The Play of God: Visions of the Life of Krishna

The Play of God: Visions of the Life of Krishna
by Devi Vanamali

The Play of God: Visions of the Life of Krishna
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Book Summary Information

Author: Devi Vanamali
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-10
ISBN: 1884997074
Number of pages: 394
Publisher: Blue Dove Press

Book Reviews of The Play of God: Visions of the Life of Krishna

Book Review: The many faces of the Divine
Summary: 5 Stars

I read this book at the age of twenty-two, having been deeply interested in Eastern religions (including Hinduism) since studying them in my Global Studies class at age fourteen. This book reawakened my interest in Hinduism, particularly the Krishna sect. Vishnu had always been my favourite of the three major Hindu gods, since he preserves life, so it was a real treat to read a book about his eighth and greatest/most popular avatar. Most people in the Western world are used to imagining God (who is incorporeal anyway, anthropomorphisms aside) as an old man and stern judge and king, but the Krishna story teaches one how to relate to the Divine on so many other different levels. The people in Krishna's life see him as a baby, sneaky little boy, lover, dear friend, guardian and saviour of his village in boyhood, young cowherd, daring hero, father, husband, grandfather, warrior, charioteer, teacher, bestower of enlightenment, brother, grandfather, godfather, uncle, and the list goes on and on. Viewing him in these multifaceted ways is so much more emotional and personal a view of the Divine than the tired old image in the West of a stern old man with a long white beard and golden trident. And unlike Christians and their belief in Jesus, the author, Ms. Vanamali, says that Hindus would hardly care if it came to be shown that Krishna as an actual historical person did not exist and he were just a myth or wild elaboration on an important figure who really did exist those thousands of years ago in ancient India. It's what Krishna taught, what he represents, that matters, not whether these beautiful lessons came from a real man who lived long ago in the past, a man whose life story has become mostly the work of myth, or someone who is entirely a fictitious creation. Vishnu decided to take on this avatar for the same reason he always decides to take on a human (or earlier, animal) avatar-not to try to save the world and to redeem humanity from sinning, but to help people, to teach them, to be a hero when a very horrible time is upon the world and they need someone to get rid of that evil (in this instance, Krishna's evil uncle Kamsa, and in the incarnation just prior to Krishna, the horrible demon king Ravana).

I find it really beautiful, touching, and true what Krishna says to his dear friend Arjuna during the course of the sermon which has come to be known as the Bhagavad Gita. He, Krishna, Vishnu, has many names and forms to many different people; one need not be a Hindu to properly worship him or to find enlightenment. However one sees the Divine, be it Krishna, Jesus, the Tao, Great Spirit, the Goddess, the traditional Western view of God, kanji, local spirits, a special rock, even the broader realms of Nature or Science, is how he will come to that person, and in that guise he is being worshipped. Krishna acknowledges that there are many paths to him, none of them incorrect if approached with a pure and devout heart. If only more people would care to learn this beautiful ancient story, there might be less religious intolerance and bigotry in the world and more love and understanding. If God can understand that all of these different religions ultimately lead up to the same Divinity, then why can't ordinary human beings?

Summary of The Play of God: Visions of the Life of Krishna

Just as the call of Krishna's heavenly flute is irresistibly attractive, so this book will enchant and uplift its readers.

Never before has the complete life of Krishna been told in a way that is so engaging and understandable, yet so faithful to the ancient epics of India. Spiritual seekers of all traditions will find inspiration and revitalized faith in these pages.

The Play of God is the account of a spiritual phenomenon. It describes the extraordinary manifestation of the divine that was Krishna, the playful and enchantingly beautiful deity who epitomizes the highest principles of India's spiritual vision. While the usual Western image of God as father or monarch is represented in this story, readers will also find here much more -- a refreshing and powerful picture of God as child, playmate, lover, friend, and teacher. They will discover how India conceived the most intimate and joyous experience of God, using the seductive metaphor of the Divine Beloved. What is evoked here is not a religion of moral law and stern obligation, but a spirituality of joy and true desire, love and beauty, contemplation and inner awakening.

This life of Krishna expands our concept of divinity and raises our thoughts to a higher spiritual plane. What does it mean to conceive of God as warrior and king? What does it mean to relate to the Infinite as friend or husband? Such experiences are vividly portrayed in these pages. We are uplifted as we contemplate the unlimited joy of the Eternal, appearing to us in a form combining beauty, strength, and irrepressible playfulness.

Just as the music from Krishna's heavenly flute is irresistibly attractive, so this book will entrance its readers. Never before has the complete life of Krishna been told in a way that is so engaging and understandable, yet so faithful to the ancient epics of India.

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