bhaktajoy Posted June 5, 2002 Report Share Posted June 5, 2002 More wisdom given on Pure Bhakti : We CANNOT COMPREHEND the PURE DIVINELOVE,PREMA BHAKTI that is ATTAINED through GOD'S GRACE because IT IS DIVINE, and therfore it is AN INDEFINABLE POWER OF LORD. First examine the word 'Bhakti'. One origin is 'bhajanaM bhaktiH' this is meant to say about 'PERFECT DEVOTION' or 'siddha bhakti', and the other origin is, 'bhajayate bhaktiH',this is preliminary or PREPARATORY DEVOTION' or 'sadhana bhakti'. Let us understand the characterstics of 'Preliminary Devotion'. "anyAbhilASitA zUnyaM jnAna karmAdyanAvRtam, AnukUlyEna kRSNAnu zIlanaM bhaktir uttamA" (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu) "guNarahitaM kAmanArahitaM pratikSaNa vardhamAnam" (Narada Bhakti Sutra- 54) "sarvOpAdhi virirmuktaM tat paratvena nirmalam, hRSikeNa hRSikeza sevanaM bhaktir ucyate" (Narada Panca Ratram) "ahaituky avyavahitA yA bhaktiH puruSOttame" (Bhagavatam 3.29.12) There are THREE main points to be grasped. Firstly, one should be DEVOID of ALL DESIRES. Secondly, 'Bhakti' should NOT be DILUTED by KARMA(ritualistic and obligatory actions),JNANA ( doctrines of subtle knowedge and philosophies),tapa(penance,austerity),etc. Thirdly, one should ACTIVELY LOVE and SERVE Lord (Krishna)in a PLEASING WAY, through RELATIONSHIPS of SANTA(peaceful neutral tranquility),DASYA(humble eternal servitude),SAKHYA (eternal friendship),VATSALYA (eternal parent-hood) and MADHURYA (passionate amorous-love of eternal bride). Let us discuss the first REQUIREMENT in detail,because in my opinion,it is the REASON for the individual soul's FAILURE to practise SADHANA,and is the GREATEST IMPEDIMENT that BLOCKS our PROGRESS in Devotional Practice. Once this condition is GRASPED,the PATH of Bhakti will be SMOOTH,and we will speedily progress towards OUR GOAL. Devotion is POSSIBLE ONLY when ALL kinds of DESIRES are ABANDONED. In reality,it is the MIND that has to be ENGAGED in Devotion because the MIND is the CAUSE of the BONDAGE and LIBERATION. If the MIND is PREOCCUPIED with worldly or celestial DESIRES,then HOW CAN WE USE IT IN DEVOTION? You have ONLY ONE MIND. You can FILL it with DESIRES for MATERIAL ATTAINMENTS,or with the DESIRE for DIVINE ATTAINMENT. It is totally IMPOSSIBLE to have BOTH KINDS OF DESIRES IN ONE MIND. Most people WHO believe in GOD NEVER seriously CONTEMPLATE this fact,though it definitely NEEDS DEEP REFLECTION. The first condition of Preparatory Devotion is to ABANDON ALL kinds of DESIRES. What do we mean by ALL kinds of desires? The simplest and most SATISFACTORY answer to this question is that ANY DESIRE APART FROM THE DESIRE FOR THE LORD IS TO BE RENOUNCED. The desires that HAVE TO BE RENOUNCED are of FOUR KINDS: Dharma(pious conduct and righteousness), Artha(material wealth), Kama(sensual pleasures),and Moksha(liberation). First THREE,viz.dharma,artha,and kama together are also referred as 'BHUKTI'because they RELATE TO MATERIAL REALM. In short it amounts to RENUNCIATION of TWO KINDS of DESIRES, 'BHUKTI' and 'MUKTI'(liberation). Some may find the RENUNCIATION of the second kind of DESIRE,MUKTI,to be puzzling. To renounce ALL MATERIAL desires upto the Heavenly Abode of Lord Brahma is COMPREHENSIBLE,but to RENOUNCE MUKTI or LIBERATION seems QUITE a STRANGE CONDITION. (Continued) jayasriradhey 5/5/01 11:23 PM 2 out of 44 (continued) Listen to what the SAINTS declare- "bhukti muktispRhA yAvat pizAcI hRdi vartate tAvad bhakti sukhasyAtra katham abhyudayO bhavet" (Sri Roopa Goswami) "So long as the TWO WITCHES in the form of 'bhukti' and 'mukti' reside in the HEART of the individual soul,the GODDESS of DEVOTION CANNOT MANIFEST HERSELF." Between the two,'bhukti' and 'mukti',the witch called 'bhukti' is not as dangerous as the witch called 'mukti',because it is POSSIBLE to be FREE OF IT. If a FORUNATE SOUL happens to MEET a REALIZED SAINT,SURRENDERS TO HIM and practises DEVOTION,he CAN TASTE the NECTAR OF PERFECT DEVOTION. On the other hand,if anyone haunted by the witch named 'mukti',attains LIBERATION and MERGES into GOD,there is ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE of DRINKING the DIVINE NECTAR of DEVOTION,because liberation once ATTAINED is ETERNAL. There is NO question of EXPERIENCING DUALITY again. There are many examples of Paramahamsas such as Sanaka,Sanandana,Janaka etc.,who did ATTAIN the Bliss of Divine Love. But that was possible because they HADNOT YET ATTAINED COMPLETE UNION with God. As long as Paramahamsa has the consciousness of individuality,he has not attained UNION with God.It is only when the individuality is totally renounced,that he merges into God. Thereafter he cannot assume individual form of consciousness and without conscious form,it is IMPOSSIBLE to experience the Nectar of Divine Love. Thus the witch mukti is obviously worse than bhukti. Coming to 'BHUKTI',that is desire for material gain,it must be noted that devotion to Lord with these DESIRES in mind has many dangers. First,it IMPLIES that YOU HAVE NOT YET UNDERSTOOD whether there is HAPPINESS in the WORLD or in the SPRITUAL REALM. If you still THINK there is HAPPINESS in the WORLD,then WHAT IS THE NEED OF GOD??? And if YOU BELIEVE that GOD ALONE IS BLISS and the SOURCE of HAPPINESS,then WHY HARBOUR DESIRES for FLEETING MATERIAL OBJECTS and SUBJECTS? MAYA,in the form of the TRANSIENT ILLUSORY WORLD,and ETERNAL BLISSFUL GOD,are mutually OPPOSITE ENTITIES. To accept GOD ALONE as the SOURCE of HAPPINESS and to yet DESIRE MATERIAL WORLD is like a person who says, "I WANT to go NEAR FIRE to GET COOLNESS from it!" If we desire ONLY HAPPINESS,then to LEAVE the TRUE SOURCE of HAPPINESS,GOD,and desire FULFILLAMENT in the WORLD,which is ONLY a SOURCE OF SORROW and DISTRESS, implies that WE STILL BELIEVE the WORLD to be a SOURCE of PERFECT,UNLIMITED HAPPINESS! God is in REALITY the TRUE Source of EVERLASTING HAPPINESS,yet people WORSHIP HIM not for Divine BLISS,but for ACQUIRING TEMPORARY WORLDLY PLEASURES. This clearly REVEALS their IGNORANCE,because they BELIEVE that with GOD'S HELP,they can ATTAIN UNLIMITED ETERNAL HAPPINESS in the material WORLD,which in truth is ONLY a SOURCE of MISERY and REBIRTH. When the AIM itself IS WRONG,HOW CAN WE PRACTISE DEVOTION? The POSSIBILITY of attaining PERFECTION in such a case,is TOTALLY out of the question. Worldly objects and personalities only RESULT in MULTIPLYING DESIRES and BONDAGE. Their attainment leads to growth of PRIDE and GREED. Remember,this PRIDE and EGOISM IS THE MAIN CAUSE that MAKES ONE AVERSE TO GOD!!! (continued...) jayasriradhey 5/5/01 11:27 PM 3 out of 44 (continued...) The second point to REMEMBER is that,when material possessions are ACQUIRED by people ACCORDING to their SANSKARAS or potential tendencies in their destiny,they PROCLAIM it to be due to the Grace of God. And when they DO NOT receive these possessions owing to their Samskaras,they CLAIM it to be a result of God's ANGER! Thus a person will be BELIEVER (theist),so long as he or she acquires worldly favors,and when he or she is DEPRIVED of them, he or she will BECOME an ATHEIST. Therefore it is best for a Sadhaka(spiritual aspirant) to TOTALLY RENOUNCE all DESIRES for material benefits. The third point is that God does NOT break His law by granting FAVORS contrary to WHAT IS DESTINED for each individual. If someone CLAIMS that God always LISTENS to his SELFISH PRAYERS and FULFILLS them,then WHY DOES HE NOT ASK God for 'GOD',once and for all,so that the DESIRE TO ASK again and again comes to an END. To REPEATEDLY ask for the WORLD, where there is NO HAPPINESS, where fulfillment of desires RESULTS in the birth of MORE FORMIDABLE CRAVINGS, ONLY brings about harm. It is only when WE ASK FOR GOD OR DIVINE LOVE that the ROOT OF DESIRE itself will be DESTROYED,and