Inner Fulfillment

· Part 7: The Land of Beauty ·

“Where every word is a song, every step is a dance,
and the flute is the dearmost companion…”

(Sri Sri Brahma-samhita)

Every word is a song, but this is not a sound of this plane—it comes from some other world, from a world that is so soft, so sweet, so heart-capturing, a world where correct behavior occurs most sweetly and harmoniously. Every word is like a song (katha ganam). Every movement is sweet, like dancing (nrtyam gamanam api). That world has been described in this way: everything is replete with the highest degree of beauty. This is a land of beauty, where everything is beautiful, everything has a touch of divine beauty. The prime cause is charming, attracting, and He captivates our heart and soul. There is a land of such existence, and our aspiration is for such a life (Radhika-Madhavasam). We can sincerely foster the idea to feel attraction to a life of such a plane where everything is of a musical character. This is Vrindavan.

Vrindavan is so friendly, so sweet, so near to us, and such a well-wisher of ours. We are quite at home there—sweet, sweet home. “Svarupe sabara haya Golokete sthiti: in our innate and innermost existence, we are members of that plane.” We have come out and scattered our consciousness all over the surface now. Cover, cover, cover—there are so many layers, and they are all dry things. But the substance, the spirit, is within. If I eliminate this bodily cover, the mental cover, the liberation cover, the Vaikuntha cover, then I may enter the land of Vraja. Vrindavan resides within me, and there I can find my friends everywhere: they are my friends and relatives, and they will give me all-pleasing experience, ecstasy.

Mahaprabhu came with this news for us, “O souls! You are children of that soil. Why are you suffering here, my children, my boys (amrtasya-putrah)? Your home is so resourceful, so sweet, but you are running in this desert! What is this? Come! Leave this poisonous charm. This misguided charm (maya) is suicidal. Leave this apparent charm! It is poisonous. The witch Maya has charmed you and keeps you here spellbound. Come along with Me! I shall take you to your home, which is so very sweet!” This is the general call of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

Srimad Bhagavatam tells us that this should be the course of our life, our cherished goal. Home, sweet, sweet home. You are children of that soil. This one word “home” is the goal. Why is it the highest goal? Because it is your home: “Svarupe sabara haya Golokete sthiti. By your innate nature, you belong to Goloka.” This one word “home” is sufficient to attract you. You are wandering in a foreign land, but there is your home. You will get home comfort there, and you will not be able to deny it. So, back to God, back to home. Back to Godhead.

A man should be judged by his ideal. The greatness of the ideal he is trying to realize is to be noted. The man of the future, the man of tomorrow, should be judged by his ideal. If his ideal is great, he is great, because if he is sincere, he will reach it tomorrow or very soon. So, our ideal is the all-important factor. We may not attain our high ideal very easily because it is not some inferior ‘merchandise’ to be disposed of cheaply in the market; it is most valuable. But the cost does not matter—we should feel within, “I want no less than that highest thing, that advaya-jnana, the Goodness Autocrat, the Supreme Commander of everything. I want Him, nothing less, and I should live and move feeling within myself that, whatever I shall do at every second, I am meant for that ideal. I have no time to waste, I have not time to hesitate. If I move at every moment and in every way with the ideal in my heart, I shall always make some progress towards it. If I can just stay in touch with my ideal, it will guide and inspire me. In any and every action, whatever I shall do or not do—whether I am eating, resting, etc.—my ideal will be overhead. That will gradually take me out of all these entanglements and enticements, and, one day or another, I shall be able to reach it.”

Back to Godhead—there is home. Unsettled, we are running hither and thither with no principle of life, so our position is very sad. This is a troublesome life. To think, ‘I cannot put my faith anywhere,’ means that I cannot find a friend anywhere. I am friendless, moving amongst foreigners, or maybe enemies. But I must have a friend or some friendly atmosphere. I must come into such company where I can put full faith, that I can believe and trust; otherwise, my life will be miserable. If wherever I cast my glance I think, “I cannot trust, I cannot trust! All are enemies!”—to live in such an atmosphere is to live in a prison-house. “All uncertainty, all untrustworthiness”—that is a very deplorable position. So, by God’s grace, sraddha should come to us, “I can not only trust and believe but also show regard to a personality of a higher position (gurum evabhigachchhet).”

So, the destination has been settled. But how shall I reach it? When shall I reach it? Those who come to my aid to take me there are my masters, my gurus (siksa-gurus and diksa-gurus). Whoever helps me to go there is my guru, my guide who will help me to reach my located destination, the station of my innermost hankering (Radhika-Madhavasam prapto yasya prathitah krpaya sri-gurum tam nato ‘smi). He has helped me to locate my destination, he has educated me how and what to aspire after, and how to reach that highest aspired shelter. I have attained all these things through him. He is my all-in-all in life, the master of my life. He is the helmsman of the boat (guru-karnadharam). Accepting him and surrendering unto him, I have boarded his boat, and now he is taking me towards the goal of my life.

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CONTENTS

Preface

(1) Searching for the Solution

(2) The Vision of Goodness

(3) Happiness in Higher Thought

(4) The Happiest Form of Life

(5) A Labour of Love

(6) Homeward Bound

(7) The Land of Beauty

Epilogue: The Key to it All

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