Tattva-viveka
Was it right? Was it wrong?
Yamuna Dasi - February 10, 2009 11:26 pm
It happened that last month I was invited to present Hinduism and Gaudiya Vaishnavism at this year's celebration of the Day of Religion in Bulgaria organized by the bahayas. The organizers told me that it should be no more than 3-4 minutes presentation and I was really put on a crossroad - how to present so briefly the Gaudiya Vaishnavism and should I speak rather about tattva or about rasa... or about both? I've decided to try to say it all! How could I speak about Krishna without touching the emotional side, His love with Radha and the rasa-lila? But at the same time I've heard that Bhakti Siddhanta was leaving such a place where some devotees were starting to speak about so intimate topics as a sign of disapproval.
Was I right or was I wrong to speak about Shrimati Radharani and rasa-lila when representing our line to a broad public? Most probably I was rather in the situation described by Shridhara Maharaj "fools rush where angels don't dare to step", but at the same time how to explain what Gaudiya Vaishnavism is and what our goal and dream is without mentioning Radhika and rasa-lila?
To put it more generally my question - how deep to dive into feeling when in public and representing our line?
I am pasting the presentation below:
Hello, my name is Yamuna and this is the name, given to me by my spiritual Master Bhakti Abhay Narayan Maharaj. Through His mercy I am connected with the Gaudiya Vaishnavism, one of the many branches of Hinduism, which is expected from me to present to you today in 3 minutes. When the organizers informed me about the time frame of 3-4 minutes I though: “Oh my God, how could possibly be presented in 3 minutes a religion, only one of whose Holy Scriptures (“Mahabharata”) as volume is 8 times bigger than Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey” taken together?” So I decided to do what people who believe in God do when they don’t know what to do – they prey.
Our spiritual Masters say that the spiritual practice which we follow, bhakti yoga, has two aspects – one practical and one mystical. The practical one is that we pray and the mystical one is that it works!
Around 250 years ago in India there used to happen a gathering of the different branches of Hinduism, very similar to our gathering today of the different religions, where everybody had to present his own branch. Believe me the representatives of the different branches of Hinduism were much more than we are here today. A holy man named Baladeva Vidya Bhushan was expected to present the Gaudiya Vaishnavism. When he started his speech the others interrupted him saying: “show us your written commentary of “Vedanta Sutra”?” “Vedanta Sutra” is one of the philosophical Scriptures of Hinduism. Baladeva replied: “we the Gaudiya Vaishnavas don’t have a written commentary of “Vedanta Sutra” because we accept “Shrimad Bhagavatam” as a natural commentary of “Vedanta Sutra” written by her very author Vyasadeva and this is why we don’t consider necessary having other written commentary.” But the other branches of Hinduism refused to accept this argument and declared that if the next day Gaudiya Vaishnavas don’t present a written commentary of “Vedanta Sutra” they will not be accepted as true religion.
During the night Baladeva Vidya Bhushan not knowing what to do did what people who believe in God do when they don’t know what to do – he prayed to his murty (a small statue of Lord Govinda – Krishna as a small cowherd boy) to help him. Govinda spoke to him and for one night in a mystical way dictated to him and Baladeva in a mystical way was able to write down an immense commentary of “Vedanta Sutra”, bigger and more detailed than any other commentary belonging to the other branches of Hinduism. And because this commentary has not been invented by him, but dictated by Govinda, Baladeva named it “Govinda Bhashya” (“The Commentary of Govinda”) and next morning presented it at the gathering. Everybody unanimously recognized Gaudiya Vaishnavism as true religion. When God speaks intelligent people fall silent and listen…
A question is always asked – if God is one, then why religions are so many and which of them is the true one? My Guru says that exactly in this question is clearly visible the diametrical difference between the eastern and western logic – western logic asks “or / or” and eastern logic answer “and / and”. Western logic divides while eastern logic unites. How? By being able to see the unity in diversity. But this ability to see unity in diversity is not an easy one and is a question of level of consciousness because the diversity and the unity do exist simultaneously and inseparably. All the philosophy of Gaudiya Vaishnavism can be expressed by the following four Sanskrit words “achintya bheda-abheda tattva” – “inconceivable simultaneous unity in diversity”. What is the meaning of this complicated expression? That in the world exist simultaneously diametrical oppositions and they are connected in unity in an inconceivable way which is beautiful and beyond mental boundaries. God is simultaneously the smallest and the biggest, the closest and the most far away, He is in the heart but also beyond it… In this hall we are many people and if I want to see the differences between us, they are obvious – I am a woman, half of you are not, I am on the stage, you are not, I am standing and you are sitting, I speak and you listen… so many differences at first glance. Because at first glance is seen exactly this, the difference, while the common is more hidden and for it is necessary a deeper vision. An ancient proverb says: “you don’t need eyes to see, you need vision”. Without vision the eyes are just a dead instrument if they are not connected with the whole through vision – the ability to see. A true religion should develop in those who follow it exactly such spiritual vision through which to be able to see the hidden unity in the obvious diversity.
