Sadhaka:

Dear Gurudeva, recently some devotees told me that actually the process of siddha-pranali is a process of imaginary perfection. They say that we are only interested in lila-smaranam and that we neglect many limbs of bhakti. Furthermore they also claim that we would take our raganuga-bhakti-sadhana very cheaply. We would lead a secluded life, and mentally we would attempt to identify ourselves with a particular sakhi of our own age.
They say that we would pretend to perform her duties, occupy her place of service in a particular place of Vrindavana, in a particular lila, under the guidance of a particular sakhi, and so on. Our so-called guru would require us to meditate on all these things.
They call this process the process of the Sahajiya-school. They consider it all false and imaginary.

Gurudeva:

Dear child, our process of siddha-pranali and the meditation on our eternal God-given svarupa is not imaginary and not false at all. I will provide you with quotes from our acaryas which clearly show the path of our raganuga-bhajan.

Look here and read these:

seva sadhaka-rupena siddha-rupena catra hi |
tad-bhava lipsuna karya vraja-lokanusaratah  || BRS 1.2.295

“One should serve both in his present sadhaka-form and in his siddha-form, following in the wake of the residents of Vraja, desiring to have feelings similar to theirs.”

kecid ashtadasakshara-dhyanam  go-dohana-samaya-vamsi-vadya-samakrishta-tat- tat-sarvamayatvena  bhavayanti |
yatha caike tadrisam upasanam sakshad vraja- jana-viseshayaiva mahyam sri-guru-caranair mad-abhishta-visesha-siddhy-artham upadishtam bhavayami
|| Bhakti-sandarbha 312

“Some, while remembering the eighteen-syllable mantra, meditate on the pastimes of tending cows and playing flute, becoming attracted and absorbed in them.
In such upasana (worship), in order to attain my specifically desired perfection, I should meditate on that very form of a resident of Vraja my revered guru has instructed me in.”

sakhinam sangini-rupam atmanam vasanamayim |
ajna-seva-param tat-tad-rupalankara-bhushitam ||
Prema Bhakti Chandrika 58

“One should meditate on oneself in a form that is a female associate of the sakhis, engaged in services on their command, decorated by Her ornaments.”

Sri Visvanatha Cakravartipada comments in his tika as follows:

sakhinam sri-lalita-sri-rupa-manjary-adinam sangini-rupam atmanam dhyayed iti seshah |
kimbhutam? ajna-seva-param ajnaya tasam anumatya seva-param
sri-riadha-madhavayor  iti seshah |
punah kimbhutam? tat-tad-rupalankara- bhushitam suprasiddha-sri-krishna-manohara-rupena sri-radhika- nirmalyalankarena bhushitam nirmalya-malya-vasana-bharanas tu dasya ity ukteh |
punah kimbhutam? vasanamayim cintamayim ikshate cintamayam etam isvaram ity adivat || 58

Sakhinam – One should think of himself as a female associate of sakhis such as Sri Lalita, Sri Rupa Manjari and others. In which way?
Ajna-sevaparam – Serving Sri Radha-Madhava with their consent and according to their orders. And again, in which way? Tat-tad rupalankara bhushitam –
Decorated with an exquisite form captivating the mind of Sri Krishna and the left-over ornaments of Sri Radhika; in service, ornamented with the left-over flower garlands.
Thus it is said. And again, in which way? Vasanamayim – Seeing oneself in contemplation in this capacity; and so forth.

tatra bhuta-suddhir nijabhilashita-bhagavat-sevopayika-tat-parshada-deha- bhavana-paryantaiva  tat-sevaika-purusharthibhih karya nijanukulyat |
evam yatra yatratmano nijabhishta-devata-rupatvena cintanam vidhiyate tatra tatraiva parshadatve grahanam bhavyam ||
Bhakti-sandarbha 286

“Thereupon one purifies his existence by contemplating on his own desired bhagavat-seva (service to the Lord) and a parshada-deha (associate-form) suitable for such service;
thus one engages in the desired service for his own auspiciousness. Thus, wherever one is, he should engage in meditating on the form of his own desired devata and in the future attain the status of an associate of his.”

vaikunthasya bhagavato jyotir-amsa-bhuta vaikuntha-loka-sobha-rupa ya ananta murtayas tatra vartante,
tasam ekaya saha muktasyaikasya murtir bhagavata kriyata iti vaikuntasya murtir iva murtir yesham ity uktam ||
Priti- sandarbha 10