the individual soul will become CONTENTED FOREVER. However,this CLAIM of people that God fulfills their every desire is actually A DECEPTION,a LIE. The IGNORANT soul thinks the benefit received due to SANSKARAS,to be Divine Grace! There is some MERIT in this belief because the individual ACCEPTS God's Grace on this basis. But the DREADFUL future of this BELIEF is that WHEN there is AN ABSENCE of MATERIAL GAIN and FAVOR,this FAITH will IMMEDIATELY DISAPPEAR! The fourth point is that the Scriptures refer to God as Omniscient. Whatever HE DOES,IS FOR OUR BENEFIT. When we UNDERSTAND this,then WHY DO WE INTERFERE HIS JUDGEMENT and ASK HIM for OTHER THINGS? Being IGNORANT ,WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS ACTUALLY BEST FOR US. Therefore,we SHOULD REMEMBER that HE is ALL-KNOWING and LEAVE EVERYTHING TO HIM ALONE! In this way the disease of ASKING will NEVER be born! The fifth point is that the Scriptures declare that each individual is in the BONDAGE OF KARMA. Whatever PLEASURE or SORROW is DESTINED for each one ACCORDING to one's Prarabdha (part of past actions referred to as fate in the present life),will be given to that one. We read in the Scriptures about the death of Dasaratha,the father of the All-powerful,Almighty Personality,Lord Rama,yet Lord Rama DID NOT SAVE him! Abhimanyu,the nephew of Lord Krishna and son of Arjuna,could NOT be SAVED from his death,by BOTH of these GREAT Personalities put together! Then WHY DO WE EXPECT that the UNBREAKABLE DIVINE LAW will be broken for OUR SAKE??? The sixth point is that we must FIRMLY UNDERSTAND that the ABSENCE of MATERIAL PROSPERITY is an INDICATION of God's Grace. In this STATE,there is NO INTOXICATING PRIDE due to worldly success. Therefore we should desire ONLY SUCH SITUATION. What is the USE of wanting a STATE WHERE THERE WILL BE NO REMEMBRANCE OF GOD? The GREATEST IGNORANCE is to ASK for such a state from God Himself! Besides these,there are a number of other LOSSES which will PREVENT the soul from PRACTISING SADHANA,or SURRENDERING to a SAINT. Hence,ALL desires INCLUDING the desire for LIBERATION or Mukti or Moksha must be RENOUNCED. The TRUE GOAL of EVERY SOUL is ATTAIMENT OF SELFLESS DIVINE LOVE. Saint Sri Tulasidasa states - "svArtha sAGca jIva kara ehA mana krama vacana rAma pada nehA" The HIGHEST Goal of EACH and EVERY soul is to DEVELOP LOVE for the SUPREME LORD, with all his HEART,with all his MIND and with all his faculties of EXPRESSION. Our TRUE SELF-INTEREST lies in PLEASING,LOVING and SERVING GOD ALONE. In reality,this is the PUREST FORM OF DIVINE LOVE. (Source- Chapter 12,Book 'Prema-Rasa-Siddhant' ) jayasriradhey 5/5/01 11:43 PM 4 out of 44 Selfish mundane love (Kama) and Selfless Divine Love,Prema Bhakti are two TOTALLY OPPOSITE feelings. The desire to constantly RECEIVE is selfish love,Kama or lust, to CONSTANTLY GIVE is Pure LOVE,and the process of GIVE AND TAKE IS BUSINESS. Wherever there is ANY desire to BEG from ONE'S BELOVED,IT IS NOT LOVE. Wherever there is EVER-INCREASING DESIRE TO GIVE,EVEN after HAVING GIVEN EVERYTHING, THAT IS LOVE !!! Hence,NO man in the world can LOVE in the TRUE SENSE of the TERM,because each and everyone is SELFISH. Each one desires happiness of the SELF,therefore there is ALWAYS a CONSTANT LONGING to RECEIVE and NOT GIVE. When both sides are intent on TAKING,how long can a relationship last? This is the reason why there are arguements between wife,husband,father,son,etc.,several times a day. Wherever both parties are SET UPON RECEIVING,CLASHES are INEVITABLE, and wherever there is a clash,the DECEITFUL SELFISH LOVE comes to AN END. Worldly love that includes lust CONSTANTLY DECREASES,whilst DIVINE LOVE constantly INCREASES. Lust is a form of DARKNESS,and LOVE is the form of LIGHT. The Caitanya Caritamrita gives a BEAUTIFUL DEFINITION of lust and Love. "kAmera tAtparya nija sambhOga kevala, kRSNa sukha tAtparya prema tO prabala. lOka-dharma,veda-dharma,deha-dharma karma, lajjA dhairya deha-sukha Atma-sukha marma sarvatyAga kare kare kRSNera bhajana, kRSNa-sukha hetu kare premera sevana ataeva kAme preme bahuta antara kAma andhatama prema nirmala bhAskara." 'Giving up all, the prescribed righteous conduct,rules and regulations of Vedic scriptures, renouncing even one's own bodily duties,shame,arrogance,conceit, along with the comforts of the body,mind and soul, the devotee should adore and serve Beloved Krishna. Seva in Divine Love is done only for the sake of pleasing Beloved Lord Krishna,while satisfying ones'own senses is the strong motive in worldly love. The desire for one's own happiness is LUST and is compared to DARKNESS, while the DESIRE to PLEASE ONE'S BELOVED GOD ALONE IS LOVE and is compared to PURE and CLEAR SUNSHINE !' (an excerpt from the book, 'Prema-Rasa-Siddhant') Jaya Sri Radhey! jayasriradhey 5/5/01 11:49 PM 5 out of 44 Let us observe the Cataka , a bird that lives only on the rain water that comes from the Svati constellation. This bird is a beautiful example of selfless Love. It loves its beloved all year round, whereas we the worldy people run to temples and Saints only when we are in trouble. And the moment are worldy desires are fulfilled, we never think of going again. We are too pre-occupied with material pleasures to even think of God. If someone asks you , 'Why have you stopped going to the temples or the Saints? ' you arrogantly reply, 'I have no need of all that external show. I attain everything from within my self.' The reality is that we are actually worshippers of worldly desires. We have not yet understood anything about the subject of God. We should learn a lesson from the cataka. We to must love God constantly , and our every desire should be centralized in pleasing Him alone. When ever there is love in the world there is always an inherent selfishness. The moment that self interest is harmed ,the love comes to an end and even results in enmity. But the love of cataka is different. It is unselfish. Tulasidass wrote that the beloved of the cataka bird is very cruel hearted. The cataka begs for a few rain drops but his beloved makes thunder and lightning fall upon him,insults and teases him instead. But the cataka never resents this cruel behaviour , nor is he angered by it,in fact he never thinks about the imperfectness of his beloved ,but derives pleasure in his every action. This should be the state of a true devotee. we should never be upset or angry when any worldly calamity befalls us. It was a hot summer day. The cataka began to feel dizzy from thirst. He flew to a tree to rest in its shade. When he regained his senses , he realised his mistake. 