Steady taste in Devotion - Nistha - Ruchi

Real Taste for the Truth

Until and unless we find in our heart a real taste for the Truth, we are not safe. First, over the surface, spiritual life begins with sraddha, faith, and underground with sukrti, or special merit. Next is sadhu-sanga, our company with the sadhu. Within that is our surrender to Guru. Then bhajana , our serving life in various forms such as sravana, kirtana, prasada-sevana or hearing, chanting, respecting the Lord's Remnants, etc., begins. Then anartha-nivrtti - our attraction for objects other than Krsna, objects other than God, diminishes. Then nistha - continued attempt for the Service, and not for otherwise. Then ruci, taste, will be created.
Real taste for the truth will be created, that is, awakened in our heart. We are safe then, but not before that. When spontaneous taste for the truth is awakened within us, we are safe. We can make fair progress from that time. Prior to that we must remain under the guardian. Taste will take me. "I have acquired the taste of sweetness, so automatically I shall run towards that which is very sweet." Until and unless we find that the Truth is sweet, Krsna is sweet, we are not safe in our approach towards Him. So many distractions may take us hither and thither.
Srila B.R Sridhar Maharaj - Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion - Vol.1



''To become Krsna conscious, one need not be a wise man, nor a very energetic man, he may not be a master of opulence and power - the only requirement that is demanded from him is that he must have an earnest hunger for the Lord. He must find some sweetness, some taste in His words and His affairs when he hears from a proper source - a genuine saint. That taste will take him gradually further and further into the highest domain. If they want to be successful in their search for the infinite, the seekers of knowledge and power, the jnanis and karmis, will ultimately have to cast out their attachments, break out of their circle, and come to this position. They will have to depend on taste. Taste is everything. A taste for His affairs is the all-important qualification for a devotee. It is all in all. Wherever one may be does not matter. Through his taste for Krsna, one will progress from ruci to the ultimate end of life.
So we are told, "Giving up everything, and even rejecting all conceptions of society and religion as external, exclusively surrender to Krsna." Without hesitation, one should take exclusive shelter of the Lord with full confidence, giving up bad association, and even neglecting the regulative principles governing society and religion. That is to say, one should abandon all material attachment. Saranagati:
Take shelter under His protection absolutely.''

Srila B.R Sridhar Maharaj - Loving Search for the lost servant

Anartha Nivriti - Nistha

Devotee: What is the real meaning of the word anartha?
Srila Guru Maharaj: Anartha means 'separate interest.' Krsna consciousness is causeless, nirguna, it has no end. Nirguna means that the central flow and vibration of Krsna consciousness is eternal. That wave has no end. Any interest which is separate from Krsna consciousness is anartha. 'Artha' means 'necessity' and 'anartha' is that which is not my necessity—that which is opposed to my necessity, being based on separate consciousness and interest. So to get out of the trap of separate interest which is misleading us, and to learn how to read the Infinite, we are to identify with the universal flow, the universal wave. At present we are being carried away by different waves of separate-interest consciousness— anartha, it is not necessary for us. Our only necessity is to merge in the wave of the universal interest, which is for Itself, for Himself.''
(Sermons of the Guardian of Devotion V.1)




''adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sango’ tha bhajana-kriya: to progress with faith, keeping the association of devotees and dedicating one’s activities to the Lord, means this - you must go forward in your life with the spirit that you are willing to give away this life. "Do - or - die" is, of course, not in the physical sense but the internal sense (bhajana-kriya ). This is self-giving, ego-giving. (tato’ nartha-nivrttih syat ): if you can adopt this, the undesirable things within you will disappear very easily and swiftly. (tato nistha ) Then you will find a continuous connection with such a principle in your life. That principle will always act continuously, and other fleeting, mean desires won’t be able to approach or touch you. Next, you will find ruci, a real taste for divinity. Otherwise, before that continuous stage, whatever taste we may think we have is only treachery and not real taste. Nistha means nairantaryya: when we are established in twenty-four hours a day continuous connection with that charming substance, a real taste will arise, and we can rely on that taste. Any taste that we may find in any other position is unreliable. Twenty-four hours a day connection with divinity - eliminating all other charms of this world - is necessary. Then, the ruci, the conscious taste that arises in us, is a reliable guide. After that, asakti, natural affinity, arises, and then the symptoms of bhava, the "bud" stage of the "flower" of prema, divine love, makes its appearance. This is the way of our progress."



