Mail Archive
[Prev][Next][Alpha][Date]
Cintamani
-
Subject: Cintamani
-
From: Madhava das
-
Date: Tue Feb 20 08:52:02 1996
-
Message-Id: id746
Dear Madhavadasa Prabhu
Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
You have said the issue is not a clear-cut one and you have mentioned
Bhilvamangla Thakura and Cintamani. Bilvamangla accepted Cintamani as one of
his gurus as she encouraged him to take to Krishna consciousness. She was a
devotee, maybe even a pure devotee, she obviously had faith in Krishna and
understood the purpose of life was to serve Krishna. By some arrangement of
fate she was in the position of a prostitute, but still she was a devotee, so
her preaching was effective.
We also have to consider:
api cet suduracaro bhajate mam annanya-bhak
sadhur eva sa mantavyah samyag vyvavasito he sah
"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in
devotional service, he is to be considered saintly because he is properly
situated."
"...Therefore a person who is situated in Krishna consciousness and is engaged
with determination in the process of chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare should
be considered to be in the transcendental position, even if by chance or
accident he is found to have fallen. The words sadhur eva, "he is saintly," are
very emphatic. They are a warning to the nondevotees that because of an
accidental falldown a devotee should not be derided; he should still be
considered saintly even if he has fallen down accidently. And the word
mantavyah is still more emphatic. If one does not follow this rule, and derides
a devotee for his accidental falldown, then he is disobeying the order of the
Supreme Lord. the only qualification of a devotee is to be unflinchingly and
exclusively engaged in devotional service." (Bhagavad-gita 9.30)
So sometimes a sincere devotee, due to bad association, may fall from the
proper standards. But if it is an accidental fall-down and if he remains firmly
fixed in his devotional service and continues chanting Hare Krishna then he is
fixed in devotional service and the fire of devotional service will very
quickly burn up all the sinful reactions in his heart and the temporary
abominable activities will very soon stop.
"The mark of a spot which may be seen on the moon does not become an impediment
to the moonlight. Similarly, the accidental falldown of a devotee from the path
of a saintly character does not make him abominable. On the other hand, one
should not misunderstand that a devotee in transcendental devotional service
can act in all kinds of abominable ways; this verse only refers to an accident
due to the strong power of material connections.
"Devotional service is more or less a declaration of war against the illusory
energy, there may be accidental falldowns. But when one is strong enough, he is
no longer subject to such falldowns, as previously explained.
"No one should take advantage of this verse and commit nonsense and think that
he is still a devotee. If he does not improve in his character by devotional
service, then it is understood that he is not a high devotee."
But a serious, sincere devotee [what to speak of a bona fide spiritual
master!!!] is liberated in any condition of life. That is a very basic point
which the GBC and Vijay with his Madhava sampradaya ideas just can't grasp.
iha yasya harer dasye karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu jivan-muktah sa ucyate
"One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body, mind and
words is to be considered liberated in all conditions of material existence."
(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187)
The point is if one has actually surrendered to a bona fide spiritual master
and is fully engaged in Krishna consciousness under his direction, even though
there may be some discrepancies, he is a liberated soul. BUT ONE HAS TO
SURRENDER TO A LIBERATED BONA FIDE SPIRITUAL MASTER FIRST!!! Otherwise his
devotional service is just imagination.
"A Krishna conscious person, however, being always situated in the
transcendental loving service of the Lord, automatically becomes the controller
of the senses. His senses, being always engaged in the service of Krishna, have
no chance of being otherwise engaged. So at the end of life he is naturally
transferred to the transcendental plane of Lord Krishna; consequently he makes
no attempt to increase his longevity. HE IS AT ONCE RAISED TO THE PLATFORM OF
LIBERATION.
"A Krishna conscious person begins from the transcendental stage, and he is
constantly in that consciousness. Therefore there is no falling down and he
enters into the abode of the Lord without delay." (Bhagavad-gita 4.29, from
Srila Prabhupada's purport)
"The pure bhakti devotee does not desire promotion to the heavenly planets nor
does he seek salvation or liberation from material entanglement. A pure devotee
does not desire anything. In the Caitanya-caritamrta the pure devotee is called
niskarma, which means he has no desire for self-interest. Perfect peace belongs
to him alone, not to those who strive for personal gain. The pure devotee only
wants to please the Supreme Lord, and so the Lord says that anyone who is
unflinchingly devoted to Him, He is easy to attain. The devotees can render
service to any of the transcendental forms of the Supreme Lord, and he meets
with none of the problems that plague the practitioners of other yogas.
"Bhakti-yoga is very simple and pure and easy to perform. One can begin by
simply chanting Hare Krishna. Krishna is very merciful to those who engage in
His service, and He helps in various ways that devotee who is fully surrendered
to Him so he can understand Him as He is. The Lord gives such a devotee
sufficient intelligence so that ultimately the devotee can attain Him in His
spiritual kingdom.
"The special qualification of the pure devotee is that he is always thinking of
Krishna without considering the time or place. There should be no impediments.
He should be able to carry out his service anywhere and at any time. Some say
that the devotee should remain in the holy places like Vrndavana or some holy
town where the Lord lived, but a pure devotee can live anywhere and create the
atmosphere of Vrndavana by his devotional service. It was Sri Advaita who told
Lord Caitanya, "Wherever You are, O Lord -- that is Vrndavana." (Bhagavad-gita
8.14)
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy!
Your servant
Madhudvisa dasa
>Dear Madhudvisha,
>
>Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada and his
>pure or sincere disciples.
>
>Thank you for fowarding your letter to Vaishnava to me.
>
>Bilvamangala Thakur accepted Cintamani, a prostitute, as his spiritual master.
>Anyone who is favorable to the process of devotional service should be
>respected.
>
>vanca kalpa tarubhyash ca
>kripa sindhu 'bhya eva ca
>patitanam pavanebhyo
>vaisnavebhyo namo' namah
>
>Yours truly,
>
>Madhavadasa Dasa
>
>
Alphabetical Index |
Date Index
[Home]
[Index]
[Articles]
[Prabhupada]
[Krishna]
[Archive]
[Links]
[Feedback]
madhudvisa@krishna.org
Chant Hare Krishna and be happy! All glories to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada!