Gaudiya Vaishnavism

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Gaudiya Vaishnava temple at Tirupathi
Gaudiya Vaishnava temple at Tirupathi

Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534) in India in the 16th Century. "Gaudiya" refers to Gauḍadeśa (present day Bengal/Bangladesh) with Vaishnavism meaning the worship of Vishnu. Its philosophical basis is primarily that of the Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana, as well as other Puranic scriptures and Upanishads such as the Isha Upanishad.

The focus of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is the devotional worship (bhakti) of Radha and Krishna, and their many divine incarnations as the supreme forms of God. Most popularly this worship takes the form of singing Radha and Krishna's holy names, such as 'Hare', 'Krishna' and 'Rama', (most commonly in the form of the Hare Krishna mantra) which is known as kirtan. The movement is sometimes referred to as the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya sampradaya referring to its traditional origins in the disciplic succession of spiritual masters (gurus) believed to originate from Brahma. It classifies itself as a monotheistic tradition, seeing the many forms of Vishnu as expansions or incarnations of the one Supreme God.

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[edit] Philosophical concepts

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[edit] Living beings

According to Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy, consciousness is not a product of matter, and is instead a symptom of the soul[1]. All living beings (jivas), are distinct from their current body - the nature of the soul being eternal, immutable and indestructible without any particular beginning or end[2]. Souls which are captivated by the illusory nature of the world (Maya) are repeatedly reborn amongst the various species of life on this planet and on other worlds in accordance to the laws of karma and individual desire. This is consistent with the concept of samsara found throughout Hindu belief.

Release from the process of samsara (known as moksha) is believed to be achieveable through a variety of yoga processes. However, within Gaudiya Vaishnavism it is bhakti in its puremost state (or pure love of God) which is given as the ultimate aim, rather than liberation from the cycle of rebirth[3]

[edit] Supreme Person (God)

Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe that God has many forms and names, but that the name Krishna is the 'fullest' description because it means "He who is all-attractive"[4], covering all of God's aspects such as being all-powerful, supremely merciful and all-loving. God is worshipped as the eternal, all-knowing, omnipresent, all-powerful and all-attractive Supreme Person. Names of God from other religious traditions such as Allah and Jehovah are also accepted as bonafide titles of the same supreme person.[5].

One of the defining aspects of Gaudiya Vaishnavism is that Krishna is worshipped specifically as the source of all incarnations of God. This is based on quotations from the Bhagavata Purana such as krsnas tu bhagavan svayam, translated as "Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead"[6] and from the Bhagavad Gita wherein Arjuna, when speaking to Krishna, states:

"You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the ultimate abode, the purest, the Absolute Truth. You are the eternal, transcendental, original person, the unborn, the greatest. All the great sages such as Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa confirm this truth about You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me."[7].

Krishna is described elsewhere as the "seed-giving father of all living beings"[8] and is worshipped within the Gaudiya tradition literally, as such - Krishna being the "sustaining energy of the universe"[9].

[edit] Inconceivable oneness and difference

A particularly distinct part of the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy espoused by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the concept of Achintya Bheda Abheda, which translates to: inconceivable oneness and difference in the context of the soul's relationship with Krishna.

In quality, the soul (jiva) is described as being identical to God, but in terms of quantity the individual jivas are said to be infinitesimal in comparison to the unlimited Supreme Being. The exact nature of this relationship (being simultaneously one and different with Krishna) is inconceivable to the human mind, but can be experienced through the process of Bhakti yoga.

This philosophy serves as a meeting of two opposing schools of Hindu philosophy, namely pure monism (God and the soul as one entity) and pure dualism (God and the soul as absolutely separate).

[edit] Devotional activities

[edit] Bhakti Yoga (The Yoga of devotion)

Main article: Bhakti Yoga

The practical process of devotional life is described as bhakti, or bhakti-yoga. The two main elements of the bhakti-yoga process are vaidhi bhakti, which is devotional service through practice of rules and regulations (sadhana); and raganuga bhakti, which is a taken as a higher stage of more spontaneous devotional service based on a selfless desire to please one's chosen Ishta-deva of Krishna or his associated expansions and avatars. Both of which are based on the chanting or singing of Krishna's names.

Within his Siksastaka prayers, Chaitanya compares the process of bhakti-yoga to that of cleansing a dirty place of dust, wherein our consciousness is the object in need of purification[10]. This purification takes place largely through the chanting and singing of Radha and Krishna's names. Specifically the Hare Krishna mantra is chanted and sung by practitioners on a daily basis, sometimes for many hours each day. Famously within the tradition, one of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's close associates called Haridas Thakur is reported to have chanted 300,000 holy names of God each day.[11]

[edit] Diet & lifestyle

Gaudiya Vaishnava's follow a Lacto Vegetarian diet, abstaining from all types of animal flesh, including fish and eggs. Onions and garlic are also avoided as they are believed to promote a more rajastic form of consciousness in the eater when taken in large quantities.

