“Krishna is non-different from his holy name.” How can we realize such incomprehensible-seeming scriptural statements?
By purification.
As souls, we are capable of pure spiritual perception. Presently however, that capacity is covered by impurities accumulated over many lifetimes due to our material indulgences. This covering has reduced us to a state of spiritual blindness.
Thankfully, this blindness is curable. To end it, we need to remove the layers of impurities obscuring our spiritual perception. The Bhagavad-gita (15.11) assures that yogis who strive by situating themselves on the spiritual platform perceive life’s higher realities.
How do we situate ourselves on the spiritual platform?
Krishna offers the easiest way by making himself available as various relishable manifestations such as the holy names, Deities and scriptures. Even if these don’t initially seem spiritual to us, we can begin with a tentative faith in the authority of scripture and treat the non-difference of these manifestations with Krishna as theoretical propositions for experimentation. The experiment centers on fixing our consciousness on him, who is supremely pure and supremely purifying. Thus, for example, if we chant his names attentively while intellectually contemplating that those names are non-different from him, we will gradually gain rich inner experiences of his sweetness. These purifying experiences will not only make us disinclined towards further material indulgences, but also make us eager for more such spiritual experiences.
By thus seeing how these experiences are far more fulfilling and transforming than any of our past experiences, our faith will deepen. We will absorb ourselves more in Krishna, thereby gaining more wonderful experiences. This cycle of purification and absorption will gradually culminate in sublime spiritual realizations. We will not only realize the non-difference of Krishna and his manifestations. But also he will become our foremost reality, realer than the world we encounter with our senses.
Leave A Comment