Currently Browsing: QA Audio : 2018

: Audio   : Video   : Transcription   : Hindi Language

July 2021

• 517) How to forgive ourselves if we have made a serious mistake?
• 516) How can we deal with our past conditionings that come in the way of our bhakti – Hindi?

February 2021

• 515) How can we understand that we are servants of Krishna – Hindi?
• 514) How can we grow spiritually when we have to serve demanding people – Hindi?
• 513) When we chant, why does our mind get distracted – Hindi?
• 512) Our mind is our enemy – how can we control it – Hindi?
• 511) How can we avoid becoming disheartened on failing to give up bad habits – Hindi?

November 2020

• 510) What to do when in a relationship that we can neither tolerate nor retaliate?
• 509) How does prayer affect karma?

October 2020

• 508) Despite your conservative training how did you become so accommodating?

September 2020

• 507) If a child was abused and God didn’t answer their prayers for protection, how can we help them develop faith now?

June 2020

• 506) To protect ourselves, we sometimes become insensitive to others – how to avoid?
• 505) How can we help a non-Krishna conscious person overcome depression?
• 504) When Dhruva Maharaj started with a selfish motive, how did he attain Vaikuntha, the abode of selflessness?
• 503) Does becoming spiritual mean becoming unemotional – won’t that make our life flat?

April 2020

• 502) Isn’t the Gita’s comparing women with vaishyas and shudras derogatory?
• 501) Does practicing bhakti at only the cultural level deprive us of intellectual and spiritual growth?

February 2020

• 500) Can we choose whichever path we prefer – karma, jnana or bhakti?

September 2019

• 499) How can we know whether we are succeeding or failling in bhakti?
• 498) How can we find which work bests suits our nature?
• 497) How can we know which spiritual path to follow?
• 496) When facing serious problems, should we first focus on solving problems and then practice bhakti?
• 495) Should a devotee profession try to become a CEO to demonstrate how devotees can be materially successful too?
• 494) Can you explain the various stages in chanting – namaprada, namabhasa, shudda-nama?
• 493) If we learn to depend on mentors, but then they aren’t available when needed, what can we do?
• 492) If someone is depressed and suicidal, how can we help them?
• 491) How can we de-stress ourselves in today’s high-pressure work environment?
• 490) How do we deal with fear of rejection?
• 489) Even after knowing eternal pleasures why do we keep chasing temporary pleasures?
• 488) Is the voice of conscience always the voice of God?
• 487) How can we practically keep our intention above our emotion?
• 486) When people are distressed, should we think philosophically or should we just help them?
• 485) Are we meant to face our destiny or to fulfill our destiny?
• 484) While being in family life how can we be detached?
• 483) How can we persuade followers of other Vaishnava sampradayas to accept that Lord Chaitanya’s teachings are the climax of the historical evolution of theism?
• 482) What can we do when we see terrible things happening in the world?
• 481) If the temple atmosphere is conflict-filled, should we practice bhakti at home?
• 480) What is the role of ritualistic activities in bhakti – should we continue the rituals from our family traditions?
• 479) How can we change the chain of thoughts in our mind?
• 478) What’s the most effective way to combat anger?

December 2018

• 477) Does surrender come from devotion or devotion come from surrender?
• 476) If we are good at something that we do for our career, how can we bring Krishna into it?
• 475) If we stay in our comfort zone while doing service, how will we grow?
• 474) Is satisfaction an austerity of the mind or it is an illusion that traps us?
• 473) Does God take credit for our good deeds and give us blame for our bad deeds?
• 472) When does philosophical speculation change to mental speculation – what makes certain explanations of scripture unacceptable? (Vedic wisdom)
• 471) Why did Vidura not instruct Dhritarashtra to apologize to the Pandavas and to thereby become offense-free for practicing bhakti?
• 470) How can we persevere amidst distractions?
• 469) If we resolve to wake up at a particular time and wake up at that time without an alarm, is that due to our subconscious mind?
• 468) How can motivate us to move on in our spiritual life – can the saints’ realizations inspire – don’t we need our own experiences?
• 467) What is the significance of Shukadeva Goswami’s prayers in Bhagavatam 2.4?
• 466) If someone doesn’t do their allotted service properly, how can we deal with the resulting anger?
• 465) Can you explain the concepts of anvaya and vyatireka practically and as explained in Bhagavatam 3.9.36?
• 464) Why did the Dwarka Yadus kill each other?
• 463) While struggling with conditionings how can we avoid the extremes of becoming hopeless and becoming shameless?
• 462) When the holy name is self-fulfilling, why do we need other things such as elaborate analysis of the mind?
• 461) How can we share bhakti wisdom in the world today?
• 460) Was Vritrasura’s bhakti covered over because of his past offenses?
• 459) In Gita 09.32, why are women put in a separate category from the various varnas?
• 458) If we can’t chant attentively, is it better to chant less with greater attention?
• 457) Would a Prabhupada-bot, an artificial intelligence system that knows all of Prabhupada’s works, be equivalent to him or his books?
• 456) If Krishna’s love is unconditional, why didn’t he help Draupadi till she raised both her hands in surrender?
• 455) If Krishna takes hundred steps towards us when we take one step towards him, is he partial or impartial?
• 454) If genetically modified bacteria could clean the polluted Yamuna river, is that technology still bad?
• 453) How do we deal with fear of success because after success, failure will come?

