Sakhya-rasa-sahajiyism

Sakhya-rasa-sahajiyism 

By: Babhru Dasa (BVKS)

When dealing with the higher esoteric subject matters of the Supreme Absolute Truth (Krsna/God), it can be somewhat expected that there will often be confusion and/or misunderstandings.

Actually, it would be practically impossible to discuss all the prevalent misconceptions which are in connection with the more esoteric subject matters of the modern devotional sect of Gaudiya-vaishnavism. Therefore we have chosen to just briefly bring to light a few topics which are related with one another.

To start off we will have to say that people should absolutely not try to construct some notion on esoteric subject matters unless they have studied the books by the previous acharya’s (under the guidance of guru) pertaining to these details of spiritual life.

“Sastra-caksus means one who sees through the eyes of the authorized scriptures. Actually, any man of knowledge and experience should see everything through these books. For example, with our naked eye we perceive the sun globe simply as some glaring substance, but when we see through authorized books of science and other literature, we can understand how much greater the sun globe is than this earth and how powerful it is. So seeing things through the naked eye is not actually seeing. Seeing things through the authorized books or authorized teachers is the correct way to see.”    -Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 21

Of course, a person may also be directly imparted knowledge within the heart by Krsna personally, however this is extremely miraculous and rare. Even in that circumstance such persons would never put forth anything contradictory to that which the Six Goswami’s have.

Objectively speaking, the process which Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has set down for all to follow is that of hearing specifically from the Six Goswami’s. They were personally empowered by Sri Chaitanyadev to expound upon all truths and especially those related with rasa-tattva in their books. Theirs is the FINAL WORD. Now that all of that is understood, we can move onto the main topic at hand.

“If you want to preach the gospel of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, then the personalities who established, by writing these books, Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu, Hari-bhakti-vilasa, Vidagdha-madhava, so many books they have written. So we must go through them, must try to understand. 

Then we can understand what is the Caitanya-caritamrta, Caitanya-bhagavata, Caitanya-mangala, there are so many. Caitanya-candradoya by Prabodhananda Sarasvati. So many devotees, they have given us so many high literatures, we should consult. Therefore the prayer is, sri-caitanya-mano-‘bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale.” –     [SP lecture on The Nectar of Devotion — Bombay, January 8, 1973]

“Thus in order to understand Lord Caitanya, one has to follow the direct disciples of Lord Caitanya-the six Gosvāmīs-and especially the path chalked out by Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī.” (Teachings of Lord Caitanya-CH-17)

When going through different devotional communities it is almost guaranteed that one will be confronted with the situation of reading or discussing the pastimes of Krsna with other devotees (lila-katha.) 

In many instances you will find that devotees immediately opt out of hearing the pastimes of Krsna and the gopis to read other pastimes which may involve the cowherd boys, Mother Yashoda or any of the other vraja-vasis. 

This alone is certainly not bad but the attitude which accompanies it in many cases is extremely poisonous and detrimental to culturing proper devotional growth.

For example almost assuredly you will be able to hear such things like, “I can never understand the love of Srimati Radharani or that of the other gopis. It is far too esoteric for me. I am very fallen. I resonate more with sakhya-rasa and the gopas.” (Such statements may occur in other variations as well.)

Persons who say such things are unfortunately putting forth several majorly defective and apa-siddhantic viewpoints. To start off with, since when did the gopis become “more pure” than any of the other residents of vraja? 

You will simply not be able to find even one statement in scripture that declares gopis are more free from the modes of nature than the other vraja-vasis. The transcendental world is TRANSCENDENTAL  and that is that!

Interestingly enough, such claims are often put forth by devotees who are in the materially contaminated bodily designation which according to external calculations seems similar to that spiritual gender. For example, many times you will hear brahmacaris or young men saying that they relate more with Krsna’s cowherd boy friends. This can certainly be genuine, but such young men do not just automatically become qualified for “understanding sakhya-rasa” just because they are of the male gender!

Furthermore, it is extremely offensive to foster the idea that the gopas completely perfect and transcendental prema is easier to understand than that of the gopis. 

In fact, trying to relate your materially contaminated samskaras (impressions) and emotions with those which have their basis in the transcendental realm is known as prakrta-sahajiyism (considering that which is material to be spiritual.)

Another perverted aspect of this sometimes manifests when devotees openly speak about their realizations or experiences with those who they considered their “trusted mentors.” The devotee may tell the senior that, “I am attracted to dasya-rasa.” To which the senior devotee may say, “yes, very good.”

But if the younger devotee reveals that he has a desire to enter into madhurya-rasa, then the senior devotee in many cases will immediately become hesitant, judgmental, or downright condemning. They might say things like, “Oh, why are you trying to jump so high? I don’t think you are qualified for that.” Such things can deeply discourage a younger devotee. This idea of “higher or lower” is completely mundane and has no place in the transcendental realm.

Furthermore, it is a fact that well built material intelligence or previously collected impressions of this world are far from the qualifications which allow us to understand topics of the spiritual realm and especially that very deep love of the vraja-vasis. So what is the qualification? The only qualification to begin understanding such esoteric subject matters is one pointed, genuine, and simple hearted greed (lobha.)

