Hare Krishna ,
Please explain and comment on
" Srila Prabhupada warned, even stalwarts can fall prey to the allurements of illusory pleasures "
What is the guarantee that a guru will not fall ,
what if our guru falls , how to gulp and carry on Devotional Service .
Srila Prabhupada said the path of devotional service is full of thorns !!
How to manage ourself from falls !!
Hari Bol !!
Replies
761102SB.VRN Lectures
So in order to know that science, one has to APPROACH A PERFECT TEACHER. Tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet. Here also it is said, gurau hamsa. Hamse gurau mayi. The mayi is also significant. That means, PARAMAHAMSA GURU MEANS, HE’S AS GOOD AS THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD. BECAUSE HE DOES NOT DEVIATE from the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the symptom of guru. GURU DOES NOT DEVIATE FROM THE INSTRUCTION OF THE SUPREME PERSONALITY OF GODHEAD.
NoI 7
ALTHOUGH MAYA MAY BE PRESENT, IT CANNOT DISTURB A DEVOTEE ONCE HE
ATTAINS THE BHAVA STAGE. This is because the devotee can see the real
position of maya. Maya means forgetfulness of Krsna, and forgetfulness of Krsna and Krsna consciousness stand side by side like light and shadow. If one remains in shadow, he cannot enjoy the facilities offered by light, and if one remains in light, he cannot be disturbed by the darkness of shadow.
Madhya 16.74
Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura says that if an observer
immediately remembers the holy name of Krsna upon seeing a Vaisnava, that Vaisnava should be considered a maha-bhagavata, a first-class devotee. Such a Vaisnava is always aware of his Krsna conscious duty, and he is enlightened in self-realization. He is always in love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and this love is without adulteration.
Because of this love, he is always awake to transcendental realization.
Because he knows that Krsna consciousness is the basis of knowledge and
action, he sees everything connected with Krsna. Such a person is able to chant the holy name of Krsna perfectly. Such a maha-bhagavata Vaisnava has the transcendental eyes to see who is sleeping under the spell of maya, and he engages himself in awakening sleeping conditioned beings by spreading the knowledge of Krsna consciousness. He opens eyes that are closed by forgetfulness of Krsna. Thus the living entity is liberated from the dullness of material energy and is engaged fully in the service of the Lord. The madhyama-adhikari Vaisnava can awaken others to Krsna consciousness and engage them in duties whereby they can advance. It is therefore said in Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, Chapter Six, verse
279):
lohake yavat sparsi’ hema nahi kare
tavat sparsa-mani keha cinite na pare
“One cannot understand the value of touchstone until it turns iron into
gold.” One should judge by action, not by promises. A MAHA-BHAGAVATA CAN TURN A LIVING ENTITY FROM ABOMINABLE MATERIAL LIFE TO THE LORD’S SERVICE. THIS IS THE TEST OF A MAHA-BHAGAVATA. Although preaching is not meant for a maha-bhagavata, a maha-bhagavata can descend to the platform of madhyama-bhagavata just to convert others to Vaisnavism. ACTUALLY A MAHA-BHAGAVATA IS FIT TO SPREAD KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS, but he does not distinguish where Krsna consciousness should be spread from where it should not. He thinks that everyone is competent to accept Krsna consciousness if the chance is provided. A neophyte and intermediate devotee should always be anxious to hear the maha-bhagavata and serve him in every respect. The neophyte and intermediate devotees can gradually rise to the platform of uttama-adhikari and become first-class devotees. Symptoms of a first-class
devotee are given in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.2.45):
sarva-bhutesu yah pasyed
bhagavad-bhavam atmanah
bhutani bhagavaty atmany
esa bhagavatottamah
When teaching Sanatana Gosvami, the Lord further said:
sastra-yuktye sunipuna, drdha-sraddha yanra
‘UTTAMA-ADHIKARI’ SE TARAYE SAMSARA
“If one is expert in Vedic literature and has full faith in the Supreme
Lord, then he is AN UTTAMA-ADHIKARI, A FIRST-CLASS VAISNAVA, A TOPMOST
VAISNAVA WHO CAN DELIVER THE WHOLE WORLD AND TURN EVERYONE TO KRSNA
CONSCIOUSNESS.” (Cc. Madhya 22.65) With great love and affection, the
maha-bhagavata observes the Supreme Personality of Godhead, devotional
service and the devotee. He observes nothing beyond Krsna, Krsna
consciousness and Krsna’s devotees. The maha-bhagavata knows that everyone is engaged in the Lord’s service in different ways. He therefore descends to the middle platform to elevate everyone to the Krsna conscious position.
Bg 9.3
There are three divisions of Krsna conscious men. In the third class are those who have no faith. If they are engaged in devotional service
officially, for some ulterior purpose, they cannot achieve the highest
perfectional stage. Most probably they will slip, after some time. They may become engaged, but because they haven’t complete conviction and faith, it is very difficult for them to continue in Krsna consciousness. WE HAVE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN DISCHARGING OUR MISSIONARY ACTIVITY THAT SOME PEOPLE COME AND APPLY THEMSELVES TO KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS WITH SOME HIDDEN MOTIVE, AND AS SOON AS THEY ARE ECONOMICALLY A LITTLE WELL SITUATED THEY GIVE UP THIS PROCESS AND TAKE TO THEIR OLD WAYS AGAIN. It is only by faith that one can advance in Krsna consciousness. As far as the development of faith is concerned, one who is well versed in the literatures of devotional service and has attained the stage of firm faith is called a first-class person in Krsna consciousness. And in the second-class are those who are
not very advanced in understanding the devotional scriptures but who
automatically have firm faith that krsna-bhakti or service to Krsna is the best course and so in good faith have taken it up. Thus they are superior to the third-class who have neither perfect knowledge of the scriptures nor good faith but by association and simplicity are trying to follow. THE THIRD-CLASS PERSON IN KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS MAY FALL DOWN, BUT WHEN ONE IS IN THE SECOND-CLASS OR FIRST-CLASS HE DOES NOT FALL DOWN. One in the first-class will surely make progress and achieve the result at the end. As far as the third-class person in Krsna consciousness is concerned, although he has faith in the conviction that devotional service to Krsna is very good, he has no knowledge of Krsna through the scriptures like Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Sometimes these third-class persons in Krsna consciousness have some tendency toward karma-yoga and jnana-yoga, and sometimes they are disturbed, but as soon as the infection of karma-yoga or jnana-yoga is vanquished, they become second-class or first-class persons in Krsna consciousness. FAITH IN KRSNA IS ALSO DIVIDED INTO THREE STAGES AND DESCRIBED IN SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM. FIRST-CLASS ATTACHMENT, SECOND-CLASS ATTACHMENT, AND THIRD-CLASS ATTACHMENT ARE ALSO EXPLAINED IN SRIMAD-BHAGAVATAM IN THE ELEVENTH CANTO. Those who have no faith even after hearing about Krsna and the excellence of devotional service, who think that it is simply eulogy, find the path very difficult, even if they are supposedly engaged in devotional service. For them there is very little hope in gaining perfection. Thus faith is very important in
the discharge of devotional service.
Madhya 22.71
It should be understood that a madhyama-adhikari, a second-class
devotee, is fully convinced of Krsna consciousness but cannot support his convictions with sastric reference. A neophyte may fall down by associating with nondevotees because he is not firmly convinced and strongly situated. The second-class devotee, even though he cannot support his position with sastric reference, can gradually become a first-class devotee by studying the sastras and associating with a first-class devotee. However, if the second-class devotee does not advance himself by associating with a first-class devotee, he makes no progress. THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY THAT A FIRST-CLASS DEVOTEE WILL FALL DOWN, EVEN THOUGH HE MAY MIX WITH NONDEVOTEES TO PREACH. Conviction and faith gradually increase to make one an uttama-adhikari, a first-class devotee.
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