Faith in Krishna Consciousness: Divisions of Devotees

1. Bhagavad-Gita As It IsChapter 9Text 3 Faith in Krsna Consciousness. 3 divisions of devotees based on faith.

2. Text 2 açraddadhänäù puruñä dharmasyäsya parantapa apräpya mäà nivartante måtyu-saàsära-vartmani Those who are not faithful in this devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of enemies. Therefore they return to the path of birth and death in this material world.

3. Faith plays important role. • Not blind but reasonable faith. • The faithless cannot accomplish this process of devotional service; • Faith is created by association with devotees. • Unfortunate people, even after hearing all the evidence of Vedic literature from great personalities, still have no faith in God.

4. Faith in Krsna Consciousness. ‘çraddhä’-çabde viçväsa kahe sudåòha niçcaya kåñëe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kåta haya “ ‘By rendering transcendental service to Kåñëa, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities.’ This confident, firm faith, favorable to the discharge of devotional service, is called çraddhä.”

5. 3 divisions based on faith çraddhävän jana haya bhakti-adhikäré ‘uttama’, ‘madhyama’, ‘kaniñöha’ çraddhä-anusäré “One becomes qualified as a devotee on the elementary platform, the intermediate platform and the highest platform of devotional service according to the development of his çraddhä [faith].”

6. 3rd class (kanishtha) devotee yähära komala çraddhä, se ‘kaniñöha’ jana krame krame teìho bhakta ha-ibe ‘uttama’ “One whose faith is soft and pliable is called a neophyte, but by gradually following the process, he will rise to the platform of a first-class devotee.” e.g. hearing critisisam & speculative views gets carried away. SP’s view on Moon landing.

7. 2nd class (madhyama) devotee çästra-yukti nähi jäne dåòha, çraddhävän ‘madhyama-adhikäré’ sei mahä-bhägyavän “A person whose conclusive knowledge of the çästras is not very strong but who has developed firm faith in chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra and who is also undeterred in the execution of his prescribed devotional service should be considered a madhyama-adhikäré. Such a person is very fortunate.”

8. 1st class devotee çästra-yuktye sunipuëa, dåòha-çraddhä yäìra ‘uttama-adhikäré’ sei täraye saàsära “One who is expert in logic, argument and the revealed scriptures and who has firm faith in Kåñëa is classified as a topmost devotee. He can deliver the whole world.

9. 3rd class devotee’s behavior arcäyäm eva haraye püjäà yaù çraddhayehate na tad-bhakteñu cänyeñu sa bhaktaù präkåtaù småtaù A devotee who faithfully engages in the worship of the Deity in the temple but does not behave properly toward other devotees or people in general is called a präkåta-bhakta, a materialistic devotee, and is considered to be in the lowest position.

10. 2nd class devotee’s behavior ésvare tad-adhéneñu bäliçeñu dviñatsu ca prema-maitré-kåpopekñä yaù karoti sa madhyamaù An intermediate or second-class devotee, called madhyama-adhikäré, offers his love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is a sincere friend to all the devotees of the Lord, shows mercy to ignorant people who are innocent and disregards those who are envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

11. 1st class devotee’s behavior çré-havir uväca sarva-bhüteñu yaù paçyed bhagavad-bhävam ätmanaù bhütäni bhagavaty ätmany eña bhägavatottamaù Çré Havir said: The most advanced devotee sees within everything the soul of all souls, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa. Consequently he sees everything in relation to the Supreme Lord and understands that everything that exists is eternally situated within the Lord.

12. How to deal with 3 classes of devotees? kåñëeti yasya giri taà manasädriyeta dékñästi cet praëatibhiç ca bhajantam éçam çuçrüñayä bhajana-vijïam ananyam anya- nindädi-çünya-hådam épsita-saìga-labdhyä One should mentally honor the devotee who chants the holy name of Lord Kåñëa, one should offer humble obeisances to the devotee who has undergone spiritual initiation [dékñä] and is engaged in worshiping the Deity, and one should associate with and faithfully serve that Pure devotee who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others.

13. Dealings with devotees. Mentally honor the Kanishtha (who chants the holy name of Lord Kåñëa). Offer humble obeisances to the Madhyama devotee (who has undergone spiritual initiation [dékñä] and is engaged in worshiping the Deity). One should associate with and faithfully serve that Pure devotee (Uttama, who is advanced in undeviated devotional service and whose heart is completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others).