November 2018

• 452) How can I see spiritually my scientific research for solving serious problems such as incurable diseases?
• 451) For devotees practicing bhakti in the West, is it better to educate our children in India or in the West?
• 450) Does any Gita verse say that the soul is on a multi-life journey of spiritual evolution?
• 449) Can’t thinking why something bad has happened help us to better address the situation?
• 448) Can you explain the significance of the ten offenses in practical terms?
• 447) Are science and religion in conflict with each other?
• 446) Are ritvikas who reject Krishna’s pure devotees better or worse than the Mayavadis who reject Krishna’s personal form?
• 445) Does Krishna have plans only for his pure devotees?
• 444) How can we ensure that our conscience deters us but doesn’t discourage us?
• 443) How can we use anger constructively in parenting?
• 442) If someone gets a special service that we long for, how can we see that devotionally?
• 441) How can we clear our subconscious mind?
• 440) Can a devotee scientist do animal testing for professional research?
• 439) Should we fight for our service or should we cooperate?
• 438) When we feel that we can’t do something, how can we know that our mind is not keeping us in comfort zone?
• 437) If our bhakti practice is not removing our conditionings, how to avoid being discouraged?
• 436) How may we be misled by externals when seeking a spiritual guide?
• 435) What is the difference between consciousness, conscience and guilt?

October 2018

• 434) As bhakti-yoga requires faith, do we need to give up our questioning nature?
• 433) If the mind pushes us forcefully towards wrong, how can the mind be directable?
• 432) Is our real problem the original sin in the heart – not the mind – and is believing in Jesus the only solution?
• 431) Why does Jagannatha Puri temple forbid non-Hindus from entering?
• 430) By helping others we may feel a sense of self-worth, but won’t it increase our ego too?
• 429) The Gita tells us to do karma, but also asks us to understand karma – what karma does it refer to?
• 428) Are negative emotions due to a lack of compassion towards oneself?
• 427) What is the significance of Duryodhana’s use of the past tense in Gita 01.09?
• 426) Amidst problems, how can we avoid giving up the things that give us strength?
• 425) Is the mind a covering on consciousness or does the mind contain the covering?
• 424) How do we understand Prabhupada’s statement – vegetarianism and nonviolence are not qualifications for devotion?
• 423) If we are already complete as parts of the Complete, how can we feel incomplete?
• 422) If material deprivation makes us discouraged in devotion, what can we do?
• 421) If we don’t feel like practicing bhakti, should we pray to Krishna for help?
• 420) How can we have a spiritual relationship with everyone?
• 419) Was Sati’s reaction to her father’s actions justified or was she also implicated?
• 418) How can we consider the consequences of our actions without becoming speculative?
• 417) Can saying that Krishna sees inside-out lead to devotees refusing to be accountable to other devotees?
• 416) Does becoming spiritually advanced means treating all situations and all people equally?
• 415) Are Krishna’s feelings like our feelings or different from our feelings?
• 414) Does fear of temptation indicate lack of devotion?
• 413) Isn’t the rasa-lila too exalted to discuss in our regular classes?
• 412) If after some wrongdoing, we feel guilty and don’t feel like coming close to Krishna, what can we do?
• 411) If bhakti practice doesn’t make us joyful, what can we do?
• 410) Is remembering Krishna the highest service and all other services are for those who can’t remember him constantly?

