Dedicated to my most beloved and revered spiritual masters, H.D.G A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada and
H.G. Gauranga Sundar Dasa Gurudevji
We all have been wondering in the material world since millions of lives in search of peace and eternal happiness but the state of happiness in the material world is so flickering that we often find ourselves in mode of ignorance leading to stress, depression and anxiety. We have been taught since childhood by our elders that we are childern of God, Kṛṣṇa. God or Kṛṣṇa is never in a distress state. daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī/ mama māyā duratyayā [BG 7.14], "This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome." Kṛṣṇa confirms here that the three modes of material nature are His energy and therefore He is above them. Kṛṣṇa is sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ [Bs 5.1] full of knowledge, bliss and eternity.
One who has sufficiently developed consciousness, who is intelligent, inquires why he is suffering. "I do not want miseries. Why am I suffering?"
The living entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, and therefore they are simply meant to serve the Lord. [BG 3.41, Purport]. The natural state of the living entity is to serve Kṛṣṇa, just like the natural state of the water is liquidity, of sugar is sweetness. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Madhya 20.108-109 also reconfirms, jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya — kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa’. It is the living entity’s constitutional position to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.
kṛṣṇa bhūlīya jīva bhoga-vañchā kare
Due to being rope-bound by the three modes of material nature, when a conditioned soul becomes forgetful of Kṛṣṇa, he comes out of his natural state and starts living an unnatural state of his life that is being devoid of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness and face various consequences. kṛṣṇa bhūlīya jīva bhoga-vañchā kare/ pasate māyā tare japaṭiya dhare (Prema-vivarta). As soon as a soul desire to be enjoyer, then he is immediately captured by māyā. Because the Supreme Enjoyer is only one, KṚṢṆA. Just like this finger is part and parcel of my body. So the finger is always happy when it is attached to this body. It is very practical. Try to understand. If the finger is cut and separated from this body, then it will be called somebody's finger. Everyone will see the finger falling on the ground. Somebody will say, "Yes..." Somebody, if he knows that it is that man's finger. But this finger is useless. It is simply name "finger." That you have to understand. The finger's value is so long it is attached with the body. As soon as it is separated from the body, it is useless. [SB 1.15.28, Los Angeles, December 6, 1973]
Healthy State
My finger, when it is cut off and it is lying on the ground, it has no value. But as soon as the finger is joined with this body, it has got millions and trillions of dollars value. Invaluable. Similarly we are now disconnected with God or Kṛṣṇa, by this material condition. Forget, not disconnected. Connection is there.
[BG 6.16-24, Los Angeles, February 17, 1969]. The healthy condition of the finger is that it is able to serve the body. If the finger is not able to serve the body, that will mean unhealthy. Otherwise... Similarly, when we are engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and engaged in the service of the Lord, that is our healthy state. [SB 6.1.43, Los Angeles, June 9, 1976].
Permanent Mellow of a devotee
Everyone of us has some particular relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The permanent mellow of different devotees is different. There are total 5 types of mellows which comes under the direct service of God as follows: Serving Kṛṣṇa as 1) a son 2) as a servant, 3) as a friend, 4) as a parent, or 5) as a beloved wife or lover. Because of the impurity within our heart, we cannot realize the relationship with Kṛṣṇa in our conditioned state. But as we become Kṛṣṇa conscious, gradually our old consciousness of our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is revived. And when our consciousness is actually in the clear stage, we can understand our particular relationship with Kṛṣṇa.
Natural State
Simply we have to revive. Śravaṇādi-śuddha-citte karaye udaya. We have to create. Just like the young man likes to love a young woman and the young woman likes to love a young man. That is natural. That is natural. But when they meet together, it is revived. It is not that something new imposition. It is there. But by chance or anyway, when they are in contact, the loving propensity increases. The love increases. So our relationship with Kṛṣṇa, that is natural. That is not unnatural. Nitya-siddha. Nitya-siddha means it is eternally fact. Simply it is covered. It is covered. That covering has to be taken away. Then we are immediately in relationship with Kṛṣṇa, in natural way. That is perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. [SB 1.15.28, Dec. 6, 1973, Los Angeles].
To attain the pure, we have to become pure
Our heart is covered by six type of anarthas (unwanted things) as per the Srimad-Bhagavatam: lust, anger, greed, pride, envy & illusion. We have been carrying out these anarthas since many, many lives, from one body to another which is a hindrance in the rendering of our devotional service to the Purest of all, Lord Kṛṣṇa. To attain the pure, we have to become pure. Thus the thorough cleansing of the anarthas in our heart is necessary, in order to be properly situated in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.
ceto-darpana-mārjanam
If you chant this Hare Krsna mantra, then the dirty things which have accumulated in your heart due to material contamination will be cleared off. He [Lord Caitanya] gives the example that the heart is just like a mirror. If on the mirror there are heaps of dust accumulated, then one cannot see the real face by the reflection of the mirror. Therefore, it should be cleansed. So in our present conditional life, our heart is overloaded with so much dust accumulated due to our material association from time immemorial. So if we chant this Hare Krsna mantra, then the dust will be removed. Even not immediately, it will begin to be removed. And as soon as the mirror of the heart is cleansed of all dust, immediately one can see the face what he is. That face means real identification. [Lecture Excerpt, Bombay, November 7, 1970]. As soon as one is freed from all the dirt of material contamination, as Mahārāja Yayāti was, one’s original position as an associate of the Lord is revealed. This is called svarūpa-siddhi, or personal perfection. [ SB 9.19.25]
-Radharani Devi Dasi, Servant of Srila Prabhupada