The Way of Natural Devotion - Universalist Radha-Krishnaism

The Way
of Natural
Devotion
Devotion includes:
· Remembering God-dess,
· Glorifying God-dess,
· Worshipping God-dess,
· Preaching and teaching about God-dess,
· Dedicating our actions to God-dess, and
· Working to create a better world here and now.
We engage in devotional practice according to our natural propensities.
One person preaches and teaches, another sings God-dess’
praises, another does community organizing, and another tends a
community garden. We dedicate our various God-dess given talents to
God-dess. We need not change our lifestyle as much as change our consciousness.
What we do usually matters less than the consciousness in
which we do it.
The more we direct our consciousness to God-dess, the more we
open ourselves to God-dess’ grace. As we develop attachment to Goddess,
we naturally reduce selfish attachment to the material world by
seeing it as God-dess’ gift to share with all creatures. We act as stewards
of creation on God-dess’ behalf rather than as owners.
The more we meditate on the spiritual world and long to be there,
the more we live in the spiritual world in this life. The spiritual world is
an ideal version of this world. We learn to blur the distinction between
material and spiritual and work to bring this life in line with the spiritual
life we envision. We engage in the activities of this world as agents
of God-dess. We cannot stop thinking of and longing for Radha-Krishna.
Such love in separation acts like a key that opens the door to the
spiritual world, which interacts with this world and conforms it more
closely to the spiritual ideal.
We love because God-dess first loved us, like we learn love from
our parents’ love. God-dess created us to love like loving parents have
children to love. Yet, God-dess creates us with free will and under the
influence of material nature we may forget our innate loving relationship
with God-dess. Our eternal, loving relationship with God-dess
may then lie dormant until reawakened. God-dess seeks to reawaken
our relationship through loving guidance and attraction. We just need
to respond.
We recognize all are created in the image of Radha-Krishna. We
see the image of Radha-Krishna in ourselves and others. As we heal our
broken relationship with God-dess, we also heal our broken relationship
with our neighbors, including plants, animals, and the ecosystems
they depend on. As we engage in this process, we participate in an elaborate
dance of love, which forms the basis of life. We love extravagantly
as our creator extravagantly loves. Love cures the world’s ills.
Persons who worship God-dess unmotivated by fear, desire, or
duty worship with natural attraction. Natural attraction occurs when
the mind becomes spontaneously attracted to an object without intellectual
processing. Remembering Radha-Krishna attracts the hearts of
those who worship according to natural attraction.
Although persons in various countries possess a wide variety of
natures, our underlying spiritual nature remains one. Only our sec-
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ondary characteristics vary greatly. Therefore, various people’s ideas of
God-dess, although essentially similar, differ in the details. This creates
variety in the modes of God-dess worship. Objectively, there is nothing
wrong with secondary differences. When agreement exists regarding
God-dess’ essential nature and worship, no obstacles stand in the way
of attaining the same result.
When I was a relatively new member of the United Church of
Christ (UCC), I asked our interim pastor, Ross Knotts, an old, United
Methodist minister, how I could be a Christian when John 14:6 says, “I
am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through me.” I told him I was a devotee of Krishna and that
Swamiji used to say, “Christ, Christos, Krishna, what’s the difference?”
Ross replied, “If Christ equals love and Krishna equals love, then Christ
equals Krishna.” Love is the way by any name you call it. Krishna, Jesus,
and Chaitanya taught love of God-dess according to time, circumstance,
and the ability of people to understand and accept.
People of each country respect their native saints, but no one
with a particular spiritual belief should go to other countries and
preach that what their teachers taught is superior to all other teachings.
This benefits no one. Each country’s particular religious rules concerning
proper dress, food, purity, and impurity naturally cause various religions
to appear quite different. It is wrong and unhealthy to argue
over these differences. Pure love constitutes the eternal function of the
soul. Although differences exist among religions, the essential universal
religion is pure love.
Universalist Radha-Krishnaism integrates progressive, Christian
principles in that we:
1 Accept Radha-Krishna as our way of envisioning God-dess
and the spiritual realm.
2 Recognize the validity of other names for God-dess and other
ways to God-dess’ realm.
3 Understand God-dess wants all creatures to enjoy life abundantly.
4 Welcome all persons without discrimination to join our fellowship,
including (but not limited to): believers and agnostics,
traditional devotees and questioning skeptics, homosexuals
and heterosexuals, females and males, those of all races
and cultures, and those of all classes and abilities, without trying
to make them become like us.
5 How we treat others and live with integrity remains more important
than beliefs.
6 Prefer a questioning search for truth to the certainty of dogma.
7 See spiritual life integrated with work in the world, which includes
working for peace, justice, and the integrity of the environment.
8 Realize faith entails sacrifice for the greater good, embracing
high ethical standards, and opposing corruption.
Thus, we develop love within a progressive Western, intellectual-cultural
context. Establishing an indigenous Radha-Krishna devotional
culture is the next evolutionary step for Chaitanyaism. It is called Universalist
Radha-Krishnaism.
Of all conceptions of God-dess, Radha-Krishna remain the most
suitable for developing pure love. Radha-Krishna live in the spiritual
abode of Braj as the object of their devotees pure love. Elsewhere, devotees
worship and revere them as the Supreme God-dess, but in Braj,
their sweetness prevails over their majesty. They sometimes descend to
the level of their worshipper, and sometimes even subordinate themselves
to their devotees. This allows us to engage in an intimate relationship
of love with God-dess. God-dess embodies the highest sport,
free will, and eagerness for our love.
Different languages use different words to describe Radha-
Krishna, their associates, and Braj, but persons interested in pure love
of God-dess must use some name, place, form, and pastimes to symbolize
God-dess and the spiritual world. Therefore, though described
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differently in different languages, Radha-Krishna alone are the object
of pure love.
In the church, some clergy speak of “Jesusolatry,” the idolatry of
Jesus as God. Jesus Christ was God and man, a spirit filled man, a Godpossessed
man, but he was not God per se. He was called the Son of
God, but more often and aptly, the Son of Man. Why are persons so
attracted to Jesus? Because he loved extravagantly. He embodied Goddess’s
love for persons in that particular time and place.
The Hebrew scriptures portray an angry, jealous, vengeful, yet
loving and caring shepherd for his people, a provider, a ruler, a lawgiver,
a meter out of justice, etc. Yet he remains the great unapproachable sky
God. We cannot even see his face or utter his name.
