Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says in the Caitanya Caritămṛta that the observance of Vaisnava etiquette is an ornament, which makes a devotee beautiful and attractive in the eyes of God and in the eyes of the world. It is therefore very important for all devotees of the Lord to be well-versed in the matters of such etiquettes and lifestyle. Such information is scattered in different books and a need was felt here for a comprehensive manual that would enumerate not only the basic general principles of Vaisnava etiquette and lifestyle, but also that would consider specific issues and problems that pertain to the conditions in our Indian centers. This work is a humble attempt to fulfil the above need, at present standardized norms of devotees in India. Due to limitation of time, it was not possible to make it more elaborate to cover in detail every issue. In time, based on feedback from devotees, further additions and modifications may be made. Meanwhile, the errors and drawbacks of this work may kindly be excused. This work has been made possible by the special interest shown by H.H. Radhanatha Swami Maharaja. He has been instrumental in persuading and encouraging devotees to compile this data and in giving his valuable advice, born as it is from long years of experience as a devotee and a spiritual guide. We hope and pray for his constant guidance and association. Many other devotees have spent their time and energy to give suggestions and comments and to type and edit the manuscript. Their role has been valuable in this compilation. Our heartfelt gratitude to all of them. We hope that this work may in a small way help devotees to further the mission of Lord Chaitanya, the Golden Avatara for this Age, and Srila Prabhupada, founder-acarya of International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
1. IMPORTANCE
The matter of this manual has been compiled from sources like Nectar of Devotion, Nectar of Instruction and other books, letters and instructions of Srila Prabhupada and from observations/suggestions of various devotees.
Lord Caitanya, who is an incarnation for this age and came to give His message to deliver fallen conditioned souls, instructed His principal disciples to write Vaisnava literatures that explain lifestyle and behavior for a devotee. As a result, Sri Gopala Bhatta Goswami wrote Hari-bhakti Vilasa which explains the process of deity worship and Vaisnava behavior. Srila Sanatana Goswami wrote a commentary on Hari-bhakti Vilasa.
Lord Caitanya instructed Srila Sanatana Goswami about the behavior of a Vaisnava as follows,
yadyapio tumi hao jagat-pavana /
toma-sparse pavitra haya deva-muni-gana //
tathapi bhakta-svabhava maryada-raksana/
maryada-palana haya sadhura bhūsana //
"My dear Sanatana, although you are the deliverer of the entire universe and although even the demigods and great saints are purified by touching you, it is the characteristic of a devotee to observe and protect the Vaisnava etiquette. Maintenance of the Vaisnava etiquette is the ornament of a devotee." (CC Antya 4.129-130)
maryada-langhane loka kare upahasa/
iha-loka, para-loka -- dui haya naša //
"If one transgresses the laws of etiquette, people make fun of him, and thus, he is vanquished in both this world and the next." (CC Antya 4.131)
Also, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu gave five important instructions to the six Goswamis of Vrndavana. Based on those instructions, the need was felt to write down certain rules and regulations to meet the demands of the ever-increasing preaching mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
These instructions are as follows:
1. To scrutinizingly study all the revealed scriptures and extract the essence from all, and that essence being bhakti.
2. To excavate Holy places of Krsna's lila in Vendavana. To make Vendavana dhama a place that people from all around will come to take shelter of and be inspired by.
3. To build beautiful temples and to install wonderful deities and teach the world proper method of Deity worship.
4. By their personal examples to show the conduct of a Vaisnava and proper etiquette among Vaisnavas. Lord Caitanya considered this to be the most important principle. Not only must we be philosophically strong, but we must understand how to have proper etiquette amongst each other; to our superiors, to our juniors, to the Supreme Lord and to conditioned souls. 5. He told them to establish Vaisnava etiquette through their writings as well as through their behavior.
6. By their own personal conduct to show what are the duties of one in the renounced order of life.
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