What If Tomorrow Never Comes

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.19)

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बहूनां जन्मनाम् अन्ते
ज्ञानवान् मां प्रपद्यते
वासुदेवः सर्वम् इति
स महात्मा सु-दुर्लभः

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

“I recently heard someone try to explain the concept of procrastination. They said it wasn’t really about mismanaging time or being lazy. It was more about certain feelings that a person is trying to avoid. Whatever it is they are supposed to do, what they know should be done, has accompanying feelings that they would rather not experience.

“In the realm of spiritual life, what would that be? It seems we all procrastinate in this area. When I first learned of the principle of bhakti-yoga or sanatana-dharma, my eyes were opened. It was like someone was finally speaking honestly with me. No sugarcoating. No expensive twelve-step program that you had to purchase after the fact. No gimmicks.

“Just the hard, cold realities of living. I really appreciated the bluntness from acharyas like His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. But let me be honest with you. After having purchased a copy of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, it sat on my bookshelf for months, unopened. I kept putting off reading the entire thing.

“What would you say is the reason? I am not lazy, otherwise. I am responsible at home and at work. There must be something I am afraid of. Not asking you to play psychologist, but perhaps there is an explanation in the general sense.”

In that very same book, Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna explains that a person finally surrenders to Him after many births. This is due to knowledge, jnana. The births, janma, are many, bahu. In other words, more than one. It could be two or two thousand. We’ll never know for sure, because perfect knowledge is out of reach. To fully trace the history of the living entity, the jiva soul, is not a wise use of time.

This surrender is worthwhile, as Krishna is all-attractive. He is the greatest leader, and He is always on duty. He provides perfect protection and without prejudice. That is to say anyone can approach, no matter what they have done in the past. Wherever they were born, however they appear, to whichever gender they belong – every living thing is inherently connected to Krishna.

We put off important duties until tomorrow, but there is no guarantee that tomorrow comes. A Vedic aphorism specifically applicable to the human birth highlights this urgency. Athato brahma-jijnasa. Now is the time for inquiring into the spiritual subject matter, Brahman. Not tomorrow. Not in one hundred years. Not in the next life.

Begin today, even if you are an infant. No one is excluded from connecting with Krishna. If you are living in any way, if you have vibrancy within the body-spirit combination, there is the potential for yoga. Krishna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, can be known through any of the senses. We are not restricted to only the visual.

If there would be any negative emotions that we might be avoiding, it is the inherent knowledge that increased attachment to Krishna brings an accompanying sense of vairagya. This is renunciation. I won’t be as interested in the upcoming elections. Those sporting events that I lived on watching and attending before will be insignificant.

I might even lose attachment to family and friends. Many of them will turn away, not accepting my choice of dedication to bhakti life. Prahlada Maharaja lost the affection of his own father, the king of Daityas. Shrimati Radharani and the gopis were always under suspicion in Vrindavana. Poor Vibhishana was alone in Lanka in his dedication to dharma.

Who is actually ready to accept such drastic changes? Who would welcome the potential of the entire world turning against them? Yet the same rules apply. There is no guarantee of a tomorrow, but without a pure consciousness there is the guarantee of another birth, where the same vulnerabilities exist. Better to take advantage of the chance right now by chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Tomorrow may never come,
Today’s work to be undone.

Towards another birth to take,
Where again Divine to forsake.

Better the opportunity now,
Steering destination how.

Where on transcendence side,
No more from reality to hide.

Bhoga and Tyaga

“As the director of different kinds of clouds, Indra called for the samvartaka. This cloud is invited when there is a need to devastate the whole cosmic manifestation. The samvartaka was ordered by Indra to go over Vrindavana and inundate the whole area with an extensive flood. Demonically, Indra thought himself to be the all-powerful supreme personality.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 25)

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“One of the many teachings within bhakti-yoga that I find interesting is this identification of the constant toggling between enjoyment and renunciation. The Sanskrit words are bhoga and tyaga. The first side is quite easy to find examples of. It does not take much effort.

“We seek sense enjoyment beginning from birth. The toddler learning to speak approaches the parents and requests different items for their satisfaction. Chocolate. Bananas. Strawberries. Sometimes they may even say ‘pizza,’ to the delight of the father, as this matches his preference in eating.

