Vaishnava sabha

S r i l a B h a k t i v i n o d e T h a k u r


Bhaktivinode Thakur wrote this article in response to the prevailing Hindu and Brahmo view that Vaishnavas promoted sectarianism and therefore conflict. In the Calcutta environment, religion had been taking new forms, some of it in the imitation of Christian church congregational or, more often, prayer-house-type religion. The Brahmo Samaj was the first of these movements, and it spawned many imitators even from more traditional segments of Hindu society, especially the Vaishnavas. The Hari Sabha phenomenon, which began in the latter half of the 19th century, was an urban lay phenomenon that was non-sectarian in the sense that it was not based in any matha or ashram, nor was it run by sannyasis or hereditary gurus. Gaudiya Vaishnavas belonging to all families could and did participate in organizing these assemblies which, as a result, became somewhat heterogeneous and loose doctrinally. Bhaktivinode Thakur's Visva-vaisnava-sabha, founded in Serampore in 1884 and moved to Calcutta in 1886, was a part of this movement. The third volume of Sajjana-tosani, published in 1886, was dedicated to the Visva-vaisnava-sabha. Though many Hari Sabhas still exist, for the most part they evolved into more elaborate missions such as the Arya Samaj, Ramakrishna Mission and the Gaudiya Math.



A certain gentleman (Sarat Chandra Datta) recently submitted an article for publication in Sajjana-tosani. This same article which criticizes sectarianism had already appeared in the daily newspaper, Dainika, where it was attributed to the editor. I do not know whether Sarat Babu is the editor of the Dainika or if he has simply plagiarized this previously published artic~ethat is not our affair, but that of the Dainika's editor. As far as we are concerned, however, we cannot publish articles of this sort in Sajjana-tosani.



Two things are immediately evident upon reading Sarat Babu's text. First, the writer is an opponent of the Aryan scriptures



who has taken from the critique of the Western monotheisms' sectarian character. The second thing is that he seems to have strong feelings of resentment against the Vaishnava religion, in particular the Visvavaisnava-sabhd. Indeed, this anger so dominates him that he feels no shame in insulting Vaishnavas and showing contempt for the holy Vaishnava religion.



If we condemn sectarianism, then we condemn the Aryan scriptures. The Aryan scriptures are beneficial for the whole world. They do not have a narrow point of view like so many of the worlds other scriptures, which are incomplete in their scope. It flies in the face of both common sense and experience to say that all people are on the same level of spiritual development. Every living being has a different level of qualification and therefore different propensities. Religious sects are formed of people on the same level of realization about basic truths. The scriptures' instructions for these people are not to be followed by others on a different level.



There are, broadly speaking, three basic types of religious faith: ritualistic, philosophical and devotional. But there are also differences within the Vaishnava school. All these differences arise out of different degrees of spiritual achievement and qualification. Tht great contribution of the Aryan spiritual teachers is to recognize all these different sectarian viewpoints in their scriptures. The Aryan institution of religious development contains a large number of different grades or levels just as there are ten or twelve grades in an ordinary school. Nevertheless, this large number of sectarian groups does not mean that the unity of the Aryan school has been undermined.



The English word "sectarianism" does not have the exact same meaning as the word usually used as its equivalent in Bengali -sampradayikata. The English word implies that those

belonging to one religious sect deny that those belonging to another sect are practicing a valid religion, or says that another religious group is practicing irreligion. According to the Aryan system, one sampradaya considers another to simply be studying in another grade. So anyone who has a distorted understanding of this Aryan version of sectarianism is completely ignorant of the Aryan scriptures, which allow that if someone becomes qualified for a higher level of religious thought, he may change religions. This is a process that goes on for many births until an individual finally becomes eligible for the highest level of spiritual achievement. Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita is very clear on this matter:



aneka janma-sarfisiddhas

tato yati pararh gatim



"After many births one becomes perfected and attains the ulti

mate goal." (Gita 6.45)



One must take up a particular religious practice according to one's qualifications. If one takes up a type of practice for which one is not qualified, then it will not have beneficial effects. The instructions given in the scriptures for people at a particular level of qualification become their sectarian dogma. If one tries to take one particular level of instruction and apply



it to a group that has a different level of qualification, then an impure mixture comes about.



The ancient seers used the word sampraddya to designate the teachings that come down in the disciplic succession and are appropriate to a particular level of qualification. Any instruction that does not come in disciplic succession is not Aryan. The scriptures say that any teaching not received in disciplic succession is worthless (sampradaya-vihind ye mantras to nisphald matah), so anyone who condemns the sects represented by such disciplic successions are non-Aryan in their approach.



