Question: According to Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva we are qualitatively one but quantitatively different. At the same time we say Lord Krishna has 64 qualities, Lord Narayana has 60 qualities and Jivas have 55. These two statements seems to be contradictory. If we are qualitatively one, why we don’t we have 64 qualities?
Answer by Romapada Swami:
These 64 “qualities” are not the qualities that are being referred to in acintya bhedabheda tattva. The qualities being referred to are knowledge and bliss from the sat cit ananda features of both the soul and Krishna.
These 64 “qualities” are quite different, in that they are His personal characteristics.
That the soul has 50 of these charateristics to a smaller degree, while Krishna has 64 characteristics IN FULLNESS is part of the quatitative difference being referred to by the Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva philosophy; at the same time, because these “64 qualities” are Krishna’s personal characteristics, we do not regard them as part of the concept of ‘qualitative oneness with the individual soul’.
Consider Krishna’s flute playing, for example. A jiva may play the flute, but the quality of their flute playing cannot be expected to equal the flute playing of Krishna. This is not a contradiction to Achintya Bheda Abheda Tattva philosophy; rather, it is an expression of one of Krishna’s unique distinctions, or characteristics!
