domingo, 28 de agosto de 2011

Three Stages of Bhakti

Three Stages of Bhakti

His Divine Grace Oṁ Viṣṇupāda paramahaṁsa parivrājakācārya aṣṭottara-śata  Śrī Śrīmad Gour Govinda Gosvāmī Mahārāja

Three Stages of Bhakti

There are three stages in the execution of bhakti:

Sādhana-bhakti,

Bhāva-bhakti,

Prema-bhakti.

During the period of sādhana-bhakti, devotional service in practice, avidyā is destroyed.

What is the activity of avidyā?

It creates impediments and obstacles on the path of bhajana. Those impediments and obstacles are called anarthas, unwanted things. There are four types of anarthas:

Asat-tṛṣṇā - material desires;

Hṛdaya-daurbalya - weakness of heart;

Aparādha -offenses;

Tattva-bhrama - illusion about spiritual knowledge.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has written:

anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ
jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam
ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu-
śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Pūrva-vibhāga 1.1.11)

One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa favourably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.

Asat-tṛṣṇā means anyābhilāṣa, other desires. There should not be any other desires. We should have only one desire:

Bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi

This is Mahāprabhu’s teaching:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ
kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye
mama janmani janmanīśvare
bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4)

O Lord, I have no desire to get material wealth, no desire to have many followers, dhana and jana, no desire to get a beautiful wife and enjoy, and no desire for liberation.

Bhukti-kāma, mukti-kāma, and siddhi-kāma — the desires for material enjoyment, liberation and yoga-siddhi — these things are all anyābhilāṣa, desires separate from Kṛṣṇa. Asat-tṛṣṇā means all other desires for enjoyment in this life and the life after this life, iha janma and para janma. This is what is meant by Asat-tṛṣṇā.

Impediments to Bhajana

The next anartha is Hṛdaya-daurbalya, weakness of heart. That means kuṭināṭī, criticism, speaking ill of others; and mātsarya, enviousness and intolerance upon seeing the advancement of others.

Then there is the anartha known as Viṣamaya-aparādha, the different types of offenses such as Nāma-aparādha, Vaiṣṇava-aparādha, and Sevā-aparādha.

Then there is Tattva-bhrama, some misconception of truths such as. Īśa-tattva, Jīva-tattva, Śakti-tattva, and Māyā-tattva. If there is no clear understanding or a misunderstanding about spiritual knowledge, that is Tattva-bhrama.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has also mentioned four types of anarthas in Mādhurya-kādambinī. They are the same, but in different terms:

Sukṛtotthā-anartha,

Duṣkṛtotthā-anartha,

Aparādhotthā-anartha

Bhakty-utthā-anartha.

Anarthas born out of sukṛti, piety; anarthas born out of duṣkṛti, impiety; anarthas born out of aparādha, offenses; and anarthas born out of bhakti.

These are the anarthas that create impediments and obstacles on the path of bhajana.

It is said:

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Pūrva, 4.25)

In the beginning one must have a preliminary desire for self-realisation. This will bring one to the stage of trying to associate with persons who are spiritually elevated. In the next stage one becomes initiated by an elevated spiritual master and under his instruction the neophyte devotee begins the process of devotional service. By execution of devotional service under the guidance of the spiritual master one becomes free from all material attachment, attains steadiness in self-realisation, and acquires a taste for hearing about the Absolute Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

After one has freed himself from these anarthas one comes to the stage of Niṣṭhā, steadiness. As long as these anarthas are there one cannot attain the stage of Niṣṭhā. Anarthas should first be destroyed through Bhajana-kriyā, performance of bhajana. So one should understand what these anarthas are.

The first anartha described by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī is Sukṛtotthā-anartha, anartha born out of sukṛti. There are three types of sukṛti:

Karma-unmukhi-sukṛti-virtue or merit coming from pious activities,

Jñāna-unmukhi-sukṛti-virtue or merit coming from the cultivation of knowledge,

Bhakty-unmukhī-sukṛti-virtue or merit coming from devotional activities.

