many more sweeter things are to be found. That home sweet homeland you must remember. Simply to listen to those Krsna lila pastimes in Vrndavan is all that is required.

One minute drop will satisfy all. He is so sweet and just a homeopathic taste won’t allow us to withdraw. Such a high kind of sweetness, never to be found in this mundane world.

 

adhuram madhuram vapur asya vibhar

madhuram madhuram vadhuram madhuram

madhu gandhi mridu smitam etad aho

madhuram, madhuram, madhuram, madhuram

 

This kind of sweetness by Bilvamangala Thakur is going on and on, it is Krsna nectar to the ears, that can capture all those fortunate souls with just a small taste for it.

Externally it may be like poison, but internally it makes life full of ecstasy. Such is the peculiar characteristic of the Divine love of Krsna. "The sweetest songs are those that tell of the saddest things." So painful yet still we can’t leave it.

 

So try not to approach Krsna directly, rather we are Radhadasya, try to enter that camp of Srimati Radharani and there to become adjusted in that particular line of service. Mainly, we are part of His potency, and the whole potency is represented by Srimati Thakurani in its fullest form, and the highest aim is to adjust with Her camp. This is mainly given through Guru Parampara and the mantra given by our Guru. The formula is there and by the formula, we shall give attention to the finest element of that formula. At the same time it is within me, my inner existence, true identity is to be found in this formula given by my Guru.

 

Who and what am I is all mentioned in the formula, given through the spiritual advice of the guru parampara. And we must reach that goal. Through following that line in a strict sense. If I take advantage of the incarrying current of dedication through Yogamaya, I can see Krsna everywhere. If I go with the outgoing current of exploitation, I will find myself in this material world of birth and death. Krsna is there, everywhere, behind everything. With a deeper vision, we will detect His hand in everything. Bhagavatam states that everything is positively good to you.

Through every incident, Krsna’s will is approaching you. With sincere attention you try to read your environment like this. All transaction is with Krsna, all affection, no bitterness. Always search for service to Krsna, the heart satisfying Lord and you will find He is by your side. He is waiting with His hankering heart for everyone. It’s only imitation love we find here, like Romeo and Juliet, unfortunately, we are mad for that. But how beautiful and desirable the centre and source of all real love must be. Love is personified, how beautiful and attractive He must be. Just as the dogs cannot understand human society, so we cannot see that world, from our maladjusted consciousness.

 

Vrndavan is where everything is beautiful and all are loving. Vrndavan is where our soul can experience the happiest environment. The deepest conception of our soul we shall find in that soil, and it's highest utility can be practiced in the land of love and beauty, where God is called by the Name Krsna. So dive deep to find the plane of reality, leave this dream world, and find that most fundamental reality within you.

 

Once when Krsna was a guest at Vidura’s house, Vidura was out begging but Vidura’s wife was there. Then Krsna came in unexpected while Vidura’s wife was taking bath, perhaps she could catch His voice. Their lifestyle was very austere, having no cloth even, and at that time she was forgetful of her position. When she came out Krsna had to throw His own cloth over her body and then wrapping herself with that cloth she came to Krsna. After giving Krsna a seat somewhere, she was thinking how can I serve Him, but all she had in the room was a plantain fruit. So she took the plantain fruit and peeled it and gave the peel instead of the fruit. Krsna proceeded to eat the peel anyway.

 

Just at that time Vidura and Narada arrived home to find this scenario. Then Vidura cried aloud, "What are you doing, you are leaving the fruit and giving the peel to Krsna and he is eating it." But she wasn’t conscious of that. Then Narada remarked, "She is forgetful of her own self through the joy of suddenly finding Krsna in her house. She is overwhelmed and lost all her senses. Don’t blame her, but our Lord is eating the peel. Why couldn’t He suggest to give Him the fruit and not the peel. I don’t blame the devotee, but the Lord." Then Krsna remarked to Narada, "I am neither eating the fruit nor the peel, I am eating the devotional sentiment that it is offered with." In this way we should ascertain what is what.

 

patram puspam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahrtam

asnami prayatatmanah

 

"If one offers me with love and devotion a leaf, flower, water or fruit, I will accept it. What is offered does not matter, but if it is offered to Me with devotion and love, I will accept it. I only take that regard towards Me. I eat that, not the outer representation."