'This tree under whose shade I am sitting , has been nourished by the underground water which I never drink. To take rest in its shade means infidelity and is a direct insult to my beloved. The scorching heat of the sun is better than the shade of this tree'. With these thoughts the cataka left the tree, and flew around in the heat of the sun. But how long could he bare the heat, in that thirsty state? He again felt dizzy and sat on the branch of the another tree, which was on the banks of the river Ganges. Coincidently , a hunter was sitting under that very tree waiting for a target. When he saw the cataka ,he immediately shot him with his arrow. The wounded bird fell in the river below. In his last moments he opened his beak to quench his thirst ,with the thought that he would attain mukti [liberation]by drinking the water of the ganges. But before he drank even a drop ,it struck him that it would be disloyal ,and a disgrace to his true love to drink the water of the Ganges,and accept liberation. He immediately turned his beak upwards lest the water of the Ganges should enter his mouth , and died at that very moment. Thus the true love of the cataka remained unblemished to the very end. In spite of the suffering he stuck to his deal,and did not aspire even for salvation,as it would mean disloyalty to his beloved. We too must not loose the supreme ecstasy of the Divine Love by falling into the trap of liberation or any material desires. Like the cataka bird,our ULTIMATE aim should be EXCLUSIVE,EVER-STEADY DEVOTION of the MIND and HEART to SRI KRISHNA. Our INTENSE LOVE and SEVA (service) to HIM,should be ENTIRELY for the sake of PLEASING HIM. LOVE should ONLY be for LOVE'S SAKE. (contd..) jayasriradhey 5/5/01 11:54 PM 6 out of 44 (contd..) A devotee should take DELIGHT in EVERY ACTION of His BELOVED,and ACCEPT His GRACE in EVERY GESTURE. "krodho'pi te'nugraha eva saMmataH" (Bhagavatam) His anger,His indifference,and His Love are ALL ASPECTS of His GRACE. True Love is UNCONDITIONAL.One of the verses in Lord Sri Caitanya's 'Astapadi' contains the most beautiful expression of SELFLESS DIVINE LOVE. "AzliSya vA pAdaratAM pinaSTu mAm adarzanAn marmahatAM karotu vA yathA tathA vA vidadhAtu lampaTo mat prANa nAthas tu sa eva nAparaH" "Whether My BELOVED (Lord Krishna),lovingly EMBRACES me,or TRAMPLES me under His feet,or TORMENTS me by His indifference, GRATIFYING HIS AMOURS IN WHATEVER WAY HE DESIRES, there will be NO ABATEMENT IN MY LOVE FOR HIM, because HE,and HE ALONE,IS THE LORD OF MY LIFE!!!" It is also said by Sri Veda Vyasa in the Scriptures, "yad durlabhaM yad aprApyaM manasoyann agocaram tadpy aprArthito dhyAto dadAti madhu sUdanaH" "That Divine Love,which is RARE,that is UNATTAINABLE,and that of which the MIND CANNOT EVEN PERCIEVE, IS AQUIRED WITHOUT ASKING,THROUGH HIS DIVINE GRACE." In Ramayana,Sri Tulasi Dasji also stresses how to receive the Treasure of Devotion (Prema Bhakti) to Lord - "mana krama vacana chAMDi caturAyI bhatahiM kRpA karata raghurAyI " "Abandoning all the craftiness of mind, egoism,deceitful desires & deeds,and intellectual arrogance, if ONE should PRACTICE DEVOTION (Sadhana Bhakti) with body,mind and heart,then ONE WILL BE ABLE TO RECEIVE GOD'S GRACE,by which is ATTAINED THE ESSENCE OF HLADINI SAKTI,i.e.PREMA BHAKTI." "avirala bhakti visuddha tava zruti purANa jehi gAva jehi khojata yogIza muni prabhu prasAda kovu pAva ....dehu dayA kari rAma" "The Pure Divine Love(Prema Bhakti) is SELFLESS and SPOTLESS. All the Scriptures HIGHLY acclaim the VIRTUES of PREMA BHAKTI! All Saints,Sages,Sadhakas are searching out and SEEKING that same TREASURE of DEVOTION and a FEW fortunate SOULS ATTAIN THROUGH HIS DIVINE GRACE!" " O Lord! If You desire to give me SOMETHING,then ALL I ASK FOR IS PREMA BHAKTI" Obviously,the Lord is HESITANT to GRANT DEVOTION. What is the reason for this reluctance? The answer is that God BECOMES ETERNALLY BOUND BY this PREMA BHAKTI and SERVES the PURE DEVOTEE who has tied HIM with the UNBREAKABLE BONDS OF DIVINE LOVE. (An excerpt from the book - 'Prema Rasa Siddhant') Jaya Sri Radhey! jayasriradhey 5/6/01 12:04 AM 7 out of 44 The Essentials of Bhakti are the Surrender and Grace. "yo brahmANaM vidadhAti pUrvaM yovai vedAMz ca prahiNoti tasmai taM 'ha devam Atmabuddhi prakAzaM mumukSurvai zaraNamahaM prapadye" (Svetasvataropanishad 6.18) Desirous of the Ultimate Beatitude,I seek refuge in that Effulgent Being, Whose Light reveals the knowledge of Atman and Who bestowed this Supreme knowledge to the first created Cosmic Soul of Lord Brahma. "tapaH prabhAvah deva prasAdAcca" (Veda) "tameva zaranaM gaccha sarva bhAvena bhArata tat prasAdAt parAM zAntiM sthAnaM prApsyasi zAzvatam" (Gita 18.62) "O Arjuna! First SURRENDER TO THE LORD,then you shall ATTAIN HIS GRACE. IT IS THROUGH HIS GRACE THAT YOU can attain Supreme Peace and DIVINE ABODE." "daivI hyeSA guNa mayI mama mAyA duratyayA mAmeva ye prapadyante mAyAmetAM taranti te" (Gita 7.14) "The Cosmic Power of MINE called Maya,consisting of the three modes, CAN ONLY BE CROSSED BY ONE WHO SURRENDERS TO ME." Sri Veda Vyasa says in the WORDS of Sri Krishna - "tasmAt tvamuddhavot sRjya codanAM prati codanAm, pravRttaM ca nivRttaM c zrotavyaM zRtameva ca." (Bhagavatam 11.12.14) "mAmekam eva zaraNam AtmAnaM sarva dehinAm" (Bhagavatam 11.12.15) "O Uddhava! Abandon all MUNDANE AFFAIRS and COME TO ME ALONE FOR SHELTER,because I AM THE SUPREME SOUL,the Soul of all souls. You can fearlessly be liberated from ALL MATERIAL BONDAGE." "mana krama vacana chAmDi caturAyI bhajatahim kRpA karahim raghurAyI" (Sri Tulasi Ramayan) All Scriptural evidence implies that we must SURRENDER to God. God's GRACE is dependent on THIS SELF SURRENDER. Those who have not surrendered,have not attained His Grace,and thus deprived of Divine Bliss,revolve endlessly in the cycle of 8.4 million species of living beings in the bondage of time,actions,their own nature and the three modes of Maya- "phirata sadA kara prerA kAla karma svabhAva guNa ghErA" (Tulasi Ramayan) Now,a question likely to arise is that,THE ACT OF DOING SOMETHING IN ORDER TO ATTAIN GOD'S GRACE,is like worldly business transaction of give and take. But to hold such a view is naive,because SURRENDER actually means COMING TO SUCH A STATE OF DOING NOTHING. As long as a new born baby does nothing,the mother does every thing for the baby. When the child starts doing things on his own,the mother lessens her responsibilities to the same extent. When the child begins to do every thing,then the mother does nothing. This example is enough to explain WHAT SURRENDER IS. AS LONG AS WE SUFFER FROM THE PRIDE OF DOING,WE WILL REMAIN IN THE BONDAGE OF ACTION,BECAUSE WE ARE DECLARED TO BE THE DOERS OF ACTIONS. WHEN WE CEASE TO FEEL THAT "I AM THE DOER" and SURRENDER,WE WILL BE CONSIDERED NON-DOERS. IT IS THEN LORD WILL TAKE COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY FOR US. " teSAM nityAbhi yuktAnAM yoga kSemaM vahAmyaham" Gita 9.22 According to this verse from Gita,the Supreme Lord becomes RESPONSIBLE for THE WELFARE AND LIBERATION OF THE SURRENDERED SOULS and showers His Divine Bliss upon one WHO SURRENDERS IN THE FORM OF NON-DOING. "sarva dharmAn parityajya mAmekaM zaraNaM vraja" Gita 18.66 "O Arjuna! Abandon all thoughts of religion and irreligion and come to ME ALONE FOR SHELTER. It is then,that I,Who am a Judge to all,will cease to judge in your case, and will instead pardon your countless past sins of past lives,THROUGH MY GRACE." Isn't the GRACE OF GOD IMMEASURABLE? Now let us consider WHAT HAS TO BE SURRENDERED. We possess a body,sense organs, mind,intellect,ego etc., It is stated that - "mana yeva manuSyAnAM karaNaM bandha mokSayah" (Pancadazi-Sri Vidyaranya Swami) MIND ALONE IS THE CAUSE OF BONDAGE AND LIBERATION. (contd..) jayasriradhey 5/6/01 12:08 AM 8 out of 44 "cetaH khalvasya bandhAya muktaye cAtmano matam, guNeSu saktaM bandhAya rataM vA puMsi muktaye" Bhagavatam 3.25.15 The cause of bondage and freedom is the MIND. Hence the MIND alone that HAS TO BE SURRENDERED TO GOD. SURRENDER OF THE MIND AMOUNTS TO SURRENDER OF EVERYTHING. WHAT usually happens is that we worship GOD PHYSICALLY and SURRENDER THE MIND TO THE MATERIAL WORLD. Our attainments are always in accordance to the ATTACHMENT OF THE MIND. If we perform just physical actions with the body,but DO NOTHING WITH THE MIND,EXCEPT SURRENDER TO GOD,then we will not be rewarded for our PHYSICAL ACTIONS,but will instead attain SPIRITUAL BENEFIT. SURRENDER OF THE MIND IS ACTUAL SURRENDER. Just as it is impossible to run with the feet tied,or talk with the mouth closed, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DEVOTE ONESELF TO GOD WITH MIND ATTACHED ELSEWHERE. In reality,IT IS ONLY THE ATTACHMENT OF THE MIND IS REFERRED TO AS DEVOTION IN SPIRITUAL REALM(UPASANA). But this same attachment directed to the material world, is infatuation(Asakti). It is impossible to manage both attachment to the world and devotion to God simultaneously,because the MIND CAN ONLY BE ATTACHED TO ONE AREA AT ONE TIME. Besides,the material and spiritual are totally opposite worlds. Whatever worship we perform,we will find ourselves bound to the material world, IF THE MIND IS ATTACHED TO WEALTH,SPOUSE,FAMILY,SOCIAL STATUS,NAME,FAME,PRESTIGE and so on. The Gopis expressed their DEVOTIONAL CONDITION TO Uddhavaji very beautifully in the following lines- "UdhO! mana na bhayE dasa bIsa Eka hutO sO gayO zyAma sanga kO avarAdhE Iza" "O Uddhava!We have ONLY ONE MIND AND THAT TOO IS WITH SYAMA SUNDAR(KRISHNA). IF WE HAD TEN OR TWENTY MINDS,THEN WE COULD HAVE USED EACH ONE IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS,AND MANAGED BOTH DEVOTION TO GOD AND THE WORLD." But God is aware of the fact that IF EACH INDIVIDUAL IS TO BE GIVEN TWO MINDS,THEN NO ONE WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FULFILL THE CONDITION OF "mAmekaM zaraNaM vraja",i.e.SURRENDER TO GOd ALONE. To conclude,SURRENDER OF MIND alone IS TRUE SURRENDER to God,whatever the physical actions be. Now the question is,what is the DIFFICULTY IN SURRENDER OF THE MIND? The only difficulty is that THE MIND IS ATTACHED TO THE MATERIAL WORLD SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL AND THIS ATTACHMENT HAS BECOME VERY FIRM. Had the mind been not attached to the world,surrender to God would have been effortless. Hence the first step is TO DETACH THE MIND;this can be achieved through an understanding of the(NON) REALITY OF THE WORLD. Only then will true surrender to God be possible. ANOTHER IMPORTANT characterstic of TRUE SURRENDER OF MIND TO GOD is - "ANANYATA",EXCLUSIVENESS, of none other than God. Loving and surrendering only to Lord Krishna is ANANYATA. If any other subject apart from LORD enters the mind of surrendering devotee,Ananyata is obstructed and deprives the devotee from attaining His Beloved. This is the secret behind the SURRENDER. (contd..) jayasriradhey 5/6/01 12:19 AM 9 out of 44 (contd..)This is demonstrated well during the rescue of Queen Draupadi sati. When Duhssasana dragged Draupadi devi into the assembly hall in order to insult her in the presence of thousands of kings,it was a moment of greatest embarrassment for her. She first sought help from her FIVE WARRIOR HUSBANDS,but there was no response. She then frantically turned to the great preceptors and elders,Bhishma deva, Dronacarya etc., for protection. But they too remained silent. Draupadi sati's hopes of help from the world dissolved before her very eyes,she decided to use her own strength to protect herself. She clenched her saree between her teeth and AT THE SAME TIME CALLED OUT TO THE LORD FOR HELP. At that time Lord Krishna was at Dwaraka. Forseeing the calamity that had befallen on His devotee,HE SAT MOTIONLESS. When His consort Queen Rukmini saw Him in His strange stance,she asked Him what the matter was. The Lord replied, "A devotee of mine is in trouble." "Well then,why don't you go and save that soul." "I cannot because I AM BOUND BY MY OWN LAW- "ananyAzintayanto mAM ye janAh paryupAsate teSAM nityAbhiyuktAnAM yogakSemaM vahAmyaham" Gita.9.22 I TAKE COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY ONLY OF ONE WHO IS EXCLUSIVELY SURRENDERD TO ME, but this devotee STILL HAS CONFIDENCE IN HER OWN STRENGTH,SO I CANNOT PROTECT HER." But what strength could a helpless woman have,and how long could she face the mighty Duhssasana,who had the strength of ten thousand elephants? When the wicked Duhssasana gave one jerk,the saree slipped from between her teeth,and Draupadi sati was helpless. SHE NOW ABANDONED ALL FAITH IN HER OWN STRENGTH,AND DEPENDED ENTIRELY UPON LORD KRISHNA. THIS WAS THE MOMENT OF COMPLETE,UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER, AND LORD IMMEDIATELY CAME TO HER RESCUE. In other words,she CAME TO A STATE OF DOING NOTHING.IT WAS ONLY WHEN SHE CEASED TO THINK PROTECTION FROM OTHER SOURCES,THAT SHE WAS SAVED. Now the Duhssasana pulled her robes,they SEEMED TO BE NEVER ENDING. He finally gave up in COMPLETE EXHAUSTION. Thus "ANANYATA" or EXCLUSIVE SURRENDER TO GOD,is the VERY FOUNDATION OF STEADFAST DEVOTION. The Lord states in Gita- "sarva dharmAn parityjya mAmekaM zaraNaM vraja " "O Arjuna,ABANDON ALL THOUGHTS OF RELIGION AND IRRELIGION. 'COME TO ME ALONE FOR SHELTER.' It is then,that I,Who am a JUDGE TO ALL,will cease to JUDGE in your case and will instead pardon your innumerable past sins of countless past lives,THROUGH MY GRACE!!!" [An excerpt from the book- "Prema-Rasa-Siddhant.] Jaya,Jaya Sri Radhey! jayasriradhey 5/7/01 7:00 PM 10 out of 44 This song now helps us to understand HOW TO USE OUR MINDS in Raga BHAKTI sadhana. The Rasik-Saint-Poet Maharaj Ji has explained well how it can be ACCOMPLISHED SUCCESSFULLY! "calo mana sri vrindAvan dhAm jahan viharata nit syAmA-syAm" (1) O My MIND,please go to the Divine Abode, Vrindavan, where my Lordships are ever engaged in the Blissful pastimes. Comment- The devotee is telling his or her MIND to CONTEMPLATE upon the Sacred land, which is the place of Eternal Lila of Radha and Krishna. Why mind? MIND ALONE IS ESSENTIAL for Raganuga Bhakti Sadhana. If we CAN bring along the body and senses, that is FINE too,but MIND IS A MUST! That is WHY Lord Krishna said so MANY times in Gita and other scriptures,STRESSING on the words like, "man,chetah,chitta,buddhi." "tasmAt sarveSu kAleSu mAmanusmara yudhya ca mayyarpita mano buddhir mAme vaishyasi asaMzayaH" Gita 8.7 "Therefore think of Me at all times and do your action of fighting. There is no doubt that by giving your MIND,HEART and INTELLECT to Me, you will SURELY attain Me." "ananya cetAH satataM yo mAM smarati nityazaH tasyAhaM sulabhaH pArtha nitya yuktasya yoginaH" Gita 8.14 "O Son of PrthA,(Arjuna)one who, having single MINDED love and attention,REMEMBERS Me uninterruptedly throughout his life, to that devotee,(raganuga-yogi) of constant devotion and concentration, I am EASILY attainable." "syAmA-syAm sung brijabhAm nit nava rasa barasat nija dhAm (2) Sri Radha and Krishna together with Their Gopi friends, showering the ever new rasa, Bliss in Their Native Land of Braj, twenty four hours of the day. (asta kaliya seva) "Ananda cinmaya rasa pratibhAvitAbhis tAbhir ya eva nija rUpatayA kalAbhiH goloka eva nivasaty akhilAtma bhUto govindamAdi puruSaM tamahaM bhajAmi" Brahma-samhita.37 "I worship Govinda,the Original Lord,residing in His Own realm,Goloka,with RadhA,His Own Spiritual Form, the Embodiment of the ecstatic potencies, in the company of Her Sakhis (female playmates), Embodiments and Extensions of Her Own Personality , permeated and drenched with ever Blissful Transcendental Rasa. "mere thAkur syAmA-syAm mohi na cAhe vaikuMthani dhAm" (3) My worshippable Lords are,Radha-Krishna ONLY! I do not wish the opulence of Vaikuntha abode, where Lord is worshipped in Santa Rasa, predominately or through the four fold muktis-like sayujya,samipya,salokya and saroopya . Some dasya rasa may exist but no sakhya,vatsalya or madhurya is relished there. For Raganuga devotee,the distant worship of his Lord is not relishable. God is approached with MORE intimacy,for personal service as,either a master, or a friend, or a child or a lover. Vaidhi-bhakti worship of Lord Narayana or Vishnu consists of many rules and regulations according to Narada pancharatra and other sastras. The RELATIONAL FEELING,the bhAva is the MAIN SUPPORT for the devotee's Raganuga Prema bhaki, NOT the Sastric injunctions. (contd..) jayasriradhey 5/7/01 7:01 PM 11 out of 44 (contd..) "mere hai gayi lAdili-lAl saba vidhi hon bhai mAlAmAl" (4) By loving Them with Raga-bhakti, Lali-Lal,pet names for Radha-Krishna, Lali means dearest girl-child and Lal meaning dearest boy-child, have BECOME the