krsna

Our unquestioning service is our glory by Yasomati-stanya Payi dasi Posted on Chakra December 9, 2004 I read Rambhoru prabhu's letter with great interest. I knew her when we lived in the Frankfurt temple in Germany in 1977. The life of a woman in Krishna consciousness is not easy; it is one of austerity. We must submit to the authority and wishes of our husbands. Voluntarily accepting these austerities is what makes us glorious and eligible to enter into heaven (although a devotee has no such desires). We should follow the example of Sita Devi who voluntarily followed her husband to the forest and led a life of extreme hardship.She did this with enthusiasm as she was completely surrendered to Sri Rama. When we can perceive these austerities as a means to spiritual advancement, we can also accept them with enthusiasm. It is the natural propensity for women to desire a nice home, saris, bangles and, of course, children, but as devotees Srila Prabhupada has introduced us to a higher taste. Therefore these material desires become secondary to our desire to serve our husbands in spiritual life. Perhaps Rambhoru can take solace in the fact that she followed her husband in such austere circumstances. Whether his desires are right or wrong is not for us to question, because in our unalloyed service to our husbands we are serving the Supreme Lord. Marriage in Krishna consciousness is not meant for sense gratification, but as a means for the husband and wife to serve Krishna together. This is a woman's glory and a means to spiritual advancement. I offer my humble obeisances to Rambhoru Mataji, a great soul whose service to her husband has not gone in vain, but has elevated her to a glorious position and an inspiration to all wives on the spiritual path