No wonder Christians are so attracted to Jesus. Many nuns even
imagine themselves as brides of Christ like Teresa of Avila. Other persons
seek to become Christlike. Yet others meditate on Jesus’ pastimes
and visualize themselves taking part in them. Jesus took the best of the
Hebrew tradition to a new universal level of love of God-dess, neighbor,
and self.
I love, respect, and honor Jesus. He incarnates the universal
teacher, the Cosmic Christ. He shows us how to live and love in this
world with passion and integrity, but I find the spiritual abode of Radha-Krishna
much more attractive than the Christian idea of heaven.
We are attracted to attractive persons, and Radha-Krishna are
the most attractive persons. Radha is more attractive than Krishna. We
love them both and want to spend eternity with them in Braj.
The only way to attain God-dess realization is through God-dess’
causeless mercy. God-dess dispenses mercy through teachers, scriptures,
holy persons, and directly within our hearts. All our strivings, all
our practices lead to nothing without the mercy of God-dess.
The means of grace opens us to God-dess’ mercy. God-dess freely
offers mercy equally to all. However, some of us are more eager to
receive God-dess’ mercy than others. We actively seek it out, and thus
receive a larger share. Our yearning, our longing, our strongest innermost
desire brings God-dess’ mercy to us. When we surrender and desire
nothing more than to please Radha-Krishna, they must respond
favorably to our complete dependence.
God-dess remains unknowable in our conditioned state of material
existence unless God-dess reveals his-her divine self. Our cries and
calls of love will not go unanswered.
The main practices of developing devotion are chanting, hearing,
and remembering Radha-Krishna’s names, forms, qualities and pastimes.
By performing these practices, gradually pure love appears in a
minimal form like hidden fire. When we finally cast off our gross and
subtle bodies and fully attain our spiritual body, divine love appears in
its pure form. Divine love is not born from practice, but it appears in a
pure heart by hearing and other devotional activities. Practice facilitates
divine love’s manifestation.
By chanting, hearing, and remembering, we open our hearts to
love Radha-Krishna and receive their love in return. Love is the answer.
The more we love, the more we open to love. If love does not flow from
our heart spontaneously, we must practice loving Radha-Krishna until
it does. The more we practice, the more we become love, the more Radha-Krishna
reveal themselves to us.
Unless we are extremely blessed, it remains difficult to fully experience
divine love in the conditioned state. We may manifest it to
a degree, but its full realization occurs when we give up the material
body and enter the spiritual realm in our perfect spiritual body. Some
say it takes many lifetimes to attain, but once we begin the process seriously,
we can attain it at the end of this life by the causeless mercy of
Radha-Krishna.
Practitioners realize Radha-Krishna as the object of constant remembrance.
They understand all rules follow the principle of always
remembering and never forgetting God-dess. When we become firmly
fixed in devotional practice, whether we execute just one or many items
of devotional practice, the waves of love of God-dess awaken.
We need not do everything, but we need to do something. Find
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a way to remember Radha-Krishna and remember them constantly.
Chant, read, write, preach, paint, listen to devotional music, do whatever
you have a passion for. Our passionate desire opens us to grace and
helps us progress. Paths without heart lead nowhere.
According to the Bhagavat Puran, the cultivation of knowledge
and renunciation do not lead to pure love. If we do not make friends
with our full humanity, including our shadow, body, and senses, and
see them as God-dess-given gifts, they become our enemies and undermine
our true self good. False renunciation is never desirable.
The spiritual inhabitants of Braj remain attached to Radha-
Krishna in incomparable, eternal natural devotion of the highest degree.
When devotees follow the model of the devotees of Braj, we call
such devotion “natural devotional practice.”
Following the example of the Braj devotees by imagining that we
live among them engaged in the pastimes of Radha-Krishna constitutes
the essence of natural devotional practice. Followers of Krishna Chaitanya
widely follow this style of practice. It came to me through the line
of teachers founded by Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of Nityananda
Avadhut who spread devotion throughout Bengal under Chaitanya’s order.
In this way, a connection exists with those who went before me to
the eternal Braj and who will be there to welcome me when I arrive.
This process is relational. The disciple relates through the teacher to
the whole line, who serve Radha as her confidantes. Again, this is pure
grace passed from teacher to disciple, and yet it requires cultivation by
the disciple within the heart.
By studying the writings of those who came before us in this line
and related lines, we learn the different ways the eternal associates interact
with the Divine Couple and adapt their moods as we form our
own. In this way, we gradually develop our inner spiritual identity until
we identify more with our spiritual self than our outward self.
The primary trait of natural devotional love is deep attachment
for Radha-Krishna. If we follow the examples of the inhabitants of Braj
out of spiritual desire, we do not care for the injunctions or judgement
of scripture. When we realize the highest goal in life, everything else
pales in comparison. All that has been said and heard and all the rules
and regulations no longer matter much. We become fixed in who we
are and naturally act in love on both the material and spiritual levels.
Everything becomes spiritual when seen in relationship to Radha-
Krishna. We live in Braj wherever we are, and everything we do becomes
devotion. We transcend duality when we realize God-dess and
God-dess’ energies comprise all existence. The eternal exists now.
A fully surrendered devotee always hopes Radha-Krishna will be
kind. This hope becomes firm. Eagerness entails an ardent desire to associate
with Radha-Krishna, and it forms one of the key elements of our
faith—the constant hope that Radha-Krishna will show mercy. We cannot
earn pure love of Radha-Krishna. They give it as a gift. Causeless
mercy flows to surrendered souls because such persons have no other
refuge. Radha-Krishna will not abandon their surrendered devotees.
What kindness do we hope for? Simply that our love may increase,
that we become eternal associates of the Divine Couple, and
that we associate with them more fully.
An ardent desire to serve and associate with Radha more than
Krishna forms the mood of her confidential associates. They do not desire
to enjoy Krishna directly but enjoy many times more by bringing
Radha-Krishna together and sharing in their love.
Chaitanya spoke of Radha in this way, “Radha has unlimited
transcendental qualities of which twenty-five are principal. She controls
Krishna by these qualities” (Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya 23.47).
Of the mistress of Vrindavana these principal qualities are mentioned:
she is sweet, young, has a restless sidelong glance, a glistening
smile, possessed of lines of beauty and good luck, of a fragrance
maddening to Madhava [Krishna], skilled in a multitude of songs, of
charming speech, learned in pleasure, humble, full of compassion,
skillful, witty, modest, most respectful, steadfast, grave, excelling in
pleasurable sport, thirsty for the supreme excellence of great bhavas
[emotions], beloved by those who live in Gokula, whose fame pervades
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the world, most beloved by guru and elders, subservient to the love of
her friends, chief among those beloved of Krishna, and to whose words
Keshava [Krishna] is respectful. In short, her qualities are counted like
Hari’s [Krishna’s] (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madya 23.s 39-43).
