Krishna stole the pot of butter. Now let me ask the devotees, what does the mischievous leela mean to you? Is there a teaching here? Tell us your revelations.Your servant in devotion
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I have always been a rascal Hindu. It is my nature. Your explanation was perfect.
Devotees always want to share these adventurous revelations with others, and there are crores of them. But the impersonalist can only say "not thus, not that, not this". That is why they are the worse cooks and no one wants to eat their bhoga. It is because they are boring beyond belief.
But devotees of Krishna are never boring.
That is why even I, the Friend of Ravana, loves to hear from devotees. In fact, the entire world does too, even if the liars say they do not. It is like saying, "I hate the taste of sugar". Why do they lie in this way?
Because they are afraid they cannot dance, they cannot love, they cannot sing for and to Krishna. But the solution is very easy. All you have to do is not hide the butter in a dark, hidden cave. And what good is such butter in a dark, hidden cave?
Thank you for the elaborate reply. It taught me a lot. It explains what childhood is in the context of spirituality. Our heart has become hard with the beatings of life, we have to chant and make it soft and innocent for God to accept it and agree to stay in it. Like how it was in our childhood.
My understanding of the subject - like I was saying - Krsna leela is at different levels. Why does Krsna steal only butter - why not milk or curd? Because butter is the cream, the essence, the most beneficial part of milk. Butter is made out of churning - the way the milk ocean was churned in the tortoise incarnation, Kurma avatara, that brought out good (nectar, Dhanwwantary, Airavat, Lakshmi) and bad (halahala poison), that way we have to churn our heart and take out the bad, then the good will remain, and we have to churn our heart such that the cream, the butter comes out (or make it so innocent and soft like cream/ butter). Then Krsna will happily reside in our heart/ steal our heart and make our life successful.
Krsna is mischievious like a kid - like how children are at the most naughty in front of the mother, knowing fully well mother loves them the most, will forgive them and they can be themselves in front of her. That way, He wants us to be so surrendered to Him and love Him such that He can be mischievious in front of us, having loving devotional exchanges with us.
That is the beauty of falling in love with Krsna, He will make us experience all the rasas in His devotion.
I hope I have been able to explain my understanding to you. I am very very fallen, very insignificant to have any understanding. Just sharing my thoughts with you.
A personal relationship with the Lord can not be relished simply by being a jnani and a book worm. A "bookish jnani" never relishes the butter thief while simply sitting in a room reading the same upanishad over and over again and chanting "I am the Supreme Brahman". To them, even if they hear the story of the butter thief they think, "What is this? I have no time for such nonsense about boys stealing butter and milk, this is a common thing and designed to yank the heart chains of sentimentalists who never grew up. I will go back to my room and read the same Upanishad and have no need for hearing about Gopis making excuses for pranksters and adults who can never punish these smiling Gopalas. I am the Supreme Brahman, I must also get back to my room before someone steals my butter. Everyday I eat food, drink water, and I like butter on my chapati and I drink milk too. In fact, this is my only enjoyment in life as a great jnani. Eating, drinking, sleeping, defecating, and chanting 'I am Brahman' and reading this same book over and over again. Let me go back to that, before someone steals my butter."
When a grown adult goes into a house and steals butter and milk, they are arrested as soon as possible.
But if a child comes to play and have fun in your house and eats the butter, pokes a hole in the pot, steals the cookie from the cookie jar, they are very soon loved and may even be given a glass of milk to refresh themself. Only the Mother will show the rod, but only to scare. But if the child smiles, then the bail bond has been paid. If the child is wearing decorations, these are not taken off. The ties of relationships remain, and those pastimes are remembered. Why is this?
Because we remember when we were young. Everything is given to the young. Because we are still young even if old. Those who are dead in the soul, this is the type of "old" that a devotee is not. A devotee is never "old" in that way no matter how old the soul is. Those others are already dead, but not the devotee. Even their limp body lifted up by another devotee can be swung here and there and dance. The devotee is forever young.
A rishi gives butter to Agni in the homa. Svaha.
The devotee gives Krishna the butter. They want Krishna to come in their house. When Krishna comes, he may steal things from you. You may have things disappear. But if Krishna took them, that is ok. They always remember those pastimes.
In fact, they may put a pot of butter near the door and say, "Krishna, come and try to steal this, so I may catch you in the act."
YOur question is profound. Please shed some light on your realisations which I am sure you have.
