Caminante no hay camino...

En la Iglesia Ortodoxa Oriental, el culto del santo nombre ha sido una práctica esotérica al menos desde los tiempos de San Juan Crisóstomo de Grecia. El padre de la Iglesia de Oriente primitiva, nació en el 349 DC, fue arzobispo de Constantinopla, Mientras que se le conocía por su oratoria “boca de oro” y por sus denuncias de los abusos de las autoridades de la Iglesia, fue tal vez mejor conocido como un contribuyente a la Filocalia, una obra teológica importante en la tradición Oriental Ortodoxa. Mientras Crisóstomo fue un iniciador del culto del santo nombre en la Cristiandad Ortodoxa, la Filocalia fue recolectada por diversos maestros orientales de la tradición ortodoxa aproximadamente entre el S IV y el XV.

En el S XVIII dos monjes griegos, San Nicodemo y San Macario, recogieron los textos y las reflexiones que forman la base de la Filocalia y los hicieron públicos en Venecia en 1782. El texto fue publicado originalmente en griego. Pero sería la traducción al ruso de este libro la que captaría la imaginación del mundo oriental. Paisius Velichkovsky, el traductor, era un monje ruso que había visitado la montaña sagrada de Atos en donde viviera y trabajara Nicodemo. Velichkovsky apreció el carácter trascendental de la obra y tradujo uDobrotolubiye.na sección de la obra al eslavo. Su selección fue publicada en 1793 en Moscú con el título Dobrotolubiye.

 Una novela popular, La Senda del Peregrino, o el Cuento del Peregrino incorpora este fragmento de la Filocalia en su historia. La Senda del Peregrino recuenta la historia de un buscador sincero de la verdad  espiritual y el peregrino que vaga a través de Rusia mientras canta el santo nombre de Jesús. En la fórmula mencionada primeramente en la Filocalia. El peregrino lleva consigo una copia del fragmento de Filocalia, citado anteriormente como el Dorbrotolubiye.

La historia de ficción del peregrino es un dispositivo para explorar las enseñanzas de la Filokalia acerca de la oración interna constante, usando el santo nombre de Dios, al igual que de la rendición. La versión de la oración del santo nombre hallada en La senda del Peregrino fue ampliamente leída y conocida en Rusia en el Siglo XIX. Secciones del libro pueden haber servido como modelos para Dostoyevsksy para su Padre Zossima en los Hermanos Karamazov.

La pasión religiosa que anima la Senda del Peregino resuena a través de las novelas de Tolstoy y Dostoyevsksy y hace eco a través incluso de obras modernas como las de Pasternak y Solzhenitsyn. La Senda del Peregrino devela una iniciación mística profunda hacia el éxtasis y la realidad del Reino de Dios prometido por Jesucristo y promete elevar al practicante hacia el estado trascendental de conocimiento divino y amor.

En su prefacio a la “Senda del Peregrino”, el Diario de Oración de Jesús- Anotado y explicado, traducido por Gleb Pokrovsky, 2013, Andrew Harvey explica su experiencia comparando la oración de Jesús con la práctica del canto de la japa que ha descubierto en India:

“He hallado en India por primera vez la práctica de la japa. De repetir el nombre de Dios en el corazón- y ahora entiendo que en la oración de Jesús. “Señor Jesucristo, ten misericordia de mí” la tradición oriental ortodoxa ha hecho el mismo simple y totalmente transformador descubrimiento del poder del nombre divino.

Los éxtasis y revelaciones del narrador anónimo de la Senda del Peregrino no fueron menos profundos y conmovedores que aquellos que sacudieron a Mirabai, Kavir y Toukaram, los grandes místicos hindúes y sufíes cuyo descubrimiento ha cambiado mi vida. Y en la cadena de citas de la Filocalia- desde figuras como Symeon, la Nueva Teología, Isaac el Sirio y Gregorio Palamas- entonces totalmente desconocidos para mí- He reconocido la nota pura y sobria de la certeza mística y el rigor que me había emocionado en el Bhagavad-Gita y los Upaniṣads”.

El camino esotérico seguido en La Senda del Peregrino no debe ser penetrado por los no iniciados. El peregrino o buscador de la verdad está insatisfecho hasta que se encuentra con los starets- el equivalente ruso de santo místico del guru. Debido a que sus intentos eran incursiones sin control en la sabiduría antes de encontrarse con los starets, el peregrino no podía penetrar los secretos de la vida santa. La mera curiosidad no era suficiente para la iluminación divina. Pero cuando el mentor espiritual guía los pasos del peregrino, él entiende la necesidad de la humildad y la rendición. El guru le instruye. “Es el corazón humilde y sencillo el que alcanza esa oración, a través de la pobreza de espíritu y la experiencia viva de ella”. El peregrino se rinde a Dios y su comunión a través de la oración se logra a través de tomar constantemente el santo nombre.

La senda del Peregrino podría haber sido arrumbada en los polvorientos estantes traseros de las librerías y bibliotecas universitarias si no fuera por los escritos de J.D. Salinger. Salinger fue el notable autor recluso del Guardián del Centeno, una novela corta acerca de un adolescente loco y confundido en los 50’s. Aunque desarma al adolescente en su reclamo, la novela fue escrita originalmente para adultos. Salinger había sido bombardeado durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial y regresó sacudido de la violencia. Su adolescente inadaptado era una metáfora de los adultos que fueron devastados por los estragos de la guerra. La generación de la segunda Guerra Mundial, la “Gran Generación” que peleó y venció el programa genocida de Hitler, pero que regresó marcada y herida de la experiencia.

La América de la posguerra hizo todo lo posible para consolarse con gasolina barata, comedias de televisión y Rock and Roll, pero el daño psicológico estaba hecho. La prometedora carrera de Salinger nunca logró cuajar pues nunca pudo superar el trauma de la guerra. Salinger estuvo presente en la liberación del campo de la muerte de Dachau y más tarde le dijo a su hija: “Podrás vivir toda una vida y nunca podrás lograr realmente que el olor de la carne quemada salga de tus fosas nasales”. Invirtió la psicología traumática oscura de una Europa desgarrada por la guerra en la psiquis de su héroe adolescente, Holden Caulfield.

