How to Meditate on Shree Krishna Part 3 of 7
Jagadguru Shree Kripalu Ji Maharaj
The four kinds of bhao (devotional moods) of sadhana bhakti (devotional practice) have two categories. One is called vaidhi bhakti (rule-based devotion), the other is raganuga bhakti (attachment-based devotion).
Vaidhi bhakti is devotion done according to scriptural rules. There are many rules in vaidhi bhakti: fast on ekadashi (11th lunar day), do pooja (worship) like this, take a ritual bath, do this, do that. These are all scriptural rules. Listening to spiritual knowledge, chanting, and remembrance are also in vaidhi bhakti. Whatever nine kinds of devotion are described in the Bhagwatam, which you do daily; the same are done in vaidhi bhakti, and also in raganuga bhakti. But in vaidhi bhakti there is restriction and fear.
The scriptures say, “Do like this or it will be a sin!” This is fear.
Raganuga bhakti has no concern with these rules. It has one rule and one prohibition, that’s all.
স্মর্তব্যঃ সততং বিষ্ণু…
स्मर्तव्य: सततं विष्णु…
Smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur…
This is the rule.
…র্বিস্মর্তব্যো ন জাতুচিৎ ।
…र्विस्मर्तव्यो न जातुचित़् ।
…vismartavyo na jātuchit.
This is the prohibition.
Always remember Krishna - this is the only rule and regulation. And don’t ever forget Him - this is the prohibition.
In the scriptures many kinds of rules and prohibitions are written. This is called ved (command). “Do this, do this, do this.” “Don’t do this, don’t do this, don’t do this.” Now we have no concern with the rules of the scriptures. What is the rule and prohibition for us? Smartavyaḥ satataṁ…continuously, while eating, sleeping, wherever you are, all the time, everywhere, don’t forget to remember your Divine Beloved.
The sadhana you do alone for one or two hours - do it. But apart from this, you should remember Krishna all the time. You have to practice this.
What mistake do we make? First, hardly one person out of thousands knows that the mind has to do devotion. That’s why #1 is roopdhyan (loving remembrance of Krishna’s form). After this, do kirtan, do jap, do pooja, read the scriptures; do whatever you wish. But first do loving remembrance.
People lack this knowledge. Everyone does external devotion with the senses: reciting readings with the voice, doing pooja with the hands. These have no relationship to the mind. First of all, this much knowledge is essential: that the mind alone has to do devotion. The senses don’t do devotion, and the soul is a non-doer. The mind has to do devotion. The senses can come along with the mind, that is fine, but devotion done only by the senses won’t be counted as devotion. What God counts as devotion is only your loving mental attachment.
So loving remembrance comes first. When you sit to do chanting or whatever you may do, first visualize Krishna before you. Whose kirtan are you doing? For whom are you saying “Hare Ram, Hare Ram”? First, at least, visualize Ram before you.
You see, when you call your son, “Oh, where is he?” First you remember his form, then his name. “Where is he… that… Ramesh!” First you remember him, and then his name. Anywhere in the world, when someone is remembered, first his form is recalled, and then his name is taken.
In the same way, when we do chanting—this means we are calling to God. And “calling” means we should first remember His form. If not, then our chanting or whatever we are doing is wrong.
So in vaidhi bhakti there are rules and restrictions because there is fear. In raganuga bhakti, there is only interest, interest, interest. We like Radha Krishna’s names, leelas (Divine pastimes), and stories.
Today I jokingly replied when a devotee said to me, “Maharaj Ji, today the chanting should go on until midnight.”
I said, “No, it should end at 11 p.m., as usual. Tomorrow morning a lot of people have to leave. If they stay awake all night, they will fall asleep on the way. Someone will take their belongings from the train. When they get home, they will blame Maharaj Ji. ‘So much for the chanting! We even lost our luggage!’”
But I was very happy when a few hours later that devotee came back and said, “Maharaj Ji, people are sad hearing this news. They are saying today is the last day of the sadhana program. There is always all-night chanting on the last day. This should definitely happen.”
So I said, “Then why are you asking me? Do it!”
He added some conditions: “You shouldn’t stay awake all night because of your health. You people know that you have not been well for two weeks.”
So he put this condition.
I said, “This is a big condition. But I’m not such an atheist that I’m not able to sit there.”
He said, “And please do not lecture. The jāgran (night vigil) will be on one condition: that you will not stay in the hall. Just as you leave every night to sleep, you should go tonight also.”
I said, “It’s fine. It’s for your benefit. I accept.”
This is the miracle of raganuga bhakti. After I said chanting is only until 11 p.m., people should have felt happy,
“Maharaj Ji said we are free after 11 p.m. We can all sleep!”
Instead, the reverse happened,
“Even though Maharaj Ji won’t be here, we will do chanting all night.”
This is a very great thing. When I heard this, I felt puffed up with happiness as if I had gained half a kilo! When children progress, a mother, father, or teacher feels happy.
So the interest is foremost in raganuga bhakti. Not everyone has interest; for this reason, others will have to do vaidhi bhakti.
Interest…
For example, you all have come here to Mangarh. I haven’t provided any conveniences to anyone here. A beggar eats and sleeps here, and the few millionaires who come also eat and sleep at the same place. I have made one rule for everyone. The majority of wealthy people don’t come in Mangarh devotion.
“Oh God! That is real austerity! Even talking is not allowed! There are no shops to get anything to eat, drink, or to secretly eat sweets. That is extremely difficult! Mangarh devotion isn’t for us.”
There are plenty of ashrams in Haridwar and other places with conveniences like AC and TV, and we could eat whatever we desire. We only have to stand up when it’s time to do Guruji’s arti. It’s convenient for everyone to go to places like this, but here there is great austerity. So if there were no interest, then no one would come to a village. These are all raganuga bhakti devotees.
In raganuga bhakti, Radha Krishna are loved only for Their happiness. Madhurya bhao (beloved mood) has two sections: The first is loving Krishna for one’s own happiness, like Kubja’s love for Krishna. The second is loving Krishna selflessly for His happiness, like the love of Vishakha, Lalita, and others.
Devotion could be of any kind. If a person were a selfless devotee of tamsi, rajsi, or satvik gods, he still couldn’t attain liberation. But even a selfish devotee of Krishna could enter the Divine abode.
But in Kripalu’s opinion, you shouldn’t follow the path of selfish devotion even one percent. Keep this aim - that you have to attain the best. Kubja’s attainment was only up to prem bhakti (Divine love). That abode where the supreme Divine Bliss of mahabhao (highest ecstatic love) is attained is beyond the reach of selfish devotees. So you should keep selfless devotion as your aim. You have to keep this aim: to love Krishna only for His happiness.
Source: Excerpt from the lecture published on Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat Philanthropy YouTube channel.