UPADESAMRTA CREATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS Anandamayi Dasi
“CREATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS”
'UPADESAMRTA FOCUSE” Part 3
02.02.2019
In this section Srila Rupa Gosvami guides us through his 'Nectar like Instructions' what is 'Favourable' to achieve 'PURE Devotional Service':
TEXT 3
1.Being enthusiastic,
2.Endeavouring with confidence,
3.Being patient,
4.Acting according to regulative principles [such as sravanam kirtanam visnu smaranam [SB 7.5.23]—hearing, chanting and remembering Krsna],
5.Abandoning the association of nondevotees,
6.Following in the footsteps of the previous Acaryas.
This are the principles favourable to the execution of Pure Devotional Service, and assure the complete success of Pure Devotional Service.
Add 1
Being Enthusiastic
While only one notices lack of enthusiasm, it means that one should rise above the mode of Ignorance-Tamoguna, which makes us morose and so one. All kinds of activity are very helpful then, specially 'Relaxing' cleaning (of course) for Krsna, then 'Immediately' the fact of doing some service puts us on a proper position in Devotion.
Add 2
Endeavouring with confidence
When only one notice some lack of confidence in Devotional Service, it means that one loses a Faith-Sraddha in Krsna, Sastra, Guru. Always helpful is reading the favourite Sastra, verse or so one from Srila Prabhupada's books. Even little effort to read something 'Really' helps to return to the proper position of Faith/Confidence.
Add 3
Being patient
When one is noticing some impatience on the path of Devotion it means that one should rise above Passion-Rajaguna. To observe this is very useful... Slow down and do not rush for some cheap/artificial effects but... 'Dedicate' one's life to just 'Serve the Lord',... that is the Goal...
Add 4
Acting according to regulative principles such as sravanam-hearing, kirtanam-chanting, smaranam-remembering, etc.
There are 9 Processes of Devotional Service as follow:
1.hearing the name and glories of the Supreme Personality of Godhead
2.chanting His glories
3.remembering the Lord
4.serving the Lord's feet
5.worshiping the Deity
6.offering obeisances unto the Lord
7.acting as the Lord's servant
8.making friends with the Lord
9.surrendering oneself fully to the Lord
Among this nine Processes of Devotional Service the 'sravanam' and 'kirtanam', hearing and chanting are the most important, this are the 'First Steps' and as well the aspects which 'Associate' us on our Self-Realization path from the beginning up to the end. Therefore the concentration on 'Hearing' the Sastras, and as well 'Hearing' the Holy Name while 'Chanting' it, is the 'First Duty' we have every single day, other duties are secondary, because the Holy Name vibration situate us 'Automatically' on Spiritual Platform, and from that plane we can properly execute our other devotional activities/duties.
Add 5
Abandoning the association of nondevotees
This point is repeated, as very important to follow. One's association is reflecting on the Mind. The Mind is like a mirror, or recording a 'life long' film, for which one is checked/tested now, later and at the end of life. What activities we are doing in our life, what choices we make, with whom we associate is either elevating us or degrading, because purity of others reflect on our Mind, and dirt of others is as well reflecting on our Mind, so the choice is simple.
Add 6
Following in the footsteps of the previous Acaryas
The path 'Back to Godhead' is 'One' for all of us ( and we all are already situated somewhere on this path). It continue through the path/steps of Disciplic Succession - Acaryas, it is them who give us the 'Pure' instructions coming directly from Lord Krsna... and leading to Lord Krsna... So there is no other way...
'CREATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS'
“UPADESAMRTA FOCUS” Part 2
26.01.2019
We are continuing with 'Nectar of Instructions ('Upadesamrta') of Srila Rupa Gosvami. The further Instructions tell us what can destroy our devotional service, what we should check/detect/improve in our lives to avoid future problems and become stronger/determined:
TEXT 2
(1)'Ati-Aharah' – 'OVEREATING' or 'TOO MUCH COLLECTING'
(2)'Prayasah' – 'OVERENDEAVOURING'
(3)'Prajalpah' – 'IDLE TALK'
(4)'Niyama-Agrahah' – 'TOO MUCH ATTACHMENT TO' or 'TOO MUCH NEGLECT OFF' the 'RULES and REGULATIONS'
(5)'Jana-Sangah' – 'ASSOCIATION WITH WORDLY-MINDED PERSONS'
(6)'Laulyam' – 'ARDENT LONGING OR GREED'
'Sadbhir bhaktir vinasyati' – 'By (becoming too entangled in) this six, devotional service is destroyed/spoiled.'
Add (1)
Eating more than necessary or collecting more funds than required.
Here we can think about/check one's activities. Of course we are accepting 'Prasadam' (food offered to the Lord), and that is OK, but we all have an experience that sometimes there is 'Too Much' attention to the eating/buying/cooking than it should be, as austerity is our real goal.
The point to not collect more than required is mentioned in 'Yogasutras' of Patanjali
as 'Aparigraha' - reject things which are difficult to achieve, because then we must protect them, then we become attached to them, their lost or damage, which leads to the 'Unnecessary Absorption' in the External World. This is connected to the next, second point.
Add (2)
Overendeavouring for mundane things that are very difficult to obtain.
Here too much effort/work to achieve something 'Above' our natural ability is stressed, which is unnecessary for those who want to make progress in spiritual life. Instead of it it is advised to focus on spiritual activities and work only for things which are necessary to fluently follow the process of self-realization.
Add (3)
Talking unnecessary about mundane subjects matters.
This point reminded me the time when I joined ISKCON, about 25 years ago, when the 'SPIRIT' of Srila Prabhupada's teachings was so much present within the Society, and his instructions were so much 'ALIVE' within us. Nowadays we have some 'freedom', so to say, 'New school', etc. But was/is Srila Prabhupada's way an 'Old school'?
