Transcendental love for Krishna, God, the Supreme Person, develops in progressive stages. It is only when one truly establishes oneself at the absolute level that one becomes steadfast in the love of God. Until then, there is always a risk of relapse into the matter. Beyond this still develop other manifestations, such as: bliss or permanent ecstatic state, ecstasy or symptoms of ecstatic love for Krishna, symptoms of pure emotion towards Krishna, and expressions of deep love for Krishna, God, the Supreme Person.

When these four ingredients are added to the constancy that characterizes purely spiritual existence, then occurs what is known as “a transcendental flavor exchange”.

The factors that stimulate ecstatic love.

The sublime attributes of Lord Krishna, God, the Supreme Sovereign Person, his prodigious acts, his beautiful smiling face, his magnificent smile, his very beautiful low voice, his garlands, his flower garlands, his buffalo horn, his ankle bells, his conch, his superb flute that spreads sublime spiritual melodies, his footprints (Krishna has four special signs inscribed on the soles of his feet such as lightning, cornac stick, banner and lotus flower which, when he walks, leave a footprint on the ground), his places of entertainment, as well as Vrindavana (Village of India where Krishna revealed his spiritual and absolute entertainment in the company of his pure devotees, 5,000 years ago. There is no difference between this earthly place and Goloka Vrindavana in the spiritual world), his favorite plant “tulasi”, his devotees and the periodic celebrations that promote the remembrance of his divine Person, the latter continuously sing the glories of the Lord, these are some of the factors that stimulate ecstatic love for Krishna.

Thus the reciprocal exchange of love between beloved ones is generally called the transcendent flavor of the exchange of loving feelings between the devotee and Krishna, the Supreme Being, God.

Be that as it may, let us not forget that the attainment of such exchanges requires that one first establish oneself in constancy, at the stage of transcendental flavor. The very basis of the transcendental flavor is indeed the exchange of amorous feelings, the other manifestations serving as auxiliaries to the development of transcendental love.

There are, in truth, five varieties of spiritual flavors.

The initial phase is that of the soul freed from the material defilement that appreciates the greatness of God, but does not really engage in his service of love. This is an appreciative phase of neutrality.

In the second phase, one appreciates his position of eternal subordination to the Supreme Lord, realizing that one depends from all eternity on his unmotivated mercy. It is that of the eternal servant of God.