The Impediment of Wealth

If one has karma-unmukhi sukṛti it means that one has performed many pious activities in one’s previous life, such as performing yajñas, worshiping the devatās, rendering services to other people, or giving some charity, etc. Thus in the next birth one may be elevated to the heavenly planets or take birth in a family of demigods. This type of sukṛti is an impediment because as a result one will receive much material opulence and enjoyment. He or she has come to the path of bhajana, then because of sukṛti attained immense wealth. For example, you invested three thousand dollars and immediately, in a short time, it doubled.

“Oh, now I have got six thousand dollars!”

Many people will ask you:

“Hey, how did you do it?”

Then you invest more money. But day and night you are simply thinking:

“Oh, I am getting so much lakṣmī and opulence, how shall I utilise it?

I have invested it in one way, but let me find out many more ways to invest it. Then I will get more and more money. I will increase my investment a thousand or even a hundred thousand times over.”

All these thoughts will come and occupy the mind. There will be no bhajana, no thought of Kṛṣṇa. So this Sukṛtotthā-anartha creates obstacles in one’s bhajana.

Then comes Duṣkṛtotthā-anartha. Duṣkṛtī means bad or sinful activities. Someone has come to the path of bhajana, but because of previous bad activities has lost all material opulence. This is because of duṣkṛti. Now he is always thinking:

“Oh, I lost everything. All my wealth and assets. My bank balance is finished.

What shall I do?
How will I maintain my family?”

He is always thinking like this and not thinking of Kṛṣṇa. He is not following the instructions of his Guru. He is not chanting his rounds or rising early in the morning to attend maṅgala-ārātrika. So his sādhana and bhajana has slackened. This is Duṣkṛtotthā-anartha.

Vaiṣṇava-aparādha

Then comes Aparādhotthā-anartha, anarthas born out of aparādha, offenses. There are different types of offenses such as: Nāma-aparādha, Sevā-aparādha, Vaiṣṇava-aparādha, etc.

Nāma-aparādha is very serious, and especially Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the most severe aparādha. There are ten types of Nāma-aparādha and thirty-two types of Sevā-aparādha. There are also different types of Vaiṣṇava-aparādhas. To criticise, find fault with, or blaspheme a Vaiṣṇava are all Vaiṣṇava-aparādha. If someone commits Vaiṣṇava-aparādha his bhakti-latā is uprooted, finished. It is most important that one should not in any way commit Vaiṣṇava-aparādha because Bhakti Devī will completely disappear.

Why does Vaiṣṇava-aparādha take place?
Why should there be criticism, enviousness, or hatred in the society of Vaiṣṇavas?

Vaiṣṇava-aparādha is the most severe anartha. Bhakti Devi will disappear and one will never be able to develop prema-bhakti. If you commit Vaiṣṇava-aparādha, it will create a very great obstacle on the path of prema-bhakti. Vaiṣṇava-aparādha generally takes place due to the presence of īrṣā and bhaya, enviousness and fear. When this aparādha is committed, krodha, anger, will arise. The offender will become very angry at a particular Vaiṣṇava. He is afraid of that Vaiṣṇava because of that Vaiṣṇava’s great power.

“He is making rapid advancement and I am not. Most people will be attracted to him and nobody will be attracted to me.”

Due to this envy and fear he finds fault with the Vaiṣṇava, criticises him, and speaks ill of him. Hatred and criticism arise and he speaks ill of that Vaiṣṇava and concocts stories about him. Thus he commits Vaiṣṇava-aparādha.

The Wolf and the Lamb

We often tell the story of the wolf and the lamb.

“Somehow or other give him a bad name and kill him.”

A wolf was drinking water from a river at the same time as an innocent lamb. The wolf thought:

“Somehow or other I must devour that lamb.”

The wolf said:

“Hey! Don’t you know?
Can’t you see that I am drinking water here?
Why are you making the water muddy for me?

I shall kill you.”

The lamb said:

“Oh sir, you are drinking water upstream and I am drinking water downstream.

How is it that I am making the water muddy for you?”

“Why did you call me bad names one year ago?”

“Oh sir, I am only three months old.

How is it that I called you bad names one year ago?”

“Your mother must have done so. Anyway, I will kill you.”

This is the story of the wolf and the lamb and how all these concocted stories are going around. It illustrates how hatred, speaking ill, and concocting stories arise from intolerance or enviousness. You may say:

“This devotee is not chanting his rounds!
He is not following the regulative principles!
He has become avaiṣṇava, but now he is engaged in illegal and evil activities!

