In search of happiness, we humans create countless desires that we think will satisfy our senses and mind. Yet, we don’t seem to have attained the ever elusive happiness that eternally overcomes all the sadness and suffering in our lives. The state of our inner and private world has remained the same, for we constantly harbour desires, anger, disappointment, greed, jealousy, anxiety, lust and other mental ailments. Yet, we remain optimistic that one day, peace and happiness will arrive on a magic carpet, ready to sweep us away to a world of fulfilled desires & never ending material comforts Amazing!
To develop an appreciation for the true meaning of happiness and the way to attain it, let us start by diverting our material desires towards God. Let us begin by desiring things associated with God and the people related to him. By associating our mind in him frequently, our mind will slowly get attached to him. Practising this regularly will help us fix our mind on him firmly. The more we attach our mind on God, the more we get detached from the material world and our hearts will also be cleansed to the same proportion.
God has gifted us five senses (eyes, ears, mouth, nose and skin) in their physical as well as subtle form. The eyes can see, but vision is something more subtle and internal to us. In the same way, ears can hear but listening is a subtle faculty. The ability to recognise taste, the sense of feeling (touch) and smell are the other capabilities that we possess in the subtle form. The great thing about them is that all the five senses also reside within our minds. What else can explain the phenomenon of being able to see, hear, smell and touch various objects in our dreams? When we are asleep, all the five senses organs also go to rest. We are unable to see or hear anything. But, in our dreams we perform all sorts of activities like seeing, walking, talking, hearing and eating. How is this possible? It is due to the presence of the five senses in their subtle form in the mind. This is known as cognizance in the scientific world. We will now learn to divert these subtle in our mind towards God, by concentrating our mind on aspects associated with God.
Imagine that you have just arrived in the Divine Abode of Vrindavan. Create a picture in your mind of all the beautiful things that you would like to see in Vrindavan. The lush greenery, the huge eucalyptus and banyan trees, cows grazing on the meadows far and wide, birds chirping, the peacocks calling and a stream flowing lethargically like a well-fed snake. As this is the Divine Abode, everything here has a special significance. The warm fragrance of the Divine trees brushes your nostrils and elevates your senses to a new level. Start walking in the lane lined by trees. Watch the branches gently sway to the tunes of the Divine breeze. The nearby woods provide plenty of fresh air to breathe.
As you take a stroll, your ears are instantly captivated by a hypnotic melody being played over the hills and far away. Deeply attracted and mesmerized by the Divine tunes, imagine yourselves being magically transported in the direction of the tantalizing notes. You wonder who could be playing such a wonderful instrument and realize that this Divinemusic is being played by none other than your soul beloved, Shree Krishna. You are now running in the direction of themusic, stumbling over mounds, wading through ankle deep water and across the green meadows disturbing the cattle’s peaceful grazing and throwing their rhythm out of gear.
Unmindful of this, your senses are now firmly attached to the harmony still flowing generously across the lowly hills. The tunes get closer and sweeter, your heart beats faster but you still can’t see him. You plead him to show you a glimpse of his true self. His Divine melody has all but captured your breath.
At that very instant, you think of your beloved Spiritual Master (Guru) and beg him to show you a glimpse of Shree Krishna. You pray at his lotus feet to shower his grace upon you so that you can meet your soul beloved.
Your Guru agrees to your prayers and offers his re-assuring hands which you gladly hold on as if your life depends on it. Slowly, you gather yourself and follow your guru in the direction of the soothing notes. Accompanying the melodic flute is the graceful tune emanating from the anklets of Shree Krishna. Unable to comprehend or digest the sweetness of this Divine music, you resist the urge to ask your Guru to go faster. Your Guru smiles at your thoughts & comes to a stop.
Your eyes scan the horizon as your eyes fall upon the mighty and Divine River, Yamuna, flowing silently across the fields of maize, corn and wheat. The crystal clear water attracts your attention but you remain unmoved. Your revered Guru gestures at you as your gaze reaches the Divine Kadamba tree on the banks of the river. Nearby, standing on the tender grass, wearing a yellow top-cloth, Pitambar, & holding the flute in the both his hands, is your soul beloved Shree Krishna.
