Achieving Goloka without Raganuga Sadhana

Prabhus...

Since writing my book and corresponding with many devotees, I am very surprised at how many devotees are hoping for this special mercy, based on having performed some measure of sincere service during their lives.

It seems that most devotees think that SP will simply "take them to Krsna" because of that service, partially because they can't imagine they would ever become truly qualified otherwise, and also because they think that this is the actual process. A "get out of jail free card" so to speak.

What you have described in these anecdotes appears to me to be an example that these devotees actually developed an inner identity of themselves as serving in that mode in Vraja, without having been aware of the details of this process. In other words, while they were performing their services, inside they were meditating on doing these kinds of things in Vraja with Krsna and the Vraja-vasis, which is precisely the process.

Krsna says to Uddhava in the 11th canto:

Even ignorant persons can very easily come to know the Supreme Lord if they adopt those means spoken by the Supreme Lord Himself, the process known as bhagavata-dharma or devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

O King, in the performance of devotional service he will never be hindered on this path. Even if he intentionally closes his eyes and runs, still he will never stumble or fall. (SB 11.2.34-35)

So in spite of being unaware of the acaryas' detailed teachings, it appears that they intuitively "got it even though running blindly" so to speak, and inwardly cultivated their desired identities to an extent unknown to us, but apparently enough to result in what we hear from their stories.

That's how I'm perceiving it.

That being said, for most devotees to hope for similar results is not recommended by any acaryas, but at the same time, everyone will follow their hearts when it comes to spontaneous raganuga, whether they understand it or not.

We have to ask ourselves: Why did Lord Caitanya spend so much time instructing His primary acaryas in these details, and why did they go to great lengths to write about it in explicit detail? The answers should be obvious to everyone. To blatantly ignore these facts seems to me to be questionable. And the idea that "I'm not worthy" is not appropriate either, for when you read the acaryas' teachings as presented in my book, anyone can see that we are all within reach of this exalted goal, by their mercy in the form of instructions.

Devotees are always warning about taking things cheaply with regard to raganuga, yet so many want to just "get out of jail free" for a partial lifetime's worth of "service." I'm not saying that such people are insincere, but on what basis do they think that there is no value in following the detailed instructions given by our acaryas? There is zero focus by any of the acaryas on krpa-siddhi - only a passing mention within volumes of instructions about the path prescribed for 99.99% of us.

The mood in Vraja is one of unprecedented intense desires and love, and to qualify for entry, one must rise to that same status in one's life through the processes recommended by ALL of our acaryas. Following the path of raganuga as presented by these acaryas is precisely Lord Caitanya's gift to all of us and we should take it with open arms and hearts and dive deep into this ocean of nectar.

No problem. I can't even see that you did that.

I wasn't aware you could modify other persons postings. Probably only administrators can.

One more point re Dhanesvara's post. The anecdotes also clearly show that these devotees were following a Vraja associate, which is another indication of their intuitive following of the raga-marga.

But that should not make devotees feel that they can just whimsically try to do it on their own, while disregarding the acaryas' teachings, because, "other devotees did it." Those devotees were obviously not aware of these teachings for whatever reasons.

My book is an attempt to bring these essential teachings to light, so those who are exposed to them cannot claim ignorance anymore and say, well I'd rather take my chances and wing it. That would be taking things cheaply and not following the acaryas' lead. Sruti-smriti...

I agree with all of your points.

I suggested that they were following because they both "saw" personalities at the last moment who represented their focus during life.

There is a bit of wiggle room for such possibilities in my book, but it's so rare, it's not really worth considering as an option per se. Just something to be aware of for the whole picture.

All glories to those persons who can achieve Antima Smrti (death bed remembrance) of the Lord. However I think what is being highlighted here are two things.

1. Such Antima Smrti even chanting the Hare Krsna mahamantra at the time of death does not according to sastra and previous acharyas necessarily lead to an eternal personal service in Goloka Vrndavan which is the stated goal of Raganuga Sadhana. It may, in rare cases of Kripa Siddha, or when the person has performed Raganuga Sadhana in their previous life.

2. We should not therefore concoct a system where we rely on such Antima Smrti as the path to eternal personal service in Goloka Vrndavan. Because that is not the way presented by the previous acharyas and sastras. This does not mean that we should not arrange for circumstances where such Antima Smrti is easier to achieve. Only that we must not see it as a replacement system for the actual system recommended in sastra and by the previous acharyas.

Dhanesvara,

I am a little uncomfortable with the language of "taking control," and "(second) birth right." Bhakti is not our right but a gift. Granted it is given with diksa in terms of the opportunity to pursue it—the effort to attain more grace, if you will. Sadhana is an effort to attain grace in the form of the blessing of bhava.

Raganuga sadhana is a big subject and it is explained in different ways by different lineages. The Bhaktivinoda parivara tends to take a conservative approach, as do a number of other Gaudiya parivaras. What follows is a description of such a conservative approach.