''What should be the standard of judging good and bad. "This is good, this is bad." How to judge? The standard of examining things, that is a very important thing for us. Some will say, "Oh, this is just a story, Gaura lila. History, by chance it came once. And what was there?" There are many to belittle this and there are some who are highly giving appreciation to this. So many sections in the name of 'Vaisnavas'; Auls, Bauls, Karta Bhajana, Nagaris, Vesa and so many classes of imitationists are there. It is very difficult to understand from this jungle of different conceptions or imitations. Different types of imitations are there, and to find the genuine thing it is very difficult. So the process, the steps of progress, that should not be omitted. It is given to us. How you are to enquire, how you are search, the method of scientific search. In mathematics, step by step we come to a conclusion, but if we omit in the middle something, then it may be wrong, the answer will be wrong. So the steps should be followed very carefully, particularly.



So it is given, adau sraddha. What is the definition of sraddha, generally in the beginning it is only on the surface. Sraddha, tatah sadhu-sanga bhajana-kriya anartha-nivrtti ruci asakti bhava, in this way we are to be very careful and particular about the steps by which we are to go to reach the summit of our desirable aspiration. If we go, first we are to know the sraddha, that comes from sukrti underground, but on the surface we find sraddha.
What is the definition of sraddha?' There is One, by knowing which, everything is known. There is One, by getting which, everything is got.' If it is possible for anyone to think that "Yes, it is possible!" Some will say it is impossible, by knowing One, we can know everything. "This is a madman's talk." Then he has got no sraddha. His attempt is sure to be misguided. So sraddha, the basis must be a true foundation, then we are to make progress, sadhu-sanga. Then bhajana-kriya, what has been given, recommended for us, we must strictly observe that, to reach the next highest stage, anartha-nivrtti. Anartha nivrtti then nista, when all (mundane) aspiration, all undesirability is eliminated, and only continued conception of Krsna. No other conception is entering into the heart. Twenty four hours continued experience of thinking of Krsna and His own, then it becomes nista. No gap, continued. Continued connection with Krsna consciousness, then the taste will come, ruci. Not before. With so many gaps, sometimes we are thinking about Krsna, sometimes this and that, and we find some sort of taste within us, but that is not the required taste. That is not considered to be taste proper. When after continuous flow of Krsna consciousness will come, eliminating all other thoughts, wholesale captured by Krsna consciousness, then taste will come out of that, ruci. Tatah asakti! Then asakti, then bhava-bhakti, so many signs are given. Then prema bhakti.



Step by step we are to go forward, but if we omit some processes, then we are misguided like Auls, Bauls, Karta Bhaja, the sahajiya, all these things, when we miss this step. We think that we have got ruci for Krsna, that we have got much love and affinity for Krsna, that we have begun the highest stage, this is imitation. Thereby we commit many offenses and we are hurled down. So we must be very careful. Sadhana, new strength, self-determination, realization. There is a process, step-by-step realization, and we must be very careful about that. In that case the association of the genuine sadhu is absolutely necessary, sadhu-sanga. Much stress has been given on the association of the genuine sadhu, or there is possibility of being misguided. It is a long way to reach the highest realization, that is not a very easy thing. The highest fulfillment of life, to attain that, it is not very easy thing. Qualitative. Progress means this - quantitative elimination, qualitative acceptance. We are to follow.



So though Mahaprabhu and Nityananda prabhu, they have come to invite and accept one and all, so generous and comprehensive is their attempt, but still, at the same time if we think that they want to take us to the highest stage of life, we shall have to be considerate. That it is the most magnanimous, that does not mean that everyone can reach there. But they may have some connection. Gradually anytime, any day they may reach that, but still there is a process. Of course there is such cases also, by some special grant, they may do anything and everything, they are independent. Absolute independence is there. Immediate transformation is possible, but that is only in particular cases - not general. But that special attention, wholesale immediate transformation, it may not be impossible, but it is not the general case. We may be a fool and think that I am transformed, I got that special chance. So the sastra (scripture) is there, the measurement is there, the different stages of sadhus, all these are there. And we are to take help from them.
In this, Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu comes to help us in general a great deal.
Bhakti Rasamrta Sindhu given by Rupa Goswami, and also Brhad Bhagavatamrtam, Sanatana Goswami, and later on Caitanya-caritamrta, that also comes to help us. The gist of all these, are represented in Caitanya-caritamrta.''



The Guardian of Devotion;
His Divine Grace Srila B.R Sridhara Dev-Goswami Maharaj

(text mostly from transcript - 84.03.09,10)

Bhajana Kriya - Anartha Nivritti

ceto-darpanna-marjanam bhava-maha-davagni-nirvapanam
sreya-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam
anandambuddhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritasvadanam
sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krsna sankirtanam


“The Holy Name of Krishna cleanses the mirror of the heart and extinguishes the fire of misery in the forest of birth and death.
As the evening lotus blooms in the moon’s cooling rays, the heart begins to blossom in the nectar of the name.
And at last the soul awakens to its real inner treasure —a life of love with Krishna.
Again and again tasting nectar, the soul dives and surfaces in the ever-increasing ocean of ecstatic joy.
All phases of the self of which we may conceive are fully satisfied and purified,
and at last conquered by the all-auspicious influence of the Holy Name of Krishna.”





"ceto darpanna marjjanam - that is the full, clean position of the jiva. The mind, the consciousness, is being fully cleansed by the performance of Nama-Sankirttan.
But cleanliness, purity on it's own is not sufficient. When you are cleaning something, all the dirt that will come out as a result, you will have to do something with that. The dirty things, all our evil tendencies - what will we do with them? - Bhava-mahadavagni-nirvvarpanam - you make a fire there, and that fire of Nama-sankirttan will burn all those things to ashes. First you will cleanse your house, and then you will burn all the filth accumulated there.
And then it's place you will need to establish something good. - Sreyah-karava-chandriika-vitaranam vidya vadhu jivanam
You can start a new life there and you will see the nectarine ray of Krsna-nama bestowing grace upon your head; the service of Sri Krsna in Madhura-rasa.
Sometimes I think that this one sloka is sufficient. There we find Chaitanya, Advaita And Nityananda.
When Sri Chaitanya appears in our hearts, all that is a-chaitanya (not chaitanya ie. pure, ecstatic trancendental consciousness) will flee from there. - Then, Sri Advaita; the feeling of so 'ham - that means Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and I am a part of Him, and Nityananda - ecstasy, nectar, everything. Through the chanting of Hari Nama, the non-different form of Krsna, the pastimes of Krsna will play in the heart.''



''Siksatakam is the gist of all slokas, and in this first sloka we can see that everything is contained there; the living conception of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Who has the eyes, he can see. 'Ajnana timirandhasya' - this is the main thing that we need. Through love and hankering and through the mercy of Krsna, you can reach the service plane of Krsna. It is hard to leave the plane of exploitation, and the plane of renunciation is very harsh without the mercy of Krsna. But dedication, the plane of reality, can clean us. It can give us a higher, authentic position in the transcendental world. This is the plane of dedication.''

