The Art of Sadhana - Ch. XV, by Srila B. P. Puri Goswami Maharaja

[Jahnava Nitai Das]

ART OF SADHANA - Ch XV

by Srila B. P. Puri Goswami Maharaja

------------------------------

Krsna Talk No. 33

 

THE DISCIPLES MENTALITY

The word diksa refers to the process of surrendering to a spiritual

master. The genuine spiritual master is one who is most dear to the

Supreme Lord, one who is His intimate associate. A person who takes shelter

of such a spiritual master is recognized by Krishna as one of His own.

The Lord immediately bestows a transcendental body on such a surrendered

soul and, in this body, the disciple has the good fortune to serve the

divine form of the Lord.

 

The primary characteristic of a disciple who has received initiation

and direction in the practice of worship from his spiritual master is

visrambha, an honest desire for faithful and loving service to the

spiritual master, the Vaishnavas and the Supreme Lord. The secondary

characteristic is that he seeks to destroy all his sinful activities.

 

The divya-jnana, the transcendental knowledge of sambandha, abhidheya,

and prayojana, is received by the disciple as part of initiation. The

self-revealed scriptures, the Vedas, are the supreme authority (pramana)

on spiritual subject matters. The scripture and the nine prameya

(teachings) based on scripture are collectively called dasa-mula, the ten

basic elements of spiritual knowledge. The nine prameya consist of the

seven aspects of relationships (sambandha)--Krishna Himself, Krishna's

energies, Krishna's divine mood (rasa), the soul, its bondage and its

liberation, and the inconceivable oneness and difference of the Lord and

the individual soul. To these seven are added abhidheya, bhakti, and

prayojana, love of God.

 

Along with all of this knowledge comes an important side effect: the

destruction of one's sinful reactions. Thus the direct result of

initiation is love for Krishna. Mahaprabhu confirms this in the following

statement to His own spiritual master:

 

kiba mantra dile gosani kiba tara bala

japite japite mantra karila pagala

 

"What mantra have you given me, O gurudeva! What powers does it

possess? As I chant this mantra, I feel that it is turning me into a madman."

(Chaitanya Charitamrta 1.7.81)

 

If one does not develop love for Krishna nor feels any attachment to

the chanting of the Holy Names after being initiated, but remains

inclined to sinful activities, falling down from time to time, it is then

clear that either knowingly or unknowingly, that person has committed

terrible offenses to the Lord, the guru or the Vaishnavas. One should then

think: "I have only made a pretense of surrendering myself. I have used

my initiation simply as an excuse to engage in sense gratificatory

activities."

 

IGNORANCE MEANS REJECTING THE LORD

A lack of interest in the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna is the conditioned

soul's chief defect. The basis of all sin is ignorance, whose symptom is

the rejection of Krishna. The seed of all sin, i.e., the tendency to

sin, is present in the flaw of ignorance. From there, sinful activity is

inevitable.

 

Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami compares this deficiency in the

conditioned jivas to coming under the influence of a witch's spell.

 

sei dose maya pisaci danòa kare tare

adhyatmikadi tapa-traya tare jari mare

kama krodhera dasa hana tara lathi khaya

bhramite bhramite jadi sadhu-vaidya paya

tanra upadesa-mantre pisaci palaya

krsna-bhakti paya tabe krsna nikate jaya

 

"For rejecting Krishna, the witch of illusion punishes the jiva,

causing him to suffer the three kinds of misery--adhyatmika, adhibhautika,

and adhidaivika. The unfortunate conditioned soul then becomes the slave

of his desires and his frustrations, suffering their kicks and abuse.

After wandering through the universe in this condition, if he somehow

finds a saintly person to act as an exorcist, then through his powerful

instructions, the witch's mastery is overcome and she runs for her life.

The fortunate individual then finds pure devotion to Krishna and goes

to Him."

(Chaitanya Charitamrta 2.22.13-15)

 

The devotee then turns to Krishna and prays as follows:

 

kamadinam kati na katidha

palita durnidesas

tesam jata mayi na karuna

na trapa nopasantih

utsrjyaitan atha yadupate

sampratam labdha-buddhis

tvam ayatah saranam abhayam

mam niyunksyatma-dasye

 

"I carried out so many evil orders of my wicked masters--lust, anger,

greed, bewilderment, intoxication, and envy--that I have lost count.