September 2018

• 409) Who or what is Krishna?
• 408) Is our attempt to mitigate destiny also determined by destiny?
• 407) Is not trusting those who have cheated us a weakness of the mind?
• 406) If good karma can’t change bad karma, how does atonement work?
• 405) If Krishna already knew that Duryodhana wasn’t going to agree to peace, then did Duryodhana have free will to choose?
• 404) If Duryodhana was generous enough to give the arrows to Arjuna why was he so hateful?
• 403) Doesn’t the universal form vision indicate that the war was destined?
• 402) Was the Kurukshetra war Krishna’s plan?
• 401) Does Gita 6.28 refer to brahman or to bhakti to bhagavan? (Bhagavad-gita)
• 400) Why is Kurukshetra known as Dharma-kshetra – why was it chosen as the venue for the Mahabarata war?
• 399) Why does Western science find it so difficult accept the concept of the soul?
• 398) Should we be attached to or affectionate to our spiritual master?
• 397) What is the difference between attachment and affection?
• 396) Does reading on the net decrease the quality of reading?
• 395) In the Daksha-Shiva conflict, why did Shiva not clarify to Daksha about why he hadn’t offered respects?
• 394) Does repeated exposure to something we are averse always increase our aversion – doesn’t krishna-bhakti taste like poison initially and nectar eventually?
• 393) Is having negative opinions about others a subtle form of Vaishnava apradha?
• 392) Why didn’t Indra become sober even after Govardhana lila?
• 391) How could Samba abduct Lakshmana against her will?
• 390) How can we process criticism without feeling hurt?
• 389) If we are criticized, should we neglect it or try to correct ourselves?
• 388) If we resentful towards some other devotee, how can we overcome the resentment?
• 387) Does the mind have any power to change reality or does everything happen according to karma?
• 386) If gender is a biological feature, then why are some men feminist and some women masculine?
• 385) In taking care of people’s emotional needs, isn’t there a danger of deviating from the spiritual?
• 384) If bhakti practice and devotee association agitates our mind, can we practice bhakti in isolation?

August 2018

• 383) Where does hostility towards God and the godly come from?
• 382) Does God suffer?
• 381) Are all of God’s names the same or are there gradations of intimacy?
• 380) Is God male or is he transcendental?
• 379) Why does ISKCON stop its devotees from associating with Gaudiya Math devotees?
• 378) If we feel inspired to do a service other than what we are instructed, what should we do?
• 377) Can you explain the ladder of abstraction through practical examples?
• 376) Can practicing bhakti too seriously cause mental health problems?
• 375) If someone is in great pain and can’t understand philosophy, how can we help them?
• 374) Why has the zeal for outreach gone down in our movement?
• 373) How can we be absorbed in Krishna?
• 372) When our environment is filled with sexual temptations, how can we stay unaffected?
• 371) How does humility relate with willpower?
• 370) Can science free us from the evils of religion, as atheists argue?
• 369) Are religious people intellectually lazy and atheists more intellectually responsible?
• 368) If we should be purpose-driven, not goal-driven, why do we set goals for new devotees to increase their rounds?
• 367) If our mental software is corrupted, should we try to counter it or rise above it?
• 366) How practical is it to reach enlightenment in today’s fast-paced world?
• 365) Has science replaced philosophy?
• 364) Where does our personality come from?
• 363) Does becoming fully conscious make it difficult to connect with others who are not that conscious?
• 362) How can we help people who have dementia?
• 361) Do animal species have no intelligence?

July 2018

• 360) Are destiny and God the same thing?
• 359) What is the subconscious mind as explained in books such as “The power of the subconscious mind”?
• 358) Is the world like a programmed algorithm of numbers?
• 357) Why was Ekalavya treated so unfairly?
• 356) How can renunciates sublimate the need for sexual pleasure?
• 355) Why does Shiva Puarana say that Shiva is the source of Brahma and Vishnu?
• 354) Why are Krishna and bhakti not mentioned in the Vedas?
• 353) If all religions come from God, why do they have contradictions?
• 352) How can bhakti wisdom help us to become more forgiving?
• 351) Does causeless mercy have any cause?
• 350) Why is Islam the most violent religion?
• 349) Does the teaching that we shouldn’t over-endeavor impede our career growth?
• 348) When people are so confused that they can’t discern their own material inclinations, how can we engage them in bhakti?
• 347) If sense objects seem more attractive than Krishna, what to do?
• 346) If forgiving unlimitedly a sign of humility?
• 345) Will all our anxieties take us towards Krishna?
• 344) Should we fast on every acharya’s appearance and disappearance – how important is austerity in bhakti?
• 343) How can we maintain our momentum in devotion?
• 342) For seva if our svadhyaya and sadhana go down, then are we going into Maya?
• 341) If temple management uses philosophy to explain away wrong actions of devotees, what should we do?
• 340) Can forgiveness be a negative attribute?
• 339) Should we correct devotees and become a bad guy in their eyes or just turn a blind eye to their wrongdoings?
• 338) If demons are devotees descending for mausala-lila, will they go to brahmajyoti on being liberated?
• 337) For building a big temple, should a community’s focus shift from preaching to fund-raising?
• 336) Who is the source of all incarnations – Vishnu or Krishna?
• 335) Is everything insentient in the universe deterministic?
• 334) Who is to be purified – mind or soul?
• 333) How can we explain UFOs?
• 332) Should we not do good to others because to get the good reaction we will have to take birth again?
• 331) With our current knowledge of the material world, what can we understand about the spiritual world?
• 330) If a couple has to divorce, do they keep getting the other’s karma even after divorce?
• 329) How is atheism self-refuting?
• 328) Might we have been created by some higher civilization instead of God?
• 327) How exactly is the bull dharma deluded as Prabhupada mentions in SB 1.17.23 purport?
• 326) Do Krishna’s personal attributes symbolize something higher?
• 325) Does following all religions lead to the same goal?
• 324) As devotees in Vaikuntha know the Lord’s position whereas those in Goloka don’t, is the influence of Yoga-Maya lesser in Vaikunta – Hindi?
• 323) Are all ungodly people vicious?
• 322) Were past sages more spiritually advanced that they could live in seclusion whereas we need relationships to grow spiritually?
• 321) Should we never take sides when two devotees are in conflict?
• 320) If someone can memorize a lot of verses, is that due to their determination or their memory?

