Bhaktivinoda Thakur

Bhaktivinoda Thakura (* 1838, † 1914) was a scholar and saint of Hinduism vishnuitischer embossing, who spread the religion of Krishna, in the Gaudiya Vaishnava in the teaching, the specific manner of how they and in the teachings of the mystic Chaitanya is shown in the Bhagavatam.

Conflict of Hinduism and Christianity

To understand Bhaktivinoda Thakura, one must take into account that his work is a response to a "clash of civilizations" in the 19th century. The British rule in India, the locals are humiliated and considered also because their different religion of the Protestant colonialists as " Gentiles." Both sides treat each other with hostility and intolerance. For Europeans, Indian religion as " superstition ", and for the Indians themselves is complex, widespread Vishnu piety degenerated into an empty character. Who thinks highly of itself, studied European philosophy, and is not concerned with "old tales ", especially with the widespread devotional book Bhagavatam.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura also initially working intensively with Christianity and the depths of Western philosophy, for the Bhagavata he has nothing but contempt. But then he remembers reading about the deified mystics Chaitanya in his hands, and on this reading, he finds new access to his own religion, and philosophy.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura is in the spiritual tradition of Chaitanya and his students, especially the " six Goswami ," whose teachings he deepened and renewed. Because of his spiritual merit he is also sometimes called the " Seventh Gosvami ."

Revisiting the teachings of Chaitanya

After Chaitanya all relationships and feelings are only distorted reflections of spiritual feelings in a lively and populated by spiritual beings spiritual world.

• Since the fallen creature has the natural pursuit of relationships and feelings, it wants to return to the spiritual world ( the kingdom of Krishna ), where it reacts with Krishna this relationship in one of five predefined relationships ( benevolently neutral, submissive, friendly, parental - caring can and live in spiritual passion ).

• The people who have been born again too often have, by their excessive identification with the world " forget" their spiritual attachment to Krishna, so that their " Krishna consciousness " must be brought back by missionaries and especially by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra.

Bhaktivinoda Thakura uses these teachings on again; his great merit is to have brought them closer an English-speaking audience ( missionary ). His conception was indisputably co-influences from Christianity. So he calls Krishna " Heavenly Father " and measures Chaitanya the role of a " Messiah " to. Herein may be a reason why Christian precreased people to represent him and his pupils Krishna religiosity ( which differs from the religious view of most Hindus, the Advaita Vedanta, differs in important ways ) can find a relatively easy access.