“Tyaga is a more intelligent decision, it seems. Swearing off of things. Understanding that too much enjoyment is not wise. Stay up the entire night playing video games and you will be tired the next morning. Eat that extra slice of pizza and physical discomfort is sure to follow.

“The comparison I particularly like is to the pendulum. We swing from one end to the other. Bhoga today, tyaga tomorrow. Eating well for a month, and then acquiring a gym membership the next (provided the government allows such establishments to open).

“While this comparison to the pendulum is accurate, isn’t it also a system of torture? Why would someone want to repeat the experience, which is really no different than the waves washing over the shore and then retreating?”

The constant toggling between enjoyment and renunciation is surely torture, but only for the person who identifies it as such. The illusion of maya fools me into thinking that in either side I will find true and lasting happiness.

If only my family had a bigger house. If only I get that promotion. If only we could move to that city with the superior climate. If only my party wins the next election. Then everything will be fine. No more worries.

On the side of tyaga, if only I could remove that car and its blaring alarm from the close vicinity. If only this virus finally goes away. If only I watched less television. If only I cleaned out the basement and had less possessions.

From the incident of the first Govardhana Puja, we see that even if we reach the height of bhoga that a material existence has to offer, it might not be enough. That would be ascending to the post of king of heaven. Not just reaching svarga-loka, but being the top person in that amazing realm.

You have wish-fulfilling trees and cows. You have the intoxicating soma-rasa. You have an extended stay, full of every comfort imaginable. And yet one time Indra was so lacking in satisfaction that he became enraged over what some people down on earth were doing.

They were in a village community called Vrindavana. They were simple people who had a great affection for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vishnu. They were unaware that the Krishna before them, the small child of Nanda and Yashoda, was an avatara of Vishnu, within their midst as a reward for that affection and love.

Despite living within the extreme of bhoga, Indra could not tolerate the people of Vrindavana skipping worship in his honor. Despite a track record of loyalty, this single act of negligence warranted a lethal strike as retaliation. At least this was Indra’s thinking.

At Krishna’s direction, the people had chosen worshiping the nearby Govardhana Hill, instead. They brought the most amazing food preparations as offerings, in great variety and abundance. This would normally be considered bhoga, but since it was for the pleasure of Krishna, there were no negative consequences.

The subsequent rain of devastating proportions could be considered an unwelcome result, but the effect was mitigated. Shri Krishna held up the just worshiped hill and used it as an umbrella. While a person may be tortured while swinging on the pendulum of enjoyment and renunciation, they find true happiness and satisfaction at Krishna’s lotus feet. He protects such a person from all dangers and calamities, and rewards them properly with His eternal association.

In Closing:

Wanting now but later not a thing,
On pendulum of bhoga and tyaga to swing.

Torture only when knowing,
Otherwise in ignorance going.

Where even if heaven to find,
Thoughts of revenge in mind.

Because eye on earth keeping,
Not transcendental benefit reaping.

Why Should We Not Make Judgments Based On Arbitrary Lengths Of Time

“When they have thus enjoyed heavenly sense pleasure, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through the Vedic principles, they achieve only flickering happiness.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.21)

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ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्ग-लोकं विशालं
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्य-लोकं विशन्ति
एवं त्रयी-धर्मम् अनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं काम-कामा लभन्ते

te taṁ bhuktvā svarga-lokaṁ viśālaṁ
kṣīṇe puṇye martya-lokaṁ viśanti
evaṁ trayī-dharmam anuprapannā
gatāgataṁ kāma-kāmā labhante

“You seem to be on this kick lately of downplaying the importance of heaven. The idea that reaching there, svarga-loka, isn’t so great, that the achievement can be surpassed in other ways.

“I must say a few words in defense of the other side. I think our society needs a little more attention to dharma. Never mind the motives. If someone maintains fidelity in marriage in order to accumulate pious credits, isn’t that a good thing? Does not the community benefit? Shouldn’t we be encouraging householders to worship the devas, the demigods in the heavenly region?

“After all, rain doesn’t appear out of nowhere. We think that it does, but there is intelligence to the system of nature. This explains why some places are devastated with hurricanes and others are spared. We have out of control wildfires burning down a specific area, and someplace else the homes are safe year after year.

“Yes, I acknowledge that the motivations may not be pure. Someone wants good health. They want money for the family. Children want to do well on upcoming exams. But isn’t it good that they look for support from higher authorities, that they do not foolishly attribute success to human effort alone, paurusham?

