How can we actually understand Krishna’s form?

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Okay, one last question. How do we understand Krishna’s form deeply? Basically, our consciousness is currently caught at the level of the mind. It goes here, it goes there, it goes everywhere.
Then our consciousness can also be directed to the intelligence. Beyond that is the heart or the soul. So, presently when we see Krishna’s form, say we see in a temple or we see in a painting, we are basically seeing it as depicted by a particular artist using their creative imagination.
It’s based on scripture, no doubt, but it’s based on their imagination. So basically, we use our intelligence to understand how God has a form. And how scripture reveals to us the form that he has.
That is, we could say, a preliminary step or a foundational step, not preliminary, this is unimportant, it’s vital. We use our intelligence to understand how scripture reveals the form of God and how first of all God has a form. Then, with the mind, as we become purified, as we become more and more purified, the mind’s pure imagination starts concealing the form.
That means that right now I may look at the form of Krishna and then I close my eyes and try to imagine it. It’s also good if I can imagine Krishna’s form instead of imagining so many sensual images. I can imagine this is good.
But the purer the mind, the clearer will be the image of Krishna. Some people may have more of a visual intelligence than others and those people may be, even in an impure state, they can imagine any form. So they can imagine a film star, a four star, you know, Krishna’s form also they can imagine.
But that imagination will not be a deeply transformation to their heart. Because it’s when our heart is, when we are purified, when the mind is purified, when the purer imagination will lead to a deeper registration in the form of Krishna. Otherwise it’s just a concept that our mind has thought of.
And then ultimately, at the level of the heart, Krishna’s form will be revealed to us. So basically the idea is that in the service of Krishna’s form, we use whatever we have. So we use our artistic skills to depict the form of Krishna.
We use our intellectual ability to understand the form of Krishna. We use our, you could say, imaginational or recollectional faculties to try to visualize the form of Krishna internally. Ultimately, when we are purified, Krishna reveals His form to us.
That well known word, अतः श्री कृष्ण नामादि नभवेद ग्रहाये मिन्द्रिये, सेवों मुखे ही जिव्वादव। स्वयं इव स्पुरत्यदः। That, सेवों मुखे ही जिव्वादव। So, we do seva of Krishna with जिव्वादि, the tongue and other faculties. The tongue and faculties, it includes the mind and the intelligence. So whatever resources we have, we use them to serve Krishna.
And by that, by Himself, स्वयं इव, by His free will, one day that form will be revealed to us. स्पुरत्यदः। So till then, we can try to analyze, visualize in a mood of service, not in a mood of speculation. And gradually, by Krishna’s will, that form will be revealed to us.