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Tamal
Krishna Goswami
NB. The footnotes for this article are linked to a separate
footnote page.
The Vaishnava understanding of the soul's destiny may be conveyed
by focusing the discussion on three topics: consciousness, salvation
and the kingdom of God, of which salvation is perhaps the more inclusive
term. To locate and frame this discussion in categories appropriate
to Gaudiya Vaishnavism, 1 we may
label these three topics with the Sanskritic terms sambandha,
abhidheya, and prayojana.2
Sambandha refers to the conditioned soul's relationship with
God. (Here, our analysis of consciousness post-mortem is meant to
identify the soul as the one who survives death); abhidheya
refers to the regulated activities of the conditioned soul for reviving
its relationship with God; and prayojana indicates the ultimate
goal of life for conditioned souls. These definitions suggest, at
least for the present discussion, the following loose epistemological
equation: sambandha,abhidheya and prayojana = consciousness,
salvation and the kingdom of God.
Sambandha-Consciousness post mortem
Aham brahmasmi, the Upanisads declare, "I
am not this body; I am spirit." We are each infinitesimal parts
of the Godhead, one in quality with Him, while quantitatively different.
The Bhagavad-gita (2.24) informs us that the individual soul
is "unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried.
He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally
the same".3 Consciousness is an
inseparable aspect of the soul which pervades the entire body, much
as sunlight illuminates the universe.4 As light is a symptom of the sun, so is consciousness
a symptom of the soul. Consciousness is not a result of matter interacting
nor can it be equated with the mind, intelligence or ego which together
form our psychic body.
The body / soul distinction is immediately understood by the statement:
"my body". By this assertion we distinguish our true person from
our physical being. We do not say, "I body". Similarly, "I mind"
and "I intelligence" are equally incorrect. Therefore, personal
identity is not jeopardised when memories, thoughts and other products
of the mind are altered, or even lost. Personhood remains even in
the state of susupti, deep sleep, in which there is no psychic activity.
Our mental conditions may be useful in ascribing personal identity,
but do not in and of themselves constitute personal identity. The
soul is the true self, the subject of self-awareness, and the ultimate
agent of thinking and feeling. This agent is free and responsible,
unlike matter which can make no moral choices but only follow deterministic
patterns. Consequently, death is merely a termination of the physical
state-an end to the neural firings, but not the end of our spiritual
being.
The Vaishnavas maintain that this spiritual being is distinctly
individual-not only in the state of bondage, but after liberation
as well. This view differs markedly from the monistic Vedantists
who contend that at liberation the individual self is consumed by
the One Supreme Self. Atman becomes one with Brahman, like
a drop of water merging with the ocean, and there the story ends.
The monists assert that the self as an individual should not survive
death, for that very desire is the root of all problems. The Vaishnavas
find this conclusion abhorrent, since denying permanent individuality
to the soul strips it of personality and deprives it of ever achieving
the ultimate bliss of service to God. But first one has to understand
transmigration.
How has this effulgent, spiritual being called the soul become
fettered to this world of illusion, and forced to undergo the repetition
of birth and death? Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe that we were once
with Krishna, enjoying an eternal life full of knowledge and bliss,
but we abused that freedom, misjudged our strength and gave up that
relationship which was the very basis of our existence. Each of
us made a wilful decision to abandon Krishna and instantly plummeted
downwards. Imprisoned in material existence from a time immemorial,
we can neither recall our original sin nor easily find the means
to expurgate it. This is hell, though certainly there are regions
darker than this. Yet the term of our imprisonment need not be eternal.
Our bondage will cease when the sins that continue to stain our
consciousness are entirely removed. Until then, the soul must continue
to transmigrate.
At death, the soul sheds the gross body, to be transported by the
subtle vehicle of mind, intelligence and false ego. This psychic
vehicle is not dependent upon the brain, and survives the body's
demise. The Bhagavad-gita (8.6) provides us this axiom: "Whatever
state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state
he will attain without fail."5
The departing soul's consciousness-an accounting of all the thoughts
and actions of one's life-is expressed in the form of unfulfilled
desires which propel the soul on a psychic vehicle to its next destination.
