30 THE PATH OF PERFECTION Learning How to See God 31

of God can see God within their hearts twenty-four hours a day.” samhita, angani yasya sakalendriya-vrttimanti: “‘Every sense of the
Purification of the senses is what is required, then we can under- Lord’s body has all the potencies of the other senses.”’ Although
stand the name, form, qualities, and pastimes of God. Then we’ll | we can see with our eyes, we cannot eat with our eyes. The senses
be able to see God everywhere and in everything. of God, however, being infinite, are different. Simply by looking
These matters are discussed thoroughly in the Vedic at the food that is offered to Him, He eats it.

literatures. For instance, it is said that although God has no hands This may not be understood at the present moment, therefore
or legs, He can accept whatever we offer (apani-pado javano the Padma Purana states that when one becomes spiritually satu-
grhita). It is also stated that although God has neither eyes nor rated by rendering transcendental service to the Lord, the tran-
ears, He can see and hear everything. These are apparent con- scendental name, form, qualities, and pastimes of the Lord are
tradictions, but they are meant to teach us an important lesson. revealed. We cannot understand God by our own endeavor, but
When we speak of seeing, we think of material vision. Due to our out of mercy God reveals Himself to us. If it is night, and you want
material conception, we think that the eyes of God must be like to see the sun, you will have to wait for the sun to appear in the
ours..Therefore, in order to remove these material conceptions, morning. You cannot go outside with a big torch and say, ‘‘Come
the Vedic literatures say that God has no hands, legs, eyes, ears, on, I will show you the sunlight.”’ In the morning, when the sun
etc. God has eyes, but His vision is infinite. He can see in dark- rises of its own will, we can see it. Because our senses are im-
ness, and He can see everywhere at once; therefore He has dif- perfect, we cannot see God by our own endeavor. We have to
ferent eyes. Similarly, God has ears and can hear. He may be in purify our senses and wait for the time when God will be pleased
His kingdom, millions and millions of miles away, but He can hear to reveal Himself to us. That is the process. We cannot challenge
us whispering, because He is sitting within. We cannot avoid God. We cannot say, ‘‘O my dear God, my dear Krsna. Please
God’s seeing, hearing, or touching. - come. I want to see You.”” No, God is not our order supplier. He is
not our servant. When He is pleased, we will see Him; therefore

patram puspam phalarn toyam this Krsna consciousness is a process by which we can please God

yo me bhaktya prayacchati so that He will reveal Himself to us.

tad aham bhakty-upahrtam . Because people cannot see God, they readily accept anyone

asnami prayatatmanah who says, ‘‘I am God.”’’ Because people have no conception of

God, they are eager to accept any rascal who comes along and

‘‘If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit, or proclaims himself to be God. People are fond of saying, ‘‘I am
water, I will accept it.” (Bg. 9.26) If God does not have senses, searching after the truth,”’ but in order to search for the truth, we
how can He accept and eat the offerings that are presented to must know what the truth is. Otherwise, how can we search it out?
Him? According to ritual, we are offering Krsna food daily, and If we want to purchase gold, we must at least theoretically know
we can see that the taste of this food is immediately changed. This what gold is, otherwise we will be cheated. Consequently, having
is a practical example. God eats, but because He is full, He does no conception of the truth or of God, people are being cheated by
not eat like us. If I offer you a plate of food, you will eat it, and it so many rascals who say, ‘‘I am God.”’ In a society of rascals, one
will be finished. God is not hungry, but He eats, and at the same rascal accepts another rascal as God, and this is all the result of
time, He leaves the food as it is, and thus it is transformed into rascaldom. But all this has nothing to do with God. One has to
prasdda, His mercy. Purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. qualify himself to see and understand God, and that process of
God is full, yet He accepts all the food that we offer. Still, the food qualification is called Krsna consciousness. Sevonmukhe hi

remains as it is. He can eat with His eyes. As stated in Brahma- Jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah: by engaging ourselves in God’s

