08.14 – Seek not moments of devotion; seek momentum in devotion

In an elevator, what gets us to the destination quickly is the motion of the elevator, not our emotion during the elevation.

Bhakti-yoga is like an elevator that takes us to the topmost summit of spirituality. It can grant us smoothly and swiftly, as the Bhagavad-gita (08.14: sulabhah) indicates, realization of Krishna, the highest manifestation of the Absolute Truth.

A physical elevator is powered by mechanical function, but the bhakti elevator is powered by devotional intention. The more our eagerness to attain Krishna and the more we express that eagerness by diligently practicing devotional service, the faster moves the bhakti elevator.

Someone may object, “Isn’t Krishna attained only by his grace?” Yes, certainly. But he is always ready to bestow his grace. What makes his ever-available grace accessible to us is our intention. So in that sense the velocity of the bhakti elevator is determined by the strength of our intention.

How do we express our intention to Krishna?

By cultivating his remembrance internally and by engaging in his service externally. These dual dimensions of devotion impart the bhakti elevator momentum in its elevation towards destination Krishna.

Unfortunately, we often assume that the essence of devotion lies in moments – the moments when we feel good, feel happy, feel close to Krishna. Such moments can be encouraging and inspiring, but they may or may not occur regularly as long as impurities cloud our perception of Krishna. If we depend on such moments for motivation in our spiritual ascent, discouragement may cause us to slow and stop, to even press the down button.

That’s why we need to focus not on moments of devotion, but momentum in devotion. Then real and rapid purification will naturally ensue. Thereafter, the magical moments will come spontaneously and frequently – till finally they stay forever.

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08.14 – For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pritha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.