Doctrine Of “One And Different”

7. All spiritual and material phenomena are Achintya-Vedaved-prakash of Hari, the Almighty. Metaphysical discussions are perfectly useless here. The Vedas go sometimes to establish that Jiva, the individual living entity, is distinct from the Deity, and sometimes that Jiva is the same as the Deity. In fact, the Vedas always tell the truth. Jiva is simultaneously distinct from and identical with God. This is not understood by the rationalist. Hence it must be said that in the exercise of His powers beyond human comprehension, God is distinct from Jiva and the world, and again identical with them at all times.

The Vedanta teaches us the Shakti-parinamvad doctrine, and not the erroneous Vivartavad of Shankara Acharya. Shankara's teachings are explained in different ways. Some say that the world and Jiva have emanated from God, and others establish that Jiva and the world are but developments of the Godhead. Shankara, in order to avoid Brahma-parinam, i.e. transformation of the Godhead into the world, established that Vyas [Compiler and Author of the Vedic literature] teaches us Vivartavad, which is this, that God undergoes no change whatever, but it is Maya which covers a part of the Deity (just as a pot encloses a part of the firmament) and creates the world; or, that God is reflected on Avidya, or ignorance, while in fact nothing else than God has yet come to existence.

These are worthless and abstruse arguments. It is plain that the Vedanta teaches us that God is unchangeable and is never subject to modifications. His power alone creates Jiva and the material world, by its own Parinam (modification). The example is in the action of the alchemist's stone, the power of which is manifested in the form of gold, while the stone remains always unchanged. Thus Chit-shakti, the Supreme Will, goes in the form of the Chit-jagat, the spiritual world, with all its particularities of eternal Rasa; and Jivashakti, the individual living force, goes in the form of innumerable Jivas, some staying in Vaikuntha as angels and others moving in this world in various shapes and forms and under very different circumstances. Maya-shakti, the material energy, creates numerous worlds for the habitation and entertainment of the fallen souls.

Vivartavad is no doubt an error and is quite opposed to the teachings of the Vedas. Now Shakti-parinamvad [the doctrine of change and variety existing in the energy of the unchanging Godhead] alone is true, and supports the fact that spiritual love is eternal. If Vivartavad were true, the natural consequence would be to declare spiritual love a temporary principle.

8. Bhakti is the only means of attaining the final object of spiritual existence. Karma as it is cannot directly and immediately produce spiritual results. When it does, it does so by means of Bhakti. Hence Bhakti is independent, and Karma (action) and Jnana (philosophy) are dependent principles. Jnana, the knowledge that man is a spiritual being, cannot directly bring the ultimate object. When it does, it does so with the assistance of Bhakti. Bhakti, therefore, is the only means to obtain the ultimate. Bhakti is thus defined. Bhakti is cultivation of a friendly sentiment for Krishna, free from all desires other than those for its own improvement, unalloyed by such other ingredients as Karma and Jnana.

It will be seen that Bhakti is itself both a feeling and an action. Bhakti has three stages, viz., Sadhana-Bhakti, Bhab-Bhakti and Prem-Bhakti. Sadhana-Bhakti is that stage of culture when the feeling of love has not yet been roused. In Bhab-Bhakti the feeling awakes, and in Prem-Bhakti the feeling is fully set to action. Bhakti is a spiritual feeling towards the spiritual object of love.

Sadhana-Bhakti is of two sorts, one is called the Vaidha-Sadhan-Bhakti and the other is Raganuga-Sadhan-Bhakti. The word "Vaida" is from Vidhi, or rule. Where Bhakti is to be roused by the rule of the Shastras [scriptures], there the Vaidhi-bhakti works as long as the feeling is not roused. Where one out of natural tendency loves Krishna, there is a principle called Rag, which is no other than a strong desire to serve the Lord of the heart. One who is tempted by the beauty of this process to follow Him has a tendency to cultivate his feeling for Krishna. This is Raganuga-sadhan-bhakti. This latter class of Sadhana is stronger than the Vaidhi Sadhana.

Cultivation of the friendly feeling for Krishna is performed in nine different forms:

Of all these forms, Kirtan, singing the Name and glories of Krishna, is the best. Humble knowledge is necessary in these forms of worship and fruitless discussions must be avoided. There are some who start at the theory of worshiping Srimurti [the incarnation of God in the apparent form of material elements, such as in a painting or sculpture]. "Oh," they say, "it is idolatry to worship Srimurti. Srimurti is an idol framed by an artist and introduced by no other than Beelzebub himself. Worshiping such an object would rouse the jealousy of God and limit His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence!" Would tell them, "Brethren! Candidly understand the question and do not allow yourself to be misled by sectarian dogmas."

God is not jealous, as He is without a second. Beelzebub or Satan is no other than an object of imagination, and the subject of an allegory, an imaginary being, should not be allowed to act as an obstacle to Bhakti. Those who believe God to be impersonal simply identify Him with some power or attribute in Nature, her laws and her rules. His holy wish is law, and it would be sacrilege to confine His unlimited excellence by identifying Him with such attributes as omnipotence, omnipresence, and omniscience attributes which may exist in created objects such as time and space.

God's excellence consists in having in Him mutually contradicting powers and attributes ruled by His supernatural Self. He is identical with His all-beautiful Person, having such powers as omnipresence, omniscience and omnipotence the like of which cannot be found elsewhere. His holy and perfect Person exists eternally in the spiritual world, at the same time existing in every created object and place in all its fullness. This idea excels all other ideas of the Deity.