My dear Maharaja,

Dandavat pranams. Jai Vaishnavas.

I wanted to hear your personal experience on the first step of Krishna consciousness - ““I am not this body but am spirit soul”. I will appreciate if you can share it as it will encourage the sadhaks.

HpS - It happens all the time. I believed that I was immortal about 4-years old when our neighbor's dog died and I evaluated my knowledge of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Then of course it is continuously confirmed by KC. Of course, we are not 100% fixed in Sat Dhama, but we seem to be on the right path after all our investigation and making more progress daily.

Here is my experience or sadhana report:

When you do mantra jap or make Krishna object of your thoughts, you start becoming aware of the space in which these thoughts appear and disappear. Thoughts come and go. But the space in which they come and go is unchanging awareness. It is not limited by this body and mind. It is prior to mind. That is you, the pure consciousness and awareness. So mantra jap or making Krishna object of our thoughts leads to realizing oneself as distinct from body and mind.

HpS - Yes, same experience. The Mantra as Japa or Kirtan or Sankirtan does that "Man" "Tra"

Here is what Srila Prabhupada explains:

“The very first step in self-realization is realizing one’s identity as separate from the body. “I am not this body but am spirit soul” is an essential realization for anyone who wants to transcend death and enter into the spiritual world beyond. It is not simply a matter of saying “I am not this body,” but of actually realizing it. This is not as simple as it may seem at first. Although we are not these bodies but are pure consciousness, somehow or other we have become encased within the bodily dress. If we actually want the happiness and independence that transcend death, we have to establish ourselves and remain in our constitutional position as pure consciousness.”

Regards,

Gaurav Mittal

HpS - Thank you sir. What has happened to the family? Are you still in Texas. Hare Krsna.