At a Lecture on Sri Caitanya-caritamåta, Adi-lila 7.108—San Francisco, February 18, 1967:
Bhaktijana:
“What’s the relationship between Krishna and Radha? Radha is the energy of Krishna?”
Prabhupada: “Yes.”
Ravindra-svarupa:
“If the brahmajyoti is in the spiritual sky, how could we reach it in our mind? Is it in our mind also?”
Prabhupada:
“It is here also. Just like the sunshine, when it is covered by cloud, the sunshine is also there. Do you follow? You see that the sky is covered, but still you say, “It is day.’ Why?’ The sunshine is there. Similarly, brahmajyoti is here also. Sarvam khalu iti brahma: ‘Everything is Brahman.’ But it is covered by maya. Therefore the full-fledged brahmajyoti, you cannot see.”
Ravindra-svarupa:
“I thought it was a place that was far away.”
Prabhupada:
“Yes. It is… Just like above the cloud there is sunshine, fully. We have seen it in an airplane. This airlines, U.S. airlines, they say, “Friendly skies.” So go to the friendly sky. Why do you remain here, nonsense sky, always covered with cloud? Go to the friendly sky. Just go above the cloud. The cloud is maya. Go above the maya. Then you see. You are seeing already, but it is not full-fledged experience. Everything we are seeing. We have experienced God’s power, God’s energy. But because we are in ignorance, therefore we cannot conceive perfectly. And as soon as you are above the maya… Mayam etam taranti te [Bhagavad-gita 7.14].
“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.”
That maya you can, I mean to say, surpass simply by Krishna consciousness. As you become full-fledged Krishna conscious, oh, then you see always brahmajyoti and Brahman and Krishna and everything. And so far, your present condition is, you are seeing also just now. Because without Brahman, there cannot be any existence. So one has to learn. In the flower you can see. In the tree you can see. In the taste you can see. In the water you can see. In the sound you can see. That is all stated in the Bhagavad-gita. Raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya: [Bhagavad-gita 7.8]
“O son of Kunté, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable oà in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.”
‘I am the taste of the water.’ Water is so popular, so tasteful, to every living entity. Man, beast, birds—anyone—water requires. Why? There is a nice taste, quench our thirst. And Krishna says, raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya: “That taste in water, I am.” So if you are Krishna conscious, if you know from the sastras that ‘This taste is Krishna’. then at once you become Krishna conscious while drinking water. “I am sound in the sky.” So, as soon as there is some sound, ‘Oh, here is Krishna, In this way, you study Krishna. You’ll see. In the taste of water you’ll find Krishna. In the sound vibration you’ll find Krishna. If there is somebody very powerful, you’ll find him, Krishna. This description is there in the Bhagavad-gita. This is Krishna consciousness. Yes?”
Devotee:
“Swamiji, I’m trying to… You said that, one time, that brahmajyoti is like the pure light, and it’s filtered in the material world through the modes?”
Prabhupada:
“Yes. Material world means three modes.”
Devotee:
“So is that like…? Well… Because the modes don’t exist in the spiritual world. Is that right?”
Prabhupada:
“Yes. Just like if you go above the cloud, there is no cloud. That’s all. But there is. In a certain portion of the sky, there is cloud. And that cloud is also not permanent. Sometimes sky is clear of all clouds, but sometimes cloud is there. The cloud is generating in the sky and it is vanquished in the sky. Similarly, this material world is sometimes being manifested and sometimes there is no manifestation, simply spiritual. Spiritual is always eternal. The sky, sunshine, is always eternal. Take this crude example. But the cloud is not eternal. It comes and goes, although cloud is a product of the same sunshine. Cloud is not independent. By interaction of sunshine, there is cloud, and that cloud is… There is no cloud. Similarly, this material world is just like cloud. It appears. It acts. When there is cloud, there is torrents of rain. Oh, there are so many productions on account of rain. Everything becomes green. So we give so much importance to the cloud, and it is important also, but it is temporary. As soon as the cloud is over, the greenness is gone. There is no rain. Nothing, nothing. And when the sky is clear, you’ll see, “Oh, where is cloud? Where is cloud?” Similarly, this maya means it appears like the cloud, and it disappears like the cloud, but the eternal brahmajyoti remains.”
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