| So, the person who is desiring to get a new | | | | negative and this is what we will get-a |
| sports car, beautiful wife, etc. is simply | | | | negative. In other words if we are |
| exhausting the fruits of his previous pious | | | | contemplating giving up this or not thinking |
| activities. If he knew this he would be more | | | | about that we will develop a stronger |
| careful about his desires! This is the same | | | | attachment to this or that by that negative |
| concept Krishna describes in the Gita when he | | | | contemplation. |
| describes the plight of the souls who go to | | | | |
| the heavenly planets because their good karma | | | | After contemplation of Krishna in a positive |
| has bought them a vacation there. | | | | way we enter the stage of feelings. What does |
| | | | that mean? We picture ourselves the way we |
| When their good Karma runs out they get | | | | want to be. Just like the person who really |
| kicked out of heaven and have to come back | | | | wants a new sports car will envision himself |
| here. But, what about the devotee's desires? | | | | seated at the driver's seat zooming down the |
| A devotee has no bad or good karma. All karma | | | | highway with the top down. |
| bad and good is eradicated even by namabhasa | | | | |
| chanting. | | | | So, we picture (visualize) ourselves |
| | | | performing the nine processes of bhakti with |
| Krishna reciprocates with devotees' desires, | | | | great attention and devotion. We visualize |
| but He will only fulfill those desires that | | | | ourselves as enthusiastic preachers. We |
| are helpful to the devotee's spiritual | | | | visualize ourselves as humble servants of our |
| progress. So, it is important for devotees to | | | | spiritual master. |
| have proper desires and the stronger the | | | | |
| devotional desire is the quicker that desire | | | | Of course when we come to the stage of |
| will be fulfilled. | | | | Raganuga Bhakti the visualizations and |
| | | | meditations change. But, the principle is the |
| What is a desire? Oftentimes we confuse | | | | same. When you picture yourself in this way, |
| thoughts with desires, or we confuse wishes | | | | the intensity of your desire will increase. |
| with desires. A desire is something you | | | | Not only can you picture yourself in this |
| really want with your heart and soul. Of | | | | way, you can also picture others as advanced |
| course there are degrees of intensity of | | | | Vaisnavas. |
| desires. When someone wants something with | | | | |
| great intensity that is called in Sanskrit | | | | Your expectation for them will shape them |
| laulyam (or intense greed). | | | | too. Not only because the expectation will be |
| | | | communicated by you, but also because if you |
| Tatra laulyam ekalam mulam; Prabhupada | | | | are a real Vaisnava and you desire some good |
| describes this intense greed for pure | | | | fortune for someone else, Krishna will |
| devotional service as the "best path | | | | reciprocate with your intense desire. |
| available." How do we develop this intense | | | | |
| greed? In the material world greed is | | | | One example of this can be found in Srila |
| developed by the process of thinking, feeling | | | | Prabhupada's pastimes is that when he arrived |
| and willing. In other words we think of | | | | in the United States he had a vision of 108 |
| something (take some food like pizza for | | | | temples. His meditation was so intense that |
| example). | | | | he understood that these temples already |
| | | | existed. He expressed this very clearly when |
| The more we think about(contemplate) that | | | | he stated: "We have 108 temples. Only time |
| sense object the more we get attached to it. | | | | separates us." |
| Then we begin to feel that object of our | | | | |
| senses. In the case of pizza we begin to | | | | He also envisioned devotees, books, sankirtan |
| salivate and almost taste it as we are | | | | parties, and the rest. His vision became a |
| visualizing our interacting with that object. | | | | physical reality. Krishna fulfills the |
| | | | desires of His pure devotees. We need to |
| Then the stage of willing comes where the | | | | develop an intense internal vision and an |
| desire is so intense, we act. In Krishna | | | | intense external (the entire world taking up |
| consciousness, we contemplate Krishna, His | | | | Krishna consciousness) vision of Krishna |
| Pastimes, His devotees, and His service, etc | | | | consciousness. These wishes will come true. |
| all in a very positive joyous way. This is | | | | Krishna will fulfill them. When our |
| very important. | | | | meditation/vision is harmonious with |
| | | | Krishna's desires, success is sure. |
| If we are negative we are meditating on a | | | | |