Gaura-Nitāi: Kindness, Sweetness and Truth

Where is kindness in the cold competition of corporates and coworkers? Where is sweetness on the stiff, sterile stage of so-called social media? Where is truth in the trustless trench of treachery and tension?

Though our hearts long for kindness, crave sweetness and yearn for truth, we often find ourselves starved of all three. How can we feel true kindness, taste pure sweetness and see the clear truth of ourselves, the Divine, and the world?

The timeless yoga texts, led by the Bhagavad-Gītā, speak of kindness, sweetness and truth as inherent qualities of the soul which is the very core of our being. Moreover, they direct us toward the original source of kindness, sweetness, and truth—Kṛṣṇa, who is also the source of our existence. No wonder we are searching after them!

Kṛṣṇa, who walked the Earth 5,000 years ago, spoke the Gītā to His friend Arjuna and imparted the topmost truths like crystalline waters flowing from the fountain of His mouth. Whoever drinks such water - by reading or hearing - will feel their mind illuminated and the gloom of their world dispelled by the light of spiritual realisation.

And sweetness, a mysterious active principle in all affairs of beauty, love, and relationship, which can melt the heart and madden the mind – that sweetness also found its epitome in Krṣṇa. In His unlimitedly attractive spiritual body, every part of which is likened to a honey-soaked lotus flower; in His intimate and spontaneous relationships with His devotees, who played the parts of friends, relatives and lovers; not to mention in the enchantingly sweet melodies that Krṣṇa would play on His beloved flute.

Indeed, by initiating such a flow of essential truth and unmatched sweetness in this world of untruth and dryness, Krṣṇa showed the greatness kindness. Eternally residing in His spiritual realm far beyond the material universes of space and time, Krṣṇa descended out of pure, selfless compassion. The Supreme Person’s coming down to the material plane is known in Sanskrit as ‘avatāra’ (one who descends).

Yet in the story of our good fortune, Kṛṣṇa’s unlimitedly wonderful incarnation is just the beginning. Kṛṣṇa comes to Earth in many forms, or avatāras, and plays a variety of roles, just like an actor who changes costume and persona. For example, He brings His brother Balarāma, His inseparable counterpart, who is no less the Supreme Lord than He Himself. Other famous avatāras include Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, and Buddha. What is the limit of Kṛṣṇa’s kindness? It is that He descends, along with His brother Balarāma, in the most special forms of all—Gaura-Nitāi.

Gaura, or Lord Caitanya, is Kṛṣṇa Himself in a golden form, radiant with divine love. Nitāi, or Lord Nityānanda, is His brother Balarāma. Appearing in Bengal just 500 years ago, they taught the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, making the highest spiritual perfection available to all.

Though Krṣṇa Himself is the essence of non-material sweetness, who delivered the science of spiritual truth in full, even after His departure, something seemed to be lacking. Some who had seen Him overlooked His intimate sweetness completely, understanding Him only as the God Almighty, to be feared and revered. It remained demanding to realise the full potential of His teachings, but for a few spiritual virtuosos. The storehouse of Krṣṇa’s glories remained as if sealed, His unlimited kindness yet to manifest fully. But not after Gaura-Nitāi! They are Krṣṇa’s most merciful, kindest incarnations, because they broke open the storehouse, initiating a flood of Krṣṇa’s sweetness, which indiscriminately drowns all living beings in spiritual bliss.

By sounding out Their own Holy Names in the transcendentally powerful mahā-mantra, along with melodious accompaniment and mind-enchanting rhythms, They have made realisation of the topmost truth, an easy affair. This is Their unparalleled kindness, For those who are fortunate enough to dance and sing in krṣṇā-kīrtana, before the soothing and splendid forms of Śrī-Śrī-Gaura-Nitāi, Krṣṇa’s all-attractiveness, like a soothing panacea for all the heart’s maladies, is easily accessible.

The gloomy darkness of confusion, doubt and mistrust is easily driven away, only to be replaced with the light of true wisdom and self-understanding. That Gaura-Nitāi, the Supreme Souls, have made these blessings so readily available is testament to their unlimited compassion upon all those of their children struggling in this material world. 

Gaura-Nitāi truly are the Source of unlimited kindness, sweetness and truth.