With these qualities, Radha keeps Krishna under her control
and reigns supreme. Her beauty and love wrap Krishna around her little
finger. He will do anything to please her. What to speak of persons
like us, how can we resist her attraction? Krishna, the supreme controller,
remains controlled by the love of Radha. She exists as the supreme
goal of all spiritual processes. She is the Supreme Goddess of love.
We place Radha in the center of our life while caring for body and
house, eating and sleeping, and gradually increase our devotion to Goddess
through practice. Finally and definitely, we will attain pure love.
One of my mottos is: “Realize your full potential, live life abundantly,
and love extravagantly.” What is our full potential? We are children
of God-dess. We are loved. We are created good, in God-dess’
image. God-dess gives us all we need to live a happy, healthy, and enlightened
life. Most of all, we have the potential to actualize ourselves
spiritually by developing an eternal, spiritual body through love of
Radha-Krishna, or whatever form of God-dess we are attracted to. This
remains the highest goal of life.
Many teachers of devotion and other yogas place too much emphasis
on renunciation. When we place Radha-Krishna at the center of
our life, everything becomes spiritual when used devotionally. Everything
can be used in devotion. Everything exists as a manifestation of
their energy. They created us and this world with all its wonders. Why
would they not want us to enjoy it?
What do we need so we can serve Radha-Krishna best? Most of
us find a basic middle-class standard of living facilitates our ability to
function effectively in society. We need adequate food, clothing, shelter,
transportation, health care, and other necessities. Then we may need a
little extra for entertainment and vacation as well as money to save for
emergencies and old age plus money to give to charity.
Most of us desire the pleasures, companionship, and support of
married life. This often leads to having children. Supporting a family in
this manner usually requires one or two good paying jobs with benefits.
All of this should not be seen as obstacles to devotional practice but as
part of our devotional practice.
Of course, we do not want to fall into the trap of materialistic
consumerism, selfishness, and greed. A life of voluntary simplicity and
moderation is desirable and more enjoyable. We require the necessities,
but need not over-endeavor for material gain. Learn to be happy with
what we have, provided we have the necessities, and use everything to
serve Radha-Krishna.
Devotional writings describe Radha-Krishna’s abode as wonderfully
opulent and abundant in supplying all the good things of life. Persons
there live free of the hard struggle for existence we face in the material
world. Even in this world, we can sometimes live that way, if we
learn to trust the Divine Couple’s goodness and benevolence.
Of course, most of us still need to work, but when we see they
provide us with everything, we can open ourselves to their divine energy
and not struggle so much. We learn to work with detachment,
knowing we are here temporarily and destined for much higher things.
When we come from abundance rather than scarcity, we tend to attract
abundance to our lives.
When we love extravagantly, we tend to attract extravagant love.
Radha-Krishna epitomize extravagant love. Their devotees become
like them. We become channels of their love and spread it to all we
meet. The world needs extravagant love. Love is the answer. Learning
to love one another fully will certainly help mitigate the world’s problems.
God-dess is love. We invoke Radha-Krishna’s presence whenever
we love. As love spreads, the whole world becomes spiritualized. As we
focus our life on pure love of the Divine Couple, our love grows and
carries us to them.
Chaitanya told Raghunath Das, a young man who wanted to renounce
his abundant worldly life,
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Go and stay peacefully at home, do not be mad [crazy]; only gradually
do people gain the shore of the sea of the world. Do not show people
outward renunciation, but as is appropriate enjoy worldly things, without
attachment to them. Be steadfast in your heart, and outwardly do the
work of the world, and soon Krishna will rescue you. (Chaitanya-caritamrita
2.16.235-237)
This remains one of the most important scriptural passages for
guiding our devotional life. Our spiritual practices are primarily an internal
process performed with our spiritual body. It consists of adopting
the mood, form, love, and relation of a resident of Braj. We may follow
this practice in all circumstances.
Our external circumstances may vary greatly according to our
nature, occupation, home, social standing, etc. We may act according
to the standards of contemporary society. We need not be in people’s
faces with our beliefs. We need not be different externally. Others may
not even know we practice devotion, but hopefully they sense we are
kinder, more loving, more compassionate, and more giving than others.
Thus, we enjoy a normal life in society while cultivating pure love. This
constitutes a healthy, holistic approach to life.
We need internal steadiness to achieve success. An external show
of steadiness remains a false display for others. If real internal devotion
and steadiness exist, the bondage of the material world quickly disappears.
Pure knowledge and detachment increase as genuine devotion
increases.
We need not adopt the external signs and practices of Indian
devotees to develop this internal process. The goal is not to become Indian
but to become a lover of Radha-Krishna. Natural devotion may be
practiced by anyone, anywhere, in a nonsectarian manner. Gradually,
we see our life transformed into the spiritual world.
We may perform various devotional practices. Some more effectively
produce results than others. One of the most important practices
for followers of Chaitanya is chanting Radha-Krishna’s names, which
devotees consider non-different from the Divine Couple themselves.
We call upon them as our only shelter and depend upon their grace and
mercy to save us.
When we call out in love, they hear us and respond due to the
natural, innate love that exists between Radha-Krishna and us. They
exist symbolically in the sound vibration of their names. There are no
fixed rules for chanting the divine names, but when we put more feeling
into it, we get a greater response. Our yearning, longing, loving
calls must attract them to us.
Traditional devotees constantly chant the names of Radha-
Krishna while counting the chanting on strands of 108 prayer beads.
When I lived as a renunciate and could free myself of administrative
duties, I regularly chanted the Hare Krishna mantra sixty-four rounds
of 108 beads, which equals over 100,000 names daily. Hare Krishna,
Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare • Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This practice effectively focuses the mind on
Radha-Krishna. Even when we do not chant on beads, the mantra may
still go on mentally. When I left the renounced order of life, of course,
my lifestyle and devotional practices changed.
Our efforts are not as important as the grace of Radha-Krishna.
All our endeavors will not bring us to them without their grace. This
easy, natural way of devotion leads to the supreme goal of pure love.
