DEVELOPMENT OF VAIDHI BHAKTI TO RAGHANUGA BHAKTI!
Development of Vaidhi bhakti to Raghanuga bhakti is a gradual process.
This article explains DEVELOPMENT OF VAIDHI BHAKTI TO RAGHANUGA BHAKTI!
(1) Atonement is unnecessary when one has achieved spontaneous love and, above that, attachment with love as all the reactions of his sinful life are uprooted
(2) Devotional service is divided into two categories – namely Vidhi Bhakti(ike chanting, fasting, worshiping, etc) and Raghanuga Bhakti, (ie, the process of becoming friends with the Lord and sacrificing everything for Him).
(3) Even on the lower stages of devotional service one is to be considered as transcendental; If he continues his devotional life, he remains a deva or sura.
(4) One should not consider himself as advanced raghanuga devotee, ie, premi even when he is in the beginning stage of devotional practices. He need not discusss about Raghanuga love at this stage.
(5) Just because one becomes free from most of the sinful acts because of vidhi bhakti, he need not compulsorily come to the stage of Raghanuga love and service to the Lord.
(6) Lord Krsna in the form of Lord Caitanya educates His devotees to develop progressively to the stage of pure devotional service
(7) Lord Visnu is not satisfied simply by a ritualistic adherence to Vedic instructions; He is actually pleased when one attains the stage of devotional service
(8) One should not stop simply upon stepping on the first, second, or third stone, but must make his progress complete by going all the way to the final step, the perfect stage of transcendental loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(9) Religious rules prescribed in the scriptures are meant to purify the mundane qualities of the conditioned souls to enable them to be gradually promoted to the stage of rendering transcendental service unto the Supreme Lord.
(10) Strong attachment for the transcendental service of the Lord develops as he continues listening to the messages of Godhead, and if he steadfastly proceeds in this way, he is certainly elevated to spontaneous love for the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(Read the Nine stages of Devotional service HERE).
(NINE PROCESS OF DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (BHAKTI YOGA) CAN BE READ HERE!)
(11) The transcendental service of the Lord begins gradually developing into nine progressive stages of loving service under the headings of attachment, love, affection, feelings, affinity, adherence, following, ecstasy, and intense feelings of separation
(12) The word atma also means dhrti, “patience and perseverance.” By patience and perseverance one can achieve the highest stage of devotional service
(13) Then, as he (the advancing devotee) associates with devotees and tries to adopt the means instructed by the spiritual master in his own life, his misgivings and other obstacles are vanquished by his execution of devotional service
(14) There are nine different methods of cultivating devotional service such as hearing, chanting, remembering, etc, and all these processes are employed in the first stage of devotional service
(15) There are three stages of transcendental development in devotional service, which are technically called sthayi-bhava, anubhava and mahabhava
(17) The initiation (Diksha) means the third stage of Krsna consciousness. Those who are being initiated, they should remember that they have to follow the rules and regulations
(18) Yogis can never succeed without coming to the stage of devotional service.
(19) The stage of rendering transcendental loving service to the Lord without any hopes of emolument from the Lord, or any other way, can be attained when the material senses are purified and the original pure state of the senses is revived
(20) Transcendental bliss is experienced even in the stage of devotional practice (sadhana-avastha), if properly undertaken under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master
(21) King Rahugana expressed surprise upon seeing Bharata’s spiritual achievements. Bharata replied: “My dear Rahugana, no one can attain the perfected stage of devotional service without being favored by a great soul, a pure devotee”
(22) This is what I say in many places: One can not grow in devotion without the association of powerful devotee(s)! How this happens? When one associates with a kind devotee of high standing, his spiritual vibrations are shared even by his thoughts to the associate. Because of his shared vibrations, the associate is gradualy purified from all the anarthas.
(23) When all misgivings and personal deficiencies are removed, there is a standard faith in transcendental matter and the taste for it increases in greater proportion. This stage leads to attraction and after this there is bhava.
(24) When one attains the third stage of transcendental love of God, there occur further developments known as transcendental affection, emotion, ecstasy, and extreme and intense attachment. These are technically known by the terms raga, anuraga
(25) When one can rise to the platform of spontaneous emotion, he can make further progress by spiritual attachment, feeling, love, and many higher stages of devotional life for which there are no English words.
(QUALITIES OF A PURE DEVOTEE OF KRISHNA! READ HERE!)