* This is a transcribed lecture from the Tattva Darshan series given by Maharaja.
Thus being deeply absorbed in thinking of the instructions of the Lord which were imparted in a great intimacy of friendship and in thinking of Krsna’s lotus feet, Arjuna’s mind became pacified and freed from all material contamination.
Arjuna’s constant remembrance of the Lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna rapidly increased his devotion and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided.
Srila Prabhupada tells us that Arjuna’s separation from Krsna; because Krsna left to Dwaraka and Arjuna was still in Hastinapur. Arjuna’s separation from Krsna and his remembrance of Krsna’s instructions brought Arjuna bliss. For a conditioned soul, meditating deeply on Krsna’s instructions will remove all the trash like problems in the heart. The Lord is like the sun, sun’s appearance means immediate dissipation of darkness or ignorance. And Lord’s appearance in the mind of the devotee can at once drive away the miserable material effects. Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore has recommended constant chanting of the name of the Lord for protection from all contamination of the material world.
Material desires in the mind are the trash of material contamination; they accumulate due to our reactions to material desires, but when we get in touch with the transcendental Lord, the naked forms of all material desires become manifest. And the intelligence of the living being is pacified in its true color.
As soon as Arjuna turns his attention towards the instructions of Krsna, inculcated in Gita, his true color of eternal association with the Lord became manifest, thus he felt free from all contamination. Arjuna’s disturbed mind was settled by his devotion to Krsna.
Jiva Goswami explains – dependence on Krsna is the essence of devotional life. This is the idea! So Arjuna was feeling bereft of Krsna’s association after Krsna left this world and then he remembered Krsna’s words and he again experienced His presence. So this is a fact that the instructions of the Lord or His devotees, one can perceive the presence of the Lord. Srila Prabhupada explains this point in Krsna book also – the importance of remembering Krsna in separation. To acquire these strong feelings of separation, the teachings of Lord Caitanya and His direct disciplic succession of Goswamis...So those from our sampradaya should always feel separation from Krsna and worship His form and discuss His transcendental teachings, pastimes and qualities and His entourage. That will enrich the devotees to the highest devotional perfection.
Feeling constant separation while engaged in the service of the Lord is perfection of Krsna consciousness, it is very easy to feel separation from Krsna because we are here and He is there. Well, sometimes people argue, they say, how can I feel separated from somebody I have never seen? But as one becomes purified and closer to Krsna then he actually feels that Krsna is near him. “Krsna is within my heart, Krsna is very near, but I cant see Him , I cant touch Him, I cant hear His voice”So that creates some kind of separation in the heart of the devotee and he starts searching for the Lord and that increases the feeling of separation as he searches. Search for Krsna – reality the beautiful.
So Srila Prabhupada is explaining here, meditation and mental purity. Without mental consciousness one will not be able to focus the mind on the Super soul for mental impurities will inevitably draw one back to contemplation on matter. Purifying the mind becomes a goal of years’ of difficult yoga practice. Bhakti yoga in practice progresses to anarthas nvritti (the removal of impurities from the heart). Of the heart’s impurities Srila Prabhupada explains in (SB 2.2.12 ) –
adīna-līlā-hasitekṣaṇollasad-
bhrū-bhaṅga-saṁsūcita-bhūry-anugraham
īkṣeta cintāmayam enam īśvaraṁ
yāvan mano dhāraṇayāvatiṣṭhate
SP: The Lord's magnanimous pastimes and the glowing glancing of His smiling face are all indications of His extensive benedictions. One must therefore concentrate on this transcendental form of the Lord, as long as the mind can be fixed on Him by meditation.
The grossest type of anarthas, worthless contaminated or unwanted thing which binds the conditioned soul to the material existence is sex desire. Bhakti yoga leads to gradual evaporation of the sex desire which is summarized in three headings – profit, adoration and distinction. Srila Prabhupada said there is a gross sex desire, more obvious one and the other is more subtle one, mental or psychological sex desire – one wants to be recognized, distinguished, worshipped – lobha, puja and prathistha. Srila Prabhupada also categorized this as sex desire. All conditioned souls are mad after these different forms of sex desire, and one shall see for himself how much he has been freed from such material hankerings based primarily on the sex desire. As a person feels his hunger satisfied after eating each morsel of foodstuff, he must similarly be able to see the degree to which he has been freed from sex desire. So purification means getting gradually free from sex desire and it is attainted by meditation on the form of the Lord beginning with His feet which is being described here in the 2nd canto. One should not try to go upwards artificially without seeing for himself how much he has been released from the sex desire. Smiling face of the Lord is the 10th canto of the Bhagavatam. Srila Prabhupada is saying that we should approach the Lord from His feet, like continually mediating on the 19 marks on His feet – 11 marks or symbols on the bottom of His right foot and 8 on His left foot. Meditating on these, one gradually becomes purified, free from sex indulgence.
According to the Bhagavata school, Krsna’s rasa dancing is the smiling face of the Lord – 5 chapters of the rasa dance. Sometimes they says the panca-prana of the Lord also, the five life airs. Since it is recommended in the verse, one should gradually progress from the Lord’s Lotus feet up to His smiling face, we shall not jump at once to understand Lord’s pastimes in the rasa dance. It is better to practice concentrating our attention by offering flowers and Tulasi to the Lotus feet of the Lord. This can also be done mentally – manasa puja. Moment to moment, offering flowers to the Lord’s lotus feet, Tulasi Manjaris dipped in Chandan, so that will be a very nice meditation, very purifying. One who is always taking time out in his mind, envisioning the Lotus feet of the Lord then, himself there kneeling besides the Lord’s lotus feet, putting some flower there and placing some manjaris very gingerly between the toes of the Lord, this will be very purifying, absorption or meditation.
It is better to practice concentrating our attention by offering flowers and Tulasi to the Lotus feet of the Lord. In this way we gradually become purified with the arcana process. We dress Krsna, we bath Him etc all these transcendental activities help us to purify our existence. When we reach the higher standard of purification, if we see the smiling face of Krsna or hear Krsna’s rasa dance then we can relish His activities.
So these are some points here about trash in the mind – purifying the mind by meditating on Lord’s lotus feet and gradually qualifying to read about His intimate pastimes and meditate on His smiling face.