Recently the New Seva Kunj , ISKCON temple located in Chicago, IL has started a lecture series on describing different setps involved in attaining love of Godhead as explained by the acaryas. These lectures are expertly given by Temple President Nityananda Prana Prabhu and one of the most prominent Brahmacari of the temple Jaya Jaggannath prabhu. Following are some of the points that were gathered during these lectures , please forgive my incompetencies in presenting these points owing to my imperfect senses and intelligence.
There are specific steps which are identified by the great acaryas in development of Love of Godhead and they have narrated them in various wirtings. The lectures were intended to explain these points in the ascending order of progress.
First lecture given by Jaya Jaggannath prabhu on the first step in achieving love of Godhead
Shradda (faith) :
His Grace Jaya Jagganath prabhu very nicely described the importance of this first step and also decribed the real meaning of faith which commonly is misunderstood. As he explained he pointed out that generally faith is taken to be some kind of a blind trust and mostly considered to be sentimental, but astonishingly he connected faith with intelligence and explained that faith was a function of intelligence and not just a blind sentiment.
He explained that faith is a constant companion of a living soul and without faith one cannot live even for a moment, he supported his statements with wonderful examples as to how on the basis of faith on the words of mother we are identifying who our father is, and how even while travelling by plane we put our faith in pilot of the plane, if we did not have faith then it would be very difficult for anyone to even board a plane. He explained that even a atehist has faith that there is no God, that is also a kind of faith.
Further inorder to explain the first step in acheiveing Love of Godhead, he said faith is a very essential element. He quoted that Srila prabhupada often used to say that without knowing about God, there is no question of Love for God and explaining further he vividly explianed that inorder to know God one must have a preliminary faith , since without faith one cannot learn anything, even in this material world. If students donot have faith in their professors then there is no transaction of knowlege between the two.
Stressing on faith he said that every one in this world has faith , but the problem is that this faith is incorrectly directed. Most commonly the faith is directed towards the material energy and hence in return we only get misery. If this same faith is directed in devotioanl service to GOD, i.e towards the spiritual energy , then everyone is happy.
Sadhu Sanga (Associating with the pure devotees of Lord)
Second important step in progressing towards Love of Godhead is Sadhu Sanga, which was explained in a eloquent manner by Temple President His Grace Nityananda Prana Prabhu. Sadhu is one who is a pure devotee of the lord , reading a verse from Srimad Bhagvatam on how a moments association with Sadhu cannot be compared to anything in this material world, he addressed the most important step in the process of attaining Love of Godhead. Without the mercy of a Sadhu one cannot make any process in spiritual life.
He explained that Sunday Love feast at all the temples was a opportunity for all to associate with devotees fo the lord and increase their desires and determination to achieve Love of Godhead. Continuing on the topic of faith, he also stressed that fiath is a preliminary step to achieve love of Godhead, because unless one has faith in the words of a Sadhu, one will not be able to make progress towards one the Goal.
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