property of the devotee. Here the devotee NO LONGER calls Them,Lordships,but with more COSER,RELATIONAL,AFFECTIONATE Names. Lord also says He comes under the CONTROL of His LOVING devotees,and reciprocates in exactly SAME way as the devotee surrenders to Him and that is His very OWN TRANSCENDENTAL Nature and can NEVER be changed. "ye yathA mAm prapadyante tAm stathaiva bhajAmyahaM" Gita 4.11 According to the manner in which they approach Me,I favor them in that very SAME manner. "The devotees are My heart,and I am the heart of My devotees. My devotees do not know anyone but Me; Similarly I do not know anyone but My devotees." (Bhagavatham 9.4.68) "aham bhakta parAdhino hyasvataMtra iva dvija" I have NO independence as I am UNDER the control of my loving devotees. (Bhagvatam 9.4.63) "chalo,man,gahavar kunja latAn jahan lAli caran cApat bhagavan" (5) O My MIND,please GO to the secret flowery bower of Gahavar van, where the All Blissful,All Mighty,Absolute Reality, the Supreme Person,Bhagavan Lord Krishna is serving His Soul Radha, by gently massaging Her Lotus feet. Engrossing yourself in the Madhurya Lila of Radh-Krishna,O My MIND, attain the PERFECTION of your existence. Finally,the devotee evolved through Raganuga sadhana to Madhurya Bhakti, has to MEDITATE upon the INTIMATE lilas of Beloved Divine Couple. Here the Lord forgets that He is Bhagavan. The devotee in Madhurya bhava forgets he or she is an insignificant soul. This is accomplished by the UNTHINKABLE,UNIMAGINABLE POWER of AMAZING Grace,Who influences Yogamaya. "sakhi ! he Kesi mathanam udAraM" (G.G.2.11) "O Friend,the slayer of Kesi demon (Lord Krishna)is INDEED, Kind,Noble and Sublime! " Lord's Svaroopa sakti,is Bhakti in its Purest Essence. He ENJOYS serving His own Soul,Radha. "hlAdini sAra aMZa tAra prema nAma" This is a matter of experiencing- 'anubhava vedya'. No amount of words CAN explain, like, 'mookAsvAdanam'(Narada bhakti sutra)- as sweetness relished by the MUTE! When this pada(song) is rendered to melodious music by the Master of Music, when sung by dedicated devotees with choked voices, when accompanied by the tears of love together with the throbbig sounds of mridanga and harmonium, I have personally witnessed sadhakas and pure devotees thrown into fits and entering Ecstatic Trance for hours. "satataM kIrtayanto mAM yatantazca dRDha vratAH namasyantaz ca mAM bhaktyA nitya yuktA upAsate" (Gita 9.14) "Always glorifying Me and striving firm in their vows (bhakti sadhana) and paying respects to Me,and always remaining imbued with love and devotion(Prema bhakti) to Me, they worship Me." Jaya,Jaya,Sri Radhey ! jayasriradhey 5/12/01 11:15 AM 12 out of 44 Namaste all. This 'pada' is from the SIDDHANTA MADHURI of Prema Bhakti - "sunO sub jIva hamArI bAt, 'yamevaiSa vRNute'mama vANI,vizva vidita vikhyAt, yAko artha,zaraNa hvai jOyi bhja,soyi mOhi pAyi sakAt, 'guhyAd guhyatamam' gItA mE,kahyO gupta mata tAt,tAkO artha ihai mun budhi dai,bhajahu mOhi din-rAt, karahu 'kRpAlu' bhjana tum nizi-din,dEhu tarka dhari pAt. " Siddha Mahapurusha and Bhagavan both give the souls of the world same instructions regarding Bhakti. "Dear aspiring jivatmas, please listen to my kind words! The world famous scriptural declaration of the Lord, Kathopanishad 1.2.23 says- 'nAyamAtma pravacanena labhyo na medhayA na bahunA zrutena, yame vaiSa vRNute tena labhya- stasyaiSa AtmA vivRNute tanUM svAm.' God is NOT KNOWN through the study of Scriptures,nor through subtlety of the intellect nor through much extensive learning. WHOM THE LORD CHOOSES (OUT OF HIS CAUSELESS GRACE)BY HIM ALONE IS GOD ATTAINED,VERILY UNTO HIM DOES THE SUPREME REVEAL HIS TRUE BEING. No one can buy God with spiritual practices. THOSE GREAT SOULS WHO HAVE ATTAINED GOD DECLARE TO US THAT DIVINE ILLUMINATION AND ENLIGHTENMENT COMES, "ONLY THROUGH HIS DIVINE GRACE." Lord is not partial.His GRACE FALLS UPON SAINTS AND SINNER ALIKE. JUST AS RAIN FALL ON ALL OR THE SUN SHINES FOR EVERYONE. 'Izvara parama kRSNa saccidAnanda vigraha anAdirAdi govinda sarvakaraNa kAraNam.' Just as God has NO cause,HIS GRACE is also causeless. Every attribute of God is CAUSELESS. HE HIMSELF IS GRACE. HIS SAINTS ARE ALSO THE MANIFESTATIONS OF HIS DIVINE GRACE,HIS SVARUPA SAKTI. 'sarvedhikariNoh yatraH sarvadharma bahirbutaH sarvapAparatastathA....' This is said to be the 'supariNama'of Lord's 'akAraNa kRpa'. All realzed souls have praised the Lord's 'akAraNa karuNa','adhama uddhraNa''patita pavana' and prayed to Him, 'he kRSNa! karuNA sindho! dIna bandho! jagat pate!' His Grace is also called by devotees as Anugraha,Prasada,Karunya,Kripa,Udarata and Daya. 'anugraha'-(1) 'anugrahAya bhUtAnAM mAnuSaM dehamAsthitaH....' (Bhagavatam 10.33.37.) 'paramaM taddhi nirvANaM mad anugraha bhavet' 'dhanyo'haM kRta kRtyo'haM vimukto'haM tad anugraha hetuke naiva vijnAnena mokSa siddiH' (Sri SankaracArya) 'prasAda'- (2) 'naSto moham smRtir labdhA tvat prasAdAn'-Gita 18.73. 'tat prasAda parAM zAntiM sthAnaM prApsyasi zAzvatam' 'guru kRSNa prasAda paya bhakti latA bIja' (C.C.) 'avirala bhakti vizuddha tava zruti purANa jehi gAva, jehi khojat yogIza muni,prabhu prasAda kovu pAva.' (Sri Tulasi Ramayan) 'kAruNya'-(3) 'mikhyaM tasyahi kAruNyaM' (Sandilya Bhakti Sutra) 'kRSNa tad bhakta kAruNya mAtra lAbhaika hetukA pushti mArgatayA kaizcidiyaM rAgAnugocyate' ( Bhakti Rasmrita Sindhu ) 'parama kAruNiko na bhavatparaH paramazocyatamo na ca matparaH' (Padyavali-Sri Roopa Goswami ) 'kRpa'- (4) 'mukhyatastu mahatkRpaiva bhagavatkRpAlezAd vA' (Narada bhakti Sutra.38) 'labhyatep'i tat kRpayaiva' (Naradabhakti Sutra.40) (contd..) jayasriradhey 5/12/01 11:25 AM 13 out of 44 'udArata' Sri Radhaji also says in Gita Govindam of Sri Jayadeva- 'sakhI,he! kezimathanam udAraM..." and'daya'(6) 'aho bakIyaM ....kaM vA dayAluM zaraNam vrajema' (Bhagavatam 3.2.23) Rasik Saints further explain Lord's Causeless Grace- 'jimi ho zIta nivRtta tin,jin dig agni sidhAr timi ho kRpA tinahi jin,mun jAye hari dwAr' (Sri Kripaluji's Bhakti Satak.30) Just as one experiences the warmth as soon as one reaches near the fire,the approached mind and heart recieves HIS GRACE. As said before,Lord' Grace is by nature Causeless. Why only certain souls are capable of benefiting from His Grace? The nature of fire is only to give heat and warmth. The fire does not have any cause in giving out its heat. The fire does not ask the shivering souls to pay any price in return for giving out its heat. The fire equally distributes its heat to good and bad persons,not depending on any cause. That is causelessness. To receive Lord' Grace one should let one's mind and heart approach Him. Open the sail so that ever blowing wind can take the boat to the shore. Open wide the windows and let the Sunshine in. Open up the heart,Grace rushes through. Actually the meaning of 'upAsana'-(upa+As+lyuc)coming close. When one who has money,gives out to the poor in charity,the act is called-kripa. 'tadapy aprArthito dadAti madhusUdanaH' But Lord Madusudana blesses the devotees even without praying for it. As soon as the heart reaches the Stealer of Hearts, through His Grace, Lord fills it with Divine Love. The Ocean of Grace exists for the fallen souls. God HIMSELF is Grace. Keep no more doubts about it. Without His Grace NO ONE CAN REALIZE HIM. 'Give us this day our daily bread'-Holy Bible. Our daily bread here means the Bread of Divine Grace! The seekers should always be praying that HIS Grace may be revealed to them,this moment and forever. God's will is whatever will LEADS HIS SOULS TO HIM. A true devotee prays, "Lord! I do not know what Your will is,but GUIDE me so that I MAY DO IT. May I be a tool in Your Hand!" 