Srila Visvanath Cakravarti Thakura LITERARY WORKS Sri Vraja-Riti-Cintamani Sri Camatkara-Candrika* Sri Prema-Samputa* Sri Gitavali Sri Stavamrita-Lahari – Prayers* Sri Krishna-bhavanamrita-mahakavya* Sri Bhagavatamrita-Kana* Sri Ujjvala-Nilamani-Kiran Sri Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu-bindu* Sri Nikuñja-Keli-Virudavali Sri Sankalpa-Kalpadruma (different from Srila Jiva Goswami book of the same title)* Sri Raga-Vartma-Candrika* Sri Madhurya-Kadambini* Sri Aisvarya-Kadambini (different from Srila Baladeva book of the same title) Sri Sarartha Varsini - Commentary on Srimad Bhagavad Gita Sri Sarartha Darsini - Commentary on Srimad Bhagavatam Sri Subodhini - Commentary on Sri Alankara-Kaustubha Sri Ananda Candrika - Commentary on Sri Ujjvala Nilamani Commentary on Sri Bhakti-Rasamrita-Sindhu Commentary on Sri Dana-Keli-Kaumudi Commentary on Sri Lalita-Madhava-Nataka Commentary on Sri Caitanya Caritamrita (incomplete) Commentary on Sri Brahma-Samhita Commentary on Sri Gopal Tapani Upanishad [The following article appeared in the monthly Bengali magazine "Gaudiya", 18th volume, number 18, dated 8 Pausha, Bengali year 1329 (1922 A.D.). The magazine was founded and editted by His Divine Grace Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura.] Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti The names of all the Vrajvasi Gosvamis who were living during the time of Sri Mahaprabhu are very well known. Later, after their disappearance, the flow of pure devotion for the Lord took shelter of the three famous Prabhus -- Srinivasa Acarya, Thakura Narottama, and Syamananda Parbhu -- and surged on with full force. In the disciplic succession coming from Thakura Narottama, Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura appeared in the fourth position. The story of Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti is more or less know only among the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. They speak of the outstanding excellence of achievement demonstrated by Srila Cakravarti Thakura in his examination of the Srimad Bhagavat and the Bhagavad Gita, as well as his complete understanding of the opinions expressed by the Gosvamis in their own books. Our Thakura is the protector, guardian and acarya of the middle period of Gaudiya Vaisnava dharma's historical developement. Nowadays amongst the Vaisnavas, there is the following saying in relation to Cakravarti Thakura's three most famous books: "kirana bindu kana, e tin niye vaisnava pana" "These three books, Ujjvala-Nilamani-Kirana, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu, and Bhagavatamrta-kana, are taken and used by the Vaisnavas as their wealth." In this connection, we also hear the following verse sung everywhere: visvasya natha-ripo 'sau bhakti-vartma-pradarsanat bhakta-cakre varttitatvat cakravarty akhyaya bhavat "Because he has shown the visva-vasis (residents of the material universe) the path of bhakti, he is called 'Visvanatha'; and because he is situated amongst the cakra (circle) of devotees, he is called 'Cakravarti'." Srila Cakravarti Thakura Defends Sri Narottama's True Position Previously, Srila Narottama Thakura Mahasaya had achieved fame as Rasika-raja, or The King of those devotees who know how to relish the mellows of the topmost madhura-rasa. And he certaintly is that. However, certain persons who are envious of Lord Hari -- who are loyal servants of that energy which compleetely surrounds the fallen souls with strict difficulties -- have dared to attempt to forcibly throw such a wonderful, true rasika as Narottama into their own well of material rasa. Needless to say, they have not been successful. Being unable to understand the purely spiritual activities of Sri Narottama Thakura, many prakrta-sahajiyas had given him the title "Sahajiya-kula-bhusana" (the ornament of the family of cheap imitators). Therefore, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura appeared in tme to check the spread of this concocted sahajiya mentality, and to truly defend the factual spiritual rank of Srila Thakura Mahasaya. Visvanatha's Family Lineage, Birth & Studies Srila Visvanatha took birth in a family of brahmanas found in the Radha-desa area of Nadia District, West Bengal (Radha-sreniya-vipra-kula). According to some, he also used the pen name 'Hari-vallabha'. He had two older brothers named Ramabhadra and Raghunatha, and he stayed in Deva-grama during his childhood. Upon the completion of his studies in vyakarana (Sanskrit grammar), he moved to Saiyadabad-grama Murasidabad District, where he studied the bhakti-sastras (literatures of devotion) in the home of his guru Sri Radha-ramana Cakravarti. This Radha-ramana was the disciple of Sri Krsna-carana Cakravarti, who was in turn the disciple of Sri Ganga-narayana Cakravarti (one of the chief disciples of Thakura Narottama.) Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura later composed Sanskrit prayers describing this disciplic succession --Sri Gurudevastika, Sri Parama-gurudevastika, Sri Pratapara-gurudevastika, and Sri Parama-parat-gurudevastika. All these stotrascan be found, along with many other compositions, in his book named Sri Stavamrta-lahari (Waves of Nectarean Prayers). His Residence in Sri Vraja Mandal By the mercy of his spiritual master, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarty Thakura lived in many different places within Vraja-dhama, and composed various transcendental literatures there. Most of these books are very difficult to find nowadays; however a few of them are well known, and are considered to be the supremely honorable wealth of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. Sometimes Srila Cakravarty Thakura lived at Sri Govardhana, sometimes on the bank of Sri Radha-kunda, sometimes at Sri Yavata and sometimes in Sri Vrindavana within the compound of Sri Gokulananda's temple. His movements here and there are made very clear by the statements found at the end of his books. The Date of His Birth In Attempting to ascertain the time of Cakravarty Thakura, we see that he states at the end of Sri Krsna-Bhavanamrta that this book was completed on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna, 1607 Saka (1685 A.D.). This was the day commemorating the auspicious appearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu on the full moon in February-March. Additionally, in his commentary of the Srimad Bhagavatam named saratha-darsini, we see that this tika was written during the month of Magha, 1626 Saka (1704 A.D.). Therefore, estimating that his time of birth was approximately 1560 Saka (1638 A.D.), and determining his time of death as 1630 Saka (1708 A.D.), we can calculate that he was present in this world for 70 years. His Disciplic Succession Sri Ganga-narayana Cakravarti was a disciple of Srila Narottama Thakura Mahasaya, and a resident of Balucara Gambila (the place of Narottama's disappearance). By the Lords desire, he had no sons; however, he had one daughter named Visnu-priya. Srila Thakura Mahasaya also had a famous disciple known as Sri Rama-krsna Bhattacarya (a Barendra-sreniya-brahmana). The youngest son of this Bhattacarya was named Sri Krsna-carana, who was accepted by Sri Ganga-narayana as his own son (since he had none of his own.) This Krsna-carana is the parama-guru, or grand spiritual master of Srila Cakravarti Thakura. In Visvanatha's Bhagavatam commentary named Sarartha-darsini, at the beginning of the famous Rasa-pancadhyayi (five chapters describing Lord Sri Krsna's rasa-lila dance), we find the following verse: sri rama krsna ganga caran natva gurun uru premnah srila narottama natha sri gauranga prabhum naumi "Having bowed down while absorbed in the most exalted divine love at the feet of all my gurus in disciplic succession -- Sri Radha-ramana Cakravarti, Sri Krsna-carana Cakravarty, Sri Ganga-narayana Cakravarty, Sri Narottama Thakura and Sri Lokanath Gosvami -- I now offer my respectful obeisances unto my Lord Sri Gauranga Mahaprabhu." We understand from this sloka that Sri Radha-ramana's abbreviated name is 'Sri Rama', and that Sri Krsna-carans's abbreviated name is 'Krsna'. The word 'natha' is understood to mean Sri Lokanatha Gosvami. Refuting the Faulty Conclusions of Rupa Kaviraja Srinivasa Acarya's famous daughter, Srimati Hamalata Thakurani, rejected an envious disciple named Sri Rupa Kaviraja from the Viasnava society. This Rupa Kaviraja is counted amongst the sub-branch of the Gaudiya Vaisnava sampradaya known as atibadi. He spread his own concocted philosophy (counter to the Gaudiya tradition) that only a person in the renounced order of life is capable of acting as acarya. He claimed that it was not possible for a householder to become a spiitual master. Fully disregarding the vidhi-marga, or path of devotional rules and regulations, he also tried to preach a philisophical path of raga-marga, or spontaneous devotion, which was completely unregulated and undisciplined. He also preached that smarana (remembrance) was possible without the help of sravana and kirtana (hearing and chanting.) Thus, this Rupa Kaviraja propogated a path which was unavorable to the path shown by the Gosvamis. Therefore, Srila Cakravarti Thakura has refuted all these false conclusions in his sarartha-darshini commentary on the 3rd canto of Srimad bhagavatam. Actually, this refutation is a rendering of the truths outlined in Srila Jiva Gosvami's Bhakti Sandarbha. Refuting the Caste Gosvamis The later descendants of Sri Rupa Kaviraja, as well as the descendants of Sri Nityananda Prabhu's son Sri Virabhadra and the descendants of Sri Advaita Acarya's rejected sons all gave the title "Gosvami" to their disciples, even if they are householders. In preaching his refutation of this bogus practice, Srila Cakravarti Thakura has stated, citing scriptural evidence, that such a title of "Gosvami" is not at all improper for a befitting offspring of an acarya. However, it is highly improper to simply tack the word "Gosvami" onto the ends of names of offspring who are born in unfit families, eventhough descendants of an acarya -- especially when there is a motive of greed for increasing wealth and followers. For this reason, even one conducting the activities of an acarya should never use the title "Gosvami". Srila Cakravarti Thakura maintains that such foolish persons, who are bereft of proper behavior -- are so ignorant that they are not even fit to be seen. The Gaudiya Sampradaya's Conquest at Jaipur During the time of Srila Cakravarti Thakura, the offspring of acaryas were signing the title "Gosvami" next to their own names, thereby displaying their foolish ignorance. Being envious of the Lord and averse to the scriptures, they were very proud to announce the name of their vamsa-parampara (family lineage). At that time, at Sri Govindadeva's temple at Gulta-grama (just outside Jaipur), the acaryas of the Sri Ramanuja-sampradaya issued a challenge against the Gaudiya Vaisnavas. The King of Jaipur consequently invited the most prominent Gaudiya Vaisnavas of Sri Vrindavana to attend. Knowing them to be followers of Srila Rupa Gosvami, he called them to council with the followers of Sri Ramanuja. This happened in 1628 Saka (1706 A.D.), when Srila Cakravarti Thakura was very old (about 68 years). So he consulted his foremost student, Gaudiya Vaishnava Vedantacarya Mahamahopadhyaya Pandit-kula-mukta Sripada Baladeva Vidys-bhusana. Thereafter, Sri Vidya-bhusana left Vrndavana to join the assembly in Jaipur, accompanied by his own student (and disciple of Srila Cakravarti Thakura), Sri Krsnadeva Sarvabhauma. The caste Gosvamis had completely forgotten their own loyalty to the Sri Madhva-sampradaya. Being ignorant of the true facts of the disciplic succession, and being disrespectful to Vaisnava Vedanta, they had fallen into such a degraded condition that Sri Blaldeva Vidya-bhusna was onliged to write a separate commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, according to the philosophy of the Gaudiya -sampradaya. This was done just to refute their false conclusions. Srila Cakravarti Thakura gave his full sanction and approval to this task of counteracting the challenge, which simultaneously resulted in allowing the Gaudiya Vaisnava parampara to continue preaching freely. This event marks the second illustration of Srila Cakravarty Thakura's preaching of the Vaisnava dharma. Specifically, this is a brilliant example of his endeavor to reform the Vaisnava acaryas who happened to be born in impure brahmana families. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura wrote many, many books. The following is a list of as many books as is possible to locate. ****************************** VISVANATHA CAKRAVARTI ORIGINAL BOOKS 1. Sri Krishna-bhavanamrita (Nectar-meditations on Sri Krsna's Daily Sports) 1.347 Sanskrit verses in 20 chapters describing the eight periods of a day in the life of the Divine Couple and Their Friends. 2. Sri Samkalpa Kalpa-druma (The Desire Tree of Resolute Determination) 104 Sanskrit verses of prayer to Sri Radhika for the attainment of specific services rendered to Her during the eight periods of the day in Goloka Vrindavana. Often published as a seperate book, this work is included in Sri Visvanatha's collection of prayers called Stavamrita-lahari. 3. Sri Camatkara-candrika (A Moonbeam of Sheer Astonishment) 226 Sanskrit verses in four chapters of short stories depicting Sri Krsna's mischievious pranks conducted in various disguises: 1) Meeting in the Box, 2) Meeting in the Disguise of Abhimanyu, 3) Meeting in the Disguise of a Female Doctor, 4) Meeting in the Disguise of a Female Singer. 4. Sri Prema-samputa (The Jewel -box of Love) 141 Sanskrit verses narrating the story of Krsna coming before Sri Radha in the disguise of a demigoddess, and Radhika's confidential confessions of the innermost core of Her selfless love for Him. 5. Vraja-riti-cintamani(The Touchstone of Life in Vraja) 234 Sanskrit verses in three chapters describing the holy flora, fauna, hills, lakes, groves, temples, and towns of the eternal realm of Vraja. 6. Gauranga-lilamrta(The Nectar of Sri Gauranga's Daily Pastimes) 11 Sanskrit verses depicting Sri Mahaprabhu's daily pastimes conducted in eight periods of the day; the descriptions of the pastimes in each verse are expanded by the extensive Bengali verses composed by Sri Visvanatha's direct disciple, the poet Krsnadasa. 7. Caitanya-rasayana(The Necta-Tonic of Sri Caitanya) A work that was never finished; the story of it is mentioned in the 13th chapter of Sri Narottama Vilasa by Sri Narahari Cakravarti, the son of Visvanatha's disciple Jagannatha Vipra. 8. Raga-vartma-candrika(A Moonbeam Revealing the Path of Spontaneous Devotion) 22 Sanskrit paragraphs in two chapters of prose and verse which elaborate on the proper behavior and attitudes of one following the path of spontaneous devotional servive. 9. Madhurya-kadambini(A Row of Clouds of Sweetness) Eight "showers of nectar" (chapters) of Sanskrit prose which scientifically analyzes the various stages of advancement that one ascends while on the devotional path. 10. Aisvarya-kadambini(A Row of Clouds of Majesty) A work mentioned by Visvanatha in the second chapter of his Madhurya-kadambibi. It is different from the work by Sri Baladeva Vidya-bhusana of the same name. The book by Visvanatha discusses the philosophy of "Dvaitadvaita-vada"; however no copy of this work has ever been found. 11. Sri Ujjvala-nilamani-kirana (One Ray of Sri Rupa Gosvami's, Ujjvala-nilamani) Sixteen paragraphs of Sanskrit prose, composed as a condensed smmary study of Srila Rupa Gosvami's 1,453-verse work. It is an examination of the psychology of the Divine Couple's relationship with other and with Their girlfriends. 12. Sri Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu-bindhu (A Drop From the Nectar-Ocean of Devotion) 27 Sanskrit notes, composed as a summary of Srila Rupa Gosvami's book Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, which outlines the process of devotional service. 13. Sri Bhagavatamrita-kana (A Speck of Sri Rupa Gosvami's, Laghu-bhagavatamrta) Fifteen Sanskrit notes that sum up the information presented in Sri Rupa's book, which describes Sri Krsna's various incarnations and plenary portions. 14. Sri Gaura-gana-svarupa-tattva-candrika(A Moonbeam Revealing the Truth of the Identity of Gaura's Associates) A book which follows the earlier work of Sri Kavi Karnapura called Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika. It similarly reveals the Vraja-lila identity of various descendants of the Gaudiya-sampradaya), but is updated to include many other personalities that appeared in the sampradaya after Kavi Karnapura's time. 15. Sri Rupa-cintamani (The Touchstone of Gauranga's Bodily Beauty) Sanskrit verses describing the exact locations of the sacred marks found on Lord Caitanya's palms and soles, including those of Sri Nityananda and Sri Advaita. Visvanatha composed another work also called Rupa-cintamani that describes the head-to-toe beauty of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, as well as the marks on the soles of Their lotus feet; this work is included in his collection called Stavamrta-lahari. 16. Sri Ksanada-gita-cintamani (The Touchstone of Songs to be Sung at Night) This is the first anthology of devotional songs written by Gaudiya Vaisnava poets in the Bengali, Sanskrit and Braja-bhuli languages. Visvanatha compiled the writings of 45 authors totalling 309 songs, among which are 51 of his own songs, signed with his other pen name Hari-vallabha. The songs are divided up into groups that are to be sung each night of the month; thus there are 30 divisions -- 15 for the dark fortnight and 15 for the light fortnight. 17. Sri Mantrartha-dipika (A Torchlamp Illuminating the Kama-Gayatri Mantra) Eighteen Sanskrit notes in prose and verse which give detailed explanations of each and every syllable of kama-bija and kama-gayatri mantras. There is also a description of a doubt that Visvanatha had regarding the syllables of the mantra, and how Sri Radhika Herself appeared to him in a dream in order to solve the problem. 18. Sri Stavamrta-lahari (Wave After Wave of Nectarean Prayers) A collection of 28 Sanskrit prayers, astakams, meditations and glorifications. COMMENTARIES : 1. Sarartha-darsini (She Who Reveals the Inner, Essential Purports) on Srimad-bhagavatam 2. Sarartha-varsini(She Who Showers Forth the Hidden Meanings) on Bhagavad-gita 3. Bhakti-sara-pradarsini(She Who Demonstrates the Cream-like Essence of Devotion) on Sri Rupa's Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 4. Ananda-candrika(Moonbeams of Pure Bliss) on Sri Rupa's Ujjvala-nilamani 5.on Sri Rupa's Lalita-madhava-nataka 6.on Sri Rupa's Vidagha-madhava-nataka 7. Mahati(She Who Is Glorious) on Sri Rupa's Dana-keli-kaumudi 8.on Sri Rupa's Hamsa-duta 9. Subhodini (She Who Informs Very Nicely) on Kavikarnapura's Alankara-kaustubha 10.Sukha-varttini(She Who Establishes One in Happiness) on Kavi Karnapura's Ananda-vrindavana-campu 11.on Krsnadasa Kaviraja's Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, which is said to be incomplete. 12.on Narottama dasa Thakur's Prema-bhakti-candrika 13.on Sri Brahma-samhita 14. Bhakta-harsini(She Who Gives Great Joy to the Devotees) on Gopala-tapani-upanisad

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the great white hope the latest incarnation of love and devotion to Krsna.

