The glories of Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu can never be fully enumerated, but occasions such as Gaura Purnima, the celebration of His divine appearance, bring an added emphasis on remembering His transcendental activities and, more than anything else, another opportunity to bask in the light emanating from the golden sun of spiritual potency, the only hope for those otherwise blinded by the darkness of the age of Kali. Lord Chaitanya is an ocean of mercy that is full of transcendental nectar capable of deluging the entire earth with spiritual bliss by crossing any and all boundaries erected through nationalism, dogmatic insistence, and traditions based on narrow-mindedness or flat out ignorance. Indeed, there is no other form of Godhead more merciful, and proof of His divine nature and undying compassion is seen in His instructions, His pastimes and the glorious dedication to transcendental service instilled in His followers, who to this day carry the holy name of Shri Hari across the world to those who are desperately searching for ananda, or real bliss.
The frustrated owner longs for the day when the automobile is either removed from their life or when it starts functioning properly on a regular basis. Though the impetus for activity, when viewed on an abstract level, seeks a remedy to a problem, the real driving force is the cherished desire for a peaceful existence. A worry-free life is one where ananda remains at high levels for extended periods of time. If we take the example of the car and expand it out to all activities, we’ll see that bliss is at the core of every action in every form of life, even outside of the human form. Knowing that bliss is the central point of interest, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could find that one engagement related to a singular entity who can provide us more bliss than we’ve ever felt? Not surprisingly, the Supreme Lord, the fountainhead of all religious practice and the ideal beneficiary of every dedicated action, is meant to serve that very purpose.
Shri Krishna is the ultimate reservoir of pleasure, so His ananda never runs out. The individual fragments emanating from the Lord, we living entities, can tap into that storehouse of spiritual energy by engaging in Krishna’s service. It is not that we have to approach the Lord and simply ask Him to share some of His blissful feelings with us. Rather, the sentiments towards performing unmotivated and uninterrupted service are naturally aroused from within when we adopt divine love, which manifests through activities such as chanting, hearing, remembering and worshiping. More than any other engagement, constant recitation of the holy names of the Lord found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, brings the pleasure of Krishna’s association in the quickest amount of time. The chanting of Krishna’s names also has the strongest effect on the consciousness, which needs to be purified in order to feel happiness at all times. The key to success is to regularly keep the divine vision, along with His names, attributes and pastimes, within the mind. Just as Krishna is all-attractive and always playing His flute, He also takes part in divine sports. If we have a penchant for activity, why should this behavior be absent in the most wonderful person the world has ever known?
The trouble is that not only is knowledge of the true mission of life unknown to most, but the very idea of God having a form and being ever worthy of worship through a loving attitude is not considered at all. If anything, the Almighty is viewed as an authority figure meant to be worshiped by those looking to acquire material rewards. Indeed, under this model, since the Lord is deemed to be angry and vengeful, neglect of His powerful position will bring about the severest of punishments. What gets overlooked in this belief system is that the living entity is already suffering, starting from the very moment that he searched for ananda in a realm bereft of Krishna’s personal presence. Whether the acknowledgement of God’s existence or a pledge of allegiance to a particular spiritual figure is made or not, the misery will continue for as long as consciousness remains unchanged.
“Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6)
Yet giving up sinful behavior, engagements which maintain the thick cloud of ignorance around the consciousness, is not an easy thing at all, especially when a particular society may be wholly accustomed to unauthorized behavior that mimics the animal community. Therefore another regulation voluntarily enforced by the aspiring transcendentalist of the Vedic school relates to association. The devotees of Krishna try to remain in the company of other devotees, for that will bring about the quickest progress in terms of altering consciousness. This certainly isn’t a foreign concept. Young students attend school together, athletes train in groups, and businessmen meet at conventions and other formal gatherings to discuss ideas and to network. Spiritual life is the most intense of disciplines, so if bad association is maintained, the likelihood of remaining on the conditioned path, one that leads to the continuation of reincarnation, will increase.
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the full-moon evening in the month of Phalguna, an auspicious time full of auspicious symptoms, when Lord Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu advented Himself with the chanting of the holy name, Hare Krishna.” (Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, Chaitanya Charitamrita, Adi 13.19)
Though Lord Chaitanya was born a brahmana, which is the highest order in the varnashrama-dharma system instituted by the Vedas, His purpose was to preach the gospel of bhakti to all members of society, irrespective of their family lineage. Though speaking about the eternal truths of spiritual life found in sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita to non-devotees is prohibited, Lord Chaitanya would not deny the mercy of Krishna bhakti to anyone. Rather than openly take to preaching amongst learned intelligentsia who were only interested in the intricacies of Vedanta philosophy, Shri Gaurahari approached the masses by travelling from village to village loudly reciting the holy names of the Lord. Through this sublime method, known as sankirtana, the mercy of Krishna and the holy name quickly spread throughout India.
Not only did Lord Chaitanya inspire others to chant, dance and sing the names of Krishna and Rama, but He singlehandedly instituted a tremendously potent tradition of preaching that continues to this very day. His dear associates like Nityananda Prabhu went all across India and literally begged people to simply recite Krishna’s name. It is not surprising to see the lengths of desperation that salesman will go to in order to make a sale of a car or insurance policy, for the benefit to them is financially related. After all, the man selling cars makes his living off getting others to purchase his product. But Nityananda Prabhu didn’t want any money, or even any followers. His tremendously persuasive sales pitch was aimed at liberating others from the clutches of maya, or illusion.
Lord Chaitanya is so kind that if He sees that someone is already inclined towards worshiping Rama, Vishnu, or some other non-different form of Godhead, He will give them the knowledge to further increase their love and attachment. Evidence of this mercy is seen in the behavior of His followers who originally come from religious backgrounds not rooted in Vedic traditions. It is seen that Christians who take to Krishna-bhakti subsequently have a deeper and more profound love and respect for Lord Jesus Christ. Lord Chaitanya was an expert scholar in His youth, but He understood the limits to logic and argument. Rather than focus on word jugglery and logical proofs, Lord Chaitanya explained everything in terms of its relation to Krishna. As such, it is not surprising to see those who take to bhakti gain a firm understanding of the purposes behind all religions and the traits they share in common.
Shri Gauranga creates shelter with His very activities and teachings. Offering instructions and repeating do’s and don’ts are one thing, but actually going out and rescuing those who are unaware of the true bliss to be found in bhakti represents a completely different level of benevolence and universal brotherhood. Lord Chaitanya and His associates drag those who are stuck in the mire of material existence into the light of bhagavata-dharma, or devotional service. As payback for their kind efforts, all that Shachinandana and His associates ask is that we remain committed to the chanting process, to glorifying the Supreme Lord and the spiritual master, and to never forgetting Krishna for even a moment.
