Notes from the Madhurya Kadambini

from the Second Shower of Nectar

Obstacles to the development of deeper faith

There are 2 symptoms which begin to manifest as one has begun on the path of devotional service. The first is klesaghni (relief from all kinds of material distress) and the second is called subhada( beginning of all auspiciousness).

There are 5 types of klesa which are destroyed by bhakti:

• Avidya - ignorance; to falsely identify with or not to have the proper understanding or awareness of a situation.
• Asmita - false ego; to identify with the body or only to accept things which can be experienced on the gross level.
• Raga - attachment; the desire for material happiness and less suffering.
• Dvesa - hatred; aversion to unhappiness or the causes of unhappiness.
• Abhinivesa - one who is attached to sense enjoyment and is afraid that death will take it away.

From these arise the tendency for right or wrong actions, causing religion or irreligion, and thus sinful and pious activities.

Bhakti eradicates klesa and simultaneously bestows subdha or auspiciousness which consists of such qualities as disintrest in material affairs, intrest in the Supreme Lord, friendliness, mercy, forgiveness, truthfulness, simplicity, equanimity, fortitude, gravity, respectfulness, humility and being pleasing to all.There is a difference in the rate at which the undesireable qualities disappear and the auspicious qualities appear.

Bhakti develops gradually in specific stages. The first stage is called sraddha(faith) which is to have firm trust in scripture or to be enthusiastic to follow the activities of scripture(sadhana).

Faith may be of 2 types:

• svabhaviki - spontaneous
• Baladutpadita - aroused by forceful preaching

Faith then leads one to a spiritual master. By following the instructions of the guru one obtains association of realized devotees.(sadhu-sanga).
Next comes bhajana-kriya in which different types of devotional activities are practiced.
This has 2 catergories:

• anisthita - unsteady
• Nisthita - steady

Unsteady devotional service progresses in 6 stages:

• Utsaha - mayi: false confidence or one may be puffed up with enthusiasm.
• Ghana - tarala: Sporadic endevour; being sometimes diligent and other times negligent.
• Vyudha - vikalpa: indecision(extensive speculation); the mind spends time pondering on whether to renounce or take to household life.
• Visaya - sangara: struggle with the senses or the inability to give up sense enjoyment.
• Niyamaksama: inability to uphold vows whish results in the inability to improve in ones devotional service.
• Taranga - rangini: enjoying the facilities offered by bhakti i.e material gain ,worship,and position.These are weeds around the creeper of bhakti.Seeking pleasure (ranga) in the weed like facilities which are small waves (taranga) in the ocean of bhakti.