Yet, despite my faithful service, these masters have never taken pity on

me. I am so shameless that the faintest desire for devotional service

has never once manifested in my heart. O Lord of the Yadus, today I have

finally come to my senses and I throw off my shackles to take shelter

of Your fearless lotus feet; please engage me in Your personal service."

(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 3.2.25, Chaitanya Charitamrta 2.22.16)

 

PURITY'S CHARACTERISTICS

Pariksit Maharaja made the following significant statement about how

one can recognize purity in a devotee's character: "The person whose self

has been washed clean never abandons Krishna's lotus feet (dhautatma

purusah krsna-pada-mulam na muncati--Srimad Bhagavatam 2.8.6)."

 

Visvanatha further clarifies: "The sign of a pure heart is the

inability to abandon the service to Krishna's lotus feet"

(mat-pada-seva-tyagasamarthyam eva suddha-cittatva-cihnam). If somehow or other one sees

that such a devotee is affected by lust or anger, such incidental

characteristics should be considered like the bite of a snake with broken

teeth; an insignificant setback which does not have long-term effects on the

devotee's devotional life (atah kvacit kama-krodhadi-sattve'pi

utkhata-damstroraga-damsanavat tasyakimcitkaratvam jneyam). There is no poison

in a snake's broken fangs, so its bite is not considered a significant

problem, even though it appears very dangerous to the uninformed

observer. Similarly, lust, anger and greed may cause some disturbance in a

devotee's mind, but do not result in his mind being permanently

contaminated."

 

The Lord accepts the offerings of those devotees of purified mind.

Other than the association of such pure devotees, the jiva has no other

hope of attaining any value of significance in life.

 

One should not think, however, that all one has to do is to sit and

listen to the spiritual master's instructions. One has to act according to

those instructions. If a disciple does not take up the devotional

practices or sadhana recommended by the guru then how can he expect to

achieve spiritual perfection?

 

In the Chaitanya Charitamrta, the Lord says that, on receiving

initiation from the spiritual master, one should worship Krishna and serve the

guru. Then one becomes free from the control of maya and attains

Krishna's lotus feet. (Chaitanya Charitamrta 2.22.25)

 

tate krsna bhaje kare gurura sevana

maya-jala chute paya krsnera carana

 

In his commentary to the above-mentioned verse, Srila Prabhupada

Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura writes: "It is through a combination of

bhajana and service to the spiritual master that one becomes free of

maya's net and attains Krishna's lotus feet."

 

Srila Prabhupada also says, "Our eternal spiritual identity is to be

the dust of the lotus feet of Rupa and Raghunatha." Therefore, we have no

other duty in life than to follow their example. He has further

affirmed, "Without the performance of harinama-sankirtana, no other practices

of Bhakti yoga such as residence in Mathura or association with

devotees are complete. However, even if I only engage in harinama-sankirtana,

I will win all the fruits of residence in Mathura, associating with

devotees, serving the deity in loving faith, and listening to the

Bhagavatam. Simply through harinama-sankirtana, all perfections come to the

jiva."

 

Our spiritual master instructed us to chant 100,000 Names daily without

offense, keeping our objectives clear. If we cannot follow this

instruction, how can we expect to become free of all the contamination in our

hearts? As stated by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the performance of

harinama-sankirtana is glorious in seven ways. It cleans the mirror of the

heart (ceto-darpana-marjanam); it extinguishes the conflagration of

material life (bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam); it distributes the cooling

moon rays of auspiciousness (sreyah-kairava-candrika-vitaranam); it is

the life of transcendental knowledge, which is like its consort

(vidya-vadhu-jivanam), it increases the ocean of divine bliss

(anandambudhi-vardhanam); at every step, it gives a taste of the full ambrosia for which

we have always been anxious (pratipadam purnamrtasvadanam); and it

bathes the entire self in divine ecstasy (sarvatma-snapanam). Mahaprabhu

Himself repeatedly stated that there was no worship superior to the

worship of the Holy Names. "All will attain perfection through the chanting

of the Holy Names. Chant these Names constantly; I give you no other

rules." (Chaitanya Bhagavata 2.23.78)

 

Do we have any hope of attaining the supreme good if we ignore these

instructions of the Lord and the spiritual master?

