The Mood of a Gopi

“Let Krishna tightly embrace this maidservant, who has fallen at His lotus feet. Let Him trample Me or break My heart by never being visible to Me. He is a debauchee, after all, and can do whatever He likes, but He is still no one other than the worshipable Lord of My heart.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.47)

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Lord Chaitanya reveals the sentiments of the devotee immersed in the highest mood of devotional service, or bhakti-yoga.

Can there be different moods? Is there a higher or lower? If one person is connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in full consciousness, how can they be considered higher or lower than anyone else who is similarly connected?

Though any genuine relationship is worthwhile and makes one eligible for release from the cycle of birth and death, higher and lower come into play based on the level of intimacy. In the highest mood, one can even chastise God, for they have no fear of Him ever abandoning them.

A gopi is a cowherd girl. The word immediately brings to mind the famous gopis of Vrindavana, who roamed this earth some five thousand years ago, the same time that the son of Nanda Maharaja delighted the residents of Gokula with His childhood pastimes. Their lotus feet graced the sacred earth of Vrindavana at the same time that Yashoda’s son filled everyone’s hearts with pure love.

According to Lord Chaitanya, the worship done by the gopis is the highest. To follow in their footsteps is to make the most of the human form of life.

What other paths are there? What other footsteps are there to follow?

First there is the path of the materialist. In this mentality, the individual seeks happiness apart from a relationship to God. This mentality is an illusion in itself, since there can never be any separation. The Lord is the creator of this and many other worlds. He is the source of both the material and spiritual worlds, as He states in the Bhagavad-gita.

“I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 10.8)

Under illusion, or maya, the conditioned living entity thinks that God is not around them. They think that they can become the supreme controller, that the spot is vacant, ready to be filled by anyone who meets the qualifications. To be qualified means to have the greatest enjoyment. To enjoy the most means to have the most wealth, beauty, strength, fame, wisdom and renunciation. Each category has endless nuance, so it is not surprising that the pursuit for the illusory post of top enjoyer can go on for a long time, spanning many births and deaths.

The path of the spiritualist is to have enjoyment through God’s sanction. Though away from the side of illusion, in this mentality there are a variety of paths available. One is called worship in neutrality, or shanta-rasa. This can entail worship of the impersonal spiritual energy known as Brahman. When you worship Brahman, you don’t really know God too well. You appreciate His spiritual energy, how it is superior to the inferior, material nature.

Even if you know of the existence of the Personality of Godhead, you can still be in shanta-rasa. Think of visiting the temple and offering respect to the deity. In this mood, you are too afraid to say anything negative about God, even if it’s just in fun. You are careful to avoid any offenses. You treat the Lord as you would an exalted head of state.

The mood of the gopis is different. They love the Supreme Lord so much that they don’t consider Him to be very supreme. Rather, He is their best friend, for whom they hold so much affection. They are not afraid to offend Him since they know that their lives are surrendered to Him. They know that they can never not be conscious of Him, thus they don’t fear His rebuke.

The gopis are unique in that they don’t ask anything from Krishna, which is the preferred name for those who know the transcendental features belonging to the all-attractive Lord. Whether Krishna is with them or separated, whether He grants them everything desirable or completely ignores them, the gopis will still love Him. Constitutionally, they cannot worship anyone else. They are helpless in this sense, though in fact they are the most loved by Krishna. He cannot repay their affection. In the relationship to them, He is the one who is helpless. The gopis are on such a high level of devotion that they turn the all-powerful weak in one area.

The mood of the gopis is not to be imitated artificially. Therefore Lord Chaitanya, the preacher incarnation of the Supreme Lord Krishna, never openly discussed the gopis and their dealings with Krishna. He taught that one must first develop an attachment to God. That attachment seems easy to get in theory, but in practice it is very difficult. Incumbent upon the spiritualist is the attitude of surrender, which requires abandoning the attitude in illusion of trying to enjoy separate from God.

The attachment develops through following the principles of yoga. In this age of Kali hardly anyone can follow all the rules and regulations. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, knowing the glories of Krishna and how His mercy is the only remedy for the conditioned living entity diseased by material attachment, mercifully gave everyone the safest and most effective path towards transcendence. Whether one follows the principles or not, whether they have a desire to enjoy materially or not, or whether they believe in God or not, if they simply chant the holy names on a regular basis, with some sincerity, they will be saved. Through regularly reciting, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,” they can ascend the various mellows of bhakti-yoga, developing and maintaining love for the most loveable Krishna.

In Closing:

Though Krishna of loving nature clear,

In lower moods of bhakti to exist fear.

