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Posts to BVKS Sanga 21
who have come to the liberated state should always meditate
on Vrindavan and Krishna’s devotees there, if they can’t live
there. My question is that when I’m perfoming vaidhi-sadhana-
bhakti, does meditation upon Vrindavan bring me faster to
raganuga-sadhana-bhakti or is it bonafide at all, when I’m
just a very unexperienced neophyte practitioner of devotional
service. In other words, which is the fastest and most effective
way to get through the anartha-nivritti stage?
Certainly meditation upon Vrindavan is bona fide, but a
key point here is to have come to the liberated stage. Srila
Prabhupada is indicating that such systematic meditation as
part of one’s sadhana is suitable for devotees who have come
to a considerably advanced platform. Elsewhere in his writings
Srila Prabhupada indicates that for devotees to attempt to enter
higher levels before attaining eligibility will be detrimental to
their advancement and even to that of others.
So to hear about and cultivate remembrance of Vrindavan is
good even from the beginning of one’s Krishna consciousness,
but not disproportionately. One also has to cultivate basic
knowledge of the devotional science, and serve a guru and
other devotees and become purified. In this regard please see
Cc. Adi 7.17 Purport.
Regarding the fastest and most effective way to get through
the anartha-nivritti stage: the answer may be found in the
first few verses and purports of Nectar of Instruction. It is best
to be more concerned about effectiveness rather than speed.
Usually persons unduly keen to go through quickly fail to do
so effectively. Better to be slow and sure, and to depend on the
mercy of guru and Vaisnavas rather than trying to polevault
into rasa lila. Patience is a virtue.