The Philosophical Theology of Jaiva Dharma

Abstract

The Sanskrit word dharma can be understood variously, but it mainly pertains to that which sustains one’s connection with one’s eternal nature. This is the gist of Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura’s book Jaiva Dharma. To talk about one’s eternal nature implies that one also has a temporary nature. In his book, Bhativinoda attempts to explain, by its very title, the dharma of a living entity, the jīva. In other words, it attempts to explain what is that of the jīva that sustains its connection with its eternal nature. A Jīva is a living entity suitable to live across both spiritual and material realms. It can have both a noumenal and a phenomenal nature.