Monday, December 04, 2006
Shree Nathji
Browsing through the internet entries on Shree Nathji (which I understand to be a version of Krishna) I came across the following entry. I cannot offer a translation of the various terms,yet I think the gist of the philosophy comes through,and, in many respects, is confirmed once one experiences the energies of kundalini. Unfortunately, I lost the url for the site before I could copy it. However, here is a related site: http://www.geocities.com/pushti_marg/bhav.htm Be sure to give special notice to the last section having to do with devotion for the deity expressed through pure love, which asks for nothing but offers all.
Certainly, some of the basic assumptions in the discussion follow naturally from kundalini awakening:
1). Everything in the universe is god: thus we ourselves are part of the divine reality in a literal sense.
2). The devotee experiences great sadness when he/she is separated from the sense of oneness.
3). Divine bliss (of awakening) occurs only by grace, not from practice or deeds or desire.
These simple yet fundamental truths must be experienced anew by each devotee who encounters and is transformed by this holy presence.
Images of Shree Nathji are found in Rajasthan, among other places. This is the rather "chunky" blue bodied Krishna, sometimes with four arms. One of the places you can see these images is the city Udaipur. The images are highly stylized, and represent the central devotional figure of certain indigenous sects. As one traveler remarked, Krishna is the equivalent of the Black Madonna (that is, found and revered in many places) in India.
Here is the entry from the site:
Basic Concept & some terms and terminology
According to the Shudhadvait philosophy of Maha-Prabhu Shri Vallabhacharyaji, the entire universe is part and parcel of the Sachidanand - the eternally omnipresent and blissful Lord. By this definition, the Lord and His creation are one and the same. Hence, the "joy" and bliss associated with the Lord are ever present in His creation. The only reason why we do not all "feel" or experience this joy, bliss and completeness, is because we have forgotten our true nature - that of being one with the universal Lord. As a result, we do not appreciate that we too are a part of the eternal Venu-geeta of the Lord and we too are part of the "Rakhilam Madhuram" that Shri Vallabhacharya sings about in the Madhurastakam.
Rudra Marg Because Shri Vallabh cried when he realized the pain and pleasure of his separation from his beloved Lord Shri Krshna.
Pushti Marg Because the Lord is accessible only through His own grace. The Lord cannot be attained by a given formula - He is attainable only if He wants to be attained !
Shuddha-Advaita Pure Monism where there is no difference between the creator and the created.
Bhrahmavada Brahman, the source and cause of all that is in the Universe, IS the universe. Purest form of monism anywhere, in any religion. Uniquely, this is the only philosophy that states, categorically, that everything, absolutely everything, is perfect just the way it is. Everything is imbibed with the sprite of the Lord and as the Lord is eternally perfect, everything is perfect.
Certainly, some of the basic assumptions in the discussion follow naturally from kundalini awakening:
1). Everything in the universe is god: thus we ourselves are part of the divine reality in a literal sense.
2). The devotee experiences great sadness when he/she is separated from the sense of oneness.
3). Divine bliss (of awakening) occurs only by grace, not from practice or deeds or desire.
These simple yet fundamental truths must be experienced anew by each devotee who encounters and is transformed by this holy presence.
Images of Shree Nathji are found in Rajasthan, among other places. This is the rather "chunky" blue bodied Krishna, sometimes with four arms. One of the places you can see these images is the city Udaipur. The images are highly stylized, and represent the central devotional figure of certain indigenous sects. As one traveler remarked, Krishna is the equivalent of the Black Madonna (that is, found and revered in many places) in India.
Here is the entry from the site:
Basic Concept & some terms and terminology
According to the Shudhadvait philosophy of Maha-Prabhu Shri Vallabhacharyaji, the entire universe is part and parcel of the Sachidanand - the eternally omnipresent and blissful Lord. By this definition, the Lord and His creation are one and the same. Hence, the "joy" and bliss associated with the Lord are ever present in His creation. The only reason why we do not all "feel" or experience this joy, bliss and completeness, is because we have forgotten our true nature - that of being one with the universal Lord. As a result, we do not appreciate that we too are a part of the eternal Venu-geeta of the Lord and we too are part of the "Rakhilam Madhuram" that Shri Vallabhacharya sings about in the Madhurastakam.
Rudra Marg Because Shri Vallabh cried when he realized the pain and pleasure of his separation from his beloved Lord Shri Krshna.
Pushti Marg Because the Lord is accessible only through His own grace. The Lord cannot be attained by a given formula - He is attainable only if He wants to be attained !
Shuddha-Advaita Pure Monism where there is no difference between the creator and the created.
Bhrahmavada Brahman, the source and cause of all that is in the Universe, IS the universe. Purest form of monism anywhere, in any religion. Uniquely, this is the only philosophy that states, categorically, that everything, absolutely everything, is perfect just the way it is. Everything is imbibed with the sprite of the Lord and as the Lord is eternally perfect, everything is perfect.
