Using Imagination in Bhakti: Why? How? | Bhagavatam 3.4.27 | Chowpatty, Mumbai – Chaitanya Charan

To see notes, click here

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Hare Krishna So today morning we are discussing from the Srimad Bhagavatam. This is one of the more emotionally intense sections of the Bhagavatam, where the remembrance of the Lord is felt in His absence. So, if there is a huge skyscraper building in an area which is otherwise a rural area with not many tall buildings, then if the sun is there, the shadow of that skyscraper will go on for very long.
So like that, in human history, there are some events which are like skyscrapers, and the shadow of that event goes on for a long time. So for example, if you go to Germany, the Holocaust that happened, the Second World War is over, but the shadow of the Holocaust still goes on. In India, for many people, the independence struggle, and all that happened, especially more than independence, the partition that happened, and people who were displaced because of that, that memory in the form of a shadow stays on.
So like that, right now, the Bhagavatam is actually largely being spoken in the shadow of Krishna’s departure. And this particular event is even more in that shadow, that Vidura and Uddhava are meeting. And generally the more recent the event, the stronger, the sharper, the clearer are the memories.
So here, they are remembering the Lord, and it is bringing up a lot of emotions over here. So generally, the remembrance of the Lord is a key element of the practice of Bhakti. Now when we are thinking about remembrance, what does remembrance actually mean? For example, if you want to remember the Lord, there has to be some preconditions for remembrance.
So if I am going to remember, then there has to be before that some remembrances, some memories. Like in Hindi, we can say that, yaad kaise karege, yaade hi nahi hai to? Isn’t it? We have to have some memories. So, if we meet someone, and that person says, do you remember me? And now, sometimes, with respect to the past, our memory might be just like amnesia.
A complete blank. Now I am reconnecting with many of my school and college friends. And it’s almost like that seems like a previous lifetime to me.
And they remember me, I don’t remember them, it’s a bit embarrassing. But for remembering, we have to have remembrances, we have to have memories. So when the memories are there, then we can draw on those memories and remember.
So in one sense, here both Vidura and Uddhava have many memories of the Lord. Now memories can be direct and memories can also be indirect. Memories can be direct means that we ourselves interacted with that person.
We ourselves, say if we are remembering a person, then we had some interaction with that person. But indirect means somebody else interacted. But still, that has also created an impact on us.
So here when they are remembering, the context is that now they are going to part. Vidura and Uddhava had a discussion and Vidura is going to go to Maitreya now. As per what Uddhava has suggested.
And here, the Lord is being referred to as Vishwamurthy. It’s interesting when Srila Prabhupada gives his word for word translation, translation in purport. Sometimes Srila Prabhupada has a synergy or symmetry in all these three things.
But sometimes Prabhupada will translate in the word to word, the word in a particular way. In his sentence, in his actual translation, he may translate in a different way. And his purport, he may give a different point.
So what Srila Prabhupada often is doing is, he is giving us points from multiple acharyas. Or points from multiple perspectives. And in that way, he is giving us, like sometimes cars are advised, maximum mileage.
So you can have maximum distance covered for every liter of fuel that we are using. So like that, Prabhupada is giving us maximum mileage of wisdom through his word for word translation, translation and purports. So here, Srila Prabhupada in the word for word translation or in the sentence translation does not use the word Vishwamurthy literally.
If you look at it, he primarily focuses on the transcendental form of the Lord. So what he says that, so after discussing the transcendental name, fame, qualities. So it is gunakathya.
So daya plavito rotapaha. And he was overwhelmed. And then he passed the night as if it was just moment moment.
So there is no specific reference to the word Vishwamurthy. Iha iti sahavadurena Vishwamurthy. Now the word Vishwamurthy is what is the focus of Srila Prabhupada’s purport.
And we will focus on that theme. And the topic broadly I will discuss today is on using imagination in Krishna’s service. What are the parameters for that? How can it be used? Where does it go wrong? So I will talk about that.
But let’s start with this word Vishwamurthy. Now the word Vishwamurthy can mean many different things. At one level it can refer to the world as a form of the Lord.
So we have the Vishwaroopa and Vishwamurthy can be a synonym of that. The form of the Lord, the murthy and this is similar. Now Vishwamurthy can also refer, the way Prabhupada is using it here is, that his murthy is present all over the Vishwa.
So one is the universe itself is the form. But in the universe everywhere is his form. Like the word Vishnu or the word Vasudeva refers to the all pervading aspect of the Lord.
So now the difference between those two meanings is in one sense significant. Vishwamurthy when we use it, one is that the universe is the form. The universe is the form of the Lord and that is particularly shown say in chapter 11 of the Gita.
But the other is, throughout the universe is the form. So throughout the universe is the form. And Shila Prabhupada uses it in this context and he is saying that this does not mean that the Lord no longer has his personal form.
