Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Re: Which experiences are real?
Dear Vaisnavas,
Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna! Please accept my respectful obeisances!
Here is one short paragraph (by Hadai Prabhu) that tells us what experiences are absolutely true. It is very general, so I have slightly modified it, sorry prabhu. I hope you won't mind.
"Dear friends,
When we pledge to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, that means we speak from the most holistic point of view. But what is the most holistic point of view? Is our vision wide enough to embrace the whole? Can we even understand what is true and what is not true? In ordinary direct perception this is already a challenge: some say the cheese is round and others say it is oval. Those who are color-blind don’t distinguish between red and green. Those who are under illusion see a snake instead of a rope. So when truth is already that difficult in ordinary matters what to speak of our more abstract understandings? There are so many contradicting philosophies and religions. Which one is right? How can we, with our limited vision, comprehend what is truth? One way to approach this dilemma is to look at inclusiveness. Things are simply not black or white but they are black and white. When we try to understand the whole truth we look at the most inclusive truth. Most inclusive means most detailed, with the most nuances, and harmonizing all so-called contradictions. That’s the most favorite theoretical approach of the whole truth.
But there is something much deeper and it is structured within our hearts. It is a parameter of our advancement and it is measured in units of happiness. Do we feel our relationship with the Lord, our deepest inner happiness, increasing every day and at every moment? When you can honestly answer this question with ‘yes’ you know by your own understanding that you have adopted and embraced the whole truth and nothing but the truth."
---by Hadai Nityananda Dasa prabhu
by Srinath : A real experience is supported by the scriptures and is not contrary to what the Lord has said in them. But for those who do not have the ability to memorise each and every location in every nook and corner of whatever scriptures available to them, what can they do?
So the only way to know how true an experience is to look at whether it improves our love for the Supreme Godhead, increases our ocean of bliss and brings us closer to him at every moment. We can ask ourselves this statement as a question and deep within, The Lord in his Paramatma feature will inspire the answer and internally with a realisation also comes the awareness that what we are experiencing is real.
So one should place these questions before the guru, vaisnava, sastra and the Lord and one will know the truth. That is my little realisation from this little discussion.
In your service,
Srinath.
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