Page:Bengal Vaishnavism - Bipin Chandra Pal.djvu/95

 80 BENGAL VAISHNAVISM is the predominant God-idea in both Judaism and Islam. Therefore, those brought up under the influence of these two woxdd-religions naturally cultivate the dasya form of piet3’. When, however, Judaism came in contact with Greek thought and culture, a new dispensa- tion was ordained in Christianity. The earlier Judaic pietj” started a new course of evolution. The older vehicle of this piety was the king and subject relation. The new idea in Chris- tianity was the Fatherhood of God, and the son and father relation became the vehicle of Christian love for the Lord. It was not very different from the older idea, only the new relation became far more intimate than the old king and subject relation. In Islam the older Judaic ideal prevailed, while the Chris- tian ideal of father and son was openly repu- diated as ascribing an anthropomorphic con- ception to the Deity, But Judaism, Christia- nity and Islam are fundamentally one in the ideal of their piety, which would be classed by Bengal Yaishnavic thought as belonging to the dasya plane. But both Christianity and Islam reached, or more correctly perhaps approached, the sahhya plane in the life and experiences of their saints and seers, some of whom, as for instance Madame Guyon of the