The Essence is Transcendence

Posted by dinesh

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 04 August 2018, Vrindavan, India, Bhagavad-gita 4.9)

Sometimes I feel that the temple is transcendental, the Bhagavad-gita is transcendental, the holy name is transcendental, and the devotees are transcendental. Everything is transcendental expect me; I am not transcendental. But to some extent we are elevated to the transcendental platform, because we are chanting Hare Krsna, taking Krsna prasadam and engaging in devotional service.

So the transcendental energy is working through us at times, and then we are on a transcendental platform. At other times, when we are not on the transcendental platform, we return to the mode of goodness. In this way we are between transcendence and the mode of goodness. Sometimes we are in one and at other times we are in another.

In the mode of goodness we are looking from a philosophical perspective. In transcendence we are simply absorbed in loving service to Krsna, in relishing that service and in relishing the descriptions of Krsna:

vayaṁ tu na vitṛpyāma

uttama-śloka-vikrame yac-chṛṇvatāṁ rasa-jñānāṁ svādu pade, (SB 1.1.19).
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam (SB 5.5.1).

It is said that at that stage, hearing about Krsna becomes thoroughly enjoyable at every step and at every moment. It is just an ongoing experience of enjoyment. We have moments when we feel inspired and feel that Krsna consciousness is very enjoyable.

Then we have moments when we experience Krsna consciousness as an austerity. At that time we come down to the level of the mode of goodness.

As Ṛṣabhadeva told his son, then it becomes tapo divyaṁ, or austerity for a divine purpose.

But at other times it is just premāmṛta-mahāmbudhe, when we are just absorbed in theocean of transcendental nectar. The essence of this movement is the ocean of transcendental nectar.