Dasa-mula-tattva
Thakura Bhaktivinoda
“In both forms of sadhana-bhakti (vaidhi and raga) guru is required. In vaidhi-bhakti-sadhana, according to the aspirant’s level of spiritual taste (ruci), the guru will give necessary instructions on how to vanquish anarthas by following scriptural injunctions. Then again, the guru will guide the raganuga-bhakti-sadhaka on the path of rasa, spiritual relish, according to the disciple’s intrinsic spiritual tendency.
The guru must analyze the disciple’s natural tendency and establish his innate lobha (greed) for one of the four rasas - dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya. Having determined his innate lobha, the guru schools him with pertinent instructions. Otherwise, left to himself, the disciple will stumble along as an unauthorized intruder into the path of rasa and his lobha and bhava will never reach steadiness. It is not that everyone must be sadhakas of madhurya rasa. The guru who is unable to determine his disciple's innate lobha, should, without duplicity, express his inability and send his disciple to an eligible bona-fide guru conversant in this science of rasa. For the sadhaka disciple, it is a spiritual catastrophe if he is without the shelter of a bona-fide highly qualified guru.
If good fortune visits a living entity and he meets a pure devotee who is a recipient of Sri Caitanya’s boundless mercy then that fortunate soul will certainly develop attraction and greed for the spiritual sentiments that adorn the eternal residents of Vraja. As long as a living entity does not meet a pure devotee of this stature, he will remain on the level of vaidhi bhakti, regulative devotional service. But, as soon as the practitioner, under superior guidance, takes shelter of Sri Caitanya’s lotus feet, he becomes elevated to the path of raga-bhakti, spontaneous devotional service.”
“In both forms of sadhana-bhakti (vaidhi and raga) guru is required. In vaidhi-bhakti-sadhana, according to the aspirant’s level of spiritual taste (ruci), the guru will give necessary instructions on how to vanquish anarthas by following scriptural injunctions. Then again, the guru will guide the raganuga-bhakti-sadhaka on the path of rasa, spiritual relish, according to the disciple’s intrinsic spiritual tendency.
The guru must analyze the disciple’s natural tendency and establish his innate lobha (greed) for one of the four rasas - dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhurya. Having determined his innate lobha, the guru schools him with pertinent instructions. Otherwise, left to himself, the disciple will stumble along as an unauthorized intruder into the path of rasa and his lobha and bhava will never reach steadiness. It is not that everyone must be sadhakas of madhurya rasa. The guru who is unable to determine his disciple's innate lobha, should, without duplicity, express his inability and send his disciple to an eligible bona-fide guru conversant in this science of rasa. For the sadhaka disciple, it is a spiritual catastrophe if he is without the shelter of a bona-fide highly qualified guru.
If good fortune visits a living entity and he meets a pure devotee who is a recipient of Sri Caitanya’s boundless mercy then that fortunate soul will certainly develop attraction and greed for the spiritual sentiments that adorn the eternal residents of Vraja. As long as a living entity does not meet a pure devotee of this stature, he will remain on the level of vaidhi bhakti, regulative devotional service. But, as soon as the practitioner, under superior guidance, takes shelter of Sri Caitanya’s lotus feet, he becomes elevated to the path of raga-bhakti, spontaneous devotional service.”
Comments