I have made no one my disciple. Those whom other people call my disciples are in fact my spiritual masters. Associating with someone else means to take something from them. I never take anything from anyone other than what I received from my spiritual master. I take no action without the direction of my spiritual master; I follow no one else's orders. One should take nothing from anyone for one's own benefit. If anyone gives something out of faith and affection for Krishna and the spiritual master, then if one uses that in their service, it will have auspicious results. The secret to entering the kingdom of God is to engage everything in His service without looking on it as an object of personal enjoyment.

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Vaishnava-Dharma Is Very Liberal by Amara dasa Posted December 9, 2004 There are two types of dharma or religion described by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura in his book Jaiva Dharma. One is "naimittika-dharma," or religious practices that are circumstantial and temporary by nature (varnashrama-dharma falls within this category), and the second is "sanatana-dharma" or religious practices that are eternal and based upon the soul. This second type of dharma, known also as "vaishnava-dharma" or "jaiva-dharma," relates directly to the nature of every soul as an eternal servant of Krsna. Many devotees fail to distinguish between these two types of dharma, yet in Vaishnavism we are duty-bound to give precedence to vaishnava-dharma over naimittika-dharma. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura describes naimittika-dharma as follows: "Naimittika-dharma is not direct spiritual practice; rather, it consists of temporary, material activities that are taken up to attain pure spiritual practices. Hence, it is merely the means to an end." (Jaiva Dharma, chap. 3, p. 52) "Naimittika-dharma is commendable because it aims at the truth, but it is eventually meant to be abandoned, and it is mixed with undesirable results; only spiritual reality is truly beneficial. Although the jiva should relinquish matter and its association, materialism is prominent in naimittika-dharma. Moreover, naimittika-dharma produces such an abundance of irrelevant results that the jiva cannot help but get entangled in them." (Jaiva Dharma, p. 53)) Bhaktivinoda Thakura then establishes the superiority of vaishnava-dharma and instructs us how to keep naimittika-dharma in the proper perspective: "Before [the liberated] stage, when the Vaishnava is still materially bound, although spiritually awakened, he only accepts objects and association that are favorable for his spiritual practice, and he rejects all that is unfavorable. Thus, he never adheres blindly to the rules and prohibitions of the sastras. He accepts the instructions and prohibitions of the sastras graciously, but only when they are favorable to his practice of hari-bhajana [vaishnava-dharma]. When they are unfavorable, he immediately rejects them." (Jaiva Dharma, p 54) In this way, we should be careful not to consider the details of naimittika-dharma, such as varnasrama, the smriti-sastras, and the various rules and regulations governing things like marriage, etc., as absolute or equal to sanatana-dharma. Indeed, Bhaktivinoda Thakura warns about the danger of over-emphasizing naimittika-dharma and placing it above vaishnava-dharma. Such a pitfall can be observed in the smarta-brahmanas of India who hold ritual and regulation above all else, often even erecting them as impediments to devotional service or bhakti. Bhaktivinoda Thakura states, as quoted above, that this tendency to consider naimittika-dharma as equal or more important than vaishnava-dharma results in materialism, undesirable results, blindness, and irrelevance. We must always be vigilant against this type of illusion. Having established the superiority of vaishnava-dharma over naimittika-dharma, Bhaktivinoda Thakura then gives a practical example. What is that? Well, as it turns out, itÕs an example of a type of marriage forbidden under ordinary smriti-sastra (naimittika-dharma), but permitted within the liberal bounds of vaishnava-dharmaÑthe remarriage of a sannyasi. Srila Bhaktivinoda states: "Even outcastes can take up vaishnava-dharma and live as grhasthas, although they are not part of varnasrama. Moreover, people who have accepted sannyasa within varnasrama, and have fallen from their position, may later adopt pure bhakti by the influence of sadhu-sanga. Such people can become grhastha-bhaktas, although they are also outside the jurisdiction of varnasrama regulations." (Jaiva Dharma, p.172) For someone who has formally accepted the vows of sannyasa, remarriage is certainly forbidden under the strict varnasrama and smriti systems. Nevertheless, because such an arrangement may be necessary to sustain a person along the path of bhakti, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and our own Srila Prabhupada have accepted such a practice in the spirit of giving precedence to vaishnava-dharma over naimittika-dharma. It is an exception to the rule, but in this instance vaishnava-dharma, or the sustenance of bhakti, is more important than rejecting someone under the plea of ordinary dharma. In other words, the end (vaishnava-dharma) justifies the means, or, as they say, what works best is best. Now, let us apply this same consideration to same-sex marriage. Gay marriage is also taken to be outside of the rigid varnasrama system and the ordinary prescription for married life, but suppose it is found to be the best practical arrangement to sustain a personÕs bhaktiÑsomeone who is exclusively homosexual and unable to follow complete celibacy. Can an exception be made to the general rule in the spirit of encouraging bhakti, as cited above, or should we give more importance to the rigid codes of ordinary dharma? Srila Bhaktivinoda continues: "So we see that there are two kinds of grhastha-bhaktas: one who is part of varnasrama and one who is excluded from varnashrama. Which is superior of these two? Whoever has the most bhakti is superior." (Jaiva Dharma, chap. 7, p. 172) Here we find the essence of vaishnava-dharma. Vaishnava-dharma or devotion to God (bhakti) surpasses all material considerations and arrangements. For example, there may be a grhastha couple that is opposite-sexed (male and female) and married by fire sacrifice in the temple. Despite this, the couple neglects their chanting and Deity worship at home and regularly engages in illicit sex. They often fight and sometimes the husband even beats the wife. On the other hand, there may be a grhastha couple that is same-sexed (homosexual) and outside of the normal varnasrama system, but nevertheless the couple chants regularly and worships the Deity at home with sincere devotion, refraining from illicit sex and working together in the spirit of cooperation and affection. Which of these two is superior? The answer is the same: whoever has the most bhakti is superior. The type of body or specific practical arrangement is immaterial in all cases. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura concludes: "Ah! Vaishnava-dharma is very liberal. All jivas have the right to vaishnava-dharma; that is why it is also known as jaiva-dharma. Even outcastes can take up vaishnava-dharma and live as grhasthas, although they are not part of varnasrama." (Jaiva Dharma, p.172) In these three simple but very sublime statements, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura delivers an excellent summary of Vaishnavism: (1) it is very liberal; (2) everyone has a right to it, and (3) even outcastes who are not part of varnasrama can take it up and live as grhasthas. Why is Vaishnavism so liberal? Vaishnava-dharma or Krsna consciousness is liberal because it places the person (jaiva-dharma) above the ritual (naimittika-dharma). Those who do not do this, who place the ritual above the person, will not be kind-hearted and liberal. Rather, they will be cold, stonehearted, and irrationally conservative like the smarta-brahmanas of old. May Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura always help us to remember and embrace the liberal spirit of vaishnava-dharma! Quotes from 2004 Gaudiya Vedanta edition

We should not make disciples until we have become liberated or a pure devotee. You must first take shelter of a bona fide guru, become a disciple and listen to the topics of Krishna from his mouth. Then you have to put everything you have heard into practice and repeat it to others with humility. After doing this for some time, you must become guru yourself. You should not intentionally remain a "lightweight" for the rest of your days. This is a kind of self-deception. To become guru means to become a genuine devotee, engaging all of your senses in the service of Krishna, at every moment. This does not mean that you absolutely have to make disciples. Even so, if it is God's will, some pure devotees teach Krishna consciousness for the benefit of others. They have no ulterior motive in doing so. Their one and only purpose is to make the light heavy, i.e., to turn those with no interest in Krishna towards him and make everyone into Krishna's devotees.

