15.15
Every once in a while I have to come back this image.
To how The Lord shows up in my life.
August 31, 2016. Acyuta was receiving braman diksha initiation.
I remember positioning myself so that I would be able to have the participants of the fire sacrifice in the image as well as Sri Sri Radha Govinda. I was using a little fujifilm camera (x100t to be exact for all my camera lovers) and I snapped some images that I thought were cool and then got back to being present outside of a viewfinder.
I loaded the image into the computer later that day… and 😳🤯
Sri Krishna. With a flute peacock feather and cow. No camera tricks or editing. No photoshopping the Lord into this image.
Now, I am pretty much in awe of the way the Supreme Absolute Truth shows up, but I remember showing people and them being underwhelmed, nonplussed, just ok with it.
I am somewhat used to that in my interactions with people regarding art, but this was different.
A crying Mary statue… a Jesus in a toast….
those things had nothing on what was happening here!
At a fire sacrifice where we begged for the presence of the Lord, In front of the Lord (Sri Sri Radha Govinda) with our senior and exalted vaisnavas not only merely in attendance giving blessings, but presiding over and officiating this ceremony, the Lord appeared!
We couldn’t see it then because our minds don’t process 1/125ths of a second like cameras do, but THERE!!
HE was right there.
I came across some comments later on when it had been posted on Facebook that would question the authenticity of the image being unaltered. I wasn’t at all upset about that because it is a pretty insane image. Then I began thinking about what it means to have faith. What it means to see God.
Bg. 15.15
सर्वस्य चाहं हृदि सन्निविष्टो
मत्त: स्मृतिर्ज्ञानमपोहनं च ।
वेदैश्च सर्वैरहमेव वेद्यो
वेदान्तकृद्वेदविदेव चाहम् ॥ १५ ॥
sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo
mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca
vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedānta-kṛd veda-vid eva cāham
Translation
I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas, I am to be known. Indeed, I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
My family has a habit of refering to this text whenever we find ourselves in need of some sort of knowledge. ANY kind of knowledge. How to deal with a co-worker. How to proceed with a specific task… when we lose our keys.
But the beauty of this text is in the context of the Supreme Truth and how He operates.
Bg. 4.11
As all surrender unto Me, I reward them accordingly. Everyone follows My path in all respects, O son of Pṛthā.
Sometimes, we surrender to God in a way in which we are not really ready to surrender to God.
Some of us refuse to accept that there is a God. We believe there is something else.
Maybe Science. Maybe Chance. Something else. ANYTHING ELSE. NOTHING.
So many unlimited ways to engage. And HOW???
We were told.
”from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness”
Can you imagine. If you want to remember, That comes for the Supreme Absolute Truth…
AAAAND if you want to forget, THAT comes from the Supreme Absolute Truth.
The idea that this image is just an extremely coincidental happenstance is very valid.
It is all according to our level of consciousness, acceptance and surrender.
It is absolutely just a coincidence if that is how one chooses to interact with it.
For me though, I love that Krishna appeared here. So clearly. With a peacock feather, and flute and cow. All coincidences come from Him.
This is Bhakti Yoga, where simply remembering The Lord is a process of devotional service. If all of my coincidences could be this inspiring (and they actually can once we train ourselves for that) then life can be soooooo successful.
Anyway, just thought I would share. Paying forward all this good fortune that has befallen me. I pray you will to.
a.