This is the month of Lord Caitanya’s appearance in this world. He is Krishna himself in the guise of his own devotee. Blessing the land of India in the 16th Century, Lord Caitanya was a powerful force in the blossoming of the Krishna Bhakti movement during that time.
His only written work was eight prayers called the Siksastakam. These prayers are celebrated as containing the essential guide to uncovering our love for Krishna. Each verse could have its own book, so filled they are with deep and wide truths. Here they are in short form to give us an overview and entice us to the original text (link below)
- coming clean
The first lesson is an understanding that pure love is clean love – love that is not motivated for any return. That’s compared to dust in our heart that has ‘accumulated for years’. We take up the chanting of Krishna’s sacred name to come clean. Our dusty heart will never be the same.
- anytime anywhere
Here’s the good news – it’s an easy process. You can chant anywhere! No hard and fast rules! Chant and get that dust moving, so you can begin to feel some love for Krishna. Yet, there’s a problem: we aren’t attracted to that easiest of all processes. That should lead us to….
- like a blade of grass
Humility. Perhaps the most important step, here we are given key ingredients to bump up our level of kirtan. We need to come to our chanting in a mood of humility, tolerance, and really, really, really not seeking respect, praise, or honor from others. Ouch. But if we truly seek pure love, otherworldly love, we have to withdraw ourselves from the center stage of this life and see ourselves from a whole different perspective.
- release desires
Profit, fame and adoration are the three big desires that tie us to this world. Do not chase these as they will take us away from pure love and service. They are subtle, cunning and can sneak up on the sincerest of practitioners. Desire we must, it is who we are. But the art of bhakti is desiring only pure love. That is both our safety and sustenance.
5. request rescue
This is the point where we recognize that we can’t do it on our own. We are dependent on grace and help from above and begin to call out.
- express longing
The desire to really feel some pure love is the focus of this verse. When, O when will that day be mine when will I be moved and feel some emotion while chanting? Nurture this longing. It will keep us moving in the right direction.
- feel separation
As we mature in our spiritual practice and our love grows, we will want to be with Krishna. Feelings of separation nurture and blossom our chanting and relationship with the Lord.
- loving vulnerability
When pure love for God is fully manifested one steps into the safe space of vulnerability – our love and trust is so deep and so wide that we have no fear, no matter what happens. All is well because the bonds of such pure love are unconditional.
We have the capacity to experience this highest level of pure love as outlined above. It is the inherent nature of the soul. The goal of life is to uncover it. What a wonderful goal to have – the pursuit of the purest love of all. May these eight verses bless our journey and guide us home.
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