Harinama: Holy Name of the Lord Based on the Harinama-cintamani by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, chapters 1-2 Karma, jnana and yoga ineffective in Kali-yuga The holy name is both the means and the end The spiritual identity of the holy name Two kinds of the holy name Three levels of chanting The pure name and namabhasa: different results Vyavadhana or 'disruption' causes offense (aparadha) Overcoming namabhasa and attaining prema Only the faithful are eligible to chant the omnipotent holy name Types of prayers Karma, jnana and yoga ineffective in Kali-yuga The Satya-yuga sages who took up the process of meditation were personally purified by Krsna and given the treasure of devotional service. In the Treta-yuga, the same spiritual success crowned those who flawlessly performed opulent sacrifices to satisfy the Lord. In the Dvapara-yuga, He granted devotion to those who adhered to the path of perfect Deity worship. With the advent of the present age, Kali-yuga, Lord Krsna saw the dreadful condition of the jivas (living beings) and relinquished all hope in the processes of karma, jnana and yoga. People in the Kali-yuga are short-lived, always harassed by disease, and are born with a weak body and mind. The observance of varnasrama-dharma and the cultivation of sankhya philosophy, yoga, and empiricism will not yield the strength humanity needs to redeem itself. Indirect devotional paths of jnana and karma are intended to lead one to the shrine of devotional service through either the association of saintly persons during philosophical discussions, or by the ritualistic offering to the Supreme Lord of the results of work performed without desire but in Kali-yuga both paths have become contaminated. Genuine saintly persons, now rarely seen, have been displaced by crass, commercial pseudo-spiritualists. Religious duties are no longer performed for purifying the consciousness but for enjoyment of the material results of the rituals. Therefore these secondary paths are no longer beneficial. The Lord, considering the jivas' welfare, descended in Kali-yuga along with His holy name to propagate the yuga-dharma (the religion of the age). By taking up the yuga-dharma the jiva attains love of Krsna: he has only to remember the Supreme Lord's name (nama-smarana or japa) and chant the Lord's name congregationally (nama-sankirtana). The holy name is both the means and the end The only method or means (sadhana) in this age is the holy name of the Lord. The only goal (sadhya) to be attained in this age is Krsna-prema (love of Krsna). Even in the stage of perfection, the name is not given up but is chanted all the more, for it is intrinsic to the activities of prema. Indeed, the name is not different from the Lord: it is the very embodiment of prema. If the means is the end, then the end and the means never contradict one another. If process is identical to the objective, then it is easy for the jivas to attain the desired goal of life, Krsna-prema. By the mercy of His holy name, Krsna easily delivers the jivas in the age of Kali. The spiritual identity of the holy name Lord Krsna and His holy name are not different; They are the one and same Absolute Truth who is the all-pervading yet supremely independent form of dynamic spirituality (caitanya vigraha), fully cognizant and full of bliss, without beginning or end. Eternally free of material imperfection (nitya mukta), always situated in pure goodness (suddha sattva), the holy name, identical (abhinna) with He who is denoted by the name (the nami, or Krsna), descends to this world as the complete incarnation of the highest sweetness (rasa). Two kinds of the holy name The holy name can be categorized in two types: principal and secondary. By taking shelter of Krsna's principal names, the jiva obtains the real boon of spiritual life. The holy names of the Lord that describe His transcendental pastimes and which contain all of the Lord's spiritual excellences are defined as principal names. They are, for example: Govinda, Gopala, Rama, Sri Nandanandana, Radhanatha, Hari, Yasomati Pranadhana, Madana-Mohana, Syamasundara, Madhava, Gopinatha, Vrajagopala, Raksala, Yadava, and so on. Anyone who chants the names of the Lord that depict His eternal pastimes can attain the Lord's supreme abode. The Vedas address the Lord with names that describe His affiliation with His material energy. These are His secondary names, e.g. Creator, Supersoul, Brahman, maintainer and annihilator of the world, Yajnesvara, Hara, etc. Such names of the Lord are invoked by those pursuing fruitive activities and empirical knowledge. In keeping with the Vedic directions, the chanting of such names of the Lord will result in piety and salvation. However, Krsna-prema, the most perfect result of chanting the holy name of the Lord, is attained only by saintly souls who invoke Krsna's principal names. Three levels of chanting 1. Chanting with offenses (aparadha) 2. Chanting in the clearing stage (namabhasa) 3. Chanting of the pure name (suddha-nama) The pure name and namabhasa: different results If the holy name is chanted just once, though impurely so, or if the sound is simply heard, then the living entity regardless of his high or low caste is immediately liberated. This is the declaration of scripture. And furthermore, when the holy name is chanted in the clearing stage (namabhasa Ä the stage when impurities are swept from the heart of the chanter), then the highest goal is attained after some delay. All other auspicious pious results including liberation can be quite easily achieved in namabhasa, but the attainment of love of Godhead is suspended for a while until the jiva reaches the summit of chanting the pure name or suddha-nama. In namabhasa, sin and unwanted desires in the heart are eventually dissipated; thereafter the devotee chants purely. Suddha-nama offers the devotee the highest spiritual success, love of Krsna. Vyavadhana or 'disruption' causes offense (aparadha) Chanting should be free from any form of disruption because this will result in offenses against the holy name, which in turn pose an insurmountable obstacle on the path to success. Vyavadhana or 'disruption' is of two kinds. The first type is known as varna-vyavadhana or disruption in the syllables. For example, in the Bengali word 'hathikari', 'ha' and the last syllable 'ri' can be put together to form 'Hari', a name of Krsna. But because the syllables 'thi-ka' are inserted in the middle, the repetition of 'hathikari' will not give actual benefit. Yet the Arabic word 'haram' is not perverted by such disruption of the syllables or varna-vyavadhana. The syllables comprising the holy name 'Ram' are uninterrupted; hence, speaking the word 'haram' gives liberation because it is namabhasa. The second type of vyavadhana is called tattva-vyavadhana or disruption of philosophical conclusions. This offense is much more serious. Lord Krsna's name and Lord Krsna Himself are non-different. But someone who is polluted by Mayavadi philosophy imagines them to be separate. Such an offensive conclusion is clearly against all Vedic teachings and will totally destroy one's spiritual life. It is impossible to obtain Krsna-prema from such chanting. In summary, one should understand properly that the holy name is identical to the Lord Himself. The principal names of Krsna should be chanted as suddha-nama, devoid of namabhasa and the aparadha of vyavadhana. The person who takes these considerations to heart and chants suddha-nama even once is considered a Vaisnava. He is to be served with faith and devotion. Overcoming namabhasa and attaining prema Anyone wanting to attain the highest spiritual success of chanting purely must approach a bonafide spiritual master and serve him carefully and sincerely. He must become free from deceit, join Lord Krsna's family of devotees and continuously chant the holy name. He should accept everything favorable for devotional service and at the same time reject unfavorable things. He should seek out the association of devotees and utilize his life in service to the Lord's holy name and the Vaisnavas. He should forgo all other religious practices and pious activities and never worship any other devata. Nor should he think anything to be independent from Krsna. Gradually, as all the anarthas or unwanted desires in the heart are destroyed, the transcendental name of Krsna appears and dances on the tongue of the devotee. The holy name, now nectarean in taste, cannot but be relished by the devotee at every moment. Thus spiritually intoxicated, the devotee always feels like dancing. As the holy name dances, the devotee likewise dances, and at that moment the ecstasy of love of Godhead also enters dancing into the devotee's heart. Then the entire world will dance and maya will flee away. Only the faithful are eligible to chant the omnipotent holy name The Supreme Lord has infused His transcendental name with all of His potencies and offered it to humanity. One who has sufficient faith in Lord Krsna's name is eligible to chant, and only one who chants the name is properly executing the prescribed duties of the human being. He is called an adhikari or possessor of the holy name. The holy name is so potent that chanting does not depend on conditions of time, place, rules, cleanliness, and so on. Pious activities, such as the giving of charity, the performance of sacrifices, the taking of ablutions, or the recitation of Vedic mantras are all regulated by stringent rules. But for the chanting of the holy name, the only prerequisite is faith. One who takes shelter of the holy name with unflinching faith will attain all perfection. -- Types of prayers (from Gaudiya Vaisnava Abhidhana) 1. Samprarthanatmika - direct prayer glorifying the Lord. We have many examples of this type of prayer in Narottama Dasa's Prarthana. 2. Svadhainyabodhika - expressing humility and embarrassment, informing the Lord: I am very fallen. 3. Manah-siksa - examples are Bhajahu Re Mana by Govinda das or Manah-siksa by Raghunatha das Gosvami. In this type of prayer the mind becomes a disciple and we teach it how to deal with the senses and relate to intelligence. We consider the mind a separate entity and tell it: Pull yourself together! Meditate on Krsna! The challenging spirit of intelligence becomes manifest. One function of the intelligence is to challenge the mind. 4. Vilapatmika - statements of supreme lamentation. This may be confusing; we hear the devotees are always happy, so how can a devotee lament? But this kind of lamentation is a type of devotional ecstasy - it draws a devotee closer to Krsna. 5. Vaisnava Mahimaprakasika - revealing the greatness of the Vaisnavas. Krsna doesn't want to be considered separately from the Vaisnavas, therefore we can please Him by glorifying them. 6. Sri-Guru-Vaisnava-vijnapti-rupa - statements of submission and glorification of the Vaisnavas, especially of the guru. The example is Bhaktivinoda Thakura's Ohe! Vaisnava Thakura. 7. Sridhama-vase-lipsatmika - expressing the desire to live in the holy places. There are many prayers of this kind, composed by Prabodhananda Sarasvati, glorifying Sri Vrndavana. In one of them he says: Anyone who desires to leave Vrndavana I consider to be a madman. 8. Sadhaka-dehe-lalasa-sucika - expressing the desire to practice devotional service. 9. Siddha-dehe-lalasamayi - desire to attain siddha-deha and serve Krsna in this spiritual body. 10. Aksepabodhika - lamentation again: extreme grief and sorrow that we have fallen to this material world. We can see that out of the ten types of prayers listed, three express feeling "bad." So these feelings are not useless. They can be incorporated into devotional service. We shouldn't think: First let me become a pure devotee, free from all lamentation, no problems - then I can come before the Lord and offer nice prayers. No. A pure devotee feels his deficiency so he comes before the Lord and prays.

