Bhakti-yoga takes our relationship with Krishna from
familiarity to comfort to desire to need Suppose we wish to learn car driving.
Initially, we try to become familiar with a car by riding in it. After riding a
few times, we start feeling comfortable in it. On regularly seeing
acquaintances driving a car, our desire to drive one increases. And if we move
to a city with poor public transport, car driving becomes a need.
Our relationship with Krishna grows through similar stages.
Of course, Krishna being the source of everything that exists is not comparable
with a car. Still, the principles of developing a relationship are similar.
Let’s see how.
Familiarity: When we associate with people devoted to
Krishna, we start becoming familiar with Krishna’s various manifestations such
as Deities, holy names, scriptures and sacred places.
Comfort: Devotees inspire us to move from familiarity with
Krishna to practicing bhakti-yoga. By such practice, Krishna’s message helps us
make increasing sense of life, and his remembrance gives glimpses of profound
peace and bliss. Thus, we start feeling comfortable amidst Krishna’s various
manifestations.
Desire: When we see the purity, potency, serenity and
ecstasy serious devotees get through their absorption in Krishna, we start
desiring similar absorption. The Bhagavad-gita (12.09) states that when we
repeatedly strive to remember Krishna – a striving that naturally happens in
devotee association – our desire for him strengthens.
Need: When diligent bhakti-yoga practice purifies us, we
recognize that our life has no meaning or value without Krishna. He becomes our
foremost need, akin to how materialists feel that sense objects are their
greatest need. Significantly, when we are pure, we need Krishna not because he
can give us the things we love, but because he is so lovable.
Being thus convinced that Krishna is Krishna’s greatest
blessing, we live absorbed in him, both in this life and in the hereafter.
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