Under normal circumstances death plunges the soul into forgetfulness
of its past life, yet various Puranic examples relate previous life
remembrances. In the narrative of Maharaja Bharata (the famous king
after whom the earth is named), the monarch could still remember
his previous royal position despite his next birth as a deer. Such
instances indicate that it is the same individual who survives death.
And the same is true for an individual who may attain a transcendental
body, as illustrated by the following statement of the sage Närada,
quoted from Bhägavata Purana:
And so, O Brahmana Vyasadeva, in due course of time I, who was
fully absorbed in thinking of Krishna and who therefore had no
attachments, being freed from all material taints, met with death,
as lightning and illumination occur simultaneously. Having been
awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of the Personality
of Godhead, I quit the body made of five material elements, and
thus all acquired fruitive results of work [karma] stopped.6
The next birth-whether material or spiritual-is awarded by the
Supreme Lord, who as Paramatma, the Supersoul, is privy to
our most hidden desires and directs our wanderings that we may fulfil
them. Reincarnation is neither arbitrary, nor need it be unending
;our birth is a consequence of free will. Misuse of that freedom
is played out in any of the universe's eight million four hundred
thousand species of life; while with its proper use we can return
back to our original home in the kingdom of God.
Abhidheya-Salvation
The Gita 7 instructs
us to learn the truth by approaching a guru. And the Gautamiya Tantra
confirms, "My spiritual master opened my eyes, which were blinded
by the darkness of ignorance, with the torchlight of knowledge."8
The guru's words and example are truth, and the guru is therefore
considered to be the supreme personality of servitor Godhead. He
intercedes on the conditioned soul's behalf, seeking the soul's
reprieve from endless rotation on the wheel of saàsära (the repetition
of birth and death).
What precisely is that intercessionary act which reverses the soul's
downward spiral from the Godhead? Shri Chaitanya, teaching His disciple
Rupa Goswami, likened it to planting the seed of the creeper plant
of devotion (bhakti-lata-bija) in the disciple's heart.9
By doing so, the guru does not introduce something new, or even
something unknown. Devotion to God is part of the soul's constitution,
but was covered in the forgetfulness of uncountable rebirths. The
association of a guru promotes faith (shraddha), which revives
the disciple's dormant devotion. Faith, therefore, is the seed of
the devotional creeper which in maturity blossoms as prema
(love for God). Faith and guru (the bestower of faith) are essential
for the healthy growth of the bhakti-lata.
After a period of mutual testing the relationship between guru
and disciple is formalised by initiation (diksha). This is
an essential rite of passage, for by accepting a disciple, a guru
is said to absorb his karma. It is not merely the stored merit of
the particular guru that neutralises the initiate's sins; rather,
it is the guru's connection with God through an unbroken chain of
spiritual masters (parampara) that allows the sinful reactions
to be vanquished by the Godhead Himself. The salvific relief a disciple
experiences by this act of mercy cannot be underestimated; nevertheless,
it is only the beginning of the benefits initiation is meant to
bequeath. If salvation is understood in the restricted sense of
release from karma, it is subservient to devotion. A guru's primary
duty beyond neutralising karma, is to offer a disciple training
in the devotional arts as a preparation for eternal spiritual life.
Devotional service then becomes the inclusive term to describe all
one's spiritual activities-before liberation and after. A devotee
hesitates to ask God even for salvation (if salvation means simply
release from birth and death), for that too is a selfish desire.
A devotee is prepared to do anything in any number of births to
please Krishna, so salvation as an unconditional appeal to be engaged
in God's service is alone acceptable.
Following rules and regulations (vaidhi sadhana bhakti)
under the three-fold authority of guru, sadhu (saintly practitioners)
and shastra (scripture), a devotee performs mandatory devotional
service until the practice becomes spontaneous (raganuga bhakti).
Revelation can take place at either stage of practice, for both
bring one into direct contact with the Godhead in His various manifestations:
His names, His message, His worshipful form in the temple and foods
which have been offered to Him and are to be consumed as a sacrament
(prasadam). Of all practices, chanting God's holy names is
considered the yuga-dharma,10
the most important religious act in this present age of Kali (kali-yuga),
capable of cleansing the heart of all inebriety accumulated through
countless births.11 This is not
to deny the efficacy of other services,12
but to emphasise its centrality in Lord Caitanya's mission.