“In the spiritual world, the Supreme Lord has unlimited spiritual forms;
they all are expansions of Himself illuminating that world. With each one of those forms,
the Lord enjoys pastimes with a single individual liberated soul.”

vraja-lokera kona bhava lana yei bhaje |
bhava-yogya deha pana krishna paya vraje ||
CaiCa 2.8.122

“Whoever accepts the bhava of the residents of Vraja, engaging in bhajana appropriate for that bhava,
will receive a body suitable for it, attaining Sri Krishna in Vraja.”

yugala carana sevi, nirantara ei bhavi, anuragi thakibo sadaya |
sadhane bhavibe yaha, siddha dehe pabe taha raga marge ei sei upaya ||
PBC 55

“With attachment, I will always serve the feet of Sri Yugala, remaining attached to them forever.
Whatever I think of during sadhana I will attain in siddha-deha; such is the means on the path of raga.”

sadhane ye dhana cai, siddha-dehe taha pai, pakkapakka matra se vicara |
apakke sadhana-riti, pakile se prema-bhakti, bhakati-lakshana tattva-sara ||
PBC 56

“The treasure I covet during my sadhana I will attain in my siddha-deha; It is merely a matter of ripe or raw.
The stage of sadhana is unripe, and the stage of prema is ripe. This is the essential truth on the characteristics of bhakti.”

sadhana smarana lila, ihate na koro hela, kaya mane koriya susara |
manera smarana prana, madhura madhura dhama, yugala vilasa smriti sara |
sadhya sadhana ei, iha boi ara nai, ei tattva sarva vidhi sara ||
(Prema Bhakti Candrika 14, 61)

“Do not neglect the practice of lila-smarana, hold it as the essence of the body and the mind.
The very life of the mind is smarana, the abode of all sweetness, and the essence of smarana is the vilasa of Radha-Krishna.
That is the sadhya (perfection), that is the sadhana (method of practice), and there is nothing apart from this. This truth is the essence of all principles of devotion.”

These most wonderful quotes are perfect evidence for the process of siddha-pranali and for meditating on our eternal svarupa.

And we certainly don´t take the path of raganuga-bhajan very cheaply. On the path of raganuga-bhakti, meditating on the divine pastimes is the main sadhana, however in the primary stage, we are not qualified for lila-smaranam. Therefore we should concentrate more on hearing, chanting and following the other rules of bhakti. Then as our chitta gets more and more purified, we are drawn towards lila-smaran. Slowly our smaran becomes more intense. Ultimately when we reach the zenith of bhajan, lila-smaran naturally becomes the major part of bhajan. We  should  note  that  all  the  parts  of  bhakti  mentioned  in  vaidhi-bhakti  are  useful  in Raganuga bhajan also. Srila Rupa Goswamipad mentions this in the verse –
“shravanot-kirtanadini vaidha-bhaktyuditani tu,
yanyangani cha tanyatra vigneyani manishibhih.”
– (B.R.S.)
Here hearing and chanting also includes accepting the shelter of Sri Gurudeva’s lotus feet and other fundamentals of bhakti as well.
We should realize that all the rules of bhakti that we have already mentioned, and they are the parts of vaidhi-bhakti – we should stick to them in Raganuga bhajan also.
If  we  do  not  obey  the  instructions  of  the Vrajabasi  Goswamis  such  as  Sri  Rupa  Goswami, Sanatana Goswami etc., how can we say we are surrendered unto them?
Then how can we follow in their footsteps?

Why do they claim our process to be imaginary or imperfect?

Sadhaka:

They told me that we are not fit for “higher planes”. We would have no real sambandha-jnana, knowledge of Reality.
They say that we only practice the habitual repetition of a particular mental speculation, but anartha-nivrtti (removal of contamination) or any other process based on it cannot be effected thereby.
Our imagined achievement would be sheer concoction.
They go even so far as to say that we are not aware of the facts: the ontological gradation from Viraja to Brahmaloka, Vaikuntha and Goloka, meaning that we don´t know about a gradual evolution of the jiva-souls through these aforementioned planes.

Gurudeva:

Do they have any shastric evidence to support the “fact” that there is an ontological gradation from Viraja to Brahmaloka, Vaikuntha and Goloka? Where in our shastras do we learn from a journey of an individual soul who ontologically “gradates” from Viraja, to Brahmaloka, to Vaikuntha and finally to Goloka Vrindavana?