June 2018

• 319) Will Krishna be more pleased if we feed the hungry than offer opulent bhoga to the Deities?
• 318) Why does the Bhagavatam say that literature glorifying Krishna is imperfectly composed when such literature is meant to attract people to Krishna?
• 317) Why are great devotees sometimes subjected to baseless vicious accusations?
• 316) Why did Devaki suffer but Yashoda enjoyed Krishna’s association?
• 315) What is the traditional meaning of yoga in the Yoga sutras?
• 314) What is the difference between conscience and intelligence?
• 313) If someone is suffering but is not open to spirituality, how to help them?
• 312) When the mind starts misleading, does the Supersoul intervene?
• 311) If many other people are good in the area we are good, should we still persevere in that area?
• 310) If someone is very pessimistic about themselves, how to help them?
• 309) Will using our talents for Krishna lead to pure devotion?
• 308) When serving Krishna through our profession, should we try to become the best in that profession?
• 307) How can those in passion come to goodness to understand their nature?
• 306) Should we serve Krishna as we feel inspired or as we are instructed?
• 305) Philosophically, are certain activities in certain modes – is fighting in passion or can it be in goodness?
• 304) Should we serve according to our nature or try to transcend our nature?
• 303) If we keep whimsically repeating a mistake, what to do?
• 302) What are dynamic and static understandings of bhakti?
• 301) If our weaknesses make us lose perspective, what can we do?
• 300) How do the soul, mind, intelligence and false ego interact with each other?
• 299) How do we know if we are doing a service for our ego or for Krishna?
• 298) We plan to do many services during vacations, but end up in doing nothing – what to do?
• 297) How to balance between dependence on Krishna and diligence for Krishna?
• 296) If God could have stopped Hitler from killing innocent people, why didn’t he do so?
• 295) When terrorists kill people, are those people killed because of their own karma?
• 294) How can we explain why bad things happen without seeming insensitive by bringing in karma?
• 293) Why do many people consider the soul and the Supersoul to be one?
• 292) What is the role of the intelligence in the metaphor of the mind as the software?
• 291) What is the difference between the material mind and the spiritual mind?
• 290) Should we appreciate the good qualities in nondevotees?
• 289) How does bhakti wisdom help us to become more tolerant?
• 288) Is aversion always bad – isn’t Yamunacharya averse to sensual pleasure? (Vedic wisdom)
• 287) If we have a million options to choose from, how to decide?
• 286) What is the happiness that comes from inside?
• 285) What is the causal body or karana-sharira?
• 284) What does akarma mean – does akarma free us from past karma?
• 283) In what context did you say that to err is divine and to forgive human?
• 282) Can we see everything that happens as Krishna’s mercy, that he is giving us our own bad karma for making us take shelter of him?
• 281) If our mind troubles us more than others’ mind troubles them, what to do?
• 280) Amidst suffering, should we see that Krishna has chosen us to go through this for some purpose?
• 279) How can we make difficult decisions responsibly?
• 278) Does Krishna interfere with the laws of material nature for a devotee?
• 277) How can we become more consistent?
• 276) Does causeless mercy exist – are we qualified for it?
• 275) How can we practically understand humility and surrender?
• 274) If circumstantially we can’t get initiation, does that mean Krishna thinks we aren’t yet qualified?
• 273) Why does Bhishma say that he is bound by the Kauravas wealth?
• 272) What does Prabhupada want to convey by talking about the conflict of communists and capitalists?
• 271) Are Bhishma’s teachings of pure devotion at the end of his life contradicted by his life of service to the Kauravas?
• 270) Does consciousness flow inside-out or outside-in?
• 269) Did Krishna create the universe through the big bang or without it?
• 268) In the metaphor of mind as inner screen, how does purification occur? (Vedic wisdom)
• 267) When Indra commits so many mistakes, why is he considered a great person?
• 266) How can we avoid karmic entanglement while working in our office?
• 265) How is spiritual sound different from material sound?
• 264) In the metaphor of mind as inner screen, how does spiritual sound lead to spiritual realization?

May 2018

• 263) How can we change ourselves for the better as quickly as possible?
• 262) If we make a strong resolution, does the mind’s power ensure that we keep it?
• 261) How do our beliefs and habits shape what pops up on our inner screen?
• 260) How can we get the impetus to chant seriously?
• 259) Does anxiety come by itself or do we choose it – what to do about it?
• 258) When we keep forgetting the good things we hear, what is the benefit?
• 257) Which is the easier way to attain Krishna – bhakti or seva?
• 256) Does developing a devotional self-conception require a lot of preparation before it can be lived?
• 255) How can we strive to overcome our anarthaas without becoming anartha-conscious?
• 254) What is the difference between varnashrama, daivi varnashrama and pure devotion?
• 253) What is the scriptural basis for the idea that only desire and endeavor are in our hands?
• 252) Should we critically evaluate bhakti or just believe and practice it?
• 251) Does fixing the mind on Krishna require laborious mechanical repetition?
• 250) When Kripa participated in the murder of the Pandavas son, why did they still accept him as their priest?
• 249) Can we pray to Krishna for removing obstacles in our material life?
• 248) If some devotees do great kirtan, but don’t chant 16 rounds, should we appreciate them?
• 247) If we are not the doers, then are our mistakes actually our mistakes?
• 246) How can meat-eaters reincarnate in human bodies, as past life memories cases suggest?
• 245) Should Gita 3.27 be we are not the only doers?
• 244) If someone’s religion allows meat-eating, then is their eating meat a sin?
• 243) If someone is practicing bhakti but not chanting 16 rounds, what is their destination?
• 242) Is the community responsible for fostering emotional maturity?
• 241) How to avoid sleepiness while chanting?
• 240) Do we need to master our emotions to be sensitive to others’ emotions – is being emotional bad?
• 239) Does living near the temple help in developing Krishna consciousness?
• 238) Can karmic reactions come at the mental level?
• 237) Should we pray that other devotees overcome their demonic qualities or not see any faults in devotees?
• 236) How can we distance ourselves from jealousy?
• 235) What is the difference between humble and meek?
• 234) By practicing spirituality, how does our inner world change?
• 233) If our service is not giving results, is that due to some deficiency in us?
• 232) When we can’t avoid anxiety, what can we do?
• 231) What does vasudevah sarvam iti mean?
• 230) How do we tap our strengths and get rid of our weaknesses?
• 229) In Sanatana-dharma, how did the divisions of Dvaita and Advaita occur?
• 228) Is staying away from alcoholic friends escapism?
• 227) How to ensure that our behavior with our juniors is the same as with our seniors?
• 226) If God is the cause of everything, how do we have free will?
• 225) How can unspiritual people face life’s problems positively?
• 224) When souls should be losing human bodies because of bad karma, why is the population increasing?
• 223) How do we present bhakti wisdom to moral relativists?
• 222) Has God ordained the future trajectory of all living beings?
• 221) Does reincarnation continue infinitely?
• 220) When incubation is done externally, where does the soul come in the picture?
• 219) How can we share Krishna’s message purely, without the need for validation?
• 218) Are we meant to face our destiny or to fulfill our destiny?
• 217) Will God be understood by science in future?
• 216) How can we actually understand Krishna’s form?
• 215) How does bhakti correlate with raising our energy to higher chakras?
• 214) As our free will is finite, should we just depend on Krishna always?
• 213) Is spirituality meant to eliminate worry and depression?
• 212) If a well-thought decision turns out to be a mistake, then do we get the karma for it?

