Basavanna

Basavanna

Basavanna (also known as Basava, or Bhakti Bhandari Basavanna or Basaveshvara, (1134-1196)) is an Indian philosopher, statesman and social reformer who lived on the territory of modern Karnataka.

A supporter of the rationalistic practice of "pranavidya" as the first step on the road to absolute transcendence.
According to the provisions of his practice of prana/jangama, there are tangible levels of the existence of the Divine consciousness.

He was an opponent of the caste system, infringing the interests of people depending on their birth and other rituals in Hinduism.

He contributed to public education with the help of his poetry, widely known as vachanaas.

He used Ishtalinga, the image of Shiva-lingam, to exterminate untouchability and establish equality between all people and, also, as a mean of achieving spiritual enlightenment. These were rational and progressive social ideas for the XII century.

He is one of the initiators of Indian democracy.

He created a model of the Parliament, called "Anubhava Mantapa", which includes not only an equal number of men and women, but also representatives with different socio-economic status.

He believed that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue, not violence.

Propagated the doctrine of the road leading to God through four levels of divinity that exist in the body of any person — the unmanifested Caitanya (Guru), the manifested Caitanya — Shakti (Linga), the awareness of the manifested chaitanya-shakti in the Prana (Jangama) and the individual awareness (Jivatma/Mind). Basava, unlike Gautama Buddha, did not preach complex aspects of spirituality, rather, he taught people to live happily under a rational social order that later became known as the movement of Sharan.

He taught Sharans the technique of going beyond the mind with their own prana through the process of Ishtalinga-, Pranalinga- and Bhavalingasadhana. He taught that every person, regardless of caste, creed, merit or nationality can overcome limitations and become God, staying in union with the prana.

The key aspect of his sermons is the monotheistic concept of God.

He started a literary revolution by creating a work called Vachana Sahitya in Kannada language, which originates in aUpanishadas and Vedanta. He was the Prime Minister of the Southern Empire of Kalachuri in South India.

Basavanna is called Vishvaguru.

"The reforms carried out by Sri Basaveshvara, and the emergence as a result of the teachings of the virashaivas, compares Basava to Buddha. Virashivaism is the development and improvement of the philosophical direction of the shaiva, which roots go back to pre-Vedic times. Before the appearance of Basava, the social and moral foundations of the Karnataka society came to a complete decline. To change the situation, a man of high spirituality and, at the same time, a social reformer was needed. Such a person was Sri Basaveshvara. He breathed new life into the teachings of shaiva and revived the social and spiritual values ​​of his society, acting within the framework of traditional Hinduism." 

"Buddha and Sri Basaveshvara" by S. Shapeti