“Let’s be clear about one thing. People do enjoy in the heavenly region. It is for a significant amount of time, enough that they forget they will be forced to one day leave. Why would you deprive people of that enjoyment?”

To understand, we can study the situation of a person working in the technology field. They are in charge of one of the most expensive pieces of hardware in the company: the database server. While the general policy at the firm is to tackle performance issues with improvements in memory and disk space, lately the application using this server has been getting slower and slower.

The person in charge of the database decides to seek outside help. They hire a consultant to come in, look at the system, and make recommendations to solve the problem. The person at the company tells the consultant that the database is rather large, that there are certain tables which host a considerable amount of data.

When the consultant learns of the actual size of the database, they laugh out loud. Since they work with so many companies in emergency situations, they have seen every kind of problem. They have also seen databases that are ten and twenty times as large based on disk size. They tell the person who hired them:

“Moving forward, instead of using words like ‘large’ and ‘big’, just provide an estimated number in terms of size. The person working on the issue can then judge for themselves if that is significant or not.”

The acharya of the Vaishnava tradition could be considered a kind of consultant to fix the emergency situation of repeated birth and death. When they hear that a person wants to enjoy in svarga-loka in the afterlife, because of the many years of material enjoyment, they can only laugh at the proposition.

This is because even a million years is nothing in comparison to the timeline of this specific creation. A person actually understands time when they consider the one day of Lord Brahma, the creator.

सहस्र-युग-पर्यन्तम्
अहर् यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः
रात्रिं युग-सहस्रान्तां
ते ऽहो-रात्र-विदो जनाः

sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ
te ‘ho-rātra-vido janāḥ

“By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together is the duration of Brahma's one day. And such also is the duration of his night.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.17)

A thousand ages together is only a single day for Brahma, who lives for one hundred years according to that calculation of time. This means that so-called enjoyment in heaven is nothing. In a split second you are back on earth, the place known as martya-loka, subject to the spinning wheel of suffering, the samsara-chakra.

The better proposition is to go for full and complete transcendence. Reach a place from which you never have to return, that provides enough satisfaction, bliss, excitement, encouragement, enthusiasm and overall enjoyment that you will never be worried about falling back to the land of birth and death.

There is such a place, and it is known as Vaikuntha. We reach it through consciousness, which the human being has the unique opportunity to shape and purify. We begin the process through connection with the personal side of the Divine and we hopefully conclude with a link to Him that never breaks: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

If eager for spot in heaven to earn,
First of Brahma’s day learn.

That thousand ages to take,
A single day for him to make.

So enjoyment flickering to be,
Since earth once again to see.

Better on the path of bhakti stand,
Where in transcendence to land.

Christmas Is Cancelled

“As the director of different kinds of clouds, Indra called for the samvartaka. This cloud is invited when there is a need to devastate the whole cosmic manifestation. The samvartaka was ordered by Indra to go over Vrindavana and inundate the whole area with an extensive flood. Demonically, Indra thought himself to be the all-powerful supreme personality.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 25)

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“Is there anything comparable in Vedic culture to the Christmas holiday, as it is celebrated today? I know there are the appearance day anniversaries of the Supreme Lord and His many avataras, like Krishna and Rama. I know that there is Diwali, but I guess I am looking for something where people exchange gifts. A holiday children can look forward to.”

There is a commonly invoked comparison to Mr. Scrooge. This is a reference to the main character from the Charles Dickens short story, A Christmas Carol. The person starts off as stingy, not even wanting to celebrate Christmas, which is an annual occasion that the society around him warmly welcomes. Through a series of events, Scrooge eventually changes his mind.

The moniker lives on, however. Sometimes business owners are proud to be identified in the same light, as it conveys the importance they hold to turning a profit, of commitment to hard work and earning an honest living. They take great joy in joking with the employees, “I am Mr. Scrooge. Christmas is cancelled! Be prepared to show up to work.”

A fitting comparison could be made with the king of heaven, Indra, and what happened to him one time because of the cunning plot of a small child known as Krishna. As the Christmas holiday tends to center on giving and receiving gifts of the material variety, so Indra was expecting to be honored by the residents of Vrindavana, as per tradition.

Except Krishna managed to convince the head of the town, who also happened to be his father, to worship Govardhana Hill instead. The child was not acting on a whim or showing a lack of intelligence. He presented fair and reasonable arguments for the decision, that Govardhana was dear to the cows and that the cows were the most important commodity and dependents to the people of the village.