El síndrome del “adolescente problema” de su libro fue un éxito instantáneo. Holden Caulfield ejemplificaba a los adolescentes de los 50’s “Rebelde sin Causa” más tarde encarnado por James Dean. Guardián del Centeno sigue vendiendo millones y frecuentemente se asigna como lectura obligatoria en las clases de secundaria, tanto por su prosa alegre y su estilo conversacional como por su tema de juventud inadaptada. Su crítica a la gene “falsa” llegó a la meta. Holden Caulfield se hizo emblema de la angustia adolescente existencial por generaciones. Pero los admiradores de Salinger esperaron en vano por el siguiente libro que siguiera y superara al Guardián del Centeno. Salinger nunca publicó otra novela tan importante tras su primera ofrenda.

Los lectores que amaron Guardián del Centono esperaron por años una secuela o una nueva novela, solo para que se les ofreciera un cuento curioso, llamado Franny. Más tarde publicada como un pequeño libro con la novela Zooey bajo el título Franny y Zooey. Franny cuenta otra historia de angustia adolescente. En esta ocasión la protagonista es una universitaria intelectual, una mujer, quien, alejada de la falsedad de la sociedad consumista que la rodea tiene un colapso nervioso. En la historia, escapa de la tensión y ansiedad al seguir una disciplina espiritual explicada en el libro que lee, La Senda del Peregrino.

Al igual que el peregrino en busca de la verdad lleva con él el Dorbrotolubiye dado por su mentor, Franny lleva consigo en su bolsa La Senda del Peregrino y se refugio en la oración de Jesús cuando no puede seguir tolerando la hipocresía de la sociedad de clase media americana de los 50’s Franny se preocupa por superar el ego, “Me enferma no tener el coraje de ser absolutamente nadie”, dice. “Estoy enferma de ego, ego, ego. Del mío y el de todos los demás. Estoy harta de que todo el mundo quiera llegar a alguna parte, hacerse distinguido y demás, ser alguien interesante. Es asqueroso”.

En un intento por lograr un mínimo de paz psíquica, Salinger había pasado del misticismo judío al budismo zen a las enseñanzas del místico bengalí Ramkrishna y Kriya-yoga. Y tal como Franny recupera la compostura la tomar refugio en las oraciones de Jesús, el propio Salinger pasó horas en meditación entonando los antiguos mantras de los vedas. Su vida reclusa impide que entremos profundamente en su propia búsqueda mística de la verdad, pero es bastante claro que esta quintaesencia de los autores americanos, cuya obra es lectura obligatoria para los estudiantes de secundaria en todas partes, tomó un gran interés no sólo en la tradición mística cristiana del santo nombre, sino que profundizó en la versión Hindú, el canto del santo nombre de Kṛṣṇa. La Franny de Salinger explica el poder de la oración de Jesús en la voz de una estudiante sin gradurar que comparte una sonda con un amigo. “De cualquier forma” ella continúa, “los starets le dicen al peregrino que continúe diciendo esa oración una y otra vez- al principio debes hacerlo sólo con los labios- luego, eventualmente lo que ocurre es que la oración se auto-activa.

Algo apsa después de un tiempo. No sé qué, pero algo ocurre y las palabras se sincronizan con el latido de la persona, y entonces de hecho orarás sin cesar. Lo cual tiene un tremendo auténtico efecto místico en toda tu perspectiva. Quiero decir, ese es su punto, más o menos, Quiero decir que lo haces para purificar toda tu perspectiva y obtener una completa concepción nueva acerca de qué se trata todo”.

Este diálogo se lleva a cabo en un restaurant. Franny intenta explicarle a su novio cómo funciona el misticismo, mientras él come un plato de ancas de rana y ella fuma.

“De hecho, eso absolutamente que tiene sentido” dice Franny, “porque en la secta busdista Nemubutsu, la gente dice ‘Namu Amida Butsu’ una y otra vez- lo cual significa ‘alabanzas a Buda’ o algo parecido- y sucede exactamente lo mismo. Exactamente lo mismo—“.

Si tienes en cuenta que Franny se publicó en 1955, el diálogo parece bastante avanzado, considerando que un amigo mío fue arrestado recientemente en Rusia por discutir del yoga.

“Llegas a ver a Dios. Algo ocurre en una parte absolutamente no física del corazón—donde dicen los Hindúes que reside Atman, si alguna vez tomases alguna religión – y ves a Dios, eso es todo”, sacude la ceniza de su cigarrillo que cae fuera del cenicero y que ella recoge con los dedos y la coloca dentro. “Y no me preguntes quién o qué es Dios. Quiero decir que ni siquiera sé si existe. Cuando era pequeña, solía pensar—“ Se detuvo. El mesero llegó a recoger los platos y a redistribuir los menús. “¿Quieres postre o café?” Preguntó Lane.

Salinger hizo lo que pudo para ocultarse de la publicidad, de la prensa y del mundo exterior, viviendo como recluso en el norte de Nueva York y dedicado a su estudio religioso. Se dice que tal vez haya entrado en contacto con las enseñanzas de A.C Bhaktivedānta Swāmi Prabhupāda quien defendía una vida de estricta disciplina y dedicación al canto del santo nombre.

Bhaktivedānta Swāmi llegó primero a Nueva York en 1960 en donde su movimiento Hare Kṛṣṇa influyó a poetas como Alan Ginsberg, Bob Dylan y más tarde a los Beatles.

Pero tal vez su influencia se profundizó en J.D. Salinger cuya fascinación con el santo nombre ya estaba manifiesta en sus novelas. Si la llave a la iluminación está expresada en Filocalia y la Senda del Peregrino involucra la humildad, la rendición y la absorción constante en el santo nombre, Bhaktivedānta Swāmi subrayó exactamente estos elementos a sus estudiantes y en sus libros.

Bhaktivedanta Swami era un exponente incansable del santo nombre de Krsna y dejó atrás volúmenes y escritos que soportaban la tésis de que el santo nombre otorga liberación de todo mal. Como soporte a sus tesis, por ejemplo, cita a distintas autoridades. Podrán encontrar lo siguiente en sus escritos.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura cita los siguientes versos de las escrituras:

नाम्नो हि यावती शक्तिः पाप-निर्हरणे हरेः

तावत् कर्तुं न शक्नोति पातकं पातकी नरः

nāmno hi yāvatī śaktiḥ pāpa-nirharaṇe hareḥ

tāvat kartuṁ na śaknoti pātakaṁ pātakī naraḥ

बृहद्-विष्णु पुराण

“Simplemente por cantar un santo nombre de Hari, un hombre pecador puede evadir las reacciones de más pecados de los que puede cometer”. (Bṛhad-viṣṇu Purāṇa)

अवशेनापि यन्-नाम्नि कीर्तिते सर्व-पातकैः

पुमान् विमुच्यते सद्यः सिंह-त्रस्तैर् मृगैर् इव

avaśenāpi yan-nāmni kīrtite sarva-pātakaiḥ

pumān vimucyate sadyaḥ siṁha-trastair mṛgair iva

गरुड पुराण

“Si uno canta el santo nombre, incluso en una condición desesperada o sin desar hacerlo, todas las reacciones pecaminosas parten de inmediato, tal como el rugir del león provoca a los pequeños animales de la selva a que huyan temerosos”.  (Garuḍa Purāṇa)

सकृद् उच्चारितं येन हरिर् इत्य् अक्षर-द्वयम्

बद्ध-परिकरस् तेन मोक्षाय गमनं प्रति

sakṛd uccāritaṁ yena harir ity akṣara-dvayam

baddha-parikaras tena mokṣāya gamanaṁ prati

स्कन्द पुराण

“Una persona que canta solamente una vez el nombre del Señor, que consiste en las dos sílabas h-ri garantiza su senda a la liberación”. (Skanda Purāṇa)

Bhaktivedānta Swāmi fundador de la asociación mundial de buscadores de la verdad dedicados al canto del santo nombre de Krsna, la Suprema Personalidad de Dios. El propósito principal del movimiento es el promover el bienestar de la sociedad humana enseñando la ciencia de la Consciencia de Dios (Consciencia de Krsna) de acuerdo a las atemporales escrituras Védicas de la India. Pero mientras las antiguas escrituras Vedicas definen las verdades y valores universales, el Dios Supremo puede conocerse por muchos nombres, de acuerdo a Sus distintas cualidades y actividades. En la Biblia es conocido como Jehovah (“el todo poderoso”), en el Corán es Alá (“el grandioso”).

La Senda del Peregrino y El Filocalia abogan por la oración de Jesús y la toma del santo nombre de esa manera. El antiguo Bhagavad-Gita revela a Dios como Krsna. La palabra Krsna significa “amor y belleza infinitos” un nombre sánscrito que significa “quien es todo atractivo” Hay muchas concepciones del infinito- tiempo infinito, espacio infinito, poder infinito. Pero estas son externas a la realidad última. El amor infinito atrae amor infinito y rendición infinita e irresistible. El Santo nombre clama por la misericordia de Dios y su misericordia y amor infinitos. Este es el concepto más elevado del infinito- el amor divino. Y quien invoca ese amor divino sumergiéndose en el santo nombre de Dios, ya sea Krsna o cristo- alcanzara finalmente el objetivo.

Bhaktivedānta recomendó el canto y la vibración del santo nombre de Kṛṣṇa: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Esta es la vibración sonora trascendental. Nos ayudará a limpiar el polvo del espejo de la mente. En el presente hemos acumulado tanto polvo en el espejo de la mente, y como consecuencia somos incapaces de ver las cosas en perspectiva. Esta vibración del sonido trascendental (el mantra Hare Krsna) limpiará ese polvo y nos permitirá ver claramente nuestra posición constitucional verdadera. Conforme la consciencia es purificada por el proceso del canto Hare Krsna, todas nuestras miserias materiales desaparecerán.

Sound Practice

The Power of Sound

The magical power of sound has been known to human mysticism since the dawn of time. Hymns, prayers, incantations, mantra have been the key to communion with the divine for thousands of generations. The Bible tells us that in the beginning was the word, logos, while the ancient Veda proclaims the sacred mantra, om ॐ as the primordial and universal sound.

The taxonomy of divinity may vary from one tradition to another, but the divine name of God is considered to have great power in any tradition. From Yahweh to Adonai to Christ and the followers of the Jesus Prayer and the Philokalia, the practice of the mantra has held power over erudite savants and mystic pilgrims seeking the divine. Sound has transformative power.

Sound itself, the spectrum of vibration that can be heard by the human ear, is only a small expression of the overwhelming and perfect harmony of the whole universe; this may be the secret of the amazing power that music has to move us.

Writing in The Mysticism of Sound and Music, The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882-1927), the first teacher to bring the Islamic mystical tradition to the West, asserts that “Divine sound is the cause of all manifestation. The knower of the mystery of sound knows the mystery of the whole universe. The Yogis and the Sufis in their meditation have always had music. Music is the greatest mystery in the world. The whole manifestation is made of vibrations, and vibrations contain all its secrets The vibrations of music free the soul and take from a person all the heaviness which keeps him bound. Music reaches the soul in a moment, as the telegraph reaches from London to New York... Music, the word we use in our everyday language, is nothing less than the picture of the Beloved. It is because music is the picture of the Beloved that we love music. But the question is: What is our Beloved, or where is our Beloved? Our Beloved is that which is our source and our goal. What we see of our Beloved before our physical eyes is the beauty which is before us. If only we would listen to the voice of all the beauty that attracts us in any form, we would find that in every aspect it tells us that behind all manifestations is the perfect Spirit, the Spirit of wisdom.

While music touches the human heart, mantra penetrates deeper to the human soul. Ordinary sound takes place within the world of sense, mind and vibrations: divine sound transpires on a higher conscious plane, above the sensual, mental and intellectual plane. When mantra truly penetrates the inner ear, the true nature of the divine may be experienced through a transcendental wave or vibration.

Real divine sound takes place in a higher realm that cannot be heard with the ordinary ear. It may begin with a sensual experience; the mantra may originally be felt as a physical sound vibration. But just as Beethoven could hear inner music even when he was stone deaf, a true saint hears the holy name on a higher level--the soul plane.

True divine sound moves through a more subtle sphere of existence, beyond the planetary music of the spheres. As an example, the gayatri mantra is a gateway to the immortal plane. Higher still, the holy name of Krishna is a transcendent reality, God incarnate as divine sound. Such spiritual vibration calls one to the highest plane of existence where one is invited to participate in the dance of Govinda to the tune of his transcendental flutesong.

The Sanskrit word mantra implies manasa-trayate or deliverance of the mind from the strife of material existence. While many mantras exist in the Vedic tradition, the mahā-mantra, or great mantra is the supreme path to truth. The ultimate sacred syllables of the great mantra reveal confidential truths about the nature of Supreme Reality.

This esoteric system was first promulgated half a millenium ago on the banks of the Ganges in Nabadwip, Bengal among the saints and sages of India by its greatest mystic, Shri Chaitanya, also called Mahaprabhu or great teacher.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu

Four hundred years ago in 1616 the two greatest proponents of literature in the Western world, the greatest poet of the English language together with the greatest novelist in the Spanish language did on the same day of the same year. Both Shakespeare and Cervantes passed away on the same day, 23 April, 1616. How fitting that the deaths of the greatest minds of the Western literary world would coincide with the publication of the Chaitanya Charitamrita, the work of the greatest Bengali poet and spiritual master, Krishna Das Kaviraj Goswami.

Kaviraj Goswami’s book heralds the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the foremost exponent of the power of the maha-mantra and the holy name of Krishna. His teachings have been explained by Śrīdhara Mahārāja in the Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa:

“When Kṛṣṇa enters the heart through the ear, He captures the lotus of the heart and then gradually makes all the dirt in the heart disappear. Just as when the autumn season comes, all the water everywhere becomes pure, so also, when Kṛṣṇa enters our hearts, all the impurities within will gradually vanish, and only Kṛṣṇa will remain forever.”

Śrīdhara Mahārāja explains how to go about the practice of the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, through japa or quiet prayer, using the rosary called japa-mala. He tells us that it is always beneficial to begin by invoking Śrī Chaitanya who brought the holy name of Kṛṣṇa into the consciousness of the present world:
“Before chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa, we must first chant the Pañcha-tattva mantra:

 श्री कृष्ण छैतन्य प्रभु नित्यानन्द
श्री अद्वैत गदाधर श्रीवासादि गौर-भक्त-वृन्द
śrī kṛṣṇa chaitanya prabhu nityānanda
śrī advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

The Pañcha-tattva, or five features of the Absolute Truth, came to give the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra to the fallen devotees of this age, so they are the general representation of Guru for us. They help us to enter into the domain of Kṛṣṇa and also the plane of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.
After chanting the Pañcha-tattva mantra, we should count on the beads of the japa-mālā and chant the mahā-mantra:

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे

Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare
Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

“While counting beads and chanting the holy name, the beads should be placed inside a cloth bag, and the index finger, which is generally considered inauspicious, should not touch the beads, but should remain outside the bag. Generally we use the thumb and middle finger to count. One should chant sixteen rounds, as recommended by Bhaktivedanta Swāmī Mahārāj, but if there is any emergency, he must chant at least four rounds; the mālā should not be kept fasting. In the process of counting, we begin from the bigger beads and go towards the smaller, and again return in the same line. The giant bead in the center is called Mount Sumeru. We must not cross over that. This harināma mahā-mantra is found in the Upaniṣads, as well as in the Agni Purāṇa and the Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa. In the Kalisantaraṇa Upaniṣad, it is recommended as the highest mantra, and scholars have mentioned this mantra as a means of address only; no appeal should be attached to that. This Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra is the yuga dharma nāma, or the process of God realization especially meant for the present age, Kali-yuga. We find the mahā-mantra mentioned everywhere in the Purāṇas. This mantra can be chanted silently, mentally, and aloud. It has been given to us by Mahāprabhu as the general recommendation for the fallen souls. He has given it for all, whether they are qualified or unqualified. The only condition for receiving it is śraddhā, faith. It is mentioned in the Padma Purāṇa that there are ten kinds of offenses we must try to avoid in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. There are also four kinds of nāmābhāsa, or apathetic chanting, which will not give us entrance into the domain of mercy. Mere liberation will be effected by that kind of invocation.”


His Divine Grace Bhakti Rakṣaka Śrīdhar dev Goswāmī, Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Guardian of Devotion Press.

Christos and Krishna

I have quoted extensively from the book Way of a Pilgrim, since this book and its tradition are the basis for a mystic practice in Christianity involving taking the name of Jesus on beads, a practice that clearly mimics the devotional practices of Vaishnavism. During the 1980s devotees approached Śrīdhara Mahārāja and asked him about the relative value of this practice. This has been documented in The Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa which we published at Guardian of Devotion Press in 1982.

“Christian: There is one book called The Way of The Pilgrim, about a Christian who chants the name of Jesus on beads.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Yes, the Catholics also use beads. Some Christians may chant the name of Christ.

Christian: This man was chanting the name of Jesus, his heart was growing soft, and he was feeling ecstasy, great love for Jesus.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Then he may attain the position of Jesus, at most. It may be that in his attempt for perfection, his growth is finished there, in the eternal paraphernalia of Jesus. He may remain there. If he has found his fullest satisfaction, he is fated to be there.

Many people objected that we included this section in the Search for Śrī Kṛśṇa. It was not "politically correct," we were told, since Śrīdhara Mahārāja appears to relativize the position of Jesus Christ. After all, hadn't Prabhupāda taught that the name was the same, whether Kristos or Krishna? In fact, of course, Prabhupāda in his conversations with Catholic and Orthodox priests was being generous and ecumenical. He was emphasizing the need for some religious practice in the godless 1960s, admitting that meditation on Jesus was worthwhile as long as the abhorrent practice of animal slaughter was left behind. (See the complete conversation with Father Emmanuel.  http://www.krishnapath.org/krishna-and-christ-with-srila-prabhupada-and-father-emmanuel/) In the above comments from The Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrīdhara Mahārāja draws an important ontological distinction between the teachings of Jesus and the ontology of the Krishna conception.

After all, if "The name is the same," we return to the question, "Why chant Hare Krishna?" The Jesus prayer would appear to be sufficient. Why adopt a different practice when Christianity is complete?  

It may be argued that Śrīdhara Mahārāja was naive--that as an adherent of an Eastern tradition, he was unaware of Christianity. But Śrīdhara Mahārāja was in his 80s at the time of these conversations. He was hardly innocent of any understanding of Christianity. In fact, he had been educated in the Jesuit school of President's College in Calcutta, where the authorities did their best to convert Bengalis to Christianity. He had been well aware of Christian doctrine and practice, not only as an erudite scholar, but as a preacher who had represented the Gaudiya Math all his life. Śrīla Śrīdhara Mahārāja had published any number of scholarly articles and advised on the printing of many titles in English since the 1930s. He was highly esteemed by Professor Sannyal of Ravenshaw College who was Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati's voice in English. When we read Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati in English, we are reading the translations of Sannyal, who often consulted Śrīdhara Mahārāja on ontological and philosophical matters. Śrīdhara Mahārāja was well aware of the positions of Christian theologists, but held that Christianity falls short of the true principles of divine love taught in the Vaishnava school of  Chaitanya Mahāprabhu.

His point here is that Kristos promises salvation, especially salvation from sin. The promise of salvation or liberation mirrors the idea of "oneness" given by the school of Shankaracharya, the Advaitavadis. The "afterlife" in Christianity is left undefined. Dante's treatment of heaven in the Divine Comedy is fanciful, involving 9 spheres in a concentric pattern, each level bringing one closer to God who is identified as the Father. Dante has a flash of understanding in which he sees the divine light.  Some versions of heaven have angels circling in clouds playing Hosannahs in excelsior on golden harps; others have us reunited with lost family members. Many of these versions of heaven have fallen from favor; they are considered antiquated. Christians envision the afterlife as a kind of oneness with the eternal universe of divinity. 

Christian ideas of afterlife run the gamut from oneness with the universe to a life with "God the Father." Śrīdhara Mahārāja holds that an impersonal concept of God is imperfect. If the goal of Christianity is to become one with universal spirituality it resembles the "oneness" theory promulgated by the Advaita school of Vedānta. In that sense it is external, for it lacks any true consideration of divine love. True divine love must encompass not only immortality, but positive immortality of the sort permeated with rasa  or divine emotion.

In his analysis of the Jesus Prayer, Śrīdhara Mahārāja continues: [By chanting the name of Jesus...] "Then he may attain the position of Jesus, at most. It may be that in his attempt for perfection, his growth is finished there, in the eternal paraphernalia of Jesus. He may remain there. If he has found his fullest satisfaction, he is fated to be there. "

It is clear that Śrīdhara Mahārāja considers that the followers of Jesus may attain immortality in the spiritual position of Brahman. He considers this superficial, since there is no devotional position there.  But there is no prejudice expressed against the followers of Jesus. They may be able to penetrate even higher and develop a true devotional position.

"By the will of God, and by the powerful will of an exalted devotee, even from the impersonal Brahman effulgence one may be roused from his slumber and moved to action in devotional service. Generally, they pass long ages there in the nondifferentiated plane, satisfied with their spiritual attainment; however, in the consideration of infinite time, nothing is very great or spacious. They may remain holding that position for a long time, so many dissolutions and creations may come and go, but the possibility remains that their slumber may be broken at any time. Since time immemorial, this created world has been in existence, and so many souls are ascending to the Brahman effulgence and again descending. So, even in the midst of the infinite Brahman effulgence, some souls are coming out. It is a question of infinity, so the position of Jesus may be considered as eternal, and the time may come when Jesus himself may be converted into Vaiṣṇavism. It is not impossible.”

Since Jesus never speaks of Krishna or Vishnu, since he never describes the "Personality of Godhead" as such, but only refers to "My Father who is in heaven" in a vague sort of way, Śrīdhara Mahārāja has concluded that Jesus is not a Vaishnava. The "Christian" in the conversation is a friend of mine and I was personally present for many of these conversations. He was surprised when Śrīdhara Mahārāja insisted that Jesus was not a Vaishnava and was determined to probe further. 

“Christian: Do you think that Jesus had awareness of Kṛṣṇa as the Personality of Godhead?

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: When his inner attainment is most closely detected, then we are bound to say that in the course of his eternal life, there is some possibility of his achieving Kṛṣṇa.

At this point in the conversation, it is clear that Śrīdhara Mahārāja is considering Jesus as a teacher. Śrīdhara Mahārāja familiar with the teachings of Jesus, and here he is analyzing his position in terms of the teachings he has left. There are Christian theologians, for example, Karl Barth, who hold that the teachings of Jesus are not important; for such Christians the resurrection of Christ is the basis for faith, not the teachings of Jesus. In his sermon "Threatened by the Resurrection, Karl Barth describes the resurrection of Christ as "not a  miracle, but the miracle of God--the all-inclusive reneweal that leads from death to life that comes from him, God's life-word, resurrection from the dead! 

Christ's resurrection is the be-all and end-all of Christian faith for Barth, who discards the teachings of Jesus as interesting but irrelevant historical trivia. Rudolph Bultmann also finds that that historical Jesus is of little interest and that historical analysis of the New Testament if futile. On the other hand, 

Jesus’ resurrection is at the very core of the message preached by His disciples.  C.S. Lewis points out that the task of the apostles was to  “preach Christianity meant primarily to preach the Resurrection.” Followers of this point of view show that the founder of the Catholic church, the apostle Paul himself, stresses the  the importance of resurrection. According to Paul, if Christ had not been raised from the dead, our sins would not have been forgiven and Christian faith would be futile. (1 Cor. 15:17) The meaning of the resurrection can be seen and interpreted differently. Christ was risen from the dead and then went up to heaven. But what exactly is the concept of heaven or afterlife? 

If the conception of heaven and afterlife is similar to one-ness, then Śrīdhara Mahārāja's analysis holds. The completion of religious practice, then is salvation from sin, liberation from death, and ultimately the non-differentiated immortality celebrated in India by the Shankara school. Taken as a teacher, what Jesus promises not only through his teachings but even through his resurrection is "liberation from sin," and "salvation." If salvation from birth and death is unity with God or immortality, we're back to square one.  According to the Vaishnava school, liberation in One-ness is a stagnant position. 

Śrīdhara Mahārāja has so far explained that yes, there may be some benefit in deeply meditating on the holy name of Jesus and his teachings, but that since Jesus himself seems to teach Unity with the Godhead, his own position in terms of bhakti or divine love, is suspect. The Christian in the conversation isn't happy. Let's continue our analysis of the conversation with Śrīdhara Mahārāja in the Search for Śrī Kṛṣṇa.

Christian: I don’t understand.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Is Jesus stagnant or progressive? Where he has reached, is that finished forever, or is he dynamic?

Christian: Christians will say that he has full knowledge.

Śrīdhar Mahārāj: So, is he stagnant there, finally fixed? Is that Jesus’ position? Do the bishops say that his position is final? Does he have a progressive life? Or is Jesus alone barred from making further progress? Is he a member of the dynamic world? Or the stagnant world?”

Śrīdhara Mahārāja is pointing out that all teachers have room for growth. If Jesus is a teacher, he may also have something to learn, even as the Son of God. According to Rupa Goswami, the worship God the Father is not the highest possible conception of divinity. Worship of the Fatherhood of Godhead implies awe and reverence, which impedes true devotion. Love vitiated by terror cannot be pure love. If God inspires terror as does the Old Testament Father, he cannot be the object of complete love. This has been described more completely by Rupa Goswami especially in Bhakti-Rasāmṛta Sindhu.  

Śrīdhara Mahārāja insists that the conception of Godhead as advanced by Christian theologians is incomplete as it doesn't consider complete love and its implications. The Kṛṣṇa conception is a complete version of divine love and must be considered by those who are interested in going deeper. The nature of the infinite is not an easy thing. No teacher is absolutely finished in studying the infinite,  not even Jesus himself.

“So, this is the nature of the infinite. Being finite, we are going to deal with the infinite? That is our ludicrous tendency. It is ludicrous for us to deal with the infinite. Why is Kṛṣṇa considered to be the Absolute Truth? This you should inquire about in a scientific way, step by step. As I have recommended, you should go on reading about that in the Śrī Kṛṣṇa Saṁhitā, and the Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta. You should try to follow very minutely the dynamic development of theism as it is presented there.”

Divine Sound and the Holy Name II

We often meet people who find that taking shelter of the holy name is a foreign practice. They point out that one of the 10 Commandments of the Christian faith is “Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain.” They feel this is a prohibition on taking the holy name. At the same time many people object to our using the name Krishna. Our divine master, Śrila Prabhupada, once remarked that the holy name has equal power whenever it appeals to divinity. Divinity exists and when we appeal to divinity we experience divine revelation.

In 1974, near a yoga center in Frankfurt am Main, West Germany, Srila Prabhupada and several of his disciples were on a walk one morning with father Emmanuel Jungclaussen, a Benedictine monk from Niederalteich Monastery. Noticing that Srila Prabhupada was carrying meditation beads similar to the Catholic rosary, Father Emmanuel explained that he also chanted a constant prayer, the Jesus Prayer mentioned in the Philokalia: “Lord Jesus Christ, be merciful unto us.”



Śrila Prabhupada said, “When an Indian person calls on Krishna, he often says, “Krista.” Krista is a Sanskrit word meaning “attraction.” So when we address God as “Christ,” “Krista,” or “Krishna,” we indicate the same all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Jesus said, “Our Father, who art in heaven, sanctified be Thy name,” that name of God was Krista or Krishna. "Christ" is another way of saying Krsta, and "Krsta" is another way of pronouncing Krsna, the name of God. Jesus said that one should glorify the name of God, but yesterday I heard one theologian say that God has no name-that we can call Him only "Father."



A son may call his father "Father," but the father also has a specific name. Similarly, "God" is the general name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose specific name is Krsna. Therefore whether you call God "Christ," "Krsta," or "Krsna," ultimately you are addressing the same Godhead. Actually, it doesn't matter-Krsna or Christ-the name is the same. To practice bhakti-yoga means to become free from designations like "Hindu," "Muslim," "Christian," this or that, and simply to serve God. We have created Christian, Hindu, and Muhammadan religions, but when we come to a religion without designations, in which we don't think we are Hindus or Christians or Muhammadans, then we can speak of pure religion, or bhakti. [divine love]

Father Emmanuel was following the Orthodox tradition of practicing the holy name of Jesus. There are remarkable parallels in the practice of taking the holy name of Krishna and Christos, as we shall see.

Prabhupada pointed out that the practice of the holy name is always beneficial, especially when taken together with the practice of nonviolence. Continuing the conversation, he remarked

 “I have not come to teach you, but only to request you to please chant the name of God. The Bible also demands this of you. So let's kindly cooperate and chant, and if you have a prejudice against chanting the name Krsna, then chant "Christos" or "Krsta"-there is no difference. Sri Caitanya said: namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-saktih. "God has millions and millions of names, and because there is no difference between God's name and Himself, each one of these names has the same potency as God." Therefore, even if you accept designations like "Hindu," "Christian," or "Muhammadan," if you simply chant the name of God found in your own scriptures, you will attain the spiritual platform. Human life is meant for self-realization-to learn how to love God. That is the actual beauty of man. Whether you discharge this duty as a Hindu, a Christian, or a Muhammadan, it doesn't matter-but discharge it!”

In the Christian tradition the practice of appealing to the holy name as a means of salvation is perhaps most powerfully seen in the teachings of the Philokalia, especially as revealed in a 19th Century work called The Way of a Pilgrim.

The Way of a Pilgrim is either the true story or a fictionalized account of a Russian Orthodox pilgrim and truth-seeker, who meets a starets or spiritual guide who advises him to take shelter of the “Jesus Prayer.”



The prayer simple says, “Jesus Christ have mercy on my soul.” He is to repeat the prayer continuously, internalizing it until it becomes one with his being. While immersing himself in the holy name of Jesus, he is given two instructions: read the Philokalia, and be humble. As the pilgrim continues his journey he finds great spiritual peace and divine revelation in the Jesus Prayer or prayer of the heart. It’s interesting to see how closely the ancient Christian practice aligns with the yoga practice of chanting mantras, especially the holy name, “hare krishna, hare krishna, krishna krishna, hare hare, hare rama hare rama, rama rama hare hare.”

The Way of the Pilgrim is possibly the best documentation of this practice within the Orthodox tradition. Along the way, the “pilgrim” constantly reads and refers to the Philokalia, a collection of writings by the spiritual masters of the Eastern Orthodox Church, spanning some 900 years between the 4th and 15th centuries. Philokalia means “Love of the Beautiful.” from the Ancient Greek φιλία philia "love" and the word κάλλος kallos "beauty.” The Philokalia was compiled in the 18th Century for the guidance and instruction of religious acolytes in the practise of the contemplative life. The compilation is generally attributed to St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain of Athos and St. Makarios of Corinth.

The anonymous pilgrim describes his first meeting with his guru and how he comes to know about the Jesus Prayer. This translation of “The Way of a Pilgrim” is available at Gutenberg.org:

[The teacher] took my request kindly and asked me into his cell. "Come in," said he. "I will give you a volume of the holy Fathers from which with God's help you can learn about prayer clearly and in detail." We went into his cell and he began to speak as follows. "The continuous interior prayer of Jesus is a constant uninterrupted calling upon the divine name of Jesus with the lips, in the spirit, in the heart, while forming a mental picture of His constant presence, and imploring His grace, during every occupation, at all times, in all places, even during sleep. The appeal is couched in these terms, 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.' One who accustoms himself to this appeal experiences as a result so deep a consolation and so great a need to offer the prayer always that he can no
longer live without it, and it will continue to voice itself within him of its own accord.
Now do you understand what prayer without ceasing is?"

"Yes indeed, Father, and in God's name teach me how to gain the habit of it," I
cried, filled with joy. Read this book," he said. "It is called The Philokalia, and it contains the full and detailed science of constant interior prayer, set forth by twenty-five holy Fathers. The book is marked by a lofty wisdom and is so profitable to use that it is considered the foremost and best manual of the contemplative spiritual life. As the revered Nicephorus said, 'It leads one to salvation without labor and sweat."

The old man explained all this to me and illustrated its meaning. We went on reading from The Philokalia passages of St. Gregory of Sinai, St. Callistus, and St. Ignatius, and what we read from the book the teacher explained in his own words. I listened closely and with great delight, fixed it in my memory, and tried as far as possible to remember every detail. In this way we spent the whole night together and went to matins without having slept at all. The teacher sent me away with his blessing and told me that while learning the prayer I must always come back to him and tell him everything, making a very frank confession and report; for the inward process could not go on properly and successfully without the guidance of a teacher.”

It is interesting to note that the teacher here instructs the pilgrim on the importance of the guidance of a spiritual master. The practice of the Jesus Prayer here, as we shall see later, mirrors the practice of a sādhana-bhakta who follows the Vaishnava practice of hari-nama, or taking the holy name of Krishna. It is instructive to see how closely the teachings of the Russian spiritual master parallel the Vaishnava practice of mantra-yoga.

In the Way of a Pilgrim, the truth-seeker describes how he began his practice, and some of the difficulties he faced on the path:
“And in this manner I took up my abode and began to learn interior prayer in the way I had been shown, and to go to see my teacher from time to time. For a week, alone in my garden, I steadily set myself to learn to pray without ceasing exactly as the starets had explained. At first things seemed to go very well. But then it tired me very much. I felt lazy and bored and overwhelmingly sleepy, and a cloud of all sorts of other thoughts closed round me. I went in distress to my teacher and told
him the state I was in.”

The pilgrim approaches his spiritual master for further guidance:
He greeted me in a friendly way and said, "My dear brother, it is the attack of the world of darkness upon you. To that world, nothing is worse than heartfelt prayer on our part. And it is trying by every means to hinder you and to turn you aside from learning the prayer. But all the same the enemy does only what God sees fit to allow, and no more than is necessary for us. It would appear that you need a further testing of your humility, and that it is too soon, therefore, for your unmeasured zeal to approach the loftiest entrance to the heart. You might fall into spiritual covetousness. I will read you a little instruction from The Philokalia upon such cases."

Note that the teacher’s guidance is given in a friendly way. The teacher is not an autocratic figure or absolute authority, but a friend who gives guidance on the path. The teacher here asks his student to persevere and to avoid negative thoughts. The teacher continues his advice.

He turned to the teaching of Nicephorus and read, " 'If after a few attempts you do not succeed in reaching the realm of your heart in the way you have been taught, do what I am about to say, and by God's help you will find what you seek. The faculty of pronouncing words lies in the throat. Reject all other thoughts (you can do this if you will) and allow that faculty to repeat only the following words constantly, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." Compel yourself to do it always. If you succeed for a time, then without a doubt your heart also will open to prayer. We know it from
experience.'

The teacher does not claim absolute knowledge, but suggests that his student follow the advice of the ancient masters, referring to scripture. He initiates his student into the practice of japa, telling the prayer on beads while praying internally. He gives him a goal: 3,000 prayers a day.

"There you have the teaching of the holy Fathers on such cases," said my spiritual master, “and therefore you ought from today onward to carry out my directions with confidence, and repeat the prayer of Jesus as often as possible. Here is a rosary. Take it, and to start with say the prayer three thousand times a day. Whether you are standing or sitting, walking or lying down, continually repeat 'Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.'

Not only is the student to repeat the name, but to do it meaningfully.



“Say it quietly and without hurry, but without fail exactly three thousand times a day without deliberately increasing or diminishing the number. God will help you and by this means you will reach also the unceasing activity of the heart." I gladly accepted this guidance and went home and began to carry out faithfully and exactly what my starets had bidden. For two days I found it rather difficult, but after that it became so easy and likeable, that as soon as I stopped, I felt a sort of need to go on saying the prayer of Jesus, and I did it freely and willingly, not forcing myself to it as before. I reported to my starets, and he bade me say the prayer six thousand times a day, saying, "Be calm, just try as faithfully as possible to carry out the set number of prayers. God will vouchsafe you His grace."

The pilgrim takes his guru’s advice seriously and begins to enter into the prayer more deeply:

In my lonely hut I said the prayer of Jesus six thousand times a day for a whole week. I felt no anxiety. Taking no notice of any other thoughts however much they assailed me, I had but one object, to carry out my starets's bidding exactly. And what happened? I grew so used to my prayer that when I stopped for a single moment I felt, so to speak, as though something were missing, as though I had lost something. The very moment I started the prayer again, it went on easily and joyously. If I met
anyone I had no wish to talk to him. All I wanted was to be alone and to say my prayer, so used to it had I become in a week.

