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)
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