Student - "If the Vaishnava religion is thus coming down from time immemorial, then what new light has Chaitanya Mahaprabhu given for which He should have particular regard?"Devotee, - "The Vaishnava religion is like the lotus flower gradually unfolding itself in course of time. First it is a bud. There comes a little blooming state. Gradually comes the fully-blossomed stage. At the time of Brahma, the knowledge of God, the practice of devotion and love as mentioned in Chatuhsloki of Sri Bhagavatam, were only germinating in the hearts of men. At the time of Prahlada they took the form of a bud. At the time of the sage Badarayana or Vyasa the buds gradually began to open and at the time of the Vaishnava teachers the buds became flowers; and last of all when Sriman Mahaprabhu arrived, the flower of love unfolded all its petals and began to diffuse the sweetest fragrance to the people of the world. Sriman Mahaprabhu distributed among the fortunate people of the world the Love of god through Divine Name which is the very essence of the Vaishnava religion.
Student - Did anybody prior to this bring to light that the chanting of the Divine Name is such a beloved thing?
Devotee - Though it was confined within the four walls of the Shastras, it was not brought to the knowledge and notice of men.
Student - Oh! - before the Advent of Sriman Mahaprabhu was the treasure house of Love opened to the people at large in such a way?"
The proper order Vaishnavisim
Teacher - "I will give the proper order; just listen to it. While roaming in the world (from birth to birth), a jiva gets by chance the sukriti which produces bhakti. Out of the limbs of suddha-bhakti, either this one or that one is accidentally performed in the life of a man, such as the fast on an Ekadasi day observed by chance, visit or touch of a holy place sanctified by the sports of God, service offered to a true devotee as a guest, the audition of Hari-katha or Songs about Him come out from the lips of holy devotees who claim nothing in the world as their own, etc. But for those who hae the desires for deriving worldly enjoyment or emancipation from these acts, they are not the merits producing bahkti. When a man who does not know the true nature of things, performs these acts either in the public eye or by chance, without any desire for enjoyment or emancipation, then for him they are the merits productive of devotion. These spiritual merits, when accumulated in several births, acquire enough strength to grow sraddha (faith) in exclusive devotion to God, when fully grown, generates desire for association with pure devotees. When this is done, gradually sadhana (practice) and bhajana (service) take place. While performing bhajana, the anarthas (evil predicaments) disappear, on which the previous faith becomes clean and is converted to nishtha (firm devotion); this again gradually becomes clearer and clearer, till it takes the form of ruchi (tasty liking). Ruchi being confirmed by the charmingness of bhakti is converted to asakti (loving attachment) which, when gradually matured, takes the name of rati or bhava (loving attachment with ecstasy). This rati united with samagri (proper ingredients) becomes rasa (relishable ecstatic sweetness of the sentiment). This is the graduation of the growth of Prema (love). The radical principle is that there grows in man of good spiritual merit a strong desire for following sadhus (holy devotees), when he happens to see them. The true conclusion is that at first there is the sadhus-sanga (association wth some holy devotees), thereafter grows sraddha and next happens the second sadhu-sanga. The result of the first sadhu-sanga is sraddha whose another name is saranapatti (self-surrender). The first sadhu-sanga is the contact with the time, space, things and persons dear to Hari; as the result of this first sadhu-sanga, there arises the sraddha whose nature is self-surrender, its symptom has been given in the Gita where Lord Krishna says: "Take refuge in Me alone, giving up all dharmas (rites and rituals); and I will save you from all sins; be not afflicted." The phrase ‘all dharmas’ has been used to include the smarta harma (rituals followed by he notheists), ashtanga-yoga, (concentration of mental powers with the practice of eight yogic processes), sakhya (the twenty-five principles of Kapilamuni), jnana (speculation for absolute monism, abnegation etc) with these dharmas as the means, the ultimate need of the jivas cannot be attained. The abandonment of these dharmas has been mentioned in this sloka. I, the Transcendental Godhead perform the Braja Leela and I am the final Resort for all who knows this in reality without aspiring after elevation or salvation is the supreme object of devotion. When the sraddha of such a nature airses, the jiva becomes engaged in following a Vaishnava-sadhu with utmost humility and craving heart; it is the sadhu, with whom he takes shelter now who is the guru."