Spontaneous Love of God,is a Gift, When it is Available

Take a lesson from Srimad Bhagavatam how to achieve rare ecstatic devotion for Krishna, when it is available and being offered, as it is now. In Tenth Canto once upon a time, the cowherd boys came to the home of some brahmins who were busy performing pujas. They asked for some food for Krishna yet the brahmins turned them down thinking they were simpletons who were dressed simply without pomp. The Brahmins only believed in opulent worship and did not have any faith that the cowherd boys really represented their deliverance from this world if they would accept their association.

The boys then went to the wives the Brahmans asking for some food and the wives very enthusiastically served them in the form of cooking food. Krishna who really eats through the mouths of shudda bhaktas like the cowherd boys yet avoids puffed up brahmins, who often commits offences against his real transcendental devotees like the simple-hearted cowherd boys. The result of the wives serving Krishna through the medium of the cowherd boys engaging them, was that they effortlessly received love of God by their simply being favorable to associate and do a little service for the cowherd boys.

When their husbands saw that their wives returned from the picnic with the cowherd boys, in the intoxicated ecstasy of love of Godhead, they repented, condemning themselves for their missed opportunity. Fortunately they received the gift of devotion to Krishna because they had a sincere change of heart.

"My dear Uddhava, the unalloyed devotional service rendered to Me by My devotees brings Me under their control. I cannot be thus controlled by those engaged in mystic yoga, Sankhya philosophy, pious work, Vedic study, austerity or renunciation."Srimad- Bhagavatam (11.14.20): also quoted by Lord Caitanya in Caitanya Mangala chapter four madya lila

What lessons goes around come around again and is the same challenge for everyone seeking the real truth today. Our sanga is looked at by most of the brahmins, sanyasis and gurus as a band of half-witted simpletons because we don't care about looking good, Yet those who are coming to associate and serve this mission of distribution of prema bhakti,/i> or the awakening of pure devotional taste for Krishna's Names and Qualities are rewarded with the awakening of devotion to Krishna. This is even happening in this life, as some have received prema bhakti in being around for less than a year. Hard to believe?

Well the brahmins, gurus and sanyasis and their followers in mainstream Vaishnavism think so. They are teaching the hard path of austerities, renunciation and sadhana practices, not recommended by the Bhagavatam or Lord Caitanya, because of not having the potency or divine authority to awaken transcendental taste for Krishna's Holy Name in themselves or others.

The purpose of the Bhagavatam is to shed transcendental light on where the real path to Krishna is and that is our joy to help our brothers and sisters make it back to Godhead as quickly as possible. The real purpose of a bonafide Spiritual Master is to be that path as a personal form as an empowered vigraha of sat, cit, ananda and to impregnate others with that transcendental potency liberating them from the cycle of birth and death forever. Such genuine associates of Gaura/Krishna are the rarely seen and are the only authorized distribution point for that transcendental potency to easily be given to others in this world.

 How The True Savior Appears

I offer my respectful obeisances unto Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda, who are like the sun and moon. They have arisen simultaneously on the horizon of Gauḍa to dissipate the darkness of ignorance and thus wonderfully bestow benediction upon all. Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 1.2

Comment: Gaurahari Das Only one who is genuinely self realized or experienced the truth about the real self deeply, can speak or write the words (that save souls) of true transcendental Supreme Lord. This spiritually empowered Word of God liberates those who are convinced and develop faith in their transcendental vibration. The transcendental relationship between the devotee and his Lord is so close or intimate that it is as if God is speaking the transcendental word. This vibration liberates all persons who become convinced by those uncommon words and meditate on them.

This is how God who is represented in his personal form as Lord Caitanya can again appear on this earth in the vibration of the transcendental true, clear conception spoken by his intimate devoted servitor. Only a rare person who is spiritually bonded knows Him very well in truth devoid of mental speculation.

Lord Caitanya appeared in this world with his transcendental friends and associates from the spiritual world as roll models exemplifying the perfect intimate relationship that God and his real servitors have. When a sincere person hears or sometimes reads attentively the words of such a transcendentally situated soul they can have a spiritual awakening or experience of the spiritual dimension. If this spiritual awakening is cultivated under the guidance of such a self realized soul, who is empowered with the position of a Spiritual Master, such a truth seeker can ultimately achieve the same kind of spiritual perfection as their Guru.

