Diksa Mantras
"To chant the holy name of the Lord, one need not depend upon other paraphernalia, for one can immediately get all the desired results of connecting or linking with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It may therefore be questioned why there is a necessity for initiation or further spiritual activities in devotional service for one who engages in the chanting of the holy name of the Lord. The answer is that although it is correct that one who fully engages in chanting the holy name need not depend upon the process of initiation, generally a devotee is addicted to many abominable material habits due to material contamination from his previous life. In order to get quick relief from all these contaminations, it is required that one engage in the worship of the Lord in the temple. The worship of the Deity in the temple is essential to reduce one's restlessness due to the contaminations of conditioned life.
"Thus Narada, in his pancaratriki-vidhi, and other great sages have sometimes stressed that since every conditioned soul has a bodily concept of life aimed at sense enjoyment, to restrict this sense enjoyment the rules and regulations for worshiping the Deity in the temple are essential. Shrila Rupa Gosvami has described that the holy name of the Lord can be chanted by liberated souls, but almost all the souls we have to initiate are conditioned. It is advised that one chant the holy name of the Lord without offenses and according to the regulative principles, yet due to their past bad habits they violate these rules and regulations. Thus the regulative principles for worship of the Deity are also simultaneously essential."(Cc.Adi 7.77 p.)
Diksa mantras such as the Gaura-gayatri, Gopala-mantra, and Kama-gayatri are necessary in the stage of sadhana because they purify one's chanting of harinama and establish one's eternal loving relationship with Krishna. Nama-sankirtana, however, is the best practice both in sadhana and in perfection. Liberated souls will no longer chant diksa mantras, but they will forever rejoice in the ambrosial nectar of nama-sankirtana.
In Raga-vartma Candrika, Shrila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has clearly stated that those who chant Hare Krishna and worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without first having diksa from a Vaishnava guru, will not attain the Supreme Lord. Their chanting, however, will protect them from entering hell. Then in the next birth they will obtain sadhu-sanga, take diksa, and eventually reach the Supreme Lord. (Gayatri Mahima Madhuri - HH Mahanidhi Swami)
Picture visualization
"While chanting the holy names-Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Gaze steadily at a picture of Krsna (or Radha-Krsna) for five minutes; close the eyes, and internally try to visualize the picture. Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare. During visualization, move the mind over the various limbs of the Lord. Begin with seeing Krsna's lotus feet in the mind, then gradually rise up His transcendental body to His legs, knees, thighs, silk dhoti, belly, chest, pearl necklaces and garlands, Kaustubha gem, His neck, face, eyes, flute, smile, hair, turban, turban ornaments, and peacock feather...Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Then repeat the visualization going back down to Krsna's lotus feet while continuing to chant Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. If the mental picture of Krsna fades, open your eyes and gaze again. Then repeat the process of internal visualization five or six times. Do not be disturbed if in the beginning you cannot keep the picture of Radha-Krsna in the mind. Vigorous and regular practice of visualization will bring success. With a few months practice, you will be able to clearly visualize the Divine Couple smiling within your mind while you chant Hare Krsna in your heart." (The Art of Chanting Hare Krsna - HH Mahanidhi Swami)
Letter from Srila Prabhupada to HG Sivananda prabhu 12/4/68 - Regarding your first question, is it offensive to think of Krishna's Pastimes while chanting, I think you should know that it is not offensive, but rather it is required. One must try for the point when he simply hears Krishna and immediately all of Krishna, His Pastimes, His Form, His Quality, are in his thoughts. So to always be immersed in thoughts of Krishna this is our process. When we are full in Krishna then where there can be any chance for maya in us? So this is our duty to remember Krishna's Pastimes. One who cannot remember Krishna, let him always hear Hare Krishna and then when he has perfected this art, then always he will remember Krishna, His Activities, His Qualities, etc.
Recommended by Sri Balarama
Even Srimati Radharani can only accept those devotees in Madhurya that are recommended by Sri Balarama.
Lecture by Srila Prabhupada, 02-02-77, Bubaneswara
"Balarama means guru-tattva. Balarama represents guru. Yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasadah. If we want to understand Caitanya Mahaprabhu, if we want to understand Krsna, then we must take shelter of Balarama. Nayam atma bala-hinena labhyah. This bala-hinena labhyah, this Vedic injunction, means "Without the mercy of Balarama you cannot understand, you cannot realize your spiritual identification. So that Balarama comes as Nityananda Prabhu. Balarama haila nitai. Therefore we must take shelter of Balarama."
