Churning Water to Get Butter
The jivas, or the real selves, are the eternal servants of Sri Krishna. The cause of our affliction is forgetfulness of our relationship with the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. So we have to remember Him. How can we remember Him? If we can always remember Krishna then there will be no more difficulty. He is All-Existence, All-Knowledge, All-Bliss and this worldly existence is just the opposite - it is the shadow of the internal potency of Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. When we become averse to the Lord we see the shadow. The shadow of a tree resembles the tree, but in the shadow of the tree there is no substance. In the tree there is substance.
Similarly, the Supreme Lord, Sri Krishna, is All-Substance. But when we become averse to Him, we see nescience before us, devoid of existence, devoid of knowledge and devoid of happiness. But we perceive it to be eternal. As Brahma says:
The entire material cosmos, not just this world, is non-eternal, perishable. It is like a dream. At the time of seeing a dream, we think it to be reality. When we awaken from a dream, we realise it was all false. Similarly, everything we are seeing of these non-eternal relations is a dream. We are laughing, we are crying, etc. But when we wake up from it we shall see that it is all nothing.
"Svapnabham asta-dhisanam:" Brahma says that if we engage our intellect in matter, in non-eternal things, in order to get material development, then our intelligence will be finished. Yet we think that he who is dedicating his energy to cultivate material development is a very wise person. We say, "You are wise." But here Brahma says that this person's knowledge will be finished: asta-dhisanam. Instead of happiness, he is getting severe miseries. Everyone wants happiness. Yes, he is trying to find happiness, but he is misdirected. Being averse to Sri Krishna, he is going towards the mirage: "If I get this or that thing, I shall be happy." This world seems to exist eternally, it seems to possess knowledge and it seems therefore, to possess happiness. But it is in fact devoid of existence, devoid of knowledge and devoid of happiness.
Will we get butter if we churn water? No, but we think that by churning water, we shall get butter. Someone says to us, "There is no ingredient in the water by which you will get butter. All your efforts are a waste of time." We answer, "No, you have lost your mind. I shall go on churning for thousands of births!" If you churn yogurt or milk, then you can make butter. This world is devoid of enduring existence, devoid of real knowledge and devoid of real happiness. If you devote all your energy to this world, you will be in want of existence, in want of knowledge and in want of happiness. Krishna is the embodiment of All-Existence, All-Knowledge and All-Bliss. We should worship Sri Krishna. In the Gita, Krishna says:
"You have forgotten Me and thus you have come to this non-eternal world." So start worshipping Him.
"Whatever benefit human beings received in satya-yuga by meditation, in treta-yuga by sacrifice and in dvapara-yuga by Deity worship, they can receive in kali-yuga by the chanting of the Holy Name."
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared to teach us:
"Harer nama harer nama harer nama." Thrice it is said to give emphasis. This means, "Yes! You should do it! You should do it! You should do it!" Harinama! If anybody says you should perform meditation, the reply is, "No, harinama!" “Practice pranayama, etc.”, "No, harinama!" “Perform oblations”, "No, harinama!" This verse says "No! Harinama!" thrice and "only harinama, nothing else." "Kalau nasty eva nasty eva nasty eva." There is no other way, no other way, no other way - thrice - in this kali-yuga.