43: The Devotee of His Devotee

CHAPTER 9, TEXT 29: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.

A few years ago, I decided to take on an unpaid internship at a school in New York City because I simply wanted to be there. Eventually, I built such a warm and supportive relationship with the teachers that I was asked to step in for a long-term substitute position, and eventually as a full-time teacher. 

For both positions, I was still required to go through the full interview process. Other applicants were interviewed, so we were all given a fair chance at the position.

In fact, other applicants were sometimes even more qualified than me - they had more training, more experience, etc. I remember sitting in my chair outside of the principal's office and seeing these interviewees come in and thinking to myself, "This is nuts. I'm a total newb at teaching, these people look so qualified."

But I was given the job. 

Both times, there was never a question in the principal's mind that she wanted to give the job to me. 

Why? 

There's only one reason. 

We had a relationship. Not only the principal and me, but I also had relationship with almost every teacher at the school, along many of the students. Those relationships took precedence over everything else, from degrees to years of experience. 

This verse of the Gita, 9.29, addresses this seeming contradiction in spiritual life between God's fairness and His special treatment. Srila Prabhupad addresses this contradiction within the very first sentence of his purport: "One may question here that if Kṛṣṇa is equal to everyone and no one is His special friend, then why does He take a special interest in the devotees who are always engaged in His transcendental service?" Indeed, one could argue that true impartiality means that even if there is any kind of a relationship, decisions will be made only upon the laws and objective qualifications. We take great pains in this world to make sure judges and jurors are neutral, and that they are not swayed by personal relationships. 

That is also an aspect of God, which he addresses in this verse: I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. God IS the neutral judge, meting out punishment and reward through the machinations of material nature. 

But that judge in the courtroom - she or he also goes home, right? That judge may have a family. A husband or a wife. A child. Friends. That judge is not only a judge - that judge is a person. At home, that judge is partial to his wife and his child and his friends. He exchanges love with each person in a unique, special way. 

Similarly, God is a person. He is not only the supreme judge and maintainer of  the universe. Krishna is a person whose heart opens to the person whose heart opens to Him. As Srila Prabhbupad says, "[T]his is not discrimination; it is natural." Indeed, for a judge to be partial to his wife or child is not discrimination - it is  natural! Similarly, God is a person who is partial to those He has a loving relationship with. 

Of course, the presupposition here is that God is a person. Prabhupad writes, "If a reciprocal relationship is not present between the devotee and the Lord, then there is no personalist philosophy. In the impersonal philosophy there is no reciprocation between the Supreme and the living entity, but in the personalist philosophy there is." 

The impersonalist philosophy would say that God is an all-powerful force of light that maintains the universe, brilliant like the sun. There's no reciprocation with the sun. The sun simply exists and shines upon all in utter impartiality. 

The personalist philosophy would say that God is a conscious person who has feelings and a heart. This person is inclined to give attention and affection to those who give attention and affection to Him, as any person is.  

The wondrous thing about this verse is that Krishna validates both the impersonalist and personalist approach! He is the impartial sun AND the partial person. He is equal to all AND a friend. Both are needed, both are aspects of God. 

Ultimately, though, a loving relationship is emphasized. And how beautiful that God is partial to His devotees - in this way he so tenderly cares for those who express some faith and love in Him, and try to serve Him in any small way. In fact, God reciprocates so beautifully to the point of serving his devotees. Prabhupad writes, "The Supreme Lord becomes the devotee of His devotees." Note the phrasing of this sentence, and that Prabhupad uses the title of "The Supreme Lord" to emphasize that wonder of God Himself becoming a devotee of His devotee. In this way, God is not just partial to His devotee because He likes being served and likes all the attention for Himself. No. Krishna - The Supreme Lord - reciprocates and takes great joy in serving and loving His devotees with all of His heart. 

Full purport: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/29/

42: Looking for Love

CHAPTER 9, VERSE 18: I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.

In the holy land of Vrindavan, India, this is written on a wall: 

Every living being is looking for Krishna's love. 

Below those words, more words have been wiped away by time, but I can just make out

But they  ......................  it.

Hm. 