If I remain silent and don’t speak about it then I am giving him the opportunity to commit more and more evil activities!

I will be indirectly supporting him, just as if I would say:

‘Yes, do it!’

So in order to do good to him I shall speak to him.”

Now if one subtly analyses such things one can understand that you are simply finding fault with that devotee.

But are you perfect yourself?
Are there no defects in you?

The saying is there, a sieve has many holes and a needle has only one hole. The sieve says:

“Oh needle; there is a hole in your back.”

The needle replies:

“You have so many holes. I have only one hole.”

But the sieve criticises the needle. So, one who criticises should understand whether he himself is perfect or not.

“Are there no defects in me?”

Only if someone is perfect can he find fault with others.

See Good in Others

In the śāstras and in the Bhāgavata it is said that this nindā-karaṇa, criticising and finding fault with others, is a great anartha.

Don’t do it!

It is not your lookout. That is Guru’s business, it is his lookout. The sages say:

“Only see the good in others. Don’t see the bad. If you have the nature or tendency to see bad, then see what bad is there in you.”

This is āptavacana, authoritative instruction:

“If you find something good in some person, then that is what you should accept. Close your eyes to the bad things and open your eyes to the good.”

There is one story in this regard. Once a disciple of Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Mahārāja came to him and spoke ill of another disciple.

“Mahārāja, Mr. X is doing this thing and that thing.”

For half an hour he spoke all bad things about that other disciple.

With much patience, Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī listened. Then he said:

“All right, you have spoken all bad things about him.

Is there nothing good in him?”

“Yes, Mahārāja. He sings very nice kīrtana.”

“Then why don’t you speak that thing?

You spoke all bad of him, but you never said that he sings nice kīrtana.”

To find fault or criticise some Vaiṣṇava is not good at all. Doing so you will commit aparādha and that is a great anartha. Only someone who is perfect can find fault and correct another person. He has the right to be critical because he is perfect and has no defects in himself.

If you have some defects, then why are you seeing the faults in others and speaking about it?

Thus, the ācāryas, sādhus and śāstras have forbidden it.

Rare Personalities

It is not an easy thing to find a person in the material world who is perfect. In the material world there are so many defects. The degree may vary, but defects are there. Those who are mahā-puruṣas or mahātmās never see defects in anyone. Paramahaṁsas or Bhāgavatottamas never see anything bad. In their vision, everything is related to Kṛṣṇa. Their vision is a fact because everything and everyone is related to Kṛṣṇa.

Jīvera ‘svarūpa’ haya, kṛṣṇera ‘nitya-dāsa
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 20.108)

The constitutional position of the jīva is as an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

Such an uttama-bhāgavata sees:

“He is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.”

He never sees that the jīva is not serving Kṛṣṇa. He never sees the material world. He sees everything as related to Kṛṣṇa.

“This is Vaikuṇṭha, this is Kṛṣṇa’s world.”

He sees all good. He never sees any defect. That is his vision. But we are not like that! Such great personalities are very rare. They are not easily available in this world.

A madhyama-adhikāri sees these distinctions and defects, but an uttama-adhikāri never sees them. An uttama who comes to preach, steps down to the madhyama stage, otherwise he cannot preach. Without stepping down to the madhyama stage he would say:

“This person is completely Kṛṣṇa conscious.

He is Kṛṣṇa’s servant, so why shall I preach to him?”

He cannot preach. Generally such devotees engage in nirjana-bhajana. Although the preacher whose heart bleeds seeing the suffering of the conditioned souls comes down to the madhyama stage for preaching, he is not like the general type of madhyama. He is still an uttama-adhikāri. He sees that the jīvas have forgotten Kṛṣṇa and are devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So he goes to preach and he inculcates Kṛṣṇa consciousness. He brings them to the path of bhakti and engages them in Kṛṣṇa’s service by which all of their suffering will be done away with forever.

To correct and criticise someone is the business of only such a person who is acting as Guru. He has the right to inflict punishment on you, to catch hold of your ear and slap you:

Guru-karṇa-dhāra

He will correct you and criticise you:

“You rascal, why are you doing this and that?”

Because you have so many defects you have no right to criticise. You are like a sieve.