April 2018

• 211) Krishna descends to establish dharma – what does that dharma refer to?
• 210) Where do intuitions come from – are they related with instincts or impulses?
• 209) Are the various paths up the mountain to spiritual consciousness equivalent?
• 208) Should we distance ourselves from positive emotions such as those coming from achievement?
• 207) When Krishna is the cause of all causes, how do we have free will?
• 206) If some people are more emotional than others, can they still manage their emotions?
• 205) Has neuroscience shown that there is no inner seer?
• 204) How does Hanuman embody humble ambitiousness?
• 203) When distancing ourselves from our desires isn’t enough, what to do?
• 202) If our scriptural knowledge makes us proud, what can we do?
• 201) Hanuman and Prabhupada were given a purpose – when we haven’t been given one, how should we live?
• 200) Can spiritual growth and career growth go together?
• 199) Why did Bhima abandon Hidimibi – did he marry her simply to gain political power?
• 198) Did Krishna use Ghatothkacha as a sacrificial pawn?
• 197) If we like to read a lot and others don’t like our reading so much, what to do?
• 196) How do we gain trust while interacting with unknown people?
• 195) How can we avoid labelling and judging others?
• 194) When different people consider different courses of action as right, how to reconcile?
• 193) Amidst so many materialistic temptations today, how can we stay devotional?
• 192) How can we alert others to future dangers without discouraging them?
• 191) Were Internet and wifi present at the time of the Mahabharata?
• 190) Why does Krishna make it so difficult for us to come to him?
• 189) Do intellectuals find it more difficult to love Krishna?
• 188) If peer pressure makes us do materialistic things, what to do?
• 187) When the abducted Sita was not the real Sita, why was Rama distressed by her abduction?
• 186) When the mind wants to change unchangeable circumstances, what to do?
• 185) If we are to hate the sin, aren’t we to be averse to sin?
• 184) How to decide how much to be satisfied with?
• 183) How are some people emotionally tough even when they don’t practice bhakti?
• 182) If we identify that we are feeling self-pity, what do we do next?
• 181) If we are already connected with Krishna, why do we need to chant?
• 180) Are rocks alive – can we become rocks in our future life?
• 179) If someone takes retirement and then feels unengaged and disoriented, what should they do?
• 178) Does the mind look for change and the soul look for the unchanging?
• 177) Does our spiritual master know everything about us?
• 176) How can we explain morality to moral relativists?
• 175) Will anxiety be addressed in the long-term by bhakti or should we try to address it in the short-term too?
• 174) How can we remember Krishna while we are working in a materialistic environment?
• 173) If during a class some children are distracting everyone, why isn’t anything done about it?
• 172) How can we perceive Krishna’s love amidst our and others distresses and conditionings?
• 171) Is our attraction to Krishna a conditional attraction generated by devotional conditions?
• 170) During chanting, can we have aids to get the mind from the physical level to the spiritual level?
• 169) When science requires only working assumptions, why do you say that science requires faith?
• 168) Why is the population increasing?
• 167) How can we develop our relationship with the eternal using the temporary mind?
• 166) If I don’t have much work at my office, should I go and ask for more work?
• 165) Is Krishna situated in the mind or the heart – how are the two related?
• 164) Does accepting our emotions mean that our getting angry is not a matter of concern?
• 163) How can we avoid making a ruinous mistake like Ravana made?
• 162) When we are telling ourselves to concentrate, who is telling this – the soul or the intelligence – and to whom?
• 161) If some Vaishnava sampradayas reject the worship of Radharani, how to respond?
• 160) How do we know that Krishna accepts our gratitude?
• 159) When we can’t remember Krishna purely now, how will our remembering him at death take us to him?
• 158) Was Ravana a good person who just committed one mistake?
• 157) How can the mind be our friend?
• 156) Do we need to give up guilt and worry to practice bhakti?
• 155) If my office workload has decreased but I can’t chant or hear much, what should I do?
• 154) How does bhakti shelter us amidst physical and emotional pain?
• 153) How to reconcile the Gita – do your own duty, even if imperfectly – with the Gita – do what you are good at, according to your nature?
• 152) When our nature is to be spiritual, why are we not attracted to Krishna?
• 151) If we move to a temple whose mood is different from that of our native temple, what to do?
• 150) How can we internalize the mood and mission of our teachers?
• 149) Is purification of the intelligence the same as purification of the mind?
• 148) While analyzing our mind, how to avoid paralysis by analysis?
• 147) When we are not the doers – material nature is – why are we held responsible for our actions?
• 146) If we feel more attracted to managerial services than scriptural study, are we in the mode of passion?
• 145) Will future scientific progress explain consciousness and spirituality in mathematical terms?
• 144) How do we strengthen the intelligence?
• 143) How do the modes correlate with an analysis of the mind’s functioning?
• 142) If meeting our expectations makes us over-confident, what can we do?
• 141) By engaging our material nature in bhakti, are we constructing our spiritual nature or reviving it?
• 140) How to go through dry phases in our chanting?
• 139) Do we seek only an operational knowledge of scripture and not actual knowledge?