It would be a grand celebration. Every kind of food preparation imaginable, to satisfy the five kinds of taste, to have a visual to match the outpouring of love, would be presented to Govardhana. At the end of the celebration, Krishna revealed to everyone that the hill was the same as Him. Though a seemingly inanimate object, Govardhana was Krishna’s land, and hence non-different from Him.

"One who neglects the worship of Govardhana Puja, as I am personally conducting it, will not be happy. There are many snakes on Govardhana Hill, and persons neglecting the prescribed duty of Govardhana Puja will be bitten by these snakes and killed. In order to assure the good fortune of the cows and themselves, all people of Vrindavana near Govardhana must worship the hill, as prescribed by Me." (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 24)

Indra did not take kindly to his version of Christmas being cancelled. Where were the gifts? Where was the attention to duty? Where was the appreciation for the abundance of rain provided to nourish the crops? Where was the memory of the past successful observances?

Indra could only see in one direction: revenge. Seething with rage, he directed the samvartaka cloud to inundate the area around Govardhana Hill. Wash away the people and their precious savior, Shri Krishna. Teach them a lesson never to be forgotten.

It ended up the other way around. Indra was humiliated in defeat, as the child was actually more powerful than any demigod. Shri Krishna lifted Govardhana Hill and used it as an umbrella. The samvartaka could do nothing. The people were safe. A new tradition was born, one that people celebrate to this day, showing their love for God in ways that He always appreciates.

In Closing:

Indra the yajna expecting,
Not for people rejecting.

Instead towards Govardhana to go,
Now his revenge to know.

But Krishna easily protecting,
With hill in air projecting.

So that best tradition to make,
Advantage every year to take.

Handicaps and Assets

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.19)

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बहूनां जन्मनाम् अन्ते
ज्ञानवान् मां प्रपद्यते
वासुदेवः सर्वम् इति
स महात्मा सु-दुर्लभः

bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ

“I do particularly like the Vedic aphorism that describes the urgent need for making an inquiry into spiritual matters. As a human being, learn about Brahman. Ask about that which lasts beyond the temporary world. More than just this single lifetime, but spanning the beginning to end of creation itself.

“What exactly is spirit? Where does religion fall into the picture? The human birth is a gift; not a sentence. It is auspicious, not a way to punish. We did not have the same opportunity in other births, which had their variety but a notable commonality.

“Namely, there was a lack of potential in intelligence. Today we have the chance to understand spirit and the source of it. What a blessing. I concur with the assessment of the acharyas that we should not spoil a single second. As soon as we become aware of the need for transcendence, go for it.

“At the same time, we cannot deny that there are both handicaps and assets associated with birth. Just because I have the potential for maximizing intelligence does not mean there will be fulfillment. One person is born with a silver spoon in their mouth; another with nothing to their name. There is the saying that an empty sack cannot stand up straight.

“His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada says that no one listens to a poor man. These sayings highlight the actual difficulty so many face. We are not even touching upon the subject of a sinful birth, papa-yoni. Some people are more prone towards material life than others.

“In the face of the disparities, how does athato brahma-jijnasa still apply? Why are we stressing spiritual life to people who may never develop an interest for it? It may not even be their fault; the limitation is based on the way they are born.”

In Bhagavad-gita, Shri Krishna confirms that a person only knows Him in truth after many births. To find a being perfect in knowledge in consciousness is rare. At the same time, a single sun lights up the entire universe. One object gives heat to people living across the globe, in different time zones, with different weather.

There may not be many holders of doctoral degrees in a particular field of science, but the teaching does not cease. The degree is still there to be awarded. The teachers are still standing by, ready to enlighten students.

In the same way, the acharyas hope that every person reaches their full potential in understanding the Almighty. Even a little progress is worth it, as it can protect against the greatest type of fear.

नेहाभिक्रम-नाशो ऽस्ति
प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते
स्व्-अल्पम् अप्य् अस्य धर्मस्य
त्रायते महतो भयात्

nehābhikrama-nāśo ‘sti
pratyavāyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trāyate mahato bhayāt

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.40)

Whereas on the other side the progress gets erased at the time of death, washed away by the current of the ocean of time, which is undefeated. Any effort to purify the consciousness, even if ultimately unsuccessful, carries a lasting benefit into the future.

