10.9 – What is Krishna’s place in our secret life?

All of us have a public life where we interact with the world and a private life where we interact with our loved ones. Additionally, we also have a secret life where we live and relive our fondest dreams. This secret life goes beyond our public and private lives while also underlying and shaping them. We may be addressing a thousand people or talking to a family member, but in both cases we may be in our secret life if we dwell on that which we hold dearest.

One way to understand what resides in our secret life is to evaluate what thoughts occupy us when we have nothing to do; or when we feel bored or distressed and need relief; or when we contemplate our greatest joys. Making spiritual advancement means giving Krishna a place of pride in our secret lives.

Our devotional journey begins in earnest when we make Krishna the stuff of our dreams. This doesn’t imply that we equate him with a character of our night dreams or that we fantasize him performing intimate pastimes with us. It essentially implies that we make Krishna a deep, intense and cherished longing of our heart. Our desires and dreams naturally revolve around him as the planets oscillate around the sun.

The Bhagavad-gita (10.9) characterizes exalted devotees using the phrase mac-cittah. This phrase conveys not just that they always think about Krishna, but also that their citta, or the substratum of their thinking capacity, becomes offered to and absorbed in Krishna or Krishna-ized.

If we wish to krishnaize our consciousness, we need to consciously desire Krishna at all times and especially at the times when we are exposed to devotional stimuli. This will gradually ensure that he permeates, pervades and possesses our secret life, thereby enriching us with the highest happiness.