Jaiva Dharma

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Babaji: When his association with bhaktas becomes prominent and

his association with the inimical becomes minimal, his advancement

is rapid.

Nityananda dasa: What is the nature of the kanistha-adhikari’s

inclination towards sinful and pious activities?

Babaji: In the preliminary stage, his inclination for sinful and pious

activities will be like that of the karmis and jnanis, but as he

progresses in bhakti, these propensities will be dispelled, and his

inclination to please Bhagavan will become prominent.

Nityananda dasa: Dear master, I have understood the situation of

kanistha-adhikaris. Now kindly describe the primary symptoms of

the madhyama-adhikari bhaktas.

Babaji: The madhyama-bhakta has ananya-bhakti towards Krsna. His

friendship with the bhaktas consists of four attitudes: he considers

bhaktas to be more dear than his very self (atma-buddhi); he

feels great possessiveness towards them (mamata-buddhi); he considers

bhaktas as worshipable (ijya-buddhi); and he considers them

to be a place of pilgrimage (tirtha-buddhi). The madhyama-bhakta

also bestows mercy on those who are ignorant of spiritual truth,

and he neglects the inimical. These are the primary characteristics

of the madhyama-bhakta.

 

When one develops sambandha-jnana and practices bhaktisadhana,

which is the means (abhidheya), one attains the goal of

prema (prayojana). This is the methodology of the madhyamabhakta.

It is generally observed that madhyama-bhaktas perform harinama,

kirtana, and other such activities in the association of

bhaktas, free from any offense.

Nityananda dasa: What are the secondary symptoms of the

madhyama-bhakta?

 

 

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Babaji: The secondary symptom of the madhyama-bhakta is the way

in which he lives his life. His life is completely surrendered to the

will of Krsna, and is favorable to bhakti.

Nityananda dasa: Can he still commit sins or offenses?

Babaji: Some tendency to commit sins or offenses may remain in

the beginning stage, but gradually these will disappear. Whatever

sins or offenses are still present at the beginning of the madhyama

stage are like chick-peas that are just about to be ground to a pulp;

they are still seen as small lumps, but within a few moments they

will be crushed and will cease to exist. Yukta-vairagya (appropriate

renunciation) is the life and soul of the madhyama-bhakta.

Nityananda dasa: Does the madhyama-bhakta have any trace of

karma, jnana or extraneous desires?

Babaji: In the initial stages a faint trace of these things may remain,

but finally they are uprooted. Whatever vestiges of karma and jnana

remain in the beginning of the madhyama stage occasionally make

themselves visible, yet these gradually fade into oblivion.

Nityananda dasa: Do such bhaktas even desire to live, and if so,

why?

Babaji: Actually, they have no desire to live or die, or to attain

liberation. They desire to live only to attain consummation of

their bhajana.

Nityananda dasa: But why don’t they long for death? What happiness

can come from remaining in this gross material body? When

they die, will they not obtain their spiritual forms and identities

by Krsna’s mercy?

Babaji: They have no independent desires. All their desires are

solely dependent on Krsna’s will, because they are firmly convinced

that everything is happening by His will and that whatever happens

is only because of His desire. They have, therefore, no need

to aspire for anything independently.

Nityananda dasa: I have understood the symptoms of the

madhyama-adhikari. Now, please tell me about the secondary symp

 

 

 

NITYA-DHARMA & VAISNAVA BEHAVIOR• 201

 

toms of the uttama-adhikari.

Babaji: Their secondary symptoms are their bodily activities, but

even these cannot actually be viewed separately as secondary symptoms,

because they are so much under the control of prema, which

is beyond all influence of the material modes.

Nityananda dasa: Prabhu, there is no provision in sastra for the

kanistha-adhikaris to renounce household life, and madhyamaadhikaris

may live either as householders or renunciants. Is it possible

that some uttama-adhikaris may live as householders?

Babaji: One’s level of eligibility cannot be determined by whether

one is a householder or a renunciant; the only criterion is one’s

advancement in bhakti. There is certainly no harm if an uttamaadhikari

bhakta remains a householder. All the grhastha-bhaktas of

Vraja were uttama-adhikaris. Many grhastha-bhaktas of our Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu were uttama-adhikaris; Raya Ramananda is

the foremost example of this.

