use of a particular form of Sadhana in Devi Bhakti

[Guest guest]

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. This new identity is

called the siddha-deha, the perfected body. It is considered to be the

practitioners true identity. In meditation the practitioner enters this

"reality" and the goal is to enter permanently into it at one point. This

"imaginary" world is considered to be the highest reality, the cosmic drama,

the eternal spiritual play of Radha and Krishna.

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

worshiped in a similar way?

If it does not exist in the Shakta tradition, does such a practice exist in the

Shaiva tradition in connection with Parvati and Shiva ?

I would be most grateful for some information.

 

Kind regards,

Alexandra Kafka

[Guest guest]

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">The practice you describe has no basis in

Gaudiiya Vaishnavism, which is

based on the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaaprabhu, as passed down by the Six Gosvamis.

According to Gaudiiya Vaishnava

philosophy, one’s svaruupa or constitutional

position is eternal. Bhakti-yoga uncovers this svaruupa;

the svaruupa is not “given” by the guru,

as that would mean that it is external to one’s spiritual consciousness,

which it is not.

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">In raagaanuga bhakti, which is described in

Nectar of Devotion, it is

explained that the advanced devotee follows in the footsteps of one of the

residents of Vrindaavana. However, this is not a

process that can be emulated merely by externally taking on the appearance of a

devotee, such as by dressing in a certain way, acting in a certain way, etc.

This latter process is more characteristic of the sahajiya

followers in Bengal

color:navy">, who take devotional service to be very cheap. If memory serves,

the “siddha-deha” school is one such sahajiya cult.

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">As far as Shaktaism

and Shaivism are concerned, bhakti

really means devotion to Lord Vishnu only. Certainly the whole rasa theology as

described in Nectar of Devotion and seen

in Shriimad Bhaagavatam

applies between the devotee and Lord Krishna. The sahajiya

“schools” are known to mix their “bhakti”

with elements of Islam, maayaavaada, Shaivism, Shaktisim, etc, but

this is not authorized by Vedic injunctions.

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">Regards,

10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy">

12.0pt">- K

[Guest guest]

On Mon, 18 Feb 2002, Krishna Susarla wrote:

> If memory serves, the "siddha-deha" school is one such sahajiya cult.

 

The concept of siddha-deha is actually bonafide, if esoteric, and

it's always possible that someone exists who is actually qualified to

practice devotional service on that level; but such persons are so very rare

that the previous (and present) acaryas sometimes just dismiss the whole

notion outright. In that, there really isn't any harm done.

 

Once, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to publish the

Govinda-lilamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami (or was it another esoteric

book?), so his father Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave him permission to print

*one* copy.

 

MDd

[Guest guest]

At 10:29 AM 2/20/02 -0800, M. Tandy wrote:

Once, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura wanted to publish the

Govinda-lilamrta of Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami (or was it another

esoteric

book?), so his father Bhaktivinoda Thakura gave him permission to

print

*one* copy.

I believe it was Govinda-lilamrita.

Babhru

[Guest guest]

achintya, "M. Tandy" <mpt@u...> wrote:

> On Mon, 18 Feb 2002, Krishna Susarla wrote:

> > If memory serves, the "siddha-deha" school is one such sahajiya

cult.

>

> The concept of siddha-deha is actually bonafide, if

esoteric, and

> it's always possible that someone exists who is actually qualified

to

> practice devotional service on that level; but such persons are so

very rare

> that the previous (and present) acaryas sometimes just dismiss the

whole

> notion outright. In that, there really isn't any harm done.

>

 

Thanks for the correction. I looked up Suhotra Swami's essays on the

apasampradaayas on the Hare Krishna: The Complete Picture web page.

Sure enough, I am in error. "Siddha deha" is not a name of one of

the thirteen major apasampradaayas. However, I did hear this term in

the context of a concept where a guru "gives" the svaruupa to

conditioned living entity, usually after that living entity has

externally taken on the appearance of a devotee of a Krishna. This

idea, I'm sure, is at best a perversion of what is taught in our

literature. Specifically, I am under the impression that this cheap

imitation of great devotees is a characteristic of sahajiya schools.

However, I may have been wrong in saying that they are called

as "siddha deha" school. Further corrections welcome.

 

yours,

- K