Sunday, 23 August 2009

Various kinds of transcendentalists

This post focuses on sanatana dharma or vedic dharma, and especially transcendentalists there in.

Karmis

There are people attached to having to having their material desires fulfilled.

They could be atheists or theists.

Among atheists the emphasis would be i want my material desires to be fulfilled and hence i will work hard for it.

Among theists religion will be used, for this purpose i.e fulfilling material desires. Their payers would be “Oh Lord give me a good crop”, “Oh Lord Give me a Good Son/Daughter”, “Oh Lord give me a beautiful wife/husband”,“Oh Lord give us our daily bread”.

So God is more like an order supplier. I did so much amount of things/prayers for the Lord, and now The Lord will do so much for me. This may even have scriptural references for the above.

Types of Transcendentalists

Transcendentalist is someone who at some level has a basic understanding that ultimately material desires are the root cause of all bondage.

The three kinds of transcendentalists are :

1) Bhamavadi

2) Advaitavadi or Mayavadi

3) Bhakta

Bhamavadi

The Bharamavadi is someone who understands that the individual Jiva or the Soul is a part and parcel of Ishwara or God. Until the Jiva is attached to material desires, it can not realize this fact, hence let me give up material desires.

Advaitavadi or Mayavadi

The Advaitavadi or Mayavadi is someone who thinks that the individual Jiva or the Soul is Ishwara or God. And just like the Brahmavadi, the thought is that until the Jiva is attached to material desires, it can not realize this fact, hence let me give up material desires.

Bhakta

The Bhakta is someone who understands that the individual Jiva or the Soul is a part and parcel of Ishwara or God, and also that the JIva has an eternal loving relationship with Ishwara. And just like the Brahmavadi and the Advaitavadi, the thought is that until the Jiva is attached to material desires, it can not realize this fact, hence let me give up material desires. In addition the Bhakta also tries to develop spiritual desires the most prominent of which is “Love of God” and an extension of which is “Compassion for all living beings”.

Further analysis of the Types of Transcendentalists 

All of the analogies below are given by His Divine Grace Srila AC Bhaktivdendanta Swami Prabhupada

Machine analogy

There is a machine with various parts. How would the three transcendentalists view it.

Bhamavadi

When he sees a part of the machine for example a nut/bolt he knows that the nut/bolt is a part of the whole.

Advaitavadi or Mayavadi

When he sees a part of the machine for example a nut/bolt he thinks that the machine is the nut/bolt and the nut/bolt is the machine. It is rather confusing but to the advaitavadi this this the truth.

Bhakta

When he sees a part of the machine for example a nut/bolt he knows that the nut/bolt is a part of the whole and it does not have any independent meaning. There is a very specific purpose the nut/bolt has in the machine.

Mother analogy

Suppose a mother has a child and the child is fed up of the missies of the material world.

Bhamavadi

He tells the mother that the world is full of suffering and that he was at peace when he was within her womb.

Advaitavadi or Mayavadi

He tells the mother that the world is full of suffering and that he was at peace when he was within her womb and specifically asks the mother to take him back into the womb.

Bhakta

He asks the mother what his specific purpose in life is and how can he serve her.

Opinion Of Sri Krishna and the Shastras

Krishna’s Opinion

Verse 1

http://vedabase.net/bg/6/47/en2

Chapter 6: Dhyana-yoga

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 6.47

yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah

SYNONYMS

yoginam -- of yogis; api -- also; sarvesam -- all types of; mat-gatena -- abiding in Me, always thinking of Me; antah-atmana -- within himself; sraddha-van -- in full faith; bhajate -- renders transcendental loving service; yah -- one who; mam -- to Me (the Supreme Lord); sah -- he; me -- by Me; yukta-tamah -- the greatest yogi; matah -- is considered.

TRANSLATION

And of all yogis, the one with great faith who always abides in Me, thinks of Me within himself, and renders transcendental loving service to Me -- he is the most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all. That is My opinion.

Verse 2

http://vedabase.net/bg/7/19/en2

Chapter 7: Knowledge of the Absolute

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Bhagavad-gita As It Is 7.19

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah

SYNONYMS

bahunam -- many; janmanam -- repeated births and deaths; ante -- after; jnana-van -- one who is in full knowledge; mam -- unto Me; prapadyate -- surrenders; vasudevah -- the Personality of Godhead, Krsna; sarvam -- everything; iti -- thus; sah -- that; maha-atma -- great soul; su-durlabhah -- very rare to see.

TRANSLATION

After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.

Bhagavatam’s opinion

http://vedabase.net/sb/1/7/10/en2

Chapter 7: The Son of Drona Punished

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.10

suta uvaca
atmaramas ca munayo
nirgrantha apy urukrame
kurvanty ahaitukim bhaktim
ittham-bhuta-guno harih

SYNONYMS

sutah uvaca -- Suta Gosvami said; atmaramah -- those who take pleasure in atma (generally, spirit self); ca -- also; munayah -- sages; nirgranthah -- freed from all bondage; api -- in spite of; urukrame -- unto the great adventurer; kurvanti -- do; ahaitukim -- unalloyed; bhaktim -- devotional service; ittham-bhuta -- such wonderful; gunah -- qualities; harih -- of the Lord.

TRANSLATION

All different varieties of atmaramas [those who take pleasure in atma, or spirit self], especially those established on the path of self-realization, though freed from all kinds of material bondage, desire to render unalloyed devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead. This means that the Lord possesses transcendental qualities and therefore can attract everyone, including liberated souls.

Conclusion

Bhamavadi, Advaitavadi and Bhakta are all transcendentalists and thus better than gross materialists.

Sri Krishna openly explains that the Bhakta in His opinion is most connected to him.

At some stage a Bhamavadi can become a Bhakta as explained in the above verse from the Bhagavatam.

Inspired by the mercy of His Holiness Radhanath Swami
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