March 2018

• 138) Does repeated practice improve our instincts?
• 137) Does anyone who die in a dhama on a holy day go back to Godhead?
• 136) If a desire is irresistible, what to do?
• 135) Should we take other devotees plates for washing if they don’t want to give?
• 134) Should we have expectations while practicing bhakti?
• 133) Shouldn’t we speak strongly to get everyone on the fast track to Krishna?
• 132) Are we the sum of our thoughts?
• 131) What is the destination of good non-spiritual people such as Stephen Hawking?
• 130) Can we say that intelligence comprises of knowledge processing, discrimination, analysis and determination?
• 129) How should we deal with people involved in non-devotional dharmic causes?
• 128) Is determination situated in the intelligence or in the mind?
• 127) How can we practically make the intelligence the counsellor of the mind?
• 126) How can we encourage a devotee to do service with someone they don’t like?
• 125) Does the soul in an animal body learn anything spiritual?
• 124) What is the relationship between soul, consciousness and heart?
• 123) When Garuda is a pure devotee, why does he eat fish?
• 122) In Kali-yuga, thoughts don’t incur reactions – what does that mean practically?
• 121) How can we help materially entrapped people to become spiritual?
• 120) Ajamila knew scripture – yet he fell down. Why?
• 119) How can we balance between bhakti and studies?
• 118) Are our mistakes Krishna’s mercy?
• 117) If our spouse is sentimentally following a different spiritual path, how should we deal with it?
• 116) If our speaking about Krishna doesn’t transform others, does that mean we lack the purity that empowers senior devotees’ words to be transformational?
• 115) Is wanting to go back after death to Krishna selfish and wanting to go to Prabhupada selfless?
• 114) If we have free will, how does Krishna know the future?
• 113) How do we understand scriptural stories in which mountains are conscious?
• 112) Are pleasures such as traveling to see new places considered addictive?
• 111) Why is atma translated as the Supreme in Ishopanishad mantra 6?
• 110) In Paramatma realization, is God the subject or the object?
• 109) To show our world to others, we need to see it with fresh eyes
• 108) In the Prasthana-traya, what does nyaya mean – how does it relate with Vedanta-sutra?
• 107) What is the Moksha Dharma that Prabhupada sometimes quotes?
• 106) Where is the verse om purnam adah .. from – why is it included as the Ishopanishad invocation?
• 105) The Absolute truth covered by maya is called matter – What does this mean?
• 104) How are fruitive activities the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds?
• 103) How can we say that we are spiritually equal when in the spiritual world every soul is different?
• 102) If bhakti is beyond the modes, why do we need to come to the mode of goodness?
• 101) How to avoid judging others?
• 100) Can capacity to find faults be an empowerment from Krishna?
• 99) When the mind is restless, how are performers like archers able to focus on one point?
• 98) If seva-dhyana comes in the way of nama-dhyana, what to do?
• 97) Did some of the leaders of our movement fall down because of being haunted by demonic forces?
• 96) Does destiny determine our free will too?
• 95) How are some people fearless of death?
• 94) How does bhakti-yoga help us overcome anger?
• 93) How can we use fear in Krishna’s service?
• 92) Can affirmations helps us to manifest our destiny?
• 91) Can an atheist be spiritual?
• 90) How can we be authentic while living according to others’ expectations?
• 89) How are some people such as skydivers more fearless than devotees?
• 88) How can we help our teenage kids who are infatuated with their gadgets?
• 87) When not being passionate is seen as weakness in a passionate world, how can we function as devotees?
• 86) How can we know whether our experience of Krishna is imagination or revelation?
• 85) If we fight against obstacles to serve Krishna in a particular way, are we not dependent on Krishna?
• 84) If we neglect all the emotions of the mind, are we being impersonalistic?
• 83) How did you come to Krishna consciousness – Hindi?
• 82) If wanting to do a lot of service spoils our health, how to stay balanced?
• 81) Are the past and the future illusions – is the present the only reality that we should live in?
• 80) We often direct our anger towards those who can’t hurt us – how to avoid getting angry – Hindi
• 79) When happiness is a subjective experience, can there be any absolute happiness?
• 78) While pursuing ultimate reality, is happiness the purpose or a byproduct?
• 77) If we don’t speak about high standards, won’t low standards become the standard
• 76) If our service forces us into agitating situations, how can we keep ourselves safe – Hindi?
• 75) If our contemplation doesn’t translate into determination, where are we getting stuck?
• 74) When our mind hears selectively, is that due to intelligence or ego?
• 73) If someone says that being spiritually open-minded means believing that life doesn’t have an objective purpose how to respond?
• 72) How are our present emotions related to our soul?
• 71) How does bhakti practice change the influence of the modes on us?
• 70) Why would Yudhishthira always choose the timid approach?
• 69) When people don’t offer us moral support but dishearten us by bombarding philosophy, what to do – Hindi?
• 68) If our aesthetic side is not nourished by regimented bhakti practices, what to do?
• 67) What can we do practically to make our devotional identity our defining identity?
• 66) Is everything that happens Krishna’s plan?
• 65) If thoughts come from the intelligence and feelings from the mind, then do thoughts grow into feelings?
• 64) In difficult relationships, at what point should we stop tolerating?
• 63) When the mind gets obsessed with desire, it becomes impossible to control – what to do – Hindi?
• 62) Our goals are the results we seek – how can we set goals but be detached from results?
• 61) In difficult relationships, are tolerating, mitigating and emigrating to be tried sequentially?
• 60) Why do we have a mind at all – wouldn’t we function better without it?
• 59) You said if we do whatever we like, we end up disliking ourselves – isn’t varnashrama based on working according to our likings?
• 58) When pure devotees are beyond the modes, where does their nature come from?
• 57) How can we act at the level that we are not our bodies – Hindi?
• 56) Why do our resolutions for inner transformation not last?

