Madhur rasa? Remember it is far better late than never (2nd part)

Madhur rasa? Remember it is far better late then never (2st part)

(The Gradual promotional procedure of kṛṣṇa-bhajan)

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu – saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā

tato ‘nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāttato nisthā rucis tataḥ

athāsaktis tato bhāvastataḥ premābhyudañcati

sādhakānām ayaṁ premṇaḥprādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ

(Bhakti- rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.4.15-16)

“In the beginning there must be faith (adau-śraddhā). Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees (sādhu-saṅga). Thereafter one become initiated by the spiritual master and follows the regulative principles of devotional service under his guidance (bhajana-kriyā). Thus, one becomes freed from all unwanted habits (anartha-nivṛtti) and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service (niṣṭhā). Thereafter, one develops taste (ruci) and attachment (āsakti). This is the way of sadhana-bhakti––the performance of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually positive emotions intensify (bhava), and finally there is an awakening of love (prema). This is the gradual course of development of love of God for the devotee interested in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Gauḍīya Goṣṭhī Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda saying that— “If someone tries forcefully to make the jackfruit ripe in an artificial way, then the result will be that the actual taste of jackfruit can never be achieved.” Śrīla Prabhupāda especially used to give us warning that if we don’t follow the actual procedure of kṛṣṇa-bhajana and become interested to get the actual taste of the fruit of kṛṣṇa-prema prematurely, then the result will only be like flowers in the sky. Flowers in the sky can never exist, so similar way one can never taste kṛṣṇa-prema without following the actual procedure. My Paramahāmsa Guru-padapadma Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Pramod Puri Gosvāmī Mahāraj used to say that— “We can attempt to speak about Kṛṣṇa, but what can we really say? We can memorize a few verses and can recite them like a parrot, and that is the poor way of our glorification of the Lord. Where is our inner feeling? Everyone goes around talking about raga-bhakti, but where is that spontaneous feeling which is the meaning of raga? Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu told us to follow some simple rules, the rules of vidhi-bhakti. He said to chant the Holy Name, to chant a lakh every day.”

Those who are failure to overcome their six enemies (lust, greed, anger, etc.), how they can expect that higher rasa can appear inside their heart. In this unripe green stage, they like to discuss those secret books. Only out of their material curiosity they are trying to read those books of higher rasa. But Śrīla Prabhupāda said that they are not following the step-by-step procedure of bhajana to make their foundation strong, they always like to jump, they don’t want to follow gradual procedure of development. But all our gauḍīyā-guru-varga speaking the same. Especially we want to draw your attention to the following śloka spoken by Śrīla Jiva Gosvāmī––

prathamaṁ nāmnaḥ śravaṇaṁ antaḥ-karaṇa śuddhy -arthaṁ apeksyamśuddhecāntaḥkaraṇe rūpa – śravaṇena tad-udaya-yoyata bhāvatisamyag-udite ca rūpe guṇanam sphuraṇam sampadyatesampanne ca guṇānāṁ sphurane parikara-vaisistyena tad- vaiśiṣṭyaṁ  sampadyatetataśteṣu nāma- rūpa -guṇa-parikaresu samyak sphuritesulīlā nām sphuraṇam suṣṭhu bhāvati

(Krama-sandarbha commentary to Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.5.18)

First it is expected that one should hear the Lord’s names in order to purify the heart. Once the mind and intelligence have been purified in this way, one can hear about Kṛṣṇa’s form, through which one’s qualification to visualize it is obtained. When the form of the Lord has been clearly visualized, one can experience His qualities. Once these have been clearly understood, one develops one’s own individual spiritual characteristics through the particular characteristics of the Lord’s associates. Thus, once the name, form, qualities, and associates of the Lord have been realized, a clear realization of Kṛṣṇa’s activities will follow.

