The Mood of the Spiritual World

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati often told his disciples – “Don’t try and see God, but act in such a way that God will want to see you.” It is the devotees’ devotional disposition, sincerity and purity of consciousness that attracts divine attention and invokes the company of God.

Mindful – the Lord’s devotees are fixed in spontaneous remembrance of Him. While going about their daily duties and fulfilling their worldly responsibilities, their minds are completely fixed on Krishna. While the practitioner devotee forces himself to be mindful of Krishna, the pure devotee can’t get Krishna out of his mind. Indeed, Krishna declares: “The devotees are always in My heart, and I am always in the hearts of the devotees. The devotee does not know anything beyond Me, and I also cannot forget the devotee.” (SB 9.4.68)

Useful – Srila Prabhupada repeatedly translated bhakti as ‘devotional service.’ He continually emphasised that it’s not simply an emotion or feeling, but a tangible exchange. We therefore find that the most intimate devotees are ready to sacrifice anything and go to incredible lengths to serve and please the Lord. They serve with no expectation of gain or personal benefit. The Srimad-Bhagavatam summarises the two main qualities contained within the pure devotional attitude: “The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.” (SB 1.2.6)

Faithful – Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita that He reciprocates with devotees according to their faith and surrender. He doesn’t force Himself into anyone’s life, but when they show the desire to connect with Him, He becomes enthusiastically active. The devotees thus gain incredible faith in Krishna. They experience the sweet protection and mercy of Krishna time and time again, and thus are able to fully place themselves under His jurisdiction without any reservation. They know that if they simply serve Krishna and take shelter of Him, they will achieve everything in life: “Sraddha is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental loving service to Krishna one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Such faith is favourable to the discharge of devotional service.” (CC Madhya 22.63)

Joyful – when our loving propensity is fully invested in Krishna without any diversion or adulteration, then one is established in boundless spiritual joy. Everything that grabs the attention of conditioned souls becomes insignificant to a pure devotee. Prabhodananda Saraswati explains: “For a devotee, the pleasure of merging into the existence of Brahman is considered hellish. Similarly, he considers promotion to heavenly planets just another kind of phantasmagoria. The yogis meditate for sense control, but for the devotee the senses appear like serpents with broken teeth. The whole material world appears joyful for a devotee, and even great personalities like Lord Brahma and Lord Indra are considered no better than insects. Such is the position of a devotee who has received but a small glance of the mercy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Unto this most magnanimous personality I offer my respectful obeisances.” (Chaitanya Chandramrita 5)

Merciful – the natural effect of such happiness is the desire to want to share it with others. Thus, devotees are always finding ingenious ways and means to bring others into contact with Krishna. In fact, the most confidential servants of Srimati Radharani, the manjaris, come to this world as eminent preachers to guide the conditioned souls back to their original home. Prahlada Maharaja sums up the mood of such a preacher: “My dear Lord Nrsinghadeva, I see that there are many saintly persons indeed, but they are interested only in their own deliverance. Not caring for the big cities and towns, they go to the Himalayas or the forest to meditate with vows of silence. They are not interested in delivering others. As for me, however, I do not wish to be liberated alone, leaving aside all these poor fools and rascals. I know that without Krishna consciousness, without taking shelter of Your lotus feet, one cannot be happy. Therefore I wish to bring them back to shelter at Your lotus feet.” (SB 7.9.44)