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Home , Bhakti, Bhakti yoga, Murti, Puja (Hinduism), Shaktism

Hindu III Theistic Mystical Experience

Michael Sudduth

I. : designates the practice of devotional service to the Absolute, typically conceived of as a personal being. Just as Yoga (yoga of ) is assisted by Dhyana Yoga (yoga of ), so Dhyana Yoga (the yoga of meditation) is assisted by Bhakti Yoga, for the mind freely and naturally concentrates itself on that which is the object of supreme devotion. And since meditation assists the cultivation of knowledge, bhakti may be said to be source of knowledge itself. Knowledge of the Self and is rooted in . II. Theistic Experiences

A. The Absolute experienced as a personal being distinct from the self. Theistic experiences are dualistic in the sense that God is experienced as a being other than the self. This is often based on the conception of bhakti itself as involving duality: the lover and the beloved. Hence, union (yoga) is not complete identity between the self and God. Theistic experiences, including mystical experiences, play an important role in each of the four main Hindu devotional traditions. 1. : of or as the Supreme Being. Since Vishnu (and Krishna) manifest in many different forms, expansions of the Absolute are also worshipped. 2. : Worship of as the Supreme being. 3. : Worship of the , or , as the Supreme Being.

4. Smartism: Worship of any particular god, which is regarded as a particular manifestation of the one Supreme . B. Monistic Tendencies: Although “God” is widely understood as a personal being among devotees in the devotional schools, some acknowledge the relative nature of their personalistic concept of God and accept that Brahman in itself is not a personal being. This is especially true among Smartas, as this devotional school is rooted in the monistic philosophy of Advaita .

C. Theistic experiences may involve moods characterized by awe and reverence, deep intimacy, or both. These qualities are essentially tied to the dynamics of bhakti itself, as love embraces both the idea of separateness (associated with awe and reverence) and closeness (associated with the aspect of god). D. : the worship of images/, especially in the context of worship, originates circa 500–700 CE, as part of a Renaissance of devotional worship in . Since this movement effectively displaced from India, it is known as the beginning of the Pot‐Buddhist era in India. Murti puja arguably rooted in , which held that God may be embodied, may be installed within a particular form. hold differing views on whether the murti (image) is really the embodiment of God or just a symbol of God. III. Vaishnavism A. Worship of Vishnu or Sri Krishna as the Supreme Being. Vaishnavism is a monotheistic religious tradition, and according to the 1996 Britannica Book of the Year makes up the religious orientation of about 70% of all Hindus.

B. Origins and Evolution: Krishna worship dates back to at least the 5th and 4th centuries BCE, near the end of the . Both the (200 BCE – 200 CE) and the Purana (4th – 6th centuries CE) present Krishna as the Divine Being. Vaishnavism systematically develops in the 11th and 12th centuries CE under the medieval philosophers such as and Madhva— Vedantin philosophers, but not of the Advaita school. It is further developed in the 16th century under Sri Chaitanya (whom many Vaishnavas believe to be an incarnation of Krishna). In 1965 Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada founded the Movement or ISKCON (International Society for Krishna ) in New York.

C. of bhakti (devotion or love): Vaishnavism emphasizes intense love for God, and its principal aim is to cultivate this love. God is not realized through human reasoning, penances, austerities, or , but only though love. D. Three Kinds of Devotion 1. Tamasic: worship influenced by malevolence, jealousy, or anger.

2. Rajasic: worship influenced by for fame or wealth. 3. Sattvic: worship influenced by the force of harmony; worship of God without thought of material gain. E. Three Stages of Bhakti 1. Vaidhi‐bhakti: expressed through formal worship: , , and (so‐called “regulative principles”). 2. Raga‐Nuga Bhakti: Spontaneous remembrance of Krishna and his lilas (pastimes or activities).

3. Prema‐ or para‐bhakti: supreme devotion, ecstasy, . This may be thought of as a radically intensified form of raga‐nuga bhakti. F. Illustrations of Bhakti in Vaishnavism 1. In the Bhavagad Gita, the warrior is depicted as a devotee of Krishna, whose love for Krishna intensifies and is reciprocated by Krishna during their dialogue on the field of Kurukshretra at the outset of the War. “I am, of everything, the coming forth into being; from me everything is set into motion. Mindful of these words, they offer their love to me, the enlightened ones, being fully immersed in feelings of love. With their thought on me, with their life breath offered to me, enlightening one another and conversing about me continuously, and they are satiated and feel rapturous love.” (Krishna, Bhagavad Gita, 10:8–9) “Feelings of love” (, romantic mood) and “rapturous love” (ramanti, bliss of )

2. In the Srimad Bhagavatam, the cowgirls () of the pastoral village of are described as greater lovers of Krishna as the young cow herder boy. They are drawn in the middle of the night by the sound of his flute in the forest, mesmerized, and sing and dance with him. They curse the god for creating them with eyes that blink, for, as a consequence, there are brief moments during which their eyes shut and cannnot see Krishna. In Krishna’s absence, the gopis’s hearts are empty and restless.

3. : In some Vaishnava traditions (e.g., ), there is particular emphasis on the Radha. In the sacred literature, she embodies the highest form of devotion to Krishna. She never ceases to think of Krishna. When her eyes blink, she still sees Krishna. When she sleeps, she dreams of him. She demonstrated unconditional, unalloyed love for Krishna. Krishna could not begin to fathom the depths of her love for Him so, but he is subjugated by her love and at times even forgets that he is the Supreme Being. IV. and Vaishnavism

A. God. Advaita Vedanta maintains that God is ultimately impersonal. The personal aspects of God belong to , Brahman in relation to or the phenomenal realm. Krishna or Vishnu, for example, is only a provisional manifestation of Brahman. By contrast, Vaishnavism affirms that God is ultimately a personal being. Impersonal Brahman is only an aspect of Krishna, but Krishna is the Supreme Person. B. Three Aspects of God: According to Vaishnava , especially in the Gaudiya or Bengali tradition, the Absolute has three aspects and corresponding modes of approach and forms of spiritual attainment:

1. Brahman—the Absolute as the all‐pervading, universal, formless (sat), and who is known through . 2. Paramatma—the Absolute as the immanent or localized supersoul within all things (chit), and who is known through dhyana yoga (or other forms of yoga involving an ingression of the mind or consciousness into the inner Self.

3. —the Absolute as the Supreme personal being (ananda), endowed with all auspicious attributes or qualities, and who is known through bhakti yoga. C. (Liberation). Holding to an impersonal conception of the divine, Advaita Vedanta also maintains that moksha consists in the merging of the self with impersonal Brahman (or absorption into Brahman) and thus a loss of one’s individuality and personhood. Vaishnavism maintains that the ultimate state is a love relationship between the devotee and God, a relationship that preserves individuality. And arguably, it is this “distance” between God and the individual that intensifies the devotion, for it intensifies the longing for what is other than oneself.