'Lord, Thy will be done,not mine.' This is surrender. Remember God's Grace is always upon everyone. But only the soul that surrenders to Him whole heartedly will experience and realize Divine Grace. He could reveal Himself to that surrenderd soul any time. Without Surrendering to the Power of Divine Grace, bhakti can not be cultivated. The secret,the hidden essence of Gita is the absolute Surrender and Grace. "sarva guhyatamaM bhUyah zruNu me paramaM vacaH" Gita 18.64 'Listen to My supreme word,the profoundest of ALL.' 'Fix your MIND upon ME. Be devoted to ME. Sarifice every thing for ME. Prostrate before Me. So shall you come to Me. THIS IS MY PLEDGE TO YOU,FOR YOU ARE DEAR TO ME.' (Gita 18.65) "How does a devotee behold the Lord? He beholds HIM AS HIS OWN,even as the GOPIS of Brindavan beheld Lord Krishna. Those milkmaids CARED NOT FOR THE COSMIC POWERS OF THAT GREAT SUPREME BEING. Krishna was their DARLING and They were SATISFIED with that! To the Prema Bhakta,the Lord is his dearmost,innermost intimate BELOVED and he or she is always absorbed in that loving feeling." (Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) (contd..) jayasriradhey 5/12/01 11:34 AM 14 out of 44 In the last verse Poet-Saint Kripaluji requests the blessed souls to throw away all their mundane,vain ARGUEMENTS,faithless hesitations to SURRENDER to the Lord and also to destroy the doubts about HIS DIVINE GRACE. Bhgavatam also warns about the fate of those aspiring souls,who have neglected Divine Grace and self surrender- 'yenyAravindAkSa vimukta mAnina styayyasta bhAvAdi vizuddha buddhayaH, ArUhya kRccheNa paraM padaM tataH patanti adho nA dRta yuSmadaMghrayaH.' (Bhagavatam 10.2.32) Another Rasika Paramahamsa says- 'na vadAmi na duSkRtaM mayAkRtam ityuktimi mAM tu me zruNu mamabhIti manInazad vibho patitoddhAraka nAma tAvakaM.' 'O Lord! I have committed innumerable sins and offenses. Of all those sins ,my GREATEST offenese is the Namaparadha that I HAVE NEVER PUT FAITH IN YOUR GRACE AND NEVER BELIEVED YOU BEING 'PATITA UDDHARAKA'- THE SAVIOR OF THE FALLEN AND FORLORN!' " 'GLORIFYING ME always,striving,firm in faith,prosrating before Me,they worship Me with spontaneous love and devotion,ever steadfast.' (Gita 9.14) Mind takes the cloring of what it GLORIFIES. By glorifying God,godly qualities come to it. Further,mind gets to know more of the field in which it strives. Venturing in Divine Pursuit,it imbibes the Personality of Godhead increasingly. By prosrating before God,one gives oneself over to Him. By worshipping Him with love and devotion,one's individuality gets merged in the Consciousness of His Beloved. Because of these multiple ways of creating attachment and link with the Lord,the devotees are said to be ever steadfast.' Jaya,Jaya Sri Radhey! jayasriradhey 5/14/01 12:11 PM 15 out of 44 Namaste dear sincere seekers of Bhakti-Yoga. This 'pada' from the 'Siddhanta-Madhuri' of 'Prema Rasa Madira' gives the ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS. "sunO mana!yaha vEdana kO sAr," "kahata 'rasO vai saH' yaha vEdana,yA pur kariya vicAr," (1) "rasika zirOmaNi,brahma zyAma binu rasa na pAvu saMsAr," (2) "'upAsate puruSaM' yehi zruti kO,ihai artha ura dhAr," (3) "sakala kAmanA hIna,dIna bani,bhajiyE nanda-kumAr," (4) "taba 'kRpAlu'tum pAvu prEma-rasa,basa gOlOka majhAr." (5) Prema Rasa Acarya is instructing the minds of smart devotees to grasp the essential truths given in the Scriptures. The declaration of Vedas is that- (1) "raso vai saH rasaM hyevAyaM labdvA' 'nandI bhavati" (Taittiriya Upanishad 2.7.2) "According to these Vedic hymns, the Supreme GOD HIMSELF IS BLISS.IT IS ONLY BY REALIZING HIM THAT THE INDIVIDUAL CAN BECOME BLISSFUL." "Ananda vAdhastAt,Ananda upariSTAt,AnandaH purastAt,AnandaH pazcAt,Ananda uttarataH Anando daKSiNataH Ananda evedaM sarvam." (Candogya Upanishad) "THERE IS NOTHING BUT Bliss below Him,above Him,to His east,to His west,to His north,to His south,outside Him and inside Him!" "tameva viditvAti mRtyumeti nAnyaH paMthA vidyate 'yanAya" (Svetasvatara Upanishad 3.8) "Only by KNOWING HIM can the invidual soul overcome material afflictions, and attain happiness. THERE IS NO OTHER WAY! " (2) "Anando brahmeti vyajanAt,AnandAd yeva khalvimAni bhUtAni jAyante, Anandena jAtAni jIvanti,AnandadaM prayantyabhi saMvizaMtIti." (Taittiriya Upanishad 3.6.1.) 'Know that Bliss as Brahman;for Bliss,indeed,all these beings originate;having been born,they are sustained by Bliss;they move ultimately towards and merge in Bliss.' "duHkha trayAghAtAt jijnAsA tadabhighAtake hetau" (Samkhya Darsana) "Freedom from material afflictions is the ULTIMATE AIM of the individual soul. This material suffering or unhappiness is of three kinds- 1.Adhyatmika 2.Adhi bhautika 3,Adhi daivika." "kutrApi ko' 'pi sukhI tadapi duHkha zabalamiti duHkha paKSe niHKSepaMte vivecakAH" (Samkhya Darsana) "THERE IS NO HAPPINESS IN THIS WORLD. If 'happiness' is percieved anywhere,it is ONLY ILLUSION. The reason is that worldly happiness is MOMENTARY,LIMITED,AND PERISHABLE! " "yo vai bhUmA tatsukham" (Chamdogya Upanishad 7.23.1) "TRUE HAPPINESS IS ALWAYS UNLIMITED.It is never of a limited quantity and nothing is beyond it. Once perfect happiness is attained,unhappiness or misery can never overshadow it." "jnA jnau dvAvajA vIzanIzAvajA hyekA bhoktR bhogyArtha yuktA anaMtazcAtmA vizvarUpohy akartAtrayaM yadAviMdate brahmame tat" (Svetasvatara Upanishad 1.1.9) "Every soul is ETERNAL,without a BEGINING." Hence -Gita says- "nAsato vidyate bhAvonAbhAvo vidyate sataH ubhayorapi dRSTo'Mtastvanayostatva darzibhiH" (Gita 2.16) According to this verse of Gita,that which exists can not cease to be. "All individual souls are ETERNAL,IMMORTAL,AND UNBORN." (Gita.2.20) "Izvara aMza jIva avinAzI,cEtan amala sahaja sukha rAzI" -Sri Tulasi Ramayan "mama ivAMzo jivaloke jIvabhUtaH sanAtanAH" (Gita 15.7) "Every individual soul is eternal PART OF BRAHMAN." (contd...) jayasriradhey 5/14/01 12:12 PM 16 out of 44 Since every soul is being an eternal part of God,WHO IS BLISS HIMSELF,desires ONLY HIS BLISS. ONLY BY KNOWING GOD CAN THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL OVERCOME MATERIAL AFFLICTIONS. IT IS ONLY BY REALIZING HIM THAT THE SOUL CAN BECOME ETERNALLY BLISSFUL,THERE IS NO OTHER WAY." Bhagavatam also says- "yatpRthi vyAM vrIhi yavaM hiraNyaM pazavaH striyaH nAlame kasya paryAptam tasmAt tRSNAM parityajet." (Bhagavatam 9.19.13) Similarly in Tulasi Ramayan- "jyo prati lAbha lobha adhikAyI" "Even if a man acquires ALL THE WEALTH AND POSSESSIONS OF THE WORLD with ease,THE DISCEASE OF DESIRE will go on MULTIPLYING!!!" Therefore it is ridiculous to aim for satisfaction of desires through ordinary material objects and subjects." Now Knowing your real nature as a spiritual soul and the sole source of True happiness is in the Supreme Spirit, All Blissful,God, O wise mind ! please develop attachment to the Supreme Lord ,the Connoisseur of Love and Bliss,Sri Krishna! Also remember this- "upAsate puruSaM hy akAmAste zukrametadati vartaMti dhIrAH" (3) (Mundaka Upanishad 3.2.1) "ONE WHO DOES NOT ATTACH MIND TO ANY MATERIAL OBJECT ,EXCEPT TO GOD IN DEVOTION,ATTAINS FREEDOM FROM MAYA." In the Gita Lord says to Arjuna- "vihAya kAmAnyaH sarvAn.......zAMtim adhigacchati" "ONE WHOSE MIND IS NOT ATTACHED TO ANY MATERIAL OBJECT ALONE DESRVES TO ATTAIN SUPREME PEACE." B.R.S. also has given- "anyAbhilASitA zUnyaM ....." "bhukti mukti spRhA yAvat..." "So long as the TWO WITCES IN THE FORM OF BHUKTI ,MATERIAL ENJOYMENT AND MUKTI,LIBERATION,RESIDE IN THE HEART OF THE INDIVIDUAL ,THE GODDESS OF DEVOTION CAN NOT MANIFEST HERSELF." After renouncing all worldly desires including the desire for liberation,O fortunate mind! try to become humble, surrendering yourself to the Lotus Feet of Your Eternal Divine Beloved. (4) Give up your arrogance and pride of philosophical learning,renounce your false prestige of worldly accomplishments