Bhaktivinoda Thakura: Sri Krishna-samhita:
"The provisional character of scriptural texts is evident, but the authors of the scriptures do not explicitly indicate this because those qualified to discard the scriptural bindings naturally become independent of scripture with the help of the hidden indications of the scriptural authors and also by their own purified knowledge.
Such persons carry on sinless activities with the help of their own intellect as well as by the advice of the scriptures. In that stage the scriptures do not have any binding power over them, but only serve as their guides.
On the other hand, those who are unable to understand their own spiritual path for want of self-evident knowledge may not be able to ascertain their duties and so may fall into misery due to sensuality; for such people the scriptural rules are imperative.
Such persons should not know that there is any way for them apart from the bindings of the scriptures. When they become authorized due to their advancement, they will be able to know this secret by the suggestions of the scriptures."
Replies
In the hierarchy of self realization presented by the psychologists of moral development, the highest rung is occupied by those who make decisions based upon their own understanding and individual application.
pamho agtACBSP, i agreed that's the guru hoax not us thank you to let us know about this dangerous truth,agtys ys acsd haribol
You are right, PrabhuJi; i had not thought that at the time of posting. I thought it dangerous in that rascals will misapply prematurely, and yes, you are so so right, we have an example before us. The point is, and it is not new, that advanced devotees are not subject to rules and regulations, still as per example and instructions given to us, we follow carefully these things so as not to disturb those (rightfully) attached to sadhana still.
The parallel between Western moral development stages studies and the conclusions presented by Bhaktivinode are very interesting. Same conclusions, but our Gaudiya path reached this conclusion long long ago, whereas Kohlberg (psychologist responsible for this theory and research) et al are modern.
With Kohlberg, you have initially children obeying selfishness and Mom, then Dad, then their community, then the nation, then perhaps all of mankind, then perhaps having realized spiritual truth, one comes to care for all living beings. At first, rules and regulations, and at the end, love is the law to obey.
There is a natural progression like petals of a lotus unfolding. Once unfolded, generally persons do not fall back from internalized moral developments. In other words, having tasted something higher, they do not fall back so much. Studies show only a very small per centage of the population in the highest stages of morality in which they choose, not upon rules and laws, but consciously, based upon realization and good attitude to all living beings without artificial superficial restrictions and prejudices.
A child appreciates mom, then family, then community and nation and may eventually may develop their own morality based upon spiritual realization of jivera svarupa haya nitya krsnadasa, the soul's form is eternal servant of Krsna. such realization is not dependent upon rules and regulations.
prana maya, jnana maya, vijnana maya, yoga maya
concrete operations, progresses over the years to in-the-mind theorizing, thus external progressing to internal development and life. Example, a child only understands what can be seen and touched, whereas a phsyics prof does it all with numbers, by power of mind, not requiring external objects to formulate thinking and theory.
pamho tamohara prabhu agtACBSP,yes prabhu the karma is not eternal by breaking the rules of spiritual life but love for SRI SRI GURU GAURANGA make us to progress from anna,prana, jnana,vijnana to ananda maya bhyasat the last blissful stage of spiritual realization, as you already know real spiritual life start from vijnana maya when one realize the brahman and start to feel the material mind including the symptom of life as distinct different from the own spiritual self,SRI KRSNA is talking to us through good sat-sanga that's why is important to do nitya bhagavata sevaya by the daily meeting of the tadiyanam samarcanam of SRI KRSNA who mention the name of MAHARAJ JANAKA in the bhagavad gita the son in law of SRI KRSNA who were a self realized soul but still HE were follow all the rule and regulations of spiritual life just to teach by example to ordinary people who forgot to practice ante narayana smrti to be saved from the dangerous current of jnana maya realization which make some so called devotee proud of the own thinking willing and feeling,we are lucky prabhu because we are following the acharyas living teaching and not that of the poisoners of our beloved acharya HDG ACBSP, HG sita pati prabhu went in italy few days ago to visit his family in torino city north italy and after that he will be back in SRI VRINDAVAN DHAM again,he is a very good devotee he keep sending me a lot of mercy from sri vrindavan dham temples as well because we know each other from more then 30 years,jai prabhuji thank you for your sat-sanga agtys ys acsd haribol
Maybe ask him to join us here? If he speaks another language, no problem, start a page of Italian etc? Just a suggestion.
Yes, universal and distinct understandable stages of moral development are there, a quantum model of spiritual unfoldment, in which there are stages or levels, not one big mergy continuum.
Jnana is like an unlimited mundane ocean full of quicksand at every other step. Vijnana, ie transcendental knowledge, relatively unqualified by matter, wipes it all, the mundane jnan, clean, puts it in its proper context, and hopefully one will thus realize the limits of one's so-called intellectual capacities. Then, the one seeking spontaneous unfettered perception of Aboslut Truth takes up direct concentrated consciousness by achieving higher Beings and energy states. After all, once one is spiritually awake, what does one do? One has activities of joy.
One practising self realization beyond jnana strives for yoga samadhi, and realizing one is not the body, but eternal servitor of Godhead, and realizing this, one can take up un-motivated uninterrupted pure devotional loving services. ie prema bhakti starts long after passing through karma and jnana, what to speak even of vijnan or yoga. Yet, it is simple, all can attain it, as it is our nature, if we but truly knew it.
Pure bhakti yoga has the capacity to elevate one past all these stages without independently pursuing them, including all mystic perfections etc yada yada.
Love yes, but love of Whom or What? It is not all the same, as all love everything all the time, but some love Krsna directly...