 

Afraid for chastisement to give,

Rather with regulated worship to live.

 

Gopis of Vrindavana on a level higher,

To say anything, knowing love never to tire.

 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu following in their mood,

Same opportunity by path of holy name imbued.

Taking Your Mind With You

“My Lord Govinda, because of separation from You, I consider even a moment a great millennium. Tears flow from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I see the entire world as void.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.39)

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yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa

cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam

śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ

govinda-viraheṇa me

Living in the material world means succumbing to the dualities that arise from desire and hate. Like being stuck on a pendulum that constantly swings back and forth, the living entity one second thinks that happiness will come from wanting something and the next they think removing that previously desired object is what will give them peace. The truth, however, is that the mind stays with us wherever we go, even if we travel to a destination with completely new surroundings. As Lord Chaitanya points out, this entire world is like a void when the association of the Supreme Lord Govinda is missing.

Imagine this situation. You’ve lived your whole life in one area. You know pretty much all of the neighbors. On an innocent trip to the supermarket to pick up milk you are bound to run into people you know. They fill you in on the latest. “Did you hear about such and such? They got married and didn’t tell anyone. Did you see what that person did the other day?” To be polite, you volunteer some information yourself. In this way there are no secrets.

After a traumatic experience from a broken relationship, you decide that you’ve had enough. You need a change of scenery. You look at the map of your particular country and pick out a new destination. “I will start my life over from there,” you tell yourself. You quit your job, find a new apartment and pack up all of your belongings. On to bigger and better things, but one thing accompanies you that will keep you from achieving peace: the mind.

It is the mind which desires things and it is the mind which then develops hatred. Hate is a strong word, but dislike is appropriate in this context as well. Think of those things which you don’t like. Think of the places you try to avoid. Juxtaposing those with the things that you do prefer, you get the dualities mentioned by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita. All of us are born into delusion at first. We get bewildered by these dualities. No matter where we turn, desire and hate will come up. Even if we move into completely new surroundings, with new people and everything, the same problems are sure to arise again. After all, the previous setting was once new. The people from whom we are running away were once strangers to us.

Lord Chaitanya says that this entire world is like a void. There is no substance to it. He speaks the truth. The person you once loved can become your bitter enemy. You can try everything in your power to prevent that from happening, but as they are an independent spirit, free to think as they please, they have every right to turn away from you. Thus the thing you relied on most for your happiness could vanish in a second. Happiness from such interactions is not real, and this is the only kind of happiness available in the material world.

Govinda’s association fixes the situation. He is the lone reality. He removes the void. He is permanent. He is always the best friend. A secret known to the bhaktas on the highest platform of consciousness is that God is not allowed to separate from those who desire only His association. Though He is the supreme powerful, He comes under the sway of those who love Him.

Anyone can desire to have His association, which means that anyone can escape the void and enter the reality. The name itself is capable of bringing that association. If you constantly say the name “Govinda” then you are with Govinda. If you feel lonely, if you feel as if the void is sucking you back into its trap, simply say “Govinda” again. If the concentration is not there, find a situation where it will be. Remove the obstacles in your way of saying “Govinda.”

The mission of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is to give all the fallen souls a chance at this association. The grass is greener on the other side when that other side is devotional service. It brings a kind of happiness previously thought impossible. Real happiness is prema, or pure love, for God. Govinda is one such name for Him, and “Krishna” is another. “Rama” too addresses Him, and “Hare” calls out to His perfect energy. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a combined incarnation of Hare and Krishna, and so it is no wonder that He always chants the holy names in the maha-mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

śarīraṁ yad avāpnoti

yac cāpy utkrāmatīśvaraḥ

gṛhītvaitāni saṁyāti

vāyur gandhān ivāśayāt

“The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 15.8)

Just as the mind comes with you when you move in this present life, the consciousness as a whole travels with you at the time of death. It goes on to the next body, traveling like the aromas through the air. The negative side to this is that if you are presently very sinful and constantly have unclean thoughts, your next destination will be fit for that thinking. The positive is that if you sincerely desire the association of Govinda, the Supreme Lord who gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses, then He will be with you in the next life. He will illuminate the darkness and give meaning to the otherwise void existence.

In Closing:

With present surroundings can’t cope,

A change of scenery renewing hope.

 

But again the unhappiness to find,

Since to come with you the mind.

 

Better if attached to Govinda sound,

In reality everything to turn around.

 

If you desire Him Govinda you will get,

His company there even after death.