Similarly, Śrīla Saccidānanda Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur has written about the gradual promotional procedure of kṛṣṇa-bhajan in Bhajan rahasya:

adhikārana labhia siddhadeha bhāve

viparjya buddhi janmeśaktirabhāve            

(from Bhajan-rahasya, pratham yama)

In the way of gauḍīyā-bhajan it is sure that without attaining proper qualification, if there is a desire to jump into higher rasa, then due to instability of heart and mind, he can fall down.

Another very important point we can find from the writings of Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur:

vidhimārga rata jane svādhjīnatā ratna dāne

rāgamārge karāna praveśa

rāga-baśavarttjī ha’ye pārakīya –bhāvāśraye

labhe jīva kṛṣṇa-premāveśa  

(Kalyāṇa-kalpataru 4)

Kṛṣṇa eventually bestows the jewel of independence unto those persons who are attached to the path of rules and regulations, thereby allowing them entrance into the path of spontaneous loving service. Becoming influenced by such spontaneity, remaining under the shelter of the mellows of unwedded divine love (parakiya-bhava), the soul finally attains all the symptoms of ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

Gauḍīyā Gosthi Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvati Gosvāmī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda told–– “To get established in the acharan of Caitanya Mahāprabhu is called actual preaching.”

Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to show us how to get the absolute treasure, the most exclusive thing. That is called gopī-bhava. But we think with anarthas inside heart we can do Kṛṣṇa-bhajana. But that is impossible. Those who think that it is possible in the sinful state to have the sight of the transcendental Form of the Godhead, – to take the transcendental Name, – to listen to the recital of transcendental Activities, – or to understand the five chapters on the Rasa (amorous pastimes of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the gopīs) of the Śrīmad Bhagavatam or the song of the gopis or Govinda-līlāmṛta or Ujjala Nilmani or Gopalachampu, Muktacharita, Bidagdha Madhaba, Lalita Madhaba, Dankeli Koumudi, Jaydeva’s Gita-govinda, Billvamangal’s Kṛṣṇa-karnamṛta, Chandidas, Bidyapati’s devotional songs, the amorous songs regarding Rai-Kanu, etc., – or, that it is possible to sing in the marketplace the Divine amorous, – or permissible to unpack one’s special devotional methods at any and every place for pecuniary consideration. And those who suppose that with this physical body and material mind and empirical mode of thinking, outlook and realization, by simply purchasing a railway ticket, it is possible to travel to the transcendental Brindaban and Nabadvipa, comfortably seated in a snug, little railway compartment, and that it is also possible to reside there in tolerable comfort by building a commodious pacca house of stone or brick and mortar, and that to live there in such fashion is to reside in the realm of the spirit. It is mahā-māyā’s arrangement that they are thinking like this. Actually all those are not moving even an inch.

In this regard Gauḍīyā Goshti Pati Śrī Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Sarasvati Gosvāmī Thakur Prabhupāda used to mention one example to clarify the point of “asakti”—which can never allow us to do Hari bhajan in true sense. One marriage party arranged one big boat to reach the spot of marriage on time—I mean before nighttime 12 am, because the marriage ceremony was due at that time, so naturally they started around 8 pm from their village river, it was dark moon period of winter season, so all of them took decision to take some rest in between the journey period. Accordingly, they arranged everything, even they wanted to give some special remuneration to the boatman for his sincere special service, but they could not realize that the boatman and his helpers all of them were in full intoxication condition, so naturally they could not expect anything otherwise. But due to sound sleep they could not understand that almost morning approaching, and their target or plan all gone in vain, because even after the strong effort of the boatman they could not reach the destination on time. Actually, the vital mistake was done by the boatman. What was that mistake? He simple forgot to untie the boat from the iron anchor bondage to set out the journey. By the help of this incident, Śrīla Prabhupāda wanted to teach us that we cannot make any progress in our hari-bhajana if we fail to untie the material bondage or material affinity.

So by not following the actual procedure, one may think that he is moving forward, but actually he only stays at the same place. To avoid this embarrassing situation one should take shelter of a bonafide spiritual master who will guide the willing disciple in perfect way.

Gaura Hari Hari Bol