When's the Time for Raganuga Bhakti, Anyway? It appears the time is now!

[krsna]

When's the Time for Raganuga, Anyway?

 

by Niscala dasi

Posted on chakra.org January 6, 2008

 

 

In Srila Prabhupada's books we see a stress on the need for following sadhana bhakti- up to a point- and then rejecting rules and regulations in favor of the spontaneous loving platform. The difficulty is knowing exactly when to make the transition, and again Srila Prabhupada's books have the answer- when one is pure, free from material desires. But this presents another problem- devotees never think themselves pure, or advanced. So does this mean that by definition, devotees never approach raganuga? That cannot be right as the implication of this would render meaningless much of Srila Prabhupada's teachings and that of the line of acaryas before him. How can one approach raganuga while still maintaining the vaisnava standard of humility? Is it that when one is free from material desires one is automatically in raganuga, without even knowing it? That cannot be so, for then there would be no meaning to the instruction to give up rules and regulations. Clearly there must be a conscious deliberate move towards it, and one not based on an assessment of one's personal level of purity. What then is the basis of this conscious decision to move towards spontaneity?

Fortunately Srila Prabhupada gives some enlightening examples of spontaneous service. A servant is forbidden to enter the king's bed chamber and on no account is he to wake the king- that is his firm instruction. One night, however, he notices the chamber is on fire and he spontaneously breaks all rules to serve the king. Then there is the example of the gopis and elderly cowherd women, who broke religious rules that forbid one to act disrespectfully towards the Lord, by offering Him their foot dust, scolding him and so on. Similarly, the servant of Ramanuja Acarya was given a firm instruction not to lie on his master's bed, yet he was found to do so- with the reason that he wanted to make sure it was comfortable enough to sleep on. In these examples, there is never an assessment of "I have served these regulations for 25 years. Now it is time to become spontaneous". Such a calculation is like saying I will become wet by staying dry. Calculation does not enter into spontaneity, by definition. Should we then wait for some event to happen that spurs us on towards spontaneity? Is that all that is required? Why then an instruction to give up rules and regulations at some point, if all that is required is for the right event to occur? Indeed, the Brahmans were given the same opportunity as the gopis to offer their foot dust and they refused. Some may say that they didn't have the mercy of the Lord, which is not true, for soon after they realized their mistake. They could not have gotten this realization without the Lord's mercy.

Let us return to the first example. Clearly the servant is breaking the letter of the law to serve the spirit of the law which is the wellbeing of the king. Similarly, the gopis scolded Krsna and gave Krsna their foot dust, and even broke all the religious regulations for married women, specifically for the purpose of serving the very spirit and essence of religion- expressing love for God. It seems that while following rules and regulations, these servants of the Lord did not consider them very important, and certainly did not consider them the basis of their love. Yet in our temples we see, painted all over, the assumption that one can judge a person's merit by how many mangalarati's he attends each week, and, generally speaking, how strictly he follows all the rules and regulations, right up to how perfect he has applied his tilaka.

Yet it is not right either to assume that everyone who is following strictly is "stuck in the rut" and "following the rules and regulations for the sake of following". That is not the import of these stories. Rather, they show that possessing a strong desire to cultivate the spirit and essence of the rules is part of, and precedent to, spontaneity. One who is trying to be spontaneous does not try see a rule on its own, but in its relation to the spirit and essence of a thing, which sometimes it may serve, and sometimes not. It is not hard to see from even a brief perusal of our books that the essence of our practice is love for Krsna, and that part of that essence is to love His devotees, and all things associated with Him- which are expressions of his creative delight. In order to develop this love, and avoid the anarthas which choke it, one requires a vigilance which gives birth to the qualities of a devotee- one tolerates, humbles oneself, subdues ones passions, works for another's benefit, to this end. One attempts to love and serve all living entities because they are related to the Lord, being inseparable from Him. To the extent that one focuses on this inner development, to that extent he sees the rules and regulations as external. Thus, even as the devotee is performing them, he is ready to give them up at any time, if for example, they are found to be infusing a sense of pride and superiority, or are procuring for him the undesirable situation of being adored and honored as very advanced. He may miss mangalarati or even the whole morning program just to counsel or offer comfort to a fellow devotee who is having a crisis of faith, or is distressed in some way. This is a good example of spontaneous love.