The Lone Reality

“My Lord Govinda, because of separation from You, I consider even a moment a great millennium. Tears flow from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I see the entire world as void.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.39)

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Imagine this situation. You wake up suddenly. You don’t know where you are or what time it is. You look at your surroundings to try to decipher what is going on. Slowly some things start to come back to you. Then you wonder, “Am I really in this position? Did yesterday really happen? Or was it all a dream, something conjured up in my mind?” Some philosophers take this single instance and extrapolate it out for the entire lifetime. Due to the temporary nature of things, they seem to be on the right track with this dream versus reality comparison. Lord Chaitanya puts everything into the proper perspective, explaining that all experiences indeed do seem like a void without the association of the master of reality.

How is this life like a dream? Well, do you remember your infancy? Do you remember emerging from the womb of your mother and seeing everyone for the first time? Most likely you don’t. From the testimony of others who were there, you know that these events most certainly did happen. And yet you have no recollection of them. Therefore it was like a dream. You saw it for one second and then it went away.

We don’t realize it, but everything around us at the present moment will go away as well. We won’t be able to remember this precise moment perfectly, either. Though we may be experiencing pain, discomfort and stress today, many years from now we could look back on this time fondly. “Oh, that was a great time in my life. I wish I could go back. But I can’t. Now I’m all alone, without my friends and family around. It’s funny how life works.”

mām upetya punar janma

duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam

nāpnuvanti mahātmānaḥ

saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ

“After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they have attained the highest perfection.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.15)

Life in this world is duhkhalayam and ashashvatam. It is miserable and temporary. Nothing stays forever. One second we are a young child and the next we are an adult. One second we are happy and the next sad. One second we have it all and the next we are longing for so many things. Our journey through life is real; so we can’t say that nothing has happened to us. But since everything vanishes eventually, the experience is also like a dream.

There is one reality, however. His presence puts everything into the proper perspective. The experience through life turns pleasurable and permanent when He is included. Not surprisingly, this person is God.

If He is God, how is He not automatically included? How can God be absent from any area?

The required association is through consciousness. Think of lamenting over the fact that you can’t purchase something important when you actually have enough money sitting in your pocket. Think of being extremely hungry and not realizing that you have so much food in the refrigerator in the kitchen.

Lord Chaitanya says that separation from Govinda makes the world seem like a void. Govinda is one of thousands of names for God. It speaks to how the Supreme Lord gives pleasure to the senses and to the cows. The senses are part of the temporary body. They are like the instruments to measure the effects of the external world. The senses can never be satisfied in the dreamlike existence. Once something pleasurable is tasted, the same is desired again. When it is not available at that precise moment, there is misery. Hence sense interaction with the external world automatically brings misery.

Govinda gives pleasure to the senses because He is fixed. He is permanent, unlike the external world. He is the reality that stays past the dream. This life will be over, that is a fact. As soon as there is birth, there must be death. Govinda Himself teaches this in the Bhagavad-gita, where He is more famously known as Shri Krishna, the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead.

jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur

dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca

tasmād aparihārye 'rthe

na tvaṁ śocitum arhasi

 

“For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 2.27)

The individual actually stays through the dream as well. This individual is also real. This is true because the individual is spirit. Govinda is the Supreme Spirit, and so both are the only reality maintained through an otherwise dreamlike experience. It makes sense that the two realities should remain in each other’s association. The lack of the relationship is not due to Govinda. He is always standing by, resting within the heart, ready to give shelter to the soul bewildered by the temporary and miserable material world.

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo

mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca

vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo

vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham

“I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.” (Lord Krishna, Bg. 15.15)

The souls who do not consider the world to be void have yet to feel devotional ecstasy. The souls who think everything is void are also missing out. They don’t know that there is a reality, a person from whom everything has come. His association is most desired, and Lord Chaitanya shows everyone how to get it. It comes in this age most easily through the chanting of the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

That association solves all problems. It reminds the sleeping living entity of who they are, why they are here, and where they should go next. It wakes them up from the dream, revealing to them the true reality. Simply longing for Govinda’s association is enough to get it, turning the void-like world into a field of endless opportunity for devotional service, the eternal occupation for the soul.

In Closing:

Here today and tomorrow gone away,

Nonpermanent, nothing to stay.

 

Existence something like a dream,

Is anything real that is to be seen?

 

Chaitanya says that Krishna is the one,

Lone reality in world of happiness none.

 

Through chanting His names Divine presence see,

And with vision of reality in service happily be.

