Initiation (?)

[Guest guest]

> On 13 May 1999, Samba das wrote:

>

>

>

> >How do you know they made spiritual advancement, and

> > not simply Sukriti? How does one define how much spiritual advancement

> > one has made?

>

>

> Isn't it measured by how much one remembers Krsna? Personally, I know my

> daily remembrance of Krsna has increased over the last 26 years, albeit

> gradually.

>

> Have none of Srila Prabhupada's disciples made any advancement since he

> "left"?

 

You can judge by the symptoms

..

Symptoms of a Kanishta adhikary:

1. Sraddha. Firm faith. A disinterest in material affairs and interest in

spiritual advancement.

2, Sadhu sanga. Association with pure devotees.

3. Bhajana Kriya. performance of devotional service to Krsna (surrendering

to the spiritual master and being encouraged by the association of devotees

so that initiation takes place.

 

Madhyama adhikary.

1. Bhajana Kriya (higher stage) one becomes fully engaged in devotional

service and becomes detached from gross anarthas.

2. Anartha nivritti. Diminishing of anarthas both gross and subtle almost to

nill, the clearing stage.

3. Nishta firm or perfect faith, irevocable devotional service, i.e. the

brahma bhuta platform, liberated from the material platform.

4. Ruci, taste. An immense relish for hearing and chanting about the Lord,

so much so that one practicaly cannot stop, and rendering service develops.

 

Sadhana Raganuga Bhakti

5. Asakti. Attachment (loving inclination) the seed of bhava. One follows in

the footsetps of one of the inhabitants of Vrindavan, develops a spiritual

body, and his rasa with Krsna is revealed, last stage of Madhyama.

 

Uttama Adhikary.

1. Bhava. Seed tree of Prema. Ecstacy develops. uttama adhikary begins at

this stage. The minutest particle of Prema.

2.Prema. Pure love of Godhead. No falldown possible.

 

> > It's like once one has that connection, all reading he does will be

> > automaticaly understood properly, because he has got the mercy by

> > surrendering to his guru.

 

> So surrendering means ONLY full, 100% surrender, otherwise one does not

> advance?

 

In order to reach the goal, which is Krsna Prema one has to surrender 100%.

You can progess on the path towards that depending on how much you surrender

to and please the guru.

 

> And if there is no "contact"? Most of Srila Prabhupada's disciples had no

> "personal/bodilycontact" with Srila Prabhupada.

 

You have to judge it by Prabhupadas own statements. There is a process, he

has enunciated it, and if we did not follow it for whatever reason, then we

still have to.

 

No connection made? And

> those disciples of fallen gurus they have not made any advancement at all

> because they never had any bonafide "contact" with a pure guru? They have

> been serving Srila Prabhupada, I thought.

 

Prabhupada says that surrender to a guru is paramount, and that is the way

of realising knowledge. Service is rendered to the guru, and that is

devotional service. I repeat Prabhupadas statement "Nor by independant study

of books of knowledge can one progress in spiritual life. One has to

approach a bonafide spirtual master to receive the knowlege."