Nārada Muni explains our eternal transcendental nature
It is a well-known fact that Krsna is controlled by His pure devotees, and thus does not leave them for a second. The question is: How can we also become like them, so Krsna will always be with us?
In the Srimad Bhagavatam, 4.31.18, Nārada Muni makes the point that we should engage in devotional service, thinking ourselves qualitatively one with the Lord. The Lord is spiritual and eternal; therefore, we should also see ourselves in this way, sharing the same spiritual nature as the Lord, but at the same time subordinate to Him.
This means that we should be very clear in our minds that we are not part of this material world. Just as the Lord is transcendental, we are also transcendental, and part of our path of self-realization consists exactly in fully realizing that.
However, when we look into our current situation, hopelessly under the modes of material nature, this may seem a little far away. How do we get there?
In the Bhagavad-gītā, we learn that the process of becoming free from material contamination passes by satisfying the Lord through our endeavors, instead of trying to reach Him by our own effort. Nārada thus gives us the process of satisfying the Lord:
"By showing mercy to all living entities, being satisfied somehow or other, and restricting the senses from sense enjoyment, one can very quickly satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Janārdana."
Material existence is based on the perpetual search for sense enjoyment in different species of life. An important part of the process of self-realization is thus to restrict this sense enjoyment, which works as a type of drug for the conditioned soul, in which we have been hooked from time immemorial. Understanding that artificial sense gratification can't bring us happiness, we should find satisfaction in our spiritual practice and learn to be peaceful and satisfied in whatever material situation we see ourselves in. By doing so, we find peace to pursue our spiritual practice. We should do all of this, understanding that this makes the Lord satisfied with us.
In his purport to the same verse, however, Srila Prabhupada emphasizes the first aspect, showing mercy to all living entities. As he explains: "The first item mentioned is dayayā sarva-bhūteṣu, showing mercy to all conditioned souls. The best way to show mercy is to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The entire world is suffering for want of this knowledge. People should know that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the original cause of everything. Knowing this, everyone should directly engage in His devotional service. Those who are actually learned, advanced in spiritual understanding, should preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness all over the world so that people may take to it and make their lives successful. The word sarva-bhūteṣu is significant because it applies not only to human beings but to all the living entities appearing in the 8,400,000 species of life. The devotee can do good not only to humanity but to all living entities as well. Everyone can benefit spiritually by the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. When the transcendental vibration of Hare Kṛṣṇa is sounded, even the trees, animals and insects benefit. Thus when one chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra loudly, he actually shows mercy to all living entities."
It is a well-known fact that Krsna is controlled by His pure devotees, and thus does not leave them for a second. This means Krsna personally stays with them, not in His impersonal aspect or indirectly through His energy, but personally, in His two-armed form.
The question is: How can we also become like them, so Krsna will always be with us?
Nārada gives us the progression in text 4.31.20:
"Being completely cleansed of all material desires, the devotees are freed from all mental contamination. Thus they can always think of the Lord constantly and address Him very feelingly."
Krsna becomes attracted by the Love of His devotees, and the practical symptom of this love is that one thinks of the Lord constantly, addressing Him very feelingly. This is, however, possible only in a pure platform, where one is cleansed of all mental contamination and free from all material desires. This is explained by Krsna on Bg 18.54: "One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me."
As this verse indicates, this platform of pure devotion becomes possible when one becomes free from the influence of the three modes. First, we attain liberation, and pure devotion is further away. The question thus remains: How to get there?
At the end of His purport to text 4.31.19, Prabhupada explains that once our senses are controlled, we can accept any difficult situation in our service of spreading Krsna Consciousness, and to control our senses, we should keep our minds engaged in the service of the Lord. Thus, the secret to controlling our senses is to remain somehow or other always engaged in the service of the Lord. From this foundation, everything else can be obtained.
Krsna is the creator and proprietor of everything. This means that, factually, nothing belongs to us. However, under the material illusion, people become very proud of material education, wealth, aristocracy, mundane piety, and all sorts of material possessions. This leads them to associate with other mundane-minded people and deride devotees, who are by definition on a different path. As long as a person is on this materialistic path, it’s not possible to come close to the Lord, since even if somehow one worships the Lord in this state, the Lord doesn't accept their offerings.
We have thus to renounce this sense of false proprietorship and understand that nothing belongs to us. Material assets are just loaned to us by the Lord, and since everything belongs to Him, everything should be used in His service. This includes not only material objects, but also our intelligence, thoughts, words, activities, etc. By practicing this mentality, we can attain the transcendental service of the Lord, and when we attain it, we become fully happy, understanding that this is true wealth.
The Lord is so grateful to His pure devotees that He not only protects them from all kinds of danger (such as when He personally sent His Sudarśana-cakra to protect Ambarīṣa Mahārāja) but also becomes dependent on them, even though He is self-sufficient. This is yet another apparent contradiction that is understood when we approach this platform of pure love.
Nārada Muni described these transcendental relationships to the Pracetas in detail and then returned to Brahmaloka. The Pracetas, of course, took these instructions to the heart and, by following them, became firmly attached to the Supreme Lord and attained the ultimate destination. Such is the potency of hearing from a pure devotee.
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