Symptoms of Transcendental Ecstasy

“My dear Lord, when will My eyes be beautified by filling with tears that constantly glide down as I chant Your holy name? When will My voice falter and all the hairs on My body stand erect in transcendental happiness as I chant Your holy name?” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.36)

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“We are a nation that believes in God. We are a God-fearing nation.” A leader may have to make this statement publicly in order to get support for a specific policy. They do this also to distinguish themselves from those who act in a way that goes against the standard laws governing human conduct since time immemorial. To believe in God is certainly a vital first step, as the Vedanta-sutra says that the human birth is the time for inquiring into Brahman, or spirit. Lord Chaitanya wishes to go one step further, to have pure love for God. And that love has specific symptoms which manifest.

Imagine this situation. You’re attending a commencement ceremony. These are oddly named, as actually you’re celebrating the completion of school for so many children. After attending for twelve plus years, these kids are ready to enter the real world. It is the beginning of a new life; hence the use of the term “commencement.”

You’re in the crowd along with the other proud parents. Your child was a little on the naughty side. You had to urge them to study. They were not self-starters in that regard. They argued with you a lot, saying that they had no desire to graduate. When they call your child’s name, you’re overcome with emotion. You can’t help yourself. You stand up and shout your child’s name, clapping and yelling. Tears flow down your cheeks. This is a spontaneous reaction. No one had to tell you to act this way.

Imagine another situation. The same child is now getting married. You are sitting in the front row at the ceremony. Your child has known their soon-to-be spouse for a long time. You see the love they have for each other. You care so much for both of them that during the ceremony you start crying again. The hair on your back stands on its end. You’re not supposed to cry. You’ve always thought others who did the same were weak. But this is beyond your control. Your love for your child is so pure that you can’t help yourself.

Such situations show a spontaneous reaction, and the same can be found in love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At first we think this is odd, for we’re not even sure what God looks like. Is He an old man? Does He get angry at everyone and send locusts to punish them? Is He even a person? The Vedas describe both conceptions: the abstract and the defined. The abstract is known as Brahman. This is the undivided spiritual energy. We are all one with each other through the relationship to this energy. We are all Brahman. We are all spirit at the core. Every spark of spirit is identical in quality. The little fly buzzing around your head in the summertime is as much a soul as the leader of a big nation.

“The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 5.18)

The defined is the source of the abstract. In the defined version God is a personality. He has a transcendental body which is eternal, knowledgeable and blissful. His original body expands into non-different forms. These are identical to Him, but may appear slightly different. The Brahman energy expands from Him; it is not identical to Him, though it is similar in quality.

As God is a separate personality, it is possible to have a relationship to Him. He has the most wonderful features, so the relationship to Him is the most rewarding. The goal of the human birth is to develop this relationship, for it brings the highest pleasure. After all, everyone is seeking this pleasure, whether they realize it or not.

The relationship can be formed simply through sound. By regularly chanting the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, the relationship forms. The names included in this mantra directly address God. The name Krishna is the same as the person Krishna. The same goes for Rama. Hare refers to His pleasure potency expansion, the personality who most excels in the loving relationship to Him.

Just as we cry when our child graduates high school, the person established in the relationship to Krishna cries tears of joy simply from chanting the name of Krishna. Their voice falters and the hairs on their body stand up. Lord Chaitanya prays for this spontaneous reaction to come to Him, for it will signal purity in bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. He actually has this purity all the time, but in humility He thinks that He doesn’t. In fact, He is Hare and Krishna in a combined incarnation appearing on earth to teach the fallen souls the proper path in life.

His desire shows that there can be such a thing as divine love. You can have untainted affection for someone you previously thought didn’t exist. In fact, only in bhakti-yoga can you find pure love. No matter how much affection you have for your children or spouse, the relationship will have to end eventually. In bhakti-yoga the link continues forever if so desired. The soul who is conscious of Krishna, who cries tears of ecstasy upon hearing His name, gets the reward of Krishna’s association in the afterlife.

In Closing:

God with my eyes cannot see,

So how sure of His existence can I be?

 

Foggy notion through the abstract,

Clearer picture with form exact.

 

Just as for loved ones crying loving tear,

Same when sound of holy name to hear.

 

Lord Chaitanya for this moment prays,

Already there, in humble guise He plays.

Receiving Causeless Mercy

“Oh, My Lord, O Krishna, son of Maharaja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant, but because of My own fruitive acts, I have fallen in this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.32)

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The mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is causeless. There is apparently no reason for it, because God is never compelled to do anything. One may petition Him for this thing or that. During an ancient time, there was a powerful king named Kamsa who was terrorizing the innocent on earth. The demigods petitioned Lord Narayana, the source of all men, to help. He agreed, promising to descend to earth in His original form of Krishna.

