Sadhana bhakti
Every person with even a little intelligence chooses their life goal (purushartha). The Vedas distinguish 4 material goals: kama (sense gratification), artha (material progress), dharma (religiosity), and moksha (liberation). All these goals do not fulfill the true needs of the soul – to restore the broken loving relationship with the Supreme.
Terms
Sadhya
Goal
Sadhana
Method or practice
Sadhaka
Practitioner
Sri Chaitanya Mahāprabhu states "sādhanam – śuddha bhaktir". There are many spiritual practices that people choose according to their abilities and interests. However, the only true sādhana is śuddha bhakti – pure devotional service, because only it gives a true spiritual result.
Garuda Purāṇa (Pūrva-khanda 231.3)
bhaj ityeṣa vai dhātuh sevāyām parikīrtitam
tasmāt sevā budhaiḥ proktā bhaktiḥ sādhana-bhūyasī
"The verbal root 'bhaj' means to render service. Therefore, intelligent sādhakas should engage in service to Sri Krishna with great endeavor, because only through such service is bhakti born."
Srila Rupa Gosvami states that devotional service is divided into three stages:
Sadhana bhakti
Practical Service
Bhava bhakti
Ecstatic State
Prema bhakti
Pure Love of God
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.2)
kṛti-sādhyā bhavet sādhya-
bhāvā sā sādhanābhidhā
nitya-siddhasya bhāvasya
prākaṭyaṁ hṛdi sādhyatā
"When transcendental devotional service, by which Krishna is attained, is executed by the senses, it is called sādhana-bhakti. Such devotion eternally exists within every living being's heart. To awaken this eternal devotion is the power of practical devotional service."
Sadhana bhakti – regulated devotional service. To practice means to give the senses work. Thus, practical devotional service is the engagement of our sensory and working organs in serving Krishna.
🚶 Child Walking Analogy
A child learns to walk. Walking is not an unnatural action for them. The ability to walk is innate to the child, and after brief practice, they take their first steps. Such a natural instinct of every living being is also devotional service to the Supreme Lord.
Sadhana bhakti, or the practice of devotional service, can be divided into two stages:
Vaidhi bhakti
Regulated devotional service. When there is no attachment to the Lord and loving service to Him is not spontaneous, when the Lord is served only because the spiritual master or scriptures instruct so.
Raganuga bhakti
When a person, while following the regulative principles, feels greater attachment to Krishna and begins to serve Him out of love.
The Main Rule
smartavyaḥ satataṁ viṣṇur
vismartavyo na jātucit
sarve vidhi-niṣedhāḥ syur
etayor eva kiṅkarāḥ
"Krishna must be remembered always and never forgotten. All rules and prohibitions in the scriptures should be servants of these two principles."
— Padma Purāṇa (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya 22.113)
At the very beginning we may not have a taste for performing devotional service, but understanding that it is necessary for us, we are able to force ourselves to perform it, until we gradually develop a taste for such service.
🔑 Essence
Always remembering Krishna – this is dhyana, meditation. It is said that one meditates with the mind fixed on Vishnu. Such a state of consciousness is called samadhi, trance. We must construct our life's activities in such a way that we constantly remember Vishnu or Krishna. This is Krishna consciousness.
This instruction is truly the most essential of all regulative principles. Because when one is instructed to do one thing, one is necessarily prohibited from doing another. If one is ordered to always remember Krishna, then one is forbidden to forget Him. This simple order and prohibition encompasses all regulative principles.
Varnashrama and the Main Rule
The mentioned regulative principle is suitable for all varnas and ashramas. Regulative principles are not only for brahmacharis, they are applicable to everyone. Even a spiritually advanced sannyasi must without exception follow the principle: "constantly remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead and never forget Him."
Šrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.27.49
"Dear Uddhava, all people act – whether it be material activity or activity prescribed by revealed scriptures. If the results of either of these two forms of activity are dedicated to worshiping Me in Krishna consciousness, one will be happy both in this world and the next, even without striving to be so."
