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Philosophy of Sri Chaitanya – the Achintya Bheda-Abheda

4/30/2021

Philosophy of Sri Chaitanya – the Achintya Bheda-Abheda

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was the chief proponent of the Achintya Bheda Abheda (Inconceivable Difference/One-ness) Vedanta school and the Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition within Hinduism. He was born at Mayapur near Navaidip, district Nadia (75 miles from Kolkata) West Bengal, who lived during 1486-1533.

The highlights of his philosophy are as under:

Sri Krishna, the Supreme Being:

Sat-Chit-Ananda Para-Brahman is identified as Sri Krishna, the Supreme Reality. Sri Krishna is Absolute person, indivisible, all-inclusive and unlimited by any other entity beside Him. The Bhagvata Purana was composed of by Vyasa who codified Vedas & Vedanta. The Bhagvata speaks of Sri Krishna as “Bhagavan Svayam” i.e. the Supreme Being.
Sri Krishna is transcendental spiritual reality and is the core of Reality, and the indefinite and unmodified Brahman can only be only His peripheral brilliance (Tanu-bha, the surrounding brilliance of Consciousness-Bliss).
Sri Krishna and His potency are inseparably related (such as fire & its heat & light) and manifest world.
The Supreme Person remains transcendental while His Shakti (potency) projects the world of multiplicity. The multiplicity is of the Shakti, as the potency of the Supreme person, has no independent existence apart from Him. It constitutes an identical Non-dual whole with Him.
The form is more fundamental and Brahman as the formless is only His aura. The Supreme Person has countless forms but this school accepts one form as His original and transcendental form that is of Sri Krishna.
Sri Krishna embodies the six fold Divine majesties of Aisvarya (power, Sovereignty), Dharma (goodness), Yasa (glory), Sri (Splendor, Majesty), Jnana (Wisdom) and Vairagya (detachment), for which reason He is called the Bhagavan. Over and above, He is pure Bliss, of which there is only a partial expression in His aspect as Parmatman and much less in Brahman, the formless, indeterminate and pervasive spiritual aura of His.

Three Aspects of Sri Krishna’s Potency (Shakti):
The Shakti has three aspects – Svarupa Shakti (Innate potency), Tatastha Shakti (Peripheral or marginal potency) also called as Jiva Shakti and Bahiranga Shakti (Extraneous Potency). The function of the shaktis of Sri Krishna is to carry out His will and contribute to His sportive manifestations, which form the expression of His essential nature of Bliss.

Bhairanga (Maya) Shakti is the power of cosmic manifestation. The cycles of creation (Srsti) and dissolution (Parlaya) of all the fourteen spheres; gross and subtle elements which constitute these spheres and the bodies of Jivas inhabiting them, spring from the transformations of Bhairanga Shakti. Bhairanga Shakti is insentient gross matter (Prakriti) constituted of the three Gunas of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. Only “Sat” attribute of the Supreme Reality manifest in it.
Svarupa Shakti is the inherent potency of Bliss. It binds Jivas (center of consciousness) in materiality and makes them forgetful of their divine affinities. It is the power by which the process of creation is originated and sustained. “Chit” attribute of the Supreme Reality which is redemptive power, manifests in it.
Tatastha Shakti is the Jiva Shakti and closer to the Supreme reality. It is constituted of the countless centers of Consciousness, called Jivas who are the expressions of His attribute of Chit or consciousness. Tatastha Shakti stands between the other two powers (Bhairanga Shakti and Svarupa Shakti) and partake the nature of the other powers.

Bondage of Soul (Jiva):
Being in contact with both, the Jiva gets into the state of bondage (Samsara) when Bhairanga Shakti dominates over him and makes him purely body-minded, but by the practice of devotion and grace of the God, the Jiva is enfolded by the Svarupa Shakti, he attains to his higher spiritual evolution.

The Jiva is regarded as both identical and different from Supreme Reality.
Each Jiva is an intelligent subject corresponding to the “I” sense and retains his individuality through all changes occurring in physical embodiment.
It is self-luminous, conscious (Chetana), subject to ego-sense, different in different bodies, atomic, ever-pure, a center of wisdom, action and enjoyment, and endowed with a natural tendency towards Paramatman.
Though it is called atomic it should not be conceived as a material atom.
Jivas embody a very limited quantity of the Supreme Being’s nature (Sat-Chit-Ananda). They are never identical with Him either in bondage or liberation.
Jiva, while coming under the influence of Bhairanga Shakti, forgets his spiritual nature and gets identified with materiality. But it never loses his essential spiritual attributes. They are only contracted in the state of ignorant identification with the body under the influence of Maya.
When the obstructing veils of Maya Shakti are removed through Bhakti, they share the blissful nature of the Svarupa Shakti of the Bhagavat. But they always retain their individuality even in liberation.