You have so many holes on your back, so why should you criticise a needle who has only one hole?

In this way the śāstras, the mahājanas, and the sadhus have condemned this nindā, fault-finding and criticism. This is Aparādhotthā-anartha, the anartha born out of aparādha. In his commentary on the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Śrīdhara Svāmī has mentioned this nindā. This doṣa-kīrtana, speaking ill of others, is a great anartha for the sādhaka, the neophyte who has come to the path of bhajana, or sādhana-bhakti. He should be very, very careful not to commit this aparādha.

Name, Fame and Adoration

Then comes the fourth type, Bhakty-utthā-anartha, an anartha that grows out of bhakti. The sādhaka who is practicing sādhana is making advancement. When people see that advancement they all say:

“Oh, he is a great advanced devotee, Vaiṣṇava-ṭhākura!”

So many people will come and offer obeisances, daṇḍavat-praṇāmas, and will praise him, glorify him, and give him praṇāmī, money. He develops greed for that:

“Oh, let many people come, pay obeisances, and glorify me!”

That means he is running after name, fame and adoration, pratiṣṭhā. All mahājanas such as Raghunātha Dāsa Gosvāmī and Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura say that this pratiṣṭhā is a great hindrance, anartha.

Lābha, pūjā, and pratiṣṭhā — desires for name, fame, and adoration — are Bhakty-utthā-anarthas, anarthas born out of bhakti. If one is aspiring after them it will create a great obstacle in ones bhajana. This Bhakty-utthā-anartha is also mentioned in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta. Kavirāja Gosvāmī has spoken about it in the Rūpa-śikṣā, Lord Caitanya’s teachings to Rūpa Gosvāmī. Lābha, pūjā, and pratiṣṭhā — desires for name, fame, and adoration — are referred to there as upaśākhās, unwanted creepers. When someone comes to the path of bhakti and regularly does śravaṇaṁ kīrtanam, hearing and chanting, the bhakti-latā, the devotional creeper, receives watering. Because of that watering the creeper grows luxuriantly, but at the same time other things that look exactly like the creeper grow along with it. One is not able to distinguish them from the bhakti-latā because they look exactly the same. They are lābha, pūjā, and pratiṣṭhā. These are called upaśākhās, unwanted creepers. When this desire for name, fame and adoration grows, it creates an impediment obstructing the growth of the real bhakti-latā.

Stool of a She Hog

Kavirāja Gosvāmī explains in Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta:

kintu yadi latāra saṅge uṭhe ‘upaśākhā’
bhukti-mukti-vāñchā, yata asaṅkhya tāra lekhā

Sometimes unwanted creepers, such as the creepers of desires for material enjoyment and liberation from the material world, grow along with the creeper of devotional service. The varieties of such unwanted creepers are unlimited.

‘niṣiddhācāra’, ‘kuṭīnāṭī, ‘jīva-hiṁsana’
‘lābha’, ‘pūjā, ‘pratiṣṭhādi’ yata upaśākhā-gaṇa

Some unnecessary creepers growing with the bhakti creeper are the creepers of behaviour unacceptable for those trying to attain perfection: diplomatic behaviour, animal killing, mundane profiteering, mundane adoration and mundane importance. All these are unwanted creepers.

seka-jala pāñā upaśākhā bāḍi’ yāya
stabdha hañā mūla-śākhā bāḍite nā pāya

If one does not distinguish between the bhakti-latā creeper and the other creepers, the sprinkling of water is misused because the other creepers are nourished while the bhakti-latā creeper is curtailed.
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 19.158-159-160)

The upaśākhās are bhukti, desire for material enjoyment; mukti, desire for liberation, lābha, desire for mundane profit; pūjā, desire to be worshipped; and pratīṣṭhā, desire for prestige. When they grow they create a great obstacle in the growth of the mūla-śākhā, or the original bhakti-latā. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī says:

jaḍera pratiṣṭhā, śukarera viṣṭhā
(Duṣṭa mana! tumi kisera vaiṣṇava? 8)

Lābha, pūjā, pratiṣṭhā — desires for name, fame and adoration — are the stool of a she-hog.