After all, the process we are following is about purification- and it is specifically purification of motives. If ones is following the rules and regulations to please the Lord, it is not an impediment, but if one is doing it just to please the Lord, it is unlikely that one will always follow, as there are other ways to please the Lord, which at times become apparent to the devotee. They may not be apparent to others though, and for this the inner followers may be judged by others to be not so strict- maybe even a "fringie" but he cares not. Even Prabhupada was judged by his god brothers to be a "rotten grihasta" but he was not discouraged. The desire for fame as a great devotee is a poison we must be vigilant to avoid, as Bhaktivinode Thakura warned us that it lingers on even after gross sex desire has waned. Taking all this into consideration, let us examine again the question "When's the Time for Raganuga?". It appears the time is now, in fact, don't waste a minute, but not because you are pure, but because you have started to cultivate an understanding of the spirit of vaisnavism, as opposed to all its rules, to the letter. Don't give them up prematurely, but don't make them your foundation, for they are not. The foundation is love and all the qualities that nurture it. If you cannot love, try to, for even the attempt is loving. Then Krsna will help you from within. It might be that you need to take his mercy in the form of helping words from a counselor or psychotherapist, to find out what history of abuse you suffered long ago, that now impairs your ability to give yourself to others, which is your inner nature. It might break the rule of "avoiding association of non-devotees" but it might be, in this case, a rule that needs to be broken. And who is a non-devotee anyway, someone who helps devotees to find their hidden inherent nature, or someone who judges everyone by appearance alone- like at 4.30 am?

[gHari]

After eons of bad conditioning through 8,000,000 species of life forms, we need to rewire our habits in order to be able to focus our attention on Sri Krsna, on the reality of being.

 

Then the love affair begins. Gradually our attraction and attachment to Krsna mounts and mounts until it eventually overpowers us. There is no question of a time for spontaneous service - there just is no control over it. It cannot be controlled. It spontaneously arises from the overpowering love we feel for Krsna. Svarupa defeats the mind; love defeats thought; truth becomes fearless.

 

There is no magic - it is simply love, and that is all magic. Beyond the mind's accept/reject path, the path of love carves its own way one foot at a time, one step at a time, following the eternal innate love of the jiva essence.

 

So don't ask 'when', for when is when you can't ask 'when'.

[Shakti-Fan]

A Darsana of August, 1992 [Part 3]

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

 

Even conditioned souls are qualified for bhakti, but for attaining raganuga-bhakti a greed is necessary. Greed comes by hearing the very beautiful and sweet pastimes of Lord Krsna from any rasika and tattva-jna Vaisnava, by reading the books of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Jiva Gosvami, by reading Srila Sanatana Gosvami’s Brhad Bhagavatamrtam, by reading Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, the explanations of Srimad Bhagavatam by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and by reading the books of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura.

If anyone reads these books, a very beautiful greed will surely manifest. It is bound to come, even to lusty and cruel persons. Do you know Sri Bilvamangala Thakura? He was very lusty for a prostitute named Cintamani, and yet he received this greed. By hearing and reading, and by associating with a rasika tattva-vit Vaisnava, one develops a little greed and thinks, “I want to serve Sri Krsna like Lalita and Visakha,” or “I want to love Krsna as Mother Yasoda loves Him. He should be my son,” or “I want to serve Krsna as Subala-sakha does.” If this kind of greed arises in a person – even if he is very lusty and has many material desires and seems like a very wretched, stupid and nonsense person – he is qualified to receive raganuga-bhakti.

[Question:] How does this greed pertain to Srila Rupa Gosvami’s verse: “Adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango tha bhajana-kriya tato ’nartha-nivrttih syat tato nistha rucis tatah…….?” On what level does this greed come?