 

THE SERVANT'S VOW OF SERVICE

The devotee who desires to reach the level of nistha should make the

following vow:

 

"According to the instruction of my spiritual master, I must absolutely

complete chanting a fixed number of Names on my japa beads daily, as

well as daily offer a fixed number of obeisances to the devotees and to

the deity form of the Lord. I absolutely must perform my prescribed

service at certain fixed times of the day. I must observe the fortnightly

Ekadasi fast. Upon rising in the brahma-muhurta period, before dawn, I

shall remember Krishna and His devotees' lotus feet in a particular way,

then bathe. After this, I will sit down and meditate on the mantra into

which my guru has initiated me. Then I will perform puja to the deity,

study the devotional scriptures, and sing the hymns written by the

great authorities. All these things I shall do every day without fail.

 

"I shall never welcome any thoughts other than thoughts of Krishna; I

shall absolutely give up all useless controversy and gossip. Every day,

I shall unfailingly hear the spiritual instructions of my guru and

advanced devotees and then discuss those topics with my godbrothers, rather

than wasting time in fruitless conversations. I will not allow any of

the valuable time given to me in this human form of life to be wasted by

giving way to sloth and laziness. I will therefore not lose a moment to

sleep that is not absolutely necessary for maintaining my body, but

will employ every moment in a way that is spiritually profitable.

 

"I will be very careful to avoid the association of anyone who is

overly attached to material enjoyments, or of the wives of other men, or of

womanizing men. Indeed, I shall avoid the company of anyone who is not

a devotee of Krishna, for it is said:

 

asat-sanga tyaga ei vaisnava acara

stri sangi eka asadhu krsnabhakta ara

 

'The essence of Vaishnava behavior is to give up the association of the

unsaintly. By unsaintly it is meant those who are attached to the

opposite sex and those who are non-devotees.'

(Chaitanya Charitamrta 2.12.195)

 

"Every day without fail I will complete chanting the Maha-mantra

consisting of 16 names and 32 syllables a fixed number of times. Even when

not chanting on my beads, I will constantly repeat these names without

counting. Without completing my japa and chanting my ista-mantra, I will

not even touch water, what to speak of taking food. My spiritual master

who has initiated me with the ista-mantra is my only true friend in

both this world and the next. If I cannot win his pleasure, then all my

spiritual practices are for nought. Through his mercy I can win the mercy

of the Supreme Lord. If I displease him I have no other recourse. If

Krishna is displeased with me, my spiritual master can intervene on my

behalf, but if the spiritual master is angry or dissatisfied with my

actions, then all my spiritual practices are as worthless as oblations of

clarified butter poured on the remains of a fire sacrifice. The service

of my spiritual master's lotus feet is the real treasure of my

spiritual life. Any spiritual practice performed independently of him is

without value. Whatever hearing or chanting I engage in should be done for

the pleasure of my spiritual master alone. I should always meditate on

these words sung by Narottama dasa:

 

sei vrata, sei tapa sei mora mantra japa

sei mora dharama karama

 

'The feet of Sri Rupa Manjari are my real wealth. They are the object

of my vows. They are the goal of my austerities and penances, they are

the goal of my mantra and my japa. They are the purpose of my religious

observances, my every activity.'

(Prarthana 8)

 

"If my guru rebukes or criticizes me, I should take it as a great

fortune. I should remember that whatever spiritual practice I engage in, all

is being done for his pleasure. I should give this consideration pride

of place in my consciousness, remembering Sarvabhauma's words to

Mahaprabhu: ajna gurunam hy avicaraniya: 'The orders of our gurus are never

to be debated.'

(Chaitanya Charitamrta 2.10.145)

 

"I pray that my intelligence never becomes so contaminated that I

criticize the words of my spiritual master. May such a wicked mentality

never manifest in my heart, not even in my dreams. Any arrangement he makes

for me is for my ultimate good. I pray that I never consider him to be

an ordinary mortal by entertaining negative judgements of his words or

actions. I will always remain on my guard against such a disaster.

 

"Because the guru is affectionate towards his disciples, if I approach

him with my doubts, he will lay those doubts to rest with his answers.

