Q. You once said that jnana, yoga and other processes may be helpful in the pursuit of bhakti. You compared it to push-starting a car with a dead battery. Can you explain?
A. Jnana (knowledge) and vairagya (renunciation/detachment) are not limbs of bhakti, but they can be useful to devotees to some extent in the beginning of their practice. This is mentioned in Bhaktirasamrta-sindhu in Srila Rupa Goswami’s discussion of the angas (limbs) of bhakti.
If a jnani or tyagi comes to bhakti, they will likely progress more rapidly than one in whom self knowledge has not yet awakened. Bhagavatam says ‘sadyo hrdy avarudhyate ‘tra krtibhih susrusubhis tat-ksanat.’ This refers to jnanis whose hearts are already cleansed. They will immediately (sadhyah) arrest Krishna in their hearts. Others will have to first cleanse their hearts. In order to know Krishna, one must know oneself.
Q. In a recent Sanga you wrote, “All the names of all the demigods are names for Krishna.” Does this mean that by chanting their names can we also go to Krishna?
A. If one understands these names to be names of God, rather than names of demigods and chants with this orientation, he can make spiritual progress. However, there is no reason to do this. Names like Siva, Indra, etc., while describing Krishna’s qualities of auspiciousness (Siva) and the chief (Indra), will not endear one to him like the chanting of Krishna, Govinda, Gopijanavallabha, etc.
When Krishna defeated Indra and demonstrated that he himself was the supreme Indra, Indra and the other gods coronated him and named him Govinda. He is the Indra of ‘go’ — the Veda, the senses, and the cows. We should chant this name, Govinda.
We all have a spiritual destiny, ultimately it will be attained by chanting a particular name of God that corresponds with our innate spiritual nature as it is revealed. This is the lesson of Sanatana Goswami’s Brhat-bhagavatamrta.
Q. There are so many statements in scripture like ‘by just seeing tulasi one gets residence in Vaikuntha’ or ‘anybody listening to this pastime will not take birth again,’ etc. Are they simply exaggerations? If not, what do they imply?
A. Many of these statements are true in terms of potential. Such things have happened, but they do not happen in all circumstances. Some may also be exaggerations that help neophytes to make progress. These exaggerations may be either in terms of positive or negative results and thus represent the scripture’s effort to motivate us on the basis of fear or prospect respectively. Fear is the most basic motivation for serving God, and prospect is just above fear. Above prospect is duty, and above duty is love.
Q. Is anything awake during Brahma’s night?
A. The planets of spiritual progress, such as Tapaloka, Siddhaloka, etc., remain awake during Brahma’s night. Otherwise the lower planets are not active.
Q. In Sanga 12/23/99, while beautifully describing Krishna coming home with the cowherd boys in the evening, you wrote: “Ratri means night, so aratri means end of night.” Why “a-ratri,” “end of night” if Krishna comes home at the end of the day?
A. Aratri refers to the end of night or darkness because the lamplight of Rohini removes the darkness enough to see the beautiful form of Krishna. She wants to see that his body has not been damaged in the course of his wandering throughout the forest. But her lamplight of love does not remove all darkness. While it does reveal scratches, it does not reveal that they came from Krishna’s afternoon encounter with the gopis, and not from his playful adventures in the forest.
Q. Earlier in the same Sanga you said: “The third verse of Siksastakam, then four, five, six, seven, eight. All these positive developments come from there, ruci, asakti, bhava, and prema.” Do the nine stages of bhakti correspond to each verse of the Siksastakam?
A. Yes. Siksastakam’s first and second verses correspond with the stages from sraddha to anartha nivritti. Verse one awakens faith (sraddha), the desire for good association (sadhu sanga), and inspires practice (bhajana kriya) by describing the effects of nama sankirtana. The second verse corresponds with giving up undesirable things (anartha nivriti). In this verse Mahaprabhu laments that in spite of the merciful dispensation of the holy name, he suffers from the misfortune of anarthas (durdaivam) and thus cannot chant with attachment (nanuragah).
Verse three corresponds with steadiness in practice (nistha/kirtaniya sada hari). The fourth verse describes taste (ruci) by defining it in terms of the absence of a taste for money, followers, sex, and the arts (na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitum). The fifth verse corresponds with attachment (asakti), the stage in which one glimpses his svarupa as an eternal servant of Krishna (nanda tanuja kinkarama). Verses six and seven correspond with bhava, its symptoms (nayanam galad asru dharaya) and the longing for prema (yugayitum nimisena) that further characterizes bhava. Verse eight describes the selfless prema of Radha (aslisya va pada-ratam pinastu mam).
Q. In an earlier Sanga you wrote, “From general faith in God one develops faith in Krishna, Govinda, the cowherder.” I am not able to clearly identify God with Krishna. Is this because of my previous religious background or am I doing something wrong in my devotional practices?
A. Your difficulty in identifying Krishna with God may be a result of your previous religious background. But there is no better candidate for God than Krishna, and no one more charming. Even if you cannot identify him with God you can be charmed by him, and in the end we are not interested in identifying him with God. We want to know him as our friend or lover. In the meantime, you need to hear more about Krishna from scripture and associate with advanced devotees. The holy name of Krishna is non different from Krishna. You can realize this over time by chanting his name attentively.
Q. What guidance can you give me, a member of Iskcon who is seeking progressive spiritual life yet wishes to remain within it to improve it and adhere to Prabhupada?
A. More advanced devotees than yourself have concluded that adherence to Prabhupada is better accomplished by serving separately from Iskcon. The two, leaving Iskcon and serving Iskcon, are not mutually exclusive. However, I understand why you may not want to leave. Your motivation seems noble and I wish you well. As for guidance, it would appear you could benefit from advanced devotees who are not presently in Iskcon although, as you know, this is not acceptable to your authorities. Do the best you can and always try to be honest with yourself. Live up to your ideals at any cost.
