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EDITORIAL September 17, 1999 VNN4741 Comment on this story Sum & Substance BY JNANA DASA EDITORIAL, Sep 17 (VNN) — Discovering Srila Prabhupada's instructions on spontaneous devotional service. One who has not yet developed interest in Krsna consciousness should give up all material motives and train his mind by following the progressive regulative principles, namely chanting and remembering Krsna and His name, form, quality, pastimes and so forth. In this way, after developing a taste for such things, one should try to live in Vrindavana and pass his time constantly remembering Krishna's name, fame, pastimes and qualities under the direction and protection of an expert devotee. This is the sum and substance of all instruction regarding the cultivation of devotional service. [NOI, Text Eight, purport] Introduction I have put this presentation within the context of my personal experience. Those who wish to avoid this may skip the next section and begin reading at What is spontaneous devotional service? A challenging presentation Every so often, something happens that challenges my assumptions about devotional service. For example, after I had been in the movement for eight years, my God brother Prana dasa made a presentation to me. He convinced me, from Srila Prabhupada's instructions, that the whole purpose of Krsna consciousness was to think of Krsna twenty-four hours daily. "How can I have been in the movement for so long without understanding this?" I wondered. " And why has no one pointed it out to me before?". Anyway, I accepted the point he made, and tried to put it into effect. I failed, but I never forgot his presentation. In 1996, I met another challenge. I was ripe for change at that time. For years I had followed Srila Prabhupada's devotional program as faithfully and well as I could. While I lived in temples, I had felt proud of being steady and faithful, and of keeping the morning and evening programmes going. That had declined sadly when I got married and "moved outside". Now, living by myself, I couldn't maintain a full and regular program. In any case, I needed some sense that something was happening. Following regulations for the sake of following was no longer enough. I needed some juice. Intense distress in my personal life had forced me -- for the first time -- to try to make a personal relationship with Krsna. I had realized that loving Krsna was essential. I not only needed to love Him, but I needed to be sure that He loved me. I lacked a sense of affection and relationship, and I was sure that if I couldn't get this sense of affection directly from Krsna, then I was going to end up trying to find it in a material relationship, and I was sure that I didn't want to do that. I was experiencing a lot of emotion in my japa. Was it actual devotional sentiment, or the release of past trauma? I didn't know. And I didn't know whom I could ask, either. Devotees didn't openly discuss crying, or their emotional link with Krsna and His associates. It was a risky subject, and I felt that I had no one to turn to and no one to talk to about it. I prided myself that I was becoming more humble, and that I was progressing in my surrender to Krsna. And I prided myself that after twenty odd years in the movement, I was "starting over again". I used to say, "Really, I'm just beginning to understand what Krsna consciousness is about". So I was exploring and questioning in spiritual life, but I didn't have an idea of where I was trying to go or how I was going to get there. I didn't have a specific goal or objective in my service, and I didn't have a clear idea of what I was aiming at in my sadhana and inner service. Not only did I not know where I was going; I didn't know where I was situated. I didn't have a map, and I didn't have a guide. At this point I attended a presentation which introduced a method for concentrating on inner devotional life. I was asked -- or challenged -- to look at the aim and goal of my devotional service. "Sadhana is the means by which we attain the sadhya, the goal". That made sense. A favorite catch phrase at the time was "Begin with the end in mind". So I liked the idea that we should have a specific goal for our devotional service. But I could see that I certainly didn't have a specific goal. Then what should my goal be? "In Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu 1.2.2, Srila Rupa Gosvami defines sadhana-bhakti as that which awakens bhava-bhakti. So, if we are not specifically aiming to awaken bhava with our devotional service, then we are not actually practicing sadhana-bhakti". I suddenly had a completely new perspective on devotional service in general, and my own situation in particular. I realized that I had never related to Radha and Krsna as They are in Their own kingdom, but rather as I needed Them to be in my life in the physical world. I had for the most part been engaging -- more or less compulsively -- in outward activity, instead of developing an inner sense of relationship and service to Them. I had been doing what I wanted to do and proudly offering it to Krsna. I had paid the price of not having advanced devotee association. To tell the truth, I had been at a standstill in devotional life for years. Now, what was the alternative? It was suggested that I should examine the specialty of Gaudiya Vaishnavism: spontaneous devotional service, or raganuga-bhakti. Of course, I had heard of spontaneous devotional service, but I wasn't sure what it really was. And it had never occurred to me that I might practice it, any more than I had thought of learning to fly. I didn't think about it, because it wasn't part of my map of the world at all. I suppose I thought it was something that happened to acaryas who were eternal associates of Krsna, or something that they brought with them from the spiritual world. Anyway, I hadn't thought that it was for me. The presentation sounded right. It seemed in line with Srila Prabhupada's instructions, and with my sense of what Krsna consciousness was about. A very deep intuition told me that this was really coming from Srila Prabhupada, that he was behind it in some way that I didn't understand. At the same time, I found it very disturbing. To accept the conclusions meant accepting that I had been in a shadow land for a long time: namabhasa, bhakti-abhasa. I felt ashamed and really devastated. Previously I had been saying that I didn't know what Krsna consciousness was about, and that I was starting over