Please Make Me Worthy From Bhakti Tirtha Swami Posted Dec. 10, 2004 Dear Maharajas and Other Devotees, Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to ISKCON founder-acarya Srila Prabhupada! By now you have heard that I had to go back into the hospital. During my stay there, I received two blood transfusions and a series of additional tests. The sonogram and catscans gave us information of what is directly going on with the cancer. The other tests were to find out why I am always extremely tired and having constant breathing problems. I seem to be always gasping for breath, even when I brush my teeth or shave. The foot is still swelling. Actually I am unable to walk due to pain in the foot and the breathing problem. Of course the good thing is that the cancer that was in the liver when I arrived in Mexico has disappeared from doing the alternative treatments. The cancer that was suspected to be in the lungs was also negative from the test results. However, we are now back to the original problem—heavy concentration of melanoma in the foot and nymphs in the groin. Our present plan is for me to get stronger, to build up my immune system in preparation for amputation of the leg, although there is still a 50-percent possibility that the cancer can still spread. However, if I am to stay in this body, then I will have the amputation close to the knee. Of course in these last two days a miracle can happen. At the same time, I am seeing that some miracles have already happened. For example, the cancer did not spread to other parts of the body, and the fact that Srila Prabhupada and Krsna sent so many caring doctors and nurses that went out of their way to assist me. An even greater miracle is the large number of devotees around the world that have been praying for me and sending their love. I am so fortunate: I am constantly feeling the love from the Vaisnava community. I am sure I will still find a way to dance if the operation is successful. I will get a flamboyant prosthesis that will have mystical powers. (smile) My constant mantra now is: "I am blessed by the best and praying to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna that I pass all the tests." Thanks and appreciation from dipika.org to our sponsor and host, I do have a more conditional prayer that is posted in my bathrooms in Maryland and Gita Nagari. I would like to share this prayer with all of you (at the bottom). This prayer is in no way as simple as the prayer I offered to Srila Prabhupada and Krsna asking Them to let me experience whatever I need to experience to become a better servant of Theirs and the Vaisnavas. Yours in service to Srila Prabhupada, With love, B.T. Swami P.S. A couple days ago, I was still thinking that I would simply go to Mayapura and fast to make a quick transition from the body, but I realized this would be imposing my own will on Krsna's plan. With so much suffering from the body, it is easy to get excited with the opportunity to get out of the body. Daily Prayers My dear Lord Syama, please kindly hear my cry. Grant my devotional desires and eliminate my undevotional desires. I am your instrument: please make me worthy enough to serve You in all circumstances. May the Lord, who is known as Maniman, protect my thighs. Protect them from evil, from Maya, and give them protection so that the mind does not allow them to be a source of captivating the opposite sex. May Lord Visnu, who is known as Yajna, protect my legs. Let my legs do only duties that are meant for Your glorification and for the glorification of Srila Prabhupada. Dear Sweet Lord, please direct them in auspicious directions. May Lord Acyuta protect my arms. Use them only for Your divine service and nothing more. Dear Lord, please protect them from all unnecessary and inauspicious activities. May Lord Hayagriva protect my abdomen. Dear Lord let it be used for eating only things offered at Your Lotus Feet and please protect whatever I take into it. Allow me to eat only things that can sustain me to serve You more and serve You better. May Lord Kesava protect my heart. Please Lord, make my heart an eternal dwelling place of the Sweet Love of the Divine Couple. Please make my heart an abode of surrender, humility, dedication, and selflessness. Make my heart grow only in love of Your Supreme Majesty and allow Your pastimes to eternally remain blissful in my heart. May Lord Isvara protect my head. May He only allow me to use my head in working for His glorification. Bless this lowborn head of mine and give me knowledge of how to serve and please You better. May Lord Cakradhara protect my front and may Lord Gadadhara protect my back. More at this time of chaos and problems in the movement. Please dear Lord, kindly protect me from all material influences from any direction. Protect me with Your love and Divine Strength. May Lord Visnu, with His conchshell, protect my left side. May the Supreme Godhead Upendra protect me from above and may Lord Tarksya protect me from below the Earth. May Lord Haladhara protect me from all sides. May Lord Madhusudana, who carries a bow in His hand, protect my eyesight. The eyes are the major object of false gratification—a quick route to hell. Please dear Lord, kindly guide my vision. Protect my eyes from Maya, and please protect them from the scenes that can pollute my mind and make it go crazy. Please put them under Your full protection and divine control. May the Supreme Lord, in His Hrsikesa form, protect all my senses. May He engage all my senses only in service. Protect them from all contamination and entangling pleasures. Let them be used only to please You. Tie them against any material nonsense and release them only when they are to serve You. May Lord Narayana protect my breath. May He encourage me to only use my breath for appreciating things offered at Your Divine Feet. May Lord Yogesvara, in His divine mystic potentiality, protect my mind and intelligence. This is the greatest of all senses. Please dear Lord, control this rascal entity and make it a place where only Your pastimes are being relished and appreciated. Dear Lord, close up all false entrances of my mind. Cleanse it of all inauspicious thoughts and always check any such thoughts, as I am a fool who does not know how auspicious and purifying it is to meditate on Your Divine Form. Dear Lord Krishna, please protect my soul. While sleeping, may Lord Madhava protect me from all dangers and may the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His Nrshma form, protect me from all evils, all danger, all inauspiciousness, and all illusions. Dear Lord, I humbly beg that You daily and eternally hear these, my prayers, and ultimately make me Your useful, dedicated, eternal servant and a devoted son of my beloved Spiritual Master, Om Visnupada Paramahamsa His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada. May His love be my source of inspiration and may I learn to eternally be a humble servant of my beloved spiritual master. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! © dipika.org Dec. 10, 2004

Yes To take all this on board is the start of maturity.

