Chapter 6. Love and Respect

Intimate Love + Respect equals Love of the Enlightened. Though the Gopis were so close to Krishna, they never forgot for a moment, the glory of Krishna, yet their respect for Krishna never diminished. It kept increasing! You see the unfathomable depth of Personality.

If you are regular with Sadhana, you will gain, respect will never diminsh. Respect by your smile, compassion (values), stays with you forever. Everybody has these virtues. You need to go to the Centre. Narada gives a thread here - Love and Respect can co-exist in Divine Love - its is all encompassing. You cannot understand yourself. You are so vast, deep as the ocean. Do not be judgemental of anybody. Anybody, anytime can blossom!! Divine Love takes you to that level of Non judgemental. To hold the vastness, that is, Love, do not be disrespectful. When you disrespect someone, your consciousness shrinks!! Love and respect needs to be maintained in any relationship. For example, closeness of Gopis for Krishna. Inspite of all their games, troubles with krishna, the Gopis never lost their respect for Krishna.

Ego cannot stand closeness. When ego gets squashed....love develops. Anything that is far, at a distance appears to be glorious and when it is close, you cannot see the same glory.

Purpose of ego is to gain respect. When you are being in your Nature, repect for you happens.

Chapter 5. Love is Pure Communication

Narada speaks about the love of Gopis for Krishna. Krishna broke all the rules. He was very naughty and mischievous. Although the love of Gopis for Krishna was intimate, they looked at Krishna as their beloved. He was so close to their heart.

Communication comes down when you keep people at different levels - up or down. There are three levels of Love

1. Attraction - lust
2. Longing - love has happened
3. Love culminates - Surrender

Love and respect - there is conflict. Love knows no distance and respect needs a distance. Gopis loved Krishna so much and kept HIM in an equal level. They were so spaced out in HIS presence. There were 16,000 of them. Was it it lust?

Love has 2% lust; Lust has 2% Love. Lust means coming close. Lust is aggressive, demanding, feverishness. Love is submissive, caring, giving, joy. In lust you make the other an object; in Love you elevate the other. Lust is stimulation of body and Love is stimulation of Soul. They are so close. This discrimination /awareness is missing in society. "A fraction /moment of samadhi equals 1000 times of sex" - Rishis said this.

God is our mother, father.... unlike in the West. In Hinduism, we always habe both together. Prakriti + Purusha (Nature + Source)... its always Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvathi; Lakshmi-Narayana

Gopis saw the spirit of Krishna. They saw the Grandeur and Glory of Krishna. Story goes that one night, Krishna was playing the flute in the garden and soon Krishna told the Gopis to go home as it was getting late. The Gopis refuse to go home and after much cajoling, they finally leave but they tell Krishna that they know HE plays the flute better when they are around! Love rejoices in the Joy of others.

If the divine spirit is not there, it is like the prostitute. In such lust, there is no joy, no comfort. Nature of Love is to bring comfort to the other.

Another story goes that Lord Krishna once had a headache and he was then the King of Dwaraka. All the Vaidyas come and are unable to rid the Lord of the headache. Krishna is supposed to have said, "only the dust from the feet of my devotees can rid me of the headache"... Lot of discussion happenned and no one came forward as it was considered to be a Sin and Hell was guaranteed for such action! Sage Narada went to the Gopis and told them about the Lord's requirement.. They sent truckloads of dust for the Lord - such was their love!

And when Krishna was ready to leave the Universe, HE tells one of his greatest devotee Uddhava to go see the Gopis and give them Knowledge after HE left. The gopis apparently ask Uddhava, "What knowldege you are giving us?? Every particle of our body is filled with longing. We are not there at all".... Such was the amazing state of Consciousness of the Gopis. It is said that the Angels rejoiced with just one tear of Love /longing of the Gopis.

There is a taboo in the East to express Love. In lust, there is too much expression; the feelings get lost and too little expression stifles you. Follow the middle path. The love of the Gopis was they rejoiced in the Comfort of the Divine.

Chapter 4. Rejoicing without Conflict

Love and discipline are opposite in nature. When there is an interest in any activity, there is no need for any law. Lovers know no Rules. Conflict creates confusion and chaos and Love also creates confusion and chaos. But you cannot discard discipline. To preserve Love, you need to follow the Laws. Even in food, day to day activities, you need discipline. Discipline is required when there is no interest. Anything in extreme has to be dropped! Even in meditation, love, talking, otherwise even Love will turn Sour. Example, Love marriages breakup, very often. There is too much expression of Love.

Honor certain rules /discipline - This will uphold you. Discipline appears stifling, actually it gives you freedom. Example, child brushing teeth - this discipline prevents toothache. The other side of discipline gives you freedom - in the long run. Discipline takes you to Divine Love. However, don't be rigid about it. Police have traffic rules; but the ambulance needs to break the rules sometimes! Love knows no boundaries. Love can accomodate all the different opinions /the opposite values

SIGNS of LOVE

1. Love to perform Puja - like Rishi Parashara. Puja is action that comes out of fullness. Pu means fullness; Ja means born. Example, Nature loves you dearly, so we offer them during Puja - food, light, water, flowers, fragrance, Aaarathi. You are in total Joy - Ecstacy. Expression of immense gratitude is Puja.
2. Telling stories - like Garga Rishi. Example grandparents talk 24/7 about their grandchildren. Praising through stories, rather, rejoicing in stories, Divine Love manifests in the stories.
3. Rejoicing in Oneself without any conflict - Rishi Shandilya. Conflict is the work of intellect. Rejoicing is the work of the heart. Shandilya was very chaotic but there was no conflict, he was is in Divine Love. Our work, service, conversatons can be without conflict.
4. Offering all - good and bad to the Divine - Sage Narada. Only when you forget God, you are miserable. Unconditional Love - this is Divine Love. Restlessness is a sign of Love. When there is longing, there is Love. Gopis never forgot Krishna, their love and longing for Krishna brought them to Divine Love

Radha means longing; Shyam /Govind means Love.

Bhakti Sutras lift us! Example, the month of Aashad (Aadi in tamil) is meant for longing. Two feverish people get together, love disappears /exaporates and they end up suffocating each other.

Love is your very nature and longing is an integral part of it. Love is never complete - the longing keeps it Incomplete. Completion brings boundaries. The Gopis rejoiced in this Incompleteness. Example the love of the Gopis of Brindavan for Lord Krishna is an example of Love. Whatever actions have happened, offer all of them to the Divine - Relax!