I now mentally chant Om, one of the oldest and simplest names
of God-dess, as a meditation throughout the day. Om is symbolic of the
Divine Couple and the living entities united in love. It centers me as I
go about the activities of the day. From this center, I relate to others, the
world about me, and Radha-Krishna in a natural way while being present
in the moment and responding fluidly to the flow of life. As a Christian
pastor, I called it practicing the presence of God.
We may mentally repeat “Ommmm… Ommmm… Ommmm” letting
it reverberate within our consciousness until it becomes ingrained.
We develop a peaceful inner center filled with Om, and we come from
that place in everything we do. It is the peaceful place we constantly
return the restless mind to. The chanting becomes automatic like our
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eathing, and we hear creation echoing its sound. We remain grounded
and experience the immanence of God-dess along with developing
a transcendental relationship. Chanting Om serves as an effective spiritual
practice which allows us to maintain body, house, and society in a
manner consistent with our life situation, which may vary greatly.
In Chaitanya’s teachings, there are two principles: taste for the
name, and mercy to the living entities. A person is a devotee insofar
as these two principles manifest. It is not necessary to work for other
qualities. The qualities of the devotee instinctively appear, and the devotee
naturally enjoys benefiting all.
Chaitanya instructed Raghunath Das, “Always take the name of
Krishna and in your mind serve Radha and Krishna in Vraja” (Caitanya
Caritamrita 3.6.235) suggesting he internally worship Radha-Krishna
throughout the day.
As we chant, we remember the pastimes of Radha-Krishna
through the day and serve them in our spiritual body. Thus, we must
know our relationship to the Divine Couple, their pastimes, and how
they like to be served following the examples of the eternal residents of
Braj and the disciplic succession. Traditionally the teacher reveals this
to the disciple, although we may come to the realization through inner
grace. In this way, our relationship with Radha-Krishna becomes real,
personal, and mutual attraction increases.
Right livelihood is important. Most of us do not have enough independent
income to support ourselves, what to speak of our dependents.
Therefore, most of us must engage in some sort of work and hope to make
a decent living by doing so. Blessed are the carpenters, doctors, lawyers,
business persons, and others with marketable skills that earn a good income
and are in high demand. Others may not be so fortunate and struggle
to make a meager living doing things that do not suit their nature.
While we do not like to acknowledge we have a rigid caste system,
today’s society is a form of caste system indeed. Our caste is determined
by our innate qualities, upbringing, education, social position,
wealth, skills, and talents. Some are laborers, others farmers and
business persons, others warriors and administrators, while others are
priests and teachers. All are necessary for the smooth running of society.
All should be adequately compensated for their work. Therefore, we
strongly advocate for the living wage movement and welfare rights for
those unable to work. No one should be without necessities in a world
as abundant as ours. It is not a question of scarcity but of distribution.
We work for the equitable distribution of wealth and opportunity so all
may enjoy the blessings of life. Until we achieve systemic change, we
reach out to help those who are less fortunate.
Devotees live their lives as exemplary persons. They:
· Speak the truth in a direct, sincere manner.
· Show compassion and try to relieve the suffering of all.
· Accept what is needed to maintain life.
· Engage in work suited to their nature.
The difference between devotees and others rests more in the difference
of consciousness their activities are performed in rather than
the activities themselves. When we constantly dedicate our actions to
God-dess, they become spiritual. We may live comfortably in the world
and cultivate devotion.
Through constant practice, we gradually progress on the path.
We should not advance too quickly or too slowly. We become firmly
situated on one level before advancing to the next, but we also should
not stagnate without progress. In this one lifetime, we can progress to
the highest level of divine love. Constant cultivation of our relationship
with Radha-Krishna remains the essential element.
We cultivate devotion with the intent of pleasing Radha-Krishna.
We hear, glorify, and meditate on the spiritual pastimes of Radha-
Krishna, especially their appearance, activities, qualities, and names.
Thus inspired, we perform all actions as an offering to please God-dess.
All the senses, their objects, and their actions may be offered to Goddess
for his-her pleasure. We learn to relate everything to God-dess in
this way. Such actions do not bind us to the material world like self-
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centered actions do. Taking proper care of our body, mind, society, and
spirit is included in natural devotion.
We best engage in those devotional practices we have the strongest
taste for. The main idea is always to remember Radha-Krishna.
With this in mind, we are not attached to following particular rules
and regulations, but follow our natural attraction in choosing what
works for us at the time. Thus, we become spontaneously absorbed in
developing and expressing pure love both internally and externally.
Attachment to God-dess frees us from material attachment. Our
eagerness to please God-dess and fully devote ourselves to him-her
inspires our progress. We each possess a different taste for devotion.
Therefore, we each follow our own unique path that is not limited by
those who went before us.
As we develop our passion for Radha-Krishna, we study their
pastimes and choose an eternal associate we wish to follow. We internally
fix ourselves as their servants, and under their care internally
serve Radha-Krishna “in a suitable mentally conceived spiritual body”
(Sikshamrita 140). We should live in Braj either physically, or more
likely, mentally.
Strictly speaking, devotion cannot be defined due to its transcendental
nature. Sages and scriptures describe it as: “exclusive and
intense loving attachment to” God-dess, “the highest and the most satisfying
function of the soul,” “the highest end,” “indescribable love[...]
and the grandest and sublimest of all human experiences” and “the only
means for the attainment of” God-dess (Kapoor 176). Realization of
personal God-dess exists where devotion exists and does not exist apart
from devotion.
· Devotion remains open to all without restrictions.
· Devotion exists in the conditioned and liberated states.
· Devotion constitutes the eternal function of the soul.
· Devotion remains the means and end of God-dess realization.
· Devotion, a potency of God-dess, brings the grace of God-dess
to devotees.
Devotion includes knowledge and detachment. More intense
love for God-dess means less attachment for worldly things. We learn
to see worldly things in God-dess and use them for God-dess’ enjoyment.
We spiritualize life by using everything to please God-dess and
living without selfish attachment. We sublimate desires rather than repress
them, which often leads to unhealthy complexes. Asceticism remains
detrimental to devotion because it hardens the heart, builds up
the repressed shadow complex, and is generally unsustainable.
Devotion implies renunciation by using material objects in devotion
of God-dess. We need not eradicate cravings and impulses, but
we transform, or purify, them through subordination to the central
impulse of love. Devotional love resolves the conflict between life and
spirit not by denying life but by conforming life to spirit. Infusing spirit
into life changes the nature of our instincts from material urges to spiritual
urges. Universalist Radha-Krishnaism offers a new joy by rejuvenating
and reforming life on a spiritual model.
