Rasa lila or rash lila

Rasa lila or Rash lila?

Overview•The Rasa-lila - An Introduction •The paradox of the renounced adoring the romantic •The Gita's upside-down tree metaphor •Using the metaphor to appreciate the rasa-lila•Sentiments vs sentimentality

Rasa-lila in the Bhag

335 chps90 in canto 105 of rasa-panchadhyaya

Krishna-lila in the BhagCanto 1: chp 7-15Canto 3: chp 2 All cantos mention KrishnaRasa-lila: first mention 1.9.40





The Paradox

10.33.39:Surprising phala-shrutiFirst reference to VishnuLust can’t counter lust

15.01: From reflection to reality

No reflection if no realityEverything temporary, why

desire for the eternal Eg. Pizza, Gold

The Reality

Krishna-lila: DramaKrishna: Actor Yoga-Maya: DirectorKrishna: Script-writer

The Reality

Yoga-maya: OxymoronThe shelter-giver takes

shelter

Understanding our inner landscape

Three-level existence:Body – Hardware Mind – SoftwareSoul – User

Sentiments vs sentimentality

Krishna Maya

Materialists Detached Attached

Sahajiyas Attached Attached

Impersonlists Detached Detached

Bhaktas Attached Detached


Sentiments: ornaments of life Rama-Lakshmana dialogue Sentimentality: sentiments are

the only deciders of our actions and level


Let reason direct emotion Let emotion animate reason Reason w/o emotion:

Impersonalism Emotion w/o reason: Sahajiyaism


Opposite of sentimentality is judgmentality eg. Unfeeling imposition of standards on others

Be transcendental – not sentimental or judgmental


Spiritual emotion is the fruit of purification

Sentimentality is sentiments without purification and often with impure consequences

Education

Rasa lila or rash lila