What does it mean that Chaitanya is a mystic/incarnation?

I view Chaitanya as a mystic, God possessed man who exhibited great love of God and affected the lives of many others. I also view him as an incarnation of Radha Krishna. I just love the opening chapters Chaitanya Charitamrita which describe the purpose of his incarnation.

Persons say to me, "I can accept Chaitanya as a mystic or saint, but I can't accept him as an incarnation." I say, "Does it matter?" Chaitanya came to spread love of God. If you accept him and his teachings and follow him because he is a mystic saint, what is the harm in that?

What does it mean to be an incarnation, in-carne, in the flesh? He was a man. He had a body of flesh and bone. He walked the earth and there's even a story of him defecating. Who was in the flesh? Why Radha Krishna incarnated in him? Was there an individual living entity in there also who became God possessed? I don't know.

Chaitanya said it was wrong to call him God. He lived as a devotee of God and showed us how to love God by his example. Yet, it is also described how he manifested himself as Radha Krishna to certain persons and other amazing stories. I've never experienced anything like that, so I don't know quite how to take them. I also know such writers may be prone to embelishment and elevating his position beyond what he ever concieved of.

Chaitanya was recognized as God in his lifetime by leading persons of his day. Today, many persons accept Satya Sai Baba as God. So, what does it take to be an incarnation in India 500 years ago? I don't know? It remains one of those mysteries. That's why we call it faith.

The Universalist Church of Radha Krishna: A Family of Faith for Western devotees of Radha Krishna
Founding Pastor and Teacher, Subal Das / Steve Bohlert, M.Div.

"Enjoy the material world in a befitting way but do not become attached to it. Within your heart, you should keep yourself very faithful, but externally you may behave like an ordinary person. Thus, Krishna will soon be very pleased and deliver you from the clutches of illusion." (Chaitanya Charitamrita)

Two words can be used to describe the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna: freedom and responsibility. We are a church that is independent and subject to no temporal authority; but equally a church that is the servant of all and minister to everyone.

In today’s world, where many voices compete for attention, it is difficult to separate wheat from the chaff, to discern essential truth from passing fancy. Such discernment is a daily challenge for members of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna.

Freedom, responsibility, and covenant form the core of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna. These traits also impact individual members of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna. Each member has the freedom and responsibility, with the leading of God’s Spirit, the use of one’s mind, the devotion of one’s heart, and the guidance of the historic traditions of the universal church, to work out a faith that is meaningful to her or him.

Local churches are the foundational communities in the organization of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna. Covenant is an essential part of the Church’s theological understanding. The Church is organized as a community built upon mutual promises and obligations among diverse people.

Dialogue continually renews covenant. It is in dialogue with one another and with God that we are able to comprehend our constantly changing world. Each generation of the Church is responsible for making its historic faith its own. This means that the Church is always in dialogue—among its members in a wide variety of settings, with God in worship and prayer, and with the wider community within which it lives. A Church that is called to be the servant of all finds its ministry in dialogue with all.

Practical decision making in the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna brings together the principles of freedom and responsibility with the practices of covenant and dialogue. We attempt to apply the Church’s historic principles and practices to new situations in innovative ways.

We live in faith, hope, and love, seeking even wider diversity and a deeper understanding of God’s purpose.

Universalist Church of Radha Krishna
Founding Pastor and Teacher, Subal Das / Steve Bohlert, M.Div.

What we believe

The Universalist Church of Radha Krishna follows the example and teachings of Sri Krishna Chaitanya and his followers who showed us the path of love of Radha Krishna. It acknowledges as Chaitanya’s family all who share his path. It looks to the word of God in the scriptures and the teachings of the disciplic succession, and to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to prosper its creative and freeing work in the world. It claims as its own the faith of the historic disciplic succession expressed in the scriptures and reclaimed in the basic insights of reformers like Bhaktivinode Thakur. It affirms the responsibility of the Church in each generation to make this faith its own in reality of worship, in honesty of thought and expression, and in purity of heart before God.

