This course is part of Sastra-Caksus, Year 2 and consists of 25 lectures, available on:

http://seminary.bhaktivedantaacademy.com/classes/noi-thematic/

Given in Bhaktivedanta Academy, Sridham Mayapur November-December 2011

The following are lecture notes briefly delineating its contents

INATTENTIVENESS

  • Devotional service means that there is attraction to Krishna. So without enthusiasm there is actually no devotional service. It does not mean we cannot perform it, but it is not so in strict terms and we will not get to the platform of prema.

  • Apathy means we are doing the activity without interest; inactivity means we are not doing the proper activity.
  • Sanatana Goswami considers that one has to be crazy to be inattentive while chanting.
  • In the beginning stages, inattentiveness is unavoidable, but one must understand that it is not pure devotion.
  • If one can cultivate and keep the enthusiasm from the very beginning, one will never be afflicted by inattentiveness.
  • Faith in God without enthusiasm for devotional service is meaningless.
  • Enthusiasm is endeavor with intelligence. Picasso vs hippie artist.

NISCHAYA - FIRM CONVICTION

  • One who has doubts can never become steady.
  • We think we are God, but we have to become convinced that Lord Krishna is God.
  • Raganuga platform is coming from the mind, if the mind is pure and devotional.
  • Even though Krishna is full of inconceivable potencies, His personal potencies are predominant.
  • Only devotional service to Krishna is full of rasa, there is no rasa in the other spiritual practices.
  • Nowadays it is harder to find hard-core Mayavadis because they lack actual renunciation.
  • There is only a shadow of rasa in the material world.
  • Dealing with the material energy in relationship with the spiritual time, in relationship with Krishna, there will be no problem.
  • One can perform devotional service if one is free of doubts about the inconceivable nature of the Lord. Otherwise such doubts will simply create arguments and anarthas.
  • Amnaya (shastra) means it is never wrong.
  • Those who have no contact with Maya have no connection to karma.
  • Nitya-baddha is nitya (eternal) only in relation to material time.
  • If we understand anything in the spiritual life, that is through spiritual intelligence and has come by Krishna's mercy. It has nothing to do with one's previous education and intellectual ability.
  • Indologists do not understand anything about devotional service.
  • Material intelligence is trying to see things separate from the Lord according to the information coming from the senses.
  • When the living entities spiritual intelligence is awakened, he is able to understand acintya-bhedabheda-tattva.

 

 

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