Spiritual Identification Charts

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Spiritual Identification Charts

Presented by Tridandi Bhikshu Bhaktiratna Sadhu.

 

Any devotee can easily identify where exactly he or she stands in spiritual

life by reading these two charts:

 

FIRST CHART

 

Nine levels of devotees 9

Kanishtha-kanistha, Madhyama-kanishtha, Uttama-kanistha

Kanistha-madhyama, Madhyama-madhyama, Uttama-madhyama

Kanistha-uttama, Madhyama-uttama, Uttama-uttama

 

Nine levels of Bhakti 9

Sradha, Sadhu-sanga, Bhajana-kriya, Anartha-nivrtti, Nistha, Ruchi, Asakti,

Rati (also called Bhava) and Prema.

 

Seven Levels of Prema-Bhakti

Sneha, Mana, Pranaya, Raga, Anuraga, Bhava and Mahabhava

 

Five Stages of Bhakti

 

Sravana-dashaa (hearing), Varana-dashaa (desiring), Smarana-dashaa

(remembering), 4 Bhavapana-dashaa (attaining ecstasy) and

Prema-sampatti-dasa (the greatest good fortune of spiritual love).

 

 

Kanishtha-Vaishnava

(Vaishnava-abhasa, Vaishnava-praya)

 

 

Kanishtha-kanistha --- awakening of (1) Sraddha and trying to seek out

(2) Sadhu-sanga with some (3) Bhajana-kriya and

may have very less but some (4) Anartha-nivrtti

Inquisitve beginners are on this level. Or

Sadhakas with duplicitous or mixed mentality are on this level

 

 

Madhyama-kanishtha --- Serious Beginning (3) Bhajan-kriya in (2)

Sadhu-sanga and appreciable progress in

(4) Anartha-nivrtti only occurs when the sadhaka is sarala

99% of the sincere sadhakas are on this level

 

 

Uttama-kanistha --- Completing(4)Anartha-nivritti thro(3)Bhajana-kriya

May exhibit a little (4) Nishtha and (5) Ruchi also

1% of the sincere sadhakas are on this level

 

 

Madhyama-Vaishnava

(One in a thousand)

 

 

Kanistha-madhyama --- Achieving the stage of (5) Nistha after (4)

Anartha-nivrtti and the beginning of (6) Ruchi

(spontaneous taste)

Beginning of constant chanting on the ruchi stage

with traces of harmless desires about to be destroyed.

0.1% of the sincere sadhakas are on this level

 

 

Madhyama-madhyama --- (6) Ruchi solidifies and matures into (7) Asakti

Constant absorption in chanting and flashes of

vision of the Lord. Shravana-dashaa actually begans

follwed by smarana-dashaa--recollection, absorption,

meditation, constant remembrance and enters into trance

 

 

Uttama-madhyama --- (7) Asakti deepens into (8) Rati

Steady vision and trance of the Lord. Varana and

Bhavapana-dashaa

 

 

Uttama-Vaishnava

(All three types are very rare, One in millions)

 

 

Kanistha-uttama --- (8) Rati - Sthayi-bhava upto (9) 3 Prema

stages upto Pranaya in Dasya-rasa or Sneha in Santa-rasa

Bhavapana dashaa continues

 

 

Madhyama-uttama --- (9) 5 Prema stages upto Raga in Sakhya-rasa and

Anuraga in Vatsalya-rasa

 

 

Uttama-uttama --- (9) All 7 Prema stages including Bhava and

Maha-bhava in Madhurya-rasa

Sampatti-dashaa in all the the three stages

 

 

Based on Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhuh by Shrila Rupa Goswami, Shrila Visvantha

Chakravrti's and Shrila Jiva Goswami's commentary to the above, Madhurya

Kadambini by Shrila Visvantha Chakravartipada and Thakura Bhaktivinoda's

Jaiva Dharma

 

SECOND CHART:

 

Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura explains that the stage of

anartha-nivrtti consists of elimimation of four kinds of anarthas:

(1) Duskrtottha

Anarthas coming from one's past sinful activities leading to envy & anger

even while performing devotional service.

 

(2) Sukrtottha

Anarthas coming from one's past pious activities leading to a craving in the

heart for temporary sensual pleasure even while performing devotional

service.

 

(3)Aparadhottha: Anarthas coming from our offenses (basically

nama-aparadhas). Most strong anartha.

 

(4) Bhaktyuttha

Anarthas coming from devotional service like desires for profit, adoration &

distinction.

 

Now these four anarthas are mitigated in different proportions in the

different levels of bhakti. There are five stages for the eradication of

these four anarthas. They are:

 

(a) ekadesavarttini (partially) will be denoted as part

(b) bahu-desavarttini (substantially) will be denoted as subs

© prayiki (almost completely) will be denoted as al com

(d) purna (completely) will be denoted as com

(e) atyantiki (absolutely thoroughly) will be denoted as abs tho

 

Now lets make a chart:

 

Anarthas Bhajana Nistha Asakti Prema Face

Kriya (beginning) to face

 

Duskrtottha al com com abs tho --- ---

& Sukrtottha

 

Bhaktyuttha part com abs tho --- ---

 

 

APARADHOTTHA PART SUBS AL COM COM ABS THO

 

So after studying the table we can understand the process of anartha-nivrrti

continues upto the highest stages of prema as in the aparadhottha case.

 

Being on the nistha, ruci or asakti or even bhava platforms does not mean

that one is completely free from all anarthas. This lust, anger, greed,

madness, envy & pride are due to Duskrtottha, Sukrtottha & Bhaktyuttha (&

even Aparadhottha) anarthas. And these three are mitigated completely only

on the stage of asakti whereas the aparadhottha anartha even later only when

the devotee sees the Lord face to face.

 

This charts are as per my understanding of the scriptures and they are open

to minor changes or rectification based on some superior realizations. To

perfectly classify all these advanced stages is actually not possible.