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EDITORIAL May 29, 1999 VNN3979 Comment on this story Loving Krishna BY JNANADAS EDITORIAL, May 29 (VNN) — Some wrinkly old codgers were discussing how to regain some of the spirit that we had when Srila Prabhupada was physically with us. We felt that we had a common goal at that time, and there was a tremendous team spirit. Now there are so many different projects, and different approaches and understandings of Srila Prabhupada's instructions. What is there that we can agree on, that could bring us together? In the first place, we have to be clear about our goal. Srila Prabhupada gave us "impossible" goals. The sheer impossibility was enlivening and intoxicating, because we were sure that by his grace we could and would achieve them. The first goal was to develop love for Krishna. I didn't really think much about what that meant at the time. Now I understand that he wanted us (yes, us) to attain bhava-bhakti. That's what Krishna consciousness actually is: krsna-bhakti-rasa. Krsna-bhakti-rasa ia what devotees are in when they have attained their spiritual body (svarupa or siddha deha) and they're engaged directly in that body serving Krishna and His associates in the spiritual world. AND their devotional service has matured to the point where their sthayi-bhava is mixing with all the other bhavas. That's krsna-bhakti-rasa. And that's what Srila Prabhupada wanted us to have/be. Wow! Recently I've been reading Bhagavad-gita As It Is from a new perspective, and it's full (I mean full) of references to transcendental service to Krishna in full knowledge of our constitutional position, that is to say, full knowledge of our pure spiritual identity. That means serving Krishna in our svarupa, our spiritual body. Srila Prabhupada spells that out in B.G. 6.20-23. "[T]he living entity becomes aware of his constitutional position. .... In the Bhagavatam (2.10.6) this is called svarupena vyavasthitih [being situated in one's svarupa, or spiritual body]. The Bhagavad-gita also confirms this situation in this verse". Srila Prabhupada spells out the same message in his purport to B.G. 4.35. He quotes the same Bhagavatam verse (svarupena vyavasthitih), which defines liberation as being situated in one's svarupa. He then writes, "Liberation means to be situated in one's constitutional position as an eternal servitor of Krsna (Krsna consciousness)". In other words, actual Krishna consciousness is an extremely advanced stage of devotional service. Actually, it means spontaneous devotional service, or Vraja bhakti, also known as raganuga-bhakti. So when Srila Prabhupada talks about cultivating Krishna consciousness, he means cultivating spontaneous Vraja-bhakti or raga-bhakti, or at least aspiring for it. (And not just waiting for it to happen to us. tatra laulyam api mulam ekalam. The price is intense greed). So that's one "impossible" goal that Srila Prabhupada has given us. Do we actually agree on that? I'm not sure that devotees do. It seems to me that there is a double message. Everyone "knows" that the result of chanting Hare Krishna is to achieve love for Krishna. But is that what everyone is aiming at by means of their present activities? A lot of devotees that I speak definitely aren't doing that. Their program is to go back Home, back to Godhead by chanting their rounds, following the program and the regulated principles and engaging in preaching activities. I get the impression that this is a general trend. Developing ecstatic love for Krishna (bhava) is not such a popular idea now. The idea is now more that of following the program and going back to Godhead. No harm, but let's look at that in a little more detail. Certainly Srila Prabhupada attracted us with the idea (and slogan) of going back Home, back to Godhead. He said that if we followed this program for our lives, we would go back to Godhead. But did he mean that we should follow the program without trying to develop love for Krishna? It seems not. He explained many times that to desire to love Krishna is higher than to desire to go back to Godhead. He also said that everything else is included when we develop love for Krishna. There are actually problems with concentrating on going back to Godhead and ducking the issue of developing love for Krishna. In the first place, the actual qualification for going back to Godhead is to develop love for Krishna and become free from material desires. So it's not very safe to think that we can go back to Godhead without trying to develop love for Krishna. "That can't be true, because Srila Prabhupada promised he would take us back to Godhead". Yes, he promised, but what did he promise? Sometimes we think he said that if we just follow the process automatically we will go back to Godhead without any further effort on our part. Elsewhere he made it clear that by chanting our rounds, following the principles and preaching we would become QUALIFIED FOR GOING BACK TO GODHEAD. That is to say, if we follow the program, we will naturally develop love for Krishna, and then we will automatically go back Home. Krishna fulfills our desires. So if we don't understand that we're supposed to be developing love for Him, and we don't actively desire to develop love for Krishna, how will that love develop? There is a second problem with the program of just aiming at going back to Godhead: Srila Prabhupada pointed out that if we don't develop love for Krishna we will be pulled down. [quote] One who has not been attracted by the transcendental beauty of rasa will certainly be dragged down into material attraction, thus to act in material contamination and progress to the darkest region of hellish life. . If one is not attracted by the transcendental nature of Krsna, one is sure to be attracted to material enjoyment, thus to become implicated in the