Originally Posted by
brahma jijnasa
Namaste I said that the Vaishnava bhakti faith as we know it today -- a faith that Brahman is the supreme Person -- existed long before Shankara.
Pranam Brahma Jijanasa, no one denies that Vishnu is Supreme Brahamn and I think Supreme person doesn't mean Supreme form or man. It is "Param Purusha". In Sanskrit, Purusha means who has entered into Pura [ city ]. As Param Purusha has entered into the city of Prakruti, he has divided himself in countless Jivas by his own sport, he's known as Param Purusha. I only want to say that you can not copyright vaishnawism to some sects only.
Hari himself declares who is the best devotee:
Hari said – “ One who sees God in all the beings and all the beings in God as well as within himself is the best Bhagawata. (devotee of Bhagwan)” [ BP 11.2.45]
" Atman is Himself what is created as the Universe and the creator as the Atman only in the form of Ishwara, one with it, by whom it is coming into existence. He protects it, it is protected by Him as Vishwatma, the All-pervading God, and He also sums up and withdraws it in Himself. Therefore there is nothing else but Atman, described to be Reality. All these things coming, existing or ending – the three states only falsely appear on the true base of Atman." [BP 11.28.6-7]
"One who thinks himself different from the lord, loses the memory of his real self, due to His Maya, and falls prey to the mistaken belief that he is the body. He is then seized by the fear caused by duality, which is the identification with “other” thing than the self. Therefore, the wise should worship God by only the devotion believing that he himself as Atman, his Guru and the God are one!" [BP 11.2.37]
यन्मनसा न मनुते येनाहु: मनो मतम् ।
तदेव ब्रम्ह त्वं विद्धि नेदं यदिदमुपासते । kenopanishad 1.5 ।
" That which is not thought by mind but by which mind thinks, know this alone to be Brahman, not that which is being worshiped here "
As I see from Bhagavata Puruna, Vaishnawism means seeing Bhagavan as omnipresent Brahman, not just in form. Seeing him as our self is the authentic worship prescribed in Bhagavata. Oneness is his true worship. Seeing all beings in the self and the self in all beings is what is vaishnawism of Bhagavata. Vaishnawa doesn't see in any difference between Atma,Guru and Ishwara.
Thus Vishnu who is supreme lord should be worshipped, seeing him the self of all Jivas. This is the ultimate Vaishnawism as I know.
Hari NARAYANA
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