What would have happened to us if we had seen (Lord) Ram or Krishna (the Supreme Divine Personality)?
जाकी रही भावना जैसी, प्रभु मूरत देखी तिन तैसी I
Jāki rahī bhāvanā jaisī, prabhu moorat dekhī tin taisī.- Ramayan
According to it’s quality our mind is more sattvic (mode of purity), more rajas (mode of passion), more tamas (mode of ignorance), so which mayic gun (material quality) predominates in our mind, accordingly we would have seen Ram or Krishna. If our mind was more tamas, like a rākshas (demonic being), we would have thought,
“Oh, look at Him, He’s so scary! He’s a rākshas like me!”
And if our mind was more rajas, just normal, worldly, we would have thought, “Oh yeah, He looks like a good-looking guy, but I don’t trust Him!”
And if our mind was more sattvic, we would have been attracted, but we still wouldn’t have known that He was God. Only the one with Divine eyes can see Krishna’s Divinity and actually experience Him as God. The main point is that even if a great Saint like Kripalu Ji Maharaj said, “Okay, I’ll show you Krishna,” you know what our reaction would be?
“Oh, you showed me Krishna? This is Krishna? I don’t feel any happiness seeing Him! I feel more happy seeing my own son or daughter or my own husband or wife. And you’re telling me I should do devotion to purify my mind so I can become surrendered! Why? So I can meet Krishna? I just met Him (and it was) no big deal! I get more happiness from eating rasgulla (a milk-based sweet), which I already have. I don’t have to do years and years of bhakti (devotion) for that. I can eat rasgulla or I can see my husband or wife or my son or daughter anytime I want, without doing any bhakti! And you’re telling me no? Leave those desires and do bhakti to Krishna? For what? I just saw Him, and I didn’t experience anything great!”
So then Guru ji would say, “(It’s) because you weren’t qualified to experience what Krishna really is.”
“Then why did you show Him to me if I’m not qualified?”
“That’s why I told you in the beginning that I’m not going to show Him to you. You’re not ready.”
So this idea, “Oh, Guru ji, just show me Krishna, then watch what kind of a devotee I become!”
No, it wouldn’t help us at all. What helps us more is the words of the Saints saying,
“I have seen Krishna and now I’m drowned in His love and I have perfect happiness every moment of the day!”
And we say, “I want that!”
And there are hundreds and thousands of Saints repeating that. So we have faith.
“I want what those Saints are experiencing, because I’ve already experienced what this world has to offer!”
