Signs of Spiritual Progress !

[Guest guest]

Swami Sivananda has wonderfully explained the sure signs of progress

on the spiritual path. I am presenting them for your benefit

 

Sign of spiritual progress

============================

 

Peace, cheerfulness, contentment, dispassion, fearlessness,

unperturbed state of mind under all conditions indicate that you are

advancing in the spiritual path.

 

Spiritual progress I not measured by siddhis or powers but only by

the depth of your bliss in meditation.

 

These are the sure tests of your spiritual progress.

 

Is your interest in inner spiritual activity and outer sadhna

increasing day after day?

 

Does spiritual life means to your consciousness a matter of great

delight, a delight for transcending , the happiness that the world

of vital pleasures affords you or offers you ?

 

Have your personal awareness come to a possession of a sense of

peace and strength which men who are not aspirants do not find in

their e everyday lives ?

 

Do you feel certain that your power of discrimination and light of

thought have been steadily growing?

 

Is your life being gradually led to such experiences which reveal to

you the operation of a will and intelligence other than your own,

the will and intelligence of the omnipresent lord ?

 

Has there come into the conscious activities of your everyday life,

the active function of a new delightful angle of vision, a new

perspective , a strong sense of self-possession, steadily growing

conviction of your dependence upon and intimate relation with the

all-pervading divinity?

 

If your answers to all these questions or to any one of them are in

the affirmative, be absolutely sure that you are progressing and

progressing fast in the spiritual path.

 

More and more dispassion and discrimination more and more yearning

for liberation, peace, cheerfulness contentment, fearlessness,

unruffled state of mind indicate that you are steadily advancing in

the spiritual path.

 

Spiritual progress is indicated by lustre in the eyes, good smell

from the body, beautiful complexion, sweet, powerful voice, passing

of little urine and excretion wonderful health vigour and vitality,

freedom from diseases laziness and depression, lightness of body,

alertness of mind, powerful digestive fire, eagerness to sit and

meditate for a long time.

 

There will be aversion for worldly company. There will be love for

all beings, feeling that all forms are of the lord. There will be

absence of dislike for any creature, even to those despise and

insult.

 

There will be strength of mind to meet dangers and calamities to

bear insult and injury.

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

The spiritual progress in the practice of Bhakti Yoga (Raganuga

bhakti) as given in 'Bhakti Rasa-amrita Sindhu' by Sri Roopa are -

 

1. Sadhana Bhakti 2. Bhaava Bhakti and 3. Prema Bhakti

 

Of course the Siddha Prema Bhakti again progresses deepening into

Sneha, Mana, Pranaya, Raga, Anuraga, Bhavaavesha, and culmunates in

the Mahaa Bhaava Bhakti.

 

While describing the 'Bhaava Bhakti Lakshana' -

the group of nine special devotional qualities

that make their appearance in a fortunate devotee

who has progressed on to 'Bhaava Bhakti' stage

of Divine Love, is described in this verse:

 

kSAntir avyartha-kAlatvaM viraktir mAna-zUnyatA

AzA-bandhaH samutkaNThA nAma-gAne sadA ruciH |

Asaktis tad-guNAkhyAne prItis tad-vasati-sthale

ity Adayo'nubhAvAH syur jAta-bhAvAGkure jane || BRS 1.3.25-26

 

- bhAva-bhakti-laharI of Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu

 

The devotional progress showing the qualities of one in whom the of

'bhaava bhakti' has made its appearance are the following:

 

forbearance,

not wasting any moment in the

activities unrelated to the Lord,

detachment from worldly enjoyments,

ego-less-ness, devoid of pride, or shame,

firm hope in Lord's unlimited Grace,

longing to meet the Divine Beloved,

joyfully tasting the constant singing of Holy Name,

eager desire for the descriptions of the Lord's attributes,

deep attachment to the places where the Lord resides

and enjoys Divine pastimes.

 

Another useful explanation quoted below of the same verse is found on

the net at: http://www.bvml.org/SBNM/JaivaDharma/

 

" ....When one's heart remains unagitated though there are causes for

agitation, that state is known as kSAnti, forbearance.

Spending all one's time absorbed in devotional practices aloof from

material affairs is known as avyartha-kAlatva.

Natural distaste for sense objects such as material form, taste,

smell, touch and sound is known as virakti.

When one is prideless in spite of one's factual superiority, that is

called mAna-zUnyatA.

The unbreakable expectation of attaining the Lord is called AzA-bandha.

The ardent desire for attaining the supreme object of one's desire is

known as samutkaNThA.

A constant thirst for chanting the Holy Name is known as nAma-gAne

sadA ruciH.

One's natural attachment to describing or (listening to) the Lord's

sweet qualities, pastimes and so on is called Asaktis tad-gunAkhyAne.

 

Desire to reside in the places of the Lord's pastimes such as

Vrindavana or Barsana is called prItis tad-vasati-sthale.

 

When the mere sprout of bhagavad-rati has arisen these symptoms can be

seen in a sadhaka.

 

Although the other symptoms of 'bhaava' such as shedding tears,

standing of bodily hairs, and so on may be seen in a devotee, one

should only presume that he is on the rati stage if these nine special

symptoms are present. ... "

 

----

 

re manda! mandayAkhila-sAdhan vRdAni sAndramAnandam |

vRdAvana bhuvi vRndAraka- vRndAnAM ca durlabhaM vinda ||

 

VMA 7.8

 

Fool, abandon the collective rituals of Vaidhi bhakti and

attain the quintessence of Divine bliss in Vrindavana,

which is even unobtainable for all the heavenly gods.

 

mA kuru karma na yogaM na viSNu-bhajanaM na vA zravaNam |

dhruvamavApsyas parapadaM vRndAraNye yathA tathA tiSThan ||

 

Vrindavana Mahima Amrita 7.9

Sri Prabodhananda Saraswati

 

Do not perform pious acts of Varna-asrama.

Do not practice mystic yoga, neither worship

Lord Vishnu as given in Pancharatra,

nor even hear the glories of His Lordship !

You will certainly attain the Supreme abode

by making your earthly life dwell upon

the glorious land of Sri Vrindavana!

 

Jaya Sri Radhey!

 

 

, beirut_ka_baba <no_reply wrote:

>

> Swami Sivananda has wonderfully explained the sure signs of progress

> on the spiritual path. I am presenting them for your benefit

>

> Sign of spiritual progress

> ============================

>

> Peace, cheerfulness, contentment, dispassion, fearlessness,

> unperturbed state of mind under all conditions indicate that you are

> advancing in the spiritual path.

>

> Spiritual progress I not measured by siddhis or powers but only by

> the depth of your bliss in meditation.