Seeing from Above, Living from Below
By: Babhru Dasa (BVKS)
In the life of a spiritual aspirant there are two different realities which simultaneously exist. There is the external reality which relates with the external body, mind, and senses and the internal reality which has its basis in the heart, soul, and consciousness.
The sadhaka (spiritual practitioner) should always aspire to perform his daily activities (while interacting with the external world) from the higher plane of vision as given by the acharyas of the Gaudiya-vaishnava sampradaya. Foremost of which are the six goswamis.
The devotees who act carefully to culture this “higher vision” which is based on the teachings of guru (spiritual master), sadhu (saintly persons), and shastra (bonafide scriptures), can easily understand and begin to factually perceive their present reality in a very objective and emotionally detached way.
In one sense accepting and cultivating this higher type of vision is almost like taking a step out of your body, mind, and ego. It is like seeing/experiencing all external workings as a foreign (neutral) third person would. In this way, one easily frees himself from the spiritual blockages which have their root in false-identification of a persons bodily/sensual/mental/emotional constructs and which make up the material gross and subtle bodies.
“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.”- Bhagavad-gita 3.27
Just as when a person is in an airplane, they can see all things below very easily, almost as if is no big deal (they are far removed.) On the other hand, the person on the ground has hardly any perceptive ability. They can barley understand what is going on just a short distance away from them (although they are located far closer than the person in the airplane.)
When the aspirant becomes fixed in such objective perception, they enable them self to interact with this world (especially with its inhabitants) in a very compassionate and conscious way. Such a person will almost always understand the best course of action in any given situation and will generally be fit to guide others (to their realized capacity.)
Being situated in such a high plane of perception is one of the main factors which allows one quick progression as a human being and especially a seeker of the absolute truth (God/Krsna.) Why is it so important? Because when one views everything from the higher plane of knowledge and existence they simultaneously and immediately also realize their real self (jiva-atma/soul) merely as an atomically small fragment of the entire universal existence.
This is indeed the root cause for factual and lasting humility to arise within the heart. In this sense, the beginning stage of humility is non-different from the realization that, “WE ARE INSIGNIFICANT.”
However, “insignificant” does not mean that we are not loved by or felt as important by Krsna. It is just that our constitutional position (as a spirit-soul) is rather small and insignificant in regards to the grander scheme of the total existence, which is comprised of both the material and spiritual realms.
By coming to this realization of their individual insignificance, such devotees automatically feel, helpless, powerless, and completely at the mercy of Krsna. Furthermore ones false pride, ego, and all other nasty material conditioning (anarthas) become steadily on their way to destruction.
Such persons will no longer considers themselves as “super-important, crucial to universal existence, the center of reality, the master, the controller, the enjoyer” etc. Instead, they will see them-self as a small particle sitting at the “the bottom of the barrel.” They will, “look up to everyone and everything,” and what to speak of devotees of Krsna? They will look upon them as their dear-most worship-able friends and masters.
Such realization is not something which the devotee has to practice or artificially implement upon them-self. It is simply a bi-product of their genuine progressive realizations.
Seeing oneself as “lower than the lowest” literally allows one to approach Krsna and His devotees with the proper mood and attitude. And not only that but such persons also feel like this material realm is a completely foreign place. They fully understand that the spirit soul is in no way related with the material energy and therefore they genuinely feel as if they have no shelter in this mortal realm. They completely understand that their only shelter is Lord Krsna, who is the Supreme Spirit Soul.
These qualities all fit together and comprise the primary qualification for receiving the mercy of Krsna, namely intense desperation (laulyam) to attain Him and Him alone. Srila Sanatana Goswami’s following statement nicely fits these two concepts together.
“Yet none of them ever become satiated. Their love shows a thirst that is the mother of sheer humility and that simply grows stronger and stronger.” – Brhad-Bhagavatamrta, 2.6.213
Such persons who have attained the proper perspective that they are indeed a tiny spirit particle, are in the perfect position to cry out for Krsna. For them, attaining Krsna is all that matters, and internally they meditate in the following way, “Krsna! If you don’t give me shelter, let me understand you, or even guide me properly in this world, then better I just enter into the fire or smash my head on a rock!” (In other words, they feel like dying)
Simply put, if the sadhaka does not feel this way, they should understand that their spiritual life is either at a standstill or moving at a very slow rate of progress.
