Celebrating Lord Krishna - Janmastami

The Vedas teach that there is a higher Transcendent Reality, a Higher Truth, an Absolute Truth. According to Vedic wisdom there is one unique living being amongst a vast ocean of conscious and eternal beings. This one Supreme Soul is known by many, many different Names. We are all connected to the Supreme Soul. There is an eternal bond of kinship, of love between all living beings and the Supreme Being. In the spiritual reality, we are all connected because we are all parts and parcels of that Supreme Soul. We’re not speaking here of the limited idea that there is a Hindu god or a Christian god, a Buddhist god or a Muslim god. There is only one Transcendent Reality, one Absolute Truth. That Supreme Truth is also referred to as the Supreme Soul and as the Supreme Original Cause of all Causes. The Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā states: īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam He who is the origin of all, who has no other origin and He who is the prime cause of all causes. He is known as Govinda and He has a beautiful and eternal blissful spiritual form. He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead also known as Kṛṣṇa. - Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.1 The transcendental sound Kṛṣṇa means the “All-Attractive”. When we speak of Krishna, we are speaking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Cause of All Causes, the Original Person. The day that Lord Krishna appeared upon this Earth over 5,000 years ago in His original transcendental form is known as Janmastami – and is celebrated by hundreds of millions of people worldwide. When we speak of Krishna, we are not speaking of a foreign person. We’re not speaking about somebody with whom we don’t already have a relationship. The original Cause of all Causes appears in this material dimension in His transcendental form, making it possible for us to meditate upon Him and hear His transcendental instructions on how we can come back to Him, and reunite with Him. This world is not the home of the spiritual being. It is a temporary place that we are residing in. Spiritual life means to return to our true home to the eternal spiritual dimension with the Supreme Soul. What is Krishna’s relationship with us and our relationship with Krishna? Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, “I am the goal, I am the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation. I am the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed. I am the seed giving father of all living beings.” Our eternal desire for that perfect love is a spiritual desire that cannot be completely fulfilled in this limited world with limited material personalities. Pure love for Krishna resides eternally within the hearts of all living beings, it is simply covered. No one can give us this love. Spiritual love is already there, it is part of our very being. That pure spiritual love that is already there within the depth of our heart of hearts, is awakened or uncovered by our immersion in the beautiful, transcendental sounds, the Holy Names of Krishna. Thinking of Krishna, meditating upon the beautiful form of Krishna, chanting His sweet names, purifies the heart and mind so that this love is awakened. Simply take shelter in His holy names, sing His names, rest in His name and you will actually know the spiritual happiness and inner peace that you have been looking for, for your whole life. Take Krishna into your heart and embrace Him. Embrace His holy name. He is not different than His name. When you embrace the Holy Name of Krishna, you are embracing Krishna. When you welcome the Holy Name of Krishna into your heart, you are welcoming Krishna into your heart. If you want Krishna, if you want love for Krishna, if you want to be connected with Krishna, if you want to be free from the emptiness that comes from being separated from Krishna, then you need to consciously give your heart, give your life to Krishna. Krishna is here before you. Krishna is as close, or closer, in fact than your own breath.