Although there is no scriptural reference for this phrase on the wall, this verse from the Gita (9.18) and Prabhupad's expansion on the verse seems to align with the original artist's intent. Prabhupad writes, "Gati means the destination where we want to go. But the ultimate goal is Kṛṣṇa, although people do not know it." Indeed, the goal of what we are are looking for is Krishna and Krishna's love. And although we cannot read so clearly the words beneath, we can fill in those words from Prabhupad's purport:

Every living being is looking for Krishna's love. 

But they do not know it.  

Indeed, we look everywhere for love. Not just any love, true love. We want beauty and connection and trust and honesty. We want love to be pure and filled with joy. Most of all, we want love to last forever. 

That love cannot be found anywhere in this world. As mentioned in this verse, Krishna is nidhanam, the supreme resting place. We can only rest our hearts and our souls within Krishna's love. 

But we do not know it. 

We search everywhere. We try so many relationships, from pet dogs and cats to friends to parents to lovers and children and more. And even the most beautiful, most wonderful, seemingly pure love we encounter in this world, we all know that one day it will end with death. 

That love is not eternal. 

In fact, the more healthy and beautiful the love in this world, the more we will experience our hearts get ripped out of our chests in separation when death does inevitably come. 

You see, I love my husband very much. Sometimes tears come to my eyes when I realize that our love and our relationship will end one day. That day may be tomorrow because of some grisly accident, or that day may be decades from now when we are withered and gray. One of us will die first - it's inevitable. And then we will both die. Where will our love be then? 

I don't know. 

All I know is that I don't want our love to end. 

So even in this connection, I am looking for Krishna's love. I am looking for a love without end. A love where I can rest my heart. Forever.  

Full purport: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/18/

40: gigantic, miniscule, and... medium-sized?

CHAPTER 9, TEXT 11: Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.

In a few days, the results will come in for who is voted in to office as the next President of the United States. The President will have control over so many aspects of the United States, which is widely considered as one of the most powerful countries in the world. 

And if the United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world, then the  President is one of the most powerful men on earth. 

Still, the President is controlled by others - the people in the Senate, Congress, and other checks and balances in the United States government; it is not set up to be a dictatorship or a monarchy.

So the most powerful man on earth is still controlled by others. 

Think about it - our sphere of influence is so very, very small. Sometimes we climb the  "corporate" ladder to gain power and influence, or we claw our way to fame to be more widely known, or we pursue some other outlandish goal so that we may expand that tiny sphere of influence. We want to affect other people.  

Prabhupad writes in the purport to this verse that, "Each of [us] is a controller, but one is controlled by another." There is no escaping that the President is not only controlled by the Senate and Congress, but he's also controlled by his own bodily urges - to eat, to sleep, to evacuate, and more. The President is controlled by the movements of the sun - the span of a day - and  he is controlled by the weather - if it's raining, he must wear a raincoat. The president cannot control natural disasters like raging wildfires or cataclysmic floods. 

Prabhupad continues to write in this verse: "In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is said that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller." This means that Krishna controls all the machinations of this world and all of the universes in creation. 

For someone like me, who has so little control over when even I need to use the bathroom, the concept of one person controlling the universe is, frankly, preposterous. 

Still, let us return to the role of the President of the United States. He's considered one of the most powerful men on earth for a reason. He can suggest new laws, grant pardons, recognize foreign countries, act as a Commander-in-Chief during a war, and more (truman.gov). These are all capacities to affect the world on a much bigger scale than I ever have and ever will. 

And still, the president is one man. A person. 

In this verse, Krishna - who is a man - tells his friend Arjuna that "fools deride me when I descend in human form." In the impersonalist philosophical school, this conversation between Krishna and Arjuna is allegorical, and the battle of Kurukshetra never actually took place. It's all simply an analogy to represent the battle of consciousness. 

This particular verse, though, often confounds impersonalist philosophers. 

Krishna is emphasizing that yes, He is in a human form, and yes, fools deride Him in that form, that it's not possible for him to be the transcendental controller of all the universes if he's human. Prabhupad writes, "The biggest and the minutest are beyond [the impersonalists'] conception, so they cannot imagine that a form like that of a human being can simultaneously control the infinite and the minute." Although we have telescopes and microscopes to catch glimpses of the biggest and minutest, our capacity is so very limited. We cannot even conceive that one person could possibly control such a magnitude. 

In connection to this, another analogy comes to mind. 

The airport. 

