attachment, immitative and para

Sometimes it is found that a person actually attached to material enjoyment or salvation has the good fortune to associate with pure devotees while they are engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord. By the good grace of the Lord one may also cooperat

In the book Padyavali by Rūpa Gosvami there is the following statement about Vrndavana: "In this place the son of Maharaj Nanda used to live with His father, who was king of all cowherd men. In this place Lord Krsna broke the cart in which the Sakatasura demon was concealed. At this place Damodara, who can cut the knot of our material existence, was tied up by His mother Yasoda." (More...)

A pure devotee of Lord Krsna resides in the district of Mathura or Vrndavana and visits all the places where Krsna's pastimes were performed. At these sacred places Krsna displayed His childhood activities with the cowherd boys and Mother Yasoda. The system of circumambulating all these places is still current among devotees of Lord Krsna, and those coming to Mathura and Vrndavana always feel transcendental pleasure. Actually, if someone goes to Vrndavana, he will immediately feel separation from Krsna, who performed such nice activities when He was present there. (More...)

Such attraction for remembering Krsna's activities is known as attachment for Krsna. There are impersonalist philosophers and mystics, however, who by a show of devotional service want ultimately to merge into the existence of the Supreme Lord. They sometimes try to imitate a pure devotee's sentiment for visiting the holy places where Krsna had His pastimes, but they simply have a view for salvation, and so their activities cannot be considered attachment. (More...)

There are many so-called devotees who artificially think of Krsna's pastimes, which are known as asta-kalika-lila. Sometimes one may artificially imitate these, pretending that Krsna is talking with him in the form of a boy, or else one may pretend that Radharani and Krsna both have come to him and are talking with him. Such characteristics are sometimes exhibited by the impersonalist class of men, and they may captivate some innocent persons who have no knowledge in the science of devotional service. However, as soon as an experienced devotee sees all of these caricatures, he can immediately evaluate such rascaldom. If such a pretender is sometimes seen possessing imitative attachment to Krsna, that will not be accepted as real attachment. It may be said, however, that such attachment is like giving a future hope to the pretender, so that he may eventually rise onto the actual platform of pure devotional service. (More...)

This imitative attachment can be divided into two headings-namely, shadow attachment and para (transcendental) attachment. If someone, without undergoing the regulative principles of devotional service or without being guided by a bona fide spiritual master, shows such imitative attachment, it is called shadow attachment. Sometimes it is found that a person actually attached to material enjoyment or salvation has the good fortune to associate with pure devotees while they are engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord. By the good grace of the Lord one may also cooperate and join in the chanting. At that time, simply by the association of such pure devotees, the moonlike rays from their hearts reflect on him, and by the influence of the pure devotees he may show some likeness of attachment caused by inquisitiveness, but this is very flickering. And, if by the manifestation of such shadow attachment one feels the disappearance of all material pangs, then it is called para attachment. (More...)

Such shadow attachment or para attachment can develop by associating with a pure devotee or by visiting holy places like Vrndavana or Mathura; or if an ordinary man develops such attachment for Krsna and fortunately performs devotional activities in the association of pure devotees, he can also rise up to the platform of pure devotional service. The conclusion is that transcendental attachment is so powerful that even if such attachment is seen manifested in some common man, by the association of a pure devotee it can bring one to the perfectional stage. But such attachment for Krsna cannot be invoked in a person without his being sufficiently blessed by the association of pure devotees. (More...)

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