Vaidhi Sadhana Bhakti

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Vaidhi Sadhana Bhakti

Essence of the Ambrosial Ocean of Devotion, Part 6

By Victor D DiCara (Vraja Kishor das)

 

Before we begin this overview of Vaidhi Sadhana, we should quickly review the

definition of Sadhana in general: Sadhana is the attempt to internally realize

bhava-bhakti by emulating the external expressions of bhava-bhakti.

 

 

Two Types of Sadhana

 

There are two types of sadhana, raganuga-sadhana and vaidhi-sadhana. The basic

distinction between the two is:

 

1. When the motivation for realizing bhava-bhakti is one's particular

emotional

attachment to it ("raga") - such sadhana is called raganuga.

 

2. When the motivation for realizing bhava-bhakti is one's understanding

that

the scriptures ("vidhi") prescribe it as the proper thing to do - such sadhana

is called vaidhi.

 

How can one get inspiration to practice pure devotion from the often

conflicting

and contradictory statements of scripture?

 

Rupa Goswami quotes the Padma Purana, which says that the multifarious

prescriptions

and prohibitions of scripture are all subservient to and supportive of one

supreme

prescription: "Always remember Vishnu," and one supreme prohibition: "Never

forget

Vishnu." Understanding the scripture in this context can give one the faith

required

to become eligible for practicing pure devotion, vaidhi-sadhana.

 

 

Eligibility for Vaidhi-Sadhana

 

A person who is too renounced is not inclined to use the senses and emotions.

A person who is too attached is very eager to use the senses and emotions, but

for his or her own pleasure, and not for the pleasure of another. Therefore

both

are ineligible for vaidhi-sadhana, which involves using the senses and emotions

 

for the pleasure of Krishna.

 

A person who is neither too renounced nor too attached is eligible for

vaidhi-sadhana

if he or she has faith that life's main pursuit should be to please Krishna

without

ulterior motive.

 

The stronger ones faith in this concept, the more eligible one is for

vaidhi-sadhana.

Faith usually comes from intelligent understanding of scripture. The more

deeply

and rationally one understands scripture, the stronger one's faith becomes.

In this regard, Rupa Goswami identifies three grades of eligibility:

 

1. The lowest eligibility ('kanishtha-adhikar') is to simply to have a

little

faith that life's main pursuit should be to please Krishna without ulterior

motive.

 

2. The middle level of eligibility ('madhyama-adhikar') is to have more

firm

and steady faith, which comes from understanding scripture.

 

3. The highest eligibility ('uttama-adhikar') is to have unwavering faith,

which

comes from thorough and logical understanding of scripture.

 

One without any such faith is not qualified for vaidhi-sadhana. Rupa Goswami

cites the Bhagavad Gita, wherein Krishna identifies four types of pious persons

 

who approach him with an ulterior motive. Since they don't have faith in

approaching

Krishna without ulterior motive, they are not yet qualified for vaidhi-sadhana.

 

Again, the basic qualification for vaidhi-sadhana is faith that bhakti, not

bhukti

(material enjoyment) or mukti (liberation), should be the main goal of life.

Rupa Goswami cites more than two-dozen verses illustrating this faith in the

lives of qualified devotees.

 

Some forms of liberation might seem to benefit one's ability to please Krishna,

 

and desire for these does not always constitute ineligibility for

vaidhi-sadhana.

However, Rupa Goswami points out that the purest of the pure devotees, the

eternal

residents of Vrindaban, never desire anything at all except to directly please

Krishna.

 

Bringing the topic back down to earth, Rupa Goswami states that the

qualification

for vadhi-sadhana is not a lofty, unattainable concept. Anyone can immediately

achieve this qualification, if only they desire it.

 

A question might arise: If one practices vaidhi-sadhana and neglects the

religious

prescriptions of karma and jnana due to a lack of interest in their fruits,

doesn't

one incur sin?

 

Rupa Goswami clarifies that each individual has different religious duties

based

on his or her level of spiritual evolution. One who has evolved to the platform

 

of being qualified for vaidhi-sadhana needs to follow the duties of

vaidhi-sadhana,

but if he or she transgresses the duties enjoined for those of less mature

spiritual

evolution, he or she does not suffer the reactions of such transgressions.

 

 

The Practices of Vaidhi Sadhana

 

Next, Rupa Goswami lists and describes 64 ways to practice vadhi-sadhana. We

will examine these in another article.

 

 

Things That Are Not Practices of Vaidhi Sadhana

 

After giving a detailed list of 64 things that are practices of vaidhi-sadhana,

 

Rupa Goswami lists and explains certain things that are not. These include:

 

1. Secular or scriptural activities performed for any reason other than

directly

pleasing Krishna.

2. Cultivation of self-knowledge and detachment

3. Service done through agents like wealth or subordinates

4. Cultivation of saintly attributes

 

Secular and Scriptural Activities (Karma)

Vaidhi-sadhana entails emulating expressions of pure love for Krishna for the

sole sake of internally realizing that love. Therefore, secular or scriptural

activities in which love of Krishna is not the foremost means and goal are not

practices of vaidhi-sadhana.

 

Self-knowledge and Detachment (jnana)

Self-realization and detachment can incline one to begin vaidhi-sadhana, but

they are not parts of vaidhi-sadhana itself. There is no need for them to be

distinct practices of vaidhi-sadhana because detachment results automatically

when one develops attachment to Krishna, and self-knowledge develops

automatically

when one acts in the capacity of one's true self, as a lover of God.

 

Self-knowledge and detachment usually result in a stoic personality, but bhakti

 

usually springs from a very gentle, sympathetic and soft disposition. Therefore

 

self-knowledge and detachment are potentially detrimental to bhakti.

 

A question may arise: If detachment can cause a stoic heart that is unsuitable

for bhakti, why should bhakti automatically produce detachment? It seems

self-defeating.

 

In answer, Rupa Goswami explains that not all detachment causes the heart to

become stoic. Bhakti produces what he calls "Worthy Detachment"

("yukta-vairagya").

"Worthy detachment" is to be without attachment for things yet to utilize those

 

that are worthy in relation to Krishna. This type of detachment does not make

a person stoic or callous towards Krishna.

 

The type of detachment that does make the heart stoic is "Unworthy Detachment"

("phalgu-vairagya"). "Unworthy detachment" is when one in search of liberation

totally renounces objects related to Hari, considering them to be material.

 

Even "Worthy Detachment" ("yukta-vairagya") is not a practice of

vaidhi-sadhana.

Rather, it is a byproduct of vaidhi-sadhana.

 

Bhakti Done Via Agents Like Wealth and Subordinates (adi)

Service done through one's wealth, disciples, family members, etc. is too far

removed from oneself to effect the manifestation of bhava-bhakti in one's

heart.

Therefore it is not a part of vaidhi-sadhana.

 

Cultivation of Saintly Attributes

Saintly attributes appear automatically as one develops Hari-bhakti. There is,

therefore, no need to separately practice their cultivation, and they are thus

not distinct parts of vaidhi-sadhana.

 

 

Alternate Term for "Vaidhi-Sadhana"

 

In closing Rupa Goswami notes that some Vaishnavas use the term "Maryada-marg"

to refer to vaidhi-sadhana. This term means "The prescribed path."