Post by Uttamasloka on Oct 6, 2015 16:50:47 GMT -5
In His original form, ie: svayam-rupa, in Vraja lila, Krsna exhibits His most personal and vulnerable identity. In that form He reveals and displays the most intense and sweet love in all existence - Vraja prema. The experience of that love only happens in the context of reciprocal relationships within the four main categories in Vraja lila, namely, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya. Each of these relationships, and their unlimited levels and variations, bring out Krsna’s prema to the fullest extent, with Radha being the absolute epitome.
The basis for those reciprocal exchanges, which makes their prema the sweetest and highest, is that it is unconditional, meaning there is no selfish motivation for their outpouring of love. It is solely and purely for each others’ pleasure and benefit, with no expectation of anything in return. Because the Vraja-vasis have that level of unconditional love, it gives Krsna the highest pleasure and brings out the same in Him, which also gives Him pleasure and literally controls Him, making Him feel obligated to them, ie: to give them Himself as completely as each individual gives themself to Him.
That level of love is only possible in Vraja lila. All jivas are eligible to participate on that level in Vraja lila, ie: they have the inherent capacity in their being - svarupa - to attain that level, because of their eternal connection with Krsna and their constitutional position as His servants. But they can only fully realize that potential by mercy.
The first mercy comes causelessly from devotees of Krsna in the material world. Krsna remains somewhat neutral as the Supersoul and He lets His devotees freely distribute the mercy of bhakti to others. Krsna’s devotees are not neutral and they give this gift according to their own capacity, discrimination and desires, ie: it is causeless. Krsna then becomes involved more directly because the jiva’s desires are shifting towards Him, so He responds accordingly.
Krsna has unlimited love for each jiva and every devotee in the spiritual world. But He reciprocates according to each individual’s desires. BG, 4.11: ye yatha mam prapadyante - As they surrender to Me, I reciprocate accordingly. In the material world the jivas want to enjoy material nature in an unlimited variety of identities and circumstances, so Krsna fulfills those desires according to the limitations of their self-created karma. That is a display of His love for them according to their position and desires, which are not focused on Him. As the jivas become more interested in spiritual knowledge He guides them according to their inclinations, always giving them opportunities to progress further and higher.
So although Krsna’s love is always unlimited, it is given according to what each individual wants from Him and according to each individual’s capacity to receive it at any given time, either knowing or unknowingly. Krsna’s reciprocation is always guided, so to speak, according to the jiva's desires. Otherwise He would be guilty of being arbitrarily partial by favoring some and not others.
In the material world love cannot be expressed to its full potential due to the limitations and qualitative influences of material energy, ie: the gunas and karma. So it is always affected or conditioned by those limitations and it can never be fully spiritual as long as one is still under the control of maya and the gunas. They are the limiting factors.
Prema exists eternally and is purely and solely svarupa-sakti, ie: Krsna’s personal internal energy. The jivas have the capacity to receive prema, ie: to become repositories of prema, and that is done by first establishing a relationship with Krsna in the context of one of His unlimited lilas. For Gaudiya Vaisnavas that means establishing a relationship with Krsna in the context of Vraja lila in one of the four primary relational categories, namely, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya.
Once the ‘type’ of relationship is established, the jiva can then cultivate the development of that particular type of prema associated with that relationship. That is done by identifying a Vraja-vasi in the lila whose prema and seva are of the same type that one desires, and then following their example with the intense desire to attain one's own unique personal expression of that prema and seva.
Following (anuga) the Vraja-vasi's example means during one’s internal sadhana and bhajana. That is the essence of raganuga-bhakti, which is part of sadhana-bhakti. And beyond that, after attaining the stage of bhava-bhakti, one will eventually enter into that Vraja-vasi’s group of associates eternally as a like-minded member in bhauma-lila, where the full perfection of their love and seva will take place in the direct association of those nitya-siddhas.
Thus, one becomes qualified to fully reciprocate the highest levels of prema with Krsna directly in His lila in the association of the nitya-siddha Vraja-vasis. That is the perfection of love.
The basis for those reciprocal exchanges, which makes their prema the sweetest and highest, is that it is unconditional, meaning there is no selfish motivation for their outpouring of love. It is solely and purely for each others’ pleasure and benefit, with no expectation of anything in return. Because the Vraja-vasis have that level of unconditional love, it gives Krsna the highest pleasure and brings out the same in Him, which also gives Him pleasure and literally controls Him, making Him feel obligated to them, ie: to give them Himself as completely as each individual gives themself to Him.
That level of love is only possible in Vraja lila. All jivas are eligible to participate on that level in Vraja lila, ie: they have the inherent capacity in their being - svarupa - to attain that level, because of their eternal connection with Krsna and their constitutional position as His servants. But they can only fully realize that potential by mercy.
The first mercy comes causelessly from devotees of Krsna in the material world. Krsna remains somewhat neutral as the Supersoul and He lets His devotees freely distribute the mercy of bhakti to others. Krsna’s devotees are not neutral and they give this gift according to their own capacity, discrimination and desires, ie: it is causeless. Krsna then becomes involved more directly because the jiva’s desires are shifting towards Him, so He responds accordingly.
Krsna has unlimited love for each jiva and every devotee in the spiritual world. But He reciprocates according to each individual’s desires. BG, 4.11: ye yatha mam prapadyante - As they surrender to Me, I reciprocate accordingly. In the material world the jivas want to enjoy material nature in an unlimited variety of identities and circumstances, so Krsna fulfills those desires according to the limitations of their self-created karma. That is a display of His love for them according to their position and desires, which are not focused on Him. As the jivas become more interested in spiritual knowledge He guides them according to their inclinations, always giving them opportunities to progress further and higher.
So although Krsna’s love is always unlimited, it is given according to what each individual wants from Him and according to each individual’s capacity to receive it at any given time, either knowing or unknowingly. Krsna’s reciprocation is always guided, so to speak, according to the jiva's desires. Otherwise He would be guilty of being arbitrarily partial by favoring some and not others.
In the material world love cannot be expressed to its full potential due to the limitations and qualitative influences of material energy, ie: the gunas and karma. So it is always affected or conditioned by those limitations and it can never be fully spiritual as long as one is still under the control of maya and the gunas. They are the limiting factors.
Prema exists eternally and is purely and solely svarupa-sakti, ie: Krsna’s personal internal energy. The jivas have the capacity to receive prema, ie: to become repositories of prema, and that is done by first establishing a relationship with Krsna in the context of one of His unlimited lilas. For Gaudiya Vaisnavas that means establishing a relationship with Krsna in the context of Vraja lila in one of the four primary relational categories, namely, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya.
Once the ‘type’ of relationship is established, the jiva can then cultivate the development of that particular type of prema associated with that relationship. That is done by identifying a Vraja-vasi in the lila whose prema and seva are of the same type that one desires, and then following their example with the intense desire to attain one's own unique personal expression of that prema and seva.
Following (anuga) the Vraja-vasi's example means during one’s internal sadhana and bhajana. That is the essence of raganuga-bhakti, which is part of sadhana-bhakti. And beyond that, after attaining the stage of bhava-bhakti, one will eventually enter into that Vraja-vasi’s group of associates eternally as a like-minded member in bhauma-lila, where the full perfection of their love and seva will take place in the direct association of those nitya-siddhas.
Thus, one becomes qualified to fully reciprocate the highest levels of prema with Krsna directly in His lila in the association of the nitya-siddha Vraja-vasis. That is the perfection of love.