Nityananda dasa: Prabhu, if an uttama-adhikari bhakta is a grhastha,

and a madhyama-adhikari bhakta is in the renounced order, how

should they behave towards each other?

Babaji: The person who is less qualified should offer dandavatpranama

to the person who is more qualified. This stipulation is

only for the benefit of the madhyama-adhikari, because the uttamaadhikari

bhakta does not expect respect from anyone. In all living

beings he sees the presence of Bhagavan.

Nityananda dasa: Should one bring many Vaisnavas together and

hold festivals for distributing bhagavat-prasada?

Babaji: From the spiritual point of view, there is no objection if

many Vaisnavas gather together for some particular occasion and

a madhyama-adhikari grhastha-bhakta wants to honor them by distributing

the bhagavat-prasada. However, it is not good to make a

pompous display of serving the Vaisnavas, for then this activity

will become adulterated with the mode of passion. One should

distribute prasada to the assembled Vaisnavas with great care and

 

 

202 • JAIVA-DHARMA CHAPTER 8

 

attention. This is one’s duty. If one wishes to serve the Vaisnavas

in this way, he should only invite pure Vaisnavas.

Nityananda dasa: A new caste has emerged in Baragachi consisting

of people who refer to themselves as descendants of Vaisnavas.

Kanistha-adhikari householders invite them and feed them in the

name of Vaisnava seva. How is this to be viewed?

Babaji: Have these descendants of Vaisnavas taken up suddhabhakti?

Nityananda dasa: I don’t see suddha-bhakti in any of them. They

only call themselves Vaisnavas. Some of them wear kaupinas (loincloths).

Babaji: I cannot say why is this type of practice is in vogue. It

should not be done. I can only surmise that it is going on because

kanistha Vaisnavas have no ability to recognize who is a true

Vaisnava.

Nityananda dasa: Do the descendants of Vaisnavas deserve any

special regard?

Babaji: Honor is due for those who are actually Vaisnavas. If the

descendants of Vaisnavas are pure Vaisnavas, they should be honored

in proportion to their advancement in bhakti.

Nityananda dasa: What if the descendant of a Vaisnava is only a

worldly man?

Babaji: Then he should be considered as a worldly man and not as

a Vaisnava; he should not be honored as a Vaisnava. One should

always remember the instruction given by Sriman Mahaprabhu

(Siksastaka 3):

 

trnad api sunicena taror api sahisnuna

amanina manadena kirtaniyah sada harih

 

One can chant sri-hari-nama in a humble state of mind,

thinking himself more insignificant than the straw in the

street and more tolerant than the tree. One should be devoid

of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects

to others. In such a state of mind, one can chant sri

 

 

 

NITYA-DHARMA & VAISNAVA BEHAVIOR• 203

 

hari-nama constantly.

 

One should be free from pride and should offer appropriate respect

to others. One should offer Vaisnavas the respect due to a

Vaisnava, and he should offer those who are not Vaisnavas the

respect that befits any human being. If one does not offer respect

to others, he does not acquire the necessary qualification to chant

sri-nama.

Nityananda dasa: How can one be free from pride?

Babaji: One should not proudly think, ”I am a brahmana,” ”I am

wealthy,” ”I am a learned scholar,” ”I am a Vaisnava,” or ”I have renounced

family life.” People may well offer respect because one has

such qualities, but one should not want to be honored by others

out of such egoistic pride. One should always think oneself to be

worthless, insignificant, destitute, and lower than a blade of grass.

Nityananda dasa: It seems from this that one cannot be a Vaisnava

without humility and compassion.

Babaji: That is quite true.

Nityananda dasa: Then does Bhakti-devi depend on humility and

compassion?

Babaji: No, bhakti is completely independent. Bhakti is the personification

of beauty and she is the supreme ornament; she does not

depend on any other good quality. Humility and compassion are

not separate qualities, but are included within bhakti. “I am a servant

of Krsna,” “I am destitute,” “I have nothing,” “Krsna is my all-

in-all‚” – the bhakti that is expressed in these attitudes is itself

humility (dainya).

 

The tenderness of heart experienced towards Krsna is known

as bhakti. All other jivas are servants of Krsna, and tenderness of

heart towards them is compassion (daya). Therefore, compassion

is included within bhakti.

