Sequence of sādhana, Madhumaṅgal, Gaṅgā and doctors in the spiritual sky

e mail from Bhakta:
"Today while I was reading the biography of Śrī Gaura Govinda dās bābājī ( from the Saints of Vraja of Dr. Kapoor) some doubts arose in my mind and I think that you may be the proper person to dissipate them. There ( in the biography ) it is written ( I am translating from Spanish ): "He (Gaura Govinda dās bābājī) discovered that some Vaiṣṇavas of Vṛndāvana meditate in Kṛṣṇa līlā in accordance with the Guṭikā of Siddha Kṛṣṇa dās bābājī of Goverdhan. He begin to do the same as them, but while he meditated in this way on Kṛṣṇa-līlā, he could not complete his japa. He did not know whether he should abandon his meditation or his japa, so he sought Jagadish dās bābājī's advice. He adviced him that first he must finish his japa, and then if he had some time, meditate on the līlā". The doubts are:

You know, the essence of all advice is to do japa and simultaneously meditate on līlā ( Upadeśāmṛta, text 8 or so many other evidence from śāstra proclaim this ). So my question is why he advice to Gaura Govinda dās bābājī to first complete his japa and then meditate if both must be done simultaneously ? It seems (his advice) is as if when he does his japa he must not meditate on līlā, otherwise why he would tell him to first finish japa and then meditate ?

Actually, every day while am I doing my japa I try to meditate simultaneously on aṣṭa kāla līlā as described in books ( Govinda Līlāmṛta, Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta, Bhāvanā sāra Saṅgraha ) contemplating my self as a mañjarī in this various līlās. It is not that first I finish my quota and then begin to meditate on līlā.
Thank you. Rādhee!!

Advaitadas:
Dear Bhakta,
Rādhe Rādhe
Actually what Jagadīśa Dās bābājī suggested is really what Rūpa Goswāmī also teaches in Upadeśāmṛta 8: sukīrtanānusmṛtyoḥ krameṇa rasanā manasi niyojya - Note the word 'kramena', or 'sequentially'. The tongue and the mind are sequentially engaged in chanting and remembering. I have the same tendency to chant and meditate simultaneously and I don't think there is anything wrong with that but strictly speaking the teaching of Jagadīśa Mahārāj ji is not wrong, it is according to the Goswāmīs teachings. Perhaps Rūpa Goswāmī considered the use of the tongue and the mind sequential because it requires great purity to attain a state of smaraṇa - smaraṇaṁ tu śuddhāntaḥ karaṇatam apekṣate. So after a period of chanting one gets pure enough to enter into līlā smaraṇam."

Bhakta: “Maybe it is like you said. Of course, you know, līlā smaraṇam has different steps (smaraṇam, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, dhruvānusmṛti and samādhi). I am of the opinion that unless the mind is engaged in hearing the Holy name with attention or focused on the form, qualities or līlā while chanting we are committing aparādha. You also know: "bahu janma yadi kori śravaṇa kīrtana tabu tā nā pāya kṛṣṇa pada preme dhana" (CC: Even after chanting for many lifetimes one may not get the wealth of love of Kṛṣṇa). Just by meditating with appreciation on this we can develop gradually a similar state of vision: 'bhāvite bhāvite kṛṣṇa sphuraye antare kṛṣṇa kṛpāya ajña rasa sindhu pāre. (CC: By thinking and thinking on Kṛṣṇa, by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa one reach the far coast of the sweet ocean of transcendental mellows.) This is the secret: thinking, thinking and thinking. Everything will come.”

(Phone-) Bhakta: "In Govinda Līlāmṛta, ch.2, Madhumaṅgal wakes up Kṛṣṇa in the morning, apparently without taking a bath."

Advaitadas: 'Whether he took a bath or not is not mentioned, perhaps he did. Some Vaiṣṇavas describe Madhumaṅgal as being the pūjārī of Nanda Mahārāja's Nārāyaṇa-deities but I strongly doubt it because such descriptions are not found in any of the Gosvāmīs' books, nor does it seem practically possible, as Madhumaṅgal is out with Kṛṣṇa from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. - he also goes with Him to the barn between 6 and 7 a.m. - which pūjārī could be away from his deities for so long? Secondly, in Vedic/Indian culture not everyone jumps under the shower at 4 a.m. - those who have go-sevā to do or cleaning or shopping or so, they take a bath later, but at least before breakfast."

Bhakta: "In the same section of Govinda Līlāmṛta there is a comparison with Nārāyaṇa laying down in the ocean of milk. Isn't this aiśvarya?"

Advaitadas: "Many aiśvarya līlās have some mādhurya and vice versa. Nārāyaṇa takes rest for 4 months of the rainy season (caturmāsya). In the middle of it (pārśvaikādaśī) He turns to His other side. This is mādhurya within aiśvarya. Even in Christianity there is some mādhurya - after creating the world in 6 days, God takes rest on the seventh day, because He is tired."

Bhakta: 'What means Gaṅgā?"
Advaitadas: "It means ' swift mover'.

Bhakta: "And Godāvarī?"
 Advaitadas: "Giver of water."

Bhakta: In Govinda Līlāmṛta (3.67) it is mentioned that there is a doctor in Vraja called Kalyāṇada. Do people ever get sick there?”

Advaitadas: "Of course not – birth, death, old age and disease only apply to material bodies. There is no mentioning of Kṛṣṇa ever getting sick. The story of Kṛṣṇa getting a headache and only the gopīs' footdust being able to cure him is just a hearsay-glorification which is not in any śāstra - īśvara parama kṛṣṇa saccidānanda vigraha - Kṛṣṇa's body is totally transcendental and full of bliss. Of course in the course of naimittika līlā someone may get 'sick', like in Camatkāra Candrikā but that is just play, not real. In the spiritual sky there is no causality or functionality, but yet everything is there. Just like, some Vaiṣṇavas say that those Vrajabāsīs who have no amorous service to render to Kṛṣṇa have no generative organs, because they dont need them. That is nonsense. Everything is there, in order to create the perfect human like atmosphere for Kṛṣṇa, functionality or not. Just as celibate persons in this world still have generative organs, though they chose not to use them as long as they are in these bodies. The fact that they don't need them doesn't mean they don't have them."