We can tell you more about the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna with the help of seven phrases from our tradition which express our commitments.
Love is the answer. This motto of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna reflects the spirit of love on which it is based and points toward the universalist truth that unites all genuine paths.

In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things charity. The unity that we seek requires neither an uncritical acceptance of any point of view, nor rigid formulation of doctrine. It does require mutual understanding and agreement as to which aspects of devotional faith and life are essential.

The unity of the church is not of its own making. It is a gift of God. But expressions of that unity are as diverse as there are individuals. The common thread that runs through all is love.

Testimonies of faith rather than tests of faith. Because faith can be expressed in many different ways, the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna has no formula that is a test of faith.

There is yet more light and truth to break forth from God’s holy word. This affirmation assumes the primacy of scripture as a source for understanding the teachings and as a foundation for all statements of faith. It recognizes that scripture, though written in specific historical times and places, still speaks to us in our present condition. It declares that the study of the scriptures is not limited by past interpretations, but it is pursued with the expectation of new insights and God’s help for living today.

The Priesthood of All Believers. All members of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna are called to minister to others and to participate as equals in the common worship of God, each with direct access to the love of God through personal chanting and devotion.

Recognition is given to those among us who have received special training in pastoral, priestly, educational and administrative functions. Their task is to guide, to instruct, to enable the ministry of all devotees rather than to do the work of ministry for us.

Responsible Freedom. As individual members of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna, we are free to believe and act in accordance with our perception of God’s will for our lives. But we are called to live in a loving, covenantal relationship with one another—gathering in communities of faith, congregations of believers, local churches.

Each congregation or local church is free to act in accordance with the collective decision of its members, guided by the working of the Spirit in the light of the scriptures. But it also is called to live in a covenantal relationship with other congregations for the sharing of insights and for cooperative action.

All are constrained by love to live in a covenantal relationship with one another in order to make manifest the unity of the Church and thus to carry out God’s mission in the world more effectively.

The members and congregations are free in relation to the world. We affirm that the authority of God as revealed in scripture and interpreted with the aid of the Holy Spirit stands above and judges all human culture, institutions and laws. But we recognize our calling both as individuals and as the church to live in the world:
To proclaim in word and action the love of Radha Krishna.

To work for the reconciliation, healing and unity of our broken world.
To seek justice and liberation for all.

This is the challenge of the Universalist Church of Radha Krishna.

Universalist Church of Radha Krishna Statement of Faith
Founding Pastor and Teacher, Subal Das / Steve Bohlert, M.Div.

We believe in God, the Eternal Spirit, The Divine Couple, Radha Krishna, who are made known to us in Sri Krishna Chaitanya, our Eastern Savior, and to whose love we testify:

God calls the worlds into being, creates humankind in the divine image, and sets before us the ways of life and death.

God seeks in holy love to save all people from aimlessness and sin.

God judges all humanity and all nations by that will of righteousness declared through gurus, teachers, ministers and prophets.

In Sri Krishna Chaitanya, the mystic saint of Nadia, our beloved Lord, Radha Krishna have come to us and shared our common lot, showing and teaching us the Path of Love, and calling the whole creation to its spiritual fulfillment.
God bestows upon us the Holy Spirit, or Super Soul, creating and renewing the church of Radha Krishna, binding in covenant a diverse, faithful people.

God calls us into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, to be servants in the service of the whole human family, to proclaim the love of Radha Krishna, and resist the powers of evil, to share in Chaitanya's community and serve Radha Krishna with passion and love.

God promises to all who trust in the practice of spontaneous devotional service and abundance of grace, courage in the struggle for justice, peace and the integrity of creation, the presence of the Holy Spirit in trial and rejoicing, and eternal life in the spiritual world with Radha and Krishna.

