“In recent weeks the flag’s been raised about how dangerous it is to live at Radha Kunda in a neophyte stage, and how hazardous it can be associating with babajis.”

Where in all the scriptures is it written that it is dangerous for “neophytes” to live at Sri Radhakund?

Read Srila Rupa Goswami´s “Sri Upadesamrita”…the last verse…”The glories of Sri Radhakunda”.

“The holy place known as Mathurā is spiritually superior to Vaikuṇṭha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there.
Superior to Mathurā-Purī is the transcendental forest of Vṛndāvana because of Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa-līlā pastimes.
And superior to the forest of Vṛndāvana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and was the site of His various loving pastimes.
And, above all, the superexcellent Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?”

There are two paths in bhakti:

* vaidhi bhakti
* raganuga bhakti

BOTH start with BHAJANA-KRIYA.

It is a TOTAL MISUNDERSTANDING that the devotee has to be “qualified” (at least ASKATI, they claim) to practice raganuga bhakti.

 

The only qualification is our GREED to practice it and the KRIPA of our Gurudeva.

Check Srila Rupa Goswami´s “Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu”.

vaidhi raganuga ceti sa dvidha sadhanabhidha || (brs 1.2.5)

“Practice is of two kinds, namely vaidhi and raganuga.”

The word “vaidhi” is derived from the Sanskrit word “vidhi”,
referring to the commandments of the scriptures. The word
“raganuga” is a compound of two words, namely raga, “loving attachment”,
and anuga, “following in the wake of”. The general
characteristics of these two paths are explained as follows:

vaidhi-bhaktir bhavet sastram bhaktau cet syat pravartakam |
raganuga syac ced bhaktau lobha eva pravartakah || (rvc 1.3)

“When devotion is caused by scriptural injunctions, it is called
vaidhi-bhakti, but when its cause is spiritual greed alone, it is
called raganuga-bhakti.”

yatra raganavaptatvat pravrittir upajayate |
sasanenaiva sastrasya sa vaidhi-bhaktir ucyate || (brs 1.2.6)

“That devotion which knows no attachment or greed, but which is prompted by the commandments of the scriptures, is called vaidhi-bhakti.”

virajantim abhivyaktam vrajavasi-janadishu |
ragatmikam anusrita ya sa raganugocyate || (brs 1.2.270)

“The devotion which is clearly present in the associates of the
Lord in Vraja is called devotion filled with loving attachment
(ragatmika-bhakti), and devotion following in the wake of this
ragatmika-bhakti is called raganuga-bhakti.”

vaidhi-raganuga-marga-bhedena parikirtitah |
dvividhah khalu bhavo’tra sadhanabhinivesajah || (brs 1.3.7)

“The paths of vaidhi and raganuga are known to be separate from
each other. Engagement in these two forms of practice certainly
awakens two distinct varieties of bhava.”

The goals of these two paths of devotion in practice are understood
as follows:

vidhi-bhaktye parshada-dehe vaikunthete yaya || (cc 2.24.87)
“Through vidhi-bhakti, one will attain the form of an associate in
Vaikuntha.”

aisvarya-jnane vidhi-bhajana kariya |
vaikunthake yaya catur-vidha mukti pana || (cc 1.3.17)

“Those who worship according to scriptural commandments, being aware of the Lord’s superhuman prowess, attain the four kinds of liberation in Vaikuntha.”

raga-bhaktye vraje svayam-bhagavane paya || (cc 2.24.85)

“Through raga-bhakti, one will attain the Lord Himself in Vraja.”

raganuga-marge tanre bhaje yei jana |
sei-jana paya vraje vrajendra-nandana || (cc 2.8.221)

“He who worships on the path of raganuga will attain Vrajendranandana
(Sri Krishna) in Vraja.”

Easy.

NOWHERE can we read that FIRST WE MUST DO VAIDHI BHAKTI, THEN RAGANUGA BHAKTI…

It may be sometimes that it is like that in a devotee´s life, but it is not that “WHEN WE GROW UP and WHEN WE BECOME QUALIFIED, we can then start RAGANUGA BHAKTI.