Vaiñëave Vijïapti Prayer to the Vaiñëava (from Prärthanä) ei-bäro karuëä koro vaiñëava gosäi patita-pävana tomä bine keho näi jähära nikaöe gele päpa düre jäy emona doyäla prabhu kebä kothä päy gaìgära paraça hoile paçcate pävan darçane pavitra koro-ei tomära guë hari-sthäne aparädhe täre hari-näm tomä sthäne aparädhe nähi pariträë tomära hådoye sadä govinda-viçräm govinda kohena-mora vaiñëava paräë prati-janme kori äçä caraëera dhüli narottame koro doyä äpanära boli'

O Vaiñëava Gosvämé, please be merciful to me now. There is no one except you who can purify the fallen souls. Where can anyone find such a merciful personality, whose mere audience sends all sins far away? One becomes purified after bathing in the waters of the sacred Ganges many times, but just the sight of you purifies the fallen souls. This is your great power. The holy name delivers one who has offended Lord Hari, but deliverance is impossible if one offends you. Your heart is always the resting place of Lord Govinda, and Lord Govinda says, “The Vaiñëavas are in My heart.” I desire to have the dust of your holy feet in every birth I may take. Please consider Narottama yours, and be kind upon him.

Create a “map” of how you found yourself in this Bhakti Sastri class in Sri Dham Mayapur, Dec This is a personal meditation. Please work alone. Use either poetry, a song, or drawing to express your journey Pay special attention to consider how the mercy of a devotee (s) has been instrumental in your being here. (either directly or indirectly) What events in your life stand out as leading you to be here now. (choose up to 10 ) What choices did you have to make or obstacles did you overcome in order to do this course. (personal or other) You have 20 min. to complete your work.

Chapter Preview 1.Overview of the Previous Chapter 2.Eligibility for Practicing Devotional Service 3.Definition of Sadhana Bhakti 4.Essence of Sadhana Bhakti 5.Two types of Sadhana Bhakti 6.Definition of Vaidhi-Sadhana-Bhakti 7.Essence of Vaidhi-Sadhana-Bhakti 8.Varnashrama, it’s Goal and Essence 9.The Fruit of Vaidhi-Sadhana-Bhakti

Chapter 2 – The First Stages of Devotion Overview of the previous Chapter çubha-dä kleça-ghné su-durlabhä mokñalaghutä- kåt çré-kåñëäkarñiëé sändränanda- viçeñätmä Sadhana Devotional service in Practice Bhava Devotional Service in ecstasy Prema Devotional service in pure love of Godhead

Taste or attraction for hearing About Krishna is the qualification for making a committment to Saddhana Bhakti. Taste comes from advancement made in previous lifetimes ( BG 2.40) Devotional activity in a previous life creates a taste for engaging in devotional service in this life. The more taste for hearing and chanting… the easier the process of devotional service

Execution of devotional service Attraction for Devotional Service Causeless mercy

“My dear Lord, You are glorified by the selected verses uttered by great personalities. Such glorification of Your lotus feet is just like saffron particles. When the transcendental vibration from the mouths of great devotees carries the aroma of the saffron dust of Your lotus feet, the forgetful living entity gradually remembers his eternal relationship with You.” (Bhag , purport)

2. Definition of Sadhana Bhakti PAR. 4-7 Sadhana is a systematic practice executed with the mind and senses that reawakens the ecstatic love of Godhead (Bhava-bhakti) lying dormant within the heart. 1. It is not artificial, rather,like a child walking or simple aboriginal people worshipping something great, it is dormant within us! 2. It is not mechanical however. Certain practices will cause this dormant capacity for worshiping Krsna to be invoked. – par 6

Everyone is engaged in activities which are the causes of bondage and suffering– vikarma-- and expecting to become happy! Insanity= doing the same things over and over and expecting a different result

Saddhana Bhakti is the cure for madness It leads to Bhava Bhakti and eventually Prema Bhakti

kåti-sädhyä bhavet sädhya-bhävä sä sädhanäbhidhä nitya-siddhasya bhävasya präkaöyaà hådi sädhyatä The process of devotional service—beginning with chanting and hearing—is called sädhana-bhakti. This includes the regulative principles that are intended to awaken one to devotional service. Devotional service is always dormant in everyone’s heart, and by the offenseless chanting of the holy names of the Lord, one’s original dormant Kåñëa consciousness is awakened. This awakening to Kåñëa consciousness is the beginning of sädhana-bhakti. This can be divided into many different parts, including faith, association with devotees, initiation by the spiritual master, engagement in devotional service under the instructions of a spiritual master, steadiness in devotional service and the awakening of a taste for devotional service. In this way, one can become attached to Kåñëa and His service, and when this attachment is intensified, it results in ecstatic love for Kåñëa.

Essence of Sadhana Bhakti Essence of Sadhana Bhakti PAR. 8-9 By any means remember Krsna! Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Narada Muni said: My dear King, one has to fix his mind on Krsna by any means…..just see the tremendous power of remembering Krsna!

Two types of Sadhana Bhakti Vaidhi Sadhana – Bhakti: Inspired by the desire to fulfil the order of the spiritual master or the scriptures. Raganuga Sadhana – Bhakti: Inspired by the spontaneous desire to worship and serve the Lord without any tinge of Aisvarya!

Example of Vaidhi Sadhana Bhakti: Shukadeva Goswami to Pariksit Maharaj – par Practice hearing, chanting and remembering Krishna To be fearless at the moment of your death In this way you will never be vanquished

Essence of Vaidhi-Sadhana-Bhakti PAR Always rememberNever forget Always remember Krishna and Never forget Him. All the rules and prohibitions mentioned in the shastras are servants of these two principles. A rule(vidhi) A rule or order (vidhi) is an injunction to do something that will have an auspicious result. A regulation (nishedha) A regulation (nishedha) is a prohibition against doing something that will bring inauspiciousness. Somehow or other! Always remember Krsna!

Vishnu should always be remembered and never forgotten at any time. All rules and prohibitions mentioned in the sastras should be servants of these two principles. smartavyaù satataà viñëur vismartavyo na jätucit sarve vidhi-niñedhäù syur etayor eva kiìkaräù (Padma Purana)

Applicable to all Varnas and Asramas By following these two principles one automaticaly follows all the other rules and regulations Always remember Krishna Never forget Him

Varnashrama and it’s Goal and Essence PAR Goal is to always remember Krishna and Never forget Him. 2.The essence is to please & satisfy the Lord B.G. 3.9 yajnarthat... Work done as a sacrifice for Vishnu has to be performed... Duties of Brahmanas pp 20 Duties of Kshatriyas ex: Parikshit/Kali pp 21 Duties of Vaishyas and Sudras pp 22

Vaidhi-Sadhana-Bhakti is more than practice Practice indicates that you can do it by repetition on your own....rather the Spiritual Master as the expert, prescribes a specific program for the disciple which, when practiced with determination and sincerity, will cleanse the heart and thus result in the awakening of one’s dormant love of Krsna.

How do we reconcile the current need we perceive in ISKCON for Varnasram with the final paragraph of chapter 2?