Popular Culture Review Vol. 10, No. 2, August 1999 | Page 122

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Popular Culture Review

Bhakta has faith in the Guru and in the Personalized Supreme, constantly remains
in the company of saints for proper guidance and influence, and considers Guru
and the saints of utmost importance for the spiritual progress. Finding a qualified
Guru and selfless service to him are important and so are the fondness for the
Supreme Person’s legends, singing His virtues, and meditation upon His holy name.
Personal discipline, equimindedness, proper observances, self-governance, pur
suit of good and virtue, balanced mood, detached attitude, simple and undesigning
dealings with all, contentment under all circumstances, and not finding faults in
others are also important. It has been clearly stated that worldly designations, pos
sessions, and achievements (such as caste, kinship, lineage, piety, reputation, wealth,
power, connections, accomplishments, and abilities) do not really matter in the
path of Bhakti.
Lord Krishna also says in the Bhagavad-Gita:
“One who is not envious but is a kind friend to all living
entities, who does not think himself a proprietor and is free from
false ego, who is equal in both happiness and distress, who is tol
erant, always satisfied, self-controlled, and engaged in devotional
service with determination, his mind and intelligence fixed on me
- such a devotee of mine is very dear to me.”
“He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is
not disturbed by anyone, who is equipoised in happiness and dis
tress, fear and anxiety, is very dear to me.”
“My devotee who is not dependent in the ordinary course
of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains,
and not striving for some result, is very dear to me.”
“One who neither rejoices nor grieves, who neither la
ments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inaus
picious things - such a devotee is very dear to me.”
“One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equi
poised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and dis
tress, fame and infamy, who is always silent and satisfied with
anything, who does not care for any residence, who is fixed in
knowledge and who is engaged in devotional service - such a per
son is very dear to me.”
“Those who follow this imperishable path of devotional
service and who completely engage themselves with faith, mak
ing me the Supreme, are very very dear to me.”^^