All types of food are first offered to a deity of Krishna, and then the remnants are eaten as Prasadam. This is based on a number instructions by Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita that:

  • "If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." (9.26)[12]
  • "The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin." (3.13) [13]

Lifestyle habits vary amongst practitioners, but orthodox Vaishnavas will avoid taking any recreational drugs or intoxicants and take part in sexual relations only within marriage (and even then to a limited extent). Many Gaudiya Vaishnavas will live for at least some time in their life as monks (brahmacarya), and the majority of senior gurus live as renunciates (Sannyasa) after the age of 50 years.

[edit] History since Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Chaitanya, Nityananda, and Advaita Acharya leading the sankirtan movement through the streets of Navadwip. Artwork © courtesy of BBTI
Chaitanya, Nityananda, and Advaita Acharya leading the sankirtan movement through the streets of Navadwip. Artwork © courtesy of BBTI

Over the three centuries following the departure of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition evolved into the form in which we largely find it today in contemporary India. In the early years of the tradition, the followers of Nityananda Prabhu, Advaita Acharya and other companions of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu educated and initiated people, each in their own locales across Bengal.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu requested a select few among his followers, who later came to be known as the Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan, to systematically present his theology of bhakti in their writings. This theology emphasized the devotee's relationship to the Divine Couple, Radha and Krishna, and looked to Caitanya as the embodiment of both Radha and Krishna. The six saints and theologians were Rupa Goswami, Sanatana Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha Bhatta Goswami, Raghunatha dasa Goswami and Jiva Goswami, a nephew of the brothers Rupa and Sanatana. In the second generation of the tradition, Narottama, Srinivasa and Shyamananda, three students of Jiva Goswami, the youngest among the six Goswamis, were instrumental in spreading the established theology across Bengal and Orissa.

The festival of Kheturi (approx 1574)[14], presided over by Jahnava Thakurani, the wife of Nityananda Rama, was the first time the leaders of the various branches of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's followers assembled together. Through such festivals, members of the loosely organized tradition became acquainted with other branches along with their respective theological and practical nuances. That notwithstanding, the tradition has maintained its plural nature, having no central authority to preside over its matters. The festival of Kheturi allowed for the systemitization of Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology as a distinct branch of Vaishnava Theology.

In the 17th century, Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur held great merit in clarifying core doctrinal issues over the practice of raganuga-bhakti through works such as Raga-vartma-chandrika. His student Baladeva Vidyabhushan wrote a famous commentary on the Vedanta-sutra called Govinda Bhashya.

The 18th century saw a number of luminaries headed by Siddha Jayakrishna Das Babaji of Kamyavan and Siddha Krishnadas Babaji of Govardhan. The latter, a widely-renowned teacher of the mode of internal worship (raga-bhajan) practiced in the tradition, is largely responsible for the current form of devotional practice embraced by some of the traditions based in Vraja.

[edit] The Gaudiya Matha

Gaudiya Matha historians assert that in the 17th-18th century, there was a period of general decline in the movement's strength and popularity characterized by decreased preaching and appearance of persons following and promoting degraded teachings and practices[15]. These groups are called apasampradayas[16]. This period was followed by a renaissance which began at the start of the 20th century. This change is believed to have happened largely due to the efforts of a particularly adept preacher known as Bhaktivinoda Thakur who also held the position of a deputy magistrate with the British government. Bhaktivinoda Thakur's son grew up to be both an eminent scholar and highly influential Vaishnava preacher, known in his later life as Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. In total Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati Thakur founded sixty-four Gaudiya Matha monasteries in India and abroad.

The leading disciples of Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura established their own temples (mathas) after his departure from this mortal world in 1936. This movement was coined as the Saraswata Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition.

The branches of Gaudiya Matha are numerous. The most well-known branches are as follows:

(became known as the 'Hare Krishnas' by many in the West)

By the end of 20th century, following the pioneering efforts of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (ISKCON), all of these societies had established branches in foreign countries and the present-day leaders of these Vaishnava communities are now actively spreading the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition throughout the world.

