NECTAR OF DEVOTION THEMATIC STUDY, SASTRA CAKSUS YEAR 2, LECTURE #1, 15th Sep 2011

• Chronological and thematic study.
• Vedic education and theology is always practiced. Academic and practical always go together.
• Formerly in the West the church had to authorize teachers, even for secular subjects.
• The rank of a teacher was formerly determined by how much they could affect the lives of their students, not simply teaching a skill.

• The 6 themes of the Nectar of Devotion 1) Definition of pure devotional service; 2) Guru-padashraya; 3) development from sraddha to prema; 4) the 9 limbs of bhakti; 5) the 10 offenses against the Holy Name; 6) the 6 principles of surrender.
• Only first 19 chapters of the Nectar of Devotion will be included in this study. Later chapters will be integrated along with the study of Caitanya-caritamrta.

• Pure devotional service is free from karma and jnana. That means, we start with devotional service, but we can engage karma and jnana.
• Spiritual has senses, activities, needs and desires, but they are all connected to the Lord.
• Spiritual is our natural state, material is artificial.
• If we are interested in spiritual life, we have to give up all social considerations (karma) and speculations (jnana).
• If there is no desire, there will be no inclination for karma and jnana.
• Devotional service mixed with karma and jnana is dangerous, therefore one has to carefully study the science to be able to distinguish.
• The person in passion actually suffers more than one in ignorance.
• Anushilanam is cultivation to engage the mind and body in devotional service, and disengage it from material activities.
• Svarupa-lakshana means cultivating activities exclusively meant for the pleasure of the Lord.
• Automatic means that if we endeavor with the proper understanding of what uttama-bhakti is, it will come automatically.
• If we are not the material doer, we are not the spiritual doer either; we are an assistant to either spiritual or material energy.
• Tattva is only meant for the expression of rasa.
• Even the intellectuals are only looking for a taste; if somebody brings out taste in another intellectual perspective, everyone will drop the old one.
• In Sri and Madhva sampradayas discussions on this level would only be had by the top scholars because they do not see contradictory things happening at once as in the acintya-bhedabheda-tattva.
• Unless one is extremely pious, one will not be able to properly work with the material energy and get results.
• Suddha-bhakti is not just activity that accidentally pleases Krishna, it must have the intention to please Him.
• Those who discuss and preach mixed devotional service are more dangerous than the atheists.