God Is Always Present

A fundamental truth of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that we are never alone. Śrīla Prabhupāda tirelessly emphasizes that God is always present. Whether as the witness in the heart, the all-pervading energy, or the person performing eternal pastimes, there is no place or time where the Lord is absent. The limitation lies not in His presence, but in our ability to see Him.

The Witness in the Heart

The most immediate form of the Lord's presence is the Paramātmā (Supersoul). Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that even if we are in darkness or ignorance, the Lord is there as the upadraṣṭā (witness) and anumantā (sanctioner). He accompanies the soul through every change of body, waiting for the living entity to turn towards Him.

• Although we cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead in our present darkness, our lack of knowledge, He is always present, seeing our activities. As the Paramatma, He is the witness and adviser - upadrasta and anumanta.
• God is always beside us, present in our hearts. When we leave the body, God also goes with us, and when we take on another body, He goes with us there just to see what we are doing. When shall we turn our face towards Him? He is always waiting.
• The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Paramatma feature is always present within the hearts of all living entities and from Him come memory, knowledge and forgetfulness. This is indicated here (in SB 8.1.11) by the word suparnam, which means "friend."

The Sun Analogy: Eternal Pastimes

How can Kṛṣṇa appear on earth 5,000 years ago and yet be "always present"? Śrīla Prabhupāda uses the perfect analogy of the sun. The sun is always present in the sky, but it becomes visible to us only at certain times. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa's pastimes move from one universe to another. They are eternal and continuous.

• Just like sun is rotating, or we are rotating, similarly, Krsna is there. At a certain interval of time we see Him in this universe. He is present always.
• Krsna's pastimes are always present in the material world in one of the many universes.
• The sun is always present either in India or in America, but when the sun is present in India, the American land is in darkness, and when the sun is present in America, the Indian hemisphere is in darkness.

Simultaneous Presence

The Lord possesses the mystic power to remain in His own abode while simultaneously expanding everywhere. This is the difference between the material and spiritual. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that Kṛṣṇa is always in Goloka Vṛndāvana, yet He is present in every atom. This simultaneous presence was dramatically demonstrated to His 16,108 wives in Dvārakā; each wife felt Kṛṣṇa was always present in her palace alone.

• He (Lord Krsna) is present always in His eternal abode Goloka Vrndavana, and still He is present in everyone's heart and even within every invisible atom.
• All the 16,108 wives of Krsna were princesses, and when each saw that Krsna was always present in her respective palace and did not leave home, she considered Krsna a henpecked husband who was very much attached to her.
• The Lord's omnipotency is displayed by His simultaneous presence in every place. He is present always in His eternal abode Goloka Vrndavana, and still He is present in everyone's heart and even within every invisible atom.

Perception Through Love

While God is omnipresent, He is perceived only by devotion. Queen Kuntī prayed for distress because in those moments, she felt Kṛṣṇa was more present with them. The inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, even when physically separated from Kṛṣṇa, felt His presence constantly due to their intense love (bhāva).

• When Krsna, before leaving the capital of the Pandavas for His home, asked Kunti for permission to leave, she said, "Dear Krsna, in our distress You were always present with us. Now, because we have been elevated to a royal position, You are leaving us."
• Although the inhabitants of Vrndavana felt separation from Krsna, the resulting ecstasy (bhava) caused them to perceive that Krsna was always present with them.
• For one who is Krsna conscious, Krsna is always present and can be perceived constantly. We simply have to develop the eyes to see Him.

Consciousness is Always Present

The term "always present" also applies to the living entity. Śrīla Prabhupāda distinguishes the soul from the body by pointing out that while the body changes, consciousness remains. Whether one is awake, dreaming, or in deep sleep, the observer—the consciousness—is always there.

• The actual identity of the living entity is his consciousness, which is always present while the living entity is awake, dreaming or in deep sleep. Even in deep sleep, he can perceive by consciousness whether he is happy or distressed.
• The consciousness of the living being is always present and never changes under any circumstances. When a living man moves from one place to another, he is conscious that he has changed his position.

Conclusion

The presence of the Lord is a fact; our forgetfulness is the illusion. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that if we follow the instructions of the spiritual master, we will feel the Lord's presence always. Whether through the chanting of the holy name or the worship of the Deity, the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is meant to awaken us to the reality that is already there: God is always present.

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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Always Present. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.

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