God's Face - Meditating on the Smiling Beauty of the Absolute Truth
A central misunderstanding regarding the Absolute Truth is the idea that the ultimate destination of spiritual realization is a formless, faceless void. Conditioned souls, frustrated by the miseries and deceit of material relationships, often wish to merge into a nameless energy. However, the Vedic literatures fiercely reject this sterile conclusion. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is the source of all form and all beauty, and He possesses an eternal, transcendental face that completely eclipses the charms of the material world. Śrīla Prabhupāda meticulously explains the absolute necessity of meditating on the personal face of God. By understanding how to approach the Lord's form, why His face is covered by a dazzling effulgence, and the supreme ecstasy experienced by those who finally see His smile, we can elevate our spiritual practice beyond dry, impersonal speculation into the realm of dynamic, loving devotion.
The Step-by-Step Meditation
In the authorized practice of yoga, one does not jump immediately to the Lord's face or meditate on an abstract concept. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains the systematic process of fixing the mind on the Deity (arca-vigraha), which must begin at the lotus feet and gradually rise to the smiling face.
- The process of meditation should begin from the lotus feet of the Lord and progress to His smiling face. The meditation should be concentrated upon the lotus feet, then the calves, then the thighs, and in this way higher and higher.
- A yogi is advised to meditate on the form of Lord Visnu from point to point, from the ankles to the legs to the knees to the thighs to the chest to the neck, and in this way gradually up to the face and then to the ornaments.
- Since it is recommended in this verse that one should gradually progress from the lotus feet up to the smiling face, we shall not jump at once to understand the Lord's pastimes in the rasa dance.
- To think of the Lord as a whole may sometimes be impersonal; therefore, it is recommended here that one first think of His lotus feet, then His ankles, then the thighs, then the waist, then the chest, then the neck, then the face and so on.
The Supreme Embodiment of Beauty
What we consider beautiful in the material world—a sunset, a lotus flower, a beautiful person—is merely a fractional, perverted reflection of the Lord's beauty. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the Lord's face is the original, self-sufficient embodiment of all aesthetic perfection, capable of captivating the entire world.
- The face of the Lord is the embodiment of beauty. What they call beautiful nature is but His smile, and what they call the sweet songs of the birds are but specimens of the whispering voice of the Lord.
- A lotus flower on the water is very beautiful when surrounded by humming bees and fish. The Lord's face is self-sufficient and complete. His beauty defies the natural beauty of a lotus.
- The yogi then meditates upon the beautiful face of the Lord, which is adorned with curly hair and decorated by lotuslike eyes and dancing eyebrows. A lotus surrounded by swarming bees and a pair of swimming fish would be put to shame by its elegance.
- His face was more beautiful than millions upon millions of moons, and His teeth were like pomegranate seeds because of His chewing betel.
Penetrating the Dazzling Effulgence
Impersonalist philosophers mistakenly conclude that the brahmajyoti (the spiritual light) is the ultimate truth. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this effulgence is actually a covering that hides the Lord's real face, and the sincere devotee constantly prays for the Lord to remove this dazzling curtain.
- O my Lord, sustainer of all that lives, Your real face is covered by Your dazzling effulgence. Kindly remove that covering and exhibit Yourself to Your pure devotee.
- Impersonal Brahman, being formless, is described as adrsya because the impersonal effulgence of brahmajyoti covers the face of the Supreme Lord.
- As described in the previous mantras, the real or ultimate aspect of the Absolute is His feature as the Personality of Godhead, and His impersonal brahmajyoti feature is a dazzling covering over His face.
- One has to penetrate the impersonal effulgence to see the face of the Supreme Lord. If one desires to reach the source of the sunshine, he has to travel through the sunshine to reach the sun and then meet the predominating deity there.
The Supreme Satisfaction of the Smile
When a devotee finally fixes their mind on the Lord's face, the result is overwhelming transcendental bliss. Śrīla Prabhupāda describes how the smiling face of the Lord is His greatest benediction, completely satisfying the devotee and eradicating all material desires.
- The Lord bestows innumerable favors upon His devotee, and the greatest manifestation of His grace is His smiling face, which is full of compassion for His pure devotees.
- If the yogi is able to place the beautiful face of the Lord in the core of his heart, he will be completely satisfied. In other words, when one is absorbed in seeing the beauty of the Lord within himself, the material attraction can no longer disturb him.
- They enjoyed celestial happiness, with open hearts full of love and affection for the Lord, and when they saw the face of the Lord, it seemed to them that they were drinking nectar through their eyes.
- The citizens of Mathura City who saw Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, became very much pleased and began to look on His face with insatiable glances, as if they were drinking the nectar of heaven.
Conclusion
A systematic study of the Vedic literatures permanently dispels the illusion of an impersonal, faceless Absolute Truth. As Śrīla Prabhupāda clearly explains, the Supreme Personality of Godhead possesses an eternal, exquisitely beautiful face that serves as the ultimate destination for all yoga and meditation. True meditation is never a hazy concentration on the void; it is a highly disciplined, step-by-step process of fixing the mind on the Deity. The yogī must begin at the lotus feet of the Lord and gradually elevate their consciousness up the transcendental body until they reach His captivating, smiling face. The face of the Lord is the original source of all beauty; its elegance puts the lotus flower to shame, and what we perceive as the beauty of nature is merely a fragment of His smile. However, this supreme face is not immediately visible to everyone. Impersonalists are blinded by the brahmajyoti, the glaring spiritual effulgence that emanates from the Lord's body. Therefore, the sincere devotee prays, as taught in the Śrī Īśopaniṣad, for the Lord to mercifully remove this dazzling, hiraṇmaya-pātra covering so that His real, personal face may be revealed. When this prayer is answered and the devotee successfully beholds the smiling face of the Lord, the result is total spiritual satisfaction. The Lord's smile, full of boundless compassion, acts as the ultimate benediction. Overwhelmed with ecstatic love, the pure devotees gaze upon His moonlike face with insatiable glances, feeling as if they are literally drinking nectar through their eyes, their hearts forever captivated by the supreme beauty of the Absolute Truth.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category God's Face. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.