Pariprashnena — Q&A Archive

> Can one feel bliss after committing sadhu-ninda?

Can ones garden grow nicely while a mad elephant runs through it?

> I once ran across a devotee who said that one may feel the bliss of chanting or whatever, but you may not be purifying your heart.

Then what is the meaning of ceto-darpanam-marjanam? The bliss comes through the association of the holy name. How is it possible that this association is not purifying?

>The way I understand/understood it, is that if one feels bliss, that means Krsna is there in the heart, so one may not have committed aparadha.

I havent heard of any sastric examples of this occuring, that one has been offensive and continues to to feel bliss. There is the example of one of the Goswamis who while laughing in his meditative trance unintentionally offended a passerby. The Goswami lost his meditative vision due to even an unintentional offense.

>I once ran across a devotee who said that one may feel the bliss of chanting or whatever, but you may not be purifying your heart.

Looks like this statement needs some more elaboration. I dont know what that devotee meant but how can someone feel bliss while impure. According to CC Madhya 23.14-15, first there is purification from anarthas and then bliss(attachment)

'e4dau 'e7raddh'e4 tata'f9 s'e4dhu-
sa'ecgo '91tha bhajana-kriy'e4
tato '91nartha-niv'e5tti'f9 sy'e4t
tato ni'f1'f6h'e4 rucis tata'f9
ath'e4saktis tato bh'e4vas
tata'f9 prem'e4bhyuda'efcati
s'e4dhak'e4n'e4m aya'e0 prem'eba'f9
pr'e4durbh'e4ve bhavet krama'f9

'93'91In the beginning there must be faith. Then one becomes interested in associating with pure devotees. Thereafter one is initiated by the spiritual master and executes the regulative principles under his orders. Thus one is freed from all unwanted habits and becomes firmly fixed in devotional service. Thereafter, one develops taste and attachment. This is the way of s'e4dhana-bhakti, the execution of devotional service according to the regulative principles. Gradually emotions intensify, and finally there is an awakening of love. This is the gradual development of love of Godhead for the devotee interested in K'e5'f1'eba consciousness.'92

[quote][cite] dweller-in-peace:[/cite]I dont know what that devotee meant but how can someone feel bliss while impure. [/quote]

There is something called "righteous indignation", and it can feel quite blissful. Ie. a person criticizes another, feels justified and righteous for doing so, resumes their chanting - and feels a kind of bliss.

The mad elephant example is metaphor, because if the offender apologizes to the offended and gets release from the offense, then there is no loss. Once a mad elephant ruins a garden, you have to start over no matter what.

In any case, the way I understand it is that if one commits an offense, they can still get purified depending on the severity of the offense committed. Certainly a person who has committed sadhu-ninda wont get any benefit from chanting, because the severity is high. As a result, the holy name of the Lord, with all its potency, does not shine on the heart clouded by ignorance and anarthas. Lord Caitanya warned that whoever commits an offense to Vaisnavas gets all the sins that Jagai and Madhai committed transferred to them.

I only ask this to see if there was some super esoteric reason behind this statement. I guess its just another concoction.

Bliss is not a symptom of pure chanting. Ha ha, who even gets this idea. It is desire to serve the vaisnavas that is symptom of pure chanting. If you chant and do not feel bliss of the harinama, but feel bliss in serving the vaisnavas you are a pure chanter. If you chant with bliss but do not have a desire to serve the vaisvanas, you are most likely experiencing what is described as chaya-nama-abhasa (if not pratibimba).