Yoga essential to see the soul and the Supersoul
The perfect yogi knows that the Lord is eternally transcendental and is not materially affected by His presence in either a dog or a brahmana. That is the supreme neutrality of the Lord. The individual soul is also situated in the individual heart, but he is not present in all hearts. That is the distinction between the individual soul and the Supersoul. One who is not factually in the practice of yoga cannot see so clearly. A Krishna conscious person can see Krishna in the heart of both the believer and the nonbeliever. (Bg. 6.29, purport)
Impersonalists cannot see God
The Supreme Personality of Godhead in His transcendental form of bliss and knowledge is covered by the internal potency of the brahmajyoti, and the less intelligent impersonalists cannot see the Supreme on this account. (Bg.7.25, purport)
A Devotee see everything in the universe
No one can see the entire universe while sitting in one place. Even the most advanced scientist cannot see what is going on in other parts of the universe. But a devotee like Arjuna can see everything that exists in any part of the universe. Krishna gives him the power to see anything he wants to see, past, present and future. Thus by the mercy of Krishna, Arjuna is able to see everything. (Bg. 11.7, purport)
The followers of a pseudo incarnation may say that they have also seen the transcendental incarnation of God, the universal form, but that is unacceptable because it is clearly stated here that unless one becomes a devotee of Krishna one cannot see the universal form of God. So one first of all has to become a pure devotee of Krsna; then he can claim that he can show the universal form of what he has seen. (Bg. 11.48, purport)
Material contamination prevents us from seeing God
The Supreme Lord is always transcendental. Although we do not see His head, face, hands or legs, He has them, and when we are elevated to the transcendental situation we can see the Lord’s form. Due to materially contaminated senses, we cannot see His form. (Bg. 13.15, purport)
Just like a green bird entering a green tree. When the bird enters the tree, nobody can find out where the bird is because the leaves of the tree are green and the bird is also green. But that does not mean the bird has lost its individuality. The individuality is there. Just like you see one airplane is flying in the air, and when it goes too far, it appears that it has disappeared. It has mixed with the sky. But actually it has not. It is still there, individual existence. It is my ignorance that I see that it is no more separate, it has mixed with the sky. Just like in the daytime we don’t find any star in the sky. Due to the dazzling sunshine, we cannot see any stars. At night, we can see millions of stars. Similarly, that is the impersonalism and personalism. One whose knowledge is not perfect, they think that everything is homogeneous and impersonal. (Lecture on Bg. 2.13-17, Los Angeles, November 29, 1968)
Hunger for spiritual food
The whole material world is full of hungry living beings. The hunger is not for good food, shelter or sense gratification. The hunger is for the spiritual atmosphere. The foolish leaders cannot see that even the people who are most sumptuously materially satisfied are still hungry. And what is their hunger and poverty? This hunger is actually for spiritual food, spiritual shelter, spiritual defense and spiritual sense gratification. These can be obtained in the association of the Supreme Spirit, Lord Sri Krishna. (Bhag. 1.12.6, purport)
Goodness enlightens, ignorance covers
When the mode of goodness is developed, people will see things as they are. In the mode of ignorance, people are just like animals and cannot see things clearly. In the mode of ignorance, for example, they do not see that by killing one animal they are taking the chance of being killed by the same animal in the next life. (Bg. 14.17, purport)
Cloud is created by the sun
It is sun’s energy which creates the cloud. You know. By temperature the sea water is evaporated, forms into gas. That is cloud. So cloud is created by the energy of the sun, but when there is cloud you cannot see the sun. Sun is covered. Similarly, material energy is Krishna’s energy. But when you become covered by this material energy, you do not see Krishna. This is the position. (Lecture on Bg. 1.4-5, London, July 10, 1973)
Earth, water, fire, air, sky, these five elements are gross material. Everyone can see them. But there is subtle matter also. Mind, intelligence, ego. We cannot see the mind. We cannot see intelligence. I understand that you have got intelligence, or everyone knows we have got mind, but we cannot see them. This is subtle. They are also matter, subtle matter. So the television is a machine made of gross matter, but there is possibility of making another machine of subtle matter. There is possibility. That subtle matter machine is not yet discovered. But here we can see the subtle matter discovery was there. Otherwise, how Sanjaya could see the activities in the battlefield? This is to be understood. They are very much proud of material advancement of science, but still, they have to make advancement, subtle matter. And above that subtle matter, within that subtle matter, there is spiritual identity. Indriyani parany ahur indriyebhyah param manah, manasas tu para buddhih [Bg. 3.42].