There may be severe handicaps associated with birth. My entire family is against me. They scoff at the idea of showing compassion to innocent animals. They are appalled at my lack of interest in acquiring money and enjoying the senses. They think my bowing before a qualified and featured depiction of the Supreme Lord is akin to worship of the devil.

तस्मात् त्वम् उत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वम् एव
निमित्त-मात्रं भव सव्य-साचिन्

tasmāt tvam uttiṣṭha yaśo labhasva
jitvā śatrūn bhuṅkṣva rājyaṁ samṛddham
mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva
nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savya-sācin

“Therefore get up and prepare to fight. After conquering your enemies you will enjoy a flourishing kingdom. They are already put to death by My arrangement, and you, O Savyasachin, can be but an instrument in the fight.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 11.33)

I can succeed in the face of every obstacle in the same way that another person may fail despite everyone around them giving encouragement. Shri Krishna looks for sincerity and genuineness of purpose. He is the ultimate deciding factor in success, as even the great bow-warrior named Arjuna was but an instrument in the hands of the Divine during the Bharata War.

In Closing:

To whichever circumstances came,
Still with objective the same.

That into spiritual inquire,
For something lasting desire.

Whether succeeding or not,
This opportunity got.

Superior choosing this way,
Krishna with ultimate say.

Is It Possible To Learn About God Through Pictures

“The brahmana replied, ‘I am illiterate and therefore do not know the meaning of the words. Sometimes I read the Bhagavad-gita correctly and sometimes incorrectly, but in any case I am doing this in compliance with the orders of my spiritual master.’” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 9.98)

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विप्र कहे,--मूर्ख आमि, शब्दार्थ ना जानि
शुद्धाशुद्ध गीता पडि, गुरु-आज्ञा मानिऽ

vipra kahe,--mūrkha āmi, śabdārtha nā jāni
śuddhāśuddha gītā paḍi, guru-ājñā māni'

Friend1: Growing up, did you get lectured on the importance of reading books?

Friend2: As in, that is something we should be doing?

Friend1: Yes. It was sort of a shaming, always in the context of sitting around and doing nothing. More often than not, the juxtaposition was to watching television.

“Don’t just sit around and stare at that tube the entire day. You are turning into a zombie. You are not learning anything. Turn it off now and go read a book.”

Friend2: Wow, you sound exactly like a parent. I think everyone growing up in that era heard things like that. It’s probably reinforced even more today, with the rise of smartphones and the internet. You know, we didn’t even have a computer in the house growing up.

Friend1: Same with us. I think they were just taking off in popularity, but you couldn’t do much with them. They were more for adult use, like doing finances and printing important documents.

Friend2: Accompanying the encouragement for reading was the sanctity with which the library was viewed. If you were going to the library instead of the shopping mall, you were somehow more virtuous. You were like the best kid ever. The parents would ask their other children to be like you.

Friend1: What I wanted to bring up today was a common joke you used to hear. If someone said that they liked to read, another person might say that they only read books with large pictures in them. It is a self-deprecating statement, implying that they are not smart enough to understand literature by itself.

Friend2: Sure, I heard that many times. As you enter the teenage years, you realize that the books stop having pictures. Maybe the cover and some additional plates inserted, but that’s it. You are forced to read like an adult, after that.

Friend1: In the context of understanding the Almighty, we see that within the bhakti tradition there is so much imagery.

Friend2: Absolutely. It is because of the unlimited nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There are pictures based on historical events, but He is not limited by time or space. The same pastimes are taking place in another universe at this precise moment.

Friend1: You have the pastimes of His associates, also. Many incidents depicted in paintings and posters. They become worshipable, placed on the altar in the home. There are accompanying descriptions from literature. That is to say the images are authorized; they are not the product of imagination.

Friend2: That is important to remember.

Friend1: Do we have a correlation here, though? If it is considered less-intelligent to rely on reading books with large pictures, are we not limiting our understanding of God through images?

Friend2: Every popular faith has their own imagery, as far as I know. When you walk into a church, the walls are not blank. It is not an empty room. The images are not meant to be a distraction. They do not lessen the significance of literature. As you said, they are based on authority. They represent real-life events. It is an art form, to tell stories through images.

Friend1: Okay, but can we learn everything we need through them?