Manifestations of Potency of Supreme Being:
Svarupa Shakti is the most intimate and fundamental nature of Bhagavan. It has three aspects known as Sandhini, Samvit, and Hladini, corresponding to the Supreme Being as Sat (Existence), Chit (Consciousness) and Ananda (Bliss).

Sandhini is the energy of the God by which He sustains His own existence as also Jivas and the worlds.
Samvit is His knowledge nature by which He has self-knowledge and also knows others and endows others with knowledge.
Hladini is the energy by which He enjoys His own innate Bliss and makes others to enjoy the same. It is personified as a Female, Radha, forming the counter-whole and eternal consort of Sri Krishna.
Svarupa Shakti manifests in different degrees and combinations constitute the stuff and energies of the spiritual dimensions. It is Shuddha (pure) Sattva, Self-luminous and untainted spiritual element, as distinguished from ordinary material sattva (one of the three aspects of Prakriti) forming an aspect of Maya Shakti along with Rajas (dynamism) and Tamas (inertia). Material Sattva is tainted with Rajas and Tamas and is not self-luminous.
When Sandhini predominates, Shudda Sattva expresses itself as Adhara Shakti – the root energy which manifests as, and sustains the Heavenly Residence of Bhagavat.
Dominance of Samvit generates the manifestation of Shudha Sattva called Atma Vidya or Self-knowledge which sustains all forms of spiritual consciousness.
When Hladini predominates over the other elements, the spiritual energy expresses itself as Guhya Vidya or pure loving devotion (Prema Bhakti).

Liberation of Jiva:

The evolution of life and the progress of the soul in higher regions is His sportive manifestation through His Jiva Shakti, also called Tatastha Shakti. The recurring cycles of Samsara that carry Jivas through repeated births and deaths until liberation is the dance of sportive Krishna at level of Jiva Shakti.
The Jivas who adore Sri Krishna through pure Bhakti are graced by His Svarupa Shakti and lifted out of the domain of Maya and made participants of Bliss.

Reference: Bhakti Schools of Vedanta – by Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai.

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Narada Bhakti Sutra

4/16/2021

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What is Bhakti:

Bhakti is divine nectar, on attaining which, a person become immortal, perfect and satisfied forever. (Sutra-4)
On gaining Bhakti, one wants nothing, laments over nothing, hates nothing, delights in nothing, and is never enthusiastic over anything earthly. (Sutra-5)
Bhakti is not worldly desire rather abandoning all worldly desires. (Sutra-8)
It is exclusive devotion to Him (God) and indifference to all other things / obstacles of Bhakti. (Sutra-9).

Why Bhakti:

Bhakti is greater than Karma yoga, Jnana yoga and Raja Yoga. (Sutra-25) These are different spiritual paths but are inter-related. Based on the pre-dominance in the personality of the person viz. intellect, emotions and actions, different spiritual paths of realization are suitable.
God hates egotism and loves humility. (Sutra-27)
Bhakti alone should be chosen by those who seek liberation. (Sutra-33)
Bhakti results by renunciation of objects of senses and attachment, uninterrupted adoration of god (bhajans), listening blessed qualities of god Shravan) and proclaiming & constant remembrance of those qualities while discharging affairs of ordinary life (Kirtan). (Sutra-35-37)
Sanatkumaras, Vyasa, Shukdeva, Shandilya, Garga, Vishnu, Kaundinya, sesha, Uddhava, Aruni, Bali, Hanuman and Vibhishana; all declare that Bhakti is best. (sutra 83)

Fruits of Bhakti:

Bhakti is easier than other ways of liberation (selfless work, mind control and attaining wisdom) because it needs no external proofs and it is of nature of peace and perfect bliss. (Sutra-58-60)
Bhakta needs no worry for going wrong as he surrenders self, worldly affairs and even Vedas to God. (Sutra-61)

How to develop Bhakti:

Bhakti should be by act, speech and mind:
As per Vyasa Rishi son of Prashar rishi, Bhakti is love of worship and similar acts. (Sutra-16).
As per Garga acharya, it is fondness for spiritual conversation and like. (Sutra-17)
As per Shandilya Rishi, it is fondness in the aspects which do not interfere in contemplation of self. (Sutra-18)
1. But Narada says, “Bhakti is offering all acts to Him (God). It is self-surrender. There is feeling of highest pain on separation from Him. (Sutra-19)
2. Bhakti should be like Gopikas of Braj. (Sutra-21)
3. Complete effacement of the self and at one-ment with the god is crucial test of genuine bhakti. A bhakta is never prompted to love god by any profit-motive.
4. Bhakti results mainly due to grace of great saints and God. Association of great saints is difficult to get which is possible only by grace of God. (Sutra-38-40)
5. Bhaktas should shun the evil associations by all means. It is cause of desire, delusion, and loss of spiritual memory, spiritual intellect and utter ruin. Small waves become huge waves of anger, desire, delusion etc. in their company. (Sutra-43-45)
6. The person who gives up all attachments, who serves great saints, who is unattached, who habitually lives in solitary place, who breaks worldly bonds, who transcends the three gunas of nature, who gives up idea of acquisition & preservation, who gives up desire of fruits of his actions, who renounce all activities, who passes beyond all pairs of opposites, who renounces even Vedas, who have only incessant love for God; crosses the illusionary world glamour (Maya). (Sutra-46-50)
7. Till Bhakti (i.e. complete self-surrender) is achieved, the ordinary way of life should not be given up. The renunciation of desire for reward of actions and discipline for it should be persistently followed. Bhakta should not hear the accounts of women, wealth, non-believer in god and hostile persons. Pride, vanity and other vices should be avoided. All acts should be offered up to God. Even feelings and pride should be entertained with reference to god only.(Sutra-62-65)
8. Bhakti should be above three dimensional love i.e. lover, love and the loved. It should seek to serve and love without any motive whatsoever, as eternal servant or eternal wife.(Sutra-66)
9. Bhaktas who are exclusively attached the God are the best. Such bhaktas talk themselves thrillingly, in excitement and with rolling tears. They purify earth, their generations. They transform ordinary places into teerthas, ordinary actions into pious actions and ordinary text into Holy Scriptures. The manes are delighted of him, the deities dance with joy and earth is happy in their care. .(Sutra-67-71)

Manifestation of Bhakti:
Bhakti manifests in eleven different forms of attachment or daily practices viz.

Attachment to the glorification of blessed qualities of God.
Attachment to his beautiful form. Goddess Lakshmi
Attachment to his worship. King Prithu
Attachment to his remembrance. Prahlad.
Attachment to his service. eg Hanuman through his service to Rama.
Attachment to his friendship. Eg. Arjuna, through his friendship to Lord Krishna
Attachment to filial love for him.
Attachment to wife like love for him.
Attachment to self-surrender. Eg. Karna
Attachment to being filled with him.
Attachment to feeling excruciating pain of separation from him. Radha, through her longing for Lord Krishna (Sutra 82)

Types of Bhakti:

Pure Bhakti is when one loves God for love’s sake. It is inexpressible in words. It is like dainty dish tasted by mute person. It is beyond three gunas and desires i.e. beyond any kind of desire even desire of liberation. The intensity of love for God grows every moment. It is incessant i.e. continuous flow of remembrance without break. It is most subtle i.e. this exalted love is beyond comprehension of ordinary mind. It can be experienced by intuition and is beyond speech and intellect. Progressive attainment and progressive love for God go hand in hand. One who attains Bhakti, he sees bhakti only, hears bhakti, talks about bhakti and thinks about bhakti. Just like river loses its entity after emptying into ocean, bhakta loses its individuality completely after union with the God. (Sutra-51-55)
Secondary Bhakti is according to three gunas or according to difference in aspirants. Tamasic bhakti is to invoke divine help to harm others; Rajasic bhakti is to obtain good life and satavic bhakti is to know god. Satavic is better than the Rajasic one and the Rajasic is better than the tamasic one. (Sutra-56-57)

Rules for Bhaktas:

There is no distinction among Bhaktas due birth, education, color, race, wealth, education and like. .(Sutra-72)
Bhaktas should avoid arguments as it leads to endless arguments & takes nowhere. (Sutra-74-75)
Bhaktas should continuously strive for bhakti. They should continuously study such scriptures and perform actions such as worship, prayer and meditation. Not a single minute should be trifled away. (Sutra-76-77)
Bhaktas should maintain non-violence, truthfulness, purity, compassion, piety and other essentials of good life.(Sutra-78)
Bhaktas should always meditate on God without caring anything else. If steadily praised (singing God’s glory with intense divine feeling), God reveals himself and blesses bhaktas with realization. (Sutra-79-80)

Reference: Narada’s Aphorisms on Bhakti by Y. Surahmanya Sarma

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Philosophy of Sri Chaitanya – the Achintya Bheda-Abheda

Narada Bhakti Sutra

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