Pastimes

[Namah]

My humble appreciation for the pleasure of pastimes. I am attracted to Krsna because He understands my ability to make mistakes, become illusioned, to cheat and my imperfect senses. There is a pastime of Bewilderment called brahma-vimohana-lila. Materially born persons cannot fully understand Krsna. Even the Demigods cannot understand Him. I would like the thank Swami Prabhupada for leading my heart to Krsna and this Audarya Fellowship. I now understand the importance of associating with other devotees and feel the presence of the Vaisnava acaryas and the philosophies of Visuddhadvaita, Visistadvaita and Dvaitadvaita. The Truth is I do not know anything about these three philosophies. However the pastime of learning about them from devotees is a blessing. A humble servant with a lot of material faults and plenty of bewilderment. Thank you for the gift of your company.

[mahak]

Haribol, Namah, the thanks is all mine to you. I write all the time, and sometimes my least favorite author on these forums is myself, but I am a writer, what else can I do.

 

When I hear your approach to reading the writers who take the time and effort to attempt to engage in Krsna Katha by commentary on this philosophy, up to the extent of personal tried-and-true realization shared like soft violin music or the blaring of horns and pounding of drums, I can only offer obiesancies to those who approach the devotee with intent of submissive inquiry.

 

The ones whose attitude reflects the spirit of humility, and excitement at the prospect of gleaning pure nectar from an assembly of devotees far outweighs the approach of condecension shown by the habitual soothsayers like myself. Hope to read all of your realizations as expressed soon and often. Welcome aboard, this place has become better by your entry into the frey, hare krsna, ys, mahaksadasa

[Guest guest]

Here there are come concepts that may help you in your search:

 

Sruti (Veda, Upanisada, Vedanta) texts sing on the intuitive knowledge one should acquire in order to get a glimpse of the Absolute Truth, who is a non-dual substance. Seers who had realized this Ultimate Reality described It as threefold: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan according to the unique and individual aspects of the realization attained by the seer himself.

 

These sruti texts do not designate that Absolute Truth to be so and so with such and such shape or size or format, but show you your own way to realize that Ultimate Reality. Technically the term " Philosophy " may not be identifiable with any philosophical systems in a Western concept. That is why they are called " Darsanas , ( visualizations, conceptualizations ) because each of them is interrelated and interpolated.

 

According to the traditional concept these "darsanas" have been brought into limelight by the three Acaryas who are called "Tri-matha-acaryas"; Adi Sankara ---Advaita --- Non-Dualism; Ramanuja ----Visista Advaita -- qualified Non-dualism; Madhva ----- Dvaita --- Dualism.

 

All darsanas agree that these sruti mantras are not employed in rituals, hence taken as philosophic treatises. There is a great difference between philosophy's Absolute and religion's God. The God aspect is not vividly described in sruti, but because there is an Absolute Truth present as 'a priori ' it is decided that He must be the God, or the Supreme.

 

Rituals and religion are ruled by Pañcaratras (Agamas and Tantras) and some smrtis (Puranas). Not by sruti. They will establish the mantras, yantras, and all the other process on how to attain an istadeva, a qualified God. This conception of God should have aspect, form, abode, and they should be vividly described in the literature originated from that system. This is the religion’s God.

 

[Guest guest]

So, let’s consider these two paths; named philosophical and religious:

 

“When God is known, all fetters fall off, suffering are destroyed, and birth and death cease. From being intensely absorved in Him, one goes to the dissolution of the body to the thrid region, where exists universal lordship, and which is isolate and where all desires are satisfied.” (Svetasvatara Upanisad 1.11)

 

So, one may understand that the fetters of ’my-ness’ such as ‘this is my body’, and ‘this is my house’, etc, are destroyed when one gets vidya (God-knowledge). And then there ceases the pain due to birth and death when one is placed in avidya and he is fearing that death may apart him from his sense gratification. A freed one may born and die at his option, and as he does not ‘suffer’ this sort of pain, births and deaths practically cease for him.

 

Therefore this verse from sruti magnifies the glory of vidya as obtained from the study of scriptures (sastrayonivat - Vedanta-sutra 1.1.3).

 

It is very difficult, however, to find out the Truth through philosophical reason and scriptural texts of obscure and abstruse meaning. Moreover, even reasoning and texts are of various kinds and deal with various subjects and its sub-divisions thereof, and consequently the path of vidya (God-knowledge) by philosophical reasoning and scriptural studies, is very difficult.

 

Is there an easier path to vidya?

 

Sure, the religious path is quite easier. No one should not face any hardship to repeat a mantra or to offer some water to Hari. It said that the religious path may cause bhakti and that bhakti is the cause of vidya and mukti. But in fact there is no guarantee that this religious process may cause bhakti, as bhakti have no cause besides bhakti itself.

 

So, how to follow the path that leads to God-knowledge and its fruits?

 

According to Caitanya’s opinion stressed in Ramananda-samvada this path begins with religiosity that conduces to jñana and finally to pure bhakti and final emancipation. And this is a long term process that may take several lifetimes to be concluded.

 

But for certain there are other opinions. Janaka states that religion itself may cause mukti and Narada Purana mention the result of to follow that path as some muktas had done in the past, including Aranya Muni who latter has born as Sukadeva. Badarayana Rsi praises the path of knowledge in his Brahma-sutras, and Narada the path of bhakti in his Narada-bhakti-sutras.

These darsanas, or opinions, visualizations, are however interrelated and interpolated and therefore it is sensate to open our heart to hear from several sources.

But there is a point of convergence: “Hari alone is the cause of His attainment by a soul.” Everyone agrees in that point.