No longer has his transcendental form. He has it but over and above that, that same form is revealed everywhere. In the Padyavali, there is a prayer attributed to Radharani where she says that, Krishna I prefer separation from you than union with you.
Because when I am with you, I can see you only in one place. When I am not with you, I can see you everywhere. I can see you everywhere.
So the idea is that Radharani is of course by no means an impersonalist. In fact she is the complete opposite. Her love is completely for the person Krishna.
And specifically the person Krishna. Even when she sees Vishnu, she offers respects to Vishnu and asks, My dear Lord, O Lord, where is Krishna? So she is completely a person. But even she is saying, yes, I see you everywhere.
So I will talk about three broad points today. That first, with this context, I will talk about when imagination, so the relationship between imagination and recollection. Smaran or remembrance is very much talked about in our tradition.
So I will talk about the relationship between the two which is often underutilized. And then I will talk about when imagination is anukul and when it is pratikul. For our bhakti, for our service to Krishna.
And lastly I will talk about broadly five ways to use imagination. Now these are not exhaustive, they are indicative. What I have seen in Shastra, what I have seen in devotees across the world.
So let’s look at these one by one. Now when we say we have to fix the mind on Krishna or we have to remember Krishna. This is considered such a central element of bhakti.
So Srila Prabhupada also started this as the international society for Krishna consciousness. So now that means we want to become conscious of Krishna. So now what does become conscious of Krishna mean? So one thing is we could say that when we are absent minded.
That means say the other person is talking with me but I am not conscious of that other person. So we could say when we remember or cultivate, we become conscious. Conscious could mean that there is perception, that means the person is there.
But plus awareness is there. That you are talking with me and I am aware that you are talking. So there is a sound coming and I am aware.
So to become conscious means to become aware of what is around us. Now at a philosophical level we can say Krishna is present everywhere. You know the whole material world is Krishna’s energy.
That this mic is made of earth, water, fire. And that is Krishna’s energy. So in that sense we can become conscious of Krishna.
Srila Prabhupada would say when we drink water, we think. We remember Krishna. So now what are we actually doing over here? That when we talk, we often talk about recollection or remembrance.
But every remembrance involves a certain act of imagination. Why? Because there is a link. Say when I am drinking water, I am thinking about the taste of Krishna.
So what am I doing? What is my experience right now? I am drinking water. I am connecting that with what I have remembered in scripture. And that connection involves a certain use of imagination.
So for example when we take darshan of the Lord. And then we go home. In many traditional temples they have the idea don’t take pictures of the Lord.
The idea is our heart should be so open that in our heart there should be a picture of the Lord. Now that doesn’t happen so often. There are many other pictures in our heart, unfortunately.
But the idea is recollection and imagination. So recollection in one sense can be perception plus awareness. But recollection can also be like we bring into our awareness plus imagination.
In one sense what is there, I become aware of it. Or what is not there, I visualize it and I become aware of it. So remembrance implicitly to some extent involves an act of imagination.
Now the word imagination quite often we are a bit uncomfortable. Because there are so many ways in which say imagination is associated with speculation. Imagination is associated with say the whole scripture is mythology.
It’s all imaginary. So there is a bit of a caution as well as aversion. Caution is valid and aversion is more involuntary reflexive.
So there is due caution required. However if we consider the whole idea of Manas Pooja. Now Manas Pooja is entirely an act of visualization.
So if we are unable to decorate the deities with beautiful clothes, with opulent ornaments. In the way we would like maybe because of lack of physical resources or facilities. Then we visualize in our mind this is what I am doing.
So Manas Pooja is entirely the using of imagination in Krishna’s service. So that is definitely very much a part of our tradition. So now in one sense when we are doing Manas Pooja we are doing much more than recollection.
Much more than remembrance. We are actually doing service. So we could call it Archanam.
When you are doing Archanam but you are doing it using our imagination. So recollection in Chaitanya Charita Amrit said that Smarana in one sense is the foundation of all the forms of Bhakti. All the nine limbs of Bhakti.
Even when we are doing Pada Sevana there has to be Smarana. Even in the Shravana Kirtana there is Smarana. And Smarana remembrance does involve to some extent an act of imagination.
Now with this in mind let’s look at four quadrants and possibility over here. That say we are using imagination in Krishna’s service. Or we are using imagination in Bhakti.
And now it can be favorable. It can be unfavorable. And we are not using imagination.
And not using imagination can also be favorable and unfavorable. So let’s look at these four possibilities and then we will see whichever place we are in from where how we can move to a more uncool place. So technically the word used for this is visualization.
When we use imagination in Krishna’s service and we visualize. So when is it unfavorable? The word used for that is speculation. So now the key difference between visualization and speculation is that visualization is more guided.
It is that probably something which I have already seen. Something which I already have some memory of. Now I am trying to repaint it or recollect it.
When we use the word recollect. It is we use the word recollect but in many ways memory is more about reconnect. So what is there already stored somewhere in our memory bank that we are trying to reconnect with it.
So visualization is definitely favorable in Bhakti. Manas Puja involves visualization. Especially in the path of Yoga.
In the stage of Sampragyadana, Sampragyad Samadhi. There is when we focus on an object and we hold the object physically in front of us. Then we hold the object in our mind.
And then finally say there is no need for an object. So that can have a bit of impersonal connotations. But the idea is we visualize something externally and when you concentrate on it.
Then eventually even without having that object externally we can still remember it internally. So visualization is an important stage, is an important aspect of Dhyana. That for us when we are in a trance, when we are remembering.
So visualization in that sense is favorable. Now here I would like to make a difference. If this seems to be technical, don’t worry.
It will become even more technical after this. Not really. I will try to make it simple.
But here I would like to clarify the difference between say there is revelation and there is visualization. So revelation and visualization, the difference between them is revelation is top down. That means there is Krishna over here and there is me over here and Krishna is giving that revelation.
So it’s top down. So for example the Vishwaroopa Darshan in chapter 11 of the Bhagavad Gita. That is a revolution.
Krishna says to Arjuna, Divyam Dadamite Chakshu Pashyame Yogam Aishwaram That I am giving you the eyes, now see what I am going to say. So Mahayogeshwaro Harihi That is described as the lord of all yogis. Mahayogeshwaro Harihi That lord gave a revelation.
So revelation is top down. And when great saints have some mystical experiences, their experiences are often revelations. So for example when the Goswamis were in Vrindavan and suddenly they would see Krishna.
Mahaprabhu would see Krishna. We are talking with somebody and at one moment he is talking and they are walking along and suddenly he is gone. Where is he gone? He saw Krishna somewhere behind a tree and Krishna smiling at him and teasing him and he runs over there.
So that is not imagination. That is a revelation. So there is from a higher level of reality, there is a manifestation at our level of reality.
So this is revelation. Now visualization on the other hand is bottom up. It is bottom up means that it is we, Krishna is up here and I am here and it is I who am trying to reach Krishna.
And I use the power of my mind, my mental energy to reach Krishna, to visualize Krishna. So now in this bottom up approach, the virata rupa described in the second canto, Bhagavatam, that is actually not a revelation. So there the word uses kalpitaha.
Kalpitaha is that this is imagined. So this is you could say, if we were a little averse to the word imagined, we could say conceptualized or visualized. So this is a part of sadhana.
That for those who wish to understand how great the Lord is, for their sake, they can connect the great manifestations of the world with the Lord. The mountains are like the bones of the Lord. The rivers are like the water in his pores of his body or whatever.
There are various imaginations done like that. So now both are valid. Right now what we are talking about is more of the bottom up approach.
So now what is this bottom up approach? So this is where we are looking at visualization. Now I will visualize visualization in a particular way now. So see basically there are three domains of reality.
There is the physical domain. There is the spiritual domain. Now normally in our philosophical usage, we contrast the spiritual with the material.
But in the material there is one more thing. There is the mental domain. So the physical and mental together are called the material domain.
So now if we consider these three domains of reality, so my eyes see what is physically here in front of me. But based on what I see, my mind imagines various things. So if I see a snake, then my eyes see the snake, but my mind imagines, hey this is danger.
And if my mind doesn’t imagine there is danger, then there is a really big danger. So in some cases imagination is required. That I have a friend in Israel, and right now they are still doing investigation about how the Hamas was able to attack.
It is almost more than one and a half years now. But how were they able to attack? So overall their conclusion is, for their intelligence agencies, that there was a failure of imagination on their part. That they didn’t imagine that the Hamas would actually try to attack like this.
So brazenly. So the idea is imagination can alert us to what is danger. So there is physical reality right now, but what might come over here.
So imagination is quite useful. So now here, let’s put it this way now. So this is the spiritual domain.
This is the physical domain. Now from the physical domain to the spiritual domain. Now if we are here, now we have the power of imagination.
So I will add one more thing over here. As I said I want to make things more complicated. So here we can say completely the virtual domain.
So we have the whole idea of virtual reality. Where it is completely imaginary, but that imaginary appears like real. So when somebody is having virtual reality experience, it is not just their imagination.
It is probably hundreds of researchers. All their collective imagination is utilized to create the virtual reality by which that particular experience becomes immersive. So for example, if there is a movie.
Now movie is a product of imagination. Now there are thousands of movies which are made. Many of them flop.
Most of them because they don’t do very well, they flop. Why do they flop? Because the illusion is not very good. Isn’t it? The illusion is not very good.
That means the characters are not relatable. The action scenes are not realistic. The plot twists are just too hyped up.
So basically good imagination means that it comes as close to reality as possible for us. So now our power of imagination. So we could say that we as souls have the power of imagination with us.
Now this power of imagination, we could use it. This is the power of imagination. I could use it to connect with Krishna.
