View source for There are three stages of devotional life: the first stage, or the lower stage; the middle stage; and the top stage. So this kind of conception, that "Nobody is my enemy," that is on the topmost stage. That is not to be imitated

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[[Category:There Are]]
[[Category:Three Stages]]
[[Category:Devotional Life - Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:First Stage of Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Lower Stage of Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Middle Status of Devotional Service to God]]
[[Category:Top Stage Devotees of God]]
[[Category:Kind Of]]
[[Category:Conception]]
[[Category:Nobody]]
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[[Category:Enemy]]
[[Category:That Is]]
[[Category:Topmost]]
[[Category:That Is Not]]
[[Category:Not To]]
[[Category:Imitation]]
[[Category:Pages Needing Audio - SHARMISTHA]]
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<h2>Lectures</h2>
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<h3>Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures</h3>
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When we are preaching, we have to come to the second stage. There are three stages of devotional life: the first stage, or the lower stage; the middle stage; and the top stage. So this kind of conception, that "Nobody is my enemy," that is on the topmost stage. That is not to be imitated. When you are preaching, you have to come to the middle stage. Even if you are on the top stage, you have to come on the middle stage, because you have to discriminate: "Here is a devotee; here is a demon."
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[[Vanisource:750208 - Lecture BG 16.13-15 - Honolulu|750208 - Lecture BG 16.13-15 - Honolulu]]
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Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]). Nirmala means without any dirt, cleansed completely, crystal clear. That is required. The senses will be there, the mind will be there, the intelligence will be there, I'll be there—everything will be there, but we have to cleanse the desire, purify the desires. Āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 16.11-12 (1972)|BG 16.12]]). Here, the demons, they're also desiring, but baddhāḥ: they are becoming conditioned. But a devotee, he's also desiring, but he's mukta, means liberated. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā it is said, yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra, karma-bandhanaḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 3.9 (1972)|BG 3.9]]): "You work for performing sacrifice." Performing sacrifice. Sacrifice, yajña . . . yajña means to satisfy the Supreme. That is sacrifice. I sacrifice my own convenience. I take all kinds of troubles . . . there is no trouble; it is pleasure. Just like the mother takes all kinds of trouble for the little child, but she does not think that is trouble. That is pleasure. When you do something out of love, that is pleasure. That is not trouble. In the transcendental platform, devotional service, anything you do, that is pleasure. That is not trouble. Just like you are dancing here. Actually, bodily, there is some trouble because you are perspiring, but you are not feeling the trouble; you are feeling pleasure. Otherwise how you can dance? This is the transcendental platform. So the demons are bound up by material desires, and the devotees, apparently there is desire, but there is no bondage. This is the difference. There is no bondage. Sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-paratvena nirmalam ([[Vanisource:CC Madhya 19.170|CC Madhya 19.170]]).

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they cannot understand. They are thinking that "Why these people are taking so much trouble, dancing, jumping?" They cannot under . . . therefore they feel displeasure. They feel disturbance, because they are not purified. So āśā-pāśa-śatair baddhāḥ ([[Vanisource:BG 16.11-12 (1972)|BG 16.12]]). The demonic principle is to become bound up by their desires, but if you are on the spiritual platform, then all your desires means loving service to the Lord. That is wanted. So the demons' desires is described here. There is nothing to be explained. We have got practical experience in the material world. They are always thinking, idam adya mayā labdham: "Now, today I have earned five hundred dollars," or something more or less. Mayā labdham means "I have got it." Imaṁ prāpsye manoratham: "Again I shall get tomorrow so much money, and my bank balance will increase to such and such strength." Idam asti: "I got so much, and so much will be added, and the balance will increase." Idaṁ me bhaviṣyati punar dhanam: "In this way I will increase the amount of my wealth more and more." There is no question of "How much love I have increased for Kṛṣṇa." That is bhakta, bhakti. But where there is no bhakti, they are thinking of this material increase.

Asau mayā hataḥ, thinking others are enemy . . . actually, in the higher status of life, a devotee does not think anyone as enemy. Samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām ([[Vanisource:BG 18.54 (1972)|BG 18.54]]). Samaḥ. He knows that "Nobody can become my enemy unless Kṛṣṇa desires. So why shall I think of him as my enemy? Kṛṣṇa has desired him to act as my enemy just to correct me, just to make me more advanced in spiritual life. So why shall I take any action upon him as enemy?" Of course, this stage is meant for very highly elevated devotee. That is not meant for ordinary devotee. But the fact is this: "How one can become my enemy? If I am Kṛṣṇa's servant, how one can become my enemy? If one is acting as my enemy, it is Kṛṣṇa's desire. I have got some defect, and He is correcting me." Therefore it is called samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām ([[Vanisource:BG 18.54 (1972)|BG 18.54]]). That is the topmost devotee's conception.

But when we are preaching, we have to come to the second stage. There are three stages of devotional life: the first stage, or the lower stage; the middle stage; and the top stage. So this kind of conception, that "Nobody is my enemy," that is on the topmost stage. That is not to be imitated. When you are preaching, you have to come to the middle stage. Even if you are on the top stage, you have to come on the middle stage, because you have to discriminate: "Here is a devotee; here is a demon." On the top stage there is no such thing as demon and devotee. The top stage, the devotee sees, "Everyone is engaged in Kṛṣṇa's service. Simply I am not engaged." This is topmost devotee's vision, that "I am lacking Kṛṣṇa's devotion."
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