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Engaging all of our senses!

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, Mayapur, November 2011) Lecture – Caitanya-caritamrta part 6

Bhakti or devotional service means engaging all our senses in the service of the Lord. Sanatana Goswami wrote a book called, 'Sri Brhad Bhagavatamrta', which describes how Gopa Kumara is searching for the topmost abode. At one point Gopa Kumara had gone into the higher regions of this universe. He went to Tapaloka, which is just before the Brahmaloka. So it is the planet – the one before the last. That planet was filled with all yogis who are just focusing on the Lord within their mind. So Gopa Kumara was there and everyone said:

"Let's just meditate on the Lord within the mind."

But Gopa Kumara said:

"No, I want to see him!"

"But seeing is only the process of the senses which send signals to the mind. So seeing really happens in the mind! Therefore what it is really all about is the meditation, it is not the seeing, it is the meditation. So you should just meditate."

So that was their point, but Gopa Kumara said no, because he wasn't satisfied. What he wanted was: With all his senses to drink in the Lord. He wanted to see the form of the Lord; to think of the Lord; to smell the Lord; to hear the Lord; touch the Lord. He wanted to engage all of his senses in perceiving the Lord – that is bhakti!

So it sounds logical when one hears the arguments – yes it's all meditation, because everything leads to meditation, but then that is defeated. Gopa Kumara said:

"No!"

To engage all the senses in the service of the Lord and experience all of the senses – and that is higher. And you get descriptions about Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu saying:

"All my five senses are like a wild horse running to Krishna simultaneously, and each one of them is competing with the other for prominence!"

So it is very confusing, the sound….the smell and the sight are all competing with each other. So it is very interesting how love of God is about engaging all the senses. So even in practise we are already meant to engage all of our senses in the service of the Lord, and therefore a flower, water and flame – and all these senses are all engaged in the service of the Lord. And in the perfect stage each one of these senses becomes totally awoken!

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