too! Sincerely pray to Beloved Lord with all the humility of your distressed heart. Take refuge in Him alone! "tRNAdapi sunIcena tarorapi sahiSNu nA...kIrtanIyaH sadA hariH" "yat karoSi yadaznAsi yajjahosi dadAsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruSva madarpaNam" Lord Krishna asks for - "What ever you do,what ever you eat,whatever sacrifice you perform,whatever you give in charity, DO IT FOR ME ALONE!! YOUR MIND ATTACHED TO ME ,THEN YOUR ACTIONS WILL NOT BIND YOU!" "sva karmaNA tamabhyarcya siddhim vindati mAnavaH" "One WHO WORSHIPS GOD THROUGH LOVING DEVOTIONAL SERVICE,ATTAINS SUPREME PERFECTION." So the path of Bhakti has been unanimously accliamed by all Scriptures. "AloDya sarvazAstrAni vicArya ca punaH punaH idam ekaM suniSpannaM dhyeyo nArAyaNo hariH." (Veda Vyasa-Bhagavatam) "tri satyasya bhaktireva garIyasI,bhaktireva garIyasI." (Narada Bhakti Sutra.) In the concluding verse, (5) Siddha Mahapurusha,Sri Kripaluji promises the surrendered soul, who thus ever engages in His Loving Devotion that Lord Beloved,Nanda Kumar will bestow the ALMS OF HIS CAUSELESS GRACE-PREMA-RASA upon the BLESSED DEVOTEE along with His Eternal Association in Divine Goloka Dhama. "tameva zaraNaM gaccha sarva bhAvena bhArata, tat prasAdAt parAM zAntiM sthAnaM prApsyasi zAzvatam" (Gita 18.62) "O Arjuna,take refuge in Supreme Lord alone,with all your heart,mind and soul! Then you shall attain His Grace. It is through His Divine Grace that you can attain Supreme peace,happiness and Divine Abode." Jaya Sri Radhey! Dear lovers of Lord Krishna, Another song of the Rasik Saint Suradasji,glorifying Prema Bhakti,the Spontaneous Love and attachment to Lord Krishna, from the translation of John S.Hawley. "Shyam is SOLELY the PATRON OF THE POOR. Our Lord is THE ONE WHO FENDS FOR THE WRETCHED, WHO ANSWERS THE NEEDS OF THOSE WHOSE LOVE IS TRUE. Take Vidur:what high-caste status was his? Or the hunchback(Kubja);YET HARI WAS DRAWN TO HER CHARMS. What sort of splendor graced the Pandava house that HE should VOLUNTEER AS ARJUNA'S CHARIOTEER? And what storehouse of wealth did SUDAMA possess? NO,HARI SEEKS GENUINE AFFECTION INSTEAD. SING THEN,says SUR,A SONG TO HIM,THE LORD WHO BURNS AWAY THE TRIALS OF THE LOW. " ********************************** Lord Krishna's friend Uddhavaji returns to Mathura,praising the Prema Bhakti of the Women of Vraja, with a sense of uselessness of all the other sadhanas like the specialzed austerities and subtle Vedic knowledge. This 'pada' is of Saint Sura Das,from the book by John S.Hawley. "MADHAVA,GIVE EAR TO WHAT LOVE IS IN BRAJ. I've studied it now for fully half a year, the milkmaids' WAY OF LIFE, And all the time,Syam,You and Balaram REFUSE TO VACATE THEIR HEARTS. THEIR TEARS ARE A TORRENT OF HOLY OBLATIONS, their windblown saris the cooling WHISK; For OFFERING VESSELS they tender their breasts, their hands bear VOTIVE LOTUSES, AND THEIR LIPS ARE ALIVE WITH HYMNS THAT RECALL THE PLAYFUL DEEDS YOU DISPLAYED THEIR HOMES AND EMOTIONS,THEIR PHYSICAL FRAMES THEY OFFER TO YOUR LOTUSLIKE EYES. SUR SAYS, ONE LOOK AT LOVE LIKE THEIRS AND HOW TASTELESS IT SEEMS TO BE WISE." Jaya Sri Radhey! jayasriradhey 5/22/01 1:11 PM 18 out of 44 Namaste all. I like to share the forwarded message which explains some more aspects of Prema Bhakti - Divine Love. from Sat Sandesh June 2000 The Arrow of Love Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj The love of God has pierced my heart like an arrow. -Guru Ram Das The soul's innate quality is to look for union with God. At first it makes vain efforts to locate God in the games and shows of the world, in various shapes and forms, in sensual gratification or in intellectual pursuits. But it finds not the peace it looks for and turns away in disgust. If our search is earnest, God arranges an encounter with one who has solved this mystery; we arrive at our place of rest and our search ends. Guru Ram Das says this yearning for God is like an arrow of love whose barbed point has entered his heart. It is impossible to pull out such an arrow. Deep is the longing and desire that possess him. This love is a desire that can never be cured. My burning heart yearns for a vision of my Lord, Like the parched man thirsting for water. Guru Ram Das's mind is in great agitation because he cannot see God. Unless a thirsty man is able to quench his thirst, how can he be calm and restful? Wherever he goes, he is always looking for water. Similarly, in his longing for God, even his breathing is fitful. God is love and the soul being of the same essence is also love. Love is inherent in the soul, and it is love's nature to attach itself to something. But we unfortunately are attached to our family, friends, riches, and possessions. And such things perish or change. One day it is bound to happen: Such enjoyments will be over. Guru Arjan says: We love only what our eyes can look upon; How then can we meet that eternal God who remains hidden? Our attachment is fixed on material objects that can be seen, smelled and touched, but these are transitory. How then can we develop love for God who remains unaltered and beyond death? All our sense faculties are turned outward, and we look for pleasure and enjoyment in what we see around us,things of ephemeral duration. The saints declare: Those who seek eternal peace must find refuge in God. God is He who permeates every part of, and extends throughout, the whole creation. He is the one true ground of reality. Saints worship Him alone. They seek to attach humanity to that One and not to themselves. People benefit from their presence and receive a direction. Kabir Sahib says: I am as of nothing- Only the will of God prevails. All saints give praise to God. Struck by the arrow of love, Guru Ram Das says that his heart is lacerated, and only those whose hearts are similarly wounded can sympathize with him in his pain. My Divine Lover has made His bed at the point of a stake; How should I join Him there? He feels irresistibly drawn. Either he should rise up to God, or God should descend to meet him. They should have eyes only for each other. Amir Khusro gives expression to a similar feeling: "Live in my eyes, O God, so that the world may not cast its eyes on You, nor should You see aught else. I should see none other than You, and You also should look on me alone." Kabir Sahib echoes this feeling: In the chamber of my eyes I hold Him; My pupils are His bed, The eyelashes curtain the bedroom- Thus I woo my Beloved. Love of God overwhelms him. (continued..) jayasriradhey 5/22/01 1:11 PM 19 out of 44 Such persons-call them saints, Gurus or great souls-are the overflowing vessels of godly love. Contact with them infects you with love, and you begin to receive the hue of their dye. They act as a leaven, and even if you do not begin to perceive God directly, you enter His sphere of influence and are changed. Without love we cannot draw near God. The branches of religion, the recitation of sacred books and acts of adoration are intended to arouse this feeling. However, if our religious ceremonies and observances are mere acrobatics, our heart remains untouched and the effort is wasted. A hundred years you may worship, And yet your prayers may ring hollow. Unless imbued by love, God's secret is not known. Unless the flame of divine love becomes a conflagration, the secret of God-knowledge is not realized. Love is a raging fire wherein all but the Beloved is consumed. The Koran says that love is a consuming fire-do not seek the world in its flames. When love appears, all else disappears,like sparrows before a hawk. Nothing can put out this fire. Guru Gobind Singh says: Hear ye all, I tell you the truth: God can only be realized by those who love. Mira Bai says that only God or a heart