Srila Rupa Goswami has personally given the following definition of lobha (sacred greed):

“When the heart yearns for the sweetness of the moods of Krishna and His eternal associates in Vraja, and one is not prompted by scriptural injunctions or logical arguments, then that is the definition of ‘sacred greed.”

To further expand on this point Srila Visvanatha Chakravarti Thakura explains sacred greed in the following way:

“This greed never arises in anyone on such bases, nor does the candidate ever consider whether he is qualified for the path of raganuga-bhakti or not. Rather, simply after hearing about the subject matter, or seeing it, that greed will arise in him.

If one thinks, “let such greed arise in me also”, after hearing about moods such as the transcendental conjugal mood toward Krishna of His associates the gopis in Vraja, then one need not wait for suitable sanctions from the revealed scriptures or logical arguments. If such impetuses are there, then it cannot be justly called greed.” – Raga-vartma-candrika 5.

From these statements it is completely clear that one does not just “resonate” with a certain rasa because they are contaminated (or less contaminated) by materialism to a certain degree. If one really does “resonate” with a specific type of love for Krsna then they generally exhibit an increasingly intense attachment to Krsna and bhajan of His divine names, forms, qualities, and pastimes (which corresponds with the aspirants desired type of prema.)

Another completely erroneous notion which is sometimes put forward by under-educated and under-realized devotees is that the gopas are not “emotional.” “They are always happily dancing, singing, and being with Krsna. They never experience pain.” As opposed to the gopis who are constantly tormented with the emotions of separation (vipralambha.)

Such statements are so completely mundane, offensive, and utterly incorrect that any somewhat mature devotee upon hearing such things, would simply cover their ears in disgust. Once again, persons who cultivate and don’t uproot these mentally concocted views are obviously swimming ignorantly in the toxic waters of prakrta-sahajiyism.

First off, it should be 100% understood that the divine realm of Vraja is a place of COMPLETE AND ALL-PERVASIVE ECSTASY AND LOVE. This means “sadness or suffering” can never exist there. If a living entity in Vraja “externally” exhibits “suffering” due to their “separation” from Krsna it is to be understood factually that they are indeed experiencing the highest ecstasy. In other words, the highest manifestations of prema occur during vipralambha (love in separation.) This knowledge is indeed the crest-jewel of all the gifts which Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has come to give to the world.

Secondly, who says that the gopas never experience vipralambha-prema? It is clearly described in Sri Preyo-bhakti-rasarnava that the cowherd boys associate with Krsna “personally” for 40 dandas (24 minute time periods) of the 60 dandas which comprise the entire day and night.

This means for at least 20 dandas most of the gopas become completely merged in the intense feelings of vipralambha-prema. And to set the record straight, vipralambha-bhava is what indeed gives way to the highest apex of sambhoga.

How is this? When a siddha-bhakta is directly separated from Krsna, they immediately get catapulted into a type of madness which causes them to experience Krsna in an even more all-pervasive and intense way than they would experience if He was personally present.

“While sleeping at night Sudama sees Ram and Krishna in his dreams, for he cannot live a moment even in his own home without the constant company of those two. All the pastimes that he performed that day in the company of Ram and Krishna-either at home,in the pasture, while tending the cows, or going to Vrindavan-all of these pastimes he beholds in his dreams. Thus he confirms to himself that he never gives up Krishna.” – Sri Sri Preyo-bhakti-rasarnava

Furthermore, it is described in Sri Brhad-bhagavatamrta that even when the cowherd boys run through the forest, if Krsna passes behind a tree and leaves their “direct vision” for even a moment, they completely lose themselves in “grief.”

Another example would be when the boys play water games in the river yamuna, someones vision may become blurred due to being splashed in the face with water thus checking them from seeing Krsna. Similarly, such separation can occur in many variegated aspects of the daily activities of the gopas.

Furthermore, one can find many descriptions in the writings of the previous acharyas about the condition of the sakhas and the rest of the vraja-vasis while Krsna went outside of Vrindavan during  the prakata-lilas (manifest pastimes on earth.) In short, their external conditions were extremely pitiable.

Factually speaking, all the residents of Vraja experience sambhoga (union) and vipralambha (seperation) from Krsna in one form or another. It is simply that within ujvalla-rasa these two divine aspects of prema come to their climax.

However, that being the case and speaking in the broader sense, no vraja-vasi ever feels “left out” or that their specific type of prema is not sufficient. (However there is more too it.) This is a whole different topic which we have attempted to elaborate upon in the article entitled, “Spiritual Dissatisfaction.”

In short we can refer to the following explanation that Sri Narada Muni gives to Gopa-kumara in Brhad-bhagavatamrta:

“According to the way one worships, the Lord awards different results. One who thus reaches the goal he has pursued never feels discontent.” BB, 2.4.189

Sanātana Gosvāmī’s commentary:

“The Personality of Godhead knows everything there is to know. He is also the most merciful giver of charity. Why then doesn’t He give the same supreme happiness to all His devotees? It is because what He gives them depends on their expressed desires.

Then aren’t the devotees dissatisfied who receive happiness that is relatively less? No. When the Supreme Lord reciprocates the love of any of His pure devotees, the devotee is never left feeling incomplete, because everything the devotee wanted the Lord provides.”