Gayatri Mahima Madhuri, by HH Mahanidhi Swami
"The depth of meditation upon the spiritual master depends on the vision, and vision depends on realization. In the beginning a disciple sees the spiritual master as Krishna Himself, sdksad-hari. He thinks, "My guru is God, the omnisicient one, the omnipotent savior and the liberator." Later he will understand that the spiritual master is an empowered representative of God. The guru is saktyavesa, invested with a special potency or sakti by the Supreme Lord Krishna. This is the potency of mercy, therefore, the guru is known as the krpa-sakti murti, or the personified form of Krishna's mercy appearing before the conditioned soul. Finally a sincere and surrendered disciple will understand the eternal identity of the spiritual master. According to his inner desire, the advanced disciple will find the spiritual master situated in a particular mood of devotion; either in dasya, sakhya, vatsalya, or madhurya rasa. He may realize the manjari-svarupa of his gurudeva, and understand that she (he) is in the camp of Lalita-sakhi serving under Shri Rupa-manjari. He may perceive that his gurudeva is expertly performing nikunja-seva to assist Radha-Madhava in Their intimate love affairs. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explained the identity of the spiritual master: "Shri Guru is the daughter of Vrsabhanu (Shrimati Radhika) in the madhura-rasa. There are different ways m which different persons, whose faculty of spiritual consciousness has been aroused, judge about their own requirements. Every enlightened person is privileged to have a sight of Shri Guru in accordance with his particular mode of judgement. Shri Guru is that real entity who thus reveals himself to the view of the enlightened soul in a variety of ways. "Realized by the method of valsalya-rasa (mellow of parental affection), Shri Guru reveals himself as Nanda-Yasoda. In sakhya-rasa (mellow of friendly affection), Shri Guru is Shridama-Subala In dasya-rasa (mellow of servitude to the master), the lotus feet of Shri Guru act as Citraka-Patraka. The consideration of all these ashrayas (shelter) of the vishaya (Krishna—the object of love) arises in the heart while progressing in the service of Shri Guru. They arise spontaneously in the consciousness of fortunate souls upon the appearance of the disposition for spiritual service of the Divinity. We have no other function than the service of Shri Guru." (SCT)
Appreciating Sri Vrindavana Dhama, by HH Mahanidhi Swami
Entering Vraja Rasa
"If anyone wants to attain the lotus feet of Shri-Shri Radha-Krishna, and be able to taste and fully relish Their pastimes, one must first approach the lotus feet of Lord Balarama or Lord Nityananda. This is a mandatory prerequisite, for only by receiving Their mercy can this realization be possible."Because Lord Nityananda and Lord Balarama are non-different, the Gosvamis confirm that by getting Lord Nityananda's mercy once becomes eligible to receive the ecstatic prema of Shri Radha and Krishna in Vraja. Lord Balarama and Lord Nityananda do not accept any offenses whatsoever, and are so merciful that by simply worshiping Lord N ityananda one is automatically worshiping and pleasing Lord Balarama. It isdescribed that Lord Nityananda and Lord Balarama are the friends of the most fallen and wretched. "Just as it is not possible to enter Lord Chaitanya's service without the mercy of Lord Nityananda, it is impossible to enter into Vraja rasa witiiout the mercy of Lord Balarama, who is non-different from Lord Nityananda" (SVMP).
Balarama is known to all Gaudiya Vaisnavas as the original Guru. Balarama is the servitor God while Krsna is the served God.
When the Sadhana matures
Srila Prabhupada and all Acaryas installed and worshiped Deities of Radha Krsna. At the beginning of Sadhana, the Bhaktas worship Gaura Nitai and Radha Krsna as Laksmi Narayana. When the Sadhana matures those Bhaktas worship Gaura Nitai and also Radha Krsna as Themselves, and some also worship the Deities of Gaura Gadadhara as Srila Bhaktivinoda, Vamsidas Babaji and many others did. All this in Kali Yuga. We are destined to reach Suddha Nama in this Kali Yuga. Those who chant Suddha Nama with the mercy of Gaura Nitai worship Radha Krsna in a more intimate mood as Themselves. Two devotees worship the same Deity, but one of them chant Suddha Nama and the other one Namabhasa.
Those who worship Laksmi Narayana in Dasya Rasa also worship in conditioned stage and in a liberated stage, but the difference is that in both stages they see the Lord in a reverential mood and never informally.
Although not occur Raganuga Bhakti in Rama Lila, the intense reverential love (Aisvarya Prema Bhakti) of Hanuman and all the inhabitants of Ayodhya by Sri Sri Sita Rama, inspires, instructs and excites even the Krsna Bhaktas.
Those who worship Laksmi Narayana, in the conditioned stage, worship the Deity in a reverential mood and in the liberated stage in a reverential intimate mood. But the mood of reverence is always the same. Those who worship Radha Krsna, in the conditioned stage worship the Deity in a reverential mood and in the liberated stage in an informal intimate mood.
Furthermore Gaudiya Vaisnavas get two spiritual bodies simultaneously. One in Gaura Lila and another one in Krsna Lila.