Re: Importance of meeting a Nitya Siddha Devotee

Dear Vaishnavas,

       Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna! Please accept my respectful obeisances! It is not wrong to ask about perfection. This is not material perfection.

       What is real perfection? The real perfection for us jiva souls is to become the servant of the servant, nothing else. Our idea of perfection is relative, therefore we consider our humble position to be a defect. But the truth is that we are in illusion because we refuse to accept our real position as perfect and instead try to be something else, namely trying to be the Lord. That is the cause of all our bewilderment. The more we try to be something else, the more and more fallen and miserable our situation becomes. Those who suffer worst in illusion are the most impersonal.

        Perfected souls are of two types : Sadhaka Siddha and Nitya Siddha. Sadhaka siddhas are souls who become perfect and attain the spiritual world and Nitya siddhas are those who are eternal residents of the spiritual world who never reside in the material world. Words are inaccurate though because once one attains the spiritual world one is not different from the eternal residents there.

        Association with a devotee is of two types : Vani (Sound) and Vapu (Physical). Without the association of a devotee, no one can attain perfection of going back to Godhead. They are our gurus, we are their servants. Without them, we will always rot in this material ocean. Although on the absolute level there is no difference between the two, still for the conditioned souls, there is a difference.

    The preaching movement is a vani movement, nevertheless conditioned souls are so fallen that they cannot get the full benefits of associating with vani alone. We end up scratching the surface and with our level of contamination, it will take an unfathomable amount of time to get complete association with vani. On the relative level, vani is passive association for conditioned souls. Vapu on the other hand is active association. We need that for guiding us. When we slip, when we get doubts, when we do not understand vani, only vapu can save the day. How will we get diksha? Diksha can be given only by vapu. Who will take the trouble to make us learn and show us the path? Just as the Lord descends in his deity form for us, so the devotees descend personally to the world to save us.

       So the answer is simple : Yes. Direct association of a pure devotee is absolutely necessary.  The books and audios and all other vani is meant to drive us to the feet of Sri Guru who in turn gives us qualification to properly associate with vani. It is absolutely necessary. But where it is not so easily available, then we must still try for the next best thing, such as this forum. Without association we cannot be delivered.

       Modern technology has resulted in the distinction between vani and vapu to be blurred considerably as shown by this site. We are fortunate to have managed to get the association of gurudeva H H Swami Gaurangapada and many other devotees here. Nevertheless there is no substitute for seeing the guru face to face and being actually able to fall at his feet...oh the mercy!

Daaso'smi,
Srinath

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