You understand essence of Bhagavatam through the a realized spiritual master.

 “You have dared criticize Śrīdhara Svāmī, and you have begun your own commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, not accepting his authority. That is your false pride.
“Śrīdhara Svāmī is the spiritual master of the entire world because by his mercy we can understand Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. I therefore accept him as a spiritual master. Caitanya Caritamrita Antya 7. 132

Comment Srila Gaurahari Das : According to Lord Caitanya proof that one is a bonafide Spiritual Master, is that when you hear from them the bhagavata or knowledge about the absolute truth, your heart begins to understand the essence of truth in wonderful enlivening way that you couldn't by your own independent studies. This essential truth also cannot be understood by faith in the insufficient guidence of those alledged authorities who have not yet attained the pure devotional mercy of God or the real trancendentaly empowered devotee of Lord Caitanya. Those interested in speculating and putting forth their own explanations with the motive to boost their legacies out of desire for self importance, often artificially act as spiritual masters or even sampradaya Acharyas. The fruit of pure ecstatic devotion is not realized by faith in that association. 

Govinda Lilamrita 1.11

Seeing the night about to end, Vrnda-devi ordered the obedient birds of Vraja to awaken Sri Sri Radha and Krsna. 12- The birds were eager to render some service. Obeying vrnda-devi's order they happily warbled throughout that pastime-grove in order to awaken the Divine Couple. Govinda Lilamrita 1.11

Purport Srila Gaurahari Das: When the night of ignorance of the Absolute Truth is destined to end, by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, The divine couple send their confidential servants to awaken them in the hearts of the still sleeping world. These confidential servants or Spiritual Masters have at first secretly been awakened and educated about the eternal truth Love of God, Love of Krishna, just like when Madhavendra Puris love of Krishna was awakened in secret: Then he was ordered by Krishna in a dream, due to the power of that ecstatic love, to engage others like the fortunate birds who take refuge in a branch of a fruitful   tree of love of Krishna become naturally eager to render some pure-hearted service of waking up the divine couple or love of God in the hearts of the sleeping world. This is a confidential deeply esoteric example of how the parampara system works following in the footsteps of the revealed scriptures. 

The Real Path is Real Knowledge gained by hearing from Real Self-Realized Living Guru

Comment: If we can learn to give attention to Bagavan, Krishna will reciprocate a million times.

 Gaurahari Das Quotes & comments:
To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love( ecstatic) , I give the understanding ( real knowledge) by which they can come to Me. BG 10.10

Following the line of this verse it makes sense to approach the more rare intimate associates of Lord Caitanya to attain the right transcendental knowledge or understanding. This Gita verse says that they have the right understanding and others who have not realized Krishna by the awakening of their dormant love of God or loving ecstatic worship, don't have such a clear understanding of the absolute truth.

The million times greater reciprocation is really when you give attention to Bhagavan through the real book Bhagavata(scriptures) spoken by living devotionally empowered person(empowered Spiritual Master) . They deliver the clear confidential conclusions or conceptions in the scriptures known by Krishna and also understood by His intimate associates. Then in turn these scriptures can be understood by those who sincerely hear from them these conclusions. Like the Gita verse indirectly indicates without pure love of God awakened one cannot understand confidential contents in the treasure chest of these choice verses that are very dear to Krishna and his devotees. Drinking the nectar of these conclusions through the ear will very quickly purify and clear the channel for the awakening of love of God. Then they can also become transcendentally related to the Supreme Lord through the bond of the awakening of ecstatic devotion.

How do we actually attain Premabhakti or are saved by the Spiritual Master?

Comment: Just reading through the comments, it seems there are some misconceptions. In regard to disciples being "saved" by the guru, what actually happens is that the guru gives instructions which IF the disciples follow carefully, can bring the disciples to the point of prema. That's his mercy, and that's how one is saved. T

Simply hearing submissively will free one’s heart from all the faults of ignorance, and thus one will achieve deep love for Kṛṣṇa. This is the path of peace.