Sadhaka:

They quote this verses from the Caitanya Caritamrita:

upajiya bade lata ‘brahmanda’ bhedi’ yaya
‘viraja,’ brahmaloka, ‘ bhedi’ ‘paravyoma’ paya
tabe yaya tad upari ‘goloka-vrndavana’
‘krsna-carana’-kalpa-vrkse kare arohana

“As one waters the devotional creeper, the seed sprouts, and it gradually grows until it penetrates the walls of this material universe and goes beyond the Viraja River, which divides the spiritual world and the material world. It attains brahma-loka, and then reaches the paravyoma, the spiritual sky, and then reaches the foremost spiritual planet Goloka Vrndavana.
Rooted in the heart and watered by sravana-kirtana, the bhakti creeper grows until it attains the shelter of the desire tree of the lotus feet of Krsna in the topmost region of the spiritual sky.”
(C.c. Madhya-lila 19.153-4)

They claim that this verse clearly shows that one must first cross the different gross and subtle layers of the brahmanda (mundane universe); then Viraja, the extremity of the jurisdiction of Maya, or misconception; then the Brahman conception, the halo of the real or transcendental world; then, Vaikuntha, which is Paravyoma, a sphere of consciousness, and then to Goloka Vrindavan.

Gurudeva:

First of all, this verse from the Caitanya Caritamritam shows ONLY the glories of bhakti which is found in Goloka Vrindavana.
It just helps us to understand, that this kind of bhakti, Vraja-bhakti, is higher than Vaikuntha-bhakti. Vaikuntha-bhakti is higher than the love at Brahmaloka, Brahmaloka is higher than the material universe, etc…
Bhakti being fully transcendental and fully independent, this metaphor of the bhakti-plant shows the pure power of the bhakti-energy to pierce ALL planes and it shows the highest form of bhakti, vraja-bhakti.
Similarly, Srila Rupa Goswami wrote a verse where he described that one “plane” is higher than the other…finally coming to Sri Radhakunda, the highest place. This verse can in no way be used as an evidence for the theory that THE JIVA-SOUL gradually “wanders”/”evolves” through these different kind of “planes”.

“Mathura is superior to Vaikuntha because Lord Krishna appeared there. Vrindavana is superior to Mathura because Krishna performed His rasa-lila there. Govardhana Hill is superior to Vrindavana because Krishna lifted it and enacted many blissful pastimes there. But the super-excellent Radha Kunda stands supreme above all for it is overflowing with the ambrosial nectarean prema of Radha and Krishna.
(Sri Upadesamrita, verse 9)

Our shastras never mention such a “journey” as a fact.

Second of all, WHERE IN THE ORIGINAL VERSE CAN WE FIND “rooted in the heart”? It is NOT THERE…nor is the word “Vaikuntha’…

tabe yaya tad upari ‘goloka-vrndavana’
‘krsna-carana’-kalpa-vrkse kare arohana

tabe — thereafter; yāya — goes; tat-upari — to the top of that (the spiritual sky); goloka-vrindavana — to the planet known as Goloka;
krishna-carana-of the lotus feet of Lord Krishna; kalpa-vrksha — on the desire tree; kare ārohana— climbs.

Bhakti is NOT ROOTED in our hearts. This I told you already many times. Bhakti comes from the hladini-sakti of Krishna. It is not in the hearts of the jiva-soul.

Sadhaka:

They also bring as evidence the story of Gopa Kumara in Srila Sanatana Goswami´s ‘Brihad Bhagavatamritam’, who freely travels from one “plane” to the other.

Gurudeva:

This much referred to story of Gopa Kumara who travels through all these aforementioned planes and then some, is not a shastric praman (scriptural evedince) for a gradual journey of OUR OWN soul.

First of all, HE IS ALREADY a cowherd-boy…second of all, his story SHOWS (AGAIN) HOW GLORIOUS THE LOVE OF VRINDAVANA REALLY IS…Vraja-bhakti…

It is CERTAINLY not that we as individual souls will make the “same” journey…

The only “journey” the jiva-soul is doing is to go through the stages WITHIN bhakti (NOT EXTERNAL on different “planes”) to reach the highest goal, PREMA.

Srimat Rupa Gosvamipada has written (Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhuh 1.4.15-16)—

adau sraddha tatah sadhu sango’tha bhajana kriya
tato’nartha nivrittih syat tato nishtha rucis tatah
athasaktis tato bhavas tatah premabhyudancati
sadhakanam ayam premnah pradurbhave bhavet kramah

“First of all there is faith, then one associates with devotees, then one begins to engage in bhajana, then one gets rid of bad habits, becomes fixed, gets taste, becomes attached (to Krishna), then bhava awakens and then prema. This is how the gradual growth of prema of the devotee takes place.”