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] A person who is practicing vaidhi-bhakti and reaches asakti and bhava, may or may not have greed. Ajamila had no greed, and a devotee like him will go to Vaikuntha. On the other hand, greed may come at the beginning stages, by ones association at the time of sraddha. Sraddha is of two kinds: aisvarya-mayi and lobhamayi, which comes by the association of a rasika Vaisnava. By that association sraddha may come for Vraja, then nistha will come for Vraja, then ruci will come for Vraja, asakti will come for Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, and the bhava will come through Lalita, Visakha, Subala-sakha, Mother Yasoda and so on.

For those whose sraddha (firm faith) is towards Vaikuntha, their nistha will also be Vaikuntha-mayi and their ruci will be Vaikuntha-mayi. Their bhava will also be Vaikuntha-mayi, and they will go towards either mukti or Vaikuntha. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has not come to give Vaikuntha prema. When He was on His way to Vrndavana, passing through the jungle, the wild beasts saw Him and heard Him calling out, “Haribol, Haribol.” Tears filled His eyes, and He was not in a position to see where He was or what He was doing. If any animals were touched by His fingers or any part of His body – or even by His sound vibration of “Haribol Haribol” – they began to turn into suddha-bhaktas, In their next life they would have very strong sraddha. They would not go to Vaikuntha immediately, but their sraddha, nistha and ruci in their next life would be very powerful and they would advance towards pure vraja-bhakti. All the management is in the hands of Caitanya Mahaprabhu, or Sri Krsna.

[question:] So you are saying that greed can come on any level?

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] Yes, even to one more wretched that a kanistha adhikari. Kanistha adhikari is so high.*[see endnote]

[question:] Some people say one has to be free from anarthas for this type of greed to come.

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] This is apa-siddhanta. This is not written anywhere in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta or in the books of Srila Rupa Gosvami and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura. A person may be more wretched than Bilvamangala, Jagai and Madhai and others. First bhakti will come, and then all offences will disappear. These are the rules and regulations of bhakti. It is not correct to think that we have to give up these anarthas before bhakti manifests. Bhakti can come at any stage. Srimad Bhagavatam has explained this. Those who are animals, those who are ladies, those who are males, those who have sraddha, those who don’t, and those who have nistha, ruci and asakti. Wherever they are, they should begin bhakti.

Bhakti is not an impersonal thing. She is a person. As Sri Krsna has a personal form and a personality, bhakti has also. The root personality of bhakti is Srimati Radhika – hladini sakti. So we bow down to Bhakti devi and pray that she may enter our hearts. When she comes she will clean our hearts and arrange a place for Radha and Krsna. First let bhakti come into our hearts, and then all evil and bad things will disappear. This is the process.

Bhakti-lata-bija means the seed of bhakti. This is not sraddha; rather sraddha is its symptom. That seed is actually the tendency to serve Krsna: “I should serve Krsna.” First, one in any stage will hear hari-katha in the association of a pure bhakta, and then this mood comes: “I want to serve Krsna.” When this stage manifests, the outward symptom is sraddha, faith in the words of guru, sadhu and sastra. Then, from sraddha this mood comes: “I will follow my Gurudeva. I will follow the words of sastra.” Nistha will then manifest, and the devotee will be continually thinking: “It is better to follow all the principles of bhakti.” After that ruci (taste) comes. Then asakti (attachment) comes, and at that time the devotee cannot leave his bhajana. At this time his bhakti becomes natural.

Asakti is of two kinds: the first is asakti towards bhajana – hearing, chanting and remembering Radha-Krsna in sadhu-sanga. Then the second comes. Automatically; without effort, asakti manifests towards bhajaniya, that is, Sri Sri Radha-Krsna and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

[Shakti-Fan]

A Darsana of August, 1992 [Part 3]

Tridandisvami Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja - Continued

 

Then bhava comes. Bhava is not of this world. It comes from the combination of hladini- sakti and samvit-sakti (Krsna’s spiritual pleasure and knowledge potencies). It is situated in the heart of Mother Yasoda, Nanda Baba, and all other Vrajabasis. In karma, jnana yoga and tapasya there are many rules for qualification; but in bhakti, everyone is qualified to receive it. Everyone is qualified for raganuga-bhakti if they have greed. If a man has greed but was lusty and spoke lies – no matter what stage he was on before that greed manifested – this sloka applies to him: "Api cet suduracaro”. Do you know this sloka? What is the meaning of suduracarah? It means bad behavior. We should see that person as a very good sadhu, because he will be changed in no time.

