Deepening our Devotion

In Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura’s model of spiritual progress, he outlines the stages from initial faith to pure love of God. To summarise it further, we could boil it down to three broad stages of spirituality:

1. Identity – sraddha (faith), sadhu-sanga (association)

   In the beginning, our spirituality is about an identity change. We identify with a new way of life and a fresh community of people, and making that social shift in our life dominates our attention. Our values and principles change, but since we are still in the early stages, many of our activities, habits and desires may remain as they are. Although externally associated with a spiritual process, we may not have fully adopted it internally.

2. Process – bhajana-kriya (regulation), anartha-nivrtti (purification), nistha (conviction), ruci (attraction) As we go deeper, we realise that spirituality is more than an identity. Here, we actually embrace the process of transformation and all the ups and downs that go with it. At this stage, along with our values, we make a substantial commitment to devotional service and change our lifestyle and routines. The process is likened to cleaning, and it can be a struggle with determination to work through all the obstacles and issues that appear on the journey. For those who persevere, the heart is cleansed, conviction grows, and one develops a natural attachment to the practices that previously seemed difficult.

3. Krishna – asakti (connection), bhava (emotion), prema (intoxication) The process of spiritual life brings one face-to-face with Krishna. Krishna consciousness is not simply aimed at cultivating faith in God but empowering one to dynamically feel His presence at every moment. In these later stages of the journey, that is exactly what happens. Through dedicated, intense practice of the process, the heart is transformed and one reawakens their connection with Krishna. The relationship matures into a deep emotional exchange, after which one arrives at the apex of spiritual life – pure love of God.

Bharata Maharaja was at the stage of ecstatic emotion (bhava), yet he fell from his spiritual practice. Thus, the lessons regarding attentive spiritual practice are acutely relevant at every stage of spiritual life. Srila Prabhupada sends out a stern warning: “Spiritual salvation and liberation from material bondage must be worked out with great caution, otherwise a little discrepancy will cause one to fall down again into material existence.” (SB 5.8.7)