Tattva-viveka
progress in spiritual life
Janiasp - October 2, 2007 1:34 pm
i´ve been wondering how do i know that i´m making progress in my spiritual life?
Syamasundara - October 2, 2007 8:45 pm
I don't know if there is an answer out of the manual, but you feel it somehow, and ironically, when you make progress, you start seeing the path more and more clearly, and you realize how little you are, how little progress you really have made. Those humble statements from advanced Vaisnavas are not just staged expressions of circumstantial humility.
Also,
yasya prasadat bhagavat-prasado
yasya aprasadat na gatih kuto'pi
If the guru is satisfied with us, we get the mercy of the Lord, without his satisfaction, we are nowhere.
Incidentally, I don't mean to be abrupt, but... can you please introduce yourself? Many looked at your profile today, I couldn't even see where you are located or your background. These little details may help people give you better answers, based on what they know about you, because for example, maybe so far I've said a lot of basics, or maybe I've quoted Sanskrit words you are not familiar with.
At any rate, without the shelter of a sad-guru progress is very unlikely, or slow, or rare, and as a rule of thumb, whenever you feel enthused by something that fosters your service attitude, rather than your exploitive nature, then you are making progress.
Babhru Das - October 2, 2007 10:21 pm
I like Syamu's answer, and I can also think of what you may call a textbook answer. How do you know when you're really eating a good meal? The sage Kavi used this analogy when discussing devotional service with Maharaja Nimi. Just as we progressively and simultaneously experience pleasure, nourishment, and relief from hunger when eating, when we are actually engaged in service in surrender, we experience--simultaneously and progressively--devotion to the Lord, direct experience of the Lord, and detachment from everything else.
Babhru Das - October 2, 2007 10:35 pm
And here's the page from the manual (SB 11.2.43). I'm including Srila Prabhupada's purport because it's generous and encouraging:
Devotion, direct experience of the Supreme Lord, and detachment from other things -- these three occur simultaneously for one who has taken shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, in the same way that pleasure, nourishment and relief from hunger come simultaneously and increasingly, with each bite, for a person engaged in eating.
PURPORT
Srila Jiva Gosvami has explained this analogy as follows: Bhakti, or devotion, may be compared to tusti (satisfaction) because they both take the form of pleasure. Paresanubhava (experience of the Supreme Lord) and pusti (nourishment) are analogous because both sustain one's life. Finally, virakti (detachment) and ksud-apaya (cessation of hunger) may be compared because both free one from further hankering so that one may experience santi, or peace.
A person who is eating not only becomes uninterested in other activities but increasingly becomes uninterested in the food itself, according to his satisfaction. On the other hand, according to Srila Jiva Gosvami, although one who is experiencing the blissful Personality of Godhead, Krsna, becomes uninterested in anything other than Krsna, his attachment to Krsna increases at every moment. Therefore it is to be understood that the transcendental beauty and qualities of the Supreme Lord are not material, since one never becomes satiated by relishing the bliss of the Supreme Lord.
The word viraktih is very significant in this verse. Virakti means "detachment," whereas tyaga means "renunciation." According to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, the word renunciation can be used in a situation in which one considers giving up an enjoyable object. But by considering everything to be potential paraphernalia in the service of Lord Krsna, as described in the previous verse, one need not give thought to renunciation, for one uses everything in the proper way in the service of the Lord. Yukta-vairagyam ucyate.
The very pleasant analogy of a good meal is given in this verse. A hungry man busily consuming a sumptuous plate of food is not interested in anything else happening around him. In fact, he considers any other topic or activity a disturbance to his concentration on the delicious meal. Similarly, as one advances in Krsna consciousness one considers anything unrelated to the devotional service of Krsna an obnoxious disturbance. Such concentrated love of Godhead has been described in the Second Canto of the Bhagavatam by the words tivrena bhakti-yogena yajeta purusam param (SB 2.3.10). One should not make an artificial show of renouncing the material world; rather, one should systematically train the mind to see everything as an expansion of the opulence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Just as a hungry materialistic man, upon seeing sumptuous food, immediately desires to put it in his mouth, an advanced devotee of Krsna, upon seeing a material object, immediately becomes eager to use it for the pleasure of Krsna. Without the spontaneous hunger to engage everything in the service of Krsna and to dive deeper and deeper into the ocean of love of Krsna, so-called realization of God or loose talk about so-called religious life is irrelevant to the actual experience of entering the kingdom of God.
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, the path of bhakti-yoga is so joyful and practical that even in the stage of sadhana-bhakti, in which one follows rules and regulations without an advanced understanding, one can perceive the ultimate result. As stated by Srila Rupa Gosvami (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187),
As soon as one surrenders to the Supreme Lord, Krsna (prapadyamanasya), giving up all other activities (viraktir anyatra ca), one is immediately to be considered a liberated soul (jivan-muktah). The Supreme Lord, Krsna, is so merciful that when a living entity understands that the personality Krsna is the source of everything and surrenders to the Lord, Krsna personally takes charge of him and reveals to him within his heart that he is under the Lord's full protection. Thus devotion, direct experience of the Personality of Godhead, and detachment from other objects become manifest even in the beginning stage of bhakti-yoga, since bhakti-yoga begins at the point of liberation. Other processes have as their final goal salvation or liberation, but according to Bhagavad-gita (18.66),
If one surrenders to Krsna one is immediately liberated and thus begins his career as a transcendental devotee with complete confidence in the Lord's protection.
Syamasundara - October 2, 2007 11:01 pm
Of course! The tusti pusti verse! Beautiful.
Janiasp - October 3, 2007 7:30 am
thanks for the answers. i have now added little info about myself on my profile. i should have done that earlier. 
Guru-nistha Das - October 4, 2007 2:31 am
Incidentally, I don't mean to be abrupt, but... can you please introduce yourself? Many looked at your profile today, I couldn't even see where you are located or your background.
I used to play in the same band with Jani when I was 17 (and four years after that) and although I got interested in Krishna separate from him, he gave me my first japa beads and a picture of Radha-Krishna on my 18th birthday and took me to the temple for the first time. He's a great, sincere guy.
Syamasundara - October 4, 2007 5:25 am
Oh, that's sweet. Well welcome Jani! 
I wonder if I'll ever make it to a Finland retreat one day. Or even just to meet you all in Vrndavana would be good. :Batting Eyelashes:
Babhru Das - October 4, 2007 11:58 pm
Back to Jani's question, I also like to advise introspection, together with good company and good reading, such as Madhurya-kadambini. This is Visvanath Chakravari's discussion of how we may gauge our progress in terms the stages of devotion described by Srila Rupa Goswami, beginning with initial sraddha and sadhu-sanga through bhava and prema. I haven't read Madhurya-kadambini for a while, and I don't have it here with me (my books are all at Audarya), but I think reading this book, thinking carefully about where you are while discussing these things with advanced devotees whom you trust.
Prema-bhakti - October 5, 2007 1:37 am
Back to Jani's question, I also like to advise introspection, together with good company and good reading, such as Madhurya-kadambini. This is Visvanath Chakravari's discussion of how we may gauge our progress in terms the stages of devotion described by Srila Rupa Goswami, beginning with initial sraddha and sadhu-sanga through bhava and prema. I haven't read Madhurya-kadambini for a while, and I don't have it here with me (my books are all at Audarya), but I think reading this book, thinking carefully about where you are while discussing these things with advanced devotees whom you trust.
Babhru, this is a very nice point about Madhurya Kadambini.
To give some perspective on my own progress I always like to refer to the reality that real progress in spiritual life comes when one reaches the stage of nistha, steadiness that is after anartha nivrtti and precedes ruci. This is the stage after by which one’s progress becomes as Dhanurdhara Swami once described to me like drinking water, it flows. The real long hurdle is to progress through anartha nivrtti which requires as Babhru recommends introspection and good company. Guru Maharaja has described in his Siksastakam commentary that nisthita bhajana kriya which is a stage of fixed performance of devotional service is the short term goal for the sadhaka in a long often winding journey to higher stages of devotion. Of course, it is not all black and white and linear as there are many shades of gray but these descriptions and delineations by the acaryas give us an outline or barometer by which we can take our spiritual temperatures.
Babhru Das - October 5, 2007 10:01 am
Nice points, Prema. And as I was falling asleep last night, it occurred to me that I should have mentioned that our Swami's Siksastakam commentary has enough of Madhurya-kadambini to give us an idea of what the different stages look (or feel?) like.
Krsangi Dasi - October 5, 2007 11:49 am
:Batting Eyelashes:
Babhru Das - October 10, 2007 12:11 am
I've been meaning to say how much I like this, Krishangi. Is this from one of your books? (You can see how far behind I am.)
Krsangi Dasi - October 10, 2007 1:34 pm
Don't worry, you're just one year behind: it's one of the last pages of On the Outside Looking in, published last year. :Batting Eyelashes: Only the Audarya bookstore has thus far been allowed to distribute it in the States.
Jiva-daya Dasa - October 10, 2007 3:19 pm
Don't worry, you're just one year behind: it's one of the last pages of On the Outside Looking in, published last year. :Just Kidding: Only the Audarya bookstore has thus far been allowed to distribute it in the States.
My wife and I have read that book over and over again and get something out of it every time. My mother has also read it and was captivated by the format. She said it made krishna Consciousness that much more approachable to her and wanted me to pass on compliments to the author. Thanks again for helping all of us on this path.