32 Teachings of Lord Chaitanya

sthaibhava, and these are called vibhava, anubhava, satwik, and byabhibhachary;
and when these four ingredients are added to the steadfast position of pure
transcendental life, that is called exchange of rasa or transcendental flavor.
This exchange of loving reciprocation between the lover and the beloved is
generally called Krishna-bhakti-rasa, the transcendental taste of exchanging
loving sentiments between the devotee and the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. But we must know that this development of the transcendental
loving exchange of flavors, stands on the steadfast position of sthaibhava, as
explained before. The basic principle of vibhava is sthaibhava, and the other
activities are auxilliary assistants for the development of transcendental love.

The ecstasy of transcendental love has two components, the context, and
the cause of the excitement. The context is also divided into two parts: the
subject and the object: The exchange of devotional service is the subject, and
Krishna is the Object. And the transcendental Qualities of Krishna are the causes
of excitement. That means that a devotee becomes excited to serve the Supreme
Personality of Godhead Krishna, being enamoured by the transcendental
Qualities of Krishna. The Mayavadi philosophers say that the Absolute Truth
is without specific qualities, and the Vaishnava philosophers say that being
without qualities, (nirguna) means that the Absolute Truth has no material
qualities, but that the spiritual qualities are so great and so enchanting that
even liberated persons become attracted by the Supreme Lord. This fact is
very nicely explained in the atmarama verse of Srimad Bhagwatam: those who
are already situated in self-realization are also attracted by the transcendental
Qualities of Krishna. That means Krishna’s Qualities are not material—they
are pure and simple transcendental qualities.

The highest stage of ecstasy can be divided into thirteen transcendental
activities, which are as follows: 1. dancing, 2. rolling on the floor, 3. singing,
4. clapping, 5. bristling of the body, 6. thundering, 7. yawning 8. breathing,
9. forgetting social conventions, 10. throwing down saliva, 11. laughing 12.
headache, 13. coughing. All these thirteen symptoms do not awake simul-
taneously or at one time, but they act according to the exchange of trans-
cendental flavor. Sometimes one symptom is prominent and at other times
the other symptom is prominent. Transcendental flavor is also divided into
five. Principally, the initial stage is called santa rati, appreciation of the greatness
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by persons who are liberated from the
material contamination, but not exactly engaged in transcendental loving
service. They are on the appreciative neutral stage.

The second stage is when a person appreciates that he is everlastingly