Yet this does not mean that Krishna appeared on earth because of Lord Brahma or any of the other demigods. Previous to that, when He appeared on earth as Lord Ramachandra, again it was out of His causeless mercy. Ravana’s nefarious acts did not necessitate Rama’s advent. If that were the case, then any fiend could go on a killing spree in the hopes of seeing God face to face.

Lord Chaitanya gives us a hint into how that causeless mercy can come our way. The attitude is key. Nothing is guaranteed, but in the right mindset, there is the chance that God will take notice. Lord Chaitanya asks that Krishna consider Him to be a particle of dust at His lotus feet. The particle is small in size. Especially in comparison to the incredibly large Supreme Lord, the particle is nothing.

Dust is also on the ground, referencing stature. When one considers themselves to be low, they have a chance at receiving God’s mercy. Indeed, this is the attitude necessary when approaching the bona fide spiritual master, who is Krishna’s representative on earth. The mercy first flows through the guru, who looks for humble submission in the disciple.

“Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.34)

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s request is noteworthy because the attitude is usually the opposite. Amongst other living entities, each is looking to be considered the best. They want to be more than a tiny particle, and they want to be higher than the tree. The business mogul wants to have the most profits in the land. The administrator wants to reach the position which wields the most authority. The radio personality wants the largest audience. The athlete wants the most championship trophies and the academic wants the most advanced degree possible.

None of these disqualify one from receiving the causeless mercy of the Supreme Lord, but in comparison to Him everyone is small. If that awareness exists, then there is every chance of receiving that coveted gift. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself. He is a combined incarnation of Radha and Krishna, or the energy of God and God Himself. There is no difference between Chaitanya and Radha and Krishna.

“Lord Chaitanya is Krishna with the feelings of Radharani; in other words, He is a combination of Radha and Krishna. It is therefore said, shri-krishna-chaitanya radha-krishna nahe anya. By worshiping Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu alone, one can relish the loving affairs of Radha and Krishna together.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 13.43)

What results from receiving that causeless mercy? What happens when we truly consider ourselves to be a particle of dust at the lotus feet of God? There is already mercy from mother nature received on a daily basis. We easily could be seriously harmed on our way to work in the morning. There is no guarantee that the plane flight we’re taking tonight will land safely. There is every possibility of contracting a disease, becoming overly stressed by daily pressures, or making the wrong decisions. As we’re able to survive, it is due to nature’s mercy.

The mercy of Krishna is much better. With nature’s blessings, we continue in this temporary life. But that does not mean we will be happy in that life. It does not mean that we will find an engagement that invigorates us, that makes us want to get out of bed every morning. In many respects, the longer we continue to live, the more miserable we become. As an adult we could never imagine getting up so early and spending so many hours in a classroom, yet as children we did precisely that. As a senior citizen, we have little desire to travel or get out of the house, but as young adults we had so much more energy to explore the world.

The causeless mercy of Krishna brings Krishna. He is all-attractive. His features are inexhaustible. This means that if you have Him with you, you can contemplate His beauty, wealth, strength, fame, wisdom and renunciation for hours and hours. After you go to sleep and again wake up, the same glorification continues. It goes beyond the present life as well, as bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, is the soul’s eternal occupation.

Reentry into that occupation is not difficult. The first step is the required humility, beautifully expressed by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In fact, Mahaprabhu explains every requirement, so that from start to finish we’ll be guaranteed of getting Krishna’s mercy. With that gift, nothing else is needed, as the devotee relishes the opportunity to daily chant the holy names: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

To be graced with causeless mercy’s flow,

Must truly consider yourself to be low.

 

Like on the ground particle of dust,

In supremacy of God to trust.

 

When that mercy to receive,

To find enthusiasm you can’t believe.

 

To continue day after day,

When holy names always you say.

Fallen From Grace

“Oh, My Lord, O Krishna, son of Maharaja Nanda, I am Your eternal servant, but because of My own fruitive acts, I have fallen in this horrible ocean of nescience. Now please be causelessly merciful to Me. Consider Me a particle of dust at Your lotus feet.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.32)

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Just as the Bhagavad-gita perfectly summarizes Vedic philosophy, which is also known as Vedanta, the most important teachings of Lord Chaitanya reveal the same vital information, though in a different mood. The conclusion of both is the same: devotion to God is the highest occupation for man. Krishna’s presentation is a little more thorough, while Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s seems to be less philosophical. Yet there is nothing missing from the latter, including an explanation on the most vital question: from where did I come.

