Sahajiyas - an essential subject

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (a guru in the Gaudiya-Vaishnava line) has stated that "devotees of Lord Krishna should always carefully avoid bad association. If one who is not firmly fixed in devotional service claims to be a liberated soul, he should be considered a pseudo devotee who is driven by the mode of passion. Pseudo devotees gradually become self-worshipers. This is the meaning of sahajiya,or one who takes things very cheaply." Therefore a devotee in this line should not loosely associate with women, claiming the association to be similar to the rasa-bhava between Krishna and the gopis, for by such imitation of the most advanced devotees, one only remains on the platform of material sense gratification.

Srila Prabhupada's books, lectures, conversations and letters offer a comprehensive presentation of this essential subject as seen in the Vaniquotes Sahajiyas category. An introduction from his books is given below in the following 8 quotes.

Quotes from Srila Prabhupada's books


vanipedia.org 		There are many so-called devotees who think the Vedānta is not meant for devotees. Such people are ignorant of the fact that the Vedānta is the only platform of pure devotees. Great ācāryas in all four Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas have made commentaries on the Vedānta-sūtra, but the so-called devotees known as prākṛta-sahajiyās carefully avoid the study of the Vedānta-sūtra. The prākṛta-sahajiyās mistakenly take the pure devotees and Vaiṣṇava ācāryas to be mental speculators or fruitive actors. Consequently they themselves become Māyāvādīs and leave the service of the Supreme Lord. (Teachings of Lord Caitanya, Chapter 18)



vanipedia.org 		The word durmada means "wrongly directed," and nirṛti means "sinful activity." Although this clearly indicates that sex indulgence is abominable and misdirected even from the ordinary point of view, the sahajiyās nonetheless pass themselves off as devotees conducting spiritual activities. For this reason, Vṛndāvana is no longer visited by intelligent men. (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.29.14)



vanipedia.org 		A class of so-called devotees known as prākṛta-sahajiyās sometimes display devotional symptoms to exhibit their good fortune. They are pretending, however, because these devotional features are only external. The prākṛta-sahajiyās exhibit these symptoms to advertise their so-called advancement in love of Kṛṣṇa, but instead of praising the prākṛta-sahajiyās for their symptoms of transcendental ecstasy, pure devotees do not like to associate with them. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā 20.28)



vanipedia.org 		A class of so-called devotees known as sahajiyās try to imitate the Lord's pastimes, although they have no understanding of the amorous love in His expansions of pleasure potency. Their superficial imitation can create havoc on the path for the advancement of one's spiritual relationship with the Lord. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Ādi-līlā 4.34)



vanipedia.org 		One should not artificially try to establish some relationship. In the premature stage it is sometimes found that a lusty, conditioned person will artificially try to establish some relationship with Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love. The result of this is that one becomes prākṛta-sahajiyā, or one who takes everything very cheaply. Although such persons may be very anxious to establish a relationship with Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love, their conditioned life in the material world is still most abominable. A person who has actually established his relationship with Kṛṣṇa can no longer act on the material plane, and his personal character cannot be criticized. (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 40)



vanipedia.org 		An advanced devotee situated on the platform of spontaneity is already very expert in śāstric instruction, logic and argument. When he comes to the point of eternal love for Kṛṣṇa, no one can deviate him from that position, neither by argument nor by śāstric evidence. An advanced devotee has realized his eternal relationship with the Lord, and consequently he does not accept the logic and arguments of others. Such an advanced devotee has nothing to do with the sahajiyās, who manufacture their own way and commit sins by indulging in illicit sex, intoxication and gambling, if not meat-eating. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 22.153)



vanipedia.org 		Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura considered such sahajiyās to be more favorable than the impersonalists, who are hopelessly atheistic. The impersonalists have no idea of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The position of the sahajiyās is far better than that of the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs. Although the sahajiyās do not think much of Vedic knowledge, they nonetheless have accepted Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord. Unfortunately, they mislead others from authentic devotional service. (Caitanya-caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 1.34)



vanipedia.org 		One should not artificially try to establish some relationship. In the premature stage it is sometimes found that a lusty, conditioned person will artificially try to establish some relationship with Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love. The result of this is that one becomes prākṛta-sahajiyā, or one who takes everything very cheaply. Although such persons may be very anxious to establish a relationship with Kṛṣṇa in conjugal love, their conditioned life in the material world is still most abominable. (Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 40)


Sahajiyas - explore more within this category.

Vanipedia has now over 903 introductory articles compiled from Srila Prabhupada's books under the series titled Essential Subjects. All these articles can be seen in the Table of Content on the right side of this article and also here in this Umbrella Category. Browse through them to relish the breadth and depth of Srila Prabhupada's teachings - There is a subject for everyone.


   
 

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