We should try to engage our entire energy in bhakti, and in that way we will have no time to commit offences or sins. Bhakti will help and give so much power.

[question:] First there is asakti for bhajana and that turns into asakti for Radha and Krsna?

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] Bhakti will come and sweep away all bad things and material impurity. Nothing can be cleansed away without bhakti.

Our line is one: Lord Krsna, Brahma, Narada, Vyasa, Sukadeva Gosvami; and after that Madhvacarya, Madhavendra Puri, Isvara Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Svarupa Damodara, Raya Ramananda, Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami, Jiva Gosvami, Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, Syamananda Prabhu, Narottama dasa Thakura, Srivasa Acarya, Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Jagannatha dasa Babaji, Bhaktivinoda Thakura, Srila Prabhupada and so on. A real raganuga Vaisnava will not be in a different line. They will come in this line. Otherwise, all attempts toward raganuga-bhakti will become destroyed and rotten; and followers of other processes and lines will go to hell.

At first you should try to do bhajana and, by this, all your anarthas will go away automatically. Impurities in your heart will automatically be eliminated. Go on practicing bhakti, by chanting, remembering, and hearing from a very best and most qualified guru.

When we begin to practice the procedures of bhakti, reputation comes automatically. So much praise and money comes. So many persons give respect. We should understand that all of these are obstacles for our bhakti. We should not be happy, thinking that we are obtaining all of these things by our bhakti. Bhakti does not give anything other than suddha-prema, pure love for Radha and Krsna. If anything else is coming you should know that it is coming from impure bhakti – not suddha-bhakti. Understand? Bhakti doesn’t give anything other than further advancement in bhakti. If other things are coming, we should think of them as the results of our gauna-bhakti (bhakti mixed with impurities), not pure bhakti.

No one could give praise or money to Srila Rupa Gosvami, Srila Sanatana Gosvami and Srila Jiva Gosvami. They went straight towards Krsna-prema. We see that we, on the other hand, are doing very little. We perform gauna-bhakti; and thus name and fame are coming and so many buildings are coming, and we will think that all of this is coming due to bhakti. If one is sincere he will understand that all these things are coming from gauna-bhakti, not suddha-bhakti. We should try to be far away from all of these things. We should be niskincana and akincana. We should not be madmen, as this will destroy us. Such thinking is an offence.

When we perform kirtana we don’t feel sleepy. But when we prepare to do sandhya-ahnika and guru-mantra, sleep comes at that time. This is also an aparadha. We should insure that we make no offenses against Vaisnavas, Tulasi, Ganga or Yamuna, and we shouldn’t commit Vaisnava or guru-avajna (negligence of Guru and Vaisnava) in any way. We should not envy a Vaisnava, or scriptures like the Bhagavatam, or Tulasi, or anyone or anything that is related to Lord Sri Krsna. Tulasi, Ganga, Vaisnavas, Vraja Dhama and so on are all tadiya (in relationship with the Lord). No offence should be made to them in any way; not even in a dream. When we are related to this world and we are full of self-interest, we are bound to commit offenses. We should be far away from these offenses.

By our svarupa, our original constitutional position, we are Krsna dasa. Jivera svarupa haya nitya-krsna dasa. This potency is within all jivas, whether they are conditioned or liberated. This spirit to serve Krsna will always be present within us; but now, by the influence of the illusory maya, this tendency or spirit is covered. If somehow all of our offenses and attachments to worldly things go away, and at the same time we have sadhu-sanga, that potency will manifest. This is the process.