Your eyes cannot believe that Shree Krishna is indeed in front of you, playing the most attractive melodies Shree Krishna gestures at your Guru to bring you closer to him. As your Guru steps towards you with his arms wide open, look at yourself fall at his feet and then embrace him. Tears roll down your eyes in humble submission towards your revered Guru with whose grace this auspicious moment has arrived. He then hands you over to your Beloved Lord, Shree Krishna who waits patiently for you to step forward.
Leaving your Guru’s shadow, you are drawn closer to Shree Krishna like a moth is to limelight. Behold the lord with all your eyes for this is the ultimate moment of your life. You have been blessed and graced with the greatest of all boons and the most expensive of all treasures there is or will ever be. The most awaited day of your entire existence has now arrived, for you have a private audience with the lord himself!
You and your Guru are now witness to Shree Krishna’s Roop Madhuri, or the Nectar flowing from His Divine Form, due to which the Lord of lords appears the most beautiful & handsome. As you lift your head & look into his eyes pouring with love, and a gaze that pierces your heart with a thousand arrows, tears of joy cascade down your cheeks. Your voice is choked, throat dry and unable to utter much. Your eyes now fall upon his admirable crown made of peacock feathers, perched so perfectly on his tender head. The feathers fluttering in the gentle breeze appear to fan his soft and curly hair. Your eyes are drawn loving to his perfectly carved eyes that resemble that of peacock. You are now looking at the prominent Tilak on his forehead placed so expertly
Shree Krishna is wearing a Divine garland made of the choicest of Divine flowers (Vaijayanti Mala) whose fragrance fills the air around. Every flower in the garland seems to reach out towards Shree Krishna’s nostrils, trying to impress him with their exotic effervescence. Decked in the choicest of jewellery and the exquisite Kaustubh mani, Shree Krishna looks extremely attractive. His trunk is partially covered in the softest of silk dupattas that seems to gently kiss his skin so as to not pain his soft and delicate body. He is clad in yellow clothes, held in its place around his tender waist by a gold band. Your beloved wears a silver anklet that sings as he steps towards you. The sound of the anklets rings in your ears like a symphony of a hundred musicians, elevating your joy to unknown heights.
Shree Krishna now plays the flute for you drowning you deeper in the bliss of Divine love for your Beloved. Slowly and steadily, you and your Guru move towards Shree Krishna’s feet to take your rightful place.
As He stands tall, you watch the grass gently support his tender feet and go head over heals to massage them. Every thing and every being that you see around you is doing its best to be of service to Shree Krishna. Your concentration is now on His feet as you thank Him and your Guru profusely for this most fortunate event of your life. Pray to Shree Krishna to grace you in such a way that your permanent place will remain at His lotus feet in eternal service for his happiness alone. Realise yourself to be the humblest of all souls and a sinner beyond redemption. Shed tears of repentance for his happiness and wash His feet lovingly for his comfort.
Think of yourself to be the most fallen soul and beg for His forgiveness. Break the chains of your heart and fill it will love for Shree Krishna. Seeing that His devotee has truly surrendered himself, Shree Krishna now lifts you with both his arms and embraces you with all his heart. When you thought that the ultimate joy had been attained, your Beloved now fills your heart with more Divine love and bliss that is a countless times higher than what you received earlier. Shree Krishna himself is very pleased with your selfless love and showers more of his Divine love upon you. The tears in yours eyes have now formed a constant stream and cleansed your heart for ever.
Shree Krishna now instructs your Guru to take you back to earth and asks you if you will continue to love Him more than ever. Reluctantly, you leave his arms and again prostrate at his feet. Shree Krishna again flashes his bewitching smile once again and says, “I shall never leave you even for a moment. I am always with you and in you. Think of me always and you shall be eternally blissful.”
With these words, Shree Krishna bids adieu. Your lovelorn eyes are still filled with tears as you request the lord for his permission to leave. Shree Krishna sends you off with his blessings as you and your Guru slowly make your way out of Vrindavan. Everything looks pale and lifeless without your Soul-Beloved but His reassuring words lift your spirits.
Open your eyes and bring yourself back home.