The Krishna consciousness movement is wonderful in that it does not require one to identify as a brahmana, vaishya, shudra, or kshatriya. Everyone can engage in the activity they currently have, and use its results to worship Lord Krishna.
Techniques and Methods
Bhagavad-gītā 8.5
anta-kāle ca mām eva
smaran muktvā kalevaram
yaḥ prayāti sa mad-bhāvaṁ
yāti nāsty atra saṁśayaḥ
"And whoever, at the end of life, quits their body remembering Me alone, immediately attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt."
We can constantly think about Krishna when we engage in one of the nine processes of devotional service, such as hearing about Krishna and chanting His name, praying, worshiping, executing His instructions.
Five Most Powerful Forms of Devotional Service
Sādhu saṅga
Associate with saintly persons
Nāma kīrtana
Chant the holy names
Bhāgavata śravaṇa
Discuss spiritual topics
Mathurā vāsa
Live in holy places
Śrī mūrti sevana
Worship Krishna's Deity
The most important way to remember Krishna is to chant the Hare Krishna Maha mantra. This is the direct method recommended by the scriptures. No one can force us to give up Krishna. It is such a simple way to serve God, it does not depend on any conditions.
Srimad Bhagavatam 12.12.49-56 (Quotes)
"When people properly glorify the Supreme Personality of Godhead or simply hear about His powers, the Lord personally enters their hearts and cleanses away all traces of misfortune, just as the Sun removes darkness or as a powerful wind disperses clouds."
"Words that do not describe the transcendental Personality of Godhead, but instead speak about temporary things are simply misleading and meaningless. Only those words that reveal the transcendental qualities of the Supreme Lord are truly correct, beneficial, and virtuous."
"The great efforts that a person puts into performing ordinary social and religious duties in the varnashrama system, engaging in austerities and studying the Vedas, end only in material recognition and wealth. However, by respectfully and attentively hearing narrations about the Supreme Lord's transcendental qualities, one can remember His lotus feet."
"Remembrance of Lord Krishna's lotus feet destroys all that is inauspicious and grants the greatest success. It purifies the heart and bestows devotion to the Supreme Soul, along with knowledge enriched by understanding and renunciation."
How to Remember Krishna (Practical Methods)
Krishna can be remembered by thinking about service, about devotees, about Krishna's and the spiritual master's instructions, about Krishna's qualities. One can remember a verse from the scriptures that we read in the morning.
Daily Activities
- Mangala arati, Tulasi puja, Japa
- Deity greeting, Lecture
- Honoring, cooking and offering prasadam
- Prabhupāda and guru arati
- Book distribution and reading
- Harinama sankirtana
Additional Methods
- Offering respects to all Vaishnavas
- Offering the results of work to Krishna
- Stringing garlands
- Wearing Tulasi beads and tilaka
- Meditation on Krishna's forms
- Avoiding association with materialists (asat-sanga-tyaga)
Srila Rupa Gosvami ("The Nectar of Devotion")
He outlines the principles of how to remember Krishna: worship the Deities, pray, sing, perform sankirtana, taste mahaprasadam and charanamrita, smell flowers offered to the Lord, look at the Deities with devotion, listen to narrations about Krishna and His pastimes, celebrate the appearances of acharyas and avataras, observe Ekadashi.
Rupa Gosvami says that when thinking about Krishna we should give priority to His name (nama), His form (rupa), His qualities (guna), His pastimes (charita), His devotees (bhakta).
Self-Check Questions
- State the main principle of Krishna Consciousness, if you can quote the verse in Sanskrit from the Padma Purana.
- What are the three stages of bhakti? Briefly describe them?
- What two forms of bhakti describe sadhana bhakti?
- Can a beginning devotee practice bhava bhakti?
- Name the nine processes of devotional service.
- What are the five most powerful forms of devotional service?
- What is the most important process of devotional service in Kali-yuga?