NECTAR OF DEVOTION THEMATIC STUDY, SASTRA CAKSUS YEAR 2, LECTURE #2, 16th Sep 2011

• Of all the forms of the Lord, only Krishna can reciprocate with the complete sentiments of bhakti. In Lord Narayana one will not find very subtle and sweet elements that tare there in Krishna.
• Everyone has an inherent rasa with the Lord. The science of devotion is equally valid in all the 4 sampradayas. But one who is satisfied in certain development will not move forward.

• Manifestation of intimacy with the Lord is rare in Vaikuntha (Lakshmi during Ratha-yatra), but in Vrindavana it is seen all the time.
• 'The transcendental abuse of asking somebody to worship Krishna, when perhaps, they are a worshiper of Narayana.'
• Vaikuntha worshipers do not have any problem with Krishna's Vrindavana pastimes, but they see Krishna as an expansion of Vishnu. Some Vaikuntha worshipers prefer worshiping Krishna in Vrindavana. 3 of the Alvars wrote songs about Krishna's Vrindavana pastimes, and Andal wrote exclusively about Krishna. But the see Krishna as coming from Vishnu.
• It does not matter who we are in the spiritual world, because right now we are drowning in the material world. Discussions about our spiritual position only have meaning after liberation.
• Public discussions about svarupa means that this is an assembly that we absolutely should not participate.
• Married women who have actually been intimate with men, will not talk about it. Only teenagers talk about it, because for them it is something new. Similarly, only neophytes in spiritual life are interested to openly discuss about rasa with Krishna. The nitya-siddhas do not talk about it.
• Everyone will consider worship of Krishna the sweetest, even though in Vaikuntha they don't consider it to be the highest.
• In the spiritual world everyone appreciates each other's service.
• Nobody can function in their svarupa before being liberated, other than just 'I am a servant.'
• Sahajiya means trying to put one's own material body in the spiritual pastimes.
• The wife and the paramour example - those who are actually on the platform of raga-bhakti will do their sadhana duties even better than those on the level of vaidhi-bhakti, just like the wife who wants to hide the fact that she has a paramour and therefore does her duties even better.
• What can we drop to enhance the rasa and give Krishna more pleasure? All the sadhana-bhakti activities are meant to please Him.
• The wife would not talk to anybody about her paramour, similarly genuine devotee does not talk about his intimate relationship with Krishna.
• Brahman aspect is not manifest, it does not mean that it does not have qualities.
• Material religions won't lead us to Bhagavata-dharma because the scope of interacting with the Lord in the material world is limited.
• Material situations give very limited opportunity to do something outside them, and even if they do, there is not good result.
• One has to have piety to act impiously.
• Anybody who has any facility has it due to previous pious credits.
• Devotees often either get distracted by piety, or give it up as irrelevant.
• Neutral state of Brahman realization is just a stage to pass through. There are no jivas in the neutral state, they are either under the control of internal or external potency.
• In Brahman realization state one is not active as a controller and enjoyer, so one is not getting those reactions, but one has not given up the idea. The desire is inherent in the living entity.
• Paramatma darshan cannot be considered pure bhakti. Paramatma Himself is Bhagavan, but our interaction with us is on an inferior platform.
• For Bhaktidevi it is very painful to see the Lord in any manifestation lesser than Bhagavan.
• Among spiritual personalities there are no vengeful people out there punishing us for wrongdoings. It is our choice whether to interact with them or not, and they reciprocate.
• Tattva-wise there is no difference between Krishna and Narayana, but with Krishna there is more reciprocation of rasa.
• Having mano-bhava, but not doing anything practical for Krishna can give Him a very limited amount of pleasure.
• Devotees in shanta-rasa only enhance the environment in which relationships with the Lord can manifest.
• In Vrindavana shanta is not counted as rasa, even though in other places it is. In Vrindavana it simply creates the environment.
• In shanta-rasa one's interaction with the Lord is simply in appreciating quality.
• The shanta-rasa entities are usually sandhini potency, they do not necessarily have to be jivas, even though they might be. For the living entities being active in other rasas is more natural.
• Knowledge is the Lord's potency and is interacting with Him. We can assist in that.
• The svarupa-lakshanas of bhakti is cultivation of favorable activities; avoiding karma and jnana is secondary.
• 1 unit of happiness is that enjoyed by a successful emperor of the whole earth. On higher planets that is multiplied by hundreds.
• Happiness derived from devotion is unlimited, but the two witches of desires for bhukti and mukti are blocking it.
• Association with pure devotees break down our desires for bhukti and mukti.
• If one does not even want to undertake the trouble of being involved in the brahminical activities of devotional service, that is clearly attachment to the mode of goodness and desire for mukti.
• Bilvamangala Thakura's progress.
• There are many people in the Bhagavatam who would not make it in our society.
  Bharata Maharaja in his falldown still sees the deer as a spirit soul.