The Treasure of Bhakti by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Obeisance to the most Magnanimous, the Giver of the Love of Krsna, the Own Self of Krsna, the Lord bearing the Name Krsna-Caitanya and possessed of the Form of golden hue! I submit myself to Sri Krsna-Caitanya, that merciful Person of wonderful deeds Who by the nectar of the treasure of His Own Love intoxicated the world, delirious with ignorance, by freeing it from the malady of nescience. Lord Sri Caitanya said: Listen, Rupa, to the charactersitics of the rasa (matured mellowness) of Bhakti. I shall speak in a condensed form, for rasa is not susceptible of elaborate description since rasa can only be understood through insight and deep realisation. The ocean of the mellow of Bhakti is profound and devoid of bounding shores. I shall speak one particle of the same (Bhakti), in order to make you taste it. In this world the number of jivas (souls) is infinite. They form the content of this world by their wanderings birth after birth through 8,400,000 different kinds of physical bodies (human bodies, animals, trees, etc.) The specific nature of the jiva is infinitessimal in magnitude like the hundredth part of the tip of a hair. The jivas are divided into two distinct groups, viz., (1) stationary and (2) moving. The moving jivas are again divided into those who live on the land, in water and in the air. Mankind is a very small part of the total number of jivas that live on the land. Among men are also to be found the Mlechchas (Europeans), Pulindas, Baudhas (Oriental people), Aboriginies, etc. Among those who practice the religion of the Veda (Hindus), one half profess to follow the Veda but in fact only follow with their lips. They commit many sins forbidden by the Veda and do not really care for that religion. Then again, among those who really act in accordance with that religion, most persons are addicted to fruitive activities. They do work (karma) to produce fruit that they can enjoy. It is hardly possible to find even a single seeker of knowledge (jnanin) among 100,000 people working to make good karma. Further, there is hardly even one person who is truly Mukta (liberated) amongst 100,000 people seeking liberation. It is hardly possible to find a single Bhakta (devotee) of Krsna among 100,000 liberated persons. The Bhakta of Krsna is free from all selfish hankerings and is, therefore, of a really peaceful and equipoised disposition (shanta), while those who desire to do work (karma) to create enjoyment, or who desire liberation or mystic powers through yoga, are all discontented (ashanta). It is rarely that any fortunate jiva, in the course of his wanderings in this mundane world, may obtain a chance to come to know Bhakti. That is, it is rare for someone to obtain the seed of the creeper of Bhakti, which is only found by the favour of Guru and Krsna. Bhakti grows like a creeper growing from a tiny seed. By becoming a gardener the jiva sows the seed and splashes the seed with nourishing water, in the form of hearing the Name of Krsna and chanting the Name. The creeper of Bhakti springs to shoot and grows, piercing through this mundane sphere. The growing creeper goes through the stream of Viraja (unmanifest formless state outside this universe), then goes through the illuminated plane of Brahma (white light of Spiritual bliss), until at last the creeper finally attains for herself a home in the soil of the infinite sphere called Paravyoma. The creeper contiues to grow in that Paravyoma atmosphere and reaches the limits of the higher sphere of Goloka-Vrndavana where she climbs and clings to the Purpose-Tree at the Feet of Krsna. Prema (Divine Love), the fruit of the creeper of Bhakti, grows on the creeper only when she attains to the Feet of Krsna. All this time the gardener continues to splash the creeper with the water of hearing and chanting the Holy Name of Krsna. At this stage there is a also a second function towards the creeper, besides watering it. As the creeper begins to grow after being watered for some time, hostile animals make their appearance and tear the leaves, or the tender leaves begin to dry up because of excessive heat, etc. In these circumstances offence against the Vaisnavas (real devotees) is the entity corresponding to the vicious animals. It is such offence against the Vaisnavas that causes all those various sorts of damage, or in other words it is the negligence of the gardener who has failed to erect fences or to devise other protective methods to protect the creeper, and who has not given special care so that there may be no possibility for the creeper to be trampled by the mad elephant of offence to the Vaisnavas. Offence against the Vaisnavas is identical with offence against the Holy Name - it is one of the ten categories of offences against the Holy Name. There is yet another possible disturbance at this stage. As the creeper of Bhakti begins to grow, if there is luxuriant growth of the secondary branches then such growth also does mischief. The secondary branches are desire for enjoyment, longing for liberation, addiction to forbidden conduct, over-attention to small points of conscience, cruelty or slaughter of living things, desire of pecuniary gain and a desire for one's own worldly honour or fame. If special care is not practiced these secondary branches are apt to grow vigorously to the detriment of the principal stem of the creeper, with the result that the main stem is stunted and cannot grow. Therefore, it is the duty of the gardener to prune these secondary branches from the moment of their appearance, while one is busy with the primary task of hearing and chanting. If this is done the principal stem, continuing to grow, attains to Vrndavana the land of Krsna. The fruit of Prema then ripens and drops on the ground. The gardener now tastes its mellow flavour. By the help of the creeper the gardener is also enabled to reach the Purpose-Tree. The gardener can now serve in Vrndavana at the foot of the Purpose-Tree and savor the taste of the luscious juice of the fruit of Love. This Prema is the supreme desideratum, the final fruit of all activity of the soul. The four-fold objects of human endeavor namely dharma (virtue), artha (worldly possession), kama (objects of worldly desire) and moksa (liberation) are as insignificant as a straw lying by the wayside in comparison with Krsna-Prema. The realisation of coveted powers and excellences (siddhis), or of the equable state of overflowing oneness with the bliss of Brahma-realisation (on attainment of complete withdrawal of the mind from all external efforts, as a result of practicing pious activities enjoined in the scriptures), can dazzle the imagination of a man by their glaring features. But these dazzling realisations are only dazzling until the man has savoured the smallest portion of the fragrance of the medicine of Love. Pure Love can subdue even the Lord Himself, and He is the subduer of Madhu, the great demon who is at the core of the pattern of consciousness (yantra) we perceive as the mental state of "intoxication". A person must be free from mundane intoxications which lead him to try to enjoy as a master of siddhis (siddhi-yoga) or the bliss of oneness with unmanifest Brahma (liberation) before Love can appear on the pathways of the heart. Bhakti is declared to be service of the Lord of the senses (God) by means of one's senses. It is free from all physical and mental elements. It is absolutely free from all mundane dirt by reason of its being entirely directed to God -- (Narada Pancaratra) Lord Sri Caitanya contined: As soon as the tidings of My Excellences enter the listener's ear his mind exhibits a constant inseparability from Me which is comparable to the state of a body of pure water of the Ganges on its entry into the ocean. This is the only sure characteristic of devotion which is free from all mundane tendencies. The devoted soul is inseparable from Me. The devotees never accept the gifts of residence in Vaikuntha (the unlimited realm), or the opulence and honour of a form resembling My Majestic Self, or proximity to My Presence, or complete merging in Me. All of these prospective attainments I offer to them, but they do not accept these attainments. They have no desire to have these attainments, and this is so because there is nothing covetable by them save and except My Transcendental Service. This is Devotion that is Pure and Perfect. It is by means of such Devotion that the individual soul attains to unalloyed Love for Me, thereby transcending the limiting potency that is covering over the jiva (soul) with layers of mundane desires and feelings. If the mind harbours the least desire either for mundane enjoyment, or for liberation from the desire for enjoyment, Love for Godhead is not aroused even by the most diligent pursuit of service according to the practices enjoined in the scriptures. So long as the ugly spectre of desire for mundane enjoyment or mundane emancipation continues to haunt the chambers of the heart, how can the bliss of devotion arise therein? This form of Bhakti is fit to be cultured. Being duly cultured it gives rise to Rati (the natural tendency of the soul towards Krsna, or the basic principal of Love). Condensed Rati is Prema. By the process of gradual augmentation Prema becomes Sneha, Mana, Pranaya, Anuraga, Bhava and Mahabhava. A good analogy is furnished by the series of processes in the refining of raw juice of sugarcane. First there is juice, then molasses, raw sugar, residual sugar, refined sugar, white sugar and icing sugar. These are varieties of the basic principle (Sthayibhava) in the operations of the mellow liquid (Rasa) of the Service of Krsna. If the basic principle is conjoined with higher principles known as Vaibhava, Anubhava, Satvika and Vyabhachari then the operations of the liquid mellow of the service of Krsna exhibits the most exquisite nectarean taste. Just as the treatment of curd with sugar, ghee, pepper and camphor produces a most tasty composition. There are five varieties of Rasa corresponding to the different types of devotees. The five varieties of Rasa are Shanta (feeling of peacefulness), Dasya (feeling that "I am a servitor of Krsna"), Sakhya (feeling that "I am a friend of Krsna"), Vatsalya (feeling that "Krsna is a child and I am Krsna's parental guardian") and Madhura (mood that "Krsna is my beloved"). There are also seven secondary types of Rasa known as Hasya (humourous mood), Adbhuta (astonishment), Veera (chivalrous mood), Karuna (compassionate mood), Raudra (angry mood), Bhayanaka (mood of awe and dread) and Vibhasta (ghastliness). The five principal kinds of Rasa are permanent and constantly permeate the mind of the devotee, whereas the seven secondary moods are not constantly present within the mind of the devotee. Shanta-rasa is exemplified by the conduct of the nine yogis called the Yogendras, and also in the case of the yogi Sanaka and his young brothers. Dasya-rasa, the mood of a servitor of Krsna, is seen everywhere in the case of numberless devotees of Krsna. Among the Sakhya-rasa group are the young cowherd boys who are associates of Krsna such as Sridama, as well as Krsna's cousins Bhima, Arjuna, etc. The devotees in the mood of Vatsalya-rasa includes the parents and all the older relatives of Krsna. In Madhura-rasa the principal Bhaktas (devotees) are the Milk-Maids in Vraja and also the Royal Consorts and Laksmis whose great number baffles all calculation. Then again Krsna-Rati is twofold, viz., (1) adulterated with the perception of His Majesty and (2) unalloyed. In the two royal cities of Mathura and Dvaraka and in the Vaikuntha worlds the mood of Divine Majesty predominates. In Gokula-Rati, love for Krsna is in a mood devoid of the consciousness of His Divine Majesty. Love exhibits shyness if the sense of Majesty becomes prominent. It is the distinctive characteristic of unalloyed Gokula-Rati that the Goddess of Devotion directing service in that realm does not pay any mind to the Majesty of Godhead, even if Majesty is manifested to Her. In Shanta-Rasa and Dasya-Rasa the realisation of Divine Majesty on rare occasions serves as a helpful excitant. In Sakhya-rasa and Madhura-Rasa it always acts as a deterrent. Krsna acted in a formal role when he met his parents Vasudeva and Devaki and he bowed down and greeted their feet. The realisation of Divine Majesty filled the minds of both His parents with astonishment (one of the secondary Rasas - Adbhuta). Arjuna was terrified on beholding the Cosmic Form of Krsna. He craved His forgiveness for his arrogance in behaving as His chum. Rukmini was overwhelmed with fear when Krsna told her jokingly that He would leave her. But the Source of Unalloyed Love knows nothing of Divine Majesty. If She meets with any exhibition of Majesty, She simply ignores all relationship on Her part with such Entity. In Shanta-Rasa there is found exclusive attachment to Krsna due to the realisation of one's spiritual nature. Krsna Himself says, "Equinamity (Sama) results from the inclination of constant attachment to Me". The specific effect of Shanta-Rasa is noticeable in this, that the Shanta-devotee discards every other longing except for Krsna. Hence no one can have real equanimity of disposition except the devotee of Krsna. The devotee of Krsna regards paradise and liberation as hell. The two characteristics of the Shanta-devotee are constant attachment to Krsna and renunciation of all other longing. These two characteristics permeate all the devotees of Krsna just as sound permeates and penetrates all mundane elements. It is the nature of the Shanta-devotee to be devoid of any personal tie of love with Krsna. In the heart of the peaceful Shanta-devotee, the realisation of Krsna as the Supremely Great Being (Para-Brahma) and the Supreme Soul (Paramatman) is strong. In Shanta-Rasa there is only the realisation of the spiritual nature of one's relationship with Krsna; whereas in Dasya-Rasa there is the greater realisation of the Nature of Krsna as the Master possessing Full Divine Majesty. In Dasya (service of the Master) mood there is exuberance of the realisation of God as the Possessor of controlling power and great dignity. The servitor by his humble ministration gives constant pleasure to Krsna. In Dasya (servitor mood) there are the two characteristics of Shanta with the further addition of the specific activity of servitude. Therefore, Dasya possesses this two-fold quality. In Sakhya (friendship) there are the qualities of both Santa and Dasya, but whereas in the Dasya mood the servitude is full of the sense of inferiority and high respect for Krsna, in Sakhya (friendship) it is characterised by full confidence. The chums of Krsna climb to His shoulders, make Him climb theirs, engage in the sport of wrestling with Him, serve Krsna and make Krsna serve them in His turn. Sakhya is marked by the predominance of confidential relations devoid of the sense of respect and of one's inferiority to Him. Hence Sakhya-Rasa possesses the three-fold quality. There is a greater measure of the personal sentiment, a sense of regarding Krsna as one's own. It is this last trait that makes Godhead submit to Sakhya-Rasa, as for instance when Krsna agreed to drive the chariot of His cousin Arjuna when Arjuna was fighting on the battlefield at Kurukshetra. In Vatsalya-Rasa (Parental mood of Devotion) there are the qualities of Shanta and the ministration of Dasya. There are also the qualities of Sakhya consisting of the absence of restraint, and of awe and respect, as well as an absence of fear of punishment and scolding — which is due to the sentiment of kinship. Additionally, there are the activities bearing the designation of "tending" (palana). There is the sentiment of regarding oneself as the guardian of Krsna, Who is regarded as the Ward. By this fourfold characteristic Vatsalya-Rasa is as delicious as nectar. Krsna Himself is immersed in that nectarean bliss in the company of His devotee. Those jnanins (meditators) such as Suka, Sanaka and Sanatan who are aware of the Nature of Krsna as Divinity possessed of controlling Power, declare that Krsna also possesses the quality of subservience to His devotee. In Madhura-Rasa there is constant attachment to Krsna, extreme servitude, the absence of diffidence of the chum, the increased sentiment for Krsna that is felt when one is tending one's Child, and finally serving Krsna by means of one's own body as Consort. Hence Madhura-Rasa exhibits five distinct qualities. An analogy is supplied by the case of the five mundane elements (space, air, fire, water, earth). The quality of each element commencing with space (akasha) is carried to the next in the series and added to its own distinctive quality till the last of the elements, viz., the earth, is generated and seen to be possessing the distinctive qualities of the preceding four elements in addition to its own specific qualities. In the same manner, all the Bhavas combine in Madhura. For this reason, Madhura-Rasa has greater tastefulness which makes it so exquisitely delicious. The Lord said to Sri Rupa Goswami that He had given him the mere outline of Bhakti-Rasa. Sri Caitanya advised Sri Rupa Goswami to ponder this and to amplify and expand upon it in his writings. It is by the practice of constant meditation that Krsna manifests Himself to the heart. By the Grace of Krsna even an ignorant person is enabled to realise the nature of the Ocean of Rasa.