Such an attitude of desperation is indeed what quickly attracts Krsna’s attention. In regards to this point, we can try to understand how magnets work. For instance, the magnet with the most powerful negative charge, will attract the positive magnet the fastest and in a way where the positive magnet will be tightly bound to it.
This mood of desperation is exhibited in its most intense form by the vraja-vasis. Even though they have attained Krsna and are eternally in His abode, at times they “separate” for a short time period during the day or night.
Although short, this period of separation (vipralambha) intensely increases their desire to attain Him again. In this way their love for Him increases eternally. Such greed(lobha) is the only qualification for attainment of Krsna by the practicing devotees.
To further examine and understand this topic, it should be known that until one awakens and cultivates his/her natural loving mood/propensities towards Krsna, they will be unable to access this most powerful type of “magnet” (lobha.)
“Pure devotional service in Kåñëa consciousness (kåñëa-bhakti-rasa-bhävita) cannot be had even by pious activity in hundreds and thousands of lives. It can be attained only by paying one price – that is, intense greed (laulyam) to obtain it. If it is available somewhere, one must purchase it without delay.” CC, 2.8.70
As we know, in Vraja, Krsna is solely attracted by His pure devotees intense and spontaneous emotional loving outpourings towards Him (ragatmika-bhakti.) Indeed, He is so much endeared to all of them that He not only is attracted to them but He personally attempts to become their servants! Krsna also acts in this way towards those devotees who are situated in the practice of cultivating a similar loving mood (raganuga-bhakti) as one of these vraja-vasis.
It is also stated many times in shastra that Krsna is not nearly as attracted by emotions which are based on the platform of awe and reverence (aishvarya.)
Prior to the devotee awakening a natural and specific taste for one of the possible relationships with Krsna (in Vraja,) they are simply forced to act from this default platform of awe and reverence which is based on the injunctions of scripture (vaidhi-bhakti,) i.e. not pure loving sentiments.
“Knowing My opulences, the whole world looks upon Me with awe and veneration. But devotion made feeble by such reverence does not attract Me. CC, 1.3.16
This is exactly why the shastras and acharyas have declared that progressive purification and advancement towards Krsna are both much slower for the devotee on the vidhi-marg, as opposed to those situated on the raga-marg.
“Vrajanatha: Please explain the glories of raganuga-bhakti.
Babaji:Raganuga-bhakti very quickly bestows that fruit which one cannot obtain even by observing the angas of vaidhi-bhakti with firm faith (nishta) for a long time. Devotion on the vaidhi-marga is weak, because it depends on rules and regulations; whereas raganuga-bhakti is naturally strong, because it is completely independent.” – Jaiva-dharma Chapter 21, Pages 505-506
In all circumstances, the devotee who is imbued with such powerful and one-pointed desperation simply turns to Krsna for guidance, empowerment, and revelation of all the details of spiritual life beginning from basic concepts to the highest top-most esoteric details.
“Only out of compassion for these ananya-bhaktas do I, dwelling within the core of their hearts, destroy, with the blazing lamp of transcendental knowledge, the darkness of samsara, born of ignorance.” BG, 10.11
So in this way one can “see from above” in regards to the external world, and “live from below” in order to advance via the internal world. However, it should be noted that for the sadhaka, both of these realities will exist simultaneously.
“Following after the inhabitants of Vraja, one should perform service in one’s physical body (sadhaka-rupa) and in one’s siddha body (siddha-rupa), with a desire for a particular bhava [of a Vraja associate – vraja-lokanusaratau].”- Bhakti-Rasamrta-Sindhu, 1.2.295
If one attempts to artificially live in only one of these realities, generally speaking, it will be temporary and without real depth. In turn, this generally leads to spiritual degradation.
“Outwardly, the sädhaka must maintain his life following the prescribed rules and regulations, and internally he should cultivate the bhävas that nourish his spiritual form (siddha-deha). One who follows this procedure correctly will naturally develop detachment from anything other than Vraja.” – JD page 857-859