Automatically Performed - The All-Encompassing Nature of Bhakti
The spiritual path is often misconstrued as a daunting accumulation of separate rituals, breathing exercises, and social obligations. However, the Vedic literature offers a supreme shortcut. Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings beautifully explain that by dedicating oneself to the unalloyed loving service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all other prescribed duties and yogic perfections are automatically performed.
The Perfection of Faith
The foundation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness rests upon a specific definition of faith, known as śraddhā. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that true faith is not a blind sentiment but a firm, confident conviction. It is the absolute certainty that by surrendering to Kṛṣṇa, the root of all existence, one automatically fulfills every other conceivable religious, social, and moral obligation without needing to endeavor for them separately.
- Caitanya-caritamrta states, krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya: when one worships the Supreme Lord, Krsna, in devotional service, one automatically performs all other pious activity.
- By rendering transcendental loving service to Krsna, one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. This confident, firm faith, favorable to the discharge of devotional service, is called sraddha.
- Sraddha is confident, firm faith that by rendering transcendental loving service to Krsna one automatically performs all subsidiary activities. Such faith is favorable to the discharge of devotional service.
- If one has faith he is firmly convinced that simply by rendering devotional service to Lord Krsna all other activities are automatically performed - including ritualistic duties, sacrifices, yoga and the speculative pursuit of knowledge.
The Supersession of Rituals and Yoga
Many people spend their lives rigorously performing ancestral worship (śrāddha) or engaging in strenuous mystic yoga to control their breath and mind. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that a devotee of Kṛṣṇa is exempt from these separate practices. Because chanting the holy names perfectly aligns the mind and senses with the Supreme, all the goals of meditation, ritualistic sacrifices, and ancestral duties are accomplished effortlessly.
- A person fully conversant with Krsna consciousness does not perform any rituals because he knows that simply by serving Krsna in full Krsna consciousness, all rituals are automatically performed.
- The devotee of the Lord does not need to perform ritualistic ceremonies as sraddha because he is always pleasing the Supreme Lord; therefore his fathers and ancestors who might have been in difficulty are automatically relieved.
- Meditation and breathing exercise is not a part of our program, but it is automatically performed by this process of chanting Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama.
- When there is sound vibrated praising the transcendental pastimes of the Lord, one is forced to hear. That hearing process enters into the mind, and the practice of yoga is automatically performed.
The Natural Progression of Devotion
Devotional service is a dynamic and living reality that naturally expands. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that when a sincere soul engages in the primary process of hearing (śravaṇam), the subsequent process of chanting (kīrtanam) follows as an automatic result. For the most elevated devotees, this spontaneous absorption is so profound that even their basic bodily functions are sustained by the Lord's divine arrangement.
- In any case, bhakti-yoga begins with hearing-sravanam kirtanam (Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23). After one has heard from the right source and is convinced, one will automatically perform kirtana.
- If you have heard from the right source and if you are convinced, then automatically you will try to perform kirtana. Kirtana means glorifying.
- Religion means to abide by the orders of God. Simple thing. And this obedience to the laws of God will be automatically performed if everyone loves his dormant love for God.
- Prahlada Maharaja was always absorbed in thought of Krsna. Thus, being always embraced by the Lord, he did not know how his bodily necessities, such as sitting, walking, eating, lying down, drinking and talking, were being automatically performed.
The Supreme Lord's Omnipotence
In the material world, creating or managing anything requires immense labor and physical endeavor. However, Śrīla Prabhupāda points out that this limitation does not apply to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because Kṛṣṇa is endowed with unlimited, perfect internal potencies, He has nothing to do personally. Whatever the Lord desires is instantly and flawlessly executed by His energies.
- His (Krsna's) potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are automatically performed as a natural sequence. (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.7-8).
- In the material world, the external potency (material energy) can act only after one endeavors at great length, but when the Supreme Lord desires, everything is performed automatically by the internal potency.
- In the srutis it is said that the birthless appears to take birth. The Supreme has nothing to do, but because He is omnipotent, everything is performed by Him naturally, as if done automatically.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the concept of things being automatically performed perfectly illustrates the supremacy of bhakti-yoga over all other spiritual and material processes. Śrīla Prabhupāda assures us that we do not need to bewilder ourselves by trying to independently fulfill millions of cosmic and social obligations. By simply reposing our faith and loving service in Lord Kṛṣṇa, whose own divine will is executed automatically by His internal potencies, every aspect of our spiritual and material lives is harmonized, purified, and automatically perfected.
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Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Automatically Performed. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience the teachings in their direct, verbatim form.