Wednesday 7 November 2012

Are we really on the spiritual platform, or somewhere else??

Hare Krsna to all
Pranams
All glories to Srila Prabhupada who is  forcing open our eyes with the lamp of transcendental
knowledge.
Below is a very short excerpt from two  lectures which very clearly explain the process of bhakti yoga
beginning with  the 3rd class  or materialistic bhakta employing sravanam kirtanam and arcana seva–then  on to Madhyama or 2nd class bhakta.
These things are important to  hear for one who is somewhat serious about coming at least to the  actual spiritual platform.
Hare Krsna,
Damaghosa das
—————— ———–———————————————–
….751027SB.NAI                   Lectures                 
devotional service, especially this sravanam, kirtanam  and arcanam,
arcanam, worshiping the Deity, and sravanam kirtanam.  Even if you
follow one, that is sufficient, but there are nine  different
processes. As far as possible, we shall execute  everything, and, at
least, sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam  pada-sevanam, arcanam. Arcana
is very important. For kanistha-adhikari,  devotee in the lower  stage,
arcana is very, very important.
( let us take a little diversion for a moment,  and see what Srila Prabhupada has to say about
the 3rd class devotee…. kanistha  adhikari…. )
770214r2.may                                             Prabhupada: Kanistha-adhikarimeans he must be a  brahmana. That is kanistha-adhikari. The spiritual life,  kanistha-adhikari, means he must be a qualified  brahmana. That is kanistha. What is esteemed as very high  position in the material world, brahmana, that  is kanistha-adhikari.
                           arcayam eva  haraye                         pujam yah  sraddhayehate                         na tad-bhaktesu  canyesu                        sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah
   The brahmana means from the material stage gradually he is elevated to the spiritual  stage. And below the brahmana there is no question  of Vaisnava.

( So for those of us who are wearing the brahmana  thread or who have been given gayatri mantra, this is not a cheap title, it has to be earned. And  we may wonder why tears do not
appear in our eyes while hearing or chanting??Ok, now  back to the original lecture….. )

Although the devotee in the higher stage, he also offers worship, but Krsna is everywhere.  For a neophyte devotee Just like some  people say that “Why you should go to the
temple? Krsna is everywhere.” Who was asking that  question? “Krsna
cannot be served…” Here, last night. I think those  girls, svarna(?)
girls. Krsna is everywhere, that is a fact, but that is  for the
paramhamsa, one who is very very advanced. For the  kanistha-adhikari,
he cannot He, like parrot, he can say, “Krsna is everywhere.” He must
be educated, “Here is Krsna in the temple.” Otherwise  it is simply
blaspheme, that “Krsna is everywhere.” That’s a  fact, but where is
your realization? Krsna is within your heart.  Have you got that
realization? Isvarah sarva-bhutanam hrd-dese ‘rjuna tisthati. Have  you
got that realization, that Krsna is within your heart? Can you talk
with Krsna?  He says, Krsna says, “I talk.” Buddhi yogam-dadami tam.
Krsna gives intelligence. Krsna is giving, but have  you got that
realization?
   So  these are all facts, that Krsna is everywhere, Krsna is within
your heart, Krsna is within the atom.  Andantara
stha-paramanu-cayantara-tham. That’s a fact, but where is your
realization? Therefore you have to begin  realization by arcana. That
is very essential. Then more you become expert in  arcana, ye yatha mam
prapadyante, the more you become realized, then  more you become
advanced. So  therefore, for kanistha-adhikari, he has to  raise
himself.
…                          arcayam eva haraye
                       yah pujam sraddhayehate
                       na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
                      sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah

By executing this arca-vigraha, arcanam, gradually you  advance. But if
you simply remain in the arcana-viddhi or arcana process,  and you
cannot understand who is a bhakta and what to do with  others… That
is also a bhakta’s duty, not that simply we shall  remain engaged in
arcana. We must know how to respect devotee, how to do  some service to
others also. That is madhyama-adhikari. Simply if you  become
satisfied, that “Now I am initiated and I am offering  arcana. I have
become perfect,” no, the perfection is still awaiting.  You have to
understand who is a devotee. You have to  understand how to give
service to the innocent. If you do not know  that, then if you simply
become packed up by arca-vigraha-seva, arcana,  then you will remain in
the material platform. Na  tad-bhaktesu canyesu sa bhaktah prakrtah
smrtah. Prakrtah means material. He is trying to go to  the spiritual
platform, but if he  simply remains in the arcana and does not preach,
this is na tad-bhaktesu canyesu. Anyesu. Anyesu means  those who are
innocent. That is madhyama-adhikari, middle  stage.

                         isvare tad-adhinesu
                         balisesu  dvisatsu ca
                        prema-maitri-krpopeksa
                       yah karoti sa madhyamah

Isvara. Then, by arca-vigraha worship, by  sravana-kirtana, by making
your properly advanced you will understand what is the  position of
Krsna, isvara.

Some conclusions–
This bhakti yoga is a gradual process. Practically  speaking, everyone begins from the material platform and if he or she follows the actual process of sadhana  bhakti, then they will come eventually to the spiritual platform. As  Srila Prabhupada  describes, there are 4 platforms of realization. The sensual, the mental  the intellectual and eventually the spiritual platform. To actually come to the spiritual platform requires  austerity or purification of the senses. We all know what this means.

In the above segments Srila Prabhupada clearly explains  that the neophyte or materialistic bhakta must perfrom Arcana or daily worship  of the Vigraha Form of the Lord. This is not  optional  if one wants  to eventually  within his heart, see or talk with the Lord. If one is  satisfied with just knowing he or she is doing some spiritual activity daily,  then he or she can just chant Hare Krsna or read the books. This is good, but is  not the final goal. The end goal is to have the realization of the Lord in  one’s own heart where you and He can talk with each other, as Srila Prabhupada  explains above. And that level of realization will develop, he says with Arcana,  or daily worship of the Lord, and of course this is along with the chanting of  Hare Krsna maha mantra.
Srila Prabhupada gives the proof of the materialistic  bhakta in this lecture by saying
…”He is trying to go to the spiritual platform, but if he simply remains in the arcana and does not  preach…”this  is na tad-bhaktesu canyesu.
So we can see by the above statement, what has to be  individually done.
And all along that path it is just like biting into some  sugar-because wherever you bite, you will always taste sweetness-Krsna  !!

Hari bol
Damaghosa das

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