True renunciation enjoys worldly objects without attachment
and with the basic goal of realizing God-dess. We practice devotion
with faith in God-dess while not being too attached or too indifferent
to the world. The spiritual living entity gains conscious control of life
and enjoys the gifts of life in moderation and detachment while developing
full devotion.
Through devotion, the soul realizes its true nature as a minute
part of divine consciousness. Pure devotion exists without selfish desire
or cause. Though devotees serve God-dess solely for God-dess’ pleasure,
this natural function of the soul provides pleasure and satisfaction to
devotees automatically.
Devotion involving the whole personality enhances life. It takes
different forms in knowledge, adoration, and work. In knowledge, it
manifests as divine inquisitiveness; in adoration, it becomes the integrating
force; in work, the will takes the shape of a cosmic force and
fulfills the divine goals in creation. Devotion assumes knowledge of the
object of devotion. As an integrating force, it takes us closer to the object
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of devotion and leads to greater intimacy with it. Greater intimacy provides
higher knowledge followed by active expression of loving works.
As Goethe said, “Knowing is not enough; We must Apply. Willing
is not enough; We must Do.” Devotion remains connected to life. Devotees
actively engage in life. To know is to act. Every new gain of knowledge
makes the actions of life more graceful, revealing the love at the
heart of existence. Knowledge and works comprise the two axes of love.
Devotion exists as a spiritually gravitating force drawing us to
the center. It works at two ends. In our heart, it roots out egoistic impulses,
which draw us from the center, and releases integrating forces,
which guide us to complete surrender. Then knowledge, love, and will
act in harmony with the divine. In God-dess, devotion energizes grace,
opens the energies of salvation, and integrates us with divine will.
Devotion, a function of the blissful energy of God-dess (Radha),
energizes both God-dess and devotee. God-dess, the supreme enjoyer
of bliss, enjoys the bliss flowing from the devotee’s heart more than
the bliss of God-dess’ inherent nature. The gravitational force of bliss
draws the devotee to God-dess and God-dess to the devotee.
The Law of Harmony governs spiritual life. Love constitutes the
Law of Harmony’s topmost form. The Law of Harmony manifests our
self-surrender and God-dess’ grace. In the union of self-surrender the
soul produces a divine chord and realizes inner supreme harmony,
poise, and equilibrium.
The devotee feels the protection of God-dess and fearlessly pushes
forward, overcoming all obstacles. Devotion to God-dess counteracts
bad acts, whether they started producing effects or not. Natural
devotion does not depend on the rules and regulations of devotional
practices such as hearing and chanting. If lapses occur in observing
rules, they do not stop devotion from quickly producing results.
Devotion to God-dess destroys ignorance arising from “I and
my” consciousness. As watering the roots of a tree feeds its branches
and leaves, practicing devotion to God-dess satisfies all creation. Devotion
develops all good qualities. Actions performed for God-dess, like
hearing or singing the praises of God-dess, are transcendental. Devotion
self-manifests and transcends material conditions. Devotion is
identical with highest bliss. Devotees enjoy it as an end and a means.
Devotion is either developing or perfect. Developing devotion is
the way. Perfect devotion is the goal. Perfect devotion exists in conditioned
souls as the eternal, dormant function of the soul. Developing
devotion awakens this function. Any method or means that successfully
diverts the mind toward God-dess is considered developing devotion.
The main elements of developing devotion are:
1 Accepting what is favorable and rejecting what is unfavorable
to devotion. Rather than adhering to a universally prescribed
list of regulative practices and prohibitions, each practitioner
decides for him or herself what is helpful and what is not. Take
what works and leave the rest. Devotional contexts and aptitudes
vary greatly. What works for one person may not work
for another.
2 Cultivating the idea that God-dess is our preserver. We adopt
the attitude of living by the grace of and under the protection
of God-dess. Guided by God-dess, we undertake even difficult
tasks with confidence as we depend on God-dess for the results.
3 Being assured that we are not the actual doer but are moved by
God-dess’ will. As we learn to surrender our will to God-dess’
will, we become free of false-ego and the sense of being an independent
doer. Instead, we see ourselves as his-her agents or
instruments guided by God-dess within.
4 Being humble and free of self-conceit. Developing the qualities
of humility and forbearance opens us to grace and the full
effect of devotional practices. Knowing we are simply agents
of God-dess who acts through us keeps us humble. Yet, we
should not practice a false show of humility.
5 Reverentially learning from a spiritual teacher and holding
him or her in high regard as a representative of God-dess. De-
9

votion is the process of establishing a relationship with Goddess,
and a relationship with an advanced devotee already in a
relationship facilitates the process. Devotion is caught through
personal interaction as much as taught.
6 Hearing about the names, forms, qualities, and sports of Radha-Krishna.
This constitutes an important mode of devotional
meditation. There are no rules or particular order for hearing
these topics, but tradition recommends hearing the name first
to purify the heart before hearing the rest. Everything about
Radha-Krishna is attractive. Therefore, the more we hear
about them the more we are attracted, and they become the
primary attraction of our life.
7 Chanting the divine names, singing God-dess’ praises, and relating
what we learn about God-dess to others. Chanting the
names effectively focuses the mind in devotional meditation.
We may chant them aloud, in a whisper, or mentally. Chanting
a certain number of names, or mantras, on prayer beads is a
common practice.
The divine name is simultaneously one and different from
God-dess, who graciously appears as the name. Constant repetition
of the name purifies the heart. Then, the pure name
manifests fully, and we enter the love sports of Radha-Krishna.
All names of God-dess are powerful, but the names of Radha-
Krishna are most powerful.
8 Constantly remembering means fixing our mind on the names,
forms, or sports of God-dess. We progressively learn to focus
the mind until we become totally absorbed in remembrance of
Radha-Krishna and their pastimes. We also assume an identity
as a participant in those pastimes and enter into them in
that identity. Remembrance of Radha-Krishna forms the purpose
of all devotional practices.
9 Worshiping a deity form of God-dess such as a picture or statue.
God-dess assumes these forms out of grace. They provide
a visible focus for the spiritual orientation of our life. They enable
us to detach the mind and senses from material objects
and engage them worshipping Radha-Krishna.
Those who like to engage the senses fully may enjoy statues
they bathe, dress, and formally worship. Intuitives may prefer
a simple altar with pictures, flowers, candles, and incense as
a focus for meditation. We may even focus on a mental image.