 

Ksama (forgiveness) is the bhava situated between humility and

compassion. “When I am so wretched and insignificant myself, how

can I inflict punishment upon others?” – when this attitude is

 

 

204 • JAIVA-DHARMA CHAPTER 8

 

combined with compassion, forgiveness automatically appears.

Forgiveness is also included in bhakti.

 

Krsna is satya, real. The fact that the jivas are servants of Krsna

 

is also real, as is the fact that the material world is only a boarding

 

house for the jivas. That means that bhakti is also real, because these

 

truths are based on the jivas’ relationship with Krsna, which is

 

itself bhakti. Truth, humility, compassion, and forgiveness are four

 

special qualities that are included in bhakti.

 

Nityananda dasa: How should a Vaisnava behave towards the fol

 

 

lowers of other religions?

 

Babaji: The instruction of Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.26) is:

 

narayana-kalah santah bhajanti hy anasuyavah

 

Those who are free from the propensity to slander others

and who are fully peaceful worship Sri Narayana and His

plenary portions.

 

There is no dharma other than vaisnava-dharma. All other

 

dharmas that are or ever will be propagated in the world are either

 

steps on the staircase of vaisnava-dharma, or else distortions of it.

 

Those dharmas that are steps leading to bhakti should be respected

 

in proportion to their degree of purity. One should not bear any

 

malice towards dharmas that are distortions of bhakti, but one

 

should focus exclusively on the cultivation of one’s own devo

 

 

tional truths. One should not maintain any animosity towards the

 

followers of other religions. When the time is ripe, the followers

 

of various other dharmas will become Vaisnavas easily. Of this there

 

is no doubt.

 

Nityananda dasa: Is it our duty to preach Vaisnava dharma or not?

 

Babaji: Certainly it is. Our Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has given

 

everyone the responsibility of spreading this dharma:

 

naco, gao, bhakta-sange kara sankirtana

krsna-nama upadesi’ tara’ sarva-jana

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila (7.92)

 

 

NITYA-DHARMA & VAISNAVA BEHAVIOR• 205

 

Dance, sing, and perform sankirtana in the association of

 

bhaktas. You should deliver everyone by instructing them

 

to chant sri-krsna-nama.

 

ataeva ami ajna dilun sabakare

jahan tahan prema-phala deha’ yare tare

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Adi-lila (9.36)

 

Therefore, I am ordering everyone to distribute the fruits

 

of prema wherever they go and to whomever they meet.

 

However, one must remember not to give sri-krsna-nama to unqualified

people. Such people should first be given the necessary

qualification; only then can they be given hari-nama. Furthermore,

these statements of Sriman Mahaprabhu do not apply when neglect

(upeksa) is appropriate, for instance, when dealing with inimical

people. Trying to enlighten such people only presents obstacles

to one’s preaching.

 

When Nityananda dasa had heard Haridasa Babaji Mahasaya’s

ambrosial words, he rolled on the ground at his feet in great love.

The grove reverberated with the Vaisnavas’ loud exclamations of

sri-hari-nama, and everyone offered dandavat-pranama to Babaji

Mahasaya. The day’s meeting in that secluded grove came to an

end, and everyone returned to their respective places.

 

THUS ENDS THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF JAIVA-DHARMA,

ENTITLED

“NITYA-DHARMA & VAISNAVA BEHAVIOR”

 

 

206 • JAIVA-DHARMA CHAPTER 8

 

 

CHAPTER 9

 

 

Nitya-Dharma, Material Science

& Civilization

 

 

Lahiri Mahasaya lived in the association of Vaisnavas in Sri

Godruma for three or four years, and thus his heart became

fully pure. At all times he chanted hari-nama: while eating, walking,

and sitting; before sleeping; and after rising. He wore simple

clothes and did not even use shoes or sandals. He had relinquished

his pride in his caste so completely that as soon as he saw a

Vaisnava, he would offer him dandavat-pranama, and forcibly take

the dust from his feet. He would seek out pure Vaisnavas in order

to honor the remnants of their meals. His sons came to him from

time to time, but when they understood his mood, they departed

quickly, not daring to propose that he should come home with

them. To look at Lahiri Mahasaya now, one would certainly take

him to be a Vaisnava Babaji.

 

 

 

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