Yes ,it is called transcendental consciousness above and beyond the stretch of material nature. The Guru is not like us conditioned souls, who ARE put and locked into a CONDITION not of our own making. The Prison house is put up by the state, similarly this Durga fort of Maya is put up by Krsna via His agents and viceroys who do a darn good job of keeping us imprisoned ..UNLESS and UNTIL we learn to SURRENDER. An unpalatable word for us conditioned souls:SURRENDER. Try chanting that word to yourself a few times and you'll see what I mean. "Why the hell should I surrender? And to who ?" And yet,if we look at things on a deeper and subtle level we are all FULLY surrendered to the modes of material nature.Yes? Hare Krsna

Nehru's View of Religion http://www.ptinews.com/pti/ptisite.nsf/$all/ D7C855BF82BC465965256F65001E25A9 NEW DELHI, INDIA, December 9, 2004: ( We include this article to help people understand why India has had an anti-Hindu tendency since Independence. The country's first prime minister, Nehru, held a Marxist attitude toward religion.) Jawaharlal Nehru had a word of caution for those mixing religion with politics: it is a kind of self-intoxication which dulls the mind and prevents clear thinking. "I do not take to religion; I resent its ways and outlook. I see no escape from any conflict of the mind in that fashion. Nor do I approve of allowing my mind to sink into a sentimental morass, which is soothing no doubt and often helps in a small way, but which is not good enough," says Nehru, in a letter written on May 22, 1944, from Ahmadnagar fort to his sister, Vijayalakshmi Pandit. "It is a kind of self-intoxication which dulls the mind and prevents clear thinking. It is indeed the sentimentalism and emotionalism about religion which I dislike; I do not mind the philosophic aspect of it," he says. Nehru saw religion overladen with this sickly sentimentality and spurious emotion. "The relief it gives may be compared to the relief obtained from some intoxicating drug or alcoholic drink," he says in the letter, published in a new book, "Nehru's letters to his sister before freedom (1909-1947)." "Most people find some adjustment, consciously or unconsciously, in religion and the ways and practice of some kind of religion, added on to life's daily tasks," writes Nehru but adds "that is hardly an adjustment of thought and action; it is a kind of surrender, or so I think, and thus a way of escape from the problem."

Path of Perfection, Srila Prabhupada touched on this point: It is only by faith that one can advance in Krishna consciousness. As far as the development of faith is concerned, one who is well versed in the literatures of devotional service and has attained the stage of firm faith is called a first-class person in Krishna consciousness. And in the second class are those who are not very advanced in understanding the devotional scriptures but who automatically have firm faith that Krishna-bhakti, or service to Krishna, is the best course and so in good faith have taken it up. Thus they are superior to the third class, who have neither perfect knowledge of the scriptures nor good faith but by association and simplicity are trying to follow. The third-class person in Krishna consciousness may fall down, but when one is in the second class or first class, he does not fall down. One in the first class will surely make progress and achieve the result at the end.

Arjuna is here playing everyman. Duty is calling us and we must all perform it .No ecape.No qitting. No way. Krsna wants to hear from you and me , "O.K., I'll fight !" /images/graemlins/smile.gif

The road to auspiciousness begins with taking shelter of a bona fide spiritual master. In accordance with God's plan, everyone on this earth finds a teacher that meets his or her particular needs and qualifications. Thus the Christians have their Jesus and the Muslims their Mohammed. Some less fortunate individuals think that some materialist individual with formal traditional ties to the family is their guru, with the result that they become embroiled in householder life themselves. If we are fortunate, if we truly seek out a genuine guru with complete sincerity and persistence, and if we pray feelingly to the Lord to encounter such a spiritual master, then the Lord will surely lead us in this lifetime to a genuine guru, by taking shelter of whom we will be able to attain the greatest blessings. brahmANDa bhramite kona bhAgyavAn jIva guru-kRSNa-prasAde pAya bhakti-latA-bIja In the course of wandering through Brahma's universal creation, some fortunate soul may receive the seed of the creeper of devotion. This happens by the grace of the guru and Krishna. (Chaitanya Charitamrita, 2.19.151) kRSNa jadi kRpA karena kono bhAgyavAne guru-antaryAmI-rUpe zikhAya Apane If Krishna is merciful to a particularly fortunate soul, then he comes himself to teach him, either externally as the spiritual master or from within as the Supersoul. (CC 2.22.47) guru kRSNa-rUpa hana zAstrera pramANe guru-rUpe kRSNa kRpA karena bhakta-gaNe According to the revealed scriptures, the spiritual master is the manifestation of Krishna. Krishna comes in the form of the guru to show His mercy to the devotees. (CC 1.1.45) yadyapi AmAra guru caitanyera dAsa tathApi jAniye Ami tAGhAra prakAza Even though my spiritual master is the servant of Lord Chaitanya, I know that he is a direct manifestation of the Lord. (CC 1.1.44) jIve sAkSAt nAhi tAte guru caittya-rUpe zikSA-guru haya kRSNa mahAnta-svarUpe Since one cannot directly experience the guru as the Supersoul, Krishna appears as the siksha guru in the form of a highly advanced Vaishnava. (CC 1.1.58) "O my beloved Krishna! Please be kind and accept me as your servant. For all my life I have thought of myself as the master of my house and the enjoyer of the fruits of my work, but I shall give all this up for you." When a jiva sincerely prays to Krishna in this way, then Krishna appears to him in the form of the Mahanta Guru. Without receiving transcendental knowledge from a bona fide spiritual master, no one gains the eligibility to serve Krishna. Neither god nor human can give such transcendental knowledge. This is why we have such a great need for a genuine spiritual master.

Srila Prabhupada's Nectar of Devotion, Introduction : “When we speak of “Krishna” we refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, along with His many expansions. He is expanded by His plenary parts and parcels, His differentiated parts and parcels and His different energies. “Krishna,” in other words, means everything and includes everything. Generally, however, we should understand “Krishna” to mean Krishna and His personal expansions. These are described in the Srimad-Bhagavatam to be as numerous as the uncountable waves. So Krishna includes all such expansions, as well as His pure devotees. In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that Krishna’s expansions are all complete in eternity, blissfulness and cognizance."