When the heart is cleansed of all unwanted desires (anartha-nivritti),
then faith in God and His devotional service are firmly established
(nishtha). The devotional acts are so conceived as to exactly
resemble the very same performed by liberated souls in the kingdom
of God. When one has learned to serve spontaneously with taste (ruci)
and attachment (aasakti), one's relationship with Krishna
is automatically revealed, and one is able to emulate the mood described
in scripture of the eternally liberated associates of the Lord.
This relationship will accord with one of the primary rasas, the
loving moods relished in the exchange of love with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. These are, in the order of increasing intimacy, passive
adoration (shanta rasa), servitorship (dasya rasa),
fraternal love (sakhya rasa), paternal love (vatsalya
rasa) and conjugal love (madhurya rasa). Keeping in mind
the ideal of an appropriate exemplar from the Lord's eternal entourage,
emotions will gradually intensify until there is an actual awakening
of love (bhaava13), and
its full manifestation (prema14
). The fully Krishna conscious devotee, though still physically
residing in this world, actually lives in the kingdom of God.
Prayojana-The Kingdom of God
What is the kingdom of God and where is it located? The term
"kingdom of God" suggests a supreme Deity who presides over a spiritual
realm. But what exactly is the nature of that kingdom? Has it physical
dimensions, or is it only a metaphor for the internal landscape
of a devotee's consciousness? The Gita (8.21), provides the
following information:
That which the Vedantists describe as unmanifest and infallible,
that which is known as the supreme destination, that place from
which, having attained it, one never returns-that is My supreme
abode.15
It is "unmanifest" (avyakta ) to those lacking spiritual
vision; "infallible" (akshara) or eternal in contrast to
the created universes; and the "supreme destination" (paramam
gatim) because one who attains it never returns.
We may hesitate to exactly locate God's kingdom, fearing to do
so would suggest limitation. But the Bhagavata Purana reminds
us of our own universe's enormous size, which, along with innumerable
others of similar and even greater proportions, constitute but one-fourth
of existence. God's kingdom makes up the balance.16
Vaikuntha (which literally means "without anxiety") is the
descriptive nomenclature used to identify the entire spiritual realm.
Manifested from the Lord's internal, spiritual potency (antaranga-shakti),17
the infinite Vaikuntha space is the Upanishadic Brahman, which the
Vaiñëavas explain as God's bodily effulgence. This undifferentiated
brahmajyoti is the destination of monists who desire to merge
their individuality into the existence of God. Vaishnavas, who eschew
such impersonal liberation, target one of the many spiritual abodes
on which the Lord personally resides.
One of these, Goloka (which literally translates as "the
planet of cows"), is said to be the abode of Krishna, who is also
known as Gopala, the protector of cows. For those finding difficulty
in the very concept of locating the Godhead, consigning the most
opulent Supreme Being to a cowherd village seems inconceivable.
To be certain, it is not a village like any in our experience. Literature
like the Brahma-samhita inform us that Goloka's soil, trees, calves-everything-is
spiritually surcharged with the power to fulfil all of one's desires.
18 There is nothing of the dirtiness, the toil and hardship
we normally associate with farms and animal maintenance. It is the
perfect setting for God's lila (a most apt Sanskrit term which describes
God's "play"). Here He cavorts with His intimate associates and
devotees, whose "play" is simply delight, free of all dross and
drudgery.
The more conventional vision of God's kingdom-one of splendours,
palaces, thrones and other opulent paraphernalia-is, according to
Gaudiya Vaishnavas, found in the other planets of the Vaikuntha
space where Krishna's majestic expansion-the four-armed form of
Narayana-is worshipped. Whereas in Goloka the charming arrangement
makes all the participants forgetful of their subservience to the
Godhead, the majesty which characterises the other Vaikuntha planets
inspires the sort of awe and reverence normally associated with
the Godhead. There, all are mindful of the Godhead's greatness and
their own need to maintain a respectful distance.
These spiritual worlds are beyond empirical observation, unapproachable
by any material means. As those travelling to other planets in our
solar system must adapt to different atmospheres, entrance to the
transcendental abodes requires a particular spiritual preparation.
To facilitate the practitioner, the Godhead's abode is recreated
within the bounds of our own planet. Appearing to be a simulated
world of virtual spiritual reality, these training grounds seem,
at first sight, to be no different from their surrounding geography.
