Sadhana Bhakti-from start to finish-and finally, purification, self perfection

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Prabhupada: Prahlada Maharaja underwent so much persecution. He was
never disturbed, because he was confident that "Krsna will give me
protection. Never mind." That is another position. Maha-bhagavata. We
are kanistha-adhikaris. We have to worship Deity.
 
                          arcayam eva haraye
                       pujam yah sraddhayehate
                       na tad-bhaktesu canyesu
                      sa bhaktah prakrtah smrtah
 
   We are in the prakrta stage. We cannot go to the stage of Prahlada
Maharaja.....


The so-called idol, He went to be witness. He came from Vrndavana to Cuttack. So "idol
worship" is they say. But devotee... Just like people are coming by
thousands to see Jagannatha. Do they come to see idol? Wooden
Jagannatha? They come to see real Jagannatha, Bhagavan Krsna.
Otherwise why they will spend so much money and take so much trouble
and come here? The atheists may say, "How foolish they are. They are
coming here to see a wooden figure and spending so much money." That
is the statement of the atheist. But a devotee comes to see--"Krsna is
here." Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw--immediately fainted. So
there are two visions. Therefore it is forbidden. Arcye visnau
sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave jati-buddhih. So the atheist
class, they see, "Here is a wooden... Oh, what is the Jagannatha made
of? Wood or stone?" They're seeing wood and stone. Similarly,
Vaisnavas also they're seeing, "a American," "European." They are
blind. They have no capacity to... Therefore sastra says, "Don't think
like that, naraki. If you think like that, then you become hellish."
Because he has no vision, he's warned only, that "Don't do this. It is
very dangerous." Arcye visnau sila-dhir gurusu nara-matir vaisnave
jati-buddhih. "Don't do it." Because he cannot see as it is, he has
not elevation, but he is warned, "Don't think like that."
Kanistha-adhikari, he has no such vision. Therefore he's warned, "Do
not do this." Just like a child. He does not know that to touch fire
is dangerous. He's warned, "Do not do it. It will be..." So similarly,
this is warning, "Don't do this." Therefore sastra is there. Yah
sastra-vidhim utsrjya vartate: "Without sastra, if one does anything,"
na sa siddhim avapno..., "he'll never be perfect." So sastra-vidhi  we
have to follow. Then we come to perfection. ....


.... So divya-jnana, transcendental knowledge... If you
don't accept a spiritual master, how you'll get transcen... You'll be
taught here and there, here and there, and waste time. Waste time for
the teacher and waste your valuable time. Therefore you have to be
guided by an expert spiritual master. Read it.
Pradyumna: Krsna-diksadi-siksanam.
Prabhupada: Siksanam. We have to learn. If you don't learn, how you'll
make progress? Then?

Pradyumna: Visrambhena guroh seva. "One should serve the guru,
visrambha..."
Prabhupada: With great respect, with reverence and respect. Then?
Pradyumna: Sadhu-vartmanuvartanam.
Prabhupada: And you must see that what you are doing, that is
according to the principle which all other sadhus and devotees do.
They have tilaka, and you say, "I have no tilaka." That is not
sadhu-marganu. Sadhu-marganugamanam. They have kanthi. You say, "I can
avoid it." That is not sadhu-marganugamanam. So, from very beginning,
if you disobey, then how you'll make progress? Then?
 

Pradyumna: Sad-dharma-prccha.
Prabhupada: Sad-dharma-prccha. You have to inquire from guru how to
make progress. That is sad-dharma. Asad-dharma and sad-dharma. Sad
gamaya, asato ma: "Don't remain in darkness. Make progress." Om tat
sat. So sad-dharma-prccha. Then?
Pradyumna: Then bhogadi-tyagah krsnasya hetave.
Prabhupada: Ah. For Krsna you have to give up sense gratification. No
illicit sex, no meat-eating, no intoxication, no gambling--you have to
adopt so many things, tyaga. Anartha-nivrtti. These are anartha,
unnecessary things. Do you think if you do not smoke, you die?
Unnecessary. What is absolutely necessary, you accept. So
bhogadi-tyagah krsnarthe. Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya: "You
have created so many unnecessary things. Give up." So that is not
possible immediately, but it is possible. Adau sraddha tatah
sadhu-sangah. The sadhu-sanga means associate with sadhu, guru. If we
have sraddha that "I shall now become Krsna conscious"--this is
sraddha, "It is very nice"--then sadhu-sanga: those who are actually
Krsna conscious, you associate with him. Then bhajana-kriya. Then
bhajana-kriya... The bhajana, that rise early in the morning, chant
Hare Krsna mantra, take your bath, and so many things,
bhajana-kriya... Then anartha-nivrttih syat. Then all these unwanted
things will be finished automatically. And if you do not do these
first three, the fourth will not come, fourth stage, anartha... And
after anartha-nivrttih syat, then nistha, firm faith. Then anartha,
tato rucih. Then taste. Then you get taste. Adau sraddha tatah...,
anartha-nivrttih syat, tato nistha tato rucih. Taste. Just like you
have got a taste for a food. You cannot give it up. "I want this."
Ruci. Athasaktih. Then you become attached. Tato bhavah. Sadhakanam
ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah. This is the subject there.(?)
Pradyumna: Adau sraddha?
Prabhupada: This is the next, I think. Sraddha is the
beginning--faith. That faith means firm faith. Just like Kaviraja
Gosvami says, sraddha-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya. That is
faith, fixed-up, firm faith. Krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya.
Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. When you
have got firm faith in this---"Yes! If I surrender to Krsna, all other
dharmas will be performed automatically"--then that is called faith.
In the beginning, if you have no faith, where is the beginning? Then
what is?
 

 

Pradyumna:
 
                      adau sraddha tatah sadhu-
                       sango 'tha bhajana-kriya
                      tato 'nartha-nivrttih syat
                       tato nistha rucis tatah
 
                        athasaktis tato bhavas
                        tatah premabhyudancati
                       sadhakanam ayam premnah
                      pradurbhave bhavet kramah
 
Prabhupada: Pradurbhave bhavet kramah. This is everything,
description. So everything is there. We should take advantage and
become perfect. And this is the chance of becoming perfect, the human
form of life. If we miss it--finished. Nivartante mrtyu-samsara...
Again go to the cycle of birth. Where is guarantee I am not going to
be a dog? Who can check it? Nobody can. Nature's law is very strong.
Karanam guna-sango 'sya sad-asad-janma-yonisu.
 

 

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