ND > My comments are highlighted.
-----
Personal Notes on a, Hopefully, Mature Approach to Bhakti-yoga
6 hours ago by Namacarya das in Personal Sadhana Reports
Personal Notes on a, Hopefully, Mature Approach to Bhakti-yoga
What follows is not “absolute truth.”
The Absolute Truth is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā.
These are my impressions — what Kṛṣṇa has allowed me to comprehend through personal experience, reflection, and, to some degree, sincere practice.
1. Foundational Understanding
Skipping the basic teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā leads to superficiality and often results in what is called spiritual bypassing — avoiding genuine inner work and unresolved emotions under the pretext of “spiritual life.”
ASA - Maybe like not making a foundation for a building?
ND > Yes. In other words, what is the good use of the luxurious and many-story building if the foundations are weak and will crumble soon?
HpS/ASA - Seems so!
The past, whatever it was, should be accepted. It is not an obstacle but a starting point.
Now, the focus should be deep, careful, slow, and deliberate study:
first the Bhagavad-gītā, then the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, followed by the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Nectar of Devotion, and other essential works.
ASA - Yet, the Bhaktivedanta Purports include the previous books in the list, no? So if we start with the most advanced, eg. KRSNA book then Srila Prabhupada will teach us BG also, no?
ND > Yes, and refer us to BG to inspire us to study it.
Different people are reading to join at different levels, no?
ND > I am not sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean that different people with different spiritual qualities join and they will choose to read different books? If you mean this, yes and a little comment that even though a person is highly spiritually qualified, will read BG from that perspective and enjoy ananda.
HpS/ASA - Yes!
Eg. Fred can appreciate the KRSNA book but needs the BG instruction included to fill out his fundamentally good BG knowledge from previous lives.
ND > Yes.
Every person has their psychophysical nature (svabhāva). That nature should not be denied in the practice of bhakti — at least not in the early and middle stages.
Spiritual growth comes through gradual transformation, not through forced suppression of one’s inherent tendencies.
ASA - Yet, we can do some suppression, no? Just say, "No" to chocolate!!!! Some suppression is natural, but cultivating the higher taste as you suggest is real basis.
ND > Yes, resisting the temptation to eat some kind of “food” items is needed. However, there is no need to resist being a doctor, singer, cleaner, lawyer, etc., for Krsna, and according to Krsna’s desire. Arjuna as a warrior, Dhruva and Prahlada as kings... Still, on some super humane level, a person can also neglect his/her svabhava and do what Krsna told him/her.
Bhakti is not lived by negating the world, but by purifying one’s relationship with it.
ASA - 🐷 can we join your school??? Wonderful.
ND > Hehehe. 😊
The Mayura Academy is trying to share how to dance for Krsna’s pleasure :-) Put your "wings" in the air, sway softly in the kirtana rhythm while putting one foot in front of the other.
2. Responsibility and Everyday Life
Bhakti-sādhakas should live according to their natural duty (dharma):
- working, earning honestly, and contributing to society,
- not living indulgently, but also not artificially renouncing comfort,
- being educated and financially independent — not dependent on parents, institutions (including ISKCON), or anyone else.
Such a life develops a genuine sense of responsibility.
When such devotees gather, they do not seek titles or recognition. Their association becomes a natural setting for talking and singing about Kṛṣṇa and His energies.
In that atmosphere, there is no need for unnecessary hierarchy.
Respect arises spontaneously — from maturity and mutual appreciation, not from titles or formal power.
In such a community, bhakti becomes a living reality, not an organizational system.
ASA - Srila Prabhupad comments that there is no difference between the grhasta fully engaged in KC and the man in the renounced order of life, but because of more formal austerities the Sannyasi is given more FORMAl respect.
Is the same, no?
ND > I remember Mother Urmila saying that austerities were stronger (in a way), at least then, as a grihasta than as vanaprastha. As grihasta, there was cooking, cleaning, taking care of children + Sadhana, The bedding at home was simple. As a vanaprashta, there is always someone cooking nice dishes for her and the beds are better than in her past period of life. Of course, there are more things to all this, but just as an example in and of today’s modern world. There are sannyasis with a house, a flat (one, two and even three) and grihastas who do not own the apartment.
HpS/ASA - Yes, Gopa kumar in the Brhad Bhagavata Amrta comments that Sannyasa can come to mean eating nice food and not having to work hard.
Danger in every Ashrama.
Srila Prabhupad told Sudama Swami that it is the duty of Temple and Grhasthas to offer big, big prasad to the Sannyasi and it is duty of Sannyasi to take little, little. In this way there is an ongoing competition.
The formalities then seem like formalities with pleasant meaning.
3. Arjuna as an Example
Arjuna did not change his occupation or his clothes.
He changed his consciousness, mentality, and intention.
That is the essence of bhakti-yoga: inner transformation within the life one already lives.
Spirituality is not an escape from the world but a change in how we relate to it.
In this way, progress becomes organic, natural, and clear — not forced, but alive.
Material problems will always exist, but with a proper inner attitude they become opportunities for learning and growth.
HpS - Wow! Yes. Super.
4. Tolerance and Boundaries
Titikṣā — forbearance — is a divine quality, but it must be understood correctly.
If someone can humbly tolerate injustice (to oneself), that is noble.
But if someone cannot, that is not a lack of spirituality.
There must be (is) a way to express pain and suffering.
Forbearance must not become an excuse for allowing abuse — whether personal, social, or institutional.
ASA - NoI 3 - Enthusiasm is more important than tolerance. We must be enthusiastic about our tolerance because we see it is getting good results?
ND > If I understand properly you are saying, “Try to be tolerant but with divine inspiration and realisation”.
HpS/ASA - Enthusiasm is defined as action executed in KC with intelligence. So, we can adopt, patience, not doing somethings as a positive action to some degree with intelligence. We should first, be enthusiastic, even in our patience.
Especially within religious organizations, where “tolerance” is too often used as a shield for those in power.
When the idea of “spiritual tolerance” is misunderstood, it may turn into passive acceptance of wrongdoing instead of compassionate correction. Misusing the principle of tolerance and patience to excuse harmful acts creates space where abuse can persist.
True tolerance does not only mean being a doormat; it means staying composed and clear while truth and justice are being expressed.
It is easy to be “tolerant” when everyone pampers and praises us.
But real tolerance is tested only in adversity — and then it requires both strength and wisdom, not mere passivity.
ND : End of this letter's comments. Thank you!
HpS/ASA - Bad head ache. 4.33PM.
Turn off all functions and chant.
Honor Prasadam.
Thank you.
