centered on loving exchanges with the Lord. Existence means functioning and interacting. The ultimate expression of all such functioning and interaction is love. Love involves service. Love does not simply mean knowledge about some- one, nor does it just culminate in salvation. Once again, love means service. All the activities in the spiritual world are based on service to the Lord. Ancient scriptures tell us that there are exchanges we can have with God other than He as our father and we as His children. The Vedas detail the activi- ties in the kingdom of God and speak of five relationships, or
rasas, that we may have with the Supreme.
We can use the analogy of an invalid lying in bed. The relationship between the bed that the invalid is lying on and the invalid himself would be considered the first rasa of neutrality. In this rasa, which is one of serving in a non-active mood, the bed is serving the invalid neutrally. A servant brings in the person’s meal. This servant is serving in the second rasa of servitude, where there is a certain amount of exchange, but on a very formal level. Then the person’s friend walks in to visit; this is the third rasa in the mood of friendship and involves more warmth and personal exchange. Then the person’s mother walks in to check on the situation, represent- ing the rasa of parenthood which carries with it a whole differ- ent, more intimate set of emotions. Finally, the person’s spouse returns home and serves the person in the conjugal rasa, or the intimate mood of a lover. As we move from the mood of neutrality to conjugality, the intimacy expressed between the giver and the recipient increases, as does the confidential nature of the exchange.
Another analogy is that of a judge. Most people view a judge with awe, reverence and fear. The colleague of the judge, who is also a judge, sees the judge as a friend. The two of them share a certain love and respect for each other in an exchange of friendship. When the judge goes home, he puts aside his role of judge for that of husband and father. He helps his wife wash the dishes and plays “horsey” on the floor with
his grandchildren in a very loving mood. The intimacy of love pushes the relationship beyond the boundaries of formality. It goes beyond selfishness and produces an intensity in giving and sharing of a most personal nature.
The spiritual kingdom is a realm of intimacy, of deep shar- ing, and selflessness. Just as we experience relationships here, once back in the spiritual realm our relationships will be simi- lar, but will be focused on God. In the material world we are all moved constantly by lust, which is literally forcing our actions and covering much of our activities with greed. In the spiritual kingdom, because we are in contact with the Supreme Personality, all of our actions are still being driven, but they are being inspired by love. There is a tremendous uncondi- tional love so powerful that we are immersed in it, fully real- izing ourselves as pure spirit souls.
The relationship of strong love among a mother, father and child that we see on earth is possible only because it exists in the spiritual world, in the realm of perfection. The material relationship is a reflection of the spiritual. In the spiritual world, we can act as the parent or friend of God. We can also have a conjugal relationship with the Lord in the mood of husband and wife. These relationships are all possible. Each of us has our own specific relationship. Once we are back home, it will be fully manifest. This type of personal interaction produces an amazing and almost inconceivable sense of ecstasy that increases as we render service to the Supreme Lord and His associates. The more we serve God, the more He serves us, encouraging us to serve more. Thus, the blissful reciprocation goes on. This information is very, very confi- dential. To those uncommitted to a spiritual way of life, descriptions of this highest state are kept to a minimum. As one’s desire to know absolute truth increases, more knowledge is revealed.
Service is the highest ecstasy. Service can extend to a point where one finds feelings of ecstasy interfering with one’s service. This symptom occurs in the highest of loving rela-
tionships. The experience of bliss in the spiritual world is so intense that talking is like singing and walking is like dancing. Every object in the kingdom is alive and possesses personal- ity. There are trees that fulfill any desire you may have. Your desires, of course, are centered on God’s pleasure; your desires are not only yours but His also. And this gives you even more pleasure. In the spiritual kingdom, there is no death, no disease, no old age; these occurrences are all part of this temporary world of limitations and pain.
We can go up to the heavenly kingdoms many, many times and enjoy them for thousands of years, yet we will ulti- mately fall back down. We can progress to the point of libera- tion hundreds and hundreds of times, but until we develop freedom from envy and until we obtain help from the ambas- sadors of the spiritual kingdom, there is no possibility of further progress. It cannot be achieved on one’s own merit. However, one may have sufficient merit and a strong enough desire to attract one of the necessary helpers who will guide one to the actual kingdom of God.
Contact with an agent of the Lord from the transcendental realm is a rather unusual experience, since most souls simply entangle themselves further in the actions and reactions of materialistic life. It takes a tremendous amount of previously acquired pious credits from past lives to be given the opportu- nity to break the cycle. What actually happens when one is able to meet with a transcendental agent, or spiritual master? At that most fortunate time, one is given the opportunity to understand how to break out of this material existence and to experience the activities of the spiritual world. We should eagerly listen to and follow the instructions from such empow- ered agents of the Lord.