Longing
Maharajji
Kripalu writes that the third of the seven steps
to God realization is: Longing: to find a true, Divine
Saint.
What does this mean?
By longing after a Divine Saint, Ram Kripalu Tripathi
explains that human longing should be directed at the quest
to find a Saint, a teacher, a fount of love and Krishn
philosophy. If we can have the darshan or auspicious
viewing of a saint, then we can be blessed and gain favor
with the Divine. When we see with reverence and devotion,
it is like epiphany. With vision of a highly revered person
or Saint, it as though we receive a vision of the divine.
Through the practice of darshan, a devotee develops
affection for God, and God develops affection for that
devotee." This is why we must cultivate our longing for a
true Saint, so as to be loved by God and in return, to love
him more fully.
To learn about longing, Maharajji
Kripalu calls upon devotees of Krishn Love through
his beautiful poetic verse in the Prem Ras Madira to
say:
O Krishn, my Lord! Please make me a true devotee of one
of Your rasik Saints so that I can have his darshan,
association and affection all the time; and also, with my
body, mind and money, I may delightfully serve him forever.
O Krishn, my Lord! Please allow me to do the satsang of
your Saint with constancy so that I may fulfill his
teachings, and thereby detach myself from worldly
attractions.
