Our mind is always looking for more variety. So in meditation we can use our different senses. We can sometimes imagine seeing Radha Krishna, use our sense of smell, use our sense of hearing, use our sense of touch. In this way we give the mind more variety and allow it to remain engrossed in thinking of Radha Krishna more easily. We can also alternate between virah type of meditation and milan type of meditation. Virah means a feeling of separation from Radha Krishna with a longing to meet Them and milan means when we do meet Them.
Now let's close our eyes and see ourselves in the Divine abode, Divine Vrindaban of Radha Krishna. Their abode is also the expansion of Their own personality. The Divine abode of Radha Krishna is Radha and Krishna. So if we imagine Their Divine abode, we are meditating on Radha Krishna.
So, see yourself sitting in a beautiful, Divine, natural setting, what we call a kunj. A kunj is a clearing beneath a large tree in a wood garden, a wooded area with other trees, other plants and bushes and flowers, and you're sitting under a very large tree. This tree also has flowers and its branches reach out providing a large area of shade. This tree sits on the bank of the beautiful Yamuna river which is flowing by gently. You can hear the lapping sounds of the waves on the banks of the river.
This large tree also has many kinds of creepers climbing up its trunk and out its main branches and these creepers also have flowers. So the tree itself has flowers and there are many different shades and kinds and colors of flowers hanging down from its trunk and branches coming from the creepers. Around the clearing in which you're sitting there are many different heights of bushes and plants and all of them have flowers, different colors red, pink, orange, white, blue, even green and all of these flowers have their own very subtle, very deep perfume which is pervading the air where you're sitting and is being carried around by very gentle, mild breeze. A very pleasing breeze which is moving very gently through the kunj.
The place where you're seated has very thick, very soft grass. The whole ground is covered in this thick soft grass which also has very tiny multi-colored flowers. As you sit in the kunj and you feel the breeze moving by, carrying the fragrance of all these different kinds of flowers, you also hear the sound of happy bumblebees buzzing around visiting the different flowers. You hear the twittering of birds moving around up in the trees above and in the bushes around you. You hear the call of a peacock and it sounds to you like the very trees themselves are breathing the word, “Radhe! Radhe! Radhe!”
You're sitting in this kunj waiting for Shri Krishna to come to you. Across the other side of the clearing, there's a path which comes from the jungle and you're looking towards this path waiting for Shri Krishna to come. You've been waiting a long time. This is virah, the feeling that your beloved Shri Krishna has to come to you. He must come to you soon. You've been separated from Him forever, yet He alone is yours. He's the only one who has been with you in every lifetime. He's never left you but you have forgotten about Him. You feel some deep pang of repentance that Krishna has been waiting for you forever, but you have never turned towards Him. Today you are sitting and waiting for Him. You know that He alone is yours. In your heart you feel a deep longing to meet Him. He's yours and you've never met Him? He has to come to you. Feel confident that He will come to you as you sit in this kunj looking at this path waiting for Shri Krishna. You should have full confidence that He will come to you. He alone is yours. He must come to you. You have nowhere else you can go. Sit and feel and develop these feelings of virah and long to meet your beloved Shri Krishna.
As you're sitting, feeling the breeze, smelling the fragrance of the flowers, hearing the sound of the breeze moving through the leaves of the trees, hearing the sound of the river lapping against the banks and longing for Shri Krishna you hear the tingle. It sounds like the tingle of an anklet. You open your eyes and look across the clearing towards the path. The sound is getting louder now, the sound of anklets jingling as Krishna walks and He appears on the other side of the clearing. He emerges from that trail.
He's walking slowly, swaying as He moves towards you and He's looking at you with a feeling of excitement. He's happy to meet you as well. He comes towards you and you fall at His feet. This is the milan, the meeting, you've been waiting for. Shri Krishna has come to you. You touch His feet, you do pranam (greetings) to Him and He reaches down and with both His hands lifts you up and takes you in a warm embrace. You are His, He is yours. You belong to Him. He has come to you and now He's never going away.
You ask Him to sit on a beautifully prepared seat, and He sits comfortably there in the shade of the kunj on this beautiful day. You seat Him on His asan (seat) and you sit on the ground in front of Him and take His lotus feet in your lap, feel how soft they are and you press His feet very gently for His pleasure. You sit with Shri Krishna for a long time. He's looking at you happily. He is glad that you are with Him; you are happy that He has come to you., And now you'll never again be separated. You talk with Him playfully, lovingly. This is milan meditation. Meeting with Shri Krishna.
These two meditations can be alternated from milan to virah and again back to milan so that the mind gets more variation and can remain engrossed for longer periods of time in meditation.
Now we can slowly open our eyes.
JKP Radha Madhav Dham podcast is available on various podcast apps, allowing you to listen to kirtans and lectures on demand. Downloaded podcast episodes can be accessed offline without needing a data connection. Podcast also works with Alexa. Just say, “Alexa, play JKP Radha Madhav Dham Podcast.”