that has suffered love's wound can understand the pain of a lover. I remember that in 1914, due partly to the impressions of my past and partly to favorable circumstances, I reached a stage in which my eyes would spontaneously fill with tears, and those tears would fall copiously on the papers I was working on in the office. My papers would get spoiled. I would ask, "O God, what is happening?" I had been recently transferred to another station, so my people thought I wept because I had been transferred. When the thought of solving the mystery of life takes hold of you, ultimately a solution offers itself. If your conduct in life is pure, you begin to see into things, but I had not yet understood the true nature of death. Once I sat by the bedside of a dying person and wondered: "Something in her is leaving and yet still resides in me. What is it? Why can't I distinguish it? What is it that is working in everyone and yet leaves a dying person?" The dying person called the members of her family and, after seeking forgiveness for any wrong, closed her eyes and was gone. That person left the world while I looked on. "How astonishing!" I thought. We then took the body to the place of cremation. On the way I was opening my eyes wide, looking for that animating force which was everywhere except in the corpse. My friend had died young. I remember that when the body was laid on the pyre, next to it was the burning pyre of an old man. I saw that the young and the old die; death makes no distinction. My heart was deeply affected with the realization that there is no escape from this death for any one of us. I knew I had to solve its mystery. To find the answers I would study books day and night. Some gave conflicting instructions and some quoted the saints' injunction to die while living-all very arcane-without letting one in on the practical aspect. (continued...) jayasriradhey 5/22/01 1:13 PM 20 out of 44 It is a question of analyzing the self, of separating the soul from the body, which you can learn at the feet of a Master who gives you this experience and puts you on the way. Your faculties develop from day to day. This I understood when I reached the lotus feet of the holy Master, Baba Sawan Singh Ji. So, as I described, the longing in my heart made me weep profusely, but the people thought it was all on account of a transfer in my office. The tears we shed so often for the world keep us confined to this side of death,to the dying world. Nobody cries for God. But study the life of the saints-you will find in them this restless burning. Their tears herald the appearance of God, just as clouds are precursors of rain. When a tree puts forth blossoms you have expectation of fruit. Your tears provide the boost towards God; these are the advance party of God's coming. Those of the world have little understanding of this. Guru Ram Das says elsewhere: My Lord and Master, one second without You seems like fifty years. A poet once asked a man of mathematics whether, with all his skill in calculation, he could measure the duration of a single night of separation from the Beloved. The worldly weep for the world at night, and the godly weep all the time for God. He was found only by those who wept. If He could be met through laughter and frolic, Would anyone be without Him? The karmic impressions of previous lives can be washed clean only by tears. Maulana Rumi said that if you want to go on a Haj (pilgrimage to Mecca) you must go by the "waters of the sea, for the road by dry land will never take one there." It is the pearl-like tears you shed which are the waterways for your pilgrimage. . . . Guru Arjan said: O how I long to find one who would unite me with my Lord; For such a one I would sell everything and become his slave. He says he is prepared to enslave himself for life to one who unites him with God. There is no question whether this person belongs to a particular religion or country. If drunkards belonging to different communities can sit together, why cannot seekers of God unite and have mutual love? If there is no love amongst them, it surely is proof that love of God has not touched their hearts and they have failed to realize that there is one and the same God inhabiting all. Love for humanity is the first step in spirituality. Ever since I associated with the saints, No longer was anyone seen as an enemy or a stranger; I have developed love for all. Saints have love for all. They do not advise rejecting your religion. They teach that God is present in every heart regardless of the differences of religion, sect or nationality. "The Satguru is one who unites all."§ Source: spiritualawakenig jayasriradhey 5/30/01 11:05 PM 21 out of 44 Namaste all. I like to share this excerpt on Prapatti in relation to Bhakti Yoga. The Doctrine of Prapaptti The relation between BHAKTI and PRAPATTI was left obscure in Ramanujacarya's teaching, for it immediately formed a subject of bitter division between the two schools which claim to follow his teaching - the Vadagalai (northern school) which used Sanskrit as its medium of teaching and the Tenkalai (southern school), which resorted to the vernacular, thus continuing the tradition of the Alvars. The Northern school reflects more closely the temper of Ramanuja in its conservatism and restraint. PRAPATTI consists in the resolution to submit, to yield (AnukUlyasya saGkalpa); avoidance of opposition (prAtikUlyasya varjanm), a faith that God will protect (rakSsyatIti vizvAzo); the choosing of God as the savior or praying to Him to save (gopRtva varaNam tathA), and sense of helplessness resulting in placing oneself at His disposal (Atma nikSepa) and the consciousness of utter abasement (kArpaNye SadvidhA zaraNAgatiH). Thus there are six constituents of PRAPATTI. In other words Prapatti means self-surrender to God's protection and grace which precludes all kinds of religious obligations on the part of a Prapanna, the surrendered. The essential difference between the two school is brought out by the different illustrations that they give of the connection between God's grace and man's effort in bringing about final deliverance. The illustration given by the former school (Vadagalai) is that of a monkey and her cub (called Monkey doctrine = markaTa kizora nyAya). The idea is that the cub is to hold fast to its mother to be carried to a safe place. The latter school (Tenkalai) uses the illustration of the cat and its kitten, without any effort on its part, and takes it to a place of safety. In the first school the doctrine is that the process of deliverance must begin with an act of a person seeking it. According to the second school, on the other hand, the process begins with God Himself. In keeping with this distinction is the idea of PRAPATTI held by the two schools. The first maintains that Prapatti is one of the ways, not the only way, and that it should be resorted to by the devotee only when it was found impossible to attain the desired result by the other modes. Morover, the found in it essentially an element of human action in that it demanded a distinct effort on the part of the PRAPANNA, resulting from the effect of his sense of submission. The southern school, on the contrary, holds that PRAPATTI was the only way of salvation, that it is a frame of mind which characterizes all those who seek absolution and reject all other ways in favour of this; that it excludes any action on the part of the devotee; action emanating from God alone, and that the sense of yielding was the outcome of Prapatti, not the means of producing it. Those who resort to other ways have not arrived at the right mood which leads to Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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