Mukti adn Bhakti

[Guest guest]

What is Mukti? Could someone please explain? How does Bhakti differ from Mukti? Can one attain Mukti without Bhakti?

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna and all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Your questions are quite appropriate!

 

1. What is mukti? Put simply, mukti is release from the cycle of birth and death. It equates with "liberation", after which one no longer has to accept a material body and undergo the 3 types of suffering that we all go through. There are 5 different varieties of mukti mentioned in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

 

2. What is bhakti? Bhakti is loving devotional service to Lord Krishna. True bhakti is defined as loving service to the Lord without any (material) desire.

 

3. How does bhakti differ from mukti? Bhakti is the highest goal of human life. A true devotee never desires mukti - although mukti is automatically granted to a devotee. As a matter of fact, even a neophyte devotee can quite easily attain mukti - simply hearing the name of "Krishna" ONCE, or, having the darshan of a murti of Lord Vishnu or Krishna ONCE, will grant you mukti (per the 6th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam).

 

4. Can one attain mukti without bhakti? of course! Mukti is quite easy to attain in comparison with attaining true bhakti! However, we here believe that mukti without bhakti is worse than hell! A true devotee would rather suffer perrenially in hell than give up even a fraction of bhakti!

 

Haribol!

[Guest guest]

What is mukti? Put simply, mukti is release from the cycle of birth and death****

 

It is more than that. Sri Madhva has defined it as the experience of one's intrinsic nature.

 

2. What is bhakti? Bhakti is loving devotional service to Lord Krishna.****

 

Bhakti is loving devotional service to Narayana and that includes his avatars like Krishna. Of course, Gaudiyas will say that Narayana Himself is just an expansion of Krishna for which there is no pramaana in vedic scriptures.

 

Bhakti is the highest goal of human life.****

 

Another Gaudiya statement with no pramaana whatsoever. Every Vedic scripture declares that the highest goal is mukti, and that bhakti is the means to attain mukti. No Vedic scripture says that bhakti is the goal. In fact, the 4 purusharthas are dharma, artha, kama and moksha. But gaudiyas have included bhakti as the fifth purushartha, thus defying all vedic scriptures.

 

As a matter of fact, even a neophyte devotee can quite easily attain mukti***

 

People like Madhva, Ramanuja were all foolish to have preached the importance of mukti when it is so easy to attain, as per gaudiya claims. Amazing!

 

simply hearing the name of "Krishna" ONCE, or, having the darshan of a murti of Lord Vishnu or Krishna ONCE, will grant you mukti***

 

Whisper in Bush's ear and he too will attain mukti! There is no mukti without rigorous sadhana-bhakti. Hearing Krishna's names won't do unless it is followed by sadhana.

 

Can one attain mukti without bhakti? of course!***

 

Impossible.

 

Mukti is quite easy to attain in comparison with attaining true bhakti!***

 

Another gaudiya concoction, that mukti is easy and bhakti difficult. Mukti is the reason bhakti becomes difficult, its alleged difficulty is related to the goal, which is mukti.

 

A true devotee would rather suffer perrenially in hell than give up even a fraction of bhakti!****

 

Sentimental stuff that gaudiyas come up with. Suffering in hell, will the devotee be able to practice bhakti? What then is the point in not giving up bhakti and suffering in hell? It is all an imitation of bhakti, that's all. He wouldn't practice bhakti for the heck of it, even though gaudiyas claim that they love krishna for krishna's sake. It is sentimental stuff with no logic.

 

Suppose Krishna tells you he'll give you eternal hell but you still have to love Him...and you nod your head in approval. That doesn't make you or Krishna great. It makes you a masochist and krishna a sadist. Luckily, Krishna isn't sadist (even if sahajiya devotees are quite masochistic) and He does grant liberation to His devotees.

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna,

Before jumping to conclusions, take a look at the following site for a very scholarly analysis of Gaudiya and Madhva traditions. Realize we are on the same team here for spreading love of God.

 

http://www.gosai.com/dvaita/madhvacarya/index.html

[Guest guest]

Hare Krishna and all glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Dear sir,

thank you so much for your response! With reference to mukti being defined as experience of one's intrinsic nature, that is a fallacy because as you know, one of the forms of mukti is merging into the Supreme Brahman, and with it comes loss of all ability to experience.

 

In reference to Krishna and Narayan, there is reference to Krishna being the Supreme Godhead in many scriptures; Krishna Himself states in the Gita "There is no-one above Me".

 

In reference to bhakti being the highest goal of life, this has been repeatedly stressed along the entire contents of the Srimad Bhagavatam - it is not a Gaudiya invention. We do not have a "5th purushartha" - we only have ONE purushartha - and that is bhakti; the 4 purushartha's that you mention are mentioned in the Vedas to elevate one to be worthy of being a bhakta.

 

We understand that you enjoy the philosophy of Madhva, Ramanuja, etc, and we have deep respect for these Acharyas. However, Srila VedaVyasa, an incarnation of God, has mentioned in the 6th Canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam that one can easily attain mukti by hearing the name of Krishna once or having the darshan of the deity of Vishnu once - this is especially stressed in the last few chapters of the 6th canto. Perhaps your Acharyas do not agree with the Srimad Bhagavatam? Anyways, all glories to your faith!

 

All glories to all Vaishnavs!

 

Haribol!