Canonization in Vaishnavism - The nature of the process

Various Vaishnava sampradayas have their own methods for determining who is an advanced devotee. For example, the criteria for siddhahood in the Sri Sampradaya is entirely different from the same criteria in our own Gaudiya tradition. Various saints are honored with holy days for their appearance and disappearance, based on the application of some method for tapping them for a place on the calendar after their demise. Hagiographies are also written in a formulaic manner to depict the highlights of their devotional lives while on earth. It might be interesting to compare the concept of sainthood in various world religions.

Let’s look at the method followed by the Catholic Church. I found this information on one website (http://www.catholic-pages.com/saints/process.asp):

"1. Canon norms regarding the procedure to be followed for causes of saints are contained in the Apostolic Constitution 'Divinus Perfectionis Magister,' promulgated by John Paul II on January 25, 1983.

2. To begin a cause it is necessary for at least 5 years to have passed since the death of the candidate. This is to allow greater balance and objectivity in evaluating the case and to let the emotions of the moment dissipate.

3. The bishop of the diocese in which the person whose beatification is being requested died is responsible for beginning the investigation. The promoter group ('Actor Causae'): diocese, parish, religious congregation, association, asks the bishop through the postulator for the opening of the investigation. The bishop, once the 'nulla osta' of the Holy See is obtained, forms a diocesan tribunal for this purpose. Witnesses are called before the tribunal to recount concrete facts on the exercise of Christian virtues considered heroic, that is, the theological virtues: faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others specific to his state in life. In addition, all documents regarding the candidate must be gathered. At this point he is entitled to the title of Servant of God.

4. Once the diocesan investigation is finished, the acts and documentation are passed on to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The public copy used for further work is put together here. The postulator, resident in Rome, follows the preparation of the 'Positio', or summary of the documentation that proves the heroic exercise of virtue, under the direction of a relator of the Congregation. The 'Positio' undergoes an examination (theological) by nine theologians who give their vote. If the majority of the theologians are in favour, the cause is passed on for examination by cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation. They hold meetings twice a month. If their judgment is favourable, the prefect of the congregation presents the results of the entire course of the cause to the Holy Father, who gives his approval and authorizes the congregation to draft the relative decree. The public reading and promulgation of the decree follows.

5. For the beatification of a confessor a miracle attributed to the Servant of God, verified after his death, is necessary. The required miracle must be proven through the appropriate canonical investigation, following a procedure analogous to that for heroic virtues. This one too is concluded with the relative decree. Once the two decrees are promulgated (regarding the heroic virtues and the miracle) the Holy Father decides on beatification, which is the concession of public worship, limited to a particular sphere. With beatification the candidate receives the title of Blessed.

6. For canonization another miracle is needed, attributed to the intercession of the Blessed and having occurred after his beatification. The methods for ascertainment of the affirmed miracle are the same as those followed for beatification. Canonization is understood as the concession of public worship in the Universal Church. Pontifical infallibility is involved. With canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of Saint. "

As Nitai Das pointed out in a dialogue I had with him about the Catholic approach, it all looks good on paper, but in reality it allows for unqualified candidates to somehow make the grade more for political than truly genuine reasons. Historically it developed in complexity over the centuries, whereas originally it was only the early Christian martyrs that were named as saints without the high ceremony involved.

So, what about the process in Gaudiya Vaishnavism? The sAttvika vikAras, or bodily transformations caused by ecstasy, are considered to be some of the symptoms, but they are not conclusive by themselves, for they can be faked. Hence, the additional proof of their leading pure lives and inspiring bhakti in others. Western devotees of Caitanyaism have often come up with their own methodology, which may or may not coincide with traditional approaches. It often focuses on missionary activities, and may or may not take into consideration symptoms of ecstasy or standards of saintly behavior. Granted, the opinion of who is a siddha tends to be more subjective than objective. Still, it raises the question of whether the Vaishnava community in India is more rigorous than Western devotees in making such determinations. It would be interesting to find out via some research just how the various historical personages became famous as siddhas, as well as how that may have changed over time depending upon the overall social and political climate for each generation. Also, what if any safeguards have been in place to prevent the authors of hagiographies from stretching the truth or even inventing descriptions of miracles performed?

Interesting topic.

Caitanya accepted Sridhara Svamin as a great authority on Srimad Bhagavatam(Cc.Antya7.133,7.135) as do most Vaisnava acaryas.Also,he said that anyone who does not accept Sridhara Svamin is like a prostitute.Yet we see that Gaudiyas did not accept everything from Sridhara Svamin as siddhanta.Also, Caitanya read with pleasure Candidasa's ''Srikrsna-kirtan'' or Vidyapati..but they are not 'canonized',they are not in parampara.

The book entitled ''Madness of the Saints:Ecstatic Religion in Bengal'' -Chicago:The University of Chicago Press,1989.by June McDaniel, is a breakthough discussion of bhava and altered states in the various Bengali religious traditions.

with respect,

Yes, I remember when June was working on that research. She always seemed to be a big shakta/shaivite back in our grad school days at U. of C. Of course, academics like to hide their theological leanings as far as possible, in order to avoid the risk of being ostracized. Perhaps she was just concealing her Vaishnava tendencies after all.