One has to be devoted to the spiritual master in the same way one is devoted to Krishna. One should think of the spiritual master in the same way that one thinks of Krishna, for he is in no way less than or inferior to Krishna. It is the duty of a pious person to recognize the spiritual master as equal to Krishna and to worship him and serve him in that way. If one does not do so, then is destituted of his status as a disciple. Those who see the guru and Krishna as the same will be able to understand the essence of the scriptures. They alone will be able to chant the Holy Names and they alone will be able to speak on Krishna. Sri Krishna himself has descended in the form of the spiritual master in order to teach service to himself. Those on whom fortune smiles will be able to understand this spotless scriptural truth. If not, their doubting minds will plunge them into the ocean of samsara. The spiritual master is neither the ultimate object of devotion, viSaya-vigraha, nor the original reservoir of devotion, Azraya-vigraha. He is a manifestation or prakAza-vigraha of the original reservoir of devotion. Sri Krishna is the supreme object of all love, whereas the guru is the reservoir of divine love. Krishna is the predominating absolute, the bhoktA bhagavAn, while the guru is the predominated absolute, or sevaka-bhagavAn; he is God as worshiper or servant. Even though the spiritual master is the reservoir of love, he is Krishna himself; at the same time he is the most beloved of Krishna. This is the inconceivable paradox of guru tattva. Krishna is the complete omnipotent and the spiritual master is his complete potency. The spiritual master is not an ordinary living entity, he is master of all living entities. The spiritual master is the supreme consciousness, the plenary manifestation of the Lord's potency, his internal potency. We ordinary jivas on the other hand are atomic particles of consciousness, Krishna's marginal potency and separated parts. -- Wow ! Here Srila Bhaktisiddhanta is clear who is the spiritual master exactly, no jiva soul can ever occupy the post of spiritual master: <font color="red">"The spiritual master is not an ordinary living entity, he is master of all living entities. The spiritual master is the supreme consciousness, the plenary manifestation of the Lord's potency, his internal potency. We ordinary jivas on the other hand are atomic particles of consciousness, Krishna's marginal potency and separated parts." </font color>

BY SRILA BHAKTI PROMODE PURI GOSVAMI MAHARAJA Part 9 of "Essence of Pure Devotion" Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja has written: Sri Vrajanandana Sri Krishna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead above Lord Visnu. He is the complete resplendent form of ultimate existence, knowledge and supreme bliss being absolutely independent. He is the complete whole in respect to all His features. He manifests His sweet pastimes in Vraja in His original form. The devotees understand Him as the Supreme Absolute Truth and His name, form, qualities and pastimes are all transcendental. These transcendental features of the Lord are above the three modes of material nature and to call this form of the Lord as material is a great offense to the lotus feet of the Lord. Differentiation of the Lord or duality is an illusion The Lord's form is non-different from Him otherwise in contemplating that the Lord's form is illusion would mean duality which is ignorance. Lord Krishna Himself, His original incarnations (Vilasa) pastimes expansions are all transcendental and are seen in the light of non-dual truth. To the question of Saunaka Rsi, as to the essence of all scriptures, Suta Goswami replies: (SB 1/2/11) vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvam yaj jnanam advayam brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate The learned call the essence of truth as non-dual. The one absolute truth is known in three different aspects, firstly as Brahman (or effulgence); secondly as the Supersoul in the heart and thirdly as Bhagavan or the Supreme Lord Himself. The Pundits (jnanis) reject all association with material nature as false or non-existent and identify the truth as the formless effulgence of the Lord called Brahman. The yogis however, with their one-pointed minds, locate Him, the Supreme Truth, as the form of the Supersoul in the heart devoid of any pastimes. The devotees view te Supreme Lord in His complete feature of knowledge, existence and bliss and exulting in unique loving pastimes with His associates. Amongst the devotees of the Supreme Lord, the confidential devotees of Lord Krishna who taste the sweetness of loving pastimes in Vraja stand 0out as most superior in preference to those who loving moods of servitorship are tinged with awe and reverence. In this context, just as one very far away can only perceive the effulgence of the sun, similarly the learned pundits, not being able to behold the attractive form of Lord Syamasundar, are able to perceive only the shining effulgence emanating form the Supreme Lord. The yogis understand the form of the all pervading Lord as present in the hearts of the innumerable living entities and as the Supersoul in the heart. The devotees, by following the process of devotional service, are able to see the Lord's forming truth and amongst such devotees, those in the spontaneous loving moods, free from awe and reverence, can only be so fortunate visualize the pure, transcendental form of Sri Krishna. ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu bhagavan svayam indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge Sri Rama, Lord Nrshimadeva, etc, are part of the incarnations of Vishnu or part of the part but Lord Sri Krishna is the original Supreme Lord. He incarnates from age to age to rescue the demigods like Lord Indra from the oppression of the demons. As in C. Charimtamrta Adi (2/89/0), the one candle which originally lights all the other candles, has the characteristic of being the original candle. Similarly, in this way Lord Sri Krishna is the fundamental original persons and all are His expansions. In Gita too (14/21) the Supreme Lord says He is the basis for Brahman which is under His shelter. In Gita (10/42) atha va bahunaitena kim jnatena tavarjuna vistabhyaham idam krtsnam, ekamsena sthito jagat In this verse, it mentions the Supreme Lord is existing in one part as the Supersoul in the heart of all living entities which is meditated upon by the yogis. He is also celebrated as the Supreme Person (Purusottama) in His original form. The Kapila deva who founded the atheistic philosophy refers to creation as the ordinary combination of masculine and feminine gender. In Gita (9/10), the Supreme Lord informs Arjuna that the material nature is always subordinate to Him and is one of His multifarious energies. But at the same time under His direction material nature is able to produce the living and non living entities. The Lord is in the form of purified goodness, being transcendental and has no direct connection with material nature. Maha-Vishnu lying the Causal Ocean from far away casts a glance on material nature by which the material nature becomes agitated to produce this world of living and non-living things. Thus the mere glance of the Supreme Lord is sufficient to create this universe. The primary cause of this creation is the Supreme Lord Krishna while the secondary cause is the material nature. As the nipples of the neck of the goat cannot give milk, similarly, without the energy of the Lord Krishna, the material nature cannot produce or create living entities. In the construction of an ornamented pot, earth is one of the ingredients, the potter is the direct cause or maker and his tools which include the potter's wheel are the secondary cause of the creation of the pot. In this way, Sri Krishna in the form of Maha-Vishnu is the main reason for creation of the universe and His implements of creation namely, time and His energies are the secondary causes. Nevertheless, the act of creation was done from very far away by Maha-Vishnu, with faint resemblance of contact by limb i.e. in this case by His direct penetrating glance. In the conversation of Sri Kapiladeva and Devahuti (3/26/19), and also between Sri Vidura and Maitreya (3/5/26), two verses are significant:- daivat ksubhita-dharminyam svasyam, yonau parah puman adhatta viryam sasuta mahat-tattvam hiranmayam The Supreme Person injects His vital fluid into the agitated material energy and from the inert material nature, the Maha-tattva was born. kala-vrttya tu mayayam guna-mayyam adhoksajah purusenatma-bhutena viryam adhatta viryavan The partial expansion of Lord Maha-Vishnu, injected the living entities with His transcendental potencies in the aggrieved restless condition of material nature, by the influence of time. In the form of Maha-Vishnu, His only contact with material nature is His sweet will by which the innumerable tiny spiritual sparks are injected into material nature. Firstly, the inert initial condition of nature is called pradhana and by the glance of the Lord, the mahat-tattva is formed form the static material nature after which this Mahat-tattva when impelled by time, gives rise to three kinds of false-ego as in the modes of Goodness, Passion and ignorance respectively. The living entities, originally of spiritual constitution, become embedded in the mahat-tattva whose predominating Deity is Vasudeva. The transformation of this mahat-tattva, by the false-ego in the mode of Goodness, gives rise to the mind and the presiding Deities or demigods, the predominating Deity of this mahat-tattva, by the false-ego in the mode of Passion, develops into intelligence and the subtle senses. The Deity for this mode is Pradyumna. The transformation of the mahat-tattva in the mode of ignorance gives rise to the five elements and the tan-mantras (sound, touch, sight). The predominating Deity for this mode is Sankarshana.

The genuine guru does not make anyone his disciple. Rather, he makes everyone his guru by turning those who have no interest in Krishna into devotees. He tries to give Krishna pleasure by engaging everyone in his service. The guru's vision is that everything has importance; thus his every action is an act of devotion. The spiritual master sees the guru everywhere and everything related to Krishna. For him nothing is insignificant; nothing is seen as an object of the senses. He does not see this world as a mundane creation. The guru's work is a lot like that of a medical professor in the university: he is not making students, but doctors. Similarly, the guru is making other gurus. If the Vaishnavas do not play the role of spiritual master, then the transcendental family of Vaishnavas will dwindle and disappear. The problem is that as soon as one becomes guru, he ceases to be a Vaishnava. Therefore it is not proper to act as guru if one is not qualified. This means only inauspicious results for the disciple and falldown for the guru. The spiritual master does not identify himself as a guru, for his inner identification as a servant of God is too powerful. If the spiritual master thinks of himself as guru, then the first vowel of his name changes and he becomes goru-a cow. The genuine guru is engaged twenty-four hours a day in Lord Krishna's service. He acknowledges no duty other than serving Krishna. Thus the only person who is qualified to do the work of a guru is the devotee who is completely committed to his own spiritual master and has made service to him his life.

The Supreme Lord acts as guru in two ways: within as the Chaittya Guru in the heart and without as the Mahanta Guru, or pure devotee. If I am sincere, then the Lord reveals the Mahanta Guru to me. We can go to a thousand different people with a petition in hand, but until the one person who can approve our application approves it, we get nowhere. The Supreme Lord is that person. Why he does or does not approve our request is something we cannot fathom. He is not a field laborer working in our personal garden. We have to be patient and wait. In the meantime, we should prepare ourselves by cultivating a service attitude and trying to eliminate other, extraneous desires. If we pray sincerely for the Lord's blessing, then he will graciously bless us. Through his grace we will find a bona fide spiritual master. kRSNa jadi kRpA karen kono bhAgyavAne guru-antaryAmi-rUpe zikhAya Apane When Krishna decides to be kind to some fortunate soul, then he personally directs that person from within as the Supersoul and from without as the spiritual master. (CC 2.22.47)

con't... Only a devotee of the Lord who is fixed in the activities of devotional service and preaching the message of the Lord can be considered an acharya. The acharya is free and independent. He sets the perfect example of completely abandoning the company of the impious and always engaged in hearing and speaking about Krishna. One who preaches to others fearlessly and without any constraint, inducing them to similarly give up bad association, is the acharya.