Saturday 27 August 2011

Freedom from Three Modes by Service to Spiritual Master and Bhagavata



The 3 gunas are sometimes compared to 3 ropes, twisted together to make one very strong rope, a rope that binds the conditioned living being to material existence. Bhagavad-gita Chapter14 describes the effect of the 3 modes, but it also describes how the modes can STOP acting: when one undeviatingly engages in devotional service unto Krishna, avyabhicari-bhakti.

BG 14.26: One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

PURPORT:
One who surrenders unto Krsna at once surmounts the influence of the modes of material nature. To be in Krsna consciousness or in devotional service means to acquire equality with Krsna. The Lord says that His nature is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme, as gold particles are part of a gold mine. Thus the living entity, in his spiritual position, is as good as gold, as good as Krsna in quality. The difference of individuality continues, otherwise there would be no question of Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means that the Lord is there, the devotee is there and the activity of exchange of love between the Lord and the devotee is there. Therefore the individuality of two persons is present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual person, otherwise there would be no meaning to bhakti-yoga. If one is not situated in the same transcendental position with the Lord, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be a personal assistant to a king, one must acquire the qualifications. Thus the qualification is to become Brahman or freed from all material contamination.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.25 speaks about service to the spiritual master with faith and devotion, while Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.2.18 refers to the process of 'service unto the Bhagavata' (both book and person Bhagavata: 1.2.18). We can understand that both lead to avyabhicari-bhakti, as discussed on BHAGAVAD-GITA.

Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.18
TRANSLATION:
By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.15.25
TRANSLATION:
One must conquer the modes of passion and ignorance by developing the mode of goodness, and then one must become detached from the mode of goodness by promoting oneself to the platform of suddha-sattva. All this can be automatically done if one engages in the service of the spiritual master with faith and devotion. In this way one can conquer the influence of the modes of nature.

PURPORT:
Just by treating the root cause of an ailment, one can conquer all bodily pains and sufferings. Similarly, if one is devoted and faithful to the spiritual master, he can conquer the influence of sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna very easily. Yogis and jnanis practice in many ways to conquer the senses, but the bhakta immediately attains the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the mercy of the spiritual master. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado **. If the spiritual master is favorably inclined, one naturally receives the mercy of the Supreme Lord, and by the mercy of the Supreme Lord one immediately becomes transcendental, conquering all the influences of sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna within this material world. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-Gita (sa gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate [Bg. 14.26]). If one is a pure devotee acting under the directions of the guru, one easily gets the mercy of the Supreme Lord and thus becomes immediately situated on the transcendental platform.

- Srila Prabhupada
(Explained by HH Romapada Swami)

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