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28th September, 1947
This morning, a North Indian wrote the following on a slip of paper and handed it over to Bhagavan.
“If I could have audience (darshan) of the real form (swarupa) of Lord Krishna in Brindavanam, would I find the strength to rid myself of all my troubles? I want to have audience with Him to tell Him all my troubles.”
Bhagavan replied, “Yes, what is the difficulty? It can be done all right. After seeing Him, all our burdens will be transferred to Him. Even now, why worry about it? Throw all the burden on Him and He will see to it.”
The questioner: “If I want to see the real form of Lord Krishna, do I have to go to Brindavanam and meditate, or could it be done anywhere?”
Bhagavan: “One should realize one’s own Self and when that is done, Brindavanam is wherever one is. There is no need to go from place to place thinking that Brindavanam is somewhere else. Those who have the urge to go, may go, but there is nothing imperative about it.
Arjuna, I am the Self seated in the hearts of all beings. I am the beginning, the middle and also the end of all beings.
-- Bhagavad Gita, X: 20
“Where one is, there is Brindavanam. If one enquires as to who one is and what one is, and finds out the truth, one becomes oneself. To resolve all inherent desires into one’s own Self is real surrender. After that, our burden is His.”
A priest, one Sastri, who was present, enquired, “It is said in the Bhagavad Gita, XIII: 10 ‘Vivikta desa sevitvam aratir janasamsadi’. What is meant by ‘vivikta desa’?”
Bhagavan replied, “‘vivikta desa’ is that where there is nothing but the Supreme Self, the Paramatma. ‘aratir janasamsadi’ means to remain without getting mixed up with, or absorbed by the five senses (vishayas). It is these five senses that rule the majority of people. ‘Vivikta desa’ is that state in which they are in abeyance.”
The questioner said, “The ‘vivikta desa’ state to which Bhagavan refers is, I take it, the state of intuitive experience (aparoksha), and if so, that state of intuitive experience can only be attained if one follows the precepts, i.e., does sadhana, for keeping the senses in abeyance. Is that right?”
“Yes, that is so,” replied Bhagavan. “In the Vasudeva Mananam and in other books, it is stated that one has to gain conceptual realization (paroksha jnana) with the help of a Guru by the act of hearing (sravana) and musing (manana), and then gain knowledge of ‘intuitive experience (aparoksha)’ by spiritual practice, and by consequent complete maturity of the mind. It is stated in the Vicharasagara: ‘Intuitive experience (aparoksha) is always present; the only obstacle is conceptual knowledge (paroksha)’.
Spiritual practice (sadhana) is required to remove the obstacle; there is no question of attaining intuitive experience. It is all the same — hearing and the like, are necessary whether it is to know the intuitive, or to remove the obstacles. Those who are able to overcome the three-faced obstacles are likened to the naked light in a windless place, or to the ocean in a waveless state; both are true. When one feels the Self within one’s body, it is like the naked light in a windless place; when one feels that the Self is all-pervading, it is like the waveless ocean.”
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