Waiting for my plane at the airport. 

How many times have I gazed out of airport lobby windows to marvel at the gigantic planes wheeling in and out of the sky? Yet within that gigantic machine is one tiny man - the pilot - who controls the entire massive piece of metal and technology. What's more, he holds the lives of hundreds of people within his hands. 

One man. 

It doesn't matter how big that man is. He doesn't need to be as big as the plane, or even especially tall or impressive. That man controls the airplane. We understand that it's the intelligence of the human in the pilot's seat who is flying that airplane.

Similarly, God comes in human form. He's bigger than the biggest and smaller than the smallest, but he's also medium-sized. Why not? If He's God, why CAN'T he come in any size He wants, including human sized? That human form can simultaneously control all the machinations of the universes, just like a pilot controlling a gigantic plane. 

With this analogy, we can understand that God doesn't need to be as big as the universe or small as the atoms to control either one. He doesn't need to be invisible or in some alien form. 

He's simply God - the pilot - and He's in control. 

Most important of all, if God can come in medium size, in human form, then we can actually worship Him and love Him. It's hard to repose our love in a blazing universe or in a miniscule atom or an invisible force. But if God can come in the form of a beautiful, charming youth who plays the flute, someone I can look in the eyes, then this is where I may rest the love of my heart and soul. Krishna has such a loving friendship with Arjuna precisely because He has come in a human form. 

Ultimately, this human form of Krishna is what is worshiped in the temple as a sacred statue, or a murti. In this murti, we may worship God to our heart's content, in a form and size that we can actually connect to. Prabhupad writes, "There are also many impersonalists who deride temple worship. They say that since God is everywhere, why should one restrict himself to temple worship? But if God is everywhere, is He not in the temple or in the Deity?" Maybe God chooses to "restrict" himself by manifesting himself in the temple; he does so in order to exchange love with his devotees. 

In conclusion, the matter of who is in control is hotly debated. If we look at even the most  powerful man on earth, we can see that his scope of control is actually very limited. There is always someone controlling another in this world, including the President of the United States. 

But there is someone who controls everything and everyone, and that someone does not need to be a giant or microscopic amoeba. The Supreme Controller can manifest in a medium-sized form -  human - in order to exchange love with His devotees.   

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/11/

41: Humanity Begins Now

What is the meaning of brahma-jijnasa?

*

My husband worked as a hospital chaplain in New York City for five years. This means that he offered spiritual and emotional care to people who were facing great pain and suffering in their lives, either from an injury, illness, or death. 

My husband is also a natural and beautiful storyteller. 

Combine these two elements - hospital chaplain and storyteller - and you can be sure that over the years I have heard many stories over the dinner table and I have wept many times. 

*

On his deathbed, a man apologizing to his son for never being there for him. 

A man who has been waiting for years for a heart transplant; at last he receives a new heart and goes home to his wife and child. Days later he must return to the hospital because fluid is gathering in his chest. 

A little girl who suddenly comes down with a terminal illness and dies weeks later. My husband sings for her on her deathbed. 

The celebration of a newborn baby. Hours later the exhausted father falls asleep with the baby in his arms and the baby suffocates to death - the baby had fallen asleep against his own father's arm and could not move his neck in order to breathe. 

Being there for people when they hear the news that multiple family members have died in a car accident, being there when doctors tell patients they have cancer, accompanying family members to the morgue, comforting nurses who are on the verge of emotional breakdown, counseling women with eating disorders, praying for people as they leave this world, and much, much more. 

Countless stories of pain and suffering.

So many stories. 

Prabhupad writes in the Introduction to The Bhagavad-gita that, "Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being." Suffering seems like such an integral aspect to being alive, but Prabhupad emphasizes here that we need to question our suffering. 

How revolutionary. 

Spiritual life begins when we question the reality of our suffering here. Like, hold on, I don't have to suffer? 

Then what am I meant to do??

What is the solution to all suffering? 

What am I meant to do that is beyond the pain and suffering of this world, something that will give me joy with no end? 

This questioning, this inquiry, is called brahma-jijnasa, which means an "inquiry into the Absolute Truth" (Brahma-sutra). Prabhupad even declares that "Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one’s mind." The phrase 'humanity begins' is significant in this context. After all, all living beings are suffering day in and day out - from the insects to cats to dolphins to human beings. This is easy to understand. But to realize that we don't have to suffer - this is a revolutionary concept and a privilege that human beings can access. 

