1., Association of sadhu
One gets one’s nature from one’s association. Whatever association one has, one’s nature will develop accordingly. The nature one inherits from the association one had in the previous life changes by the Influence of the association in this life. Therefore association is the root cause of human nature. It is not enough to give up bad association. One has to cultivate good association. The association of a sādhu with great care has been described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam in verses 3.25.21–24 and also in 11.11.29–32.
We do not consider anyone a sādhu just by seeing his external garb. Without seeing the symptoms that are described in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam we should not consider one to be a sādhu. In the present age, the standard by which to judge a sādhu is becoming extinct. Unfortunately, by considering anyone and everyone to be a sādhu, just because of their external dress, we are also becoming insincere hypocrites.
Actually, innumerable sādhus exist in this world who are karmīs, jñānīs, yogīs, or devotees tinged with the concept of karma or jñāna. But it is rare to find a sādhu in the mood of pure devotion. Yet it is only pure devotion that can attract the Supreme Lord.
Even though the lotus feet of the sādhu, or pure devotee, the Supreme Lord always resides in the heart of a pure devotee. Govinda says, “My devotees are My life and soul. The Supreme Lord, who is the giver of shelter to all living beings, Himself likes to rest in His favorite place, the heart of His devotee.”
In the association of His devotees, His Transcendental Message expands. If His devotee feels hungry, He will eat. If His devotee feeds Him, He will eat; otherwise, He will not eat. If the devotee wakes Him up, He will wake up. If His devotee sits Him down, He will sit down. If His devotee puts Him to bed, He will go to bed. His devotee is His life, His greatest wealth. Therefore, to attain the mercy of the Supreme Lord, one has to attain the mercy of His servants. One has to become the servant of His devotees. “Worship of My devotee is greater than worship of Me”; these words came from My heart. The Supreme Lord says, “The sādhus are in My heart, and I am also in their hearts. They do not know anyone other than Me, and I also do not know anyone other than them.”
It is very important to consider how one can get the association of a sādhu. Many people think that if one offers obeisances to a sādhu, drinks his caraṇāmṛta, eats his prasāda, or gives him some money, then one gets his association. By doing these things, one gives honor to the sādhu, no doubt, and that has to yield some benefit, yet that alone is not the association of a sādhu. It is said in Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.7.46 that only those who study and follow the nature of a sādhu with great care can know the illusory energy of God and can thus cross the material ocean. Only by sincerely following the nature and conduct of pure devotees can we attain pure devotion.
—informal Sādhu-saṅga
2.,Expertise in devotional service is measured by the extent to which one is able to satisfy the senses of the Lord. An advanced devotee who has this expertise is one who has taken exclusive shelter of Kṛṣṇa. He is free from any tendency to criticize others, and seeks only to be absorbed in the pastimes of the Divine Couple of Vraja. Such a devotee is very dear to Kṛṣṇa and is certainly rare in this world. To see such a devotee, to associate with him, or to serve him are manifestations of good fortune on a level seldom experienced. Only if Kṛṣṇa bestows His mercy on someone can he experience the blessing of such association. To inform everyone of this important aspect of spiritual life, mahājanas such as Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura have prayed for the contact of a person who is expert in devotional service:
kabe śrī caitanya more karibena dayā
kabe āmi pāiba vaiṣṇava-pada-chāyā
“When will Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu be merciful unto me? When will I find shelter in the shade of a Vaiṣṇava’s lotus feet?”
(Kalyāṇa-kalpataru, Dainyamayī prārthanā, 1)
This kind of consciousness, imbued with a taste for devotion to Kṛṣṇa, is obtained by the grace of a great soul who has traveled the rāgānugā-bhakti path. Millions and millions of births filled with pious acts will not bring about the same result.
—The Art of Sādhana (A Guide to Daily Devotion)
3.,Faith in Śrī Guru
One’s love for the lotus feet of Śrī Guru increases through one’s faith in the words of Śrī Guru. If one does not properly follow the words of Gurudeva and just becomes an eloquent preacher or writer, then that will not be an indication of one’s love for Gurudeva. Gurudeva can detect the falsity in a display of love.