First of all we can see a person. A person we see, what do we see? The senses. But we cannot see the director of the senses. The director of the senses is the mind. And the director of the mind is intelligence. And the owner of the intelligence is the soul. This is understanding. The soul is there. Whose intelligence? As soon as we shall say intelligence, whose intelligence? That is the soul’s intelligence. Wherefrom the intelligence is coming? From Paramatma, Hrishikesa. (Lecture on Bg. 1.24-25, London, July 20, 1973)
Unless we have developed our love for Krishna, we cannot see the Supreme Personality of Godhead within our heart, not only within our heart, everywhere. Premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti [Brahma-samhita 5.38] (Lecture on Bg. 2.12, Hyderabad, November 17, 1972)
Just like if you have seen a friend’s small child, and after five years, you go to that friend’s house and see the child: “Oh, you have grown so big?” But the father, mother cannot see because they are seeing the child daily. They do not see, “How my child is growing daily?” but a man who comes all of a sudden after five years, he says, “Oh, the child is grown up.” So imperceptibly we are changing our body every moment. That is also medical science, that we are changing our blood corpuscles every moment. You see? Similarly, what is the difficulty to understand that, that the soul transmigrates from one body to another? It is very nicely explained here. “As the owner of the body is there within the body, but the body is changing, one after another, one after another…” Dehino ’smin yatha dehe, kaumaram yauvanam [Bg. 2.13]. (Lecture on Bg. 2.13, New York, March 11, 1966)
So all our senses are imperfect. By imperfect senses, you cannot see the spirit soul. So, how you can see the Supreme Soul, God? That is not possible. You have to purify your senses. Then you can see. Atah Sri-Krishna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. (Lecture on Bg. 2.18, Hyderabad,November 23, 1972)
Although Krishna is present everywhere, we have no eyes to see Him. Therefore this Deity worship. Deity is not hedonism or idol worship. No. Deity is as good as the original Supreme Personality of Godhead. He’s absolute. His form and He is not different. Abhinnatvan nama-naminoh [Cc. Madhya 17.133]. (Lecture on Bg. 2.32, London, September 2, 1973)
The taste of water is Krishna, so who has not seen Krishna? They say, “Can you show me God?” If you don’t see God, then who will show you? Here is God. You are drinking water. Here is God, sunshine. Those who cannot see Krishna is God… Because to see Krishna as the Supreme Personality God, it requires many, many thousands of years tapasya. Bahunam janmanam ante [Bg. 7.19]. (Darsana, San Francisco, June 28, 1971)
You cannot understand God by your endeavor. If God reveals. Just like when the sun is out of your sight you cannot see the sun by your torchlight or any light. Any amount of scientific method, you cannot see the sun at night. But in the morning you can see the sun automatically, without any torchlight. Similarly, you have to create a situation, you have to put yourself in a situation wherein God will reveal. Not that by your method you can ask God, “Please come. I will see.” No, God is not your order carrier.
Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “Oh, I have not a pinch of devotion to Krishna. I cry to make a show. If I would have been a devotee of Krishna I would have died long ago. I am living; that is the proof that I do not love Krishna.” That is the vision of the best devotee. He’s so much absorbed in Krishna’s love that he sees, “Everything is going on; simply I am the lowest, therefore I cannot see God.” That is best devotee.
Talk with Bob Cohen, Mayapura, February 27-29, 1972