New Web Page

I just added a new page to my site: The Chaitanya Movement’s Social Perspective. In this essay, I show the radical, progressive, egalitarian nature of Chaitanya and his movement. I call for devotees to engage in progressive causes today. We should seek spiritual growth and social reform as compliementary devotional processes.

Androgyny

Radha Krishna are the feminine-masculine poles of God-dess. When we see the two as one, we see the androgyny of God-dess and by reflection, of ourselves. Chaitanya is the embodiment of Radha Krishna and therefore, considered their incarnation. The introduction to the Chaitanya Charitamrita beautifully describes Krishna’s reasoning for incarnating as Chaitanya. He wanted to taste the bliss Radha experiences because it is so much more intense than his. So, as Chaitanya, especially after renunciation, he took on the mood of Radha.

This has to do with the mystery of the two-in-one, and is connected to sahajiya philosophy. I am inclined to favor the descending symbolism of Bhaktivinode. God-dess, contains or embodies the symbol in its pure spiritual essence. God-dess is personal, male and female, but in ways we cannot fully conceive. When we see how Radha Krishna manifested in Chaitanya and his followers, we can get an idea of how they might manifest in us. When we are able to bring about the union of Radha Krishna within ourselves, that is perfection.

Joseph Campbell said that the highest form of spirituality is to live the myth. As we surrender to Radha Krishna and allow them to enter our lives, we may hope to be possessed by them and become God-dess intoxicated persons like Chaitanya.

My Perspective On Sensuousness

I am not a strict follower of Bhaktivinode, or anyone else, in the sense of accepting his opinion as the final word on things. He lived in Victorian, British India and geared his teachings to the educated Bengalis and British whom he interacted with regularly. As government servants, he and Lalita Prasadji associated with all sorts of persons. At the time, Chaitanya Vaishnavism suffered from a bad reputation due to persons questionable sexual practices and philosophical weakness. Everything is contextual. We are here and now. Chaitanya Vaishnavism suffers from a bunch of rigid religious fanatics who tend to be life denying, misogynistic advocates of celibacy.

I am not just transmitting the teachings of the past in a faithful manner, but rather, I am engaged in a revitalization project that intends to deconstruct and then reconstruct the tradition based on a new vision for today using the best practices available from all sources. This is Bhaktivinode’s desire, and he is my main motivating source. Just as he was a visionary for his place and time, so must we be today.

Lalita Prasad Thakur told me we would never know the true meaning of his father’s writings until they were republished from the original manuscripts, which he had. I have no idea where they are now. I do not trust IGM publications. I see what I believe to be peculiar wordings of things with an ISKCON ring to them. So, lacking other sources, I take the spirit of Bhaktivinode and don’t worry about the details (even if I were sure they were his words).

Vrindaban is the ideal medieval Indian village, and Radha Krishna are the ideal medieval Indian couple. Of course they are symbolic, archetypal portrayals based on the principle, “As above, so below.” Since we are created in their image, and their sexual union is the highest bliss which we are able to help bring about and partake in through empathic identification with Radha, would it not make sense for men to develop an empathic identification with their wife or lover during love making, learn to see Radha in her (we are all expansions of Radha), develop our anima and become more androgynous? This would also improve the condition of women by raising them to a more divine status in men’s eyes so that they may be the goddesses they are intended to be. If women picture their husband or lover as Krishna, would that not be similarly beneficial? In this way, it is possible to transmute sexuality from a base, mundane act to a symbol of the divine. All lovers are partial manifestations of Radha Krishna’s love.

Vrindaban is the place where that love is most fully manifest. How does that look and play out today?

Sensuous Women Devoted to Krishna

While meditating on what gopis might be like today and how we might translate “gopi” so that it has meaning for contemporary Western devotees, I had an insight. “Gopi” is traditionally translated as “cowherd damsel, girl, woman or maiden.” They are Krishna’s lovers in the cowherd village of Vrindaban who serve Krishna in a mood of erotic love. Most of us have little or no connection to cows or cow herding. “Go” means “cow,” but it also means “senses.” Therefore, gopis are the paradigm of sensuous women who are aesthetically and sexually pleasing to Krishna. If we look at the most beautiful, voluptuous women today, we can just begin to get an idea of what Radha and her friends are like. May Radha and her confidants reveal themselves to me ever more fully eternally. Radhe! Radhe!

A New Essay from a Scholarly Perspective

Here's a link to my latest essay "A Scholarly Survey of Radha Krishna Devotion," in which I respond to discussions with a number of scholars on the subject of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. It shows how my theology is firmly rooted in tradition while addressing the needs of persons today. http://www.stevebohlert.com/scholars.htm