Srila Gurudeva (The Supreme Treasure)
by Swami Bhaktivedanta Madhava Maharaja | 2010 | 179,005 words
This page relates 鈥楳ercy of a Rasika Vaishnava鈥� of the book dealing with life and teachings of Srila Gurudeva, otherwise known as Shri Shrimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja. Srila Gurudeva is a learned and scholar whose teachings primarily concern the spiritual beauties of Bhakti鈥攄evotional service and the qualities and pastimes of Shri Krishna.
The Mercy of a Rasika 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补
Those who have greed for vraja-产丑腻惫补 and worship 艢r墨 艢r墨 搁腻诲丑腻-办峁涐梗峁嘺 by 谤腻驳腻苍耻驳补-bhakti under the guidance of a rasika 痴谤补箩补惫腻蝉墨 will achieve vraja-产丑腻惫补. Those bhaktas that have greed but who follow 惫补颈诲丑墨-产丑补办迟颈 will attain the abode of 顿惫腻谤补办腻 in 补颈艣惫补谤测补-箩帽腻苍补, where K峁涐梗峁嘺 manifests as Dvarakadish, 艢r墨mat墨 搁腻诲丑颈办腻 manifests as 厂补迟测补产丑腻尘腻, Candr膩val墨 as Rukm墨峁嚹�, and their associates as the other queens of Dvaraka.
Therefore the greed for vraja-产丑腻惫补 can only be received by the mercy of a rasika 痴补颈峁ａ箛补惫补 who is immersed in 谤腻驳腻苍耻驳补 产丑腻惫补. Such rasika-gurus themselves participate in the transcendental pastimes. It is only under the guidance of such a rasika 痴谤补箩补惫腻蝉墨 that one can worship 搁腻诲丑腻-办峁涐梗峁嘺 Conjugal by 谤腻驳腻苍耻驳补-bhakti and thus achieve that extremely rare treasure of vraja-产丑腻惫补.
These pastimes are the life and soul of devotees and they should be properly heard in 辫补谤补尘辫补谤腻 from a bona fide guru. One should not worship 艢r墨 艢r墨 搁腻诲丑腻 K峁涐梗峁嘺 without pastimes or chant the Hare K峁涐梗峁嘺 尘补丑腻-尘补苍迟谤补 without remembering 艢r墨 艢r墨 搁腻诲丑腻 K峁涐梗峁嘺鈥檚 pastimes. This is also the advice of 艢谤墨濒补 痴颈艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 颁补办谤补惫补谤迟墨 峁琱腻办耻谤补. R膩s 腻肠腻谤测补 艢谤墨濒补 搁奴辫补 骋辞蝉惫腻尘墨 has similarly instructed that in order to attain rasa, the mellow taste of a relationship with 搁腻诲丑腻 and K峁涐梗峁嘺, one should chant K峁涐梗峁嘺鈥檚 name while remembering His sweet pastimes. An example is given that unless sugar and water are mixed, there will be no rasa or nectar to drink. Both must mix together; then it will be rasa. Without hearing properly from 艢r墨 Guru and serving him pleasingly, one will not be able to chant with remembrance.
The unnata-ujjvala-rasa-尘腻测腻 prema-bhakti is practiced and preached by 艢谤墨濒补 搁奴辫补 骋辞蝉惫腻尘墨 and can be obtained only by his followers. If one is not following the guidelines and principles set by 艢谤墨濒补 搁奴辫补 骋辞蝉惫腻尘墨, then he is considered a 蝉补丑补箩颈测腻.
A 蝉补丑补箩颈测腻 has no internal realization of 艢r墨 K峁涐梗峁嘺 tattva and is a servant of his various sensual and mental desires. Their duplicitous performance of bhajana is mainly to secure name and fame and indulge their senses. Such 蝉补丑补箩颈测腻s are called stone-hearted and have no interest in accepting the favorable directions for devotional service given by self-realized devotees; devoid of 办峁涐梗峁嘺 prema, devoid of 谤腻驳腻苍耻驳补-bhakti or even 惫补颈诲丑墨-产丑补办迟颈 like that of 艢r墨 笔谤补丑濒腻诲补 惭补丑腻谤腻箩补, the 蝉补丑补箩颈测腻 cheats himself and his followers.
One must therefore understand and realize what 艢r墨 Guru is, what his qualities are and then learn how to discriminate. 艢谤墨濒补 Gurudeva made it very clear that: 鈥淩ealization is the result of remembering 艣r墨 gurudeva; therefore we should always remember him. If we do not understand the mercy of gurudeva, we will not understand anything.鈥�
Without any fear, one must engage in the process given by 艢谤墨濒补 搁奴辫补 骋辞蝉惫腻尘墨, 艢谤墨濒补 Narottama 诲腻蝉补 峁琱腻办耻谤补, 艢谤墨濒补 痴颈艣惫补苍腻迟丑补 颁补办谤补惫补谤迟墨 峁琱腻办耻谤补 and 艢谤墨濒补 Bhaktivinoda 峁琱腻办耻谤补. The teaching of our present 腻肠腻谤测补s is the same wine in new bottles. The bottles are different colors, but the wine is the same. If you drink that wine, you will certainly become mad, but this madness is actually desirable.