Sadhu Sanga - Bhajana Kriya

'' It has been practically experienced that responsible services can help us from falling prey to those disires kama, krodha etc. The faith first, sraddha; sadhu-sanga, then bhajana kriya; deep engagement with the duties designated by the master.
Especially, engagement for the mind, not only for the body. Mental engagement you can only get by responsibility. Some responsible service is given to the disciple. He takes it up in his brain. He cannot but think that 'my mind is engaged there.' So the mind gets no chance for thinking about the other, (unwanted things.) Deep engagement and responsible service, in the physical sense; that helps us a great deal.The disciple serves his spiritual master - pariprasnena sevaya. As much as we are able to engage ourselves in deep responsible services to our master, these desires will come, and seeing that we have no time to give them our attention they will retreat. Then coming twice, thrice, five times they are seeing that we are deeply engaged and have no time to spare. Seva, service, physical and also the mental seva. That means the responsibility only can capture the mind. With responsibility the mind is confident to think about Krsna and Krsna's service. To engage the mind in intense service, that is responsibility.



Then very soon he will find that all those evil tendencies have been done away with. They're gone. They are finished. When?
Bidyate hrdaya granthis etc. He will come to such a a stage. Tato rajas tamo bhava. After a great fight they will have to retire if at this time he maintains the association of the good sadhu and the books. Anyhow the bhakti practices must not be given up or slackened. With more attention they will follow that system of
practices. Gradually one day he will find that they are retiring, those enemies have accepted defeat and they are going away. And then you will find peace. And he will come to see the presence of the Lord. The tidings of the Lord are coming and surrounding him from every direction and they will vanish. They are strangers after all. They are not rightful residents of the heart or mind so they will have to go away. Such a broad and wide conception of faith, sraddha. Krsna is there, devotees are there and they are not a product of imagination, but reality. And when they come to realize the position, the reality, when they will come in touch with the real position of the soul, supersoul, Krsna consciousness proper, the unwanted elements will go. But it is not very easy to get out of their contact. So, adau sraddha tatah, sadhu-sanga, bhajana kriya, tatah anartha nivriti. The result of that bhajan, is that the anartha, the undesirable things will go away. This is the consequence, inseparable consequence of our bhajan.
And our bhajan will take the realistic characteristic. Sravana, kirtana no other duties which we are to undergo now. When it will come to realize its real position, to touch the reality, then anartha nivriti. ''

(Taken from transcriptions of His Divine Grace - Swami B.R Sridhar dev Goswami)

Faith—Sadhu-Sanga

Sadhu-Sange Krsna-nama ei matra cai
samsara jinite ar kono vastu nai

(Jagadananda Pandit – Prema-vivarta).

“To chant Krsna-Nama without the association of the sadhus means also to have to proceed with difficulty. Therefore in one word the solution is in sadhu sanga. We are to secure the company of a standard realized soul, then everything will fall into place, and the king of the sadhu's is Sri Guru.”
(Swami B.R Sridhar)





Krsna yadi krpa kare kona bhagyavane
guru-antaryami-rupe kikyaya apane

'From Krsna comes inspiration to attain the transcendental world. He will send a sadhu, a Guru, a Vaisnava, and through them we will receive some light and strength — easily we shall be able to practise with their help, and attain our destination'

(Swami B.S. Govinda - Divine Guidance, pg. 21)





kona bhagye kona jivera 'sraddha' yadi haya
tabe sei jiva ‘sadhu-sanga’ ye karaya

“If, by good fortune, a living entity develops faith in Krsna, he begins to associate with devotees.
C.C Madhya 23.10




sadhu-sanga haite haya ‘sravana-kirtana’
sadhana-bhaktye haya ‘sarvanartha-nivartana’

“When one is encouraged in devotional service by the association of devotees, one becomes free from all unwanted contamination by following the regulative principles and chanting and hearing.”
C.C. Madhya 23.11




Devotee: What is the element that makes us perceive something as real?

