(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player is needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer; if you are using Google Chrome it will automatically play, so if you don’t want to listen, mute your speakers.)
[reposted from 4-10-2010 and included in my book, “The Yoga of Expression”]
[In my current treatment near Tucson, AZ where I am in a weakened condition with the disease die-off in my body and change of diet, I have had to slow down and make everything an offering to the Lord. While in a general sense we are meant to offer our life and soul to the Lord and give up our false sense of self, now I offer every activity or healing protocol, the ingredients, and the results of those activities to the Lord–in the various forms I worship–I say Krishna to include Gaura Nitai, Krishna Balarama, Radha Krishna, etc, all by the grace of my gurus and the Vaishnavas. Slowing down also means taking nothing for granted and being grateful for literally everything. With the right realization we will see that everything is the Lord’s grace, kindness, and love for us, meant for our highest good.]
Part one: The Metaphysic of Simultaneous, Inconceivable, Oneness, yet Difference
“In my unmanifested form
I pervade the Universe,
though I’m present everywhere
I am also apart from all.” [Bg 9.4]
In the broadest sense
Krishna is everything–
with more knowledge and focus
we learn about His energies.
Within the One Energy
there is spiritual variety
as Krishna is like the sun
his energies, the sunshine.
Here is Chaitanya’s metaphysic
of simultaneous, inconceivable
Oneness yet difference
all-pervading, yet a person.
Yes, the water IS Krishna—
yet NOT Krishna
as we don’t worship water
independently from him.
(this blog is recorded on the full page: quick time player is needed; works best with Firefox or Explorer; if you are using Google Chrome it will automatically play, so if you don’t want to listen, mute your speakers.)
[reposted from 4-10-2010 and included in my book, “The Yoga of Expression”]
[In my current treatment near Tucson, AZ where I am in a weakened condition with the disease die-off in my body and change of diet, I have had to slow down and make everything an offering to the Lord. While in a general sense we are meant to offer our life and soul to the Lord and give up our false sense of self, now I offer every activity or healing protocol, the ingredients, and the results of those activities to the Lord–in the various forms I worship–I say Krishna to include Gaura Nitai, Krishna Balarama, Radha Krishna, etc, all by the grace of my gurus and the Vaishnavas. Slowing down also means taking nothing for granted and being grateful for literally everything. With the right realization we will see that everything is the Lord’s grace, kindness, and love for us, meant for our highest good.]
Part one: The Metaphysic of Simultaneous, Inconceivable, Oneness, yet Difference
“In my unmanifested form
I pervade the Universe,
though I’m present everywhere
I am also apart from all.” [Bg 9.4]
In the broadest sense
Krishna is everything–
with more knowledge and focus
we learn about His energies.
Within the One Energy
there is spiritual variety
as Krishna is like the sun
his energies, the sunshine.
Here is Chaitanya’s metaphysic
of simultaneous, inconceivable
Oneness yet difference
all-pervading, yet a person.
Yes, the water IS Krishna—
yet NOT Krishna
as we don’t worship water
independently from him.
Seeing Krishna as Source
we thank Krishna for
both supplying water
and quenching our thirst.
This is the Bhakta’s view
not merely impersonal Oneness
but oneness w/ form and variety–
love’s purpose is dynamic oneness.
Our self interest is given
to serve Krishna’s purpose–
animated Oneness: I am Krishnas’
and Krishna is mine!
The very thing the jnani flees:
attachment w/ a sense of I,
the bhakti-yogi embraces by
serving attachment for devotees.
Add to service and Krishna
the eternal sense of the real “I”
as Krishna “das” or “dasi”
servant of the servant of him.
It means we take shelter
under he who is sustaining
all the Universes and stars
and everyone’s life.
Seeing everything related to him
calls our spiritual progress
since our material disease
is a separatist, exploiting view.
Be Krishna conscious
thinking how to remember him always
connecting our life, work,
family and the world.
Materially what we want, fear, or dislike
is a manifestation of Krishna as his energy
seen as our karma, yet representing his power as
the Oversoul, Permitter, Source and Controller.
“Mind, body, family
and whatever else may be ‘mine’
I surrender at your lotus feet,
O youthful son of Nanda.
Father, Mother, lover,
son, Lord, preceptor,
and husband—you
are everything to me.”
[Bhaktivinode Thakur in Sharanagati]
Part two: Remembering Krishna in our life
“You are air, the Supreme Controller,
you are fire, water, the moon,
and the ‘creator’, Brahma, and beyond
the father all—nothing is beyond you.” [Bg 11.39]
In the scriptures Krishna gives us
ways to meditate on him with
things we can see and experience
even with material vision.
Our life is absolutely dependent
on the facilities he gives
since he is truly all things–
and what more is there?
While religions are quick to say
that “God is Light”
he is also darkness
or the absence of light.
Krishna is the life of all that lives
and all-devouring Death,
both spirit and matter,
existence and non-existence.
He’s light of the Sun and Moon
Black Holes in Space
whatever is up, down or sideways,
every which way, even unimaginable.
Whatever is opulent,
beautiful, glorious or great
represents Krishna, though
as impressive as that is to us
it’s only a spark of his spender,
still we meditate on him
with what we can conceive
knowing he’s inconceivably wonderful.
As we live our life
work, or interact with others
we remind ourselves that
nothing can exist without him.
Krishna is the ground we walk on
the air we breathe
sending rain and drought, time as
birth, growth, decline and decay.
Krishna is our remembrance, creativity
forgetfulness, abilities and energy
the true object of our attachment
as it is He we look for.
Whether wealth in money or things
position, power, fame or goals
relationships, family, or love
our lasting happiness still eludes!
After basic survival
people are strongly motivated
to find love and meaning in life—
though only God can provide that!
“I’m the goal, the sustainer, the master,
the witness, the abode, the refuge and
the dear-most friend, the basis of everything,
the resting place and eternal seed.” [Bg 9.18]
Take this help from scriptures and devotees
to find ways to remember Krishna
both indirectly through his energy and directly,
personally through his lila, name and Deity.
“Engage your mind always
in thinking of me, become my devotee,
offer obeisances and worship me,
absorbed in me, you will come to me.”
[Bg 9.34]