It’s the question parents dread. They never want to hear it. They have books ready just in case, but it’s not something they want to go through. “Mom, where did I come from? Dad, how do babies get here?” The parents struggle because the answer involves sex, a topic which the child is not ready to hear. If they hear the explanation, how will they understand it? They don’t yet know why men and women join together. They don’t understand why the woman is anxious to hold the hand of her beloved and why the man feels the need to look fit for the woman.

Upon reaching maturity, the same person, who was once a child, begins to understand. In the same way, Vedanta philosophy is meant for the sophisticated. Such a person not only understands the cause of birth through sexual relations, but they also know that the soul is eternal. This means that the soul which appears in the body of an infant was somewhere previously. Though presented through the term “reincarnation,” which has a mystical aura, the concept isn’t very difficult to understand.

The child eventually matures into adulthood; provided they remain alive. This means that there is a change. Yet the identity is one. The child and the adult are the same person; they are just at different points within the timeline known as the lifetime.

And so the infant appearing from the womb is also at a different point in the timeline. The individual inside, the soul, was somewhere previously. This is how life continues. The union between a man and a woman doesn’t suddenly create a soul. It simply creates the atmosphere for which a previously existing soul can once again appear in front of the eyes.

Lord Chaitanya explains the origin of the soul. He says that the soul is an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna, but through desire it falls into the material ocean. This ocean is considered horrible. And why is that? Do not we experience pleasure from time to time? Is not the piping hot pizza pie in front of us delicious? Is there not excitement for the upcoming vacation?

The material world is likened to an ocean because it is seemingly endless. The last place you want to be stuck is out in the ocean. Even if you have the sturdiest of boats, it will take you a long time to find land again. If anything bad happens, you are out of luck. It is not possible to swim to safety. And so the repetition of birth and death takes place in an ocean-like place. Just as there are so many species of fish in the ocean, in the material world there are so many bodies that can act as temporary homes for the fallen spirit soul. The Vedas give the definitive tally: 8,400,000 different species.

What makes this ocean horrible is that it is nearly impossible to remember Krishna while in it. If you’re stranded in the ocean, will you not panic? Will you not worry over things and forget everything which is pleasant? And so in the material ocean there is constant worry. There is fear over impending death, which is guaranteed for every person. Shri Rama, the same Krishna in a beautiful incarnation form, says that for the mature human being there is no other fear than death.

“Just as the ripened fruit has no other fear than falling, the man who has taken birth has no other fear than death.” (Lord Rama, Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kand, 105.17)

Life in this ocean continues for as long as there is no desire to reunite with Krishna in service to Him. The desire only changes through the causeless mercy of Krishna Himself. Therefore Lord Chaitanya prays for that mercy. He doesn’t need to, as He is Krishna Himself, but He reveals the proper attitude necessary for rescue from the material ocean.

Through the causeless mercy of God, one finds devotional service again. They don’t pray for temporary happiness through material opulence. They don’t simply ask for rescue from the ocean, only to fall down again. The true reward is devotional service, which automatically keeps one from the material ocean.

The elevated souls who practice bhakti-yoga are so merciful that they intentionally act as instruments for deliverance. They volunteer to plunge into the material ocean again in order to rescue others. In the process they do not forget devotion to Krishna; so they remain unaffected. The horrible world does not bother them. They fight fearlessly to rescue others, and this selflessness is an extension of Krishna’s mercy.

Lord Chaitanya led the fight during His time on earth, and those who follow in His line continue the mission to this day. Devotion is the meaning to life, and it can be explained in great philosophical detail or simply by example. The high life of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives a glimpse of eternal life that is blissful, which is beyond the suffering accompanying residence in the material ocean. The chanting of the holy names is the best means for practicing that service: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One who always chants these names and keeps Lord Chaitanya in mind gets the causeless mercy of the son of Nanda Maharaja.

In Closing:

Somehow into material ocean fell,

From this of reincarnation can tell.

 

In ignorance continuously swimming,

High and low but never winning.

 

By mercy of Govinda rescue to gain,

And once again reach devotional plane.

 

Lord Chaitanya for all shows the way,

Chant holy names and for His help pray.

Knowledge In Devotion

“O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.29)

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As far as Vaishnava saints go, Lord Chaitanya is one of the more famous ones. With a name meaning “one who is fully spiritual,” the son of Shachimata and Jagannatha Mishra is also known as the “great Lord,” Mahaprabhu. He is also a mahapurusha, or great person, showing Himself to be human while in fact being non-different from the Supreme Lord. Known especially for His spontaneous and wonderful display of genuine devotion to God, Lord Chaitanya’s actions and teachings lack nothing in terms of knowledge. One of His famous Shikshashtaka instructions teaches of the eternality of the soul, which is the fundamental truth of Vedanta philosophy.