I could use it to connect with Krishna or we could use it to connect with a false reality with something completely imaginary. So this can go in this direction which is good. It can go in the other direction which is bad.
So now some people live completely in an imaginary world. So if somebody is living completely in an imaginary world, that is technically called as insanity. Where they live alone, they are being connected with a spiritual reality, they are not even connected with a physical reality.
They are completely living inside their head only. So the idea is that in many ways, so this is inevitable because of the conditionings of the mind, we will imagine various things. Now for example, our mind very much uses our power of imagination for fantasizing about sense enjoyment.
So that is a default utilization that is anyway happening. And that’s why if we go back to this particular diagram now, if we are not using imagination in devotional service, then why is it unfavorable? Because that will be used for maya or used by maya or for maya. Used by the illusory forces for putting us into illusion further.
And this is anyway going to happen. So saying I won’t imagine, all that it will mean is I won’t imagine anything about Krishna, but we will imagine so many things about maya. I was in America a few months ago, I was talking with an American devotee.
He was early an alcoholic, then he went into 12 steps, and from 12 steps he has now come to bhakti. We have a bhakti recovery group. So he was telling me that many times when somebody has an addiction issue, they don’t really acknowledge it.
It is not a big problem. There was a British playwright Oscar Wilde, he said, giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I have done it over a hundred times.
So the idea is I gave it up, but it didn’t give me up. It keeps holding me. So the point is that there is a time when a person has to realize this is really too powerful for me.
So he was telling that he had gone to, he was working in a big software company, and he had gone to the top meeting, international meeting of all the leaders. And he was, they had a 5 star, 7 star hotel, they had the meeting. And while he was passing by, towards the boardroom, he saw some drinks.
And he saw the drinks, and then he went to the boardroom, and he met his boss. He says, in my mind’s eye, my boss’ body changed into a bottle of alcohol. So this is how our desires tend to use our imagination.
So, imagination will anyway be utilized by maya. So if we are not using it, maya is utilizing it. And what happens is, that imagination is often multicolored.
You know, if we consider there are these two forces within us, there is a force of reason, and there is a force of emotion. Krishna says, you offer your intelligence and your mind to me. So what happens for us is, that the buddhi is very important for us to offer.
But the manna is also important. Now the buddhi, actually with our intelligence, whatever we decide, is what buddhi offers is like black and white TV. What the manna offers is like multicolored TV.
That means, with buddhi we understand, hey this is good for me. But just knowing something is good does not really produce attraction for it. Just like you have black and white image, sometimes black and white images are very attractive.
But generally, color images are much more attractive. So reason is generally monochrome. Whereas, imagination or emotion is multicolored.
So, that’s why, if on one side, we are using reason to decide, by logic, by analysis, this is a bad thing, I shouldn’t be doing this. So we are using our buddhi to say no to maya. But then what is happening, our emotion and associated with this is our imagination, they are saying, oh yes, this is so enjoyable.
That is multicolored. So it’s like we are bringing, as they say, a knife to a gunfight. Before our knife can reach the opponent, this is it.
So, it’s like that. That’s why many times, if you see in the Gita, when Krishna says that why we don’t succeed, Krishna is telling, Krishna is not talking here about a person who is already attached to sense gratification and that person is getting swept away. He is saying, this person is trying earnestly to actually give up sense gratification.
And then, he is also intelligent. He is intelligent and he is also trying. But still, the senses are so wild that they just sweep away, sweep us away, drag us away.
So what is happening is, the emotion and imagination, that’s like a gun. This is like a gun, whereas this is more like simply a knife. So a knife versus a gun, it’s not a battle that can be very easily won.
So for us, learning to use our imagination in Krishna’s service is very important. Because otherwise, maya is anyway going to use it. If I go back to the last part over here, now when we are talking about, when can not using imagination be favourable in bhakti? So now it can be favourable when there is, you say, sahajiyaism.
Sahajiyaism is what? It’s like Prabhupada says in the Nectar of Instruction purport, that bhakti is not sentimental speculation or imaginative ecstasy. Sentimental speculation or imaginative ecstasy. Its substance is practical service.
So for us, if somebody is just doing imagination and not doing anything else, then stop imagining and start doing something. So just imagining should not be an excuse for doing. It should be a practice while serving also.
But if there is only visualization like sahajiyas, what they do is, they are not doing any sadhana to raise their consciousness towards Krishna, no serious sadhana, but they are simply imagining, oh I am with Krishna, oh I am in the intimate pastimes of Radha and Krishna. So sahajiyaism is only mental, no practical. That is definitely not equal to bhakti.
So, that brings us to the last part now, about how we can use, so basically from wherever we are, we would like to come to the quadrant where we are using imagination in Krishna’s service in a way that is favorable for our bhakti. So, let’s look at four ways in which this can be done and that will conclude this talk. So, the first is, I will use an acronym for this, PART.