I am too insignificant to have any meaningful realisation.
Like everything about Krsna lila, it is at different levels. The realisation we had as a child - Krsna loves butter, so we can also love butter. As a child, I remember asking my (exasperated) mother which brand butter He likes, Amul Butter or Vijaya Butter (that time that was one of the brands in India).
Please tell me your realisation prabhuji, before I can share my understanding of the topic.
Replies
I have always been a rascal Hindu. It is my nature. Your explanation was perfect.
Devotees always want to share these adventurous revelations with others, and there are crores of them. But the impersonalist can only say "not thus, not that, not this". That is why they are the worse cooks and no one wants to eat their bhoga. It is because they are boring beyond belief.
But devotees of Krishna are never boring.
That is why even I, the Friend of Ravana, loves to hear from devotees. In fact, the entire world does too, even if the liars say they do not. It is like saying, "I hate the taste of sugar". Why do they lie in this way?
Because they are afraid they cannot dance, they cannot love, they cannot sing for and to Krishna. But the solution is very easy. All you have to do is not hide the butter in a dark, hidden cave. And what good is such butter in a dark, hidden cave?
Not very good at all.
Your servant in devotion, Jai Sri Krishna
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
Thank you for the elaborate reply. It taught me a lot. It explains what childhood is in the context of spirituality. Our heart has become hard with the beatings of life, we have to chant and make it soft and innocent for God to accept it and agree to stay in it. Like how it was in our childhood.
My understanding of the subject - like I was saying - Krsna leela is at different levels. Why does Krsna steal only butter - why not milk or curd? Because butter is the cream, the essence, the most beneficial part of milk. Butter is made out of churning - the way the milk ocean was churned in the tortoise incarnation, Kurma avatara, that brought out good (nectar, Dhanwwantary, Airavat, Lakshmi) and bad (halahala poison), that way we have to churn our heart and take out the bad, then the good will remain, and we have to churn our heart such that the cream, the butter comes out (or make it so innocent and soft like cream/ butter). Then Krsna will happily reside in our heart/ steal our heart and make our life successful.
Krsna is mischievious like a kid - like how children are at the most naughty in front of the mother, knowing fully well mother loves them the most, will forgive them and they can be themselves in front of her. That way, He wants us to be so surrendered to Him and love Him such that He can be mischievious in front of us, having loving devotional exchanges with us.
That is the beauty of falling in love with Krsna, He will make us experience all the rasas in His devotion.
I hope I have been able to explain my understanding to you. I am very very fallen, very insignificant to have any understanding. Just sharing my thoughts with you.
Will wait for your remarks.
Haribol,
YOur servant,
Rashmi
When a grown adult goes into a house and steals butter and milk, they are arrested as soon as possible.
But if a child comes to play and have fun in your house and eats the butter, pokes a hole in the pot, steals the cookie from the cookie jar, they are very soon loved and may even be given a glass of milk to refresh themself. Only the Mother will show the rod, but only to scare. But if the child smiles, then the bail bond has been paid. If the child is wearing decorations, these are not taken off. The ties of relationships remain, and those pastimes are remembered. Why is this?
Because we remember when we were young. Everything is given to the young. Because we are still young even if old. Those who are dead in the soul, this is the type of "old" that a devotee is not. A devotee is never "old" in that way no matter how old the soul is. Those others are already dead, but not the devotee. Even their limp body lifted up by another devotee can be swung here and there and dance. The devotee is forever young.
A rishi gives butter to Agni in the homa. Svaha.
The devotee gives Krishna the butter. They want Krishna to come in their house. When Krishna comes, he may steal things from you. You may have things disappear. But if Krishna took them, that is ok. They always remember those pastimes.
In fact, they may put a pot of butter near the door and say, "Krishna, come and try to steal this, so I may catch you in the act."
Your servant in devotion, Jai Sri Krishna
Hare KRsna Prabhuji,
PAMHO.
YOur question is profound. Please shed some light on your realisations which I am sure you have.
I am too insignificant to have any meaningful realisation.
Like everything about Krsna lila, it is at different levels. The realisation we had as a child - Krsna loves butter, so we can also love butter. As a child, I remember asking my (exasperated) mother which brand butter He likes, Amul Butter or Vijaya Butter (that time that was one of the brands in India).
Please tell me your realisation prabhuji, before I can share my understanding of the topic.
Haribol,
Your insignificant servant,
Rashmi