Q/A: Function of yoga-māyā
Question: What is the function of yoga-māyā?
Q/A: jīvana mukti versus ātyantikī mukti
Question: Is your article on Brahman realization referring to realization in the material body? Answer: Yes, Brahman realization can occur in the material body. So can the direct experience of Bhagavān. Question: Then doesn’t the material body need to survive by eating etc. What will the person do […]
Q/A: sādhanā bhakti and citta vṛtti nirodha
Question: What is the relation between sādhanā bhakti and citta vṛtti nirodha?
Q/A: about women
Maharajji answers questions in Śrī Guru Darśanam, p 505 Question: In Caitanya Caritāmṛta in the purport, it is mentioned that Mahāprabhu had three and a half confidential associates (CC Adi 10.137: “Caitanya Mahāprabhu had three and a half very confidential devotees. The three were Svarūpa Gosāñi, Śrī Rāmānanda Rāya, and Śikhi Māhiti. Śikhi Māhiti’s younger […]
ajñāta-sukṛti is a psychological fiction
Maharajji answers questions in Śrī Guru Darśanam, p 87 Question: Is ajñāta-sukṛti a real or only a psychological term? Answer: There is no such thing as ajñāta-sukṛti. Bhakti comes by the mercy of Bhagavān and His devotee. And it is not that you make somebody do something by controlling him […]
Q/A: Existence in the material world is nobody’s fault
We examine the existence of the ātman in the material world in a question-answer format. Perhaps its easier to grasp concepts this way.
Q/A on chanting
Maharajji answers questions in Śrī Guru Darśanam, pp. 111-112 Question: Should I chant a certain amount of rounds on my japa beads, because formerly I was told to do so? Answer: One should chant any mantra a minimum of ten times. That is the minimum, and more than that you […]
The goal of making advancement is a defect on the path of bhakti
Maharajji answers questions in Śrī Guru Darśanam, pp. 343-344 Question: How can we understand these different levels of spiritual development? Sometimes there is a different pace of growth, or even regression in spiritual life. Does this depend on the discipline of the person, on his personality, or is this just […]
How not to chant the mahā-mantra
Maharajji answers questions in the Śrī Guru Darśanam, pp. 97-106 Question: What should I concentrate on during chanting? Should it be the sound, a certain deity or a description? Answer: When you chant, you are chanting the name. And you have to keep your mind on the name only and […]
Who is the ādi-guru?
[ādi-guru means the teacher of all teachers, or original teacher]. From Śrī Guru Darśanam, pp. 177 – 178 Question: Previously we have heard that Balarāma and Nityānanda are the ādiguru, and also that the guru is a manifestation of Śrimatī Rādhārāni. Is that true? Answer (by Maharajji): These […]
Q/A: Is lying to one’s parents justified if it is for Kṛṣṇa?
Question: My friend says that lying to one’s parents is fine if it is for devotion to Kṛṣṇa. She cites the examples of gopis to justify this. I find this unethical. Answer: Scripture contains prescriptions and descriptions. The descriptions of Kṛṣṇa’s lilas with the gopis are meant to […]
