32 Raja-vidya: The King of Knowledge

The youth agreed, and in this way they left
Vrndavana to go to the other town. When the trip
was nearly over, just as they were about to enter his
home village, the youth could no longer hear the
sound of the bangles, and he began to fear. “Oh,
where is Krsna?”? Unable to contain himself any
longer, he looked back. He saw the statue standing
still. Because he looked back, it would go no further.
He immediately ran into the town and told the
people to come out and see Krsna who had come as
a witness. Everyone was astounded that such a large
statue had come from such a distance, and they built
a temple on the spot in honor of the Deity, and
today people are still worshiping Saksi-Gopala, the
Lord as a witness.

We should therefore conclude that because God is
everywhere, He is also in His statue, in the image
made of Him. If Krsna is everywhere, as even the
impersonalists admit, then why isn’t He in His image?
Whether an image or statue speaks to us or not is de-
pendent on the degree of our devotion. But if we
choose to see the image merely as a piece of wood or
stone, Krsna will always remain wood or stone for us.
Krsna is everywhere, but as we advance in spiritual
consciousness we can begin to see Him as He is. If we
put a letter into a mailbox, it will go to its destination
because the mailbox is authorized. Similarly, if we
worship an authorized image of God, our faith will
have some effect. If we are prepared to follow the
various rules and regulations—that is to say, if we
become qualified—it is possible to see God any where
and everywhere. When a devotee is present, Krsna, by