The point is to fix our mind on God-dess. Material representations
or symbols of God-dess remain simultaneously
one and different from God-dess. What better way to portray
God-dess than through the highest aesthetic ideals of beauty,
truth, and love.
10 Surrendering the self entails complete dedication of the self,
including body, mind, senses, and soul to God-dess. God-dess
cannot help being attracted to a surrendered soul since we totally
depend on God-dess’ mercy.
All these devotional practices are interrelated. We may use one
or more of them exclusively, use them all, and even create our own. Persons
possess different aptitudes and capacities, and the practices that
work for a particular individual are best for him or her. No one way is
right for everyone.
There are two stages of developing devotion, regulative and natural.
Regulative devotion entails dutifully observing scriptural rules,
regulations, and rituals received from the tradition. Conditioned by
fear of breaking the rules, it remains formal and mechanical, thus ineffective
and not highly recommended.
Natural devotion remains unconditioned by fear of breaking
rules or scriptural injunctions. A continuous flow of attachment to
God-dess often makes it impossible to follow rules and regulations. It
is the life of love, and we like to say love is blind. It seeks the beloved
regardless of social norms. Devotees practicing natural devotion possess
a deep, genuine feeling of attachment to God-dess. The current of
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devotion flows from their heart spontaneously and ceaselessly overflows
all limits.
Natural devotion remains intrinsically different from ordinary
religion. It flows directly from the spiritual energy of the names and
attributes of God-dess, which draw the devotee to God-dess automatically
like the senses are drawn to their objects.
When natural attraction begins, the need for external observances
ends. Devotion is the activity of the soul, not the body, to which external
observances relate. When the natural devotion of the soul awakens,
the soul regulates the activities of the body and senses spontaneously.
Natural devotion supersedes the dangers and conflicts of moral
life and the strain and stress caused by obligations of a moral nature.
Natural devotion provides a spiritually complete life. It frees one from
the sense of “should,” which refers to an incomplete process and calls
for striving and accomplishing. Natural devotion provides a life fulfilled
in love free of external prohibitions. Regulated love is not true
love. It may train one to love, but love conditioned by will and custom
is love without zest.
Natural devotion sublimates intimate human emotions. Parents’
love for their children or a person’s love for his or her lover is natural
and intense. In natural devotion, we direct intense, spontaneous love
to God-dess. Although supremely effective, it remains a way to develop
devotion, not the goal.
Natural devotion follows the ideal devotional attachment of
Radha-Krishna’s eternal associates described in devotional writings
as model individuals. While their associates exist in several broad categories
of devotional relationship—namely: peaceful, servant, friend,
parent, and lover—we and most of Chaitanya’s followers focus on the
sweet sentiment of amorous love as between lover and beloved.
We follow the ideal of Radha’s confidential, female friends in
Braj. They are based on ancient Indian role models that may not fully
satisfy the devotional needs of contemporary Westerners. Therefore,
we freely re-imagine a more contemporary vision since Radha-Krishna
remain ever fresh and new, expand their pastimes unlimitedly, and respond
according to our approach.
Natural devotion imitates perfect devotion. A person in a physical
body cannot attain the perfect devotion of the eternal associates,
whose bodies are divine bliss. Natural devotion prepares us to attain
it ultimately in our perfect transcendental body. As long as we remain
in a physical body we go on hearing, chanting, and performing other
devotional practices outwardly, while inwardly we imagine ourselves
in a transcendental body serving Radha-Krishna constantly. Constant
meditation or remembrance makes the transcendental love sports come
alive. We enter those sports in the imagination, and by serving Radha-
Krishna in a devotional mood, we experience the ecstasy of vicariously
enjoying their bliss.
The practitioner’s imagined spiritual body is not wholly imaginary.
It constitutes a mental image of the spiritual body God-dess imparts
to the devotee out of infinite grace. God-dess imparts a transcendental
body like the one imagined because it is essential for enjoyment
of that particular mode of devotion. The imaginary spiritual body the
devotee contemplates exists as an imperfect replica of the spiritual body
attained at the perfection of devotion. The imaginary, contemplated
spiritual body constitutes the actual spiritual body in the making.
We cannot become Radha, Krishna, or one of their eternal associates
like Lalita or Bishaka. We can attain a unique, eternal relationship
with them similar to that of the eternal associate we emulate. We
remain eternally our own individual spiritual self and do not become
someone else, except in the sense of changing from a material to a spiritual
body. Remembrance, contemplation, and assisting the love-play
of Radha-Krishna through the medium of an imaginary spiritual body
comprise the essence of natural devotion.
Natural devotion emphasizes a spontaneous approach to Goddess
by cultivating an eternal relationship with Radha-Krishna. In the
erotic relationship, considered the highest loving relationship attainable,
we become intimate friends of Radha and experience the greatest
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liss by assisting the union of the Divine Couple while vicariously experiencing
Radha’s intense sublime feelings.
Usually, a spiritual teacher from a recognized line of teachers
initiates devotees into this process as Lalita Prasad Thakur initiated me.
Realizing the impracticality of this for most Westerners, in this book
I reveal everything we need to begin practice. The books listed below
and in the bibliography go into more detail on subjects I am not able to
cover fully in this book.
We use our teachers, other saintly practitioners, and the mythical
residents of Braj as devotional role models. We undergo a personal
transformation like a method-actor preparing for a role, and we
assume that role as our eternal spiritual identity. We even get to help
write the script through creative improvisation on the themes received
through traditional Radha-Krishna devotional writings. These books
present the traditional characters and plots of Radha-Krishna’s pastimes,
which the devotee reads and meditates on.
RECOMMENDED DEVOTIONAL READING
Gita Govinda by Jayadeva Goswami • is a twelfth-century poetic work,
which first popularized the love of Radha-Krishna. Krishna Chaitanya
and his followers relished it and built upon it.
Ananda Vrindaban Champu by Kavi Karnapur, • an associate of
Chaitanya at Puri, provides an excellent narration of Radha-Krishna’s
pastimes in Braj. It offers a beautiful, compelling introduction to their
basic myth from the Bhagavat Puran, Tenth Book.
Vidagdha-madhava and Lalita-madhava, two plays by Rupa Goswami,
• beautifully and movingly reveal the meta-narrative of Radha-Krishna’s
love in Braj, Mathura, and Dwarka. They disclose the relationship
between Radha and her girlfriends in pastoral Braj and Krishna’s wives
in Dwarka, his royal capital. They are stunning plays written about a
hundred years before Shakespeare.