Srila Sridhar Maharaj: The sastric name is sraddha, faith, and that is the developed state of sukriti as sadhu-sanga. Those that are in the real plane, the nirguna plane, beyond the creative world, the world of creation 'gunatita' nitya jagat; the agents of that upper world have come to establish some connection in our soul. The deepest element. What we think to be us, our soul. The connection with sadhu produces some thing which is faith and that faith can see. That is a world which is only approachable by faith. Just as we see color by eyes, sound by ear, so that world only faith can see, faith can feel it, and no other senses.

Faith, that is the real function of soul and that is awakened by the agent of Vaikuntha, the sadhu. Sukrti, jnata-sukrti, sraddha. By sraddha, then sadhu sanga, the association with the sadhu increases. And the transaction of the culture of reality that takes place gradually makes us fully conscious that where we are living, this is all transcient, this is of enemy type and the real element, my home, is elsewhere, is located in the world of pure consciousness, pure place. ''
(Swami B.R Sridhar)



The physical company is not real association but wherever this body or mental body may be, if I am in a faithful serving mood to any person, I am there with him in cetah [heart, consciousness] In the world of consciousness, only our subjugation— our faithful adherence to one soul, that is to be with him. Do you follow? Am I clear?

All: Yes.

Sridhar Maharaj: I am at his beck and call, this attitude gives us nearness of a soul, and not this body or any other things. Only submissiveness, only adherence, only faithful submission to any person that brings us near to him. This is sadhu-sanga proper.
(Swami B.R Sridhar)

Sukriti

Sridhara Maharaja: '' First is sukrti, ajnata-sukrti. Then jnata-sukrti. Then sraddha, then sadhu-sanga, then bhajana, anartha nivritti, ruci, bhava-bhakti, prema-bhakti, sneha. In this way. By gradation. First ajnata- sukrti, the energy spent for Krsna consciousness unknowingly. That will be the first foundation.

Next somewhat knowingly some contribution may come for Krsna consciousness. Then that will raise me to the plane of sraddha, (faith)when I shall, on the surface I shall search for the Krsna consciousness people and mix with them and help them and have association of them.

And then next, I shall find a Guru in Krsna consciousness. And then I shall continue my bhajana, my sadhana (spiritual practice) under his guidance. And then the anartha (faults, separate interest) will disappear and I shall get proper attraction, real pure attraction for Krsna consciousness.
And gradually I shall go up. These are the stages, from the lowest to be traced.
The sastra (scriptures) have given in this way. ''

1. Sukriti

'' Previous sukriti is spitirual merit gathered from the chance association of the divine agent (sadhu).''
Swami B.R Sridhara

''When we forget Srila Guru Maharaj’s order we receive much trouble. Behind this, two things are acting: one is fortune (sukriti), and the other is our activity. Good fortune, or sukriti is necessary, and that comes through seva (service). Good fortune grows through seva. One who can do real seva will receive a good result. However, one who does ‘seva’ but is always thinking about his own interest must be ignored by bhakti, and bhakti will not go to him. He may live so long and stay for many years in the Gaudiya Mission, but he may not get that bhakti.''
(Srila B.S Govinda Maharaj - Divine Guidance pg. 29)

Developmental stages of Faith

(as given in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu of Srila Rupa Goswami)


Sraddha - General beginning of faith.

Sadhu Sanga - Association of Pure devotees

Bhajana Kriya - Purificatory practices of Devotional service; sadhana bhakti; ie. sravan & kirttan (Hearing & chanting etc.)

Anartha Nivritti - Purging / cleansing of faults & unwanted habits, desires etc.

Nistha - Unbroken steadiness in Devotion ie. 24 hour continuous remembrance in service of Krsna.

Ruchi - Awakening of genuine taste for Devotion. Spontaneous love (raga marga) begins here.

Ashakti - When one cannot tolerate any separation from the continuous sweet taste of Krsna Consciousness.

Bhava - Ecstatic transcendental emotions. The budding stage of the flower of Prema.

Prema - The blossoming stage - Pure Divine Love of Krsna