As far as our choice for rasa, this is repeatedly explained by the Goswamis to be a result of association. With whom one associates one becomes like—samskara. This is the general rule. What appears to be an exception must then be attributed to previous association in another life or the fact that, for example, other bhavas such as sakhya are contained within madhurya. Thus one such bhava may become the bhava of a disciple of the madhurya rasa guru that the disciple is serving. 

Then again, the guru is representing Rasaraja, and thus in a general sense all rasas. Looking at it this way, even a guru in sakhya rasa can give madhurya rasa—just as the president comes from a particular state with state affinities but as the president he or she represent all of the states. As saksad hari tvena the guru represents all possibilities, whereas—kintu prabhur ya priya eva tasya—he or she also has a particular sentiment that most disciples will follow— krsnanandaya dhimahi.

The choosing of a sentiment described by Thakura Bhaktivinoda is tied to ruci. Ruci constitutes the absence of material desire—na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va—and the dawning of three spiritual desires: praptya-abhilasa, anukulya-abhilasa, and sauhrdha-abhilasa—the desire to attain Krsna, the desire to serve him favorably, and the desire to establish a particular affectionate relationship with him. These desires begin to manifest in the stage of ruci, and thus in the context of serious and deep sadhana, wherein the medicine of chanting has become one's food. 


The feeling that the desire to establish a specific affectionate relationship with Krsna is one's own choice is a particular perspective. Actually it descends or arises in the purified heart through sadhana, as nama smaranam develops into rupa and then guna smaranam, or natural, self-arising meditation on a particular from of Krsna and particular qualities of his (out of the 64) relative to the affectionate relationship desired. 

Sri Jiva Goswami explains in his Durgama-sangamani that the ruci aspect of bhava (rucibis citta masrnya krd) is constituted of these desires. So before attaining bhava, as ruci itself is attained these desires begin to manifest. But unlike the stages of asakti and bhava wherein they flow spontaneously, in ruci they are cultivated with one's intelligence. Sri Jiva says about the stage of ruci that, "Ruci means desire
for the Bhagavan, that is directed by the intellect—rucir abhilasah kintu buddhi-purvakam.

But in nistha one can also fix one's ideal on the basis of deep study of sastra that this stage typically involves—nityam bhagavata sevaya. Or on the basis of serving the person Bhagavata and desiring to follow him or her internally. And this will likely give rise to a corresponding desire in ruci. Or even before that in earlier stages the guru may tell us that we are to follow a particular bhava as our ideal. However, in the stage of anistha bhajana kriya and before anartha nivritti eligibility for lila smaranam from the perspective of one's desired affectionate relationship is surely lacking. How can one meditate effectively when one is distracted by other desires, other values (principal anarthas)? Meditation unlike kirtana requires eligibility. Thus Sri Jiva recommends nama smaranam first, which when done attentively cleanses the heart and develops naturally into rupa, guna, and in asakti, lila smaranam. Rupa, guna, and lil are all within the name. And it is Thakura Bhaktivinoda who cautions against premature attempts at such lila smaranam in his Bhajana-rahasya: "The intelligence of one who thinks of his siddha-deha without first achieving eligibility becomes bewildered." He calls this sahajiya-bhava.

Following the above, one who has not attained ruci but is attracted to the idea of following the bhavas of the Vrajavasis is an "ajata-ruci raganuga sadhaka." This is the language Jiva Goswami uses to describe such a sadhaka who has become attracted to the raga marg as a result of associating with a sadhu on that marg but who at the same time is not fully eligible to tread it. Treading it requires doing so in two bodies, a sadhaka deha and a siddha deha. Thus one can follow this marg with a sadhaka deha, as Jiva Goswami explains, before one begins serving in one's siddha deha in meditation. One does so by adhering to the hearing and chanting of vaidhi bhakti with the aspiration to eventually attain such a siddha deha and full eligibility to tread the raga marg. This is then a mixture of raga and vaidhi sadhana with the aim of attaining further eligibility for pure raganuga sadhana that is driven by ruci. The idea is that the siddha deha arises out of the fully engaged/absorbed sadhaka deha. Today many want a siddha deha without taking the trouble to fully engage their sadhaka deha.

Where does lobha fit in? In the lowest sense of the term it constitutes the desire to follow the bhavas of Vraja, as opposed to the majestic love of Vaikuntha. This sets one on the path in as much as the path differs from pure vaidhi bhakti only in terms of orientation and subsequent ideal. But lobha in and of itself does not turn one into a jata-ruci raganuga sadhaka. First comes ajata-ruci raganuga sadhana. And continuing along conservative lines, Mukunda Goswami has commented in his Bhaktirasamrita-sindhu tika that lobha for raganuga sadhana is more rare than bhava of vaidhi bhakti, which Sri Rupa describes as sudurlabha, very rare.

At any rate, while raga bhakti is open to all, qualification to tread the path in all respects is something that is gradually developed, as Jiva Goswami has explained. Indeed many who aspire for Vraja prema cannot even participate in such discussions due their present lack of eligibility.