Ujjal Nilmani by Rupa Goswami • provides a detailed character analysis
along with scenarios illustrating the varieties of pastimes and their
emotional manifestations.
Sri Gaura-Govindarcana-Smarana-Paddhati by Dhyanacandra Goswami
• provides authoritative meditation techniques and mantras.
It is a notebook of devotional practices compiled by an early follower
of Chaitanya. It served as a model through the centuries and may be
adapted for today’s needs.
Acting as a Way of Salvation: A Study of Raganuga Bhakti Sadhana by
David L. Haberman • provides an excellent scholarly, yet accessible,
exploration of traditional natural devotional practices. It includes Ashta-Kaliya-Leela-Smarana-Mangala-Stotram
by Rupa Goswami, which
provides a brief outline of Radha-Krishna’s pastimes throughout the
day and forms the basis for other descriptions. Its brevity allows devotees
ample opportunity to fill in the details for themselves.
Sri Krishnahnika Kaumudi: The white lotus of Radha-Krishna’s daily
pastimes by Kavi Karnapur • is my favorite for meditating on Radha-
Krishna’s sports throughout the day. It is fairly brief and extremely well
written.
Bhavanasara Sangraha: A Collection of Ultimate Meditations, by Siddha
Krishnadas Tatapada • provides a popular compilation of Radha-
Krishna’s pastimes throughout the day drawn from multiple sources
and beautifully woven together.
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DIVINE NAMES AND MANTRAS
God-dess — along with all the gods, goddesses, heavens, and hells—
exists within us. This agrees with the Upanishads, Buddhism, Tantra,
Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, and others. Many of Chaitanya’s followers
experienced Krishna within their hearts. Rather than an external,
transcendental experience, perhaps we seek an inner, immanent experience
of divinity.
There are more dimensions to this universe than we can fully
conceive. The spiritual plane permeates and sustains everything. Devotional
practices help us remain conscious of the spiritual plane of existence
constantly.
Chaitanya and his followers emphasize chanting the names of
God-dess, and God-dess has thousands of names to use in constant
chanting. Chanting takes various forms such as group singing, individual
singing, and silent or verbal repetition of mantras.
The names of God-dess are symbols. A symbol is not exactly
what it symbolizes, yet it contains something of the nature of what it
represents. It serves as a sign pointing to the ultimate which cannot be
put into words. However, words are what we have to work with.
Different languages use different names for God-dess. These
names evoke God-dess within the mind of the devotee. Therefore, they
serve as an excellent focus for meditation. The congregational singing
of the divine names induces a group experience of the sublime, and individual
chanting of the names does this for the individual.
We recommend chanting mantras on prayer beads for concentrated
periods of meditation. Traditionally, a strand of 108 tulasi beads
plus a head bead is used. Chanting while seated at our altar or while
walking in nature is especially fruitful.
At least one round (108 times) of each of these mantras is a good daily
practice (more is better if we are so inclined). If we know our spiritual identity,
we should meditate in our spiritual body after offering respects to our
teachers and Krishna Chaitanya. Feel free to improvise with these mantras.
First, the Krishna mantra— “O Krishna, I am yours (and you
are mine).” We meditate upon Krishna, the personification of youthful
masculine attractiveness, charm, and grace as we surrender ourselves
to him.
Then the Radha mantra— “O Radha, I am yours (and you are
mine).” We meditate upon Radha, the personification of youthful feminine
loveliness, charm, and grace as we surrender ourselves to her.
Next, the Union mantra — “O Divine Couple, I am yours, and
you are mine.” We meditate upon the union of Radha-Krishna, who are
both dear to the sensuous women of Braj as we immerse ourselves in
their love sports.
The Two-in-One
Radha-Krishna form the feminine-masculine dipoles of God-dess.
When we see the two as one, we see the androgyny of God-dess and,
by reflection, ourselves. Ramananda Rai first said Chaitanya embodies
Radha-Krishna and is their incarnation. The introduction to the Chaitanya
Charitamrita beautifully describes Krishna’s reasons for incarnating
as Chaitanya. He wanted to taste the bliss Radha experiences because
it is much more intense than his. Krishna Chaitanya — especially
after renunciation, meeting Ramananda, and settling in Puri with
him—took on the mood of Radha.
This entails the mystery of the two-in-one. We accept symbolism,
as Bhaktivinode did. God-dess contains or embodies the symbol
in its pure spiritual essence. God-dess embodies personal, male and female
forms in ways we cannot fully conceive. When we see how Radha-Krishna
manifest in Chaitanya and his followers, we get an idea of
how they might manifest in us. Internally, we experience the union of
Radha-Krishna as the perfection of devotion. Externally, we appreciate
all lovers as limited embodiments of Radha-Krishna.
Radha-Krishna, being infinite, pervade all things. When we install
Radha-Krishna statues in a temple, it is not that we install the de-
13

ity into a lifeless statue. Rather, we learn to see Radha-Krishna who are
already in the statue, and were already in the wood, stone, or metal
used to make the statue.
Yet the statue must be a suitable vehicle to hold our vision, imposition,
or projection of the deity—Radha, a beautiful young woman,
and Krishna, a handsome young man. If we can do that with a statue
or painting, why not with real, beautiful young women and handsome
young men as Ramananda did?
Ramananda introduced the practice of meditating in his spiritual
identity as Bishaka on serving Radha by bathing, dressing, and
intimately serving two temple dancing girls while perceiving them
as Radha. This was a physical acting out of what has become an inner
meditative practice.
The highest spirituality is to live the myth. As we surrender to
Radha-Krishna and allow them into our lives, we hope they possess us,
and we become God-dess intoxicated persons like Chaitanya, who constantly
heard Radha-Krishna’s pastimes from Ramananda and praised
his association with the dancers.
On one level for men, developing our identity as Radha’s female
associate involves getting in touch with the anima and developing our
feminine, spiritual side. Attaining an androgynous state of balance between
our masculine and feminine natures promotes wholeness in both
men and women. Radha-Krishna and Chaitanya’s examples benefit the
whole world as it suffers from feuding, patriarchal monotheisms, which
worship a male God without a consort.
Symbols help us contemplate ideas far from, or totally outside,
normal experience, by extending ideas we already possess. Human love
provides a natural symbol for transcendent joy or the longing of the
soul for God-dess. What symbol better expresses spiritual ecstasy than
sexual pleasure?