clinging network of virtuous and sinful activities and continue material existence by transmigrating from one material body to another. Only in Krsna consciousness can one achieve the highest perfection of life. [Adi-lila 4.35, purport] [end quote] So, if we don't actually experience the nectar of loving Krishna, we may not stay in the program. And isn't that what we are seeing? Tens of thousands of devotees have been initiated into this movement. But how many of us look set to follow this program solidly for the rest of our lives? Experience (my painful and personal experience) shows that it's not that easy. Concentrating on this goal of trying to love Krishna will bring us together. In the first place, we will be staying in the association of devotees. As we develop love for Krishna, we will naturally love each other more. Srila Prabhupada writes very beautifully about in the Preface of Nectar of Devotion. [quote] Our loving propensity expands just as a vibration of light or air expands, but we do not know where it ends. The Nectar of Devotion teaches us the science of loving every one of the living entities perfectly by the easy method of loving Krsna. . If we learn how to love Krsna, then it is very easy to immediately and simultaneously love every living being. . The root cause of our dissatisfaction is that our dormant loving propensity has not been fulfilled despite our great advancement in the materialistic way of life. [end quote] We shouldn't think that this is for others. It's for us. Srila Prabhupada ends the Preface with the words, "The Nectar of Devotion is specifically presented for persons who are now engaged in the Krsna consciousness movement". After all, "Krishna consciousness" means love for Krishna. So the International Society for Krishna Consciousness should logically be the International Society for promoting love for Krishna, rather than the International Society for going back to Godhead. Is my impression mistaken? Am I mistaken in thinking that developing love for Krishna is no longer such a conscious priority, and that devotees are concentrating more on their preaching activities or other aspects of their lives? Are the GBC and other authorities actively promoting love for Krishna, or are they promoting other priorities? I would be interested to know the answer to that one. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps developing love for Krishna actually is the top of the list for most devotees, and authorities are actively training devotees in their charge (a) that this is the goal and (b) how to do it and (c) checking with them to see how they're getting on and (d) offering guidance of they need any. Perhaps that's what's going on and I've missed it. I don't think so, though. Suppose this were a commonly agreed goal. Suppose we associated with each other to help each other and enthuse each other on that. That would go a long way to bring devotees together again, wouldn't it? How to do that practically, though? Srila Prabhupada gave us the instruction to develop love for Krishna, but we do seem to need some help. After all, Srila Prabhupada writes so often about the importance of association. "Yes", one may say, "but I'm associating with him through his books". That's true, but at the same time he also wrote and said so many times that he have to "hear". And he talked about the process of "aural reception". That means hearing from someone directly, face to face, ear to mouth. He also spoke about the importance of the process of inquiry. That means that we have to be with someone physically to ask them and hear their answers. In the introductory song to his Gita-gan, Srila Prabhupada first of all offers obeisances to his initiating spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur. Then he offers his obeisances to his instructing spiritual masters (in the plural). So I reckon that if he had several or many instructing spiritual masters, we will need instructing spiritual masters as well, to help us on the path. Now the GBC is beginning to promote the value of shiksha guru as well as diksha guru. Just one thing remains. To develop this svarupa-bhakti, we have to find a pure devotee who is situated in their constitutional position rendering service in their svarupa. Then we have to associate with that devotee, inquire from them and hear ("aural reception") from them, and accept their "direction and protection" (Nectar of Instruction, Text Eight). But where do we find such a pure devotee? Are there many in ISKCON? Good question. I've been looking for some time. Are there any on the planet? Yes, because Srila Prabhupada writes: "There are many societies and associations of pure devotees, and if someone with just a little faith begins to associate with such societies, his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid". [NoD, Chapter 19] Srila Prabhupada also writes: "The essential point in this connection is that one should be fully absorbed in thoughts of Krsna, twenty-four hours a day. There are many devotees in raga-marga, which is exhibited in Vrndavana". [SB 7.1.27, purport] So there such devotees, and according to Srila Prabhupada, we should find them and associate with them. We should seek their "direction and protection". Of course, the whole issues of looking outside the walls and palisades of ISKCON raises other issues, and that's another story. In any case, it seems to me that concentrating on this inner goal of developing love for Krishna will help to bring us together more and more. In the beginning, I said that developing love for Krishna is only one of the "impossible" goals that Srila Prabhupada set us. Another is to save the world. But I'll write about that next time. Comment on this story | Contact VNN about this story | Send this story to a friend
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