May I never forget for even a moment that my spiritual master is the

source of all auspiciousness. The Supreme Lord has taken the form of my

guru in order to give me the mercy of initiation and spiritual teaching.

May I never forget at any time this manifestation of compassion of the

Lord's revealed form as the guru. The duty of the disciple is to always

seek the pleasure of his spiritual master, whose only purpose is to

carry out the orders of the Supreme Lord Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu on this

earth. I should always consider the servants of my guru to be worthy of

my respect. Whoever is dear to my guru is dear to me.

 

"If I can keep on doing my devotional service with this attitude of

unswerving, constant faith in my spiritual master, then through his

satisfaction I will quickly become qualified for all perfections. My

spiritual master has assured me that through the Holy Name I can attain all

perfection, therefore, I will faithfully chant the Holy Names without

committing offenses, while always making a determined effort to strictly

follow his orders. On the strength of the Holy Names in which my guru has

instructed me, I will become eligible for the treasure of raganuga

bhakti and for the great fortune to taste the sweet flavors of the most

elevated spiritual relations, never given prior to the appearance of Sri

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu."

 

THE DEVOTEE'S PRAYER

Sri Guru's mercy is everything--guru-krpa hi kevalam. Therefore one

should pray as follows:

 

"I am most fallen and useless, O Lord. May my spiritual master be

pleased with me. May he give me the spiritual strength to follow his

directions. May all the obstacles in my worship of the Lord be removed so that

at the end of my sojourn in this world, I may sit alone far from the

hustle and bustle of the material world, and with a steady mind, chant

the Holy Names with feeling. May the Lord be merciful and allow me to

give up my last breath in this way. Knowingly or unknowingly I have

committed so many offenses to His lotus feet, and even now I continue to

commit such offenses. O Lord, please forgive all such offenses and give me

a place at Your lotus feet. Make my life complete by allowing me to

associate with those who are dear to You.

 

"For so long I have simply made a pretense of being initiated. In fact,

I have not done that which a surrendered soul should do; I have not

strictly followed my spiritual master's instructions, thus I have not made

even a little advancement in spiritual life. All the contaminations in

my heart prior to initiation are still there today, so how is there any

hope of my attaining the divine realization which is said to be the

real sign of initiation? Like a lump of iron my heart is without feelings.

Even though I chant the Holy Names, it does not melt. Thus I am

thinking,

 

aparadha phale mama citta bhela vajra-sama

tuwa name na labhe vikara

 

"Due to offenses, my heart has become as hard as a thunderbolt.

Therefore no ecstatic transformations take place when I chant your name."

(Bhaktivinoda Thakura)

 

tabe jani tahe aparadha achaye pracura

krsna-nama bija tahe na haya ankura

 

"Thus I know I have committed so many offenses to the Holy Name; for

though I have planted the seed of the Name, no creeper of love has

sprouted."

(Chaitanya Charitamrta 1.8.29)

 

"O gurudeva! Now in the evening of my life, I have become so forlorn

and hopeless. O Lord! O You who see no fault in anyone! Be generous to me

and give me your mercy. Help me to be free of all offenses so I develop

a taste for the Holy Names which you have instructed me to chant. Allow

me to earn the right to be called the genuine servant of your servants.

With your divine vision, you see me perfectly, externally and

internally. You know everything I do; therefore I pray that everything I do--my

behavior, my devotional service--be a source of pleasure to you.

 

"O Lord, forgive all my offenses, whether I have committed them

willingly or unwillingly. Forever give me a place among all your servants, at

your lotus feet, where there is no more lamentation, no more fear, no

more death. Your feet are the only shelter for one like me who has found

no refuge anywhere in this world. Your feet are the source of ultimate

good for one like me who has found no value anywhere else in this

world."

 

bhumau skhalita-padanam

bhumir evavalambanam

tvayi jataparadhanam

tvam eva saranam prabho

 

"Those who trip and fall have only the ground as an aid to again get

up. O Lord, those who commit offenses to You, have no one but You as a

recourse."

 

So, my dear devotees, tread carefully the path of devotion. Always pray

for the mercy of Krishna, the guru, and the vaishnavas. Remember that

progress in devotion depends on progress in humility--that is the art of

sadhana.