Post by Jagannāth Miśra Dās on Jun 2, 2023 2:26:41 GMT -6
HareKrishna. A fleeting thought for the day.
The great Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thākura said, “do not try and see Krishna, but act in such a manner that Krishna sees you.” One can of course understand how the Thākura would say this to a novice who is perhaps over excited about seeing Krishna. Or maybe he was just being ironic? As in: “Avoid Keshi ghata! Do not look at the beautiful form of Govinda (mā preksita) if you want to enjoy the company of friends and relatives.” Bhaktivinode Thākura writes “janma saphala jārā, krishna darasan tārā, hoiche ekā bārā” (his or her life is crowned with glory and success if they achieve Krishna’s darasan, even once.) Ones’ eyes, if they have not rested upon the delightful form Govinda, are compared to the redundant and obsolete eyes on the peacock feather by the Kavirājā; and those that have seen his form inevitably curse the creator for fashioning eye lids which momentarily obstruct their vision, and also find themselves longing for countless eyes to behold his form. Krishna’s form will of course automatically arise, or appear, in the mind of those who chant his name anyway, as Krishna’s rupa, guna and līlā are all contained in, and are non-different from, nāma. So it appears that there is really no question of not trying to see something which will appear of its own accord anyway. Some Sādhus recommend always keeping the form of Krishna in the mind while chanting; further adding that if this is not possible then to chant ones’ rounds in front of the Deity. The Bhagavatam begins with Śrī Suka instructing the king to contemplate a kind of universal form, and then describes the form of the paramātmā in the heart, saying that he is approximately the size of a thumb. Why look upon the ugly witch Māyā if one can try, through ones’ sadhana, to think of the all attractive form of Krishna?
The great Srila Bhaktisiddanta Saraswati Thākura said, “do not try and see Krishna, but act in such a manner that Krishna sees you.” One can of course understand how the Thākura would say this to a novice who is perhaps over excited about seeing Krishna. Or maybe he was just being ironic? As in: “Avoid Keshi ghata! Do not look at the beautiful form of Govinda (mā preksita) if you want to enjoy the company of friends and relatives.” Bhaktivinode Thākura writes “janma saphala jārā, krishna darasan tārā, hoiche ekā bārā” (his or her life is crowned with glory and success if they achieve Krishna’s darasan, even once.) Ones’ eyes, if they have not rested upon the delightful form Govinda, are compared to the redundant and obsolete eyes on the peacock feather by the Kavirājā; and those that have seen his form inevitably curse the creator for fashioning eye lids which momentarily obstruct their vision, and also find themselves longing for countless eyes to behold his form. Krishna’s form will of course automatically arise, or appear, in the mind of those who chant his name anyway, as Krishna’s rupa, guna and līlā are all contained in, and are non-different from, nāma. So it appears that there is really no question of not trying to see something which will appear of its own accord anyway. Some Sādhus recommend always keeping the form of Krishna in the mind while chanting; further adding that if this is not possible then to chant ones’ rounds in front of the Deity. The Bhagavatam begins with Śrī Suka instructing the king to contemplate a kind of universal form, and then describes the form of the paramātmā in the heart, saying that he is approximately the size of a thumb. Why look upon the ugly witch Māyā if one can try, through ones’ sadhana, to think of the all attractive form of Krishna?