again. Now I was facing the cold truth of my boast. I really hadn't known what Krsna consciousness was about. I was really going to have start over again. I felt as if everything had been completely razed to the ground. At the same time, I was so convinced by the presentation that I was prepared to consider changing my whole approach to life and to devotional service. Now I had two choices. The first was to assume that the presentation was alright and in line with Srila Prabhupada's instructions, without subjecting it to critical scrutiny. My second choice was to go over the main points and sub-points of the presentation and see to what extent they agreed with Srila Prabhupada's instructions. If the presentation didn't agree with Srila Prabhupada's instructions, then I wouldn't be able to give my whole heart to it. I had to keep my own sense of integrity as a disciple of Srila Prabhupada. Apart from that, I knew that I was going to meet strong challenges from other devotees who thoroughly mistrusted the presentation. There was a risk involved in assessing it fully. If the conclusions were faulty, then I would have to go back to being totally and utterly lost. But this time I would know that I was totally and utterly lost, and it would feel a lot worse. Still, there was no choice for me. I knew that I had to analyze the program and prove it correct or incorrect. Straightaway, there was a difficulty: I had practically no idea what Srila Prabhupada said about spontaneous devotional service, because I had never considered the issue. Somehow I had acquired a booklet containing many relevant references, and during the presentation I was told to read The Nectar of Instruction thoroughly. I was also told to read Caitanya-caritamrita, Adi-lila Chapter 4 and Madhya-lila Chapter 8, and Mahaprabhu's teachings to Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami. Besides that, I should read the relevant passages in The Nectar of Devotion. The first thing I had to find out about spontaneous devotional service was, What did Srila Prabhupada say it is? What is spontaneous devotional service? Srila Prabhupada explains in The Nectar of Devotion that there are two different types of sadhana-bhakti. One is vaidhi-bhakti, or "regulated devotional service". This is devotional service performed without spontaneous attraction. The second type of sadhana-bhakti is raganuga-bhakti or "spontaneous devotional service". This devotional service is performed with spontaneous attraction. Now this sadhana-bhakti, or practice of devotional service, may also be divided into two parts. The first part is called service according to regulative principles: one has to follow these different regulative principles by the order of the spiritual master or on the strength of authoritative scriptures, and there can be no question of refusal. That is called vaidhi or regulated. One has to do it without argument. Another part of sadhana-bhakti is called raganuga. Raganuga refers to the point at which by following the regulative principles, one becomes a little more attached to Krsna and executes devotional service out of natural love. For example, a person engaged in devotional service may be ordered to rise early in the morning and offer arati, which is a form of Deity worship. In the beginning, by the order of his spiritual master, one rises early in the morning and offers arati, but then he develops real attachment. When he gets this attachment, he automatically tries to decorate the deity and prepare different kinds of dresses and thinks of different plans to execute his devotional service nicely. Although it is within the category of practice, this offering devotional service is spontaneous. So the practice of devotional service, sadhana-bhakti, can be divided into two parts -- namely regulative and spontaneous. Rupa Gosvami defines the first part of devotional practice, or vaidhi-bhakti, as follows: "When Where is no attachment or no spontaneous loving service to the Lord, and he is engaged in the service of the Lord simply out of obedience to the order of the spiritual master or in pursuance of the scriptures, such obligatory service is called vaidhi-bhakti. [NOD, Chapter 2, 21-22] Sri Rupa Gosvami has defined raganuga-bhakti as spontaneous attraction for something while being completely absorbed in thoughts of it, with an intense desire of love. Devotional service executed with such feelings of spontaneous love is called raganuga-bhakti. (NOD, Ch. 15, p.119) Spontaneous devotional service is also defined in a much more specific sense. Caitanya Mahaprabhu informed Sanatana Gosvami: The original inhabitants of Vrindavana are attached to Krsna spontaneously in devotional service. Nothing can compare to such spontaneous devotional service, which is called ragatmika bhakti. When a devotee follows in the footsteps of the devotees of Vrindavana, his devotional service is called raganuga bhakti. [C.C. M.l. 22.149] This verse describes two different modes of devotional service. The first is ragatmika bhakti. This is the spontaneous devotional service performed by the Lord's eternal associates such as Sridama and Subala, Mother Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja, and Radharani. These personalities do not have to practice sadhana-bhakti to develop their devotional service. These beings don't have to learn anything about devotional service; they are already perfect in all regulative principles and have achieved the spontaneous loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (NOD, Ch 15, p.119) The second mode of devotional service is that practiced by devotees who are trying to follow in the footsteps of the Lord's eternal associates. Persons desiring to follow in the footsteps of such eternal devotees of the Lord as the Vrisnis and the Vrindavana denizens are called raganuga devotees, which means that they are trying to attain to the perfection of those devotees. These raganuga devotees don't follow the regulative principles of devotional service very strictly, but by spontaneous nature they become attracted to some of the eternal devotees such as Nanda or Yasoda, and they try to follow in their footsteps spontaneously. There is a gradual development of the ambition to become like a particular devotee, and this activity is called raganuga. (NOD, Ch. 16, p.125) The remainder of the article can be read at: http://www.igvp.com/rays Comment on this story  Contact VNN about this storySend this story to a friend
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