February 2018

• 55) How can we constantly remember that we are different from our mind?
• 54) Yoga tells us to become observers of our attachment and aversion – what does bhakti tell?
• 53) Does being open-minded mean learning from everyone but not following anyone?
• 52) Is the higher taste of bhakti available only for those who practice bhakti exclusively while living in a temple?
• 51) Is ISKCON’s initial portrayal of the purificatory potency of bhakti unrealistic?
• 50) If a couple can’t have a child, how can they serve Krishna?
• 49) Even when we accept a spiritual purpose, spiritual practice remains difficult – what to do?
• 48) When fear comes likes a forceful river, what to do?
• 47) If we feel Krishna has let us down in the past, how can we depend on him?
• 46) How can we love others without becoming attached?
• 45) How can we differentiate between what to hold on to and what to let go?
• 44) When we feel excessive fear, how can we correct the mind’s corrupted software?
• 43) How can we deal with past hurtful memories?
• 42) How are humility and honesty different – why are they needed in spirituality?
• 41) If I feel fearful because others keep reminding me of my past mistakes, what to do?
• 40) Does greater ambition lead to greater fear?
• 39) I am afraid of darkness – what can I do?
• 38) Why does Krishna test devotees?
• 37) How can we make the right choice a habit instead of an austerity?
• 36) Does maintaining an institute make managers rigid and impersonal?
• 35) With what attitude should we go for inter-faith programs – how do they help our mission?
• 34) If a Muslim wants to study the Gita but can’t accept God’s personal form, what to do?
• 33) Is God the cause of negativity in humans?
• 32) Should evolution be taught in schools?
• 31) If everything is under karma, are terrorists wrongdoers or simply instruments for punishing wrongdoers?
• 30) Why are there many religions – can we believe in more than one religion?
• 29) How can we avoid becoming discouraged on seeing that the modes are pulling us down?
• 28) If I want to come first in my class, am I being attached to results?
• 27) What is spirituality?
• 26) If everyone is meant to be spiritual, why are so few people attracted to spirituality?

January 2018

• 25) What happens to a person who commits suicide while remembering Krishna?
• 24) How can we seek higher purpose when things are going right, not just when things start going wrong?
• 23) What causes a midlife crisis – can devotees suffer from it?
• 22) Should evolution be taught in schools?
• 21) How can devotees learn to be satisfied with whatever services they can do?
• 20) Devotees who succeed in getting external results are looked up to in our movement – what to do?
• 19) What can brahmacharis do if they feel choked in their ashram?
• 18) How is our intelligence partly our friend and partly our enemy?
• 17) If we are too passionate to separate ourselves from our mind, what to do?
• 16) Wasn’t Arjuna passionate about archery – can we be passionate about something and still be devotional?
• 15) We want appreciation for making our contribution – what to do about this wanting?
• 14) When we live in a competitive world, how can we avoid comparing ourselves with others?
• 13) How can we avoid collateral damage while working in our offices?
• 12) When India is the land of spirituality, why was it overrun by so many invaders – why does it still have a colonial mentality?
• 11) Why is Hinduism portrayed so negatively in the media and academia?
• 10) Is satisfaction a brahminical virtue that is impractical for kshastriyas and other varnas?
• 9) Can self-help techniques be used in Krishna’s service?
• 8) Why are some people attached to godly things and some to ungodly things?
• 7) Can harmonization with contemporary culture lead to dilution of tradition?
• 6) How can we get rid of unwanted thoughts?
• 5) How does hypnosis work?
• 4) How is the moon the mind’s predominating deity?
• 3) With artificial intelligence advancing rapidly, what will differentiate humans from future machines?
• 2) How can we communicate the need of regulation to people who are gung-ho about freedom and rights?

February 2012

• 1) What are the causes of anger – how to deal with them – Hindi?