Renowned British physicist Roger Penrose and the University of Arizona’s Stuart Hameroff have a theory for consciousness. According to them, consciousness is information stored at the quantum level in microtubules. Microtubules are biopolymers in cells that have varied functions. They are enriched in neurons and are critical for […]
There is the notion in some bhakti sects that the material world is a perverted reflection of the spiritual world.
We examine Sri Rupa Goswami’s definition of bhava further.
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 […]
Some modern Caitanya bhakti sects emphasize preaching as the most important duty of a devotee. Preaching in this context carries the meaning of proselytizing, that is, attempting to convert people to become followers of the bhakti path. This is typically accomplished by selling books to others, by offering […]
We examine the existence of the ātman in the material world in a question-answer format. Perhaps its easier to grasp concepts this way.
First, here is a definition of free will — Free will is the capacity to make a choice independent of any external influence. If we strip the jīva of the mind, body, senses and prāṇa, what is left is the ātman. The ātman, as we have seen before, […]
We now examine the definition of bhāva by Sri Rupa Goswami. As a reminder, bhāva is the sādhya or goal of sādhanā bhakti. Sri Rupa Goswami defines bhāva as follows:
śuddha-sattva-viśeṣātmā prema-sūryāṁśu-sāmya-bhāk | rucibhiś citta-māsṛṇya-kṛd asau bhāva ucyate ||
As explained before, the conditioned soul’s identity is a conglomerate formed by his gross and subtle attachments. Thus when he says “I”, it does not refer to his original identity, but to the “I” formed by the sum-total of acquired brothers, sisters, mother, friends, land, wealth, social position and so on. This conditioned identity changes as the objects it is shaped by change.
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 […]
