Swami B.B. Bodhayan - Essential Vaishnava Teachings: The Path of Pure Devotion

rla Bhakti Bibudha Bodhyan Mahrja President crya, r Gopntha Gauya Maha

For many years, in the course of my travels and discourses I have repeatedly been requested to compile a simple book to address our basic teachings in an accessible manner for aspiring students. While I feel most unqualified for such an undertaking, due to the sincere request of the Vaiavas I felt duty-bound to take up this task.

What follows are the teachings of our sampradya (lineage) as I have heard them from my spiritual master, His Divine Grace rla Bhakti Pramode Pur Gosvm hkura, our stra, and our guru-varga. I have endeavored to faithfully represent our siddhnta without changing or concocting any point contained herein.

In todays world it has become commonplace that many basic points of philosophy are being debated that were never in contention at the time of His Divine Grace rla Prabhupda Bhaktisiddhnta Sarasvat Gosvm hkura when he founded the Gauya Maha, or His Divine Grace rla Saccidnanda Bhaktivinoda hkura, discoverer of Lord Caitanyas birthplace (Yoga-pha temple), in his many writings and publications.

It is distressing to see that in such a short time after their disappearance from this world so much understanding about the nature of the jva, guru-tattva, the practice of sdhana, and Vaiava etiquette, as well as many other foundational teachings, has become adulterated by misconception and manipulation.

It is the right of every jva to know the truth from a bona fide disciplic succession. We are all fortunate to be connected to such a distinguished line of spiritual preceptors, whose qualifications are indisputable and extraordinary.

I pray that in my humble effort to serve their mission through this publication I have not made any mistake or offense.

With folded palms,

dsnudsa B. B. Bodhyan

According to Vedic wisdom, we are conscious living entities known as jvas. We are in possession of a human body, given by the Supreme Lord, which is the best type of body for developing spiritual understanding. But we are not the material body. We are spirit soul.

Although we can see that there are various types of material bodies, such as the human body, animals, birds, insects, and so on, our true identity has nothing to do with these temporary bodies. These bodies are only vehicles for the jva.

The jvas constitutional function is to serve the Supreme Lord r Ka as His eternal servant in pure unconditional love. The jva, having forgotten its constitutional function, has entered into sasra (the cycle of birth and death) and is transmigrating from one type of body to another, with the possibility of experiencing 8,400,000 different life forms, according to the laws of karma. In this material state of existence, he is suffering and enjoying, but the jvas true happiness is found when he reestablishes his eternal relation with the Supreme Lord, r Ka.

In r Brahm Sahit, Lord Brahm has taught that r Ka is the Supreme Lord, both the origin and the cause of all existence. Ka existed before the creation of the universe, Ka exists in the present, and Ka will continue to exist after the destruction of the universe. However, to give pleasure to His devotees who desire to relish relations of parental love with Him, He takes birth in this world from time to time. For example, in Dvpara-yuga (Bronze Age) Ka appeared as the son of Nanda Mahrja and Yaod Dev, and in doing so He reciprocated with their loving sentiments of parental love. He appeared in an area of Vndvana known as Gokula. The residents of Vndvana, known as the vrajavss, lovingly called Him Govinda. The Supreme Lord of the entire universe is r Ka, also known as Govinda (He who gives pleasure to the cows). This is exhaustively explained in r Brahm Sahit:

eko py asau racayitu jagad-aa-koi

yac-chaktir asti jagad-aa-cay yad-anta

antara-stha-paramu-cayntara-stham-govindam di-purua tam aha bhajmi

He is an undifferentiated entity as there is no distinction between potency and the possessor thereof. In His work of creation of millions of worlds, His potency remains inseparable. All the universes exist in Him and He is present in His fullness in every one of the atoms that are scattered throughout the universe, at one and the same time. Such is the primeval Lord Govinda whom I adore. (r Brahm Sahit 5.35)