The Pleasure Within

In all the Vedic hymns it is indicated that everything in the material world is a manifestation of Brahman and that all the effects are but differently manifested and are nondifferent from the cause. Similarly, in Sri Īsopanisad it is stated that everything is related to the Supreme Brahman, or Krsna, and thus everything belongs to Him only. One who knows perfectly well that everything belongs to Krsna, that He is the ultimate proprietor of everything, and that everything is engaged in His service, naturally has nothing to do with the results of his activities, whether virtuous or sinful, exactly as the lotus leaf, although remaining in the water, is never wet. Therefore Krsna's instructions throughout Bhagavad-gita are "unto Me," "surrender to Me," "think of Me," "be devoted to Me." Always unto "Me," Krsna. The conclusion is that such a person in Krsna consciousness is already liberated, free from the concept of the material body and senses, for he knows that even this body belongs to Krsna and should therefore be engaged cent percent in the service of Krsna. And what is the position of a person so purified? Krsna says in verse 17: "When one's intelligence, mind, faith, and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation."

Because the devotee's every action is dedicated to Krsna, naturally his intelligence, his mind, and his faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme. In such a happy condition one becomes fully cleansed of all misgivings through complete knowledge. Misgivings mean doubts. There are so many doubts that beset the struggling neophyte-the senses are so strong, Krsna asserts at one point, that they carry away the mind of even an intelligent man. But because one has acted only for Krsna, he is said to be steady, and therefore in possession of real knowledge: aham brahmasmi, "I am not this body; I am part and parcel of the Supreme, Krsna." Everything is a manifestation of that Supreme Spirit; therefore one proceeds straight on the path of liberation. Liberated from what? Liberated from this material body, or bodily conception of existence. Verse 21 says: "Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure, but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way, the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme."

Material bondage means that I am in bondage to my senses, and that they are forcing me to act other than I might want to. Just as Arjuna asks Krsna what it is that forces a man to commit sin, even against his will; and just as St. Paul confessed, "That which I would do, I do not, and that which I do, I would not." So even where the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak. The senses are constantly dictating to us: "Now feed me." Actually, as it is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, everything in the material world is "food and looking for food." All living entities are food for some other living entity, and similarly they are preying on some poor creature. Similarly, each of the senses is looking for its food, and the objects of the senses are its food, the only difference being that the senses are never satiated, any more than a fire is extinguished by a lavish supply of gasoline. Therefore it is said that the senses are on fire; taste is on fire; sight is on fire; touch is on fire; hearing is on fire; smelling is on fire; and finally, the mind itself is on fire. Everything is on fire, and the only thing that can extinguish it is the mercy of the spiritual master, which is likened to the gentle action of the rain that can extinguish any forest fire: samsara-davanala-liḍha-loka.

Twenty-four hours a day the conditioned soul is being kicked by material nature in the form of lust: first kicked by the party of lust for some pleasant sight, or some pleasant sound, or being forced to go here or go there in search of some satisfaction, some intoxication, or some sex pleasure; and then if one is not satisfied, which one never is, he is angry. So on the rebound he is kicked by the party of anger. First lust, then anger; that is the cosmic football game being played at the expense of the forgetful living entity under the stringent rules of material nature. But by the grace of the bona fide spiritual master, one can immediately be freed from this bondage simply by following in the footsteps of Krsna and Arjuna. Krsna is the original spiritual master, and Arjuna is the original student, and the key to success in self-realization is to hear in the same way that Arjuna heard. The spiritual master is the actual representative of Krsna because he speaks nothing but what Krsna spoke. Anyone who adds to or takes away from what Krsna said cannot be bona fide, and one who wants to "interpret" Krsna's words is the greatest pretender. Krsna's words are Absolute and need no interpretation. After all, what kind of ego is it that thinks, "I can improve on or explain the message of the Supreme Person"? Are we to suppose that He was not capable of saying it another way if it would have been clearer? This is sheer madness. Furthermore, we have the absolute check of Arjuna. How did Arjuna understand Krsna? So the spiritual master, who is presenting the words of Krsna exactly as Krsna spoke them and exactly as Arjuna understood them, is a bona fide spiritual master, and as such, it is he alone who can deliver the fallen soul from its pitiable condition.