In the process of bhakti-yoga our material desires bombard us incessantly and as a result we can feel dejected and ostracized from our spiritual community. We should be compassionate towards ourselves and those who are struggling to attain spiritual perfection. If we fall down again into a bad habit, we get up and try again. If one of our brothers or sisters falls down, we shall reach out our hand and show love to them. His Holiness Radhanth Swami has said, “It takes time for people to change, be patient. Use your fault finding propensity for looking in your own heart.” Often times in different community’s devotees are rejected if they can’t follow the principles strictly, but we have seriously misunderstood the unlimited mercy of Lord Nityānanda if this is our narrow minded outlook.
Krsna Dasa Kaviraja explains:
“Lord Nityānanda has completely inundated the entire world with the heavy downpour of ecstatic love of Godhead. No one — be he miserable, poor, downtrodden, quarrelsome or sinful — can escape the flood of Your mercy. “
Śri Śri Nityānandāṣṭakam Text 5
No one can escape the flood of mercy emanating from the lotus feet of Lord Nityānanda. When there’s fire in a home, nothing makes it out. Similarly due to the inundation of His mercy no can escape contact with the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. We are fallen, we are miserable, we are unqualified. This is our position. We shouldn’t be artificially puffed up thinking we are spiritually advanced. Also we shouldn’t fall for the trick of the false ego that we are the most fallen. We are truly insignificant and entirely dependent on the mercy of Lord Nityānanda. Vrndavana Dasa Thakura explains:
“Lord Nityānanda will take the responsibility to deliver you all from the ocean of material existence.”
Śri Śri Nityānandāṣṭakam Text 5
Earnestly falling at the feet of Lord Nityananda crying out the holy name, this is our bhajan. If we are serious and sincere despite constant tugging from each of the material senses, we will be delivered. Lord Nityananda promises us this, “I will take up the responsibility” By ourselves we would never be able to swim across the ocean but with a sturdy ship we can cross with ease. Similarly we have no devotion and no intelligence but with the all merciful embrace of Nitai the impossible becomes possible. We should aspire to be ever increasingly patient with devotees who are struggling with material desires. Our best recourse is to come together and earnestly chant:
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Abandoning all judgment of others become thirsty for the holy name. In this way we can give up fault finding and meditate instead of the mercy of Lord Nityānanda who is the root of the bhakti tree. Any other attempt at spiritual advancement ends in frustration. Without the mercy of Nitai we are left to float in the ocean attempting to swim to shore by our own effort. Where ever we may be in our spiritual path, brand new or practicing for many years we can all find refuge in this two step simple process:
1. Take (Taking) shelter of Lord Nityānanda..
2. Call out the holy names sincerely
In this way we can abandon all political rumor based views of one and another and make genuine spiritual advancement and in this very life time go back home, back to Godhead.
Always aspiring to be a servant,
Prabhodhànanda Dāsa