narayana-para veda includes Manu-samhita

[Guest guest]

> Please forgive me if I am misunderstanding you, but taking the above

> paragraph at face value I would have to disagree with it. Bhakti can

> elevate even sub-humans to the spiritual world without the following of

> any Vedic injunction. Can you please clarify your statement?

 

One Vedic injunction is that one should not slaughter cows. If one slaughter

cows one will not elevate to the spiritual world even if one so to speak

externally makes a show of being a vaisnava. Similarly if one sexually

molest children in guru-kula one will also not elevate to the spiritual

world even if one makes a show of being a vaisnava. And I would say that if

one doesn't stop any kind of abuse of other living entities then one will

not elevate to the spiritual world even if one makes a show of being a

vaisnava.

 

Bg 4.35) Having obtained real knowledge from a self-realized soul, you will

never fall again into such illusion, for by this knowledge you will see that

all living beings are but part of the Supreme, or, in other words, that they

are Mine.

 

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My intention was not to argue about whether bhakti can elevate anyone to the

highest platform or not. I am also convinced that if someone have developed

bhakti then there is no problem for such a person. I understand bhakti to

mean love of Godhead. But how many of us have developed love of Godhead?

 

My point is circulating around people like myself who have not developed

love of Godhead yet. For such people it is important to understand how to

behave as a human being because otherwise we will not make any progress in

spiritual life.

 

"A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple

but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is

called a prakrta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in

the lowest position."

(SB 11.2.47)

 

> Of course, as initiated devotees we should behave according to the norms

> of behavior given by guru, sadhu and sastra. But even if someone is not

> able to follow the norms of human behavior but is chanting sincerely then

> *everything* will certainly come by the mercy of the holy name.

 

If someone is not able to follow all norms but sincerly tries his best to

follow and have very much interest in learning about how to behave towards

other living entities then he will probably succed in his endeavours because

he is in fact sincere. But if he is not interested then where is the

sincerety?

 

My point is that maybe many of us (including myself) are not such advanced

devotees and therefore general Vedic knowledge maybe is also of importance

for us.

 

The fourth offense against the holy name is to vilify scriptures or Vedic

knowledge.

 

Vilify according to websters means: to lower in estimation or importance.

 

Y.s.

Svarupa das