Chaitanya, The Golden Avatar
Page 71 of 103

The Lord then informed Sanatane Gosvami of what the company of exemplary devotees, the practice of the transcendent service offered to the Lord, the study of Srimad-Bhagavatam, the chanting of the Holy Name of the Lord and the establishment of his residence in Vrindavane or Mathura are five very important factors for rising spiritually. And what about adopting all five, it is enough to master one of them to surely be raised to the level of the love of God. Either way, any truly intelligent being will give up all material desire to engage in the sublime service of Krishna. Such is the ascendancy of devotion that in adopting it one comes to renounce all material aspiration in order to cleave with his whole being to Krishna, deeply touched by the divine attributes of the Lord. Such is the beauty that the Lord puts on in the eyes of his devotee.

The word atma can also mean nature. The term atmarama then indicates that each one enjoys the particular nature that he has acquired. Nevertheless, the ultimate nature - or the eternal nature - of the living being consists in serving the Supreme Lord, and who completes the understanding of his real nature as an eternal servant of God renounces his designative conception (material or bodily) of existence. This is the real knowledge. So those in search of knowledge who are offered the opportunity to come into contact with a pure devotee also engage in the devotional service of the Lord. In short, both wise men like the four Kumaras and fools like birds can practice this transcendent service. Blessed by Krishna's unmotivated mercy, all can be elevated to the level of Krishna consciousness.

One is first fascinated by the sublime attributes of Krishna, then one begins the practice of devotional service. The Srimad-Bhagavatam glorifies Vrindavane as follows: This land of Vrajabhumi is glorified at the touch of your feet. Touched by your fingers, ivies also glorify you. When your gaze rests on the hills, the rivers and the so-called lower animals, all become glorious, and so do the gopis when you embrace them with your sublime arms. The gopis glorify Vrindavane in these terms: Dear friends, all the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi, including the birds, the animals and the trees, are glorified at the sight of Krishna who, while playing his flute, leaves for the pastures surrounded by his friends and Baladeva.

The Lord affirms that the word atma also designates the body. Spiritualists who practice various physical exercises, holding the body to themselves, are also promoted to the spiritual service of the Lord if they come into contact with pure devotees. The very many people who hold the body for themselves engage in many self-serving actions, including ritual ablution and everyday material activities. However, in contact with a pure devotee, they too adopt the spiritual and absolute service of the Lord. Even those who identify the body with the self, or entertain a thousand material desires, are also, in a sense, atmarama. In contact with pure devotees of the Lord, they will in fact abandon their temporal aspirations and become perfect in the service of the Lord. The Hari-bhakti-sudhodaya (sacred text) offers us the best example of this in these words from Dhruva Maharaj (great devotee of the Lord):

Dear Lord, I adored you in order to obtain an earthly domain, but luckily I obtained you, you, who escape the perception even of the great sages and saints. In search of worthless bits of glass, I discovered a gem as precious as You. Now satisfied, I do not aspire to anything else.

Facebook

VISITORS

4881745

Online Visitors

4881745





Visitors by country