[edit] Gaudiya and other Vaishnava schools

The forehead marking known as tilak, in the form of two vertical lines above a leaf-like shape (tulsi) is the symbol identifying a Gaudiya Vaishnava
The forehead marking known as tilak, in the form of two vertical lines above a leaf-like shape (tulsi) is the symbol identifying a Gaudiya Vaishnava

Although sharing a common set of core beliefs, there are a number of philosophical differences which distinguish Gaudiya Vaishnavism from other Vaishnava schools:

  • Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism Krishna is seen as the original form of God, i.e. the source of Vishnu and not His avatar.

This is based primarily on verse 1.3.28 of the Bhagavata Purana (krsnas tu bhagavan svayam)[17] as stated above. This belief is shared by the Nimbarka and Vallabha sampradayas, but not by the Ramanuja and Madhva schools who view Krishna as an avatar of Vishnu. The Bhagavata Purana gives Krishna's pastimes in great detail, from his childhood in Vrindavan, to his later life as a Prince in Dwarka and thus is the most important Purana for Gaudiya Vaishnavas. It was elaborated on by Jiva Gosvami (one of Six Gosvamis of Vrindavan) in his Krishna sandarbha.

Other sampradayas view Chaitanya as a devotee of Krishna only, and not Krishna himself or a form of avatar. According to his biographies Chaitanya did not display himself as Krishna in public, and would in fact avoid being addressed as such. In this regard A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami states, "[When] addressed as Lord Krishna, He denied it. Indeed, He sometimes placed His hands over His ears, protesting that one should not be addressed as the Supreme Lord"[18]. Nonetheless Chaitanya's close associates 'detected' or believed him to be such, and in other instances it is claimed that Chaitanya appeared to certain devotees in dreams or visions - displaying his form as being that of Krishna. Rupa Goswami when first meeting with Chaitanya, composed the following verse showing his belief in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's divinity:

"O most munificent incarnation! You are Krishna Himself appearing as Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. You have assumed the golden color of Srimati Radharani, and You are widely distributing pure love of Krishna. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You."[19]

Although a controversial viewpoint outside of the Gaudiya tradition, Chaitanya's followers point at verses throughout the Puranic literatures as evidence to support this claim.[20][21]

[edit] Theological sources

Gaudiya Vaishnava Theology is prominently expounded by Jiva Goswami in his Sat-sandarbhas, six elaborate treatises on various aspects of God. Other prominent Gaudiya Vaishnava theologians are his uncles, Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami, Visvanatha Chakravarti and Baladeva Vidyabhushana, author of Govinda Bhashya, a famous commentary on Vedanta Sutra.

[edit] Notable modern-day personalities

[edit] Gaudiya Vaishnava organizations

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Consciousness the Symptom of the Soul by Stephen Knapp
  2. ^ Bhagavad Gita 2.20
  3. ^ Devotional Service Surpasses All Liberation
  4. ^ Bhagavata Purana 6.4.33 "Krishna means "all-attractive." This is the Lord's name because His transcendental qualities make Him very attractive."
  5. ^ krishna.com "The names can be generic terms, such as “God” or “the Absolute Truth.” They can be in Sanskrit, such as Govinda, Gopala, or Shyamasundara. They can be in other languages, such as Yahweh and Allah"
  6. ^ Bhagavata Purana 1.3.28
  7. ^ Bhagavad-Gita 10.12-13
  8. ^ Bhagavad-Gita 14.4 "It should be understood that all species of life, O son of Kunti, are made possible by birth in this material nature, and that I am the seed-giving father."
  9. ^ Eight Points of Krishna Conscious Philosophy
  10. ^ Teachings of Lord Caitanya - Sikshashtakam
  11. ^ Caitanya Caritamrita 1.10.43, 3.3.100, 3.3.176, 3.4.101, 3.7.48
  12. ^ Bhagavad-Gita 9.26
  13. ^ Bhagavad-Gita 3.13
  14. ^ Women Saints in Gaudiya Vaishnavism "The event at which this took place was the famous Kheturi festival already mentioned above, the date of which is still a matter of conjecture, but likely took place in the 1570s."
  15. ^ śuna haridāsa ei līlā saṃgopane viśva andhakāra karibeka duṣṭa jane, Harinama Cintamani 15.108
  16. ^ http://wiki.gaudiyakutir.com/Apasampradaya
  17. ^ Bhagavata Purana 1.3.28
  18. ^ Teachings of Lord Chaitanya
  19. ^ Caitanya Caritamrita 2.19.53
  20. ^ Bhagavata Purana 11.5.32 "In the age of Kali, intelligent persons perform congregational chanting to worship the incarnation of Godhead who constantly sings the names of Krishna. Although His complexion is not blackish, He is Krishna Himself. He is accompanied by His associates, servants, weapons and confidential companions. "
  21. ^ Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu predicted

[edit] External links

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