By Subhag Swami
WE CAN TEST OUR ATTACHMENT
A disciple of Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur once asked me, "Subhag, do Krishna's activities or Mahaprabhu's pastimes come to your mind spontaneously?" This is called attachment. Whatever comes to our mind spontaneously, i.e. whatever we think of, we have got our attachment there. If it is Krishna, then it is very good. But how often do we think of Krishna? Actually this way we can test ourselves and this is how we can test our consciousness and attachment.
IS IT COMING SPONTANEOUSLY ?
Prabhupada told, in simple words, what actually Krishna Consciousness means, "To increase your attachment to Krishna's name, Krishna's form, Krishna's beauty and to serve Krishna and Krishna's pure devotee."Is this coming spontaneously? If yes, then it is a very good sign. Do Krishna's name, form, beauty, pastimes, rememberance and kirtan come up spontaneously in the mind or heart? Chanting the holy name is okay, but it's a matter of remembering Krishna. Even if I chant the holy name, I can't expect these things to happen overnight. Actually, it depends on the quality of one's chanting. Bhaktivinoda Thakur has said that we can know we are advancing, by checking these three things-
NAAME RUCHI, JIVE DOYA AND VAISHNAVA SEVA
1. 'Naame Ruchi', do you like chanting? Naame Ruchi means 'taste in the holy name.' Of course we are tasting prasad. Does everyone like prasad? Now we don't like other things, anything other than prasad. If so, then it is good but it is not a very advanced stage. But if we like chanting 'Hare Krishna', and enjoy it, then that is taste, 'naame ruchi' .
2. 'Jive Doya', showing mercy, and actually bringing everyone to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. Bringing others to Krishna consciousness, ie. helping them to become devotees, trying to make them devotees. Even if you can make just one devotee, Krishna will be very very pleased with you. But it may require gallons of blood to make just one devotee who will be very stable and stay for a long time. So, in ISKCON, the process is, how many people can you make devotees? Of course it also depends on how much Krishna Conscious you are yourself. So, this is compassion, 'jive doya'. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Maha Vadanya , he is most compassionate.
3. 'Vaishnava seva', serving Vaishnavas. When you serve an advanced vaishnava, you will make advancement. Anyone can serve a vaishnava, by following his instructions. You can still serve Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami, by carrying out their instructions 'Atyahar prayasascha', 'vacho vegam'. If you do so, you will make advancement. So, it now depends on us, we are all independent. Guru is telling the essence, depending on time, place, circumstance, and also depending on the disciple. So, there may be slight differences sometimes.
Transcription: Bhakta Anirban
Editing: Bhakta Kunal.