Can I inquire about the guru’s anubhava or experiences?
Q: Is it appropriate for a seeker to inquire about a guru’s anubhava of para-tattva? A: An authentic teacher does not make personal testimonials or […]
Q/A: is husband-wife love materialistic?
Q: Is only Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s love pure, and is every other love in this world materialistic? A: Good question. Love between devotees in this world is […]
Q/A: kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam
I received questions about an article I had written some years ago on Śrī Jīva Goswami’s explanation of the statement ‘kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam’. I […]
The importance of nāma-smaraṇam
The word smaraṇam shows up in various places in the Sandarbhas, the Bhāgavatam, and the Bhagavad-Gītā. Śrī Jīva Goswami discusses different types of smaraṇam in […]
Q/A: disagreeing with one’s guru and agreeing with traditional acharyas
Question: Is there a place for me to disagree with a traditional acharya of a sampradaya (like Shri Ramanujacharya, Madhvacharya, Jiva goswami etc..) while being […]
Śrī Viśvanātha explains verses 12.8-12.12 of the Bhagavad Gītā, Part III
In two previous articles (here and here), I examined verses 12.8-12.11 from the Bhagavad-Gītā. There, we saw that these verses outline the following hierarchy — […]
Śrī Viśvanātha explains verses 12.8-12.12 of the Bhagavad Gītā, Part II
In a previous post, I examined Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary on verses 12.8-12.10. There, we saw that verses 12.8-12.10 describe a hierarchy of sādhana as follows: […]
Śrī Viśvanātha explains verses 12.8-12.12 of the Bhagavad Gītā, Part I
Verses 12.8 through 12.12 in the Gītā tend to be cryptic and difficult to understand. Without Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravarti’s commentary, they can be misunderstood as […]
guṇa-bhūtā bhakti does not require sādhu saṅga
An important siddhānta in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism is that no sādhana can be successful without the help of bhakti. Whether it is jñāna yoga, karma yoga, […]
Why are there so many interpretations of śāstra?
One of the frequently asked questions to me is about the many different interpretations of śāstra. Even within the Gauḍiya samprādāya itself, we find a […]
Lessons from Hitopadeśa: how can I trust someone to be my guru?
Question: I have been struggling with something for some time. I do not know how to trust someone to be my guru. I do not […]
Characteristics of the uttama bhāgavata
I am routinely asked about how to recognize a siddha bhakta, particularly by those who are searching for a genuine guru. In the Bhakti Sandarbha, […]