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Lesson 31, NOI Summary Notes, Text 3, Part 3

The document outlines six principles essential for pure devotional service: enthusiasm, confidence, patience, adherence to regulative principles, abandonment of nondevotee association, and following previous ācāryas. It emphasizes the importance of good association for spiritual growth and the need to avoid bad association to prevent negative desires. The text also discusses the varying levels of association based on circumstances and the necessity of maintaining a commitment to bhakti to overcome material conditioning.

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4 views2 pages

Lesson 31, NOI Summary Notes, Text 3, Part 3

The document outlines six principles essential for pure devotional service: enthusiasm, confidence, patience, adherence to regulative principles, abandonment of nondevotee association, and following previous ācāryas. It emphasizes the importance of good association for spiritual growth and the need to avoid bad association to prevent negative desires. The text also discusses the varying levels of association based on circumstances and the necessity of maintaining a commitment to bhakti to overcome material conditioning.

Uploaded by

deepikamishra26.dm
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Meaghan Sloane

Bhakti Shastri, Module 2

3/31/14

Lesson 31, NOI, Text 3 Part3: Giving up bad association & following in the right footsteps

utsāhān niścayād dhairyāt


tat-tat-karma-pravartanāt
saṅga-tyāgāt sato vṛtteḥ
ṣaḍbhir bhaktiḥ prasidhyati

There are six principles favorable to the execution of pure devotional service: (1) being enthusiastic,
(2) endeavoring with confidence, (3) being patient, (4) acting according to regulative principles
[such as śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ smaraṇam – hearing, chanting and remembering Kṛṣṇa], (5)
abandoning the association of nondevotees, and (6) following in the footsteps of the previous
ācāryas. These six principles undoubtedly assure the complete success of pure devotional service.

The regulative principles give us a process by which we can rise out of our fallen state. We are
trying to heal ourselves. I must have faith that the medications will heal me. I will not be healed
overnight; I must let the treatment take its course.

Sanga-tyaga- by giving up bad association, negative desires will decrease, and positive desires will
increase.

 Material desires are generated from the internal as well as the external. Internal material
desires we have to control; external material desires can be controlled by non-association of
materialistic people.

Compromised principles: real/actual principles are rejected.

Principled compromise: means compromise with level of instruction suitable for one to recover, by
the progress is much slower. For instance, devotional principles are more relaxed for grihastas than
for brahmacharis.

It is okay to choose bad association when it is required for service.

Sanga tyaga depends on time, place, and circumstance

 Association with anti-devotees--- completely cut-off (conflict)


 Association with neutral person—give mercy to bring him to devotional life (formal)
 Association with devotees---close association (close)

We are representatives of Krishna. With our behavior, people may come to Krishna, or stay
away from Krishna
Sato vritih: inclination towards higher value of life, higher spiritual knowledge
-Living according to example of a devotee is sato vritih
- When we observe a devotee, we follow them to increase our sato-vritih
-For ex: guru knows the way, shows the way, goes the way

Enthusiasm Patience Faith Type of Person/mode


Yes Yes Yes Devotee
Yes Yes No Good person
Yes No No Passion
No No No ignorance

Without attachment to Krishna, one gets dragged down to the material level again. If we commit to
the process of bhakti, the process is so powerful that it can overcome all other conditioning. Every
person is a soul, and has a right to Krishna’s love.

Good association is so precious and rare, that we must cherish it.

Don’t think that you are superior to others, but be cautious. Work with non-devotees, but don’t get
caught up in their joys and sorrows, or in their inebrieties, or mundane, anti-devotional subject
matter. We want to care for everyone because they are attached to Krishna, but we must detach
from anything that harms our relationship with Krishna.

Avoid bad association and cultivate good association, then bhakti will flourish.

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