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Namaste Alexandra

I know nothing of this practice but I do have an opinion

 

Kindly allow me some questions about Bhakti Yoga and the worship of

Devi.

In the Bengal Vaisnava tradition there is a practice where a serious

practitioner is given an esoteric identity within the realm of

Vrindavana by his or her guru. This includes the following details:

age, colour of skin, what kind of clothes you wear, etc. The

practitioner memorises maps of Vrindavana, where he or she lives,

where he or she sports with Krishna, etc. Usually the identity is

that of a manjari, a young girl who assists in the play of Radha and

Krishna, but it could also be a friend of Krsna.

 

A/ This would be changing from one imaginary reality to another YOU

would still be there and the whole reason for doing this is to get

away from this YOU. Best alltogether to get rid of this YOU for it is

here that the problem lies.

 

This new identity is called the siddha-deha, the perfected body.

 

A/ There is no such thing as a perfect body as by its very nature it

is imperfect, being an object of time which is constantly in a state

of change. Nothing which exists in time remains permanent, only that

from which and in which it exists can be permanent and therefore

unchanging and perfect.

 

It is considered to be the practitioners true identity.

 

A/ One's True identity cannot even be said to be an identity as such

as it too is not an object that can be touched or seen or tasted etc

it cannot be experienced by any of the senses, it can however

be "known".

 

In meditation the practitioner enters this "reality" and the goal is

to enter permanently into it at one point.

 

A/ Anything that can be entered can also be exited so it cannot be

permanent, so even if this was acheived it would only be a temporary

solution to what that one is seeking.One could not remain in it

permanently.

 

This "imaginary" world is considered to be the highest reality, the

cosmic drama, the eternal spiritual play of Radha and Krishna.

 

A/ This world that you presently live in is imaginary, an illusion,

the highest reality is not a world for a world is made up of objects

and they are all in a state of change any world whether it exists

here on earth or on the highest heaven loka cannot be a reality let

alone the highest. There is only one reality and all else is an

illusion which is existing within that reality.When seen from this

then yes this is the cosmic play of Radha( the female energy) and

Krishna( the male energy)

 

Does such kind of practice also exist in the Shakta tradition? Can

Devi be worshiped in a similar way?

If not, does such a practice exist in the Shaiva tradition in

connection with Parvati and Shiva ?

I beg everyone who has information or an opinion to send a mail.

 

A/ What you are really seeking here is to find something which is

permanent and that you can truely say is real. What you are looking

for is not anywhere else but where you are right now. All the

thoughts and feelings that you have are observed by something, an

awareness. This Awareness is unchanging, permanent and perfect and is

therefore the reality that you seek, it also happens that this

Awareness is YOU, the real you, YOU are the Highest reality because

you are the ONLY reality. You are not your thoughts and feelings or

your body, they all come and go but the Awareness that observes them

is that within which they do their coming and going. Look right now

for yourself and you will see that the awareness is permanent.Remain

identified with this and see what takes place. This is what you are

seeking.

 

Kind regards

OM SHANTI,

Alexandra

Much Love Avasa.