Friend2: You can reach perfection in consciousness through a single word. Say the holy name, over and over. It may only take hearing the word just one time. That is why the acharyas emphasize the importance of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Friend1: If I see a picture of Krishna, that might be enough?

Friend2: You have that famous story involving Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He met a person who was illiterate. That person was holding Bhagavad-gita. He could not read the book that he was holding, but he felt great ecstasy nonetheless. It was because he constantly pictured Krishna serving as Arjuna’s charioteer, and he marveled at that.

Friend1: How God could be so nice.

Friend2: Sure; so many emotions. Mahaprabhu declared that illiterate person’s understanding of Bhagavad-gita to be perfect. That is sufficient evidence. Too many images is neither a disqualification for validity nor an indication of a lack of intelligence. The bhakti tradition opens many doors for understanding the all-attractive one, who is our greatest well-wisher since before anyone can remember.

In Closing:

Told a book to read,
Not the television to need.

Considered superior and wise,
What if with bhakti tries?

Books creating images so,
Many ways Krishna to know.

Like illiterate brahmana holding,
Kurukshetra in mind unfolding.

How Can Separation From Krishna Be Just As Good As Meeting Him

“Lord Chaitanya taught people in general the method of vipralambha, which is the method of rendering service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the feeling of separation. The six Gosvamis also taught worship of Krishna in the feeling of the gopis in separation.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 46)

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“Within the bhakti-yoga division of philosophy that descends from Shri Krishna Chaitanya, I often here the importance of worship in separation. That if you miss Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is actually the best feeling in the world. It follows the mood of Shrimati Radharani, who is the complete and full pleasure potency of the Divine, representing also the ideal position of the sparks of spirit emanating from the Supreme Spirit.

“That is to say our best approach is to follow Radharani. More specifically, we get the example of the gopis of Vrindavana, who experience intense feelings of separation from Krishna throughout the day. If we develop the same kinds of feelings, we have made advancement in spiritual life.

“At the same time, you teach that the living entity, the jiva, has forgotten the eternal relationship with the Almighty since time immemorial. This makes logical sense, at least to me. It explains why we jump from one activity to another, show faith towards one particular path only to renounce it at a later date.

“We are obviously looking for that which we had originally. We are trying to settle into one place, extracting enjoyment from it, in defiance of the laws of science which dictate that there must be change. If we turn towards dharma, which is real religion, we find something eternal, sanatana.

“Are not these two teachings incompatible? We are supposed to learn about Krishna since we have forgotten Him since time immemorial. Then we are supposed to relish the separation from Him, almost inviting that feeling. If separation and meeting are on opposite sides, how can they both be good? How is up the same as down, in the bhakti sense? Do you see what I mean?”

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that the separation is simply another feature of meeting. We indeed require the meeting. That must take place. Otherwise, how would we ever feel the ecstasy of separation?

In ignorance, I miss the television shows from the past, the ones I used to watch as a child. I somehow stumble upon them online, where people upload to the internet what they have in their tape archive. One night I spend hours watching these videos, reminiscing of times gone by. I remember where I was, who was with me, and I think that life was great in those simpler times.

The issue is that I cannot dip into the well of nostalgia too much. In truth, the times weren’t so great. I was searching for a higher taste, as I am today. Unless and until I find a truly transcendental experience, I will keep jumping from one place to another.

Separation is a feature of the meeting. If I get to know God the person, who is described as Krishna in Sanskrit because of His all-attractiveness, I will desire association. In the same way that initiation with the spiritual master, the guru, is moving closer to him, upanayana, worship of the Almighty has the same connotation, upasana.

We can also look at separation as remembering the meeting. We are remembering the Supreme Lord and His features. This is just as good as the meeting because of the Absolute Nature of both the subject individual and the interaction.

This is the principle behind the potency of the routine of chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. We chant these names to get closer to God, and when we feel that we know Him, we miss Him dearly.

As another example, I learn about Krishna through reading sacred texts like Bhagavata Purana and Mahabharata. I previously knew nothing about Him. With a steady routine in bhakti-yoga, after further progressing in the purification of consciousness, it feels as if I know Krishna better than anyone else. I always desire His association, and through separation it is as though He is always by my side, in the way that He guided Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.

In Closing:

Like with Arjuna word abiding,
Because there on chariot guiding.

Same influence with me,
Supreme Lord always to see.

Since first discovering,
Shastra knowledge uncovering.

So that separation another feature just,
But first to know Him a must.