Niranjana Swami's Quote Of The Day

Topic

September 20

How can we determine our own level of advancement?
We have to look into our own heart. If we see that we are exhibiting symptoms of anisthita-bhakti, we must continue our work on the stage of anartha-nivritti. What are the anarthas? Perhaps we are fault-finding, duplicitous, envious of others, or we desire to be worshiped. Or perhaps we are neglecting the instructions of scripture. By looking at our own heart, we should be able to see the truth of our situation. Even though we may not be able to clearly understand the higher level of nisthita-bhakti, if we want to advance in devotional practices, we have to at least recognize our own anarthas and decide that they should be removed. Otherwise, we are subject to the anartha called tattva-vibhrama (ignorance). That is, we are ignorant of the obstacles we must overcome to make advancement in spiritual life. Don’t waste time trying to figure out what is in anyone else’s heart; focus on your own
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 55, last paragraph)

September 19

The acaryas have explained that these six categories (utsaha-mayi, ghana-tarala, vyudha-vikalpa, visaya-sangara, niyamaksama, taranga-rangini) of unsteady devotional service only to help us look at ourselves. Don’t spend time trying to categorize the advancement or perceived lack of advancement of other devotees. Try to understand how to make spiritual advancement. Having come in contact with bhakti-yoga, be very, very careful that you do not lose this rare chance to love Krishna, which is available only in this human form of life
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 55, 5th paragraph)

September 18

The last characteristic of anisthita-bhakti is taranga-rangini, enjoying the facilities bhakti offers. We may chant Hare Krishna for some time and gradually become steady. This may bring us respect or even position. Then we begin to like the position and facilities our practices give us, and become more attached to the facilities than to bhakti itself. Lord Caitanya explained to Rupa Gosvami that while watering the devotional seed in the heart, sometimes it is found that the weeds (anarthas) grow faster than the devotional creeper. We have to learn to discriminate between the devotional creeper and the weeds, and then cut away the weeds. This is too difficult a task to perform alone. Rather, Krishna removes the anarthas from the hearts of those who have developed the urge to hear about Him. The more eager we are to hear about Krishna rather than to meditate on our material desires, the more Krishna will act from within the heart to remove the material desires from our heart. Be attentive while watering the devotional plant. If we find ourselves focusing more on the weeds than the bhakti-lata , then we are guilty of taranga-rangini, enjoying our own anarthas in the name of practicing bhakti.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 54, last paragraph)

September 17

The fifth symptom of anisthita bhakti is niyamaksama, vowing to serve Krishna. While visaya-saigara refers to making vows to renounce whatever is unfavorable to bhakti, niyamaksama means making vows to increase one’s service, such as chanting twenty-five rounds on Ekadasi, but being unable to keep them.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 54, 6th paragraph)

September 16

The fourth stage of anisthita bhakti is visaya-sangara, struggle with the senses. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura quotes: “One whose heart is absorbed in materialism is far from obtaining devotion to Visnu. How can a man by going east obtain something that is in the west?” Struggle with the senses indicates that we want to satisfy our material desires. But we also want spiritual advancement. If we try to satisfy the desires, then how will we make spiritual advancement? Srila Prabhupada gave a different analogy: How can a person hope to ignite a fire if he pours water on it at the same time? So, we have to give up our material attachments.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 54, 3rd paragraph)

September 3

The third characteristic of anisthita bhakti is vyudha-vikalpa, indecisiveness. We become indecisive when we are trying to find the best way to surrender, yet remain under the sway of our material attachments. We search continuously for a more comfortable way to surrender—a way that still allows us to fulfill our material desires. We remain indecisive, and in the end do nothing for Krishna.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 54, 2nd paragraph)

September 2

The second stage of anisthita bhakti is called ghana-tarala, which literally means “thick-thin” or sporadic endeavor. Sometimes we are enthusiastic and think, “I feel good about my practice of bhakti. I am getting the respect I deserve and the results I am earning. Everything is going so nicely.” But then things change: “This Krishna consciousness is too difficult. I have no taste, and no one respects me.” We lose our enthusiasm. Sometimes when we lose our enthusiasm, we also lose our ability to practice regulated sadhana. We get absorbed in material consciousness, then begin to suffer, and take up the chanting again. We gain a little steadiness, then stop again, because we have not discovered the importance of chanting or the truth about ourselves.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 53, and Pg 54)

September 1

A brahmana boy may begin his study of scripture and think he has become a learned scholar worthy of everyone’s praise. Similarly, those who are just beginning devotional service may have the audacity to think they have mastered the process and attained a high state. The scripture calls that utsaha-mayi—we are puffed up with enthusiasm. The problem is that such enthusiasm is coming from a false conception of ourselves. We think, “I’m chanting Hare Krishna, wearing kanthi-mala and devotional clothing. I have been a member of the society of devotees for some time, and I know a few Bhagavad-gita verses. I can also play fancy karatalas. Compared to everyone else around here, I’m an advanced devotee!” We draw enthusiasm from thinking we are more advanced than everyone else. Therefore it is called “false” enthusiasm. And we see that such false enthusiasm does not last. As soon as we are no longer recognized for our so-called advancement, we lose heart to practice Krishna consciousness. When we do not get the respect we think we deserve, we feel something is missing in our spiritual life. “I am advanced, but no one else seems to recognize me for what I am. I’m the only one who can see it.” False enthusiasm is another face of pride and must be given up.
(LFD, Vol2, Being Careful to Avoid Anisthita-bhakti, Pg 53, 2nd paragraph)

August 31

Don’t doubt that Maya is doing her service expertly and that she is powerful. The moment we think, “Okay, Maya, I know exactly what you are doing, and I know how to defeat you!” Maya laughs and says, “Oh? You think you can defeat me?” Krishna Himself says that Maya acts perfectly according to His will. Someone who acts perfectly according to Krishna’s will cannot be obstructed by anyone else. So only Maya’s original source of strength, Krishna, can defeat her. When Hiranyakasipu asked Prahlada where he got his strength, he said, “My dear father, I have gotten my strength from the same place you have gotten yours.”Because Prahlada got his strength by surrendering to Lord Visnu, he was able to overcome Maya. Hiranyakasipu also received his strength from Lord Visnu, but he could not overcome Maya because he did not take shelter of that source of his strength.
(LFD, Vol2, Spiritual Strength in Executing Sadhana-bhakti, Pg 49 and Pg 50)

August 30

What steps are most important in the initial stages of sadhana-bhakti if we want to gain spiritual strength?
Srila Prabhupada explains that we must erect a fence to protect the seed of our bhakti. That fence is to always keep ourselves in the society of devotees. This fence will protect the seed once it has been planted and has started to grow, and it will keep out mad elephants. Of course, we may ourselves invite mad elephants to trample our creeper—such as when we offend devotees—but the fence will protect us if we prosecute our devotional service carefully. Once the seed of bhakti is planted, we must water it continuously with hearing and chanting if we want it to grow. While watering, however, we must be careful to pull out any weeds that grow alongside the creeper. That means we have to learn to discriminate between weeds and the devotional plant. The weeds are compared to anarthas, unwanted desires in the heart, that can choke the growing plant. Therefore the most important step one must take in the initial stage of sadhana-bhakti is to associate with those devotees who help us become free from the influence of our anarthas and who strengthen our faith in pure devotional service.
(LFD, Vol2, Spiritual Strength in Executing Sadhana-bhakti, Pg 49, 1st paragraph)

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