Blessing, love, glory and reign be unto Radha Krishna, The Divine Couple.
Amen.

How am I different from other gurus?

“Would you please speak on how your 'professional, pastor-teacher relationship with your students' differs from the traditional Guru/disciple relationship as generally seen in IGM and other traditional paths of Sanatan dharma?”

I see IGM like the Catholic Church and myself like Martin Luther calling for a protestant reformation. I am non-hierarchical and egalitarian. I am one of the people who through practice (sadhana) has attained a certain level of spiritual wisdom and realization. I refuse to allow myself to be put on a pedestal or have gold statues made of me. I walk the path of love with my students as a spiritual guide and friend. Rather than spiritual master, I prefer to think of myself as a spiritual guide and teacher. I am master of no one but myself.

I do not ask to be worshipped, but simply respected as a person who has devoted their life to the spiritual path. I seek to empower my students to realize their full potential as spiritual leaders also. We are all to minister. Some of us do so professionally and others are lay followers. All are devotees and dear to Radha and Krishna.

I have no dogma or creed. I ask my students to agree on basics and on other things they may differ. They should accept the spirit of my teachings rather than the letter. I do not have a cookie cutter recipe for all to follow.

I am a feminist. I believe in elevating the feminine, both in the form of Radha and women as well as those feminine aspects of all life and being. Patriarchical values have dominated for too long. A balance must be achieved.

I especially appeal to critical thinkers (madhyam adhikaris) who do not want black and white answers when reality is more gray. I am not a literal, fundamentalist. I encourage questioning what we believe. That way, we can come to more true belief. Truth is progressive, dynamic and a process. It must be developed and adapted by each generation of seekers. In other words, my word is not final. I am a universalistic essence seeker rather than a sectarian dogmatist.

I have been thoroughly vetted for spiritual, religious leadership in graduate school and a four year ordination process by a leading Protestant denomination. I know of no other guru who is also an ordained Christian trained in the ministry standards of the West which Bhaktivinode Thakur accepted for Westerners. I seek to be a bridge between East and West just as he was. I live a Western lifestyle and encourage my disciples to do the same. Artificial renunciation is not helpful. Enjoy the things of the world in appropriate ways and develop love at the same time. There are no rules for spontaneous devotion (raganuga bhakti).

My disciplic succession

It is fitting that I am in the line of disciplic succession founded by Jahnava Thakurani, wife of Nityananda Prabhu. Nityananda was a renunciate who went to Puri with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mahaprabhu later told him to go back to Bengal and marry so that people would not think it is necessary to be a renunciate in order to attain pure love of God.

I am also a former renunciate who is now married with the same mission. It is also my mission to show that it is not necessary to be an Indian or to mimic Indian Vedic culture in order to attain pure love of God. These devotional teachings must be accessible to Westerners living a Western lifestyle.

I am also a feminist. I am happy to be in a line founded by a woman, with three other women gurus in the line. Patriarchical renunciates have controlled religion for too long. The feminine must be restored, especially in a devotional sect like this that considers Sri Radha, the Supreme Goddess, to be superior to Sri Krishna, the Supreme God.

The Guru

Lalita Prasad Thakur (Babaji) was a very, humble down to earth kind of person. He had no airs about himself. He was very kind and generous in his teachings and didn't impose things on me. Like with ekadas bhav, he said I could make it up myself. I said I'd feel better if he helped me. He asked Bhakta Ma to help pick out my name. He asked me what age I wanted to be and what service I liked.