 

Sincerity is everything, the sincere souls will never be really troubled. By coming to a genuine Guru we can learn who we are, where we are, who is our guardian, who can save me, who is my own and what I want from my inner heart. Why I am imperfect, why I am uneasy, and why I feel no comfort. For all these answers you must cry out for that, search yourself and you will find help is coming to you through those agents from the plane of Truth. They will come and interfere with your mundane predicament saying, "Don’t dig your own grave and enter it, you are our own brother, come back home with us." This kind of search is helping your own search, eliminating all other proposals that come to take you away from that highest campaign.

 

Mahaprabhu upon returning from Vrndavan once encountered Raghupati Upadhyaya at Allahabad. The Lord requested of him, "Who is the destination of our serving line?" He replied,

 

srotim apare smrtim itare

bharatam anye bhajantu bhava-bhitah

aham iha nandam vande

yasyalinde param brahma

 

"According to my consideration those that wish to extract something from the Sruti, the revealed Truth, being afraid of mortal life, they run after the Vedic scriptures for a solution. But I am not concerned with that, they just want liberation from this normality. Rather my inner thirst is to have the service of Nanda Maharaj. For Parabrahman is there in Braja Dham crawling in the compound of Nanda. I just want to take his feetdust. I am not satisfied at all with this proposal of Sruti, Smriti, Mahabharata, etc." And then there is this further development.

 

kam prati kathayitam ise

samprati ko va pratitam ayatu

go-pati-tanaya-kunje

gopa-vadhuti-vitam brahma

 

"People are so earnestly searching after parabrahman, but who will believe me when I tell them that Supreme Truth is searching, hunting after the love of the damsels of Braja, who shall I speak it to? It is the most astonishing thing. All are searching for the Absolute Truth, but He is searching for these simple girls of Vrndavan. The impossible has come to be a fact here in Vrndavan. This is my finding Lord." This, Raghupati told to Mahaprabhu, only a fraction of this type of sukrti can take us directly to the centre, eliminating everything else from the list of my search. So that formula from sukrti to sraddha, sadhu sanga, bhajana kriya, anartha nivritti, then nistha and ruchi, asakti, bhava. When we reach the stage of bhava bhakti then we can have some glimpse. But only then can we be lifted to that plane of prema where we can see Krsna through the eyes of Divine Love and then we may enter raga, anu-raga, bhava, mahabhava. Through these progressive stages we must pass, if we wish to live in His Divine civilization.

 

 

[krsna]

From the Saranagati Newsletter Online :

 

 

 

The general tradition of greeting in India is with ´namaste´ or ´namaskar.´ The two palms are placed together in front of the chest and the head bows whilst saying the word ´namaste.´ This greeting is for all - people younger than us, of our own age, those older than us, friends and even strangers. This is understood as prostration. In Sanskrit namah + te = namaste. It means - I bow to you - my greetings, salutations or prostrations to you.

´Na maha´ can also be literally interpreted as "na ma" [not mine]. It has a spiritual significance of negating or reducing one´s ego in the presence of another.

 

In ISKCON Srila Prabhupada has trained us to greet one another with ´Hare Krishna´ or ´Haribol.´

The real meeting between people is the meeting of their minds. Whether we greet with ´Hare Krishna,´ or ´Haribol,´ or with our folded palms placed before the chest, the bowing down of the head is a gracious form of extending friendship in love and humility.

 

The spiritual meaning is even deeper. The Lord in me is the same in all. Recognizing this we salute with head bowed the Lord in the person we meet. That is why sometimes, we close our eyes as we do greet a revered person or the Lord - as if to look within. When we know this significance, our greeting does not remain just a superficial gesture or word but paves the way for a deeper communion with another in an atmosphere of love and respect.

Srila Prabhupada in many of his letters to Gandhiji, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and other Indian visitors, would greet with ´Namaskar, Hare Krishna.´

His advice to his disciples was as follows: "Regarding your second question about greeting karmis, if a karmi is a friend, you just greet him Hare Krishna, and with folded hands touch your forehead. If the karmi is a superior relative, then chant Hare Krishna and bow down down to him on the ground. That should be the etiquette in our society transactions." [letter to Arundhati, New Vrndavan, 16th June 1969].