When I was studying in Vrndavan at VIHE through some years the teachers were so strict in nice sadhana and Vaisnava Etiquette (to become a Vaisnava and to respect/serve/relate/talk to others from Vaisnava perspective, not idle), the whole atmosphere of Vrndavan was focused on Krsna and Radha, there was no space for 'Prajalpa', talking about “nothing”, because everyone there around was so much absorbed in devotional service to the Divine Couple, inspiring each other by only seeing other's activities. In the Temple during prasadam everyday someone was reading the sastras, and all others were quiet listening, not talking, talking, talking... about “nothing”. Even living outside of the Temple this all was/should be respected and followed.
That is what we want, what we need: 'The 'FOCUS' on our Goal. And the question is, if we from the West 'CAN' go in this direction, and try to become little more strict in this point.
Add (4)
Practicing the scriptural rules and regulations only for the sake of following them and not for the sake of spiritual advancement, or rejecting the rules and regulations of the scriptures and working independently or whimsically.
Here the 'Artificial' engagement in rules and regulations is mentioned, the false prestige to make a show of it, etc. The point of rejecting the rules and posing as a devotee of the Lord is just a cheating not only of the Lord, and devotees but most of all yourself.
The sadhana – to follow all rules and regulations given us through disciplic succession is recommended for all, not only disciples but also for gurus, not only for sadhakas, the beginner but also for advanced devotees of the Lord, because in material world, were the Maya-Illusion is in charge (She rules here), to focus on devotional service requires a 'Good' sadhana.
Add (5)
Associating with worldly-minded persons who are not interested in Krsna consciousness.
SB says that ”even associating with the persons who associate with the worldly-minded persons should be avoided”. Why is that? Because then we are 'AUTOMATICALLY' changing the direction from Krsna (turning back to Him), and directing to Maya–Illusion. No matter how strong we are and how good is our sadhana, if we are associating with such persons we are loosing our Goal (deeply, or sometimes for a while).
Add (6)
Being greedy for mundane achievements.
We are leaving within very intense reality, specially now when all the different 'news' are coming from many areas of life. We can try to use them in Krsna's service as we used to say, but is it really the point or just an excuse. It is very difficult to not be involved in this material 'Show' leaving within it but by more careful discrimination we can do it. Helpful are always this questions:
Do I (greedily) 'WANT' it???... or Do I (really) 'NEED' it?...
Hare Krsna!
'CREATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS'
“UPADESAMRTA FOCUS” Part 1
19.01.2019
We will focus now on the topic of the “NECTAR Of INSTRUCTIONS ('Upadesamrta')” of Srila Rupa Gosvami. This book is one of the four manuals used to rise to the level of Bhakti-sastri. The 'Amrta' – 'Nectar' we can relish here is a progressive 'Spiritual Development' at the stage of transformation from matter to spirituality, through 'Instructions'.
Text 1
(1) “VACO vegam” - the urge of SPEACH
(2) “MANASAH KRODHA vegam” - the urge of the ANGER of the MIND
(3) “JIHVA-vegam” - the urge of the TONGUE
(4,5) “UDARA-UPASTHA-vegam” - the urge of the BELLY and GENITALS
“Etanvegan yo visaheta dharah, sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat” - Whoever can tolerate these urges, is certainly a sober, qualified person to make disciples all over the world.
When we read this 'INSTRUCTIONS', or refresh our memory of them, we can undoubtedly see that there is the 'room for improvement' in our lives. There is always something to do, something to work on, as the repeated 'Tests' we are passing in many circumstances are enriching us constantly with new experiences/realizations.
The 'Vaco' – Speech urge has some varieties as verbal speech (we hear externally), mental speech (we hear internally), or our thoughts (which are also an intense dynamic speech within us). The external sound is more or less easier to stop/control (or is controlled by social influences), the inside mental speech is subtle and through some practice it can be stopped/controlled (we are/can internally speak/send a message to someone through the 'space', but the social control is less active, or is limited), but the thoughts inside us are sometimes conscious and sometimes unconscious/subconscious/far out of 'samskaras', or are a transformed thoughts coming from others//'controlled' (and here the problem arises - as a seed of the consequences).
The 'Manasa Krodha' aspect is connected specifically with the last point above, because first we express our Anger somewhere inside us mentally ('Anger' as a Mental Disease), building the picture of the object/situation of our anger, then comes inside (mental) speech/dialogue directed to the space/something/someone we are angry at, and then comes full expression through verbal gross sound, if not controlled.
The 'Urge of the Tongue', is somewhat the next step in this cycle, the more gross aspects are coming, where the tongue is creating the words, in anger unpleasant, or positive. That urge has to do also with the 'Taste' desire to eat all varieties of palatable food, which is mitigated by accepting 'Prasadam', food offered with love to the Lord.
The next step connected to the tongue is the Belly control/or not: 'fill the belly' up to the neck, and the control of the genitals is as well associated with the tongue as they both are related to each other very strongly as we can know from Ayurveda. This chine is good to recognize in connection with the 'Loop of Time', where the Present (our present thoughts/attachments) creates our Future, and the Future creates (may change) surprisingly our Past...
In this way one can develop attitude of serious decisions to improve this aspects, to work on them, 'OBSERVE' them, and gradually finally 'naturally' control them without any effort, and can become 'Experienced/Realized Example' for the others, the guru...
All this is wonderfully effective and is achieved by the Sound/Tongue 'KEY / RELEASE': conscious, sincere, dedicated chanting of the transcendental vibration of the Maha Mantra: Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare (when you chant,... chant).
Haribol!