Part 7. The Land of Beauty

«Where every word is a song, every step is a dance, and the flute is the dearmost companion … »

«Every word is a song.» This is not a sound of this plane. This is from some other world, some other world that is so soft, so sweet, so heart-capturing. It is a world where correct behaviour occurs most sweetly and harmoniously. Every word is like a song (katha ganam). Every movement is sweet, like dancing (natyam gamanam api). It has been described in this way. Everything is replete with the highest degree of beauty. This is the land of beauty — there everything is beautiful. Everything has the touch of beauty divine. The prime cause is charming, attracting, and arresting to the heart and soul: «Stop!» There is a land of such existence. 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 Vrndavan. Vrndavan 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. Now we have come out, and we have scattered our consciousness all over the surface. Cover, cover, cover — there are so many layers, and they are all dry things. The substance, the spirit, is within. Eliminating this bodily cover, the mental cover, the liberation cover, and the Vaikuntha cover, I may enter into the land of Vraja. Vrndavan resides within me, if 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 you who are a child of that soil, why do you suffer here, my children, my boys? Why do you suffer? Amrtasya-putra: you are a child of that soil, and you are suffering so much as though you are in a desert? Your home is so full of resources, so sweet, and you are running in the desert? What is this? Come! Leave this poisonous charm, this suicidal charm. This charm, maya — the charm of misunderstanding — is suicidal. Leave this apparent charm! This is poisonous, like a witch. The witch has charmed you here and made you spellbound. Come along with Me! I shall take you to your home which is so sweet!» In general, this is the call of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu.

This should be the course of our life, our cherished goal. Srimad Bhagavatam tells us this. Home, sweet, sweet home. You are a child of that soil. In one word, that is the goal.

Why is that the highest goal? Because that is your home. Svarupe sabara haya Golokete sthiti. This one word ‘home’ is sufficient to attract you. You are wandering in a foreign land, but here is your home. You’ll get home comfort here, and you won’t be able to deny that. 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 realise is to be marked. 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, tomorrow or very soon he will reach it. So our ideal is the all-important factor. We may not attain our high ideal very easily. It is not inferior ‘merchandise’ to be disposed of cheaply in the market; it is most valuable. But the cost does not matter whatsoever.

We should feel within, «I want no less than that highest thing, that Advaya-jnan, that Autocrat. That Autocrat of goodness, the supermost Commander of everything. I want Him, and nothing less, and I should live and move for that. I should feel in myself that whatever I shall do, at every second, I am meant for that. I am meant for my ideal. I have no time to waste or hesitate for anything.

«If at every moment I move 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, that will guide and inspire me. In any and every action, whatever I shall do or undo, whatever I shall eat and whenever I shall rest, my ideal will be overhead. And that will gradually take me out of all these entanglements and enticements, and one day or other 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 and our life is troublesome. To think, «I can’t put my faith anywhere», means that I can’t find a friend anywhere — I am friendless and moving amongst foreigners or maybe even enemies. But I must find a friend or some friendly atmosphere. I must come into such company in which I can put full faith, in which I can believe and trust. Otherwise my life will be miserable. If wherever I cast my glance I think, «I can’t trust this; I can’t trust them; they are all my enemies», then I live in a prison house. To be amidst uncertainty and untrustworthiness is a very deplorable position. So, by God’s grace, sraddha should come to us: «I can not only trust and believe, but I cannot but show my regard to a personality in a higher position.» Gurum evabhigachchhet.

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-guru. Whoever helps me to go there is my Guru. He is my guide who will help me to reach my 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 about how and what to aspire after, and how to reach that highest, most desired shelter. I have attained all these things through him. He is my all-in-all in life, the master of my life. There is a boat, and he is the helmsman (Guru-karnadharam). I have surrendered unto him. I have accepted him. I have boarded his boat, and he is taking me towards the goal of my life.