The Vaiṣṇava who runs after this name, fame, and adoration is merely running after the stool of a she-hog-śūkarera viṣṭhā. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta has cautioned us that we should be very, very careful not to run after name, fame and adoration because it creates a great obstacle to the growth of the bhakti-latā. Instead of making advancement your advancement will be checked and you may fall down. This is mahājana vākya, the words of the mahājanas. They have cautioned us about this great impediment on the path of bhajana. One should understand it very well and not run after it. This is Bhakty-utthā-anartha.

Beginning of Prema

As long as one is not completely free from these four types of anarthas one cannot attain the stage of Niṣṭhā.

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

Niṣṭhā is the minimum stage. It is said:

niṣṭhā haile upajaya premera taraṅga
(Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.134)

Niṣṭhā is the beginning stage of prema.

It is the beginning, in the form of a seedling. After Niṣṭhā comes Ruci, Āsakti and Bhāva. However, when there are still anarthas one cannot attain even the stage of Niṣṭhā, what to speak of Prema-bhakti. One should understand these anarthas and be very, very careful to be free from them.

Questions

Devotee: My understanding is that the Niṣṭhā platform is the beginning of the Madhyama stage.

If that is correct then how is it possible that someone on that level can fall down?
Can anarthas still come in?

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Yes, if he commits an aparādha. Unless one attains the stage of prema-bhakti the possibility of fall down is there. Even at the Bhāva stage anarthas are there in a very subtle form. Bharat Mahārāja had attained the Bhāva stage, still he had some weakness. Some anartha was there, so he became attracted to a deer.

Devotee: We have heard that the presence of anarthas is the symptom of someone on the Kaniṣṭha platform.

Gour Govinda Svāmī: On the Kaniṣṭha platform anarthas are there in the gross form. At the Niṣṭhā stage anarthas are still there, not grossly, but in subtle form. Even up to the level of Ruci, Āsakti and the beginning of Bhāva, anarthas are still there in a subtle form. The example is Bharat Mahārāja, who got a deer’s body. But since he had attained the Bhāva stage nothing was lost to him. Even in a deer’s body he could remember his past life and understand that:

“Because of my weakness I have gotten this deer’s body.”

Devotee: I was reading The Last Limit of Bhakti. You were saying that if one has read up to the tenth canto of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but has not read the eleventh canto then he must fall down.

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Yes, because in the tenth canto the five chapters dealing with the Rāsa-līlā are described. These are transcendental sweet līlās, which are all erotic. A neophyte cannot understand Kṛṣṇa’s dealings with the gopīs. One must hear about them from the proper source. Don’t hear from an avaiṣṇava, from one who is very expert at speaking in very nice flowery language that gives pleasure to the ears, karṇa-rasāyana. Don’t hear from them because you cannot understand this topic and you will develop lust. Therefore, after reading the tenth canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, if you don’t read the eleventh canto, you will fall down because in the eleventh canto tattva is described. In Kṛṣṇa’s instructions to Uddhava, Uddhava-saṁvāda, all tattvas are described.

Devotee: Prabhupāda left the planet after he completed only a portion of the tenth canto, and for so many years the eleventh canto had not been completed.

Could this have contributed to some devotees having problems?

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Prabhupāda did not translate it, but the eleventh canto is there. Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is there. So many commentators are there: Śrīdhara Svāmī wrote a commentary, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura wrote a commentary, Sanātana Gosvāmī wrote a commentary. Bhāgavatam is there and the living Bhāgavatam is also there. If someone is very inquisitive he can have it. Don’t feel disappointed, it is an eternal thing. It is always there.

Do you understand me?

Devotee: You were speaking about this Bhakty-utthā-anartha and pratiṣṭhā, wanting to have some position. There is a verse in the Manu-saṁhitā that talks about seniority. It says that the Vaiśyas judge seniority by wealth, Kṣatriyas by strength, Brāhmaṇas by knowledge, and only the Śūdras by age. Vaiṣṇavas don’t necessarily follow this varṇāśrama system. But I wonder, sometimes we say so many things about seniority;

“Well, I am a very senior devotee. I am more senior than this Guru or....”

Gour Govinda Svāmī: That is pride, dambha. A Vaiṣṇava is tṛṇād api sunīca. He thinks:

“I am the lowest of the low.”