The truth-seeker comes to the conclusion that the Jesus Prayer for mercy contains within it the Gospel and the teachings of Christ:

"It's all one and the same thing," I answered. "What the Gospel is, that the prayer of Jesus is also, for the Divine Name of Jesus Christ holds in itself the whole Gospel truth. The holy Fathers say that the prayer of Jesus is a summary of the Gospels."

The truth-seeker’s practice closely resembles the yoga breathing exercises or pranayama known and practiced in India:

When drawing the air in I looked in spirit into my heart and said, "Lord Jesus Christ," and when breathing out again, I said, "Have mercy on me." I did this at first for an hour at a time, then for two hours, then for as long as I could, and in the end almost all day long.

As the pilgrim deepens his practice, questions arise. He augments his practice by consulting the reflections found in the book given him by his spiritual master.

If any difficulty arose, if sloth or doubt came upon me, I hastened to take up The Philokalia and read again those parts which dealt with the work of the heart, and then once more I felt ardor and zeal for the prayer.

As the pilgrim realizes the value of his practice and the teachings of the “Love for Beauty” book, the Philokalia, he begins to teach it to others. When questioned about his practice by others, he recommends the reading of the book given him by his guru. He describes how he introduced others to the Jesus Prayer and the Philokalia and the benefits of practicing the holy name.:

“In the Philokalia you will find a full and complete study of how to reach the spiritual prayer of Jesus in the mind and heart also, and taste the sweet fruit of it.' At the same time I showed him my Philokalia. I saw that he was pleased to have this advice of mine, and he promised that he would get a copy for himself. And in my own mind I dwelt upon the wonderful ways in which the power of God is shown in this prayer. What wisdom and teaching there was in that book. I taught the prayer to the boy, and as a means of consolation, it became a help to him. Truly boundless is the love of God for us sinners. Is it not marvelous that so small an action—yes, just taking his rosary out of his pocket and carrying it in his hand and calling once upon the name of God—should give a man his life? In the scales of judgment upon men one short moment of calling upon Jesus Christ outweighs many hours of sloth. In truth, here is the repayment with gold. Do you see, brother, how powerful prayer is and how mighty the name of Jesus when we call upon it? St. John Karpathisky in The Philokalia says that when in the prayer of Jesus we call upon the holy name and say, 'Have mercy on me, a sinner,' then to every such petition the voice of God answers in secret, 'Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.' And he goes on to say that when we say the prayer there is at that moment nothing to distinguish us from the saints, confessors, and martyrs. For, as St. Chrysostom says, 'Prayer, although we are full of sin when we utter it, immediately cleanses us. God's loving-kindness to us is great, yet we sinners are listless, are not willing to give even one small hour to God in thanksgiving, and barter the time of prayer, which is more important than anything, for the bustle and cares of living, forgetting God and our duty. For that reason we often meet with misfortunes and calamities, yet even these the all-loving providence of God uses for our instruction and to turn our hearts to Him.”

Srila Prabhupada was being generous in his comparison of the name of Christ and Krishna. While there are many similarities between the Christos and Krishna conceptions, there are also some important differences. In the interest of ecumenical harmony we may accentuate the similarities. But the question will come, “If Krishna and Christos are the same, why not just go on with the worship of Christ? What need is there for any other conception?”



The answer may be found in the teachings of another great spiritual master, Swami B.R. Shridhar. He takes up this question in the Search for Shri Krishna.

When asked about Christ, he pointed out that there are different gradations of conception when contemplating the reality of divinity. Christianity is interested in the power and glory of God, whereas followers of Krishna are interested in the Love and Beauty conception.



Here’s an excerpt from Search for Sri Krishna:

Question: Christians think that if we are to be sincere, we should follow the Bible. We take very literally the word of Christ.
Śrīdhar Mahārāj: Yes, according to one’s capacity he may be enlisted in a particular class. Some will go to Christianity, and after finishing that, if their hankering is still unsatisfied, they will seek somewhere else, thinking, “What is God? I want to know more perfectly.”

Śridhara Mahārāja tells the story of Professor Nixon, a World War I flyer who had a near-death experience:

“In this regard, I can give one example: there was a Professor Nixon in England. He went to fight against Germany in the First World War, on the French side. As he was flying over the German lines, his airplane was hit, and began to fall. He saw that the plane would fall on the German lines. When I met him here in India, he told me, “At that time, I prayed, ‘If there is any God, let Him save me, and I promise that if I do not die in this plane crash, I will go to search after Him. I will devote my whole life in search of Him.”

The plane crashed, and when Professor Nixon regained consciousness, he found that he was behind the French lines, in a hospital in France. At that time, He thought to himself, “There is God! He has heard my last prayer.” When his wounds were healed, he went straight to England to see some churchmen. He told them, “I want to search after God, and engage myself twenty-four hours a day in the cause of His service. I want to see Him face to face.”

The intensity of Professor Nixon’s need to know God led him to India:

“He saw many clergymen and even some bishops, and they ultimately advised him, ‘If you want to see God face to face, then go to India.’ “We cannot recommend such a process to you. But we have heard that in India there are yogīs who internally connect with the Lord in the heart. You may try your fortune there.” So, he came here to India, where he met the Vice-Chancellor of Lucknow University. In talking with him, Professor Nixon met the Vice-Chancellor’s wife, who was a Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava, a devotee of Mahāprabhu. 

Professor Nixon, Swami Krishna Prema

He was so much charmed by her advice that he accepted her as his Guru. Finally he took sannyās (the renounced order of life), and his name became Swāmī Kṛṣṇa Prema. He established a temple here in India, and preached about bhāgavata-dharma, and Mahāprabhu. https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/2754



He made a comparative study of all religions, beginning from Christianity, and gradually came to Vaiṣṇavism, attracted by Mahāprabhu’s gift. One German scholar also said, “In all the religious conceptions of the world, the conception of twenty-four hour engagement with God (aṣṭakālīya-līlā) has never been given. I have studied all religious theologies, but none could even conceive of twenty-four hour service to the Supreme Lord. It is only given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.”
Rūpa Goswāmī has given the scientific representation of Kṛṣṇa: akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrtiḥ. 



He is the reservoir of all possible pleasures. All possible tendencies for satisfaction that we may feel, and even those that we may not feel are present in Kṛṣṇa and have their ideal, purest satisfaction with Him alone. He is all-accommodating and all-comprehensive. Whatever satisfaction our inner heart demands can be fulfiled only by Him.”