Srila Gaurahari Das comment:
"If one patiently hears about the glories of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu and Śrī Advaita Prabhu — and Their devotees, devotional activities, names and fame, along with the mellows of Their transcendental loving exchanges — one will learn the essence of the Absolute Truth".  CC Adi lila chapter 108-109

This is a great comment you made and discussion point! How are we saved and obtain prema-bhakti or devotion to Krishna? Are we saved by the gurus instructions and the disciples following those instructions or is another factor worth undertanding?  I want to call your attention to the above quoted verse. Following instructions of Guru is surely part of it process yet the other part, the main part, is in the caitantya caritamrita chapter one on the spiritual master. To hear the transcendental philosophy and transcendental lila explained by the sound vibration of a bonafide spiritual master, who has the qualification that he or she has prema bhakti taste and has deep realization about the lila of Gaura/Krishna. Maharaja Pariksht attained the kingdom of God simply by attentively hearing the lila from a self realized soul and asking questions about it. If one would follow that instruction to hear the transcendental sound vibration of Krishnas Names, Qualities and Pastimes from one who has developed deep ecstatic love of God  then that would be the essence of a worthy instruction to follow...  This is backed up by pure clear conception taught by the above quoted  verse. One attains the fruit of love of God just by following the book bhagavatas instruction to hear the lila from a living devotee who has realized Krishna. I hope you like this contribution here to the discussion

As Above in The Spiritual World So Will It Below In This World Shortly

Unfortunately what is often missing in the photos and statues of Krishna is the sight of  the living expressions of devotional feelings, the natural bodily changes that occur as well as the effulgence that emanates when the Lord meets with his devotee and when the devotee meets with the Lord. Seeing photos of Krishna without their actually emotional expression, we may naturally conclude consciously or unconsciously that this is what  the holy abode is like, devoid of devotional feelings and expression. Then if such feelings are seen in this world when devotees are meeting with the Lord during their Bhajana during public Kirtan or when they are speaking or hearing the pastimes and qualities of Krishna, most think it's weird, become adverse and cannot cope with the situation. This is why generally Rasik or devotees who  relish genuine rasa often hide such expressions as to not disturb others or be disturbed by the apparent negative reactions of others.

However where would we be if Lord Caitanya and His associates did not drown the world in their prema bhakti kirtan which filled the universe with living devotional expression and purified it of material contamination.  Lord Caitanya saw that Nityananada was not expressing his esctatic devotional nature and just walking around like a peaceful sage or  super soul just observing. Lord Caitanya gave Nityananda the sighn, saying if you do not act a little more wild in this world and express your devotional nature and feelings in this world how are you going to accomplish your mission of saving the conditioned souls. The way I see it the main mission of our glorious disciplic succession of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas has been to get the world ready to comprehend, receive and bare periodic intense raining of prema bhakti rasa in public kirtan and with genuinely qualified devotees glorifying the qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead to purify the contaminated atmosphere of darkness of material rasa enjoyed  by the inhabitants of this Kali yuga. Why else is the Supreme Lord and the Acaryas putting books in our hands like Nectar of Devotion, Bhakti Rasamrita sindu, Caitanya Caritamrita, Caitanya Bhagavata and so many other devotional literatures meant to ultimately ignite our dormant devotional love of God. To help clarify what we are discussing here, the following is a short conversation of myself and a  vaishnava who had a spiritual awakening and found that in the west he felt the need to suppress it.

Devotee comment : During one time of what I experienced as spiritual awakening I went out of hand, in India they respected me, in England I got sectioned. A tough learning for me to exercise control.

Gaurahari das: I am glad you mentioned this topic as I see the signs that the Lord is about to wake up in this world again through more and more devotees .Yes exercise control until you get stronger and can handle the feedback. Of course that's unless the Lord inspires you to be more of His Self, channeling through you into this world to purify it. Bhagavatam states that the body of the Lord is composed of ecstatic spiritual emotion. Channeling the Lords personal potency in this world causes the world, who are mostly adverse to this spiritual potency to react apparently negatively but its not actually the case. When Krishna personal potency descends in this world, even through his devotees, then one gets the experience of Gita verse, " Fools deride me when I descend into this world". Well we are all fools and sometimes he chooses some fools to express his divine nature through to purify the world.  The Me he is talking about is this ecstatic devotional potency which causes the hecklers to come forth because they are attracted through being adverse to the Lord. This is actually a good sign and this is part of the purification is the contamination is fed into the fire this way. You are actually doing the world a big service when you get strong enough to take the heat caused by logs being feed into this devotional fire.