If we get time, we will go to the last part of the parts. So, P is, it is a part of our practice itself. Like with remembrance, I mentioned earlier, that in remembrance, there is some imagination, there is some visualization.
So, for example, if we take darshan of the lord in the morning, then we go out during the day, that is a part of our sadhana. Now, depending on a particular person’s nature, some people may be more visual. By nature, their brain has a stronger visual component to it.
Then they might be able to remember more. Some people, they are more verbal in their imagination. Like we have the idea that when we are chanting the mahamantra, we can keep the mahamantra written in front of us and we can look at that and that can help some people to focus.
And then after we keep looking at it, then after sometime we can close our eyes and still see the mahamantra when we are chanting. So, now what exactly we will imagine, what we will visualize, that depends on what the natural strength of our mind is. Some people may have a strong visual imagination, some people may have a strong verbal imagination.
So, it depends. So, somebody has a strong verbal imagination, say, for example, I am very much a word-centered person. When I see a big billboard on the road, first I see the caption, then I look at the image.
That’s just the way my brain works. So, if I am going to visualize the Hare Krishna Mahamantra for me, which font it is, is more important. You know, how is it looking? What are the aesthetics of the font? So, for some people it is, you know, I visualize Krishna.
So, in our remembrance, according to our particular natural gifts, as a part of our sadhana, when trying to remember Krishna, we can use visualization. So, for some people, it’s like the, if there are words, from words images come. Like for some people, they memorize shlokas, and when they are contemplating the shlokas, they remember Krishna.
But that may not be for everyone. Some people, you know, memorizing shlokas itself is very exhausting for them. And in trying to remember the shloka, I forget Krishna.
Because there is so much exertion over there. So, it depends on person to person. So, how we will use it in our practice? We have to see what we naturally tend to imagine.
And see how that can be used in Krishna’s service. Now, second is, in the arts. Or we could say also in artistic service.
So, for example, now we have these beautiful paintings being made. Now, these paintings, they are, at one level, an act of imagination. It’s a creative imagination used in Krishna’s service.
But there are so many specific details that we have to imagine. For example, when we are doing a drama. At that time, a drama, when we have the characters wearing particular costumes.
Now, do we exactly know what costume the characters wore at that particular time? What clothes they wore? No. We are using our imagination. And in many ways, the more vivid the imagination that we are able to use, the more powerful will be the experience for others.
in one sense, the whole Bhaktira Samud Sindhu is about creating Uddhipan. Uddhipan is spiritual stimuli. So, through the usage of imagination in creating resources for remembering Krishna.
So, it could be visual, it could be architectural, it could be so many things where we visualize, this is how we want the temple to be. When a temple is to be built, first we get a model of the temple. So, that’s the act of visualization.
So, in arts or artistic services, it’s very important that we be able to visualize. So, when somebody is describing about Krishna, say, when somebody is writing a book about Krishna Leela, or is speaking Krishna’s pastimes, for those who are very good narrators of pastimes, what happens is, we feel as if when they are narrating the pastime, it’s like we are not just visualizing, we are entering into that world. So, sometimes thought exercises are like this, you know, we can close our eyes and we can imagine we are in Vrindavan, we are in Kusum Sarovar, and we are beholding the beautiful Sarovar in front of us.
We are sitting on the second step and we are looking at the water. It’s so nice and soothing. And behind we can see the towers and behind we can see the beautiful Vraja skyline.
And as we are breathing in and seeing the whole Vrindavan experience, we start feeling transported. So, this is also an act of imagination. So, guided meditation, that is involving, again, it’s a part of practice, but when a book is being written, it’s actually a resource for guided meditation in many ways.
So, it is in arts. Now, of course, there is relationships. Now, in relationships, to some extent, our imagination naturally gets utilized.
But quite often, it depends on how much we are invested in a particular relationship. So, if some person is very important for us and we do something which we know is going to make that person angry, then immediately our mind visualizes, okay, you know, if this person is going to be angry, what am I going to do? Should I not tell this person? If I tell, how do I tell? How do I deal with what happens afterwards? So, generally, for example, we may visualize whatever action we are doing, will this please my spiritual master? Will this displease my spiritual master? So, Maitreya Prabhupada said that I have never felt separation from my spiritual master. I was never separated from my spiritual master.
Not never felt separation. That’s what Maitreya Prabhupada said. That’s why? Because, you know, he was always feeling the presence of his spiritual master.
So, then, in relationships, to some extent, it can happen naturally, but sometimes it can be done conscientiously. That conscientiously, we think, well, is this action going to please this person or going to displease this person? When we say, when we seek the mercy of the spiritual master, at that time we have to consider, okay, is this going to please or is this not going to please? So, in our relationships, we can consider the pleasure and displeasure of the other person. We can also consider just the namarupa gunalila of the person.
