GENUINE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Genuine spiritual life

by Haripada dasa

I have come to the conclusion that for any person to practice genuine spirtual life they must be freed of four things: 1 - Envy, 2 - bigotry, 3 - fears and 4 - prejudice.

To get rid of envy, it is very interesting what Srila Prabhupada says in SB 9.11.23:

"Translation: 'O King Pariksit, Everyone who receives through hearing the stories that deal with the qualities and pastimes of Lord Ramacandra, eventually breaking free of the disease of envy and thus, from the bondage of fruitive activities.

Purport by Srila Prabhupada: In the material world, everyone is envious of others. Even in the religious life we sometimes see that if a devotee has advanced in spiritual activities, other devotees are envious. Such devotees envious are not completely free from the bondage of birth and death, and no one can enter the sanatana-dhama, ie, into the eternal pastimes of the Lord, while not completely free of the causes of birth and death. Envy arises under the influence of the false identification with the body, but the liberated devotee has nothing to do with the body, so it is perfectly situated on the transcendental plane. The devotee is never envious of anyone, not even if it is your enemy. Knowing that the Supreme Lord is the protector, the devotee thinks What harm can make me this supposed enemy? The devotee, therefore, confident that it will be protected. The Lord says that to the extent that surrender unto Me, I will reciprocate. A devotee, therefore, should be completely free of envy, especially of envy towards other devotees. Feeling envy of other devotees is a great offense, Vaishnava aparadha. The devotee who constantly engages in hearing and chanting (sravana-kirtana) is released from the disease of envy and thereby becomes eligible to go back home, back to Godhead."

One who is freed from fanaticism and prejudices to see everything in the view of the instructions given in the books of Srila Prabhupada is the real devotee. Fanaticism and prejudice arise to see everything under the vision of the false ego. And one is freed from fears by offering prayers to Lord Nrisimhadeva. In SB 5.18.8 the devotees of Lord Nrisimha pray: "Please appear IN OUR HEARTS AND OUR IGNORANCE will dissipate, SO, FOR YOUR MERCY, we may become fearless in the struggle for material existence."

The worst thing that can happen to a person in his spiritual life is to be initiated by a false or unauthorized guru. Srila Prabhupada informs us in the CCL 15.108 that their devotional activities are useless and that person can fall back to animal species.

And now I am ending this spiritual message by sharing two beautiful verses of the Vedic Literature:
"Just as the rivers do not drink their own water, but flow for the benefit of others, such as fruit-laden trees do not eat their own fruit, but that support for others, such as clouds drink his rain itself, but the spread to others, and holy people live just for others."

"Merely seeing a pure devotee of God or Krishna is more purifying than visiting a sacred place of pilgrimage, a sacred site for while purified only after a long time, the vision of a pure devotee of God or Krsna immediately purifies."

OM TAT SAT