True humanity does not begin with altruism or the pursuit of the arts or creating nice families.

Humanity begins when we question our suffering. 

The ultimate way we can question our suffering is to question death. Sure, we all know that we'll die. But on a gut, instinctual level, we don't want to die. Not a single living entity wants to die.

Why? Why don't we want to die? If death is so natural, why is it that we never seem to get comfortable with the prospect? 

My husband is now a hospice chaplain; he solely offers emotional and spiritual care to those people and the families of the people who are dying. 

Death. Every day, day in and day out.

Now every time my husband tells me a story over the dinner table, I feel my own heart whir and pound in my chest. I consider my own life, the value of my every breath. 

Why am I here? 

How come I suffer? 

Where will I go when I leave this world?

When I die will I ever see and hug my husband again? 

Is there something more to life?

Who AM I? 

Prabhupad seems to encourage me and every reader of the Bhagavad-gita in the Introduction: question your suffering. Your humanity begins now. This is brahma-jinasa. 

39: The Joy of Devotion

CHAPTER 9, TEXT 2: This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.

When I was thirteen years old, I read this verse in the book Illuminations from the Bhagavad-Gita by Kim and Chris Murray.

 

This illustration was the first verse and opened up the entire book. I remember very clearly reading this verse over and over, absorbing myself in the intricate artistic frame, and gazing upon the illustration of Prabhupad singing on his harmonium, his eyes closed, so obviously... joyful. 

I wanted that. 

I still do. 

When I read this verse this morning, chills raced down my arms, for this verse was one of my original sparks of inspiration to truly pursue a spiritual path. 

Now, twenty years later, I was finally reading with a studious heart Srila Prabhupad's in-depth purport, his systematic and revolutionary explication upon this famous verse. 

As a grown woman (and an English teacher!), I admired his thorough and scholarly approach to breaking down every single word and phrase. Lights flashed on in my mind again and again with each point that he made - I felt as though I was rediscovering this verse and my heart has been moved all over again. (The full purport is a great read! Link at the end of this post). 

Once again, that phrase and Prabhupad's expansion on that phrase has captured me once more: joyfully performed. 

Devotional service is joyfully performed. 

What's the point of any and all religion anyway? To be happy. Truly, deeply, eternally happy. 

Happiness is the goal, but what's wonderful is that Prabhupad emphasizes that even the process itself is a happy one (su-sukham). "Why [is it a happy process]? Devotional service consists of śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ..." Devotional service is broken down into nine processes, and here Prabhupad is saying that each and every process is joyful, specifically hearing about the Lord and singing His names. As other parts of the Gita verse mention, the process can be directly experienced, so by hearing about God and singing God's name, joy can be experienced in this very moment. 

Just try it, Prabhupad seems to say. 

There are no limitations. He writes, "In every state devotional service is joyful. One can execute devotional service even in the most poverty-stricken condition. The Lord says, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam: He is ready to accept from the devotee any kind of offering, never mind what. Even a leaf, a flower, a bit of fruit, or a little water, which are all available in every part of the world, can be offered by any person, regardless of social position, and will be accepted if offered with love." I love how Prabhupad emphasizes "any" person can engage in this process by putting the word in italics. He is saying that no matter the circumstances of wealth or social class or location or timing, anyone can experience the joy of loving God. Right now.   

Anyone. 

After all, love is not restricted by social class or location or timing. Love transcends time and place and circumstances because the very nature of the soul is to love God (nitya-siddha kṛṣṇa-prema 'sādhya' kabhu naya). That love is joyful. 

The thing is, God owns everything. Does he really need a leaf? A drop of water? A flower? 

Uh, no. 

What God wants and what God needs is our love. Prabhupad writes, "God accepts only the love with which things are offered to Him." This means that the love of the offering is what God sees and what God accepts. 

What is so revolutionary about this purport is that Prabhupad is not only giving speculative knowledge, the musings of an elderly scholar at his dusty desk. He is saying that this is a very personal and very practical process and logically, one should follow it. He writes, "[Devotional service] is the purest form of religion, and it can be executed joyfully without difficulty. Therefore one should adopt it." In its purest form, religion is the material process by which we can connect with our spiritual nature. There are many religions in the world but only one spiritual truth. What Prabhhupad is emphasizing  here is that the essence of all religion is to serve and love God with all of our hearts, and by doing so natural joy awakens within the heart. This joy is natural and the process is not difficult or restrictive. 