So, this is where the gopis are extremely adept. Their imagination works in such a way that they are almost always with Krishna. So, to some extent, the personal remembrance of Krishna is very much centered on the relationship with Krishna.
So, in relationship, either it can be with Krishna or with the representatives of Krishna, we can use our imagination in a way that could help us come closer to Krishna. Then, we could imagine or visualize our own transformation. So, transformation means what? Say, if, right now, when I am, when I sit down to chant, I struggle in my chanting.
Sometimes we take out our beads and see, you know, 108 beads or 1008 beads over here. It is not getting over only. So, then we can try to visualize a time when we will have great taste, when we will be immersed and that imagination, say, when we are reading shastra.
Now, when we are reading shastra, we fall asleep. Sometimes we say, that’s distraction. So, we don’t have that taste.
So, we can visualize that we would be transformed, we would be absorbed, we will have natural attraction for Krishna. And, now if you see, Shri Prabhupada, now, it was not so much transformation, but Prabhupada would say that, not his personal transformation, but Prabhupada would say that, you know, devotees, those who were materialistic people before when they became devotees, they had a personal transformation, like that there can be an internal transformation also. So, we can visualize transformation.
So, quite often when we make newer resolutions, now, again what happens is, the resolution, if it is not accompanied by imagination, then what happens is, I will give this up. That is the resolution. But, you know, this gives me this pleasure, that pleasure, that pleasure, which doesn’t stick to the resolution.
I was just, a few weeks ago in Rishikesh, so there was a person who had come from America, and he is a therapist. So, he said, I have to go back to America by Feb. I said, anything special in Feb? He said, you know, Feb is the time of the biggest business for me.
What happens is, in Jan, people make resolutions, and by the end of a month, most of the resolutions have failed, so that is the logic. Now, the point is, it’s unfortunate, but quite often what happens is, when we are visualizing transformation, it’s only like a reason why I should give this up. But by giving this up, what is the positive, how is the imagination being stimulated? If we have that, that can be very helpful.
And the last is about spiritual experiences. Now, this is a bit dicey. This can be very easily questioned.
That, when will my hair stand on end? When will tears flow from my eyes? So, what is that then, actually? It’s not just, when will tears flow from my eyes? When will I have so much love for Krishna that tears will flow from my eyes? It’s not imagination without the substance. It is imagination with the substance. So, if we have both, then it can be very powerful.
That, yes, there are descriptions of ecstatic symptoms, there are descriptions of ecstatic absorption in bhakti, in our tradition, in our scriptures. And we all would like to get to those states. Maybe it’s very far away for us.
Maybe it’s going to take many lifetimes. But, even visualizing it can inspire and energize us in our bhakti. And in that sense, for all of us, we need the fight against the forces of illusion.
It’s a very difficult fight. And all the resources that we can get, we need to leverage those resources. And imagination is one very important resource.
And this is how, by using these parts, we can all try to leverage our imagination in Krishna’s service. So, I’ll summarize what I discussed today, broadly. I discussed the topic of imagination in bhakti.
How it can be utilized. And I talked about two. The first is that imagination and recollection.
So, how they are very much connected. Because what happens is that recollection means that with that which is not physical, not physically there, we bring it into the mental domain. And that’s how we experience it.
So, the idea is that this is the physical domain and this is the spiritual domain. So, from the physical, when we are physically in Vrindavan, that’s wonderful. But when we are physically not in Vrindavan, then what we can do is, we can use our mental energy to connect with Krishna.
So, this is what is done in Manas Puja, for example. So, of course, this is favorable, but there is also the virtual domain that is there in which also our imagination can take us. And that is where we do not want to go.
So, then I discussed about these four quadrants, about the approach to using imagination in bhakti, that using can be favorable and not using can be favorable. So, using imagination and not using imagination. When is it favorable? When is it unfavorable? So, visualization is favorable.
Speculation is not favorable. And then not using imagination can be unfavorable also because then maya uses it. So, because we will always be fantasizing based on a conditioning about worldly pleasures.
And then sahajiyism, if it is happening, then it’s best to not use imagination. So, basically the idea is that our imagination, if it is used, it can help us connect with Krishna more. So, it’s like if there is a battle between reason versus emotion.
Emotion often associated with imagination. Then what happens is, it’s quite often reason is like a knife, this becomes like a gun. So, it’s not a fair battle.
So, imagination. So, imagination will anyway be used in maya’s side. So, if we have imagination on Krishna’s side, then our chances of winning are more.
And how to use this? So, how to come in this direction? For that, getting this quadrant, I talked about five broad aspects. P was in our practice. We can use smarana, dhyana, in that sadhana, then arts and artistic services.
So, if somebody is building a temple, somebody is designing an altar, somebody is writing a book, painting, we can use it. Then in our relationships with our guru, with our senior devotees, as well as with Krishna, relationships we can use. Then our own transformation.
