Lets Fall In Love With Our Maker

image: Krishna with Radha

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“The eye through which I see God is the same eye through which God sees me;

my eye and God’s eye are one eye, one seeing, one knowing, one love.”

Meister Eckhart, Sermons of Meister Eckhart

Radha Krishna

We need to fully understand love if we wish to fall in love with the supreme love, known as  “Divine Love.” Nevertheless, such an understanding  is not something  that happens outside this world or beyond our space-time continuum. This is because each object in this world manifests the divine and thus, we as individuals  can encounter the divine in anything, anywhere and at any time.

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But once this understanding  happens, and it is crucial that it does happen at some point, we come to realise that the divine permeates everything. Thus, one way of defining divine love would be by falling in love with everything, as distinguished from the love of one particular object. But this definition does not sufficiently distinguish divine love from human love and the question still remains: is the nature of divine love (i.e., the love of everything) the same as human love?

Once we acquire the realisation that the divine permeates everything, then the nature or mode of our love of the divine changes dramatically. As the object of our love becomes “everything,” the manner of our loving evolves from human to Divine. This is known as enlightenment.

Divine love may begin with our loving another person, but gradually our love grows to embrace everything in the world, and as our love encompasses everything, we transcend the norms associated with human love and the manner of loving changes.

When Love Beckons You –

I believe that both Gods and Goddesses dwells within our innermost being as the very spirit of our creative expression. To me, they are a great path that we must walk, a song we must listen to, a beat to dance to. A lesson to learn, a garden where flowers bloom, a puzzle  to solve, a book to read,  an ocean to swim in. That’s what they are  to me. Krishna said in the Bhagavad gita, Chapter 10:  “I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly, engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.”

Eve

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“When love beckons to you follow him, Though his ways are hard and steep. And when his wings enfold you yield to him, Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you. And when he speaks to you believe in him, Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden. For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning. Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun, So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth……

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears. Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.

Love possesses not nor would it be possessed; For love is sufficient unto love. And think not you can direct the course of love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.”

But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires: To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully.”

~ Kahlil Gibran, Le Prophe’te

“Krishna’s Song” – The Gopis Lament – Inspiritual Quotations

“O loved one, show yourself! Your devotees, whose lives are sustained in you, are searching for you everywhere.

You are taking our life, O Lord of autumn; your glance excels in beauty the heart of a beautiful lotus perfectly born in autumn from a pool of water. We are your maidservants, we do not ask for any payment. Isn’t this killing us, O bestower of favours?

O bull among men, we have been continuously protected by you from destruction from the poisonous water, from the wicked demon, from the winds and rains, from fire and lightning, from the bull of Arista, from the son of Maya, and from fear from all sides.

You are not, in fact the son of a gopi. You are the witness of the inner self in all embodied beings. Being, petitioned by Brahma, you become manifest in the family of the Satvatas, O friend, for the protection of the Universe.

Place your lotus hand on the head of those who have approached you out of fear of the material world, O foremost of the Vrsni clan. Your hand, which holds the hand of Sri Lakshmi, bestows fearlessness and fulfills desires, O lover.

You are the hero of women, and you take away the pain of the people of Vraj! The pride of your devotees is annihilated by your smile! Accept your maidservants, friend! Show us your beautiful lotus face!

Place your lotus feet upon our breasts. Your feet have been placed in the hoods of the serpent Kaliya and follow the animals to the pasture. They are the abode of the goddess of fortune, Sri, and they removed the sins of submissive embodied beings. Excise Kama, who dwells within your hearts.

O hero, these women obedient to your will are stunned by your sweet voice, your charming words which please the mind and the intelligence, and your lotus eyes. Reinvigorate us with the intoxicating liquid of your lips.

Those who repeat the sweetness of your words in this world are munificent. These words are praised by poets, spread abroad, are are auspicious to hear. They are life-giving for those who are suffering. They remove sins and bring good fortune.

Your bursts of laughter, pleasing looks of love, and pastimes are auspicious to contemplate. Those meetings in secret places touch our hearts, you cheater, and perturb us thoroughly.

When you go from Vraj grazing the animals, O Lord, your feet, beautiful as lotuses, are troubled by blades of grass and corn stubble, and so we feel distress. You are our beloved.

You possess a lotus face, surrounded by blue locks of hair which you constantly display covered with thick dust at the end of the day. Your arouse Kama in our heart, O hero.

O lover, place your most beneficent lotus feet on our breasts. They fulfill the desires of the humble and should be meditated upon in trouble, O destroyer of anxiety. They are worshipped by the lotus-born Brahma, and are the ornament of the earth.

Bestow upon us the nectar of your lips, O hero, which have been thoroughly kissed by the flute as it plays music. It destroys sorrow, increases the pleasures of love, and causes men to forget other passions.

When you, Lord, go to the forest during the day, a moment becomes an Age for those who do not see you. He who created eyelashes is dull-witted, from the perspectives of those beholding your beautiful face, with its curled locks of hair.

Acyuta, you are the knower of movements. Bewildered by our song, we have thoroughly neglected our husbands, sons, family, brothers and kinsfolk, and come before you. Who would abandon women in the night, you rogue?

We have become unsettled from contemplating your broad chest, the abode of Sri Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, as well as your looks of love, your smiling face and the meetings in secret places which aroused Kama. We long for you intensely all the time.