Sadhu-sanga is necessary. If ones constitutional spiritual form is that of an associate of Radha and Krsna in Vraja, in gopi-bhava, or like Mother Yasoda’s vatsalya bhava, and that person is associating with a devotee in pure dasya bhava (servitorship), like Hanuman. Then, by this association, that devotee can rise up to the level of Hanuman; that is, pure servitorship. After that the association will change, and this will be arranged by Lord Krsna if we are fully surrendered. For example, you have not done anything for coming to Vaisnava association. Krsna has arranged everything for you, and thus you have easily come to your Gurudeva. Krsna’s very condensed karuna, mercy, has come in the form of Guru and Vaisnava. Sometimes this mercy comes in the heart, sometimes by any pure Vaisnava, sometimes it comes from Tulasi, sometimes from Yamuna, and sometimes from Govardhana and Radha kunda. All these are the same, and especially, that mercy coming from Vaisnavas is so high.

Bhakti – real bhakti – will come in you and then you will be a Vaisnava, like Prahlada Maharaja and Narada. Narada Muni sees Kamsa as a Vaisnava, what to speak of others. If one wants to see in this way, he should try to develop his bhakti to such a platform that, by reaching which he will see that everyone is a Vaisnava and very dear to Krsna.

“Krsna’s cows and calves are Vaisnavas. They are serving Krsna better than I, so I want to die and to become a calf. I want to become a cukoo bird or a peacock. They are more fortunate than I.” Who is telling this? Srimati Radhika. When a person will become a high-grade Vaisnava, he will see that everyone is a Vaisnava. He will see that everything is like Vaikuntha or Vrndavana. By our own endeavor we cannot do anything to attain this stage.

[question] What about ghosts?

[srila Narayana Maharaja:] If we are absorbed in hari-katha, then, what to speak of ghosts, even the forefathers of ghosts and their forefathers will not come. Ghosts will not be able to touch us. If anyone does not believe in the power of harinama, Krsna and bhakti, he will be committing an offense and he will be ruined. Do you understand? No ghost can come if one is chanting harinama. If one says that ghosts are coming and attacking him, you should know that he has committed many offenses. We should be very faithful towards Krsna’s name and bhakti. What to speak of ghosts, no evil will come. No one will be powerful enough to disturb you. Dozens of very powerful ghosts used to live here, but when we came and chanted harinama, they at once fled away – at least 100 miles away — and now they cannot come here.

There is a well inside here, and it used to be full of ghosts. I brought water of Yamuna, with Tulasi, and put it in the well. All the ghosts were released from that maya and they chanted “Haribol, Haribol.” They became so happy. If ghosts are coming to any person, I will say that he is not a devotee. He has no faith in Krsna, His name and His bhakti. Such a person will die and become a ghost himself.

Lord Krsna will come as Guru, and if you are not following, it is not the fault of Krsna, sastra or Guru. It is your fault. After five or six months of being away from home and living in the matha, my wife, father, father-in-law, grandfather and a dozen prominent villagers came to me and forced me to return home. To please them, I did so. I was at home for four days. At that time I was sick, with a fever. On the last of the four days, at midnight, I awoke and started out for the matha again.

Some men told me, and I knew, that there were many places where ghosts played in the night; and no one could pass through these places. Those ghosts were in the shapes of buffalos, bulls and very dangerous creatures, and they used to play among themselves. While I was going to the matha, I had to cross one of these places. I only had one dhoti – no kurta, nothing else. I carried only my tulsi mala and I was chanting “Hare Krsna…” Fearlessly, in that dark night, when no one was anywhere to be seen, I walked the long distance to the matha.

[* Endnote - The stage of kanistha bhakti, although the neophyte stage, is so high." - This is because it is not ordinary that one will have faith in the Deity form of Lord Krsna and in the bona fide guru; Simply wearing dhoti and sari will not suffice. -bda]

[theist]

 

There is no magic - it is simply love, and that is all magic. Beyond the mind's accept/reject path, the path of love carves its own way one foot at a time, one step at a time, following the eternal innate love of the jiva essence.

 

So don't ask 'when', for when is when you can't ask 'when'.