The brain chemistry of attachment—this is the scientific explanation for love as commonly known. The latest research shows that when romantic passion strikes you, certain areas of the brain surge with an increased blood flow. Scanning the brains of people who have just fallen madly in love, scientists have concluded that love is all about electro-chemicals, hardwired into our brains by evolution.
It is not an emotion, they say; it is a powerful biological drive like hunger or thirst. Well, as I flew from Johannesburg to Durban, South Africa, I decided to do some research of my own. Turning to the engaged couple traveling with me, I read them the cutting-edge scientific list of love symptoms. “What about it?” I innocently inquired. “Elation, mood swings, sleeplessness, and obsession. . . . Do you two feel this way . . .?”
Never one to turn the other cheek, Guru Vani dasi immediately responded, “We’re not that type of couple, Guru Maharaja . . . .” The future husband, Bhumna Krishna das, gave a look of apparent agreement.
The secret of love finally revealed? It’s all in the biochemistry, right? A prominent American professor of psychology begs us to swallow it: “Learn some of the most important lessons anyone can achieve: how and why we—and other living things—love.”
Sorry, no chemical love for me. . . . I’d rather read Caitanya-caritamrita. I urge you to focus attentively whenever the author of Caitanya-caritamrita reminds us that the exquisite nectar of divine love he pours into our head and heart is quite unfathomable—far beyond the reach of material comprehension.
Consider, for example, Lord Caitanya’s efforts to leave Jagannatha Puri and visit Vrindavan. When, despite the loving impediments put in His way, Mahaprabhu finally left, a devastation of separation hit His intimate associates.
Gadadhara Pandit, desperately seeking to accompany Lord Caitanya, broke two solemn vows. Not only did he abandon his declaration of lifetime service to the Gopinatha Deity, but he also tossed away his ksetra-sannyasa, a form of spiritual retirement that forbids its adherent to ever go outside the holy place where he resides.
As Gadadhara Pandit walked along with Mahaprabhu, the Lord requested him to return to the holy dhama, Jagannatha Puri, to maintain his vow of residency. Gadadhara’s response: “Wherever You are staying is Jagannatha Puri. Let my so-called ksetra-sannyasa go to hell.” Then, upon the Lord’s reminding him of his service to Gopinatha, Gadadhara countered, “One renders service to Gopinatha a million times simply by seeing Your lotus feet.”
Lord Caitanya, pointing out that if Gadadhara abandoned his vows, the fault would directly fall upon His head, implored him, “You stay in Jagannatha Puri and serve the Deity—that will please Me.” Gadadhara had an answer for that too: “Don’t worry. All the blame is on me. You see, I will not actually directly accompany You—in this way You’ll not be implicated. I’ll travel separately. We’ll just happen to wind up at the same destination . . . “
This artificial separation continued for some distance, but then Lord Caitanya, relenting, summoned Gadadhara Pandit to His traveling party. Kaviraja Goswami explains:
“No one can understand the loving intimacy between Gadadhara Pandit and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Gadadhara Pandit gave up his vow and service to Gopinatha just as one gives up a piece of straw.” (Cc. Madhya, 16: 137)
In the commentary Prabhupada elaborates: “This kind of loving affection can be understood only by very confidential devotees. Ordinarily, no one can understand its purport.” Lord Caitanya, in His heart, was pleased by Gadhadhara’s attachment. At the same time, He obviously felt responsibility for upholding dharma, lest whimsical devotees imitate Gadadhara’s behavior. Finally therefore, catching Gadadhara’s hand, and exhibiting the nonmaterial, pure anger of nonmaterial, pure love, the Lord firmly declared that enough is enough:
"Your wanting to go with Me is simply a desire for sense gratification. In this way, you are breaking two religious principles, and because of this I am very unhappy.
"If you want My happiness, please return to Nilacala. You will simply condemn Me if you say any more about this matter." (Cc. Madhya 16.140-141)
Then Lord Caitanya climbed onto a boat to cross a river. Gadadhara immediately fell to the ground unconscious. As the boat departed, the Lord called out to Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya that he take Gadadhara back with him to Jagganatha Puri. "Get up!” the Bhattacarya told Gadadhara Pandita. “Such are the pastimes of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.”
The Lord is simultaneously controlled by His devotees’ love and free from any dependency. These two co-existing dynamics make for infinitely all-attractive pastimes.
Is real love, spiritual love, so easy to understand? Just think: when was the last time your beloved partner, child, spouse, or friend walked out the door for a journey, and you immediately crashed to the floor. How long did you lay there unconscious, stunned by the sudden onslaught of separation?
Therefore, is it really inappropriate to dare suggest that no real love exists on the material plane? Tell the scientists they can keep their neuro-chemical origin of love. We’ll exult in the pure rasa of Caitanya-caritamrita--emanating not from a laboratory but directly from the spiritual world.