So...

What are you waiting for? 

"Therefore one should adopt it." 

Prabhupad's logic is so clean and clear. He is not reasoning from a place of fanaticism or smooth talking convincing or even passionate evangelism. He simply offers the deepest conclusion from expanding upon the divine words of Sri Krishna.  

Prabhupad seems to say: Adopt this verse because you will be joyful if you do. A joy that will never end, a joy that will enliven you and give purpose and meaning to all of your days and beyond.

https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/9/2/ 

38: The Giver and Taker of Life

CHAPTER 8, TEXT 27: Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.

Context: Krishna is explaining to Arjuna the very specific times when one dies - that timing will determine if one leaves this material world or must again be reborn. These are the "two paths" discussed in this verse. 

Conclusion: Choosing when to die is near impossible. 

Not impossible, but near impossible. 

Yogis in bygone ages could control this process. Prabhupad writes in the purport to 8.23: "If the yogī is perfect he can select the time and situation for leaving this material world. But if he is not so expert his success depends on his accidentally passing away at a certain suitable time". Note the use of the phrase, "But if he is not so expert..." I would venture to say that  99.99% of the world is "not so expert" on yogic principles and how and when to choose to die. In fact, for a yogi to be expert, it still means that s/he must cooperate and petition with the presiding deities of time, such as fire, light, day and the fortnight of the moon (8.25, purport) and these deities are the ones "who make arrangements for the passage of the soul." So even in an ideal situation where a yogi is perfect, s/he is ultimately still not the one to make his/her final arrangements to leave this world. 

In Islam, God possesses two names that have been giving me solace regarding the giving of life and the taking of life: 

Al-Mu'min - The Giver of Life and 

Al Mumit - The Taker of Life. 

Even when there are "presiding deities" over the various elements of time, God is ultimately in control of all (maha-purusha). He is the one who gives life, and he also takes life. Often the giving of life is seen as good and the taking of life as bad. But when we see that God is the creator of all good (An-Nafi) then we can understand that whether one is given life or taken from life, all is as it should be. There is divine purpose behind everything. 

After all, one could die in a car accident on the way home from school. 

One could contract cancer in his/her 30s and die within six months. 

One could live until 91 with a sharp mind and sound health and feel melancholy, wondering when life will just be over. 

I know personal examples of each and every one of these scenarios - the first is my aunt, the second a dear friend, the third the grandmother of my husband. I am sure we could all consider the lives and deaths of people in our own lives - people who died too soon, people whose life seemed to be prolonged beyond comprehension. 

We just

don't

know. 

Wondering when our own death will come can be very frightening. And to truly realize that we have practically zero control over when that will happen is very, very frightening. Prabhupad writes in the purport to this verse that "[The devotee] should know that concern over either of these two paths is troublesome." Basically, concern over whether one's path is to leave this material world or one's path is to stay here is a recipe for useless distress. We have so little control over our fate if we're going to play the game of petitioning the deities of time and following the rules and regulations to become a "perfect" yogi. 

In this regard, Prabhupad states that, "A devotee of the Supreme Lord should not worry whether he will depart by arrangement or by accident." This means that there is nothing to fear. We do not need to manipulate material energy and perform austerities to ensure our soul's fate. 

If God is the Giver of Life and the Taker of Life, then doesn't it make sense to go to Him, directly? Not to prolong or shorten this material life, but to find purpose and love within the life we live in this very moment. Prabhupad writes, "The best way to be absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to be always dovetailed in His service, and this will make one’s path to the spiritual kingdom safe, certain and direct." The word "safe" is very significant here. The goal of becoming a "perfect yogi" and trying to control the departure of leaving one's body is in fact to be safe - safe from the misery and pain of this material world. But true safety is taking shelter in the source of all safety - Lord Krishna. By practically engaging in His service with our hearts and bodies, one actually becomes the "perfect yogi." The perfect yogi is actually the devotee, and "the devotee is not disturbed by these descriptions [of the destination of the soul after death], because he knows that his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional service." There is nothing to fear. 

