Vachanamrut Essence

Gadhadā I-23

1. There are two types of devotees of God:

1. First has a complete conviction of God, yet worships God identifying himself with the body. 
2. The second believes his own self to be chaitanya, transcending the influences of the three states - waking, dream and deep sleep, and the three bodies - sthul, sukshma and kāran. This devotee worships God while beholding God’s form within his own self.

2. As long as one has not attained this elevated spiritual state [as described in 1b], one is subject to obstacles, even if one is a devotee of God.

1. One will succumb to the five vishays.
2. One will perceive worldly attributes in God [he will perceive him as an ordinary human being].

3. If one has attained this elevated spiritual state [as described in 1b], then one will not have doubts in God’s actions. Moreover, he understands: how can God have any [māyik] flaws if my own flaws were eradicated by worshipping him?
4. The means of attaining an elevated spiritual state [as described in 1b] is to maintain one’s vrutti constantly on God whilst engaged in pure or impure activities.
5. Not attaining an elevated spiritual state is because: A pot that is filled with water and emptied somewhere daily will not form a pool of water; similarly, a person who at times worships God with a concentrated mind and, at other times, indulges in worldly thoughts does not develop such an elevated spiritual state. 
6. When a devotee of God, who has attained an elevated state, focuses his vrutti on the form of God, that vrutti is divided into two:

1. One vrutti affectionately focuses on the form of God.
2. Second focuses within the worshipper himself by his thought.