This comprises the beautiful symbolism of Radha-Krishna, the
Divine Couple, the highest, purest representation of God-dess. They
symbolize the perfection of erotic love according to classical Indian
aesthetic principles, which aid our mind’s entrance into Radha-Krishna’s
eternal love sports. The idea of entering into an erotic loving relationship
with God-dess engenders great attraction. Followers of Chaitanya
created a compelling mythos for developing such a relationship. I
humbly rework that mythos so Radha-Krishna may be seen and accepted
as a contemporary, universal symbol for God-dess.
For Chaitanya’s followers, as for the troubadours, longing and
intense desire lead us to the goal. Longing constitutes an act of worship,
pleasurable in itself, and pleasing to Radha-Krishna. Christian and Sufi
mystics also long for union with God-dess. While we remain in this
world, our primary relationship to God-dess consists mostly of separation
based on our existential situation. However, longing for union
seems almost as sweet and intense as union itself.
Men and women both embody the divine Radha-Krishna: women
are female due to a preponderance of Radha; men are masculine due
to a preponderance of Krishna. Love between man and woman embodies
in microcosm the love of Radha-Krishna who also experienced separation
and union. This makes sense from a number of perspectives—
spiritual, psychological, social, familial, and personal.
The union of a loving couple manifests the love of God-dess and
gives a foretaste of spiritual bliss. God-dess exists within us and constitutes
our very self. When we unite the male and female parts of our
psyche, we become whole and holy. Granting equal status to men and
women as partial manifestations of God-dess mitigates gender discrimination
and dominance. Seeing everyone as a manifestation of
God-dess, whom we love, goes a long way toward increasing peace and
justice in the world.
Radha symbolizes the highest devotion. Poets also saw her as a
real woman, and their poetry about her feels warm and personal. Based
on the simple stories of the Bhagavat, poets developed a complicated affair,
with all the jealousy, pain, hurt, joy, anger, and satisfaction of human
love. They developed the characters of Radha-Krishna according
to the aesthetic principles of the ideal hero and heroine found in classi-
14

cal Indian eroticism, drama, and poetry. They did an excellent job and
offer rich imagery that we may re-imagine using contemporary Western
aesthetics.
Natural devotion uses the innate qualities of the senses rather
than denying or suppressing them. Universalist Radha-Krishnaism
employs easy, natural practices. We model our life here on the eternal
life we envision for ourselves, and envision an eternal life that serves
as a model for life here and now. As Joseph Campbell said, eternity is a
dimension of here and now. Why not sacramentalize our life here in a
holistic, life-affirming manner? As above, so below.
Radha-Krishna indwell in us as the divine principle. Their nature
is love and giving joy. We realize and experience this in our nature.
This reasoning forms a simple and elegant theological rationale. We are
the microcosm. God-dess is the macrocosm. We are the part. God-dess
is the whole. We are one in quality but different in quantity.
When we come to this realization, God-dess guides us from
within, and the dictates of society or religion no longer bind us as we
follow a higher power. We practice equal mindedness to all. Outwardly,
we tend to live as ideal members of society. We perform our inner
spiritual practices in our female spiritual body facilitating the union of
Radha-Krishna. We unite the pairs of opposites within ourselves and
become psychically whole, actualized, and awakened beings.
We redirect our passion from our self-satisfaction to the satisfaction
of Radha-Krishna. Thus, we enter into their eternal love sports in
Braj by grace as they reveal themselves to us. We reciprocate by totally
surrendering ourselves to them. Our heart’s natural devotional inclinations
guide us in this process based on our capacity for devotion. Without
passion, there can be no realization of or union with Radha-Krishna.
Radha-Krishna dwell within us as our inner instructor and initiator
gurus. We worship both through their mantras knowing the two-inone,
and we taste the ocean of nectarean bliss. Thus, we get a foretaste of
the spiritual world in this life through natural devotional practice.
The Ultimate Goal — Divine Love
Divine love implies two things: happiness and the feeling of attachment
or affection for the beloved. However, divine love is not synonymous
with happiness as a kind of personal satisfaction. Rather than seeking
anything for itself, divine love longs to increase the happiness of the beloved,
even at the cost of our own happiness.
Although devotees do not consciously seek happiness as personal
satisfaction, the devotee’s happiness comes naturally with the happiness
of the beloved. Whatever causes the happiness of the beloved
causes the happiness of the lover. Divine love causes happiness in union
and separation. The basic element in divine love is selfless devotion to
the beloved.
Divine love directed toward God-dess expresses the spiritual energy
of God-dess awakened in the devotee through grace. The bliss of
divine love intoxicates the devotee and God-dess, resulting in their becoming
completely engrossed in each other. Therefore, it has the power
to subjugate God-dess.
In the spiritual world, where love reigns supreme, Radha-Krishna
and their devotees exchange reciprocal acts of love.
· Each depends on the other.
· Each feels wanting without the other.
· Each wants to get close to the other.
· Each wants to win the other through loving devotion.
God-dess realizes him-herself through loving the devotees. Goddess
derives greater pleasure when controlled by devotees’ love than by
controlling them.
Radha-Krishna’s female associates in Braj eternally exhibit the
most perfect divine love. They serve as our role models while we progress
through the various stages of developing divine love. First, we need
a little faith. Then we associate with saintly persons and engage in hearing
and chanting, which purges the mind of materialistic thoughts.
15

Then our reliance on Radha-Krishna becomes firm, leading to a taste
or natural liking for devotional activities. This develops into a strong
affinity with them. Then unalloyed devotion sprouts in the devotee’s
heart as spiritual emotion, which ultimately ripens into divine love.
Unalloyed devotion is the beginning of divine love, which is
known by nine attendant conditions enumerated as:
1 Serenity in all circumstances
2 Remembering God-dess always
3 Detachment from sense objects
4 Humility
5 Firm faith in attaining God-dess
6 Eagerness to attain God-dess
7 Taste for chanting God-dess’ names
8 Naturally speaking of God-dess’ attributes
9 Strong desire to live in Radha-Krishna’s abode.
When spiritual emotion intensifies and feelings of attachment
for Radha-Krishna increase, it becomes divine love. Nothing can break
this affectionate bond because it is not self-serving and the lover is willing
to pay any price for the happiness of the beloved. This involves a
transcendental state even the wise cannot understand.
Divine love can be realized while in the physical body, but the
higher stages of divine love can be realized only after leaving the physical
body and fully attaining the perfect spiritual body.
16