“Who am I? Why do the threefold miseries always give me trouble? If I do not know this, how can I be benefited?” (Sanatana Gosvami speaking to Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 20.102)

The intelligent person asks about their true identity and why they are put into miserable conditions. Sanatana Gosvami asked these questions of Lord Chaitanya when the two met in Varanasi. In this interaction, there is an acknowledged teacher, a superior authority. The junior does not debate contentiously with the senior. The junior is not eager to show off whatever knowledge they think they have. The junior is submissive, and they are genuine in their desire to seek the truth.

The truths pertaining to this subject matter come up in the introductory instructional phase of Vedanta, which means “the end of knowledge.” You go to the bookstore and choose a title on how to fix common problems around the house. This is a do-it-yourself guide. Another day you pick up another book on how to code a website for e-commerce. Then you get a cookbook for preparing Thanksgiving meals. These books are all knowledge, but none of them represents the end. The end is the point at which you cannot go further.

The end of all knowledge is Vedanta, which not surprisingly deals with the soul. The soul is who we really are. Since the soul is not perceptible to the blunt senses it is difficult to identify. Just as we can’t see the wind, we can’t see the soul. And actually, there are subtle aspects to our body that aren’t perceptible as well. We can’t see the mind, the intelligence, or the ego. The soul is finer than all three of these.

“The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.42)

When we don’t know the soul, we don’t know who we really are. The soul is beyond the temporary changes that affect the body. The body itself is temporary. We get a new one after death. The present one is not fixed. My body was different five minutes ago than it is right now. The contrast doesn’t become stark until more time passes, but the change takes place nonetheless.

The position of the soul with respect to the temporary nature, the elements of that nature, the changing of bodies, the cause of the creation – Vedanta covers all such topics. Lord Chaitanya is known for bhakti, which is devotion. He practices and teaches bhakti-yoga, which is the linking of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul through devotion. On the outside bhakti-yoga appears to be lacking full knowledge; there isn’t so much of a focus on philosophy. Lord Chaitanya barely spoke philosophy with anyone, and yet since bhakti-yoga is non-different from its beneficiary, the Supreme Lord, it is full of knowledge.

As an example, in one of Lord Chaitanya’s instructions, He asks to only have unmotivated devotional service to God in lifetime after lifetime. He eliminates the common requests coming from those who lack spiritual knowledge. He does not ask for material wealth. He does not want many followers who are looking for material benedictions. He doesn’t even want a beautiful wife. He wants devotion without motivation. This means service to God without considering the consequences. It means loving God for the sake of loving Him, knowing that such love is the greatest boon to an existence.

In this simple prayer, Lord Chaitanya reveals that the soul is eternal. There are things the individual, the soul, desires at all times. In a future lifetime, desire will remain. So why not ask for a gift that will still be there at that time? The rewards of the material world will not last. One day you are enjoying the company of your beautiful wife, but then suddenly you could get separated. You want material wealth today, but tomorrow you see that it hasn’t brought you lasting happiness. People adore you today, but tomorrow you realize that it’s only because they can get something out of you. Their interest is not pure.

The soul is eternal. It is fixed in its position of bliss and knowledge. When coming in contact with the material energy, the soul gets covered by ignorance. It is not very difficult to remove that ignorance; simply the contact has to change. Lord Chaitanya shows us how to make the change happen, and He also shows the symptoms that indicate when that transformation has taken place. His simple prayers teach so much, as do His amazing displays of genuine devotion. As such, it is no wonder that Sanatana’s brother Rupa has properly assessed Lord Chaitanya’s position as the most munificent avatara of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna.

In Closing:

Saint by the name Chaitanya to call,

Known as avatara most munificent of all.

 

Freely love for Krishna gave,

For all of humanity to save.

 

Be fooled not from ecstatic dancing seeing,

For full knowledge in bhakti-yoga being.

 

Mundane cancelled from Mahaprabhu’s prayer,

Devotion best gift today, tomorrow and everywhere.

