Excerpt from a lecture on the Hare Krishna mantra,
given in New York, September 8, 1966
given in New York, September 8, 1966
“If you want to spiritualize your vision, if you want to spiritualize your action,
if you want to spiritualize the whole constitution of your existence,
then you have to associate with the supreme spirit.”
Incarnation of God means the expansion which is as good as God Himself. That is called incarnation. So this, I mean to say,
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,
is the expansion, incarnation, sound incarnation, of God. It is expansion and a plenary expansion, sound, sound representation... Not representation, God, present Himself in this form of sound. Because we cannot see God with our present eyes, present eyes, because this is not our proper eyes. They are material eyes. You don't think that this eye, the transparent thing which is floating in this, I mean to say, hole... That is not seeing. Similarly, if you can present, or if you take this eye... You cannot see. That cannot see. It is simply a lens only. It is only lens. So none of this body, bodily part, is actually the thing which is taking part. So therefore with these eyes, with these material eyes, you cannot see.
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa's holy name, form, qualities and pastimes]
[Chaitanya caritamrta, Madhya 17.136]
The present senses, the present senses cannot have any knowledge of the Supreme God. But how then we can have knowledge? If my senses are unfit, then how can I make it fit? Oh, that is the thing. That is the thing, that you have to spiritualize, spiritualize these material sense, I mean to say, organs. And then, when you spiritualize, then you can have the spiritual vision and see God and yourself. The same example which I have recited many times: just like the iron rod. Iron rod, you put into the fire. It gets warm — warm, warmer, warmer. And when it is red hot, then it is no longer iron. Iron it is, but it does not act as iron, but it acts as fire. That iron rod which is red hot in association with fire, you can take that rod and touch anything; it will burn. That means it is no longer acting as iron; it is acting as fire. Similarly, if you associate with this transcendental incarnation, sound incarnation of God, then you will be gradually godly. You will be godly. You can become godly with God's association, not by any other material, extraneous things. No. Just like you can have fire only in association with fire, not with water. If you want to get yourself warm, then you have to associate with fire, not with water, not with air. Similarly, if you want to spiritualize your vision, if you want to spiritualize your action, if you want to spiritualize the whole constitution of your existence, then you have to associate with the supreme spirit. And that supreme spirit is very kind because He is everything. That we have already explained. Everything is interrelated with the Supreme; therefore He is interrelated with sound also. So by God's inconceivable potency, He can present before yourself in sound incarnation. That is His potency. That is His potency. He can do that. And therefore this name, Krsna, and the Supreme Lord Krsna, there is no difference.
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare,
is the expansion, incarnation, sound incarnation, of God. It is expansion and a plenary expansion, sound, sound representation... Not representation, God, present Himself in this form of sound. Because we cannot see God with our present eyes, present eyes, because this is not our proper eyes. They are material eyes. You don't think that this eye, the transparent thing which is floating in this, I mean to say, hole... That is not seeing. Similarly, if you can present, or if you take this eye... You cannot see. That cannot see. It is simply a lens only. It is only lens. So none of this body, bodily part, is actually the thing which is taking part. So therefore with these eyes, with these material eyes, you cannot see.
atah sri-krsna-namadi
na bhaved grahyam indriyaih
[Therefore material senses cannot appreciate Kṛṣṇa's holy name, form, qualities and pastimes]
[Chaitanya caritamrta, Madhya 17.136]
The present senses, the present senses cannot have any knowledge of the Supreme God. But how then we can have knowledge? If my senses are unfit, then how can I make it fit? Oh, that is the thing. That is the thing, that you have to spiritualize, spiritualize these material sense, I mean to say, organs. And then, when you spiritualize, then you can have the spiritual vision and see God and yourself. The same example which I have recited many times: just like the iron rod. Iron rod, you put into the fire. It gets warm — warm, warmer, warmer. And when it is red hot, then it is no longer iron. Iron it is, but it does not act as iron, but it acts as fire. That iron rod which is red hot in association with fire, you can take that rod and touch anything; it will burn. That means it is no longer acting as iron; it is acting as fire. Similarly, if you associate with this transcendental incarnation, sound incarnation of God, then you will be gradually godly. You will be godly. You can become godly with God's association, not by any other material, extraneous things. No. Just like you can have fire only in association with fire, not with water. If you want to get yourself warm, then you have to associate with fire, not with water, not with air. Similarly, if you want to spiritualize your vision, if you want to spiritualize your action, if you want to spiritualize the whole constitution of your existence, then you have to associate with the supreme spirit. And that supreme spirit is very kind because He is everything. That we have already explained. Everything is interrelated with the Supreme; therefore He is interrelated with sound also. So by God's inconceivable potency, He can present before yourself in sound incarnation. That is His potency. That is His potency. He can do that. And therefore this name, Krsna, and the Supreme Lord Krsna, there is no difference.
[The whole lecture here]
___________________________
Selected Posts on Krishna Consciousness
Selected Posts on Krishna Consciousness
(1) The Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra (Srila Prabhupada)
(2) Begin by engaging the tongue (Srila Prabhupada)
(3) Absolute Harmony (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(4) Truth and Beauty (Swami B.V. Tripurari)
(5) The right vision (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(6) Not religion, not yoga, not philosophy
(7) Neither poetry nor imagination (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(8) Dovetailing with Krishna (Srila Prabhupada)
(9) Here is Krishna (Srila Prabhupada)
(10) Simply by Chanting Krishna's Name (Srila Bhaktisiddhanta)
(11) Plato's Cave. And after liberation?
(12) Entering Lila — the Play of God (Swami B.V. Tripurari)
(13) Beyond immortality, beyond liberation, beyond oneness (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(14) So the real current is His pastimes (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(15) Service to The Absolute (Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaj)
(16) Bhakti begins there (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(17) Played by God (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(18): Service — Samadhi — Lila (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)
(19) In a particular direction (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(20) Service, service, service (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(21) Two instructions (Sri Krishna Chaitanya)
(22) Go straight there, don't break your journey anywhere (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(23) Waking from the dream (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(24) Everything is sweet (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(25) The only price is earnest desire (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(26) Associating with the sound incarnation of God(Srila Prabhupada)
(27) Service is self-giving (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(28) Taste will take us there (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
(29) The most confidential part of knowledge (Srila Prabhupada)
(30) Devotional service will free you (Srila Prabhupada)
(31) Been here before (Swami B.V. Tripurari)
(32) Vrindavan (Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur)
(33) The Complete Basic Process of Chanting Hare Krishna (Srila Bhaktiratna Sadhu Maharaj)
(34) Ways to Transcendental Vision (Srila Sridhar Maharaj)
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