Yet we are told that they are in fact replicated portions of the
spiritual sky.
One of these locations is situated approximately one hundred miles
south of New Delhi, India. The area of Vraja in the district of
Mathura, which includes the pilgrimage town of Vrindavana, has many
cowherd villages. Life goes on there much as it has for thousands
of years, except for the occasional intrusion of modernity-a blaring
radio or a madly honking bus horn. Otherwise, the rambling ox carts
along the dirt roads, the sounds of butter being churned by hand
and songs of the cowherd people all seem to resist the influence
of time. Of the pilgrims who come here, some are able to submit
to the discipline that spiritual cultivation demands; others will
leave, taking with them memories they will relive again and again
until the day they can return. For the Vaishnava, such holy places
are non-different from their transcendental counterparts in the
spiritual sky, placed within this world like windows through which
to view eternal reality. Vaishnavas remember God's eternal play,
moulding themselves until they are also suitably qualified to participate.
So far this is a definition of the kingdom of God in physical terms-the
spiritual planets of Vaikuntha and the pilgrimage-site counterparts
in this world. To be complete it needs to include how a devotee's
consciousness directly interacts with, and even impacts on, spiritual
reality. Specifically, this paper attempts to demonstrate the important
correlation between motivation and goals, and what bearing these
have on the Gaudiya Vaishnava cosmology.
As indicated previously, there is a class of impersonal transcendentalists
whose aspiration is not meeting with God, but merging in Him. Monists
forsake a personal loving relationship with God in favour of absorption
in His brilliant aura. The effulgent spiritual sky which surrounds
God's kingdom is in fact made of shining spiritual particles intermixed
with the souls of monists whose desire for undifferentiated oneness
is thus fulfilled. In contrast to the devotees who desire to experience
the blissful cognition of the Lord's unparalleled company, monists
can realise only the eternal nature of the Godhead. Unable to savour
the full satisfaction which comes with God's personal association,
monists inevitably retrace their spiritual journey, returning dissatisfied
to resume material existence.
What could possibly induce the monists to undertake even lifetimes
of austerities if the net result of their efforts is to boomerang
through the cosmic covering, only to return to their original point
of departure? They hold the mistaken impression that perfection
lies in annihilating individuality, while suffering is an illusion
caused by differentiating oneself from the rest of existence. But
their attempt at spiritual suicide fails due to the soul's indestructible
and indivisible character-to be eternal, full of knowledge and bliss-qualities
which only a loving relationship with God can fulfil. The monist
fails to recognise that in relationship with the personality of
Godhead there is none of the mundane inebriety characterising material
interactions. Monists therefore commit a fundamental error by using
their material experience as a basis for judging spiritual life.
God is unlike any person they have known, but the clash of egos
they have encountered previously in all of their interpersonal dealings
makes them think that with the annihilation of individuality their
problems will be solved. Arriving at this imperfect conclusion,
they try to deny their desire to love and be loved.
The monistic example illustrates the powerful role fear plays in
spiritual envi- sioning. In most religious practices, fear of consequences
is a primary motivation for the adherent. Religious laws are codified
in lists of "do's" and "don'ts", with an elaborate description of
corresponding positive and negative consequences. Considering human
frailties, it is hard to imagine any tradition's success without
such strictures. Yet the very nature of "rules" implies a ruler,
who may employ force, which in turn invokes fear. God's omniscience,
omnipresence and unlimited strength indicate, among other things,
His unparalleled capability as a law enforcer, making the wrathful
God an image common to many traditions. Directly or indirectly,
nearly every religion invokes fear as a method of keeping believers
in line. It is difficult to ignore God's retributive capability,
especially (as is usually the case) when it is woven into the very
fabric of worship. If awe and reverence are the warp and woof of
the religious fabric, fear is the thread itself. It induces humility,
defines the tone of prayer and demands surrender.
Built into the concept of awe and reverence is the feeling of subordination;
hence, distance. God's unparalleled attributes make Him nearly inaccessible
and potentially alienate the worshipper. Stressing God's mightiness
initially conditions our relationship with Him, establishing even
overtly that He is great, we are small.