Even though there is only one ultimate object of worship, not many, the gods or seers have given directives to worship Shiva, Shakti or Ganesh. These are given for the benefit of different sorts of people. Thus the plurality of objects of worship comes about as a result of the numerous different levels of qualification of the worshipers. It makes more sense for a person to follow through on a commitment to worship the object that incites faith in him. Then, through the blessings coming from that object, one gradually advances to develop faith in higher and higher understandings of divinity, which are progressively revealed as one's capacities increase. The sages always praise the doctrines suitable for a particular level of advancement as supreme in order to help strengthen the devotee's faith in his chosen object of worship.



When Shaktas become somewhat more advanced, they are no longer capable of accepting the remnants of offerings made in the "left-handed" spiritual practices. Such Shaktas then turn to worshiping the Dark Goddess with mantra, meditation and sacrifice. In the same way, those who have come to the Vaishnava faith are no longer permitted to take the remnants of offerings to any other deity.



In this issue of Sajjana-tosani, Kalipada Babu writes an article called "Spurious arguments," in which he states that the Vaishnava can accept the remnants of worship to another deity, as long as this worship is done in the sattvika mode. This suggestion is not flawless: Vaishnavas are engaged in worship that is transcendental to the material modes and should therefore only take the remnants of such worship and not any others, even if such worship is done in the mode of goodness.



In Jagannath Puri, Lord Jagannath's remnants are used in worshiping Bimala Devi. This prasad is then honored by all Vaishnavas. The seers have stated that the other gods and the forefathers should similarly be worshiped with the remnants of offerings made to Vishnu (visnor niveditannena yastavyam devatantaram). Nevertheless, these are not matters that the Vaishnavas go about proclaiming loudly. The spiritual master should explain such rules and their meaning in private to a disciple who has attained the right level of qualification.

We have no objection to the creation of Vaishnava congregations or Hari Sabhas. Indeed, the name itself inspires us with confidence in their value. Rather than hoping for their demise, we pray to the Lord that these Hari Sabhas will increasingly



relish and preach pure devotional service to Lord Krishna. At the same time, we hope that they will not imitate the nonAryan religious congregations where mixed doctrines are preached without any respect for the qualifications of the listeners. If a congregation has taken the name "Society for distributing devotion to Hari" or "Society for preaching devotion to Hari," then it should work towards developing the attitude of pure devotion. We only request that they not mix the opinions and rituals of those who are of differing tendencies and qualifications into their activities.



The members of the Aryan family with different tendencies and qualifications can create their own assemblies and congregations, which they can call the "Society for the protection of the Aryan Religion," the "Kali Society," the "Shiva Society," the "Ganapati Society," etc. If they are ritualists by tendency, they can start the "Yajnika Sabha," or if philosophers, they can start the "Transcendentalists' Society" or "Brahman Society." There, in the association of like-minded persons, they can foster and develop their own spiritual tendencies. This will give us the greatest pleasure. However, we ask that the members of the Hari Sabhas stick to practicing and preaching pure devotion. I will not elaborate on this as it will only cause distress and unnecessarily lengthen this editorial. Let me just advise the members of such Vaishnava congregations that they go to

qualified Vaishnava gurus to learn the process of pure devotion so they can relish it in its pure form.



It is not appropriate to teach without first having learned properly. If it is not the intention of these assemblies to preach pure devotion, then it may be better for them to change their names, perhaps to something more general like Arya-sabha. If you own a vegetable shop, you don't sell fish; if you are a butcher, you don't sell fruit. This kind of mixing leads to con-



fusion in society. It is painful for a celibate monk or priest to see meat or fish being sold in a vegetable shop, because the purity of the vegetables is affected. It is the same thing for pure devotees who go to a Hari Sabha and hear readings and lectures from Manu-sathhitd or Adhydtma-rdmdyana, see fire sacrifices being performed, Baul songs being sung with harmonium accompaniment, or texts of a more intimate nature like Ujjvala-nilamani being discussed publicly to audiences of unqualified people. The sadhus recognize that when there is such a mixing of different teachings and qualifications, people lose their spiritual direction.



Vaishnava doctrines will remain pristine only as long as there is no such admixture of heterogeneous elements. We have absolutely no objection to such a congregational assembly and indeed consider it to be close to our heart. It can be simply named the "Vaishnava Sabha," that is an adequate enough name for it. However, there can be no doubt that an assembly going by the name of Hari Sabha but making no attempt to understand the level of its congregation's eligibility will end up making a mockery of itself.



Originally published in Sajjana-tosani, 3.4, 1886.