10.08 – Bring the momentum of emotion into the moment of meditation

Emotions bring a natural momentum to our inner life. If we feel strongly about something, we can think about it easily and quickly.

Of course, we may not think correctly about it, because emotions can skew our perspective. That’s why the Bhagavad-gita urges us to not let our emotional likes and dislikes distract us from the path of spiritual realization.

But once we have understood what the highest spiritual truth is, the same Gita urges us to bring emotion into our spiritual journey. The Gita (10.08) states that those who recognize Krishna to be the source of everything worship him with all the emotion of their heart (budha bhava samanvitah).

We need to invest our emotions in Krishna if we wish to relish his sweetness. Why? Because Krishna is not just an object to be known with our head, but a person to be loved with our heart.

Of course, the head enables us to understand that he is the Absolute Truth and so is the best object for contemplation. However, just as music is relished not by the eyes but by the ears, Krishna is relished not by the head but by the heart. Despite knowing that contemplating on Krishna will elevate and liberate us, we may still not find that contemplation relishable. Our moments of devotional meditation like, say, chanting will become exciting and fulfilling when we bring the momentum of emotion to those moments.

How can we do that? By, for example, remembering the attributes and pastimes of Krishna that touch our heart, and then contemplating how it is that same loving and merciful Lord whom we are calling out by chanting.

When we thus animate our meditation with emotion, we will gradually relish the highest fulfillment in all of existence.