This does not exclude the possibility of love, for we see that
parents and children are bound by strong ties of affection specifically
due to their respective greatness and smallness. The dependency
of one upon the other defines their relationship. And it is this
same sense of dependency which characterises the love many devotees
feel for God, irrespective of their denominational affiliations.
The opulence of God the Father's majesty provides a protective umbrella
beneath which they can take shelter.
Yet the Lord's mercy can be so overwhelming, His affectionate dealings
so appealing, that awe and respect are eclipsed by unbounded love.
Intimacy and famili- arity replace awe and reverence, as a devotee
becomes overwhelmed by the sweet dealings of the Lord. Devotees
with such capacity for love relate to God in friendship, parental
affection, even conjugal love. What distinguishes these devotional
moods from those who take shelter of God's majesty is the degree
of intimacy each entails. The roles are reversed: God becomes the
equal friend, the subordinate child, the paramour. The intimacy
of such relationships succeeds in bridging the distance awe and
reverence created.
Anyone who attains the kingdom of God lives in a state of perfection.
To suggest that one devotee's perfection is better than another
seems to imply that the achievement of some is incomplete. Yet if
love of Godhead increases in proportion to the degree of intimacy,
it may not be incorrect to assign different grades of perfection.
All may be complete, just as various vessels may be filled to capacity
though the amount of water differs depending upon the size of each.
This may cause some to feel an egalitarian disappointment where
an ideal in which all are "equal" seems compromised. As if to suggest
a solution to this dilemma, Rupa Goswami, the foremost of Gaudiya
estheticians, refers to Krishna's manifestations in Dvaraka, Mathura
and Vrindavana (the three divisions of His abode, Goloka) and says
that Krishna is respectively perfect, more perfect and most perfect
in each.19 How astonishing! God
is better in some situations than in others. Yet even in the least
of such circumstances He is "perfect". Similarly, all devotees in
God's kingdom are perfect; but some are more perfect than others.
There is a fascinating parallel between God, His kingdom and the
devotee's perfection. The intimacy of devotion, as well as determining
relationships, also dictates which of His many features the Lord
reveals. God assumes a commanding demeanour as Narayana of Vaikuntha
for those whose devotion is filled with respect; for those whose
feelings of reverence are mixed with equal feelings of familiarity,
He reveals Himself as Vasudeva-Krishna to accommodate both moods;
and finally, for those who want extremely intimate love, He is Gopala
Krishna, a transcendental cowherd boy, who lives in the relaxed
atmosphere of a village surrounded by His closest family and friends.
These last circumstances are ideally chosen to evoke natural, spontaneous
love, by which the supreme personality of Godhead comes fully under
control.
Krishna acknowledges that He is incapable to properly reciprocate
with those who love Him as intimately as these affectionate relatives
and friends. And even though He is the cause of these devotees'
super-excellent devotion, Krishna admits defeat. At the same time
He is fascinated by the paradox that though He is unconquerable,
He has been conquered with love; though He cannot be surpassed,
He has been surpassed by love.
Of the few who have vanquished Him in this way, none have done
so as thoroughly as Shri Radha, His pleasure potency and spiritual
counterpart. Reflecting upon His astonishing defeat at Her hands,
He desired to understand the glory of Her love, the wonderful qualities
in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness
She feels when She realises the sweetness of His love.
20 Meditating upon His own spiritual counterpart, Shri Radha,
Krishna's bluish body became imbued with Her golden complexion and
transcendental emotions, transforming into the form of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu.
In His unique identity as "God the Devotee", Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
expresses the most sublime feelings of love in separation. Though
He is the Godhead Himself, He "forgets" His supreme identity and
madly searches everywhere for His beloved Lord. "Where is Krishna?
Where is the Lord of my life?" He fervently appeals. Seeing their
Krishna so transformed, the residents of Vrindavana desire to share
His ecstasy. So they manifested alternative forms, suitable to participate
in Lord Chaitanya's pastimes. Thus Chaitanya and His devotees incarnated
on earth and inaugurated the religious practice most suitable for
this age: congregational chanting of the Lord's holy names. The
followers of Lord Chaitanya are known as Gaudiya Vaishnavas. They
worship both Chaitanya and Krishna, seeing Them as the same non-different
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Dedicating their lives to this two-in-one
Deity, they aspire to attain to Goloka Vrindavana, the topmost realm
of Krishna and Chaitanya.
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