Seeking God regardless of location and time

Maharajji Kripalu stresses that we have to come to God as an infant without any hatred or animosity. Approach him in any form that you find pleasing in a non-mayic sense. Call to Him with a name that makes you feel comfortable. Picture him anyway you want. God comes in all forms; do not hesitate to picture Him the way you perceive him. Sometimes he becomes an old man, a young woman, or a child. More importantly, do all of these in your mind. If you try to do this in external Deity worship, you will be displeased, as it will not be as perfect as you imagined it. You may want to decorate Krishn with a $10 million diamond necklace, but most of us do not have that much money. However, thinking through our mind doesn’t cost us any money and we can even decorate Krishn with $100 million diamond necklace.   

In the Bhagwatam, eight kinds of Deity worship are described.  The one that we need to focus on is manomay. It can be done anywhere, since you do it in your mind. If the Deity is something tangible, you either have to carry it with you or you have to visit it. Either way, it becomes burdensome. However, when it is in the mind, it is accessible whenever and can be adorned to your liking, including that $10 million dollar necklace. You can change it to your liking in a whim, without spending any money. It does not matter to God if you chose your mind, so long as it is a place of worship.

In order to purify our minds, we must perform services with our mind, body, and wealth. The mind is the first thing we must purify. It has the ability to keep us suppressed or liberate us. The mind controls our actions, not our body. For example, Arjun committed millions of murders, yet his mind was thinking about Krishn. Krishn did not record his murders, because his mind was in the right place. Arjun acted out of duty.  He did not stop and think about the orders that were given to him by Krishn. His lack of attachment to his actions are due to his bond with Krishn. This process is known as karm yog, and occurs slowly with enough practice.

 

Krishn can’t come down to us and help us purify our minds. He sent Uddhao to the Gopis so that Uddhao can receive Divine Love. Krishn sends his Bhakt Saints to help us create a mind devoted to Krishn. He cannot have direct contact with us, since he has to abide by Divine rules. This is why we must seek the guidance of true Saints, as they are given the responsibility to show the souls the path to God. Ask God for devotion that will allow you to receive His Divine vision. If you have not come into contact with a Divine Saint, ask God to send one to you so that you can receive guidance during your journey. He will do everything with His Grace. When we cry for Krishn, it melts His heart. This is His weakness. A Saint will surely come if you shed passionate and devotional tears for Krishn. Do not be scared and think, “How will I meet God?”  After all, there isn’t a worse sinner than Ajamil. God has always been there for us, to help those who need the most help. God loves us more when we realize how much we have sinned. Guarang Mahaprabhu said, “When I hear Your names, ‘deen-bhandhu’ (friend of the humble souls) or ‘patit-pavan’ (purifier of fallen souls), then I have the confidence that I will also find You.  But when I hear ‘bhakt-vatsal’(friend of the true devotee), I get scared.  How could I become a ‘bhakt’?  This is not within my control."

God is patit pavan, deen badhu, adham udharan, and supreme. We should not falter or have any misgivings. As you pursue your faith, it should grow on a daily basis. You must wish to meet Him every day. If you did not meet him the first time, feel that you are sinful and that He does not want to meet with you. Your longing for him will increase. You will become more humble and submissive. You will reach that infant state where your heart and mind are pure. When you reach this state, a Saint will Grace you with Divine love. You will become Divinized, giving you the same senses as Krishn. Picture his Grace when you wish to see him during his descension or see him omnipresent. Shankaracharya, who believed in the impersonal aspect of God, nirakar brahm, even said, "Krishn came as the son of Yashoda and is seen on one place by everyone, that He is there, not over here, still, this is all an illusion.  He is sarv gatah sarvatr." Everything in this universe has an element of Krishn. Without Him, Creation would not be possible. He is the governing body of the universe. Krishn started the creation so that souls can practice devotion and gave them the law book of the Ved. We have forgotten the Vedas, and if we come to know of them through a Saint, we say, “Let’s see what happens after I die.”  What will you see?  You will suffer.   See now in the present moment.  Even one moment before death, if your intellect decides, “Only Shyamsundar is mine”, then if you die, don’t worry.  Your life would have been a success. Then in your next birth, you will born in the home of devotees and will complete what you need to attain your ultimate aim.