He wasn't at all like some gurus who claim to go into trance, see your spiritual body in Vrindaban, and tell you who you are. He was a government official until retirement as was his father, who I'm sure didn't think of himself as some super-human, divine being. I also associated with one of Babaji's disciples who worked for the post office and was said to have thousands of disciples. He was also a very humble guy. You don't have to be some superstar to be a guru. You just have to represent the tradition honestly, truthfully, sincerely, lovingly.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami said there was no need for ekadas-bhav initation, one would realise one's own spiritual identity in due time. Gauranga Das Babaji advised me to never leave Vrindaban because everyone there was engaged in meditating on Radha Krishna and would strengthen my meditation. Sri Lalita Prasad Thakur initiated me into ekadas-bhav and told me to go back to the West and preach. I learned a method of visualization and meditation from him. I wondered if Goloka Vrindaban existed on its own, or did it exist because I imagined it.

After many years, I now conclude that it doesn't matter. Everything we can imagine is real on some level of existence. With so many persons imagining Radha Krishna and Goloka Vrindaban for so many years, they must exist. Whatever we most desire, set our mind on, love, cherish and focus our life energy on, we will think of at the time of death and that will carry us on to the next life. I am still placing my bets on Radha Krishna. Their eternal service is the be all and end all of my life. There is just nothing else more attractive to me, and I have studied many different paths. I am also sure that when I fully realize the Divine Couple and their abode, it will all be much more than I ever imagined.

Don't stop doubting and questioning. Certainly God is not offended by these things. Rather they are signs of a true seeker. It is through doubting and questioning that we are able to realize the truth in reality. Question the scriptures. Question the tradition. Question your guru. If your guru is offended by your questions and does not want to answer them, he/she may not be the right guru for you. When I was in my twenties, an ISKCON devotee, I thought I knew it all. Now, I am not as certain of things. There is much we do not know and many paths forming pieces of the puzzle. Yet I know that for me Radha Krishna love and devotion can't be wrong. Blessings. Jai Radhe!

New On-line Forum

I am happy to announce that I am now leading a forum called The Path of Love on Jyoti dham. There is a place there where you can ask me questions, make comments and find out more about my teachings. I hope you will check it out. Aloha. Jyoti dham - The Path of Love

Let me introduce myself.

I am Subal Das Goswami, disciple of Lalita Prasad Thakur (Babaji) who is the son and disciple of Bhaktivinode Thakur. I carry on their spiritual lineage (siddha pranali) and natural devotional style (raganuga bhakti) in a post-modern way (adhunika-vad). I am an essence seeker (saragrahi) who sees things from a holistic, universalist theological position. Babaji told me to preach in the West. Bhaktivinode saw the transmission of his teachings to the West as an evolutionary spiritual development. He wanted an indigenous Western devotion to Radha and Krishna to develop. That is my mission.

Babaji authorized me to initiate disciples. I offer maha-mantra, diksha and ekadas bhav initiations. I maintain a professional, pastor-teacher relationship with my students. I am married and live a Western lifestyle following the ethical codes of ministry found in the United Church of Christ where I also hold ordained clergy status.

New additions to my website

I just added a new page to my autobiography describing the events from 1975-80 when I made a major life transition from being a sannyasi to a Western lifestyle. Saffron, by Steve Bohlert / Subal Das, Page 11a

Details about my Path of Love classes are available here Spiritual Teacher.

Notes forming the basis of my teaching have been added here Path of Love and here Path of Love 2.

Building Bridges?

I just returned from the Hilo, Mayor’s Breakfast Fellowship: Let’s Build Bridges, in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer. I was invited to attend with Roger Christie of the Hawai’i Cannabis Ministry. He said it was the only interfaith event happening. We went and listened to some good talks and some mediocre ones on the subject of building bridges between persons, peoples, faiths, etc., in order to appreciate our differences and similarities so that we can work together for the greater good of all.

As Roger and I were leaving, the Catholic priest, Michael Scully, who gave the invocation, was leaving also. Roger introduced himself and gave the priest his card. The priest knew who he was, laid his card down on a table and had no interest in speaking to him. So much for building bridges.

I hope some of the other speakers were more sincere. The mayor had some good things to say. He talked about starting a Peace Institute here and being a cosmopolitan society. We’ll see. We’d like that too.