The places, I won’t be agitated by this. Now, I don’t feel attracted to Krishna. There will be a time when I will be attracted.
And we can have our spiritual experiences. That we want, we don’t want to be sahajiyaic, but sahajiyaic is when there is only external without internal. But when there is both external and internal, we aspire for that.
And that can also stimulate us to endeavor more in our bhakti. So, let us pray. My dear Lord Krishna, that You have given me.
Currently, it is being used by Maya to keep me entangled. Please, O Lord, guide me so that I can use it in Your service and come closer to You and come faster to You, my Lord. Shri Krishna Bhagwan ki jai.
Shri Laprabhupada ki jai. Is there any… Yes, sir. Thank you, Puroji.
It was simultaneously and I just wanted to confirm two, three thoughts. Many thoughts were running through my mind while I was listening. In the first point, can we say that once purity of intent decides whether one will use his imagination to go up or go down to connect with… Like when purity of intent is not there, then it will connect to virtual like Maya.
Yes, purity of intent. I think also the strength of intent is also there. Purity might be there, but let’s say we are often recommended to not be alone too much, be in association.
Why? Because when we are alone, we are alone with our mind and our mind default gravitates towards Maya. So, now we may still have, okay, I want to be alone and when others are chanting, you know, I get distracted and I don’t want to be there. Otherwise, what will happen is we are alone, we want to chant, but then we feel bored, we feel sleepy, we get distracted by the phone.
So, I think both purity and strength are important. Thank you. Two more things, each related to each point.
Another thing that came to my mind is what would make the visual, convert the imagination into visualization. Can we say that if it is based on, as you mentioned in the class also, it should be based on substance. So, either it should be based on the current reality or potential reality.
Correct, yes. So, the more generally, if it is based on scripture, it’s not considered speculation. So, we have the scripture in scripture of Krishna’s form and then we depict it.
And that visualization also based on the intensity becomes real like Narsimananda Brahmachari imagining the path to be decorated with flowers. Yes, that is a good example. So, they visualize if somebody has a pure intent and someone has a strong intent, then again, the Lord may make that happen.
Now, in Bhaktishanth Thakur’s life, he was asked about the works of imagination or are they works of some other reality. So, two of his disciples had different opinions and Bhaktishanth Thakur didn’t really take a strong position either way. It could be just imagination, it could be that something like the seeker has, especially in Prema Pradeep, a particular seeker has gone, meets various Babajis and talks with them.
One more, you mentioned that at Sadhaka level, there is bottom up process of we are trying to reach Krishna and then there is revelation. I was just curious, can these both be related like Duryodhana Thakur is trying to remember Krishnaland and he is also praying. So, one is trying to remember and at the same time, it’s a good question that can the bottom up visualization and the top down revelation both go together.
Well, yes, to some extent because at one level you can say So, even when our visualization succeeds, there is an element of Krishna within it. So, without the blessing of Krishna, without the empowerment done by Krishna, our visualization also will not work. But by understanding of the differences more in terms of whether in one sense you could say every book is a revealed book because every book involves some amount of guidance from the super soul.
Every creative act involves some inspiration. But still, revelation is considered a separate category and I would say there are 2-3 different factors in it. One is the purity of the person then the direct or visible role of the Lord in that.
That saint connects with the Lord and that revelation comes up and then eventually also the content of the revelation. So, like when he said on the Vyasasana, now he said that we are trying to become conduits for Vyasadev to speak through us. Now, is Vyasadev speaking through us? At one level it would be presumptuous to say that.
But at another level it is presumptuous to say that that’s not possible also. Sometimes we do experience that when we are trying to give an answer sometimes some points come which we have not thought of before and they just right over there. So, we can say that something higher is speaking through us at times.
But to say that everything that is spoken through us is a higher reality and therefore everybody should accept it as the ultimate truth. That would be presumptuous. So, that’s why the differentiation is that even in our visualization some amount of revelation will be there.
But the humble, the safe and the humble position would be to not claim that it is a revolution. Just last one is my appreciation. Like I really appreciate the point you mentioned that the remembrance requires remembrances either direct or indirect.
So, either I not I somebody or maybe I also directly experience something or I witness some relationship somebody having with Krishna and so probably I should focus on increasing the remembrances to be able to remember Krishna. So, that that is what I infer from that. Yeah, that’s true.
So, say when we go to Dham for example, we go to Yatra or we come to some intense spiritual gatherings or to some extent there is some impressions that are formed but maybe consciously revisiting those impressions. You know, I have found that as I am a very much verbal person if I have some if I go to some place then I write about that place the memories stay much more with me. There is one famous author who said that writing is your second chance at living.
Like when you live you have the experience but when you write about it you can relive that experience. That doesn’t mean everything we can write about and writing will be equally good for everyone but it is like we try to keep photos photos are also ways we are trying to preserve the memories of that place or that particular event or that particular experience. Thank you.
