So you are thinking of Kṛṣṇa by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa because the more you practice, immediately with your chanting, the name, the form, the quality, the pastimes, everything will be revealed. As we go on cleansing our dirty heart by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, and as we chant faultless, offenseless harer nāma, Kṛṣṇa reveals. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau svayam eva sphuraty adaḥ (Brs. 1.2.234). By service attitude, if you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, then Kṛṣṇa will reveal Himself. You cannot try to see Kṛṣṇa by your speculation or yogic practice. If you simply submissively, surrendering yourself, chant His holy name... There is no difference between Kṛṣṇa's name and Kṛṣṇa. Abhinnatvān nāma-nāminoḥ (CC Madhya 17.133). People generally ask that what is the meaning of chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. We explain, you know, chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra means immediately, directly associating with Kṛṣṇa. One has to approach Kṛṣṇa by yogic practice or mental speculation for many, many births. Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante (BG 7.19). They can come to the conclusion that "Here is Kṛṣṇa." Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti. But if you take to this chanting of Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra without any offense, then immediately you contact Kṛṣṇa. You save so much time. Why should you wait for many, many births?
That is the gift of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. It is in the śāstra. Caitanya Mahāprabhu does not give you anything which is not in the śāstra. He's ācārya, although He's God Himself. He can make śāstra. Whatever He does, whatever He speaks, that is śāstra. But still, because He's playing the part of ācārya, He immediately gives Vedic evidences. That is the way of ācārya. Ācāryas will never say, "I think." "It is in my opinion." No. Such things are not accepted. No personal opinion. It must be supported by Vedic evidences. That is called paramparā system, genuine system of understanding. As Kṛṣṇa says, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). No change. Therefore we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We do not change. We have no power to change. Then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? I am a third-class man, and if I change the statements in the Bhagavad-gītā, then where is the authority of Bhagavad-gītā? That is going on. Therefore it is practically... You have got experience that there are hundreds of Bhagavad-gītā editions in the Western countries, but because we are presenting Bhagavad-gītā as it is, our sale is better than all others. There is a report from the trade manager of Macmillan. He says, "While other editions are dwindling, going down, this edition is coming up." They published our, this present enlarged edition of Bhagavad-gītā, fifty thousand in the month of August. They are going to print again, second edition, August, September, October. So the reason is that if we present things as they are, it will be accepted. Without any adulteration. Sometimes, you know, people say that I have done miracles. They say everywhere. But I do not know anything, miracles or magic. If there is any miracle, that miracle is that we present things as they are. That's all. Without any adulteration. So that should be the principle. Present as it is. It will be accepted.
So Bhagavān. Brahmeti paramātmeti. We, we do not present Brahma-jñāna. Brahma-jñāna automatically comes if one is conversant with the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa. Then he can understand that this Brahman effulgence is the bodily rays of Kṛṣṇa.
- yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-
- koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam
- tad brahma niṣkalam anantam aśeṣa-bhūtaṁ
- govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
- (Bs. 5.40)
So we immediately understand that this brahma-jyotir, impersonal effulgence of brahma-jyotir is the rays of Kṛṣṇa's body. Yasya prabhā (Bs. 5.40). Kṛṣṇa also confirms this in the Bhagavad-gītā: brahmaṇo 'haṁ pratiṣṭhā. Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ (BG 10.8). Kṛṣṇa says everything is emanating from Him. The Brahman is also emanation from Him. Paramātmā is also expansion of Kṛṣṇa.