Can you tell us more as to why you think the book is groundbreaking?

Miss June point out that madness is often caused by separation and that the ecstatic,too,experience a kind of madness, divyonmada (divine madness)due to separation,but in their case it is separation from the God.This leads to the conception of viraha-bhakti which Gaudiyas conceive of as the highest kind of devotional service.In mu less-than-qualified opinion,she understood that this madness leads to the highest form of sanity-to be situated in reality.

But,this would be the subject matter of another lengthy conversation, don't you think?

with respect,

Unfortunately I don't remember the reference right now, but one researcher that studied the role of the shaman in traditional societies wrote that such people, who are revered in their culture, would be locked up in mental institutions in our modern society. That is not really that surprising, after all, when you think about it. What would most Westerners think about the Indian sadhus that perform extreme austerities? Some of them might understand, but most of them would see it as bizarre and inexplicable. There is the case of the one Hindu man that has not cut his fingernails for decades. He was featured on TV news shows on account of the fascination people in America have with anything out of the ordinary. So, here is this man that is doing this severe tapasya - he is unable to use his hands for anything with these long curled up nails that weight several pounds - and instead of marvelling at his faith they make him part of their circus freak show.

Then there were those studies from the 1960s wherein the researcher paralleled mental states of subjects under the influence of LSD, mescaline and psilocybin with those of psychotics as well as mystics. I remember one medical doctor telling me how he went to study a native American chief, and when the chief was given LSD, he exhibited no change whatsoever.

Many Gaudiya saints showed-and contiune to show-ecstatic behavior,which could be interpreted by any outsider as madness.Yet,in many cases,the religious components were strong enough to outweigh the secular notions of madness,and leaders of the tradition came to accept many of them as genuine devotees and visionaries.In addition,there were signposts to look for along the way,given by the Vaisnava scriptures and the writings of the Gosvamins.For those who passed the test,their mad behavior was seen as spiritual ecstasy.

For the believers,they show the power of spirit over matter.
For the unbelievers?They would not recognize a pure devotee if one bit them(as Nitai said for himself in some of Nitai-zines).

with respect,

It seems to me that you make a very important point here, Ramdas, which we all ought to ponder.

At the same time, the second part of what you say answers the first:

1.The oft-cited problem with any big institution is that it becomes political.

2. But without a set of broadly applicable guidlines there is the chance of fraud, especially as a group grows. And this usually involves a bureaucracy, and yes, politics.

This process has been called 'Institutionalisation of Charisma'. Growth is inevitable. This leaves spaces for corruption to creep in.

Surely the best answer though is a clearly defined process, with procedures set out 'on paper'?

Narahari's Sri Krishna Bhajanamrita has some valuable comments on the qualifications of a Guru. Is this part of the 'Cannonisation' concept?

I am also curious about the criteria of Siddha.

Can you give examples or specifics? I am very interested in this.

The foundational definition of Rupa Gosvamipada reads as follows (Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, 2.1.280):

avijJAtAkhila klezaAH sada kRSNAzrita kriyAH
siddhAH syuH santata prema saukhyAsvAda parAyaNAH

“Those, who are free from all misery, such as ignorance and bodily consciousness, who are eternally engaged in their service to Krishna and who are always dedicated to relishing the bliss of love for Krishna, are called siddhas.”

This definition nevertheless leaves open the question on how to determine siddha-hood, as a mere constant external engagement is no proof of the attainment of prema. Over the centuries it appears that the intervention or participation of Bhagavan in a significant way, which was observed by others in the presence of the saint, became the grounds of his being called siddha. Examples are Sri Krishna's personally coming to protect Raghunatha Das Gosvami from the hungry tiger which came from the forest, Sri Radha's giving him shade from the scorching rays of the sun, the holi color that was sprinkled on the physical body of Siddha Krishna Das when he was enrapt in meditation of Holi-lila, the odour of the perfume which spread all around the ashram when Siddha Baba in his meditation tripped on a stone and broke the bottle of perfume being brought to Radha, and so forth.



Geez, you write it, you print it... and it's a fact!



The problem is that the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition is not a a centralized church with headquarters which decide over matters; not even over matters of siddhanta, what to speak of sainthood. Often even the various branches of the sampradaya do not have their central headquarters to decide over matters. Perhaps one of the only cases in the history when most Gaudiyas pulled the same rope so to say was the ousting of Rupa Kaviraja from the sampradaya. Reading and teaching his Raganuga-vivriti was banned in a Jaipur council, and even declared a criminal activity punishable by the Maharaja of Jaipur! Would any of our historians like to remind us of other incidents when the Gaudiya tradition united to some extent because of a particular common cause?

I think the Kheturi Festival may be an earlier example, but the one of Rupa Kaviraj you have given is a better one for this topic.

Indian devotees can perhaps negotiate a system of recognition which is loosely defined, allowing a bit of give-and-take in interpretation. Thus the Gaudiya system in India has been successful over centuries of practice without 'black and white' definitions perhaps.

But now with Gaudiyaism moving into the West, first mostly the reformation Gaudiya Math and its offshoots, and now the following of the traditional Parivars - the problem is that the Indian system:
1/ may not be well enough understood due to its deep subtlety
2/ may in fact be culturally untranslateable to outsiders
3/ may be dependent on the Samskara built up over generations in the families carrying on the traditions, and thus
4/ may be abused by opportunists when it travels to the West.

The answer would then be to look at parallel instutions already in the West, like the Catholic Church as Ramdasji has indicated. Or perhaps Yogananda's Self-Realisation Fellowship: a well-organised Indian religious group with the longest continuous history in the West after the much smaller Vedanta Society (if you exclude the Theosophical society which is perhaps a hybrid). All these can teach us something. Unfortunately SRF is rent by the most horrific factional warfare: the recent court battle in California over the very body of Sri Yogananda is a good example.

But I don't think anyone would like Gaudiyaism to become a Church. One of the orthodox form's attractions is its 'Small is Beautiful' diversity of authority. The fact that it is refreshingly free of Westernisms.

So I see all this as a bit of a problem for the Tradition coming West. I may be less optimistic than Ramdasji in this. Yet there are those who cannot go to India, so the Tradition must establish itself here.

No doubt you are more optimistic than me, Madhavanandaji, and it is said that our hope lies with the Young like yourself. I look forward to your finding solutions to these problems!

One thing which is noteworthy is the fascinating scenario from which the traditional Gaudiya sampradaya is launching off in the West. While in the medieval India the tradition was scattered here and there, consisting of a number of groups practically separate from each other at least by a good distance if nothing else. There was little scope for an individual to influence the growth of the tradition at large.

However, as it stands, the current Western traditional community seems to be rather well in touch with each other; certainly not all the 150 to 200 Western Gaudiyas keep in touch with each other, but at least from each prominent group we find representatives who are actively in touch with others. Given the plural nature of the Gaudiya sampradaya, I doubt it will ever be possible to unite the tradition under one flag to a very great extent. Cooperation is one thing, but factual unity is still far from cooperation. Besides, the tradition would (in my opinion) loose much of its beauty if the individual distinctions between the parivars were lost through a merging operation in the West.

Just some random thoughts, perhaps food for further discussion.

Very nicely expressed thoughts, too.

What you are hinting at, it also occurrs to me, is the solution to my 'problem'.

Just as in an open democracy, the free press is supposed to keep the government honest, so with this amazing new form of instant global communication, this Internet, any abusers will be exposed instantly and the information passed around.

There is no need of further unity. Just communication and reasonable cooperation.

That is our unique hopeful prospect in this technological era.

We just got back in town last night. Our vacation (holiday) was supposed to be about ten days, but we ended up spending three weeks in various places in Florida. I found a few spots that would be ideal for establishing an ashram and temple. Land is not as expensive as I thought it would be, especially if you steer clear of waterfront lots. The burrowing owls can make things difficult, however, since anyone wishing to build must wait until they vacate their nests and move on. I have some photos of a few, if anyone is interested - I will email them out as soon as I get my email back in order.

Anyways, these are interesting thoughts to ponder, Madhavananda and Adiyen. I think the answer is that it is up to us now to shape the future of the tradition. The torch has been passed to us and it is time to sprint forward. We have much to draw upon with our personal experiences and the legacy of texts available to us.

Dear Ramdas, welcome back !

Yes please, let us see them...

sounds brave.

Sounds great that we get an ashram and temple in the West. Association with like-minded is so important. Sometimes I find myself drawn to an old Catholic church, a monastery in the Alps, where a black madonna is worshiped and where many Indians, though, Hindus go to pray, because they feel an affinity, an acceptance. While I think it a special grace to given the place to suffer from so much separation, because the intensity of the longing for sat sangha increases to the degree of desperation, the continuous stay in the world without that physical closeness to the holy Dham and to Sadhu brothers and sisters of one's chosen path, tends to leave marks on one's psyche and generally does not encourage bhajan. So a place of bhajan in the West, even if far away, gives tremendous strength and encouragement. It gives me joy to consider I might go there once and meet you there, when you are established, or even join for times in between. It's really great to hear of your project. I pledge my support to your endeavours.

Namaste. I remember Sri Kripaluji Maharaj reciting (as well as explaining) this
verse many times in his discourses to give a correct understanding of 'siddha mahapurusha',
of whose spiritual guidance the sincere seekers shoud sought for.

avijJAtAkhila klezaAH sada kRSNAzrita kriyAH
siddhAH syuH santata prema saukhyAsvAda parAyaNAH

Having been freed from all mundane misery
and attachment caused by the ignorance
of bodily identification,
those saintly souls who are ever surrendered
themselves to Lord Krishna and engaging in
His loving service who are always
situated in relishing the bliss of Divine love,
are called siddhas, pure and perfect devotees.

- Sri Rupa Gosvami. Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu, 2.1.280