Yes Mataji Please give it behind you. Hare Krishna Dandat Pranam Prabhuji Prabhuji thank you for the class and I think Gopinath is so merciful on me because I was from some time I was thinking my imaginations in head is very wrong thing and I should not do it and I was trying to stop it but through you he answered my questions. Prabhuji one question from my side you talked about visualization and speculation could you please differentiate both of them what is visualization and what is speculation again please.
Yeah okay so it’s a good question difference between visualization and speculation broadly speaking the biggest difference is in the source or like you can say the basis the basis is something in visualization is scripture or it’s our experience there is something grounded over there so like I have been to Vrindavan and I saw Radha Shamsundar and now I am trying to recollect that I went to Vrindavan and I was at Barsana and I saw Shri Jain Mandir and then we are trying to search based on our experience or it’s based on scriptural description so that the basis is in speculation often the basis is our own brain that you know I want to connect this with this correlate this with this and so the speculation generally it is not based in either physical reality or spiritual reality so now the result of now we could say basis then also the result of visualization is generally there is proximity we come closer to Krishna through this now quite often through speculation the result is that we come closer to our own ego that it becomes I centered our ego our brain you know I came up with this idea so in one sense that is it that oh this painting is so beautiful and it’s such a wonderful picture of Krishna but how much it is helping others to remember Krishna is not as important as the fact that I came up with this painting it’s like I came up with this point the I becomes very prominent in speculation I have come up with this idea it’s my idea so the claim to originality becomes very much high in speculation and generally in terms of content content it is largely in alignment with revelation it can be alignment with revelation or to some extent the word in English is embellishment embellishment means what is given in scripture there are more details added to it like in the Ramayana for example or in Krishna Illa there are many retellings and there is a Bengali retelling there might be a Maharashtrian retelling now in those retellings the original story is kept but some more details are given that embellishment is fine like the 10th Canto Bhagavatam is there Gopal Champu Anandavan Champu they are retellings with embellishments over there that is fine but often here there is a misalignment there is a deviation so the content often goes off from what is given in scripture so that’s speculation so for example there are many Ramayanas which are retold there is one Jain Ramayana now in the Jain Ramayana what they have done is it’s more or less the story is the same of Lord Ram being exiled going to the forest but throughout in the forest he is meeting Jain Sadhus he is not meeting Vedic Sadhus he is meeting Jain Sadhus and at the end of it when Sita enters into the earth Ram becomes detached he becomes enlightened and he becomes a Jain so that is completely a speculation so when something there is misalignment with scripture then that is definitely speculation ok thank you so much for watching last question Hare Krishna thank you so much Prabhuji Prabhuji so like I am trying to practice visualization dhyana as you telling like whenever I am chanting or whenever day to day activities and all but instead of visualizing on Krishna which is very flickering for me I feel all other kinds of thoughts are coming like when I am trying to focus on remembering Krishna Radha Rani and all some past thoughts some random thoughts and other thoughts and I am not able to visualize Krishna as much as I want its very flickering its very temporary compared to other yeah so you know there is in devotion there is two aspects to it there is the internal recollection or remembrance we can say which is internal and the external service is there now it depends on time place circumstance sometime the service might be 100% the recollection might be 0 the person is doing a lot of service but they don’t remember Krishna much in some cases the recollection might be 100% the service might be 0 like say somebody is sick they are physically not able to do any service so then they are remembering but this is where Manas Puja comes in now sometimes it may be 50-50 now we are remembering and we are serving so I think each one of us has to find out how best we can be absorbed in Krishna so if recollection is not really working for us then that means our personal connection with Krishna is not yet that developed but that doesn’t mean that we cannot stay connected with Krishna so 5-11 in the Gita it says that the yogis they seek purification with the body with the mind with the intelligence and even with the senses now this even with there are two different ways of looking at it so that one side is that even if the mind is not there let the senses at least be there so that kevalen means at least with the senses also so but the other is that that bhakti is so inclusive that even the senses which are normally pathways to maya even the senses can be used in Krishna’s service so if you see the visualization of Ambarish Maharaj how is he described as a great devotee he is using all his senses in the lord’s service he says that with his hands he is clean the temple of the lord with his legs he is going to the holy places of the lord so like that all the limbs are being utilized so basically if the senses can be utilized use them if the mind can be utilized use it if both can be utilized both so that’s why at our level which we will fall in is somehow or the other so somehow or the other means that we have to see at our level what works so if say concentrate time for imagination is not working for us then that means don’t do it right now now we may have to wait to develop a more personal connection sometimes we may decide that ok I will hear a particular past time of Krishna maybe I will read that past time aloud and then after that I will try to visualize the past time so sometimes we may need some concentrated input for visualization but if that doesn’t work bhakti is multifaceted it’s not that we have to approach Krishna only in one way if this way doesn’t work this way is there for us to connect with Krishna