I find that the guru is one of the most misunderstood concepts in the Caitanya tradition. I decided to put together an FAQ that should help readers in their journey on the bhakti path. I do not cite scripture here, for that, the interested reader is referred to […]
I was in Vrindavan recently and had the privilege of visiting Shri Haridas Niwas.
I recently talked with Śrī Babaji, and asked him about the reason for the widespread theological deviations in the Caitanya tradition. Below I present what I took away from the conversation, and also present my own views on the current state of affairs. Unlike other Vaiṣṇava sampradāyas, the […]
Q: I had a question about an article by a devotee. He says that the śuddha citta in which prema manifests is the citta of the spiritual body, and not the material citta. What is your opinion on this? A: How does this author explain this verse from the […]
The Caitanya tradition, being based squarely on the Bhāgavata purāṇa, has a different understanding of bhakti as compared to other Vaisnava traditions such as the Madhva tradition or the Śrī Vaisnava tradition. Unlike these other traditions, in the Caitanya tradition, bhakti and varṇāśrama are two different or distinct […]
Why is Śrī Jīva Goswami important? Why should one study his Sandarbhas? I can think of no better answer to this question than two verses that Śrī Babaji has composed which I reproduce below. They appear at the beginning of each of the Sandarbha books that he has […]
We frequently hear these days that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the supreme enjoyer. Presumably these ideas come from the following type of statements that He has made in the Gītā (9.24): ahaṁ hi sarva-yajñānāṁ bhoktā ca prabhur eva ca | na tu mām abhijānanti tattvenātaś cyavanti te || Indeed, […]
Nothing is more frustrating for a serious seeker than conceptual inconsistencies. Thankfully, Śrī Jīva Goswami’s approach is methodical, structured and well-planned, features a fearsome command over Sanskrit, and involves searching for and establishing a consistent, unitary message of the entire corpus of Indian theological literature. Seven types of […]
Reader Raj requested an explanation of SB 12.13.12. The verse is as follows: sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ yad brahmātmaikatva-lakṣaṇam vastv advitīyaṁ tan-niṣṭhaṁ kaivalyaika-prayojanam Śrī Jīva Goswami brings this verse up first in the Tattva Sandarbha Anuccheda 52.1, where he mentions that the verse will be discussed in depth later in the […]
Q: I have a thought. Please correct me if I am wrong. I have often heard devotees saying that devotees are not able to practise bhakti properly because they are not following varṇāṣrama. I have heard that the problems with bhakti arise because varṇāṣrama is not established properly. […]
Q: Do the Goswamis say that women are less intelligent than men? A: I am not aware of any statement, anywhere, in any of the Goswamis’ copious writings, that women are less intelligent than men. Q: I ask because an ācārya has made many such statements about women. […]
Śrī Babaji is famous for translating the Sandarbhas of Śrī Jīva Goswami into English. As we know, there are six Sandarbhas; Śrī Jīva Goswami collectively referred to them as the Bhāgavata Sandarbha in a verse he composed at the beginning of the Tattva Sandarbha in Anuccheda 7. It […]
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