Lord of the Universe

“O Lord of the universe, I do not desire material wealth, materialistic followers, a beautiful wife or fruitive activities described in flowery language. All I want, life after life, is unmotivated devotional service to You.” (Lord Chaitanya, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Antya 20.29)

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The name Jagannatha means “Lord of the universe.” This is one way to address God, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He runs the show. He is the big boss. Jagannatha also refers to a specific deity manifestation of God residing in the original temple in the holy city of Puri, which is also known as Purushottama Kshetra. In one of the verses of His famous eight instructions, Lord Chaitanya addresses the Lord of the universe through the name Jagadisha. And He requests something very important from that controller of the land.

If you go up to the Lord of the universe, you can obviously ask for whatever you want. Not that you’ll necessarily get it, but the potential is there. If I go up to a poor man and ask for a piece of chipped rice, he will likely be able to get it for me. That’s provided he is willing to part with it. In the Bhagavata Purana, a poor brahmana once visited the Supreme Lord in Dvaraka and could only offer such chipped rice. Though he had nothing, and felt embarrassed even trying to pass off so measly an offering, he did so nonetheless. Due to the nature of the recipient, he was rewarded for his gesture.

“I simply offered Him a morsel of chipped rice, and in exchange He has given me opulences greater than the opulence of the King of heaven.” (Sudama Vipra, Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 2, Ch 26)

If you ask the same poor person for a giant mansion, even if they like you a lot there is not much they can do. This is the way of the material world; everything is limited. What we see before us is the finite. The infinite is beyond this realm. It belongs to the Lord of the universe. As He has control over everything, He can very easily grant any reward to any person.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu addresses Jagadisha and asks for one thing. First He lists the things that He doesn’t want. He has no desire for material wealth. This seems like an odd thing to state. Who doesn’t want money? Who doesn’t wish to be safe and secure in their finances? Lord Chaitanya played the role of a mendicant, so His statement shows that His acceptance of the renounced order was not due to misfortune. He knew what He was doing.

Lord Chaitanya also says that He doesn’t want materialistic followers. Who wouldn’t want loyal people following behind, ready to offer service at a moment’s notice? Who wouldn’t want an adoring posse following them wherever they went? A materialistic follower in this sense means someone who wants something. Thus such a follower is always waiting for payback; their service is not pure. Lord Chaitanya has no use for them.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu does not want a beautiful wife. He had one at home prior to accepting the renounced order. He harbored no ill will towards her. And she loved Him very much as well. Yet Lord Chaitanya has no desire for a beautiful wife to be enjoyed in the material sense. He knows there is a higher purpose to life. He also does not want fruitive activities, which aim to bring temporary sense pleasure.

Instead, all He wants is unmotivated devotional service to the Lord of the universe, life after life. In this request, Shri Gaurahari subtly reveals an introductory fact given to students of Vedanta philosophy. There is another life. Indeed, there is a life after that one. There was a previous life as well. There was a life prior to that one. The soul is the constant; it never perishes and it never takes birth. Only the outside covering changes.

“As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.22)

The outside coverings vary, which brings different circumstances. In the covering of a lion, there is only so much I can do. If I am born in the ocean, I likely can’t survive on land. Chaitanya asks that wherever the soul ends up, it should be allowed to have devotional service to God. And that service should be without motivation. This means no desire for money, wealth, fame, or fruitive activities.

If those things are absent, what is left? What will occupy the day when there are no material desires?

With this boon granted, the soul gets to have devotional service, all the time. This is what makes the soul happy. Thus Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s request is applicable to everyone, regardless of age, gender, or religious tradition. The soul actually wants unmotivated devotional service. When pursuing material rewards, the inherent desire is for pure devotion. The love of the romantic relationship is the distorted form of the pure love, or prema, that naturally exists for God.

The Lord of the universe can easily grant this wish; though hardly anyone will ask for it. After many births, one finally takes up devotional service to God in full knowledge. Such a soul is very rare. This is stated in the Bhagavad-gita by Krishna, the same Lord of the universe in His original form.

“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, Bg. 7.19)

Shri Hanuman asks for the same gift. The same goes for Prahlada Maharaja and Goswami Tulsidas. Actually, any smart person would ask for the same thing. The soul is happiest when serving, and when in devotional service there is no end to the service. Jagadisha is the Lord of many other universes as well. If this universe has somehow found its fill of praise for Him, there are other universes to enter for offering the same praise. In this way Lord Chaitanya, the most munificent incarnation of Godhead, reveals the secret of life to anyone who is willing to hear it.

In Closing:

Anything Lord of the universe can grant,

Nothing which to deliver He can’t.

 

From Lord Chaitanya’s request see,

Of what things not to seek.

 

Material followers, fortune or fame,

Instead only attachment to the name.

 

Devotion in circumstances whatever,

Best gift to use wherever and whenever.