If there is a sincere endeavor on the part of the disciple to follow the words of Gurudeva, then Gurudeva, who is the ocean of mercy, will make that endeavor successful. Since Gurudeva is the personification of the powerful potency of Śrī Gaurāṅga, his mercy will be transmitted to his good disciple. When one has received his mercy, the mercy of the Lord does not remain beyond one’s reach.
If we consider that we will have a lot of devotion for the Supreme Lord, but it is all right to have a little less devotion for Gurudeva, such a distinction in devotion coming from mental speculation is contradicted in the scripture by such verses as yathā deve tathā guru. This kind of devotion for Gurudeva is recommended during both his manifested and unmanifested pastimes.
One should never criticize any of Gurudeva’s actions, considering that “these words of Gurudeva were not proper” or “that action by Gurudeva was not proper.” The disciple should never consider the propriety of his Gurudeva’s actions or words. By doing that, he will become implicated in the offense of disrespecting Gurudeva by thinking of him in a mundane way.
One should keep Gurudeva’s order on one’s head and immediately endeavor to carry it out. If for some reason one is truly incapable of carrying out Gurudeva’s order, then one has to earnestly pray at his lotus feet to attain the qualification to carry out his order.
If one feels some pain from the chastisement or the harsh behavior of Gurudeva, even then one must not talk back to him. This is considered a great offense against Gurudeva that can destroy everything. By losing his position under the discipline of Gurudeva, the disciple becomes unruly due to his own independence. In this way he definitely goes to hell.
4.,The most dangerous offense
The Supreme Lord never tolerates criticism of His devotees. This is why one who finds fault with Vaiṣṇavs remains forever deprived of the Lord’s mercy. His spiritual practices become useless like ghee which was offered in the ashes. Therefore anyone on the path of spiritual life has to be very cautious about not committing any offense to a Vaiṣṇav. This is not a mere idle threat. One should read the story of Rāmāchandra Purī. By offending his guru he became an offender of the Vaiṣṇavs, and gradually his offense reached the Supreme Lord Himself. Thus one can become forever deprived of the nectar of devotion. Of the ten offenses against the holy name, the criticism of a saint who is a pure devotee is considered the foremost. This offense is extremely fearsome. If one does not guard himself from this offense then one will not receive the mercy of the holy name by chanting it for millions of lifetimes.
An offender should use the same mouth to admit his offense that he used to commit the offense, and if he asks for forgiveness with sincere regret then he receives the benediction of Vaiṣṇav mercy. Just as, if one becomes deathly ill by drinking poison, then one can get one’s life and strength back again by drinking the antidote nectar, similarly one can erase one’s offense of criticizing a Vaiṣṇav by sincerely glorifying that Vaiṣṇav. But this glorification has to be sincere, and one must not commit this offense again.
When a devotee, having lost his sense by committing an offense against the holy name, engages himself in criticizing a pure devotee due to his own jealousy, envy, and hostility, then we have to accept the path of noncooperation with him. We have to remember what is said by Śrīla Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur here:
vaiṣṇav caritra sarvadā pavitra, yei ninde himse kari bhaktivinod nā sambhāṣe tāre, thāke sadā mauna dhari
“The character of a pure devotee is always pure. If one criticizes such a pure devotee, due to envy, then Bhaktivinod does not talk to him, he (Bhaktivinod) remains silent in his presence.” Śrīla Ṭhākur Maśāi has further said:
vaiṣṇave vidveṣ karī’ chhāi’e nāmaras krame krame hay artha-kāminīr vaś
“Having been hostile to Vaiṣṇavs, one eventually gives up the holy name. Then one gradually becomes attached to money and women.” The punishment for committing an offense at the lotus feet of a pure devotee is so terrible that it creates attachment for the opposite sex even in a very renounced and spiritually powerful person, and thus makes him fall from his path. In this context, we present the example of Saubhari Muni, from Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, Ninth Canto, sixth chapter, and Tenth Canto, sixteenth and seventeenth chapters.
According to the instruction of Śrīman Mahāprabhu, those who can become humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree, have no desire for honor or prestige, but give honor to others, can free themselves from ten offences and attain love of God by incessantly chanting the holy name.
–Vaishnava aparadha