In BG 3.37, Krishna states that it is only lust that is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of the world.Also, He states that lust is born of contact with the mode of passion. Therefore, it suggests, that one should transcend from the mode of passion to the mode of goodness. But BG 14.9 states that the mode of goodness conditions one to happiness.
My three questions are as follows:
Question 1: Is my aforementioned understanding correct? Namely, one should strive for mode of pure goodness not mode of goodness.
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Yes, your understanding is correct. We should strive for Suddha Sattva, which is pure goodness. Pure goodness is beyond the 3 modes of material nature.
Question 2. To strive for mode of pure goodness, can you please give practical examples by which one can always stay in the mode of pure goodness ALL the time?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
To come to the mode of pure goodness, Suddha Sattva, scriptures and acaryas have directed us to follow the process of Vaidhi Sadhana bhakti under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master.
Some of the practical ways that Srila Prabhupada has established for devotees to achieve pure mode of goodness are:
- Rise early in the morning, preferably during Brahma muhurta and chant minimum of 16 rounds of Hare Krsna Maha mantra regularly everyday with full attention and feeling, on japa beads.
- Regularly associate with devotees.
- Attend temple programs, if possible, from Mangala aarti to Srimad Bhagavatam class in the mornings.
- Read Scriptures such as Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam every day.
- Render some practical service in the temple consistently.
- Eat only prasadam that is cooked by devotees or yourself. Do not eat any food cooked by non-devotees.
- Carry out all your daily activities- like household, work, etc. in the mood of service to the Lord. And always do all the activities for the pleasure of Krsna
- Go out for book distribution with devotees.
- Cultivate the mood of service to the Lord and His devotees always.
Srila Prabhupada mentions in Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 19:
“Although many different processes for developing love of Godhead have been explained so far, Srila Rupa Goswami now gives us a general description of how one can best achieve such a high position. The beginning of ecstatic love of Godhead is basically faith. There are many societies and associations of pure devotees, and if someone with just a little faith begins to associate with such societies, his advancement to pure devotional service is rapid. The influence of a pure devotee is such that if someone comes to associate with him with a little faith, one gets the chance of hearing about the Lord from authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. Thus, by the mercy of the Lord, who is situated in everyone’s heart, one gradually develops his faith in the descriptions of such authoritative scriptures. This is the first stage of association with pure devotees. In the second stage, after one becomes a little advanced and mature, he automatically offers to follow the principles of devotional service under the guidance of the pure devotee and accepts him as the spiritual master. In the next stage, under the guidance of the spiritual master, the devotee executes regulative devotional service, and as a result of such activities, he becomes freed from all unwanted occupations. When he is freed from unwanted occupations, his faith becomes steadily fixed, and he develops a transcendental taste for devotional service, then attachment, then ecstasies, and in the last stage there is pure love of Godhead. These are the different stages of the development of pure love.”
In another place Srila Prabhupada writes:
“Devotional life is divided into two stages—sadhana-bhakti and bhava-bhakti. Sadhana-bhakti refers to the development of devotional service through the regulative principles. The basic principle for the execution of devotional service is faith. Above that, there is association with devotees, and after that there is initiation by a bona fide spiritual master. After initiation, when one follows the regulative principles of devotional service, one becomes freed from all unwanted things. In this way one becomes firmly fixed and gradually develops a taste for devotional service. The more the taste grows, the more one desires to render service to the Lord. In this way one becomes attached to a particular mellow in the Lord’s service—santa, dasya, sakhya, vatsalya or madhura. As a result of such attachment, bhava develops. Bhava-bhakti is the platform of purified goodness. By such purified goodness, one’s heart melts in devotional service. Bhava-bhakti is the first seed of love of Godhead. This emotional stage is there before one attains pure love. When that emotional stage intensifies, it is called prema-bhakti, or transcendental love of Godhead. This gradual process is also described in the following two verses, which are found in the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.4.15–16).
Question 3. Where can I read more about the mode of pure goodness?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
Please find below just a few of the many references on how to achieve mode of pure goodness.
You can read about Narada Muni journey of spiritual transformation: https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/1/6/advanced-view/#bb14401
The below verse talks about the very important aspect of association of pure devotee in progressing from conditioned state (of being bound by material modes of nature) to being situated in perfect devotional service to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna:
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/3/25/25/
How to transcend the modes by serving the spiritual master with faith and devotion:
https://vedabase.io/en/library/sb/7/15/25/
