Author: Bhakti Vikasa Swami

Vaidhi-bhakti means discharging devotional service under regulative principles. Without vaidhi-bhakti you cannot jump to raga-bhakti. Raga-bhakti is spontaneous. That does not require any regulative principles. Out of love, out of feeling, anyone wants to serve Krsna, that is called.... That is gopis. All the inhabitants of Vrndavana, they did not undergo any regulative principles. But spontaneously, they are always ready to serve God, Krsna. That is called raga-bhakti.

Without vidhi-bhakti you cannot reach to the platform of raga-bhakti, although that is our aim. Raganuga, raga-bhakti is executed following the footprints of the devotees in Vrndavana. That is called raga-bhakti. Krsna's personal associates. Not to become directly Krsna's personal associate, but following the footprints of Krsna's eternal associates we can come to the stage of raga-bhakti.

Rupa Gosvami says that spiritual life can be advanced, the first principle is utsaha. Utsahat. Utsaha means enthusiasm: "Yes, Krsna says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja [Bg. 18.66]. I will accept it and work enthusiastically on the principle, as Krsna says." Krsna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru [Bg. 18.65], and we have to do it, execute it enthusiastically: "Yes, I shall always think of Krsna." Man-manah. Krsna says directly, man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah, "You just become My devotee."

Don't talk nonsense. Or if you talk of Krsna, then nonsense talking will stop automatically. Now you know that in our institution there are so many European boys and girls. In their own country they are very, very much fond of newspaper. If there is no newspaper, they think life is horrible. But you won't find a piece of newspaper in our temple, because they have stopped talking all nonsense. Only this Bhagavad-gita, Bhagavata. This is called vacamsi vaikuntha gunanuvarnane....

Our Krsna consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world,

...here we are having Bhagavata class. This is not ordinary Bhagavata class, not jumping over Krsna's rasa-lila. It is not like that. It is step by step studying what is Krsna, what is this material world, what is the sambandha, or relationship with Krsna -- so many things -- how this body has developed, how we have forgotten Krsna, how to revive our Krsna consciousness. These things must be studied first of all. Then we can understand what is Krsna's...

One who comes in touch with the Mayavadi... Mayavadi means one who thinks Krsna is also in maya. That is called Mayavadi. "Krsna's body is also maya." They are called Mayavadi. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu warns that mayavadi-bhasya sunile haya sarva-nasa: anyone who listens to the commentary of the Mayavadi philosopher, then his fate is doomed. He is finished. He will never be able to understand bhakti philosophy. It is so poisonous.

We should have firm faith, niscaya.But niscayat; at the same time, you should not sit idly. You should work according to the direction of the spiritual master. "Now Krsna has given me assurance. Now let me sleep. Everything will come automatically." No. Tat-tat-karma-pravartanat [Upadesamrta 3]. The spiritual master says, "You must do this," you must do that. That is called tat-tat-karma-pravartanat. Not that "Now I am initiated and..."

Utsahad dhairyat. Dhairya means patience, not that "Because I have begun devotional service with great enthusiasm..." So you are already on the perfectional platform, but if you become impatient, that "Why I am not becoming perfect? Sometimes why maya is kicking me?" Yes. That is habitual.

Preya means immediately palatable, and sreya means ultimately beneficial. That is called sreya. Just like for a child, playing is priya, preya. He likes to play. But he is by force, by the parents, he is studied books. That is called preya. But because without education his future life will be dark, so parents know it.

(Edited. Author unknown. Found on the internet.) Ever heard of the 3-minute round? Ever seen Krishna devotees who chant relatively slow finish their 16 rounds in one and a half hour? I have, and still do, and it never fails to amaze me. The maha-mantra consists of 16 names, of 2 syllables each: hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Bhakti means you must engage your senses fully, with more enthusiasm, but it should be for Krsna. That's all. If you want to do business, do it very nicely, but give the profit to Krsna. Yat karosi yaj juhosi yad asnasi, kurusva tad mad-arpanam [Bg. 9.27]. Krsna says, "Give it to Me."