Beyond Nirvāṇa
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Beyond Nirväëa The philosophy of Mäyävädism: A life history by Çréla Bhakti Prajïän Keçava Gosvämé Mahäraja Translated and presented by Çré Çrémäd Bhaktivedänta Näräyana Mahäraja First Edition - 2,000 copies Disappearance day of Çréla Madhväcärya 2003 All rights reserved. Copyright GVP 2003 ISBN 81-86737-81-2 Gauòéya Vedänta Publications Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, India Other English Books by Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Mahäräja: Çrémad Bhagavad-Gétä Çré Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu-bindu Äcärya Keçaré Çré Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé: His Life and Teachings Çré Upadeçämåta Çré Manaù-çikñä Çré Çikñäñöaka Çré Hari-Näma Mahä-Mantra Secret Truths of the Bhägavatam Veëu Géta Bhakti-tattva-viveka Räga Vartma Candrikä Bhajana Rahasya Arcana Dépikä The Nectar of Govinda-lélä Going Beyond Vaikuëöha Bhakti-Rasäyana Çré Prabandhävalé The Pinnacle of Devotion The Essence of All Advice The True Conception of Guru-tattva My Çikñä-Guru and Priya-Bandhu Gauòéya Vaiñëavism vs. Sahajiyäism Five Essential Essays Dämodara-Lélä-Mädhuré Shower of Love Essence of Bhagavad-gétä Happiness in a Fool’s Paradise The Butter Thief To be Controlled by Love The Rays of the Harmonist (Magazine) Available from: Çré Keçavajé Gauòéya Maöha, Mathurä, U.P. 281001, India Tel: 0091 (0)565 502 334 [email protected] Çré Gour Govinda Gauòéya Maöha 32 Handsworth Wood Road, Birmingham B20 2DS, England Tel: 0044 (0)121 682 9159 [email protected] Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................ viii Preface ...................................................................................... ix Forward ................................................................................ xviii A Biography of Mäyävädism ................................................... 28 The path of ‘Spiritual growth’ ........................................................ 29 The Vedic Age and Mäyävädism .................................................... 30 The ‘Spiritual’ birth of Mäyävädism ............................................... 31 What is the definition of Mäyävädism? .......................................... 32 Çréla Veda-Vyäsadeva: Author of the Vedas ................................... 34 Çré Vijïäna Bhikñu’s View .............................................................. 36 Two Buddhas ........................................................................... 40 Çäkya Siàha Buddha and the Viñëu Avatära Buddha ..................... 40 The Amarkoña Speaks of Two Buddhas ......................................... 42 Other Buddhist Literatures Recording Two Buddhas ..................... 43 Aïjana’s son, named Buddha is different from Çuddhodana’s son ............................................................ 45 The Influence of Buddhism on Çaìkaräcärya ......................... 48 The Conclusions of Buddhism and Çré Çaìkaräcärya ..................... 48 The Buddhist concept of a False Universe ..................................... 49 Çaìkaräcäryä teaches that the Universe is False ............................ 50 Brahman and Void ......................................................................... 52 Gautama Buddha’s concept of Voidism .......................................... 52 Çré Çaìkaräcärya’s Doctrine of ‘Brahman’ ...................................... 54 The Path of Salvation in Buddhism ................................................ 55 Salvation as enunciated by Çré Çaìkaräcärya ................................. 57 ‘Çünya’ and ‘Brahman’ in the Buddhist Philosophy. ........................ 59 Çré Çaìkaräcärya’s Conception of Void and Brahman .................... 60 Non-Dualist and Monist ................................................................ 61 The Reasons for Camouflaging Mäyävädism .................................. 63 Çré Çaìkaräcärya reveals he is a Buddhist by his own arguments ............................................................... 65 Çré Çaìkaräcärya: a Mahäyäna Buddhist ........................................ 67 Further Evidence ..................................................................... 69 Çévänatha Çiromani ........................................................................ 69 Rajendranätha Ghosh .................................................................... 69 The Divine Plan ....................................................................... 71 The Reason for the Promulgation of Mäyävädism .......................... 71 Mäyävädism in the Four Yugas ............................................... 73 Monism in Satya-yuga: .................................................................. 73 ‘Catuhsana’ – The story of the four Kumäras ..............................73 Väskali .........................................................................................75 Monism in Tretä-Yuga ................................................................... 77 Sage Vasiñöha ...............................................................................77 Rävaëa: The King of Laìkä ..........................................................78 Monism in Dväpara-Yuga ............................................................... 80 Çré Çukadeva ................................................................................80 Kaàsa - Demon par excellence ........................................................81 The Condition of Monism in the Three Yugas ................................ 83 The Vedic Concept of Time Calculation ........................................ 84 The Heliodorus Column ................................................................ 87 Çakya Siàha .................................................................................. 89 The Changing Shapes of Mäyävädism .................................... 91 Seven Philosophical Schools .......................................................... 91 Bharttåhari .................................................................................... 92 The True Face of Mäyävädism ...................................................... 92 Gauòapäda ..................................................................................92 Refuting the Guru’s Views ...........................................................94 Çré Çaìkara’s Birth .......................................................................95 Çaìkara Vijaya .............................................................................98 Padmapäda ............................................................................... 100 The Final Act ........................................................................... 100 Çré Çaìkaräcärya’s Influence ..................................................... 101 Yädava Prakäça ........................................................................ 102 Çré Çrédhara Svämé .................................................................... 103 Çré Bilvamaìgala - Alchemy of the heart ................................... 105 Trivikrama-Äcärya ................................................................... 106 Vidyäraëya- Çaìkaräcärya the Second ..................................... 107 The Turning of the Tide ........................................................ 108 Jayatértha .................................................................................... 108 Prakäçänanda Sarasvaté - Guru of Väräëasé ................................. 108 Väsudeva Särvabhauma Bhaööäcärya ........................................... 110 Upendra Sarasvaté ....................................................................... 112 Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and Vyäsa Räya .................................. 112 The Secret Writings of Madhüsudana Sarasvaté ........................... 113 Mäyävädism in Jaipur .................................................................. 115 The Ghosts of Mäyävädism ......................................................... 116 Mäyävädism in the Modern Age ........................................... 118 Concluding Words ................................................................ 122 Section A Çaìkaräcärya ............................................................................ 122 Section B The concept of ‘Nirväëa’ .......................................................... 125 The Eternal Effulgence ............................................................. 126 Section C Analysing the Brahma-Sütra verse 3/2/3 ................................... 128 Section D Dream Does Not Mean Falsehood ........................................... 130 Section E Two forms of Mäyä, and the definition of ‘Chäyä’ & ‘Pratibimba’ ....................... 131 Section F The Six Vedic Philosophical Schools: Four of Them are Atheistic ................................................. 132 Section G Mäyävädis are Atheists ............................................................. 134 Section H The Dark dimensions of Mäyävädism ...................................... 135 Epilogue The Insanity of Mäyävädism ........................................................ 143 Appendix One ........................................................................ 146 Glossary ................................................................................. 149 World Wide Contacts ........................................................... 165 x Beyond Nirväëa Acknowledgements There are many people who have contributed in various ways to the publication of this important spiritual book. Although there are too many to list by name, a few deserve special mention. The publisher offers many thanks