When I approach Krishna in a mood of loving service and surrender, I can trust that whenever God prolongs my life or whenever God takes my life, all is good and I am safe within His arms.  

Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/27/

37: Conceiving the Inconceivable

CHAPTER 8, TEXT 9: One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material nature.

The name for God in Islam is "Allah," which means "The Great One." In Islam, God is never depicted with a form or in any way that could be construed as a material interpretation, for God is beyond our material conception.  

In this verse of the Gita, this understanding is confirmed - God is beyond material conception. At the same time, God is also stated as a person who has a form (rupam). The fact that God is beyond material conception while also having a form is inconceivable - acintya. After all, isn't the fact that one has a form MAKE one conceivable?? Prabhupad writes, "The word acintya (“inconceivable”) is very significant in this connection. God’s energy is beyond our conception, beyond our thinking jurisdiction, and is therefore called inconceivable (acintya)." I appreciate Prabhupad's phrase here, our "thinking jurisdiction," because we all have a kind of arena from which we can think and conceive. After all, human beings have been inquiring about and questioning God since the beginning of our existence. Healthy exploration, questioning, and even doubt is all a sign of intelligence on the spiritual path. At the same time, it is also a sign of intelligence to realize that there are some things that are beyond our understanding, beyond our "thinking jurisdiction." 

Indeed, Prabhupad continues to say that "We cannot comprehend even this material world, which is insignificant compared to the spiritual world – so how can we comprehend what is beyond? Acintya means that which is beyond this material world, that which our argument, logic and philosophical speculation cannot touch, that which is inconceivable." Even this material world is such a mystery. Although much can be puzzled out, and the sciences are dedicated to understanding how this material world functions, still, we may understand how a thing functions but not why. 

For example, we now understand how a rainbow is created, with the reflection of light upon suspended water droplets in the air. But we do not know why rainbows are created. What is the purpose of a rainbow?

That is something that logic and philosophical speculation cannot touch.  

My sense is that scientists can conclude that there is no God because they see that there is no mystery to the mathematical laws that govern the universe; they can conceive of and wrap their minds around things that previously seemed so mysterious, like a rainbow, or lightning, or the human heart. Thus there is no "mysterious God" controlling all.  

Or, scientists can conclude that there must be a God because the laws and calculations that govern the universe are so wondrous, so inconceivable that there must be a higher intelligence at work. They reason that all the laws are actually in service of a higher and more mysterious purpose and person. Aristotle once wrote that "Mathematics is the alphabet in which God has written the universe," which means that behind all miracles is an architect who plays by the mathematical rules he has created.

What's more, there is a purpose - a why - behind every aspect of creation.   

Possessing a higher intelligence means accepting that there is a higher intelligence at work. 

This is not blind following, but an understanding that there are some things that are simply beyond my conception. After all, God is the Great One, He cannot be conceived of with an ordinary mind and an ordinary intelligence. 

If He was, then how Great would He be? 

And yet, if we are to actually love God in a practical way, then He must have a form. Prabhupad writes, "One cannot meditate on something impersonal or void. That is very difficult. The process of thinking of Kṛṣṇa, however, is very easy and is factually stated herein. First of all, the Lord is puruṣa, a person – we think of the person Rāma and the person Kṛṣṇa." Just like we meditate on the people we love, this is the same for God. Although it's an aspect of God, meditating on an inconceivable void can be very difficult in terms of cultivating love. Meditating on the face of the Lord actually awakens love in the heart. And it's so easy, as Prabhupad states.  

Yes, God is The Great One - Allah - who I imagine to be this brilliant and wondrous God who is luminous like the sun (aditya-varnam) as described in this verse. 

God is not limited, though, to only being inconceivable. 

If God is unlimited, then he can also be perceived, even with our limited eyes and senses. So yes, He is The Great One, and He is also the Beautiful One with Skin as Dark as a Raincloud - Shyamasundar. 

Personally, I visit Krishna temples and love to absorb myself in the beauty of Krishna's form in His sacred deity. His form touches my heart and soul, giving rise to a kind of unique and beautiful affection, adoration, and a desire to serve.

In this way, God becomes real and luminous like the sun within my own heart. 

Full purport by Bhaktivedanta Swami here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/8/9