Different Levels Of Devotees

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Different Levels Of Devotees

Swami continued the discourse: There are three main levels in the

spiritual path. 1) Materialism for Materialism. 2) Devotion for

Materialism. 3) Materialism for Devotion. Each level has two (lower

and upper) sub-divisions. In the first level the lower sub-division

represents Duryodhana who asked Lord Krishna for His army, which is

the physical force. The upper sub-level represents Arjuna. He asked

Lord Krishna to come to his side as an advisor because Lord Krishna

already told that He will not fight but will give advices only. Arjuna

selected the intellectual power of guidance, which is more than the

physical force. In both these sub-levels, both have treated Lord

Krishna as a human being and not as the absolute God. Arjuna

considered always Lord Krishna as a divine person but not as the

absolute God. Miracles were not new to Arjuna. By his arrows he

covered the entire sky so that even a drop of rain will not fall down.

This super natural miracle is in no way lesser than hiding the Sun

with His Sudarshana Chakra in the war by Krishna . In fact even

Gopikas never considered the miracles of Lord Krishna to identify Him

as God. They were sages for so many births and performed a number of

miracles. They have the knowledge of themselves and the knowledge

about Krishna (Mahatmya Jnana… Narada Bhakti Sutra).

In the second level Krishna is recognized as God but the devotion to

God is used for materialism only. The lower sub-level here indicates

Draupadi who tried to use God to solve her problem on the earth. The

upper sub-level indicates Dharmaraja, who tried to use God as

protector and guide of justice to get heaven. He refused to tell the

lie even if the God asked for it because it will lead him to the hell.

Heaven is also a part of the materialism only, which is just like a

five star hotel. In the third level all the efforts including

materialism are just to please God only. Their goal is God only and

nothing else. The lower sub-level here indicates Hanuman (in the angle

of role) who slipped just once in such devotion while protecting

Yayati. The upper sub-division indicates Gopikas who never slipped

even once in such devotion.

You must study the stories of devotees because they are the practical

procedures of spiritual path, which are like the laboratory manuals in

which the student is more involved. Scriptures are the theory-class

rooms. Therefore, Vyasa wrote all the stories of devotees which are

very important to know the practical problems in the spiritual path.

These stories (Puranas) are part of the spiritual knowledge and not

like the cinema stories meant for entertainment. Among these Puranas

Ramayana, Bharatha and Bhagavatha are very significant. They deal with

the then existing human incarnations available for those devotees. The

other Puranas deal with energetic forms like Vishnu, Shiva etc., for

the devotees who suffer with jealousy and egoism to recognize the

human form of the Lord.

Read this divine knowledge, digest it, propagate it and try to

practice it as far as possible. Certainly, this knowledge has come

from the absolute God. Whether God stays externally and I am just His

messenger or whether God stays in Me and is giving this knowledge, it

is immaterial. A duck is laying a golden egg every day. You should

take that egg and use it for your needs. It is unnecessary for you

whether the gold is present in its stomach or whether it is stealing

the golden egg from outside and is giving to you. You need not analyze

Me to see God in My human body, which is just like cutting the stomach

of the duck, which becomes useless. You may say that you want to

worship God directly through the human form so that you can please the

God since it is your absolute aim. But I say that God is more pleased

if you worship His real devotees. If you worship the devotees, God

existing outside or existing in Me is more pleased than direct worship

to Him. His devotees are greater than Himself in His view. A human

incarnation may not be available always because of the complexity in

the identification. Therefore, worship My devotees who are really

sacrificing through practical devotion in My divine mission. If you

worship Me, you will reach Brahmaloka, which is the top most. But if

you worship My devotees you will reach the sixteenth upper world which

is called Datta Sevaka Loka, which is topper than the top most Goloka

(Goloka is above Brahmaloka). Remember this point after My exit from

this present human body.

Written by

 

His Holiness Shri Datta Swami

 

website address: http://www.universal-spirituality.org

 

e-mail address: swami

 

Jai Guru Datta

Gayathry