Your incarnation is for the good of the universe, and dispels the distress of the people of Vraj. Deliver a little of that medicine which removes the ailment from the hearts of your devotees to us. Our hearts yearn for you.

We gently place your tender lotus feet on your rough breasts with trepidation. You wander in the forest on them and our minds are disturbed: what is they had been hurt by small stones? Your Lordship is our life.”

– the lament of the Gopis for Krishna from KRISHNA: THE BAGAVAD PURANA BOOK TEN trans Edwin F Bryant (ISBN 0140447997)

Krishna’s Song is a deeply profound piece of writing. I like the translation into English and feel it deserves a place on this blog. Radha though is not a woman but is the manifestation of Krishna-bhakti . In response to the question, “How devoted should one be?”‘ the Naradbhaktisutra writes, “Like the Gopis (Cowherd Girls) of Vraj.”  In reality , these Gopis are incarnations of Rishis.

It is best to read  Krishna’s Song first,  Radha’s Lament should follow…

Much thanks to Jake Murray for bringing my attention to Krishna’s Song.

Krishna’s Song: the Bagavad Gita – Inspiration Quotations

Krishna - Image from Art Gallery in Delhi

“I will tell thee a supreme mystery, because thy soul has faith. It is vision and wisdom and when known thou shalt be free from sin.

It is the supreme mystery and wisdom and the purification supreme. Seen in a wonder of vision, it is a path of righteousness very easy to follow, leading to the highest End.

But those who have no faith in this Truth, come not unto me: they return to the cycles of life in death.

All this visible universe comes from my invisible Being. All beings have their rest in me, but I have no rest in them.

And in truth they rest not in me: consider my sacred mystery. I am the source of all beings, but I have not my rest in them.

Even as the mighty winds rest in the vastness of the ethereal space, all beings have their rest in me. Know thou this truth.

At the end of the night of time all things return to my nature; and when the new day of time begins I bring them again into light.

Thus through my nature I bring forth all creation, and this rolls round in the circles of time.

But I am not bound by this vast work of creation. I am and I watch the drama of works.

I watch and in its work of creation nature brings forth all that moves and moves not: and thus the revolutions of the world go round.

But the fools of the world know not me when they see me in my own human body. They know not my Spirit supreme, the infinite God of this all.

Their hope is in vain, their works are in vain, their learning is in vain, their thoughts are in vain. They fall down to the nature of demons, towards the darkness and of delusion of hell.

But there are some great souls who know me: their refuge is my own divine nature. They love me with a oneness of love: they know that I am the source of all.

They praise me with devotion, they praise me for ever and ever. Their vows are strong; their harmony is ever one; and they worship me with their love.

Others worship me, and work for me, with the sacrifice of spiritual vision. They worship me as One and as many, because they see that all is in me.

For I am the sacrifice and the offering, the sacred gift and the sacred plant. I am the holy words, the holy food, the holy fire, and the offering that is made in the fire.

I am the Father of the universe, and even the Source of the Father. I am the Mother of the universe, and the Creator of all. I am the Highest to be known, the Path of purification, the holy AUM, the Three Vedas.

I am the Way, and the Master who watches in silence; thy friend and thy shelter and thy abode of peace. I am the beginning and the middle and the end of all things: their seed of Eternity, their Treasure supreme.”

Krishna

– from THE BHAGAVAD GITA.

Trans Juan Mascaro ISBN 9780140449181

Krishna Images: courtesy of Exotic India Art Gallery, New Delhi.

Much thanks to JAKE MURRAY FOR INTRODUCING ME TO BOTH SACRED WRITINGS.

Dreams Of Sai -Sathya Sai Memories

This beautiful dream story has been passed to me for publishing here.

The beginning of the dream:

“Somebody unknown to me rang  at 5 a.m.  on my cell phone. Normally this is the time for me to go gym but I did not feel like it.The first thing I felt was being upset with Swami, “Saying to myself, Swami why did you not come to my dream I was so much expecting to see you….” ! I then fell asleep again after 5 a.m…..then I saw Swami very young, beautiful….First I was on his right side, there were green flowers between us, huge masses of them. Many people stood there in front of us. Swami was  giving a speech, it seemed like the year was 1950’…something like that.

Later I was sitting on some  steps … waiting for him to come down from what appeared to be an auditorium hall…..Swami came from  the top of the stairs and stopped by my side.

He materialized what appeared to be large amounts  of Kumkum. He, at first, began to put the kumkum on my forehead, then continued and covered the whole centre of my head. It felt, to me, very like  I was at a wedding ceremony; when the husband places  Kumkum on his wife’s head..I felt so much love. I  felt he’d  married me again…

I held his hands with my namaskaram position…His hand felt so soft.  I could feel lots of love flowing through me..My eyes were closed and all I wanted to do is feel his love through me and wanted to freeze the moment . Keep it forever with me.  I just did not want to let it go but at the same time I felt many people were waiting for him. I needed to let him go. Swami said beautifully, “Your love to me is Like Radha’s love for Krishna!!” and smiled.

I cried many tears.  They tears were simply bursting from my eyes. I touched  both his feet and kissed them. Such a beautiful feeling…

My whole body,  from top to bottom, was covered with  Kumkum materialized by swami..People around me were telling me he’d poured too much but I felt elated!

Once I opened my eyes,  it was 7 a.m.  Ram was trying to wake me up..But I did not want to wake, I wanted to stay there with Swami.