When will we wake up once and for all from the illusion of this material existence?

Memory Lapse

Mantra for restoring our memory

Mr. Wearing's condition of forgetfulness is an extreme case, but all of us are afflicted by the same infirmity in varying measure.

"His love for his second wife Deborah, whom he married the year prior to his illness, is undiminished. He greets her joyously every time they meet, believing he has not seen her in years, even though she may have just left the room to fetch a glass of water."

Similarly, we forget that Krishna is right beside us at all times. We are eternally associated with Krishna, there is no question of separation from Krishna. However, we are covered by the veil of maya, illusion and forgetfulness. Since time immemorial we have been wandering from one life to the next, changing bodies one after the other — our disassociation from reality (that our real identity is spirit soul, eternal servant of Krishna) a kind of dream state, phantasmagoria, from which we seem to wake one lifetime after another, thinking, like Mr. Wearing, "Now I am really awake," but in fact we are still caught up in the dream. We cannot remember who or what we were in our past lives. For most of us it takes some effort to remember what we said or did just 12 or 24 hours before. Some persons are better able to remember, but after all, with the change of body, everyone forgets.

Even Arjuna, to whom Krishna spoke Bhagavad-gita on the battlefield immediately before the great war at Kurukshetra, forgets. Srila Prabhupada explained that this is the difference between the Supreme Lord and the living entities:

Here, in the Bhagavad-gita, it is clearly said that "My dear Arjuna, you also had many, many births. You were, you are also, because you are constant companion of Me, so whenever I take incarnation in any planet, so you also, you are also with Me. So when I took incarnation in the sun planet and I spoke this Bhagavad-gita to sun-god, you were also present with Me, but unfortunately, you have forgotten. Because you are a living being and I am the Supreme Lord." That is the difference between the Supreme Lord... I cannot remember. Forgetfulness is my nature. — Lecture on Bhagavad-gita 4.3-6, New York, July 18, 1966

If Arjuna, who accompanies Lord Krishna in every incarnation, cannot remember from one lifetime to the next, then what chance do we have to dispel maya's influence over us as we are thrust repeatedly into the cycle of changing bodies?

Prabhupada wrote to a disciple:

Unless the Lord reveals Himself, the devotee cannot see Him, He reserves the right of being exposed or not being exposed. The yoga maya curtain is always covering the Lord, and in the Bhagavad-gita the Lord says, "I am not visible to everyone.'' Even in the material world, a man in the position of Presidentship is not visible to everyone. So one has to qualify himself by devotional service, then God will reveal Himself. So this Isopanisad mantra [1] is an appeal by the devotee to move the veil of yoga maya or the glaring effulgence of Brahma so that the devotee can see Him face to face. — Letter to Citsukananda, Los Angeles, 28 April 1970

In Brihad-Bhagavatamrita by Sanatana Goswami, there is the story of a small cowherd boy named Gopa Kumar. While tending his cows in Vrindaban, he met a saintly person who gave him a special mantra and assured him that the mantra would fulfil all his desires. But before the spiritual master could give Gopa Kumar the meaning of the mantra, the spiritual master disappeared. Gopa Kumar began chanting the mantra. As he chanted it, he was astounded to find that it was true, whatever he happened to desire at the time of chanting it came to be, and he was transported from one situation to another, until finally he found himself in Krishnaloka. There he and Krishna saw one another from far away, and they started running toward one another and met in embrace. Krishna asked, "Where have you been all these years? I've missed you so much." And Gopa Kumar also said, "Oh, I've been looking for You everywhere, and I couldn't find You."

So how to revive our consciousness of Krishna? Everything is contained in the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. It is no secret, and it is for everyone. By chanting: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, we too can break free from the grip of amnesia, and follow in the footsteps of Gopa Kumar, back to Godhead.