Zitat von Vedanta am 1. September 2018, 15:33 Uhr

Shri Krishna Janmashtami
Endeavor and Grace

On Monday, September 3, 2018, we will celebrate again Janmasthami, Shri Krishna's birthday!

Of the many reasons for Shri Krishna's appearance, the main reason is probably to show a part of His wonderful plays publicly, as an invitation to all people to join Him, as Babaji Maharaja recently put it so beautifully. But how can we accept His invitation and show Him that we are really sincere about it, and above all: who will actually end up entering Krishna's personal realm, His physical association and His plays?

In this regard I found in the archive of our partner site https://jiva.org a short but very interesting conversation between Malati ji and HH Shri Satyanarayana Dasa Babaji about mukti (liberation) and bhakti, and who finally reaches Shri Krishna. Enjoy your reading!

QUESTION
I have a question about mukti and would like your help in understanding this.

We hear about 5 types of mukti (below) described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Which type is for our line? Is it the combination of all 4 types except for sayujya or is there one specific type for us?

It is also said that the devotees are not interested in mukti, they are only interested in loving seva, but still I think Krishna has to award one of these types, and I was wondering which type of mukti would be appropriate:

• Sālokya – living on the same planet
• Sārūpya – having the same bodily features
• Sāmīpya – to be a personal associate
• Sārṣṭi – having the same opulence
• Sayujya – ekatvam, oneness

ANSWER
The goal of a devotee is not to attain mukti but to attain bhakti. However, mukti comes as a concomitant effect of bhakti. Just like if you buy incense, then the package in which the sticks are kept comes along with it, although your intention is not to get the package. When one becomes perfected on the path of bhakti, then one attains the position of an associate of Bhagavan and thus one gets sālokya, which means residence on the same planet, sārūpya, which means bodily features similar to Bhagavan, sārṣṭi (opulence similar to Him) and sāmīpya (proximity). A devotee does not get sayujya because that is antagonistic to bhakti.

QUESTION
A devotee has taken diksha in the Gaudiya sampradaya but still has not attained the stage of attentive japa or doing lila smaranam in siddha deha before the end of his/her lifetime. What is the destination of that devotee?

ANSWER
It all depends on the awareness of the devotee. If the devotee is truly sincere and has full faith in one’s guru, then there is no more birth. Taking of birth or no birth does not depend so much on the intensity of japa or lila smaranam but on the sincerity of the devotee. If one has a qualified guru and one has fully surrendered to him or her, then there is no more birth. This is the import of Krishna's statement in verse 18.66 of the Gita. But if one is not fully surrendered and one’s goal is not to attain pure bhakti but mukti, then one will be born again.

QUESTION
Will such a devotee keep taking birth until that perfectional stage of doing attentive japa and success in raganuga bhakti is attained? Or will kripa, mercy, play a role and take care of everything based on sincerity? Is our path effort based? Or is it mercy based? Or both in equal proportions?

ANSWER
He will continue to take birth until he is fully surrendered. As far as the role of grace is concerned – yes, of course, ultimately everything depends on grace. However, from our point of view, we also have to make a sincere effort. Therefore Krishna instructs Arjuna to always remember Him and fight (Gita 8.7).

By courtesy of https://jiva.org
Original article: https://www.jiva.org/mukti-destination-before-perfection-emotions/