70 THE PATH OF PERFECTION ‘ Determination and Steadiness in Yoga 71
Practicing yoga. For them, yoga is nothing more than their per- ‘‘There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor
sonal concern. A devotee, however, is not satisfied just in elevat- will there ever be one more dear.”’ Therefore the devotees go out
ing his personal self. to preach, and going forth, they sometimes meet opposing ele-
vaiicha-kalpatarubhyas ca ments. Sometimes they are defeated, sometimes disappointed,
krpa-sindhubhya eva ca sometimes able to convince, sometimes unable. It is not that ev-
patitandm pavanebhyo ' ery devotee is well equipped to preach. Just as there are different
vaisnavebhyo namo namah types of people, there are three classes of devotees. In the third
“ ; class are those who have no faith. If they are engaged in devo-
“I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees tional service officially, for some ulterior purpose, they cannot
of the Lord, who can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire achieve the highest perfectional stage. Most probably they will
trees, and who are full of compassion for the fallen souls.” A slip, after some time. They may become engaged, but because
devotee displays great compassion toward conditioned souls. The they haven’t complete conviction and faith, it is very difficult for
word ‘Arpad means ‘‘mercy,”’ and sindhu means ‘‘ocean.’’ A devo- them to continue in Krsna consciousness. We have practical ex-
tee is an ocean of mercy, and he naturally wants to distribute this perience in discharging our missionary activity that some people
mercy. Lord Jesus Christ, for instance, was God conscious, Krsna come and apply themselves to Krsna consciousness with some
conscious, but he was not satisfied in keeping this knowledge hidden motive, and as soon as they are economically a little well
within himself. Had he continued to live alone in God conscious- situated, they give up this process and take to their old ways again.
ness, he would not have met crucifixion. But no. Being a devotee It is only by faith that one can advance in Krsna consciousness. As
and naturally compassionate, he also wanted to take care of others far as the development of faith is concerned, one who is well
by making them God conscious. Although he was forbidden to versed in the literatures of devotional service and has attained the
preach God consciousness, he continued to do so at the risk of his stage of firm faith is called a first-class person in Krsna conscious-
own life. This is the nature of a devotee. ness. And in the second class are those who are not very advanced
’ It is therefore stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.68-69) that the in understanding the devotional scriptures but who automatically
| devotee who preaches is most dear to the Lord. have firm faith that krsna-bhakti, or service to Krsna, is the best i
course and so in good faith have taken it up. Thus they are
ya idam paramam guhyam superior to the third class, who have neither perfect knowledge of i
mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati the scriptures nor good faith but by association and simplicity are
bhaktim mayi param krtva trying to follow. The third-class person in Krsna consciousness
mam evaisyaty asamSayah may fall down, but when one is in the second class or first class, he
does not fall down. One in the first class will surely make progress
‘*For one who explains the supreme secret to the devotees, devo- and achieve the result at the end. As far as the third-class person
tional service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back in Krsna consciousness is concerned, although he has faith
to Me.” in the conviction that devotional service to Krsna is very good, he
; na ca tasman manusyesu has no knowledge of Krsna through the scriptures like the —
kascin me priya-krttamah Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita. Sometimes these third-
bhavita na ca me tasmad class persons in Krsna consciousness have some tendency toward
anyah priyataro bhuvi . karma-yoga and jfdna-yoga, and sometimes they are disturbed,
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