Not Bogus - Are Realizations in Hare Krishna Nam Bogus Till We Become a Pure Devotee?
Channel: Bhaktiratna Sadhu Maharaja
Date: 11/07/2020

Rijul Kumar, welcome to the youtube channel. His question is that how is it that in the stage of Anartha Nivritti can one actually visualize the Form of the Lord in Vayulekhan and Harinam sound when it is only visible at the stage of Bhava Bhakti, the pure transcendental Form and how to attain that? Even Nitai Gaura are visible at Bhava Bhakti only, I don't know where you heard that, but that's your question and by serving Guru one attains that, then how can we attain it because we cannot do physical vapu seva of our Gurudeva?

The answer is actually very simple and thank you so much Rijul Kumar for listening to the video and commenting. You must have heard of the first verse of Shikshashtakam ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanaḿ bhava-mahā-dāvāgni-nirvāpaṇaḿ. Also, you must have heard the verse

syat krsna-nama-charitadi-sitapy avidya-
pittopatapta-rasanasya na rochika nu
kintv adarad anudinam khalu saiva justa
svadvi kramad bhavati tad-gada-mula-hantri
~ Sri Upadesamrta [7]

Rupa Goswami says in Upadeshamrta that due to our avidya or jaundice, ceto-darpaṇa, our mirror is full of dust so we cannot see. You have to understand that when we do Nama Smarana we start cleansing - so the cleansing process is not that from today it is zero and immediately it is one, and only when you are fully cleansed you will see the Lord. Of course, when it is fully cleansed you will fully see the Lord, you have to understand that point. That doesn't mean that till the time it is not fully clean i.e. the stages of Bhajana Kriya, Anartha Nivritti, Nistha, Ruchi, Asakti, Bhava, Prema; Rupa Goswami says svadvi kramad bhavati, it doesn't mean that one day you have no taste and the next day you have full taste, it doesn't work like that. It works kramad. Also, in the Sadhana Krama of Jiva Goswami from Krama Sandarbha, from the Name comes the Form and when the Form gets established, the qualities come, and then the pastimes. 

Rupa Goswami says that whether it is a raw mango or a ripe mango, the mango is a mango. It slowly ripens and becomes sweeter. It is not that one day it is very raw and sour and the next day it becomes very sweet. It slowly ripens. In that process, the Sadhaka, the one who is doing Nama Smarana and making an effort to see the merciful, all forgiving, and offenseless Forms of Nitai in Vayulekhan and Harinam (Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare), by the mercy of Nam one starts seeing some glimpses. You cannot say that these are all (hallucinations) as it would be an offense against such Sadhakas who are actually progressing and realizing some Nam. Like when you open a door, it opens slowly. Prabhupada also gave an example of a train which is coming from far and you see the light, then you see the bogies and then the people inside the bogies. Then you see what they are doing and even hear their voice. That comes slowly. You can't say that those who are realizing the Form or seeing the Form during Vayulekhan or Harinam, they are all bogus or these are all hallucinations. They are actually progressing, so there are different levels of visions. We should not claim that I am seeing the full Lord face to face, but we should understand that one is getting some glimpses of the Lord and that is (due to) the Name.