Imagine: First we will go to heaven, then become Brahma, then go to Vaikuntha, then become a gopi?
Where is this written in any shastras of the Goswamis?

Srila Rupa Goswami writes:

seva sadhaka-rupena siddha-rupena catra hi |
tad-bhava lipsuna karya vraja-lokanusaratah  || BRS 1.2.295

“One should serve both in his present sadhaka-form and in his siddha-form, following in the wake of the residents of Vraja, desiring to have feelings similar to theirs.”

And Srila Narottama das Thakur makes it clear for us:

sadhane ye dhana cai, siddha-dehe taha pai, pakkapakka matra se vicara |
apakke sadhana-riti, pakile se prema-bhakti, bhakati-lakshana tattva-sara ||
PBC 56

“The treasure I covet during my sadhana I will attain in my siddha-deha; It is merely a matter of ripe or raw. The stage of sadhana is unripe, and the stage of prema is ripe. This is the essential truth on the characteristics of bhakti.”

And if THAT is not enough, we should consult the Caitanya Caritamritam:

vraja-lokera kona bhava lana yei bhaje |
bhava-yogya deha pana krishna paya vraje ||
CaiCa 2.8.122

“Whoever accepts the bhava of the residents of Vraja, engaging in bhajana appropriate for that bhava, will receive a body suitable for it, attaining Sri Krishna in Vraja.”

So, nowhere we hear from a wandering of the soul through the “higher planes”…

And by the way, once you attain Vaikuntha by vaidhi-bhakti, you STAY THERE ETERNALLY.
It is NOT POSSIBLE to go from Vaikuntha to Goloka Vrindavana…eternal means eternal.

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.”

By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, we can become a maidservant of Srimati Radhika. We can directly go to Goloka Vrindavana. If you kindly read the book “Raga-vartma-Chandrika” by Srila Vishvanatha Cakravartipada, you will see how wonderful this mercy is.

If I remember correctly it reads like that:

 “One may ask: “Why don’t you say: ‘When the sadhaka attains the stage of prema and leaves his body, he will take a gopika-body in the spiritual world (aprakata prakasa) without first taking birth from the womb of a gopika, after which he manifests sneha, etc. there in that body through the association of the eternally perfect gopis?” The answer here is: “No, that will not happen, because without taking birth from the womb of a gopi one cannot get a proper acquaintance according to the human-like pastimes there, like: “Whose daughter is this sakhi? Whose wife is she? Whose daughter-in-law is she?” “Allright then”, one may say, “then why not take birth in the aprakata prakasa?” Then the answer is: “No, that can also not be! Sadhakas (practising devotees) or materially conditioned souls cannot enter into the transcendental manifestation named Sri Vrindavana, only perfected souls can enter it. Even through one’s own sadhana the feelings of sneha and so on are not easily attained there. Therefore Yogamaya takes those devotees, whose prema has awoken, to Krishna’s materially manifest pastimes in Vrindavana when Krishna descends there, for the sake of perfecting their feelings like sneha etc. before they attain Sri Krishna’s bodily association. Because practising devotees, fruitive workers and perfected devotees can all be seen to enter into the materially manifest Sri Vrindavana, it is experienced as both sadhaka bhumi (the land for practitioners) and siddha bhumi (the land for the perfect).

    “Then where will those most eager sadhakas stay all this time?” The answer is: “After the sadhaka-body perishes, that loving devotee, who has eagerly desired direct devotional service for a long time, will at once, by the Lord’s grace, receive the gift of the desired service and the audience of the Lord and His eternal associates, even though he has not yet attained the manifestations of prema like sneha and so, just as the Lord once bestowed His Personal audience to Narada Muni in his previous birth (see Srimad Bhagavata Canto One, Chapter Six). He will give the sadhaka a transcendental gopika-body. Yogamaya will make that body take birth from a gopika-body in the manifest pastimes, when Sri Krishna descends to earth with His eternal associates. There will be not even the slightest delay in that, because the prakata lila goes on without interruption. The liberated devotee will take birth in that material universe where Krishna plays His manifest Vrindavana-lila at the time. Sri Krishna and His associates always appear when the loving practising devotee leaves His body. Therefore, O greatly eager anuragi devotees! Do not fear! Be at ease! All is auspicious for You !” 

Sadhaka:

Thank you, dearest Gurudeva. Your words illuminate my heart.