So what is seniority?
You may be a senior person, that is good, but why do you advertise and take pride in it?

Devotee: So how do Vaiṣṇavas determine seniority?

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Not by age. Vaiṣṇavas offer respect to one who is really advanced. Dhruva Mahārāja was a five-year old boy. Prahlāda was only a six or seven-year old boy. But we consider Prahlāda a mahājana. Śukadeva Gosvāmī was sixteen years old, but when he was speaking Bhāgavatam to Parīkṣit Mahārāja, his father, Vyāsadeva, and Vyāsadeva Guru, Nārada Muni, were both present there. All of them were sitting and hearing from Śukadeva. They were senior persons. Seniority is all a material calculation, nothing else.

Devotee: You were also speaking about how only the Guru can correct and find fault with someone. Sometimes one may think:

“Oh, I see some fault in my god brother and I am going to help him. I am going to point it out and chastise him, correct him.”

Gour Govinda Svāmī: You have no right to chastise, no right to correct anyone. You are not Guru. Guru has that right. If you see something and you have a good heart:

“He is doing something wrong that is detrimental to his bhakti.”

Then go to him, pay obeisances, and tell him confidentially, not in front of others:

“O my brother, I see this thing and it pains me very much that you are doing this and this. This is a great impediment on the path of devotion. I fear you will not be able to make any advancement. Therefore I am coming to you and telling you. O my friend, please don’t do it. Be serious about your bhajana.”

Tell him in such a humble way. Speak to him confidentially, not in the presence of others. If he is serious he will admit:

“You are my great friend. I am blind to my own faults. You pointed them out, so I will be careful.”

He will accept it. But if you speak in the presence of others the reverse effect will be there.

Devotee: How does a Vaiṣṇava deal with someone who is finding unnecessary fault with him?

For example, Rāmacandra Purī was criticising Mahāprabhu for the way He dressed, the way He ate, and so many other things.

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Therefore Mādhavendra Purī rejected Rāmacandra Purī.

Devotee: Kavi-karṇapūra says in his Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā that Rāmacandra Purī is Jatila in kṛṣṇa-līlā.

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Yes, he was formerly Jatila. Always finding fault. Jatila and Kutila find fault with Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā.

Devotee: Sometimes I may want to correct someone, but I can see that the person won’t accept what I have to say.

Gour Govinda Svāmī: So why shall you tell him?

You should think:

“He won’t accept it, so why shall I tell him?

Let him go. As you sow, so shall you reap.

What should I say to such a person?”

Devotee: The ninth offense to the holy name is to preach to the faithless. We generally understand this to apply to non-devotees.

Does it also mean that if someone does not have faith in me, I should not preach to that person, even if he is a devotee?

Gour Govinda Svāmī: Yes, he has no faith in your words.

So if he has no faith in you, then why should you tell him anything?

He won’t listen. If someone has faith you may speak to him or her. They will accept it, so you will be able to help them. This is the nature of a Vaiṣṇava. His heart bleeds seeing:

“Oh, he is doing some wrong and as a result he will suffer more and more.”

So he wants to help him. A Vaiṣṇava offers prayers to his Guru, to Gaurāṅga, and to Nityānanda Prabhu:

“Please help him. Kṛṣṇa, please take care of him.”

Only Guru has the right to inflict discipline. No one else. It is his disciple, and disciple means he is under discipline. That is the proper way. Not that:

“Hey rascal!

What are you doing?

Hey, I will slap you!

I will beat you with my shoes!”




  • Purandar Acharya le gusta esto.
  • Rama Kānta Dāsa Beginning of Prema

    As long as one is not completely free from these four types of anarthas one cannot attain the stage of Niṣṭhā.

    ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-
    saṅgo ’tha bhajana-kriyā
    tato ’nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt
    tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ

    Niṣṭhā is the minimum stage. It is said: 

    niṣṭhā haile upajaya premera taraṅga
    (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya 22.134)

    Niṣṭhā is the beginning stage of prema.

    It is the beginning, in the form of a seedling. After Niṣṭhā comes Ruci, Āsakti and Bhāva. However, when there are still anarthas one cannot attain even the stage of Niṣṭhā, what to speak of Prema-bhakti. One should understand these anarthas and be very, very careful to be free from them.

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