Loving God is not an Imposition

The definition of imposition by the Cambridge dictionary is ‘a situation in which someone expects another person to do something that they do not want to do or that is not convenient’. (Source)

Loving God is not an imposition on anyone. From time immemorial we are in this conditioned body in forgetfulness of God. A very simple process has been given by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu of chanting the holy names. When the heart is cleansed of all the misgivings and lifetimes of conditioning, then we start to get glimmers of love. But before that we cannot artificially love God. This process of chanting and singing the Hare Krishna mahamantra is very simple. One does not even need to know the meaning of this mantra they only need to chant it with love in all seriousness and sincerity. That is the only requirement. Initially it may seem that Guru has given this mantra and it feels like an imposition. This is bitter medicine at first that becomes very sweet as we continue to take it.

Until the time the heart comes to the position of not desiring anything for oneself, till then it’s not possible to love purely and unconditionally. Krishna is not imposing on us to Love Him. He is waiting patiently for us lost souls who wandered away from their Loving father. This process of chanting cleanses our heart of all but one desire, loving devotional service to Sri Sri Radha Krishna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to teach us by His example how to love Krishna. In CC Adi 9.51

ei mālākāra khāya ei prema-phala
niravadhi matta rahe, vivaśa-vihvala

The great gardener, Lord Caitanya, personally eats this fruit, and as a result He constantly remains mad, as if helpless and bewildered.

PURPORT

It is the mission of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to act Himself and teach the people. He says, āpani ācari’ bhakti karila pracāra (CC Adi 4.41). One must first act himself and then teach. This is the function of a real teacher. Unless one is able to understand the philosophy that he speaks, it will not be effective. Therefore one should not only understand the philosophy of the Caitanya cult but also implement it practically in one’s life.

While chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu sometimes fainted and remained unconscious for many hours. He prays in His Śikṣāṣṭaka (7):

yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam
śūnyāyitaṁ jagat sarvaṁ govinda-viraheṇa me

“O Govinda! Feeling Your separation, I am considering a moment to be like twelve years or more. Tears are flowing from My eyes like torrents of rain, and I am feeling all vacant in the world in Your absence.” This is the perfectional stage of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra and eating the fruit of love of Godhead, as exhibited by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One should not artificially imitate this stage, but if one is serious and sincerely follows the regulative principles and chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, the time will come when these symptoms will appear. Tears will fill his eyes, he will be unable to chant the mahā-mantra distinctly, and his heart will throb in ecstasy. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu says that one should not imitate this, but a devotee should long for the day to come when such symptoms of trance will automatically appear in his body.

Source

Once love manifests in our heart, we will know it. We cannot make a show of it. Then it will not be a matter of inconvenience or something we HAVE to do. Instead, the mahamantra will dance on your tongue constantly. That is what is told by our spiritual masters and previous acharyas.

So happily chant away this bitter medicine with full faith in the holy names.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare