If brahmajyoti is nondifferent from Krishna, as is his holy name, what’s wrong with meditating on brahmajyoti?
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Any other question? We say that the holy name is non-different from Krishna. And so, we meditate on Krishna by chanting His holy names, by meditating on His holy names. So, isn’t the brahmajyoti also non-different from Krishna? By meditating on the brahmajyoti, can we not say that we are meditating on Krishna Himself? So, how do we respond if we personally say like this? Answer, yes, even the brahmajyoti is non-different from Krishna.
वदंतित्तत्तोऽित्तत्तोन्यत् ज्ञानमद्वयम् अद्वय ब्रह्मेति परमात्मेति भवान्चंदति In 1.2.11, the Bhagavatam states that that the Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagwan are advaya. That advaya tattva, they are manifestation of that. They are known by different names.
But the point is not whether the brahmajyoti is non-different from Krishna or not. The point is what is the effect on us. Is it increasing our attraction to Krishna? Om is also a way of addressing Krishna.
But when we remember Om, does it increase our attraction to Krishna? No. Now if some impersonalists want to meditate on the impersonal Brahman and go to impersonal Brahman, that is their choice. And meditating on the impersonal Brahman is not wrong.
That is also a valid Vedic process for going towards spiritual reality. But the effect of meditating on a particular aspect of the Absolute Truth varies depending on the kind of relationship that we can have with the Absolute Truth. So when one meditates on Brahman, one perceives only the Sat aspect of the Absolute Truth.
And when one meditates on the Paramatma, one perceives the Sat and Chit aspect. Jiva Swami explains this in the Sandarbhas in that when one perceives the Bhagwan aspect, one meditates on the Sat, Chit and Ananda, all three. So, although we are not saying Brahman is only Sat, Brahman is Sat, Chit, Ananda, but those who are meditating on Brahman perceive only the Sat aspect of the Absolute Truth.
So, because of this, they realize the Sat aspect only. They don’t realize the full Absolute Truth. So, now, if we want to attain the topmost perfection, if we want to realize the Absolute Truth in the fullness, Sat, Chit, Ananda, then we need to meditate on Bhagwan.
So, even when we chant the holy names, if we chant inattentively, if we chant mechanically, then Krishna does not get revealed, at least not fully. So, with a desire to love Krishna, with a desire to have Krishna’s beauty revealed to us when we chant, then the holy name, the holy name’s non-difference with Krishna is revealed to us. From the Nama, the Rupa, Leela are all revealed and then we fall in love with Krishna.
So, there is a process that has to be followed for realizing and relishing the non-difference and that process is difficult to follow when yogis meditate on the Brahman, because they consider the Brahman itself the Absolute Truth and they don’t want to connect with Bhagwan. In fact, sometimes they think the Bhagwan aspect to be temporary illusory and that becomes offensive also. So, the point is, the effect on us will be different and for us to develop Krishna Prem, which the scriptures describe as the highest perfection, we need to meditate on Krishna and on His holy name, because the holy name also connects us with Krishna.
Thank you.