Month: October 2022

The purification of desires

Verse 1.9.32

Standing at the door of death, Bhīṣmadeva declares that he will turn his undivided attention to Kṛṣṇa. Although Kṛṣṇa is self-sufficient, he sometimes descends to the material world that he created, in order to enjoy transcendental pleasures. 

By turning his mind to Kṛṣṇa Bhīṣmadeva wishes to intensify his devotion, purify his desires, and join in union with God at the moment of his passing. Prabhupad clarifies that the reason for Kṛṣṇa’s occasional return to the material world is precisely to give to those who are pure devotees the full benefits of devotion. Kṛṣṇa is there to given instruction but this instruction can only be heard by devotees. 

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Seeing with spiritual eyes

Verse 66

The desire of my heart is to see the amorous playful enjoyment of Rādhā and Mohan. The fulfilment of my heart lies in the pure fulfilment of the divine loving relation. The realisation of that loving relation is the goal of any jiva. That is the goal of practice: to deepen and enhance the project of Caitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared in order to full understand and feel what loving relation is, understand by feeling, feeling-understanding. 

We, the ‘villagers’, are ‘fortunate souls’ (puṇyātma) in that we are allowed to observe the couple in this way. This good fortune (puṇya) does not come to us because we deserve it. It is mercy. There is no cause or reason for it. Mercy comes to us only through devotion, through loving relation to God. 

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