THE GLORIES OF BHAKTI

Anything that changes is called temporary.We should know that beyond these temporary sensesare our permanent senses, which are now coveredby the material body. The permanent senses,being contaminated by matter, are not acting properly.Bhakti, therefore, involves freeing the sensesfrom this contamination.We have our eyes, but without the light of the sunour eyes are of no value. Similarly, without the lightof Lord Krishna, or without the grace of the spiritualmaster, we cannot see things as they are.Our senses should be engaged in devotional serviceto Lord Krishna, and our mind should have some engagement.The only process that will purify the mind is to engage it inLord Krishna. If we do so, our consciousness will becomefully purified, and there is no chance of the entranceof material desire and greed.Attachment for one thing is the cause of bondage in conditioned life,and the same attachment, when applied to something else,opens the door of mukti (liberation). Attachment for material thingsis called material consciousness, and attachment for Lord Krishnaor His devotee is called Krishna consciousness.Consciousness, therefore, is the platform of attachment.Bhakti is in a far higher position than mukti because a person`s endeavourto get mukti from the material encagement is automatically served in bhakti.One does not have to try seperately to attain mukti. That very service toLord Krishna is the process of one`s liberation because to engage oneselfin bhakti is to liberate oneself from material entanglement.śrī-bhagavān uvācayoga ādhyātmikaḥ puḿsāḿmato niḥśreyasāya meatyantoparatir yatraduḥkhasya ca sukhasya caThe Personality of Godhead answered: The yoga system which relates to the Lord and the individual soul, which is meant for the ultimate benefit of the living entity, and which causes detachment from all happiness and distress in the material world, is the highest yoga system.(S.B. 3:25:13).cetaḥ khalv asya bandhāyamuktaye cātmano matamguṇeṣu saktaḿ bandhāyarataḿ vā puḿsi muktayeThe stage in which the consciousness of the living entity is attracted by the three modes of material nature is called conditional life. But when that same consciousness is attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is situated in the consciousness of liberation.(S.B.3:25:15).ahaḿ mamābhimānotthaiḥkāma-lobhādibhir malaiḥvītaḿ yadā manaḥ śuddhamaduḥkham asukhaḿ samamWhen one is completely cleansed of the impurities of lust and greed produced from the false identification of the body as "I" and bodily possessions as "mine," one's mind becomes purified. In that pure state he transcends the stage of so-called material happiness and distress.(S.B.3:25:16).tadā puruṣa ātmānaḿkevalaḿ prakṛteḥ paramnirantaraḿ svayaḿ-jyotiraṇimānam akhaṇḍitamAt that time the soul can see himself to be transcendental to material existence and always self-effulgent, never fragmented, although very minute in size. (S.B.3:25:17).jñāna-vairāgya-yuktenabhakti-yuktena cātmanāparipaśyaty udāsīnaḿprakṛtiḿ ca hataujasamIn that position of self-realization, by practice of knowledge and renunciation in devotional service, one sees everything in the right perspective; he becomes indifferent to material existence, and the material influence acts less powerfully upon him. (S.B.3:25:18).prasańgam ajaraḿ pāśamātmanaḥ kavayo viduḥsa eva sādhuṣu kṛtomokṣa-dvāram apāvṛtamEvery learned man knows very well that attachment for the material is the greatest entanglement of the spirit soul. But that same attachment, when applied to the self-realized devotees, opens the door of liberation. (S.B.3:25:20).satāḿ prasańgān mama vīrya-saḿvidobhavanti hṛt-karṇa-rasāyanāḥ kathāḥtaj-joṣaṇād āśv apavarga-vartmaniśraddhā ratir bhaktir anukramiṣyatiIn the association of pure devotees, discussion of the pastimes and activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead is very pleasing and satisfying to the ear and the heart. By cultivating such knowledge one gradually becomes advanced on the path of liberation, and thereafter he is freed, and his attraction becomes fixed. Then real devotion and devotional service begin. (S.B.3:25:25).jarayaty āśu yā kośaḿnigīrṇam analo yathāBhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body of the living entity without separate effort, just as fire in the stomach digests all that we eat.(S.B.3:25:33).imaḿ lokaḿ tathaivāmumātmānam ubhayāyinamātmānam anu ye cehaye rāyaḥ paśavo gṛhāḥvisṛjya sarvān anyāḿś camām evaḿ viśvato-mukhambhajanty ananyayā bhaktyātān mṛtyor atipārayeThus the devotee who worships Me, the all-pervading Lord of the universe, in unflinching devotional service, gives up all aspirations to be promoted to heavenly planets or to become happy in this world with wealth, children, cattle, home or anything in relationship with the body. I take him to the other side of birth and death. (S.B.3:25:39/40).nānyatra mad bhagavataḥpradhāna-puruṣeśvarātātmanaḥ sarva-bhūtānāḿbhayaḿ tīvraḿ nivartateThe terrible fear of birth and death can never be forsaken by anyone who resorts to any shelter other than Myself, for I am the almighty Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the original source of all creation, and also the Supreme Soul of all souls.(S.B.3:25:41).etāvān eva loke 'sminpuḿsāḿ niḥśreyasodayaḥtīvreṇa bhakti-yogenamano mayy arpitaḿ sthiramTherefore persons whose minds are fixed on the Lord engage in the intensive practice of devotional service. That is the only means for attainment of the final perfection of life. (S.B.3:25:44).