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 …
concepts
Causes in nyāya – asamavāyi kāraṇa
I continue discussing the types of causes or kāraṇas in nyāya based on Śrī Devadatta …
Causes in nyāya – samavāyi kāraṇa
It is common to hear the terms ‘samavāyi kāraṇa’, ‘asamvāyi kāraṇa’, and nimitta kāraṇa, which …
The grace of bhakti is not invoked by suffering
Suffering in the world ultimately arises from beginningless ignorance and the karma that proceeds from …
The lakṣaṇa of a lakṣaṇa
The importance of definitions cannot be overstated in keeping concepts straight in our heads. In …
What is the use of saying there is no free will?
Q: Do we have free will?
A: No we do not. Most people resist this …
Why does Bhagavān not manifest now when adharma is increasing?
Q: Bhagavān says that He manifests to protect dharma and destroy adharma in the Bhagavad-Gītā. …
Is everything predestined? Part II
In a previous article, I discussed how everything is predetermined based on a cause-effect …
Is everything predestined?
Reader Madhukar ji and I were discussing the law of karma. Our discussion focused on …
The language of Nyāya
It is common to encounter long and syntactically dense sentences in works on Nyāya. Much …
The results of sattvika, rajasika and tamasika bhakti
In a previous article, I translated the commentary by Śrī Viśvanātha’s commentary to verse …
Recognizing tāmasika bhaktas
Bhakti is always nirguṇā or transcendental, being Bhagavān’s svarūpa śakti. Yet there is enormous variety …