THE NECTAR OF DEVOTION THE COMPLETE SCIENCE OF BHAKTI YOGA. A SUMMARY STUDY OF BHAKTI-RASAMRTA SINDHU, WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN SANSKRIT BY SRILA RUPAGOSWAMI PRABHUPADA. HE WAS THE CHIEF OF THE SIX GOSWAMIS, WHO WERE THE DIRECT DISCIPLES OF LORD CAITANIA MAHAPRABHU. HIS DIVINE GRACE A.C. BHAKTIVEDANTA PRABHUPADA VERY MERCIFULLY TRANSLATED FOR US SO THAT WE HAVE THE NECTAR OF DEVOTION. nana-sastra-vicaranaika-nipunau sad-dharma-samsthapakau lokanam hita-karinau tri-bhuvane manyau saranyakarau radha-krishna-padaravinda-bhajananandena mattalikau vande rupa-sanatanau raghu-yugau sri-jiva-gopalakau I offer my respectful obeisances unto the six Gosvamis, namely Sri Rupa Gosvami, Sri Sanatana Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha Bhatta Gosvami, Sri Raghunatha dasa Gosvami, Sri Jiva Gosvami, and Sri Gopala Bhatta Gosvami, who are very expert in scrutinizingly studying all the revealed scriptures with the aim of establishing eternal religious principles for the benefit of all human beings. Thus they are honored all over the three worlds and they are worth taking shelter of because they are absorbed in the mood of the gopis and are engaged in the transcendental loving service of Radha and Krishna. THE NEED FOR A BONAFIDE SPIRITUAL MASTER. TEXT TAKEN FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF NECTAR OF DEVOTION. Those who are cultivating spiritual life and executing devotional service are always engaged in activity. Such activity can be performed with the body or with the mind. Thinking, feeling and willing are all activities of the mind, and when we will to do something, the activity comes to be manifest by the gross bodily senses. Thus, in our mental activities we should always try to think of Kåñëa and try to plan how to please Him, following in the footsteps of the great äcäryas and the personal spiritual master. There are activities of the body, activities of the mind and activities of speech. A Kåñëa conscious person engages his words in preaching the glories of the Lord. This is called kértana. And by his mind a Kåñëa conscious person always thinks of the activities of the Lord—as He is speaking on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra or engaging in His various pastimes in Våndävana with His devotees. In this way one can always think of the activities and pastimes of the Lord. This is the mental culture of Kåñëa consciousness. Similarly, we can offer many services with our bodily activities. But all such activities must be in relationship with Kåñëa. This relationship is established by connecting oneself with the bona fide spiritual master, who is the direct representative of Kåñëa in disciplic succession. Therefore, the execution of Kåñëa conscious activities with the body should be directed by the spiritual master and then performed with faith. The connection with the spiritual master is called initiation. From the date of initiation by the spiritual master, the connection between Kåñëa and a person cultivating Kåñëa consciousness is established. Without initiation by a bona fide spiritual master, the actual connection with Kåñëa consciousness is never performed
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 12:02:50 +0000
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