But let’s return to the burning question – if God is one why religions are so many? What actually means “religion”? The word “religion” comes from the Latin verb “religere” – to connect, to unite, to reestablish a broken connection. I.e. religion is a path and spiritual practice which helps the individual soul to be reconnected and reunited with God. The Sanskrit word “yoga”, already a common part of the modern languages, means the same – “connection”, the connection between the soul and God. In the Holy Scriptures of Hinduism is said that the material world is a reflection of the spiritual, although distorted. If we look at the connections in the material world we shall see how many they are – connections between superiors and inferiors, connections between friends, connections between parents and kids, love connections. The same way the connections of the souls with God are innumerous in their variety and diversity. Actually it is said that each and every soul has her specific personal loving connection with God. Krishna is the all attractive God, Who plays His flute and through this wonderful melody attracts all the souls in the Universe the same way as He attracts the village cowherd girls, the gopies of Vrindavan, who leave everything and charmed by His beauty and the amazing calling melody run to dance with Him the eternal dance of Love. This dance of the cowherd girls (the souls) with Krishna is called rasa-lila (tasteful pastime) and is the highest esoteric which can be not just told but personally experienced because Krishna promises in “Bhagavad Gita” that with each and every soul He will dance personally the way she wants to dance with Him… her personal dance with God. And if we look at a painting of rasa-lila dance (since photos from There are not available) we shall see a circle of dancing cowherd girls in which next to every girl there is one Krishna dancing in a different posture exactly her own dance… because Krishna is the personal God, the Lord of the heart, simultaneously one and different for everybody.
God is one but the religions are many because many are the ways in which the souls want to dance with Him and He mercifully grants this desire of theirs and accepts their invitation for a dance… ladies’ invite! Who will blame Him for His mercy?
Religions are not many, they are much more than many, because as many are the souls in the Universe as many religions or connections with God exist. But still can be said that there is just one and only religion which the Holy Hindu Scriptures name “sanatana dharma” – “the eternal religion of the soul” and it’s Love – unity in diversity, this which unites the different ones with the One.
Still somebody can ask: “What kind of exotics is this, Hindus in Bulgaria!? Don’t we have our own religion, Christianity? Isn’t this sectarian?” But what is a “sect” and what defines if a path to God is a sect or religion? Is it just the number of its followers? Two thousand years ago the Christians were a handful of people and Christ has been blamed in sectarianism and crucified but nowadays Christianity is one of the most popular religions in the world.
In India everybody knows who are Radha and Krishna – God and His energy of Love, personified as His Beloved Radha. If we look at our Bulgarian folklore there is no ugly Rada! Even more – Rada is always the most beautiful girl in the village. Our famous writer and collector of folk songs Petro Rachev Slaveikov in his two-volume collection of Bulgarian folk songs had written the song – Rada was sweeping her yard when she heard the kaval from the forest… threw the broom and ran towards the woods to search for the player, him to love, with him to stay… The same story is retold by the Holy Sanskrit texts from 5000 years ago, that Radha who heard the flute of Krishna had left everything and ran to search for Him in the groves of Vrindavan and dance with Him the eternal love dance of the soul with God… rasa-lila…
To fall in love with God is a proof for good taste in love and every path which teaches the soul how to develop and reveal such a goоd taste is religion, no matter if it started thousands of years ago or just 100 years ago, today or… tomorrow.
Nietzsche had said that he can believe only in a God who sings and dances. Well ours is exactly such One. Our Holy Scriptures say that countless are the names of God because countless are His manifestations and energies and fast and hard rules for their glorification don’t exist. It is also said that in the kingdom of God every word is a song and every step is a dance. So today in order to get closer to it with one more step let’s sing and dance with “Mandala” group and Nadejda Mirazchiiska under the sounds of the ancient Sanskrit mantra sang with a Bulgarian folk melody in which there are only two words, only two names – Radha and Govinda – God and His Beloved…
Bhrigu - February 26, 2009 7:42 pm
I'm impressed that you were able to read all this in 4 minutes, Yamuna! 
But seriously, I liked the presentation. :Batting Eyelashes: You touched on themes other religionists can easily relate to, such as prayer, why many religions, unity and diversity, but also a little bit of the esoteric side of GV. I don't think it was too intimate. I'm not familiar with Rada, Slaveikov and Nadejda Mirazchiiska, but I guess the audience could relate to them as well. If I am allowed to critique something, it would be the beginning. It is never a good idea to say "I don't know how to say all this in such a short time", because all the speakers will have the same problem, and by doing so, you waste some of the little time you have been given. Of course, you tie it in nicely with prayer, but you could have done that in an even neater way, I think.
And yes, this feedback is late, but I am hoping for better late than never...
Yamuna Dasi - February 26, 2009 9:23 pm
Thank you, Bhrigu for the kind words! It gives me great happiness that it was ok from tattva point of view because I was really concerned that maybe it was too emotional. Finally it was the first time when we were invited to represent Gaudiya Vaishnavism as a religion and practically I had to represent also the Hinduism, not just our line.
You got it, I did not read all this in 4 minutes. And because I was completely aware that I would not be able to, that’s why I deliberately started with this “mission impossible” introduction, it was a trick… Everybody started laughing including the organizers and never even looked at their watches during the whole presentation so… mission impossible completed! Subjective reality, you know…
As some devotees here on TV already mentioned, being concise is not my brightest quality but Krishna gives me some ideas as well how to still be able to use even my disadvantage in his service and thus get some sucriti as a fringe benefit. :Batting Eyelashes: