Guest guest Posted October 4, 2009 Report Share Posted October 4, 2009 Dear Krishna Bhaktas,Srimad Bhagavtam speaks of three stages in man`s spiritual growth and development, culminating in spiritual freedom. It says:- Nastapraayesvabhadresu nityani bhagavatasevayaa Bhagvatyuttamasloke bhaktirbhavati naisthiki It means,"When the evils of the heart are mostly eradicated through the constant cultivation of spiritual life, man achieves a steady love of God,the most glorious one." In the early stages of our spiritual life, our love of God is weak and tepid and under the influence and interference of our worldly desires and attachments,Love of God finds expressions only in fits and starts. But, as the heart becomes purer, love of God becomes steadier and steadier. Absolute steadiness and absolute purity are possible only one is about to realize God. Another verse of Srimad Bhagavatam refers to the inner transformation resulting from the onset of naisthiki(steady) bhakti:- Tadaa rajastamobhaavah kaamalobhadyascha ye Cata etairanaaviddham sthitam sattve prasidati "Then does the mind attain the state of being unsmitten by lust and greed,which are the concomitants of rajas (passion) and tamas (inertia), and becoming steady, attain the tranquility of sattva (clear calmness)", says the Bhagavatam. The heart of such a person is now ready for the visitation of the Glorious Lord- Evam prasannamanaso bhagavad-bhakti-yogatah Bhagavat-tattva-vijnaanam mukta-sangasya jaayate The above sloka means,"Thus,becoming tranquil in mind through the practise of the yoga of bhakti towards the Lord, there arises in him, who is now free from attachments,the realization of the truth of the Almighty. The next verse of Srimad Bhagavatam ,which is an adaptation of q well-known Mantra from MUNDAKA UPANISHAD, conveys what happens to man as a result of this realization: Bhidyate hrdaya-granthih chidyante sarva-samsayaah Ksheeyante caasya karmaani evaatmaneesvare It means that when the Lord is realized in the heart, the complex knots of the heart are broken,all doubts are shattered, and the reactions of all previous actions of his are dissolved. In other words, all unexpired karmas or vasanas get expunged and there is no carry forward to a future birth since there is no birth after God Realization. Let us prepare ourselves to reach these stages by starting with chanting the name of God. (to be continued) G.Balasubramanian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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