Jewels of Information by Isana dasa

 

The other morning during japa, it occurred to me to put together two jewels of information.  

 

One is that Krishna resides in the heart and supplies knowledge, remembrance and forgetfulness.

 

The second is that Srila Prabhupada is the external manifestation of the Lord in the heart.  

 

This idea of “external manifestation of the Lord in the heart” is certainly something to contemplate.  To me it means that Srila Prabhupada is non-different from the Lord in the heart, but appearing before us in a form composed of the material elements.  He appears before us in this way just as the arca-vigraha appears before us on the altar, so that we can relate to God in a form that our senses can perceive.  

 

If my understanding is correct, simply by meditating on Srila Prabhupada as we go through our days, all intelligence and remembrance will be supplied.

 

If we think that Srila Prabhupada is non-different from his instructions, this kind of meditation may not be an easy thing to accomplish.  Just to remember a list of instructions …… one can become easily distracted, caught up in a fruitive mode of endeavor, forgetful, etc  

 

But if we meditate on Srila Prabhupada through the agency of a connection of love, a loving embrace, we are buoyed up by a sense of on-going reciprocation that is sweet and that causes us to desire not to lose that sense of love.  Then we begin to do everything in a way that is pleasing to His Divine Grace, which is the essence of all his instructions.

 

 

Then, this morning, another thought occured to me: 

 

CC Madhya-lila  11.26-28

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then said, “My dear Rāmānanda Rāya, you are the foremost of all the devotees of Kṛṣṇa; therefore whoever loves you is certainly a very fortunate person.  Because the King (Maharaja Prataparudra) has shown so much love for you, Lord Kṛṣṇa will certainly accept him.”

CC Madhya-lila, 17.15, purport excerpt  

           bruyah snigdhasya sisysasya guravo guhyam apyy uta

‘A disciple who has actual love for his spiritual master, is endowed by the blessings of his spiritual master with all confidential knowledge’.  Srila Sridhara Swami has commented that the word ‘snigdhasya’ means ‘prema-vatah’.  The word ‘prema-vatah’ indicates that one has great love for his spiritual master. 

Therefore we are assured that by cultivating feelings of love for our spiritual master he will reciprocate with us by blessing us with “all confidential knowledge”.  Then there is another aspect of our relationship with our spiritual master which is essential in order to progress spiritually:  

Teachings of Lord Caitanya Chapter: The Ecstasy of the Lord and His Devotees

Thus Sanatana Gosvami prayed for the Lord’s confirmation that the Lord’s teachings would actually evolve in his heart by His grace.  Otherwise Sanatana knew that there was no possibility of his being able to describe the Lord’s teachings.  The purport of this is that the acharyas are authorized by higher authorities.  Instruction alone cannot make one an expert.  Unless one is blessed by the spiritual master, or the acharya, such teachings cannot become fully manifest. Therefore one should seek the mercy of the spiritual master so that the instructions of the spiritual master can develop within oneself.  After receiving the prayers of Sanatana Gosvami, Lord Caitanya placed His feet on the head of Sanatana and gave him His benedictions so that all His instructions would develop fully.

In other words, following the prescribed sadhana program of Deity worship, japa, and participation in Harinam sankirtan and book distribution, following the four regulative principles of no illicit sex, no intoxication, no meat eating and no gambling…….these are not the full prescription.  We are also encouraged to cultivate a heartfelt transcendental loving relationship with our spiritual master, and also to pray for the benediction that his instructions will develop within us.  These more subtle aspects of our relationship with him are also part and parcel of his instructions to us.  And therefore when we contemplate the understanding that “He lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him.”, we should understand that the above instructions are essential facets of the overall prescription.  

…………….

Dear Yasodanandana Prabhu, Is there any chance that the above can be placed on the Prabhupadanuga website?  I actually have a wonderful collection of similar and related quotes, and my aspiration is to organize and consolidate them into a comprehensive presentation.  But if possible, I wish to share this kind of message with those who aspire to acknowledge Srila Prabhupada as their savior.  A possible title is:  “He Live Forever by His Divine Instructions”.

Your servant, 

Ishan das