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In Saturday’s lecture a few things made me think deeply. It was said that it’s easy to feel connection when everything is all right, but when there is chaos in one’s life then it’s questionable to feel that connection. I completely agree with it.
I think maybe that also part of the reason we are here? I think we are here not in our natural position. We, as Hare Krishna people would say feel us as Lords, trying to control everything. I would say we feel our separateness from around world and that is not natural for us. And maybe that is way when it’s becoming tough here everyone of us wants to jump back again from this world? Maybe one of the reason we are here to try feel that connection in spite all the difficulties we have here which take our consciousness from the essence? It’s fanny, no matter to what extent I feel the existence as soon as there is great difficulties I want to quit the "game". Jump from here.
Then I have a question what is the difference between the world in this side and in another side? Do we feel there the connection with the essence more or we continue to feel the separateness in another manner? If we can’t feel the connection all the time here then when we die where is the guarantee that we can feel the connection all the time without the body (which by the way also part of the existence) in those worlds.
I also like the part "we think if we blindly make everything as it is said rightly, then it’s guaranteed that we will eat yogurt with Krishna on other world"
I have addressed a similar question in my reply to Maha’s text in Discussions with Hari entitled, "Self-made/self-build persons." I will not repeat what was stated there.
Your questions are really answers. You have confessed to wanting to quit the game when it gets tough. I imagine it as a person entering into the sports arena with the expectation of victory and enjoyment, only to wish to retreat from the arena when injured, in pain, and suffering.
Your question about how we feel on other planes is interesting yet hard to answer as there are many different situations and each has its own unique ambience. Your question relates to the sensitivity of those who are on the ‘other side,’ or anywhere else than here on earth. Are they by definition more sensitive considering their supposed lack of gross matter to dull them, or are they more sensitive due to their evolution? If they are more sensitive, does this necessarily imply they have a closer connection to the essence? If not, do they feel a separation from it as we do?
Yes and no. Some might be more sensitive there than some are here, and some not. Sensitivity is not related to where one is situated, neither must it be hindered by gross matter, although certainly capacities not bound by gross matter have the potential to be far more expanded. But this is not always the case as some beings on the other side are in situations of their own creation which are according to their dreams and not borne of evolved consciousness. Some have entered into their dream world to allow them to associate with long lost persons in the same manner they did in life, or to recover long lost situations they yearned for at the time of their death. Some are residents of other planets whose bodily forms are by nature more subtle, yet who are not very advanced in consciousness. And then again, there are people here on this side who are highly advanced, very wise, and in touch with the source.
I like the way you put it, "If we cannot feel the connection here on this side all the time, what guarantees we will feel it on the other?" Well, nothing. It all depends on us, on our capacity, our sensitivity and our situation. However, there are those who have developed themselves to a sufficient extent that they find life without gross matter to be utterly exhilarating and gain deeper connections on the other side. Yet, there are those who had no connection on this side and continue to have no connection on the other.
There is no guarantee that anything will be any way. We make it what it is by our power. This power is the same here or there, simply it has a better chance to manifest there if we are aware here. And considering the stimulus of pain as a wonderful medium to encourage connection to the source, it seems that we on this side might be better capable of feeling the connection! I do not think the bodily type influences one’s capacity to connect to the source as the most significant factor; rather, it is one’s conscious awareness and focused desire that grants the power to connect.
And yes, it is this same mechanism that causes those who have that strong desire to eat yoghurt sitting in the cowherd pasture to do so. The matured desire one cultivated here continues when there. I do not recommend over-confidence, even if one is highly determined as one should consider there are pitfalls and unexpected challenges whenever one moves from one plane to the other.
As a word of advice, it is risky to expect some mercy to override our this side consciousness and propel us to some spiritual destination. Maybe it can happen, maybe not. Your belief system here may not be of consequence there. Therefore, do not count on any certainty, but be prepared to meet whatever manifests on the other side with your complete intelligence and focused energy.
Thank you for your nice answer and today’s nice lecture.
During today’s lecture I thought about illusion is power that force us to sleep. Literally. Everything is the same. God is around us. But we literally sleep. We, the soul, our essence is slipping. I feel it all the time and today when I was driving to the temple for lecture I felt it really strong. I was driving the car and after turning to the right I suddenly realized that I don’t remember my last a few minute driving. My body perfectly was driving but I wasn’t there. Maybe there were some thoughts in my head or just switched off. And then I understood how maya is force the soul to sleep and forget the reality.
For me it’s very much helpful to read a lot. Nowadays I have no time to read but I would like to tell how I manage to keep my consciousness in good shape. I already told a lot about it. I just try to always be alive. Not sleep. Always remember me and around world. Very much helpful concentration on what I’m doing on the spot. Concentration how I heat, walk, talk, drive. Even concentration in small amount of time give a great result in rising the consciousness.
During the lecture a lot of other thoughts has came to my mind but unfortunately I almost forgot all of them.
