Be very carefull about sahajism-imitation.

Be carefull. Dont be sahajiya.

Srila Gurudeva B.V.Narayan Goswami Maharaj- Hari Katha- Germany- 2007

Sadhana bhakti, the practice of devotion to Sri Krsna, is of two kinds – vaidhi-bhakti and raganuga-bhakti *[See Endnote 1].

What is vaidhi-bhakti?

yatra ragan avaptatvat
pravrttir upajayate
sasanenaiva sastrasya
sa vaidha bhaktir ucyate

[“When there is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and one is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.6)]

Nowadays, especially in European countries and in Russia, devotees think they are very ‘rasika’. *[See Endnote 2]. They want rasa (the taste of spiritual mellows). They want to go up to the top of the tree of prema at once. They only want madanakhya-bhava (the highest ecstatic devotional love, situated only in Srimati Radhika). They do not want to follow vaidhi-bhakti. They don’t like vaidhi-bhakti.

This idea is very dangerous, so be very careful about this. Those who have these ideas are nonsense sahajiya-vaisnavas.

We see some sahajiyas at Radha-kunda and in Vrndavana. They give what they call ‘siddha-deha’ to anyone – even to those who don’t know how to clean their hands after passing stool. Such sahajiyas have no knowledge at all; they are very foolish. They give their disciples the so called siddha-deha and tell them, “Now you are a manjari (maidservant) of Vrndavana. You are serving Radha and Krsna there.” Unqualified persons, those who accept this idea, have very beautiful young widowed ladies with them. They begin to artificially taste ‘parakiya-bhava’ with those ladies, (real parakiya-bhava is the paramour love between Sri Krsna and the gopis) and then they beget many children.

Do you understand the meaning? This is very dangerous. I have warned all my disciples – brahmacaris, sannyasis and all others – to be very careful of this.

Sri Krsna has explained to us about the natural tendency of this world, in all living beings, even in snakes, donkeys and monkeys. He has especially explained to Uddhava (in Srimad-Bhagavatam, Canto 11) that the donkey is kicked by the hind legs of the she-donkey as he follows that she-donkey for sex-life.

The stool-eating pig is another example of uncontrolled sex indulgence, as is the she-goat and he-goat. Even when the male-goat is on his way to a slaughterhouse to be killed, if he sees any she-goat, he becomes shameless and wants to have sex with her. This is very amazing – he is having sex at the time of death.

We should be very careful of this – ladies should be careful regarding males, and males should be careful regarding ladies. Be careful of this.

When one has no raga (attachment to Krsna and absorption in His service), one may read from the scriptures that he should engage in bhakti to Krsna, and if he does not do this,
he must go to hell. If one thus engages his mind in bhakti by this fear, his activity is called vaidhi-bhakti.

What is raga? What is the meaning of raga? Raga refers to the love for Krsna that is present in the residents of Goloka Vrndavana – in Subala and Sridama, in Nanda Baba and Yasoda Maiya, and especially in Lalita, Visakha and Srimati Radhika. Raga means ‘spontaneous attachment to Sri Krsna’. It is the love by which the Vrajavasis serve Krsna and control Him. This is raga, and the person who has this raga is called ragatmika.

One may develop greed to follow these ragatmika associates of Sri Krsna by hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam from a bona fide Guru or Vaisnava, and then desiring to serve Krsna like Subala, Sridama, and Madhumangala, or like Mother Yasoda.

nandah kim akarod brahman
sreya evam mahodayam
yasoda va maha-bhaga
papau yasyah stanam harih

[“O brahmana, what pious activities did Nanda Maharaja perform by which he received the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna as his son, and what pious activities did mother Yasoda perform that made the Absolute Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna call her "mother" and suck her breasts?” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.8.46)]

What pious activities has Nanda Baba performed? How fortunate is Mother Yasoda! Krsna who is the Supreme Lord, drank milk from the breast of Mother Yasoda. Someone may want to serve Krsna like her, and more than that: like the gopis.

Krsna told the gopis:

na paraye ’ham niravadya-samyujam
sva-sadhu-krtyam vibudhayusapi vah
ya mabhajan durjara-geha-srnkhalam
samvrscya tad vah pratiyatu sadhuna

[“I am not able to repay My debt for your spotless service, even within a lifetime of Brahma. Your connection with Me is beyond reproach. You have worshiped Me, cutting off all domestic ties, which are difficult to break. Therefore please let your own glorious deeds be your compensation.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.32.22)]

Krsna considered, “I cannot repay the gopis, because they have left everything for Me. They have left their husbands and children, their wealth, and their interest in their body and their ornaments. They have left everything for Me.”

He told them, “I cannot leave anyone in the way you have left everyone for Me. I cannot repay you. You can only be paid by your own good qualities.”

Hearing this, the gopis replied, “O Krsna, You have accepted that You are indebted to us gopis. By telling us this, You have won and we are defeated.” (The gopis were trying to make Sri Krsna admit that He had done wrong by disappearing. Whereas Sri Krsna had deliberately introduced this ‘defect’ into his behavior just so that he would have to submit Himself before the gopis and apologize. However, the gopis realized that of the two moods, theirs to find Him guilty, and His to defer before the greatness of their love, Sri Krsna’s mood was sweeter and more loving.  So the gopis were themselves defeated by Sri Krsna’s accepting defeat. This is the astonishing way of rasika-sekhara Sri Krsna. –ed)

The following verse reveals an even higher mood of devotion to Krsna:

anayaradhito nunam
bhagavan harir isvarah
yan no vihaya govindah
prito yam anayad rahah

[“Certainly this particular gopi has perfectly worshiped the all-powerful Personality of Godhead.(Isvara). Therefore, Govinda was so pleased with Her that He abandoned the rest of us and brought Her to a secluded place.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 10.30.28)]

Srimati Radhika is the supreme beloved of Sri Krsna, as exemplified by the fact that He left all the gopis during the Rasa-dance and went away with Her. Surely She has pleased the Supreme Lord, by whose mercy Krsna is very happy with Her.

If anyone claims to have greed for service to Srimati Radhika or service like the other Vrajavasis, there should be some symptoms visible If one actually sees or meets Srimati Radhika, he cannot remain in this world. Narada [at the stage of bhava-bhakti] saw only a glimpse of his Lord Narayana, and then the Lord disappeared and told him, “I never give my audience to those who are not pure.” So how is it possible that a conditioned soul will see Radhika?”

We should know all these truths.

sastroktaya prabalaya tat-tan-maryadayanvita
vaidhi bhaktiriyam kaiscin maryada-marga ucyate

 [“Devotional service governed by the rules and regulations of the scriptures is also called maryada-marga, or the reverential path of devotion, the path of serving the Lord in opulence, by different scholars (such as Vallabhacarya).” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Purva-vibhaga 2.269)]

Srila Vallabhacarya has explained about devotional etiquette and regulations (maryada). Srimad-Bhagavatam gives us this instruction: sravanam (hearing), kirtanam (chanting), smaranam (remembering), pada-sevanam (serving the lotus feet), arcanam (worshipping), vandanam (praying), dasyam (becoming a servant), sakhyam (becoming a friend), atma-nivedanam (surrendering everything), constitute the nine limbs of vaidhi-bhakti.

There are also five limbs of bhakti that are most important: sadhu-sanga (association with devotees), bhagavata-sravana (hearing Srimad-Bhagavatam), mathura-vasa (living in Mathura), nama-kirtana (chanting the holy name) and sri-murtira sraddhaya sevana (worshipping the deity with faith and veneration).

If we follow these without offense, we will attain prema-bhakti (pure transcendental love of Sri Krsna) very soon.

Bhava-bhakti is very high, as we can see by its symptoms:

ksantir avyartha-kalatvam
viraktir mana-sunyata
asa-bandhah samutkantha
nama-gane sada rucih

asaktis tad-gunakhyane
pritis tad-vasati-sthale
ity adayo 'nubhavah syur
jata-bhavankure jane

[“When the seed of ecstatic emotion for Krsna fructifies, the following nine symptoms manifest in one's behavior: forgiveness, concern that time should not be wasted, detachment, absence of false prestige, hope, eagerness, a taste for chanting the holy name of the Lord, attachment to descriptions of the transcendental qualities of the Lord, and affection for those places where the Lord resides-that is, a temple or a holy place like Vrndavana. These are all called anubhava, subordinate signs of ecstatic emotion. They are visible in a person in whose heart the seed of love of God has begun to fructify.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.3.25-26)]

Simply telling others, “I have greed,” will not do. If one says, “I don’t want to do any vaidhi-bhakti. There is no need to follow vaidhi-bhakti,” this is against sastra.

sruti-smrti-puranadi-pancaratra-vidhim vina
aikantiki harer bhaktir utpatayaiva kalpate

[“Devotional service of the Lord that ignores the authorized Vedic literatures like the Upanisads, Puranas, Narada-pancaratra, etc., is simply an unnecessary disturbance in society.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.101)]

Those who don’t follow the rules and regulations of bhakti are completely independent and whimsical. They don’t want to follow. They don’t want to accept any inconveniences or suffering in the execution of vaidhi-bhakti. They want to jump at once to the top of the tree of bhakti. They want only Radha-dasyam and manjari-bhava (direct, personal service to Srimati Radhika in the secluded grove).

Srila Rupa Gosvami has stated (from the srutis and smrti-sastras) that there are 64 limbs of bhakti, and the first ten limbs are especially important. First comes Gurupadasraya. One must first accept harinama-initiation, and then diksa-mantra initiation. One must learn how to do bhakti, and learn what is bhakti, what is not bhakti, what is sakama-bhakti (the performance of bhakti for the purpose of satisfying material desires), niskama-bhakti (the performance of bhakti without desires for material results), nirguna-bhakti (devotion that is unaffected by the qualities of material nature), uttama-bhakti (pure devotional service), aropa-siddha bhakti (activities which are not pure bhakti, but are designated as bhakti due to their being offered to the Supreme Lord), sanga-siddha bhakti (endeavors that are associated with, or favorable to the development of bhakti but are not of themselves purely composed of bhakti), svarupa-siddha bhakti (endeavors that are purely constituted of devotional service)

Aspiring devotees should know all these truths; otherwise they will perform bhakti which is actually not bhakti. Those who don’t want to follow these principles are stupid and nonsense. Srila Bhaktivedanta Svami Maharaja used these words; I am simply repeating his words.

So be very careful.

yasya deve para bhaktir yatha deve tatha gurau.
tasyaite kathita hy arthah prakasante mahatmanah

[“Only unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master are all the imports of Vedic knowledge automatically revealed.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)]

You wish to do bhakti to Krsna, but you must do bhakti to your Gurudeva first. You should think that Srila Gurudeva is a manifestation of Krsna Himself. Krsna is visaya-bhagavan (the supreme object and enjoyer of service) and Srila Gurudeva is asraya-bhagavan (the reservoir and provider of service to God).

saksad dharitvena samasta-sastrair
uktas tatha bhavyata eva sadbhih
kintu prabhor yah priya eva tasya
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

[“The spiritual master acting on the Supreme Lord’s behalf must be worshiped as being as good as the Supreme Lord, for he is the Lord’s most confidential servant in broadcasting the Lord’s message for the benefit of the conditioned souls involved in the material world.” (Sri Gurvastakam 7)]

It is therefore stated:

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado
yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto ’pi
dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

[“By the mercy of the spiritual master one receives the benediction of Krsna. Without the grace of the spiritual master, one cannot make any advancement. Therefore, I should always remember and praise the spiritual master. At least three times a day I should offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master.” (Sri Gurvastakam 8)]

These bogus persons do not want to serve Srila Gurudeva. How will these foolish persons attain raganuga-bhakti? Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu followed all the limbs of vaidhi-bhakti that are written about in Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. He told Srila Raghunatha dasa Gosvami:

sthira haiya ghare yao, na hao vatula
krame krame paya loka bhava-sindhu-kula

[“Be patient and return home. Don't be a crazy fellow. By and by you will be able to cross the ocean of material existence.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 16.237)]

antare nistha kara, bahye loka-vyavahara
acirat krsna tomaya karibe uddhara

[“Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary man. Thus Krsna will soon be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of maya.” (Caitanya-caritamrta. Madhya 16.239)]

Srila Rupa Gosvami is Sri Rupa Manjari (his form as a gopi), but outwardly he was following all the limbs of vaidhi-bhakti. If, by the mercy of one’s qualified Guru, one has actual greed in his heart – if he is internally serving Krsna on the path of raganuga in his siddha-deha (his original, self-realized position) - he must be at the stage of rati. Real greed will manifest at that stage.*[See endnote 5] Before this, a person has no real greed. In the name of greed, males will be attracted to ladies and the ladies will be attracted to men. This is very dangerous, for they will go to hell. They will not go to the transcendental world to be manjaris.”

You may have heard the verse:

bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad
isad apetasya viparyayo ’smrtih
tan-mayayato budha abhajet tam
bhaktyaikayesam guru-devatatma

[“Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is affected by the potency of illusion, called maya. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.2.37)]

Sri Kavi – one of the nine Yogendras in conversation with Nimi Maharaja – is uttering the word ‘guru-devatatma’. We have come to this world because we have forgotten Krsna, and therefore we are always suffering. If one wants to cross over all the miseries of material existence, he must first serve Srila Gurudeva, who is served through his teachings. First serve Guru and then Krsna. This principle is also true regarding the performance of arcana, Deity worship – one first worships Guru, and then Krsna.

Without serving Guru, we cannot enter into the realm of bhakti. Do not be desperate (impatient to jump ahead) like the persons who say that they have seen Srimati Radhika. These are bogus persons. If one actually sees the transcendental form of Krsna, he will leave his body at once and go to Vrndavana, Vraja-mandala, in his transcendental siddha-deha (spiritually perfected) body, and he will serve Krsna there.

Always be careful in this regard. The people who deny the importance of observing the principles of vaidhi-bhakti do not want to follow, but you must first follow vaidhi-bhakti. If you read Sri Caitanya-caritamrta under the guidance of a rasika vaisnava, your vaidhi-bhakti will automatically turn into raganuga-bhakti. This is the process.

Gaura-premanande!