Why Don't Priya-Lal Give Us Darshan?
While walking the path of sadhana, often a deep yearning and question arises in the minds of sadhaks: "If we are continuously engaging in bhakti, why don't Priya-Lal (Shri Radha-Krishna) give us their direct darshan? Is there a lack in their compassion?" The truth is that the absence of darshan is not their neglect, but rather one expression of their supreme compassion towards us. This delay is not due to any harshness, but is a necessary spiritual interval for the protection of our own heart. The reality is that our heart has not yet become capable of bearing the intense force of that divine experience.
Are We Ready to Bear That 'Great Bliss'?
Our present heart is unable to bear even small shocks from worldly pleasures and sorrows. When we become distracted by trivial illusory joy and sorrow, how can we assimilate the ocean of 'great love-bliss'? Divine darshan is not merely a sight, but rather such a flow of infinite beauty and energy that an immature heart cannot bear. If Priya-Lal were to manifest directly this very moment, our body could become 'devoid of life' from the weight of that otherworldly beauty.
The Nature of Grace: Ripening Gradually
Grace does not scorch us, but rather refines us and makes us worthy of that supreme union. The guru and Priya-Lal prepare the sadhak's heart with great subtlety. In this preparation process, the Lord gives a special practice. Sometimes they give the sadhak the experience of immense bliss, and sometimes they leave them in the intense burning of separation. This alternating coming of the blows of bliss and separation is a kind of spiritual interval training. This rising and falling increases the heart's capacity for endurance so much that it can hold the great bliss that will come in the future. It is through enduring and enduring that the sadhak's heart becomes strong for that supreme union.
Why Does the Flavor of 'Bhajan' Start to Diminish?
Experienced sadhaks often go through a period when they feel that bhajan no longer brings the joy it once did. They interpret this as their decline, but it is actually proof of their progress. When someone turns away from the world and begins naam jap or dhaam vās for the first time, they experience great happiness. But over time, that happiness becomes part of their heart's equilibrium. This does not mean the bliss has ended; the joy of bhajan is ever-new and ever-increasing. When your previous happiness becomes normal or your baseline, you should understand that your heart's capacity has expanded. Now you need deeper and higher levels of experience.
The Final Stage: When the Heart Ceases to Break
That is the pinnacle of maturity in sadhana, where a sevak becomes completely selfless and empowered. At this stage, the sadhak's capacity becomes so great that they are able to behold the eternal leela of Priya-Lal with their own open eyes. Now the weakness of the heart has ended. The great beauty that could once take life now becomes the sadhak's life. After reaching this height, at the time of divine darshan, neither does the bhakt's heart break nor do they swoon. The sevak's gaze is steady. The heart holds infinite flavor. They gaze upon that boundless beauty without blinking.
A Question for Reflection
The delay in darshan from Priya-Lal is actually their protective compassion. They are preparing us through bearing with us until we become capable of standing firm before that great bliss.
Original article: bhajanmarg.com
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