[Ecstatic love.] The two characteristics of ecstatic love are, first, the forgetfulness of the external world, and second, the forgetfulness of one's own body which is so dear to one. The first is like the unripe mango, the second is like the ripe mango. Ecstatic love of God is like a string in the hands of the Bhakta which binds God. The devotee holds the Lord under his control, so to speak. The Lord must come to him whenever he calls out to Him. In Persian books it is written that within the flesh are the bones, within the bones is the marrow, within the marrow, the last and innermost of all, is this ecstatic love. Sri Krishna is called "Tribhanga," that is, the usual posture of His body is bent in three different angles. Now a soft substance alone can take such an angular shape, so this form of Sri Krishna implies that His whole being must have been made very tender by this ecstatic love.

Chaitanya Deva was the incarnation of Divine Love or Bhakti. He came to teach mankind true Bhakti. He used to have three states of

[Three states of consciousness in ecstasy.] consciousness in ecstasy. First, consciousness of the gross and subtle body. At this time he would repeat the Name of the Lord and sing His praises in Sankirtan. Second, consciousness of the causal body alone. In this state he would become intoxicated with ecstatic joy, and retaining partial consciousness of the external, he would dance in company with other Bhaktas. Third, consciousness of the Absolute. In this state he would enter into the highest realm of Samadhi, and rising above all sense-consciousness, his body would remain apparently lifeless. These states correspond to the five sheaths of the soul in Vedanta. According to Vedanta the gross body includes the material form which is the outermost sheath and the sheath of Prana or the sense-organs and sense-powers. The subtle body includes two sheaths, mental and intellectual. The causal body is the sheath of joyfulness. Beyond these five is the true Self, the Absolute. When the mind reaches this state, the highest. Samadhi or God-consciousness is the result.

How to pray is the next question. Let us not pray for things of this world, but pray like Narada. Narada said to Rama Chandra: "O

[paragraph continues] [How to pray.] Rama, grant that I may be favored with Bhakti, love, devotion and self-surrender to the Lotus of Thy feet." "Be it so," said Rama. "But wilt thou not ask for anything else?" Narada replied: "Lord, may it please Thee to grant that I may not be attracted by Thy Maya, which fascinates the creatures of this world." Rama Chandra said once more: "Be it so, Narada; but wilt thou not ask for something else?" Narada replied: "No, Lord, that is all I pray for."