Raya Ramananda Samvada (23): Process to Attain Gopi Bhava, CC Madhya 8.214-232

This audio is included in the following series of lectures:

Topics

• Sri Raya Ramananda Samvada ongoing lecture series. starts with 8.214
• Radha-Krsna lilas in Vrndavana are beyond material understanding.
• Radha is Kalpa lata and all these sakhi are leaves, buds flowers etc of this creeper.
• Radha, Krsna and Gopis are from aprakata jagat (transcendental world).
• Gopis love is not material.
• Nourishing the roots of kalpa lata (creeper or Radha), leaves, flowers, bud etc (gopis/sakhis/manjaris) are automatically nourished.
• Radha arranges meeting of Krsna and the gopis and She finds this very pleasing.
• As per scriptures, Gopis' prema is kama. Ordinarily, kama (lust) means doing for one's own sense pleasure. But since the gopis do everything (decorating their bodies, cooking etc.) for the pleasure of Krsna, this is kama in reality
• Gopis say Krsna’s feet are as soft as lotus petals. As the saying goes you develop characteristics according to the company you keep, similarly, the hard stones, thorns coming in contact of Krsna’s feet also become soft by virtue of this contact.
• Gopis feel their body parts are very rough and hard. They pray to Lord Brahma to make their body parts soft so that Krsna doesn’t get hurt when He places His feet on their body.
• Sri Raya Ramananda Samvada CC M 8.219
• Following in the footsteps of advanced Vaisnava we can advance.
• Gopi bhava should arise in our hearts- We can achieve this lobha (greed) only by following the footsteps of Vrndavanavasi, and above all, the gopis.
• We get the body in next birth according to our thoughts when we leave the present body at time of death. So we should absorb our mind always in gopi-bhava to attain Krsna’s service in the form of a gopi in the next birth, but for that we need to train our mind by hearing Harikatha and take association of high-class Vaisnavas. Eg Ajamila,Gajraja, Bharata Maharaja etc.
• Do not take Krsna's mood else we will become like Krsna but our sadhana should be to attain gopi-seva-bhava so always follow footsteps of the gopis- it may take millions of births to achieve this.
• Mantras are not ordinary because they are spoken by Krsna, they are Bhagavata Svarupa.They are Krsna Himself.
• Gopis constantly think how to give pleasure to Krsna and even Krsna gets pleasure serving the gopis.
• A brief description of types of opis (Nitya siddha, etc) More detailed about Sabda Gopis (Sruti-caris and Upanisada) and Dandakaranya rsi gopis.
• Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura at times acquires gopi-bhava, cooks food for Radha- Krsna.
• Srinivasa Acarya left his body in Navadvipa and came to Vrndavana Dham to serve Srimati Radhika in an unmanifested form. His disciple Ramacandra also did the same. In Vrndavana Ramacandra saw that all the gopis were looking for lost nose ring of Radhika on the banks of Yamuna. Finally Ramacandra found it. After this lila both Srinivasa Acarya and Ramacandra returned to their physical bodies in Navadvipa.
• All these pure loving service (raganuga bhakti) is not possible in Vidhi marga bhakti because there is no lobha for raganuga bhakti (in vidhi bhakti marg).
• Gopi bhava can only be attained by Raganuga Bhakti
• Whatever person thinks & his mood at the time of death, He attains that accordingly; need to control senses, body & mind
• Description of Krsna’s body
• Description of stutis
• Pastime of Kalindi
• Sri Sanatana Gosvami & Sri Jiva Gosvami’s contribution
• Sri Raya Ramananda Samvada CC M.232
• Raya Ramananda feels that he is not answering but Lord Himself is using him as an instrument to answer His question.
• Definition of Vidya (knowledge).
• What is Aksara (Alphabet)? Gurudeva explains in detail. Aksara is immortal.
• Saranagati to the Lord should be genuine-total surrender. Like Draupadi tried her best by her own efforts, but once failed she called for Krsna who came to her rescue immediately.
• Saranagati is through bhakti which implies to accept the Gurudeva and follow his instructions without ifs& buts.
• Brief description process of bhakti from sukruti to sraddha, thereafter listening to Harikathas by sadhu, taking initiation- nistha-ruci-asakti-bhava- prema bhakti. Only through prema bhakti can Krsna be achieved not through jnana,yoga etc.
• Even there are different types of bhakti but Krsna bhakti is best, in Krsna Bhakti prema bhakti is superior and even in prema bhakti, raganuga bhakti is higher and amongst raganuga bhakti, gopi-bhava bhakti is topmost. To achieve this type of bhakti, we need to practice chanting pure harinama.
• Krsna can be bound by pure bhakti only. Amongst all the bhaktas, ragamitikas are topmost.
• In this material world, biggest wealth is the association of Vaisnavas and biggest loss is depriving the soul of Vaisnava association, as they are the instruments who guide us to prema bhakti for Radha & Krsna. It is, for this reason, no Vrajavasi leaves Vraja and goes to Mathura even to meet Krsna.
• The advantage that we gain by associating with Vaisnava, we cannot even gain by associating with Krsna Himself because a Vaisnava can grant krsna-bhakti which Krsna cannot grant.
• Surrender to Guru & Vaisnavas. Give same importance to Guru as Krsna
• Stages of Bhakti
• Service to Radha-Krsna’s lotus feet is the topmost wealth
• Association with Sadhus & Vaisnavas is topmost joy
• Separation from Vaisnavas after association is topmost sorrow