The land of Love – Vrindavan consciousness (Srila B.A. Paramadvaiti Maharaj)

Gurumaharaj from Vrindavan (India), 24 October 2005.

"One of the features of a living individual is his longing. His craving. Which in the material world becomes very sensual and material, but which is in its root cause a very strong spiritual longing. Just like the longing for affection. There is no real physical need for affection, to be caressed, to be talked to with sweet words, but we all have a longing for that. [—] It is the sense of each and every one’s search for love which brings about this longing. And it is clearly indicative that the soul actually longs or is in need for love. This love which we are so needy for, so anxious, is the love for God. [—] It is actually a need for the soul to be in a positive environment where you are appreciated, and where you appreciate."

"Then we come to the third stage of God realization, which is Bhagavan. brahmeti, paramatmeti, bhagavan ity sabdyate ["Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān."] That is, that there is a land of love. It's not called Russia. And it's not called Peru. There is a land of love, and that is called Goloka Vrindavan.* And that land of love is the land we want to reach."

"Come on, wake up, and go to the world of love! Go there, one way, don’t take any side turns into the confusion world. You’ve already seen it all, you’ve already heard it all, but the one thing you have not yet experienced is pure love. And pure love is really what it’s all about."

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* Goloka Vrindavan: The Vedic concept 'loka' is both a place/plane/planet/world/realm and a state of consciousness. The implication is that places are states of consciousness. Goloka Vrindavan is the innermost realm of the Absolute/Source, where dwells the Source of consciousness: The Supreme Person (consciousness means person), svayam bhagavan, Sri Krishna Himself. And the Source of everything, Krishna, is love. So Goloka Vrindavan is the land of love, and Vrindavan consciousness means pure love consciousness, and cultivation of Krishna consciousness, beginning with chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, is the science of "getting there".