Thank you very much Sriman Vaishnavanghri Sevaka Dasa Prabhu.
I really liked your article and I think we are moving forward.
Only a few points.
"...the same Lord in Bhagavad-Gita suggested all to develop a desire to attain Him through REGULATIVE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (caps lock mine) if one has not developed actual attachment for Him..."
"...If one is blessed with desire to attain Krishna, his mind and intelligence get engaged with full spirit in His service. Such a person never gets tired and never gets bored. His REGULATIVE DEVOTIONAL SERVICE (caps lock mine) automatically moves to spontaneous devotional service, namely raga bhakti..."
The problem is that we, Iskcon devotees think that regulative devotional service simply means following the 4 principles, chanting Hare Krsna and do some service and we forget to listen to the pastimes of Krsna (Lila Katha) as a essential part of this regulative devotional service.
And that only by daily listening to these pastimes (Lila Katha) we will take the first step towards the siddha svarupa realization in the spiritual world.
Without daily hearing the pastimes of Krsna (Lila Katha), we will not automatically move to raga bhakti.
"This whole process makes the desire to attain Krsna the first step towards the siddha svarupa realization in the spiritual world."
"This whole process" ... mainly includes daily hearing the pastimes of Krsna, since raganuga bhakti is sadhana.
"By constantly chanting the Hare Krsna Mantra and remembering the transcendental pastimes of Krsna, one can be fully in Krsna Consciousness and thus make his life sublime and fruitful." (Srila Prabhupada - Krsna Book 34)
"Remembrance of the Lord’s pastimes is the life and soul of the devotee. Remembering the sweet loving pastimes of Radha and Krsna is the essence of all the processes. This is the goal of life and as well as the best means of achieving the goal." (Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura Prema Bhakti Candrika 61)
Tika of Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura to PBC 61:
"This is the essence of all instructions regarding rules and regulations. The remembrance of the pastimes of the Lord is the only process for achieving the goal of one’s life, relishing the transcendental rasas of the pastimes of Radha and Krsna. There is no higher goal or process than this. The remembrance of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna’s pastimes is the essence of all instructions given in the scriptures."
“I will always think of the devotional service of the lotus feet of the Divine Pair, and I will always remain attached to that. Whatever I think of during my spiritual practice (sadhana) I will attain when I reach perfection.” (Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura Prema Bhakti Candrika 55)
“The treasure I desire as a practitioner I will get when I attain my spiritual body; it is just a question of being ripe or unripe. The ripe stage is the stage of pure devotion (prema-bhakti), and the unripe stage is the stage of practice (raganuga-sadhana-bhakti). That is the essential truth about devotional principles.” (Srila Narottama Dasa Thakura Prema Bhakti Candrika 56)
