Divine Love in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava and Catholic Mysticism
Keywords:
Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism, Catholic Mysticism, Divine Love, Mystical Emotion, Prema, Rādhā, Viraha, Vipralambha, Bhakti, Rasa, Ecstasy, Spiritual Service, Union, Separation, Erotic MysticismAbstract
The article, "Blue Lotuses Everywhere: Divine Love in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava and Catholic Mysticism" by June McDaniel, compares and contrasts concepts of mystical emotion in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism and Catholic mysticism. It highlights similarities such as the experience of alternating joy and sorrow, separation and union, ecstatic physical symptoms, and the use of erotic metaphor to describe spiritual love, despite differing theological foundations. The article examines prema (selfless love) and sāttvika bhāvas (ecstatic bodily changes) in Vaiṣṇavism, alongside the transformation of will and the attainment of infused contemplation in Catholic tradition. It deeply explores the themes of love in union and love in separation (viraha), particularly through the figure of Rādhā in Vaiṣṇavism and various saints in Catholicism. Finally, the article discusses the concept of divine service, emphasizing the devotee's desire to please and assist the deity, often through spiritual bodies and intimate roles (mañjarī sādhana), drawing parallels with the Christian notion of the soul as the Bride of Christ.
