Bhaktivinoda Thakura, from Caitanya-siksamrta, Chapter 7, Part 2:
There are two types of worshippers: those with knowledge of rasa and those without
knowledge of rasa. Those without knowledge of rasa also experience a slight degree of rasa.
Being ignorant of the truth, they call it meditation, concentration, absorption, trance, prayer, or worship.
When people become absorbed in prayer or worship, an experience rises from
their inner soul, shakes the mind, and affects the outer body like lightning. They realize that
if they could remain in that state constantly there would be no more suffering. What is that
state? Is it material, mental or something opposite of material? Searching the whole universe,
nothing can be found to compare to this experience. It cannot be counted among the subtle
side effects of material energy such as electricity or magnetism.
Examining mind, it cannot be found there either. In the negation of material thought as well,
there is nothing comparable. From where has this experience come?
Examining carefully, it may be found that it is coming from the pure existence of the soul,
which is presently covered by matter. When engaged in the act of worship they experience this state,
but it is not analyzed in detail. Let us examine it more closely.
This indescribable state is a particular quality or function. The function must have a subject
or asraya. The pure soul, which is covered by the material body and material mind, is the
shelter of that function. On realizing that the soul is small and dependent on a higher power,
this function suddenly reveals itself, like the flame that appears on striking a match. The
thing to which the function moves is its only object, visaya. By proximity to the object
through the process of worship, the function can emerge from the asraya (the soul) and flow
towards the object, visaya.
This function is the sthayi bhava. The practitioner is the asraya
and God is the visaya. The qualities of God are the stimuli, uddipana. When the function is
combined with the subject and the object, immediately anubhavas or external symptoms
appear in the subject. One or more of the thirteen anubhavas will certainly appear in the
person. Some of the thirty-one vyabhicari bhavas will also assist in the external manifestation
of the experience. Some persons will also experience some of the sattvika bhavas.
Now consider, what is worship? After analyzing all the parts of worship, it may be
understood that worship is nothing but rasa. Worship is attainment of a state of experience
stemming from a basic state of consciousness assisted by vibhava, anubhavas, sattvika bhavas
and vyabhicari bhavas. Thus worship is rasa.
Material action, material thought and nirvisesa anti-material thought are not worship.
These are all without rasa. All groups of worshippers depend on the actions of rasa,
but being ignorant of the process of rasa, they cannot be made to understand
rasa in a scientific way. This is due to the influence of previous bad association.
Worship as rasa is of three forms: restricted, slightly revealed, and fully revealed. Some
people, experiencing rasa in a restricted way, cannot feel it after leaving the activity of
worship. The reason is that they are enjoying material rasa. As no one can live without rasa,
the lives of these people are full of material rasa. Spiritual rasa is a temporary thing, like a
flash of lightning in their life.
By association of devotees and guru, this condition becomes
elevated and gradually begins to open slightly, but by lack of good association and by
teachings from atheists or impersonalists, this worship becomes gradually more restricted,
extremely restricted, and then almost lost. This is very unfortunate for the soul.
In the slightly opened state, worship penetrates into the life of the person. The person
gravitates towards places where they can hear topics of rasa. Such a person is indifferent to
atheists and impersonalists. In the fully opened state, rasa is fully realized. Being realized, it
acts continuously. In the opened state, rasa is revealed in the forms of santa, dasya, sakhya,
vatsalya and madhura, but those qualified for sakhya, vatsalya and madhura rasa are very few.
Only by great fortune can the soul develop a taste for them.
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