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July 2022
768)
Could the 63 millions deaths due to abortion be deaths that had to happen due to mass karma?
767)
Could the 63 millions deaths due to abortion be deaths that had to happen due to mass karma?
766)
Do men have no right to speak on abortion because they have never carried a baby?
June 2022
765)
In today’s culture that teaches no respect for elders, how can we share spirituality?
764)
Roe V Wade reversed A Bhagavad-gita perspective on the US removal of women’s right to abortion
763)
Why does God not answer our prayers? (PK answered 5)
May 2022
762)
Texas school shooting: A Bhagavad-gita perspective – Chaitanya Charan
July 2020
761)
QA on humility 7 – Is spirituality meant to make us feel good. Or does spiritual growth require us to feel bad?
760)
QA on humility 6 – When pure devotees take offense, is that because of false ego?
759)
QA on humility 5 – What is it about humility that attracts Krishna?
758)
QA on humility 4 – Social media requires self-promotion, spiritual growth requires humility – how to reconcile?
757)
QA on humility 2 – While being tolerant, how can we ensure that we aren’t abused by others?
756)
When natural calamities disrupt our lives beyond tolerance point, what can we do other than pray?
June 2020
755)
QA on racism Q 10 How do we as spiritualists manifest empathy (para-dukha-dukhi)?
754)
QA on racism Q 9 Is racial injustice caused by past karma?
753)
QA on racism Q 8 How do we balance knowing that we are not the bady and processing bodily pains?
752)
QA on racism Q 7 When animals of one group don’t include animals from another group, is that racism?
751)
QA on racism Q 6 Why is racism seen in humans, but not in animals?
750)
QA on racism Q 5 What does seeing everyone equally mean practically?
749)
QA on racism Q 4 Are varna and ashrama the only two hierarchies present in nature?
748)
QA on racism Q 3 Do people of particular skin colors belong to particular castes?
747)
QA on racism Q 2 Does racism exist because of the caste system?
746)
QA on racism Q 1 From a spiritual perspective, why does racism exist?
February 2020
745)
How can an introvert practice bhakti when it is so social and public?
January 2020
744)
Is Krishna brahman or parabrahman?
September 2019
743)
Are we meant to face our destiny or to fulfill our destiny?
July 2018
742)
How can bhakti wisdom help us to become more forgiving?
741)
QA session with Delhi youth
June 2018
740)
How does bhakti wisdom help us to become more tolerant?
May 2018
739)
QA session in London
738)
When souls should be losing human bodies because of bad karma, why is the population increasing?
737)
Are we meant to face our destiny or to fulfill our destiny?
April 2018
736)
QA session at Columbus 2018 Spring
July 2017
735)
What is the conscious mind and the subconscious mind?
March 2017
734)
Why does the Gita begin with Dhritarashtra, not Krishna?
May 2015
733)
Will accepting reincarnation make people more lazy or more responsible?
732)
Can an OBE be repeated and experimented upon?
731)
Are there any scientifically verified cases of past-life memories?
730)
Are there any NDEs that conclusively prove the existence of the soul?
729)
What are the proofs for reincarnation accepted by mainstream scientists?
728)
Cant past-life memories be coincidences among the earth’s eight billion people’s stories?
727)
Does Krishna’s not being able to remember the Gita later in the Mahabharata prove that some higher being spoke the Gita through him?
726)
How should we see unbrahminical behavior of brahman-initiated devotees?
725)
As advanced spiritualists have no material desires, do they get no dreams while sleeping?
724)
If tamasic people are attracted to ghastly worshipable forms, then are those who worship Narasimha tamasic?
723)
Why is Rama Navmi fast broken in some temples with grains and in others without grains?
722)
Is Christianity Mayavada because many Christians consider Jesus to be God?
March 2015
721)
Are dharma, artha, kama and moksha to be pursued sequentially or simultaneously?
720)
How does Schrodinger’s cat paradox point to consciousness’ reality?
719)
Is the religionist’s God different from the philosopher’s God?
718)
Do sadhaka-devotees also become free all worldly obligations?
717)
How does the Vedic rule of “no reactions in killing aggressors” apply today?
716)
Is identifying according to our nature false ego?
715)
Is sex pleasure due to hormones or mental imagination?
714)
What does om mean?
713)
If we do someone else’s work well, then is that work is our nature?
712)
What causes inferiority complex?
711)
Will banning beef lead to economic problems?
February 2015
710)
Is applying material science to spiritual things wrong?
709)
Are all attractive things good for devotees of the all-attractive?
708)
Doesn’t population growth disprove reincarnation?
707)
How do we understand contradictions in scriptures?
706)
How is shabda-pramana free from four defects?
705)
What exactly is false ego and true ego?
704)
Will soldiers who fight in today’s wars be doing vikarma?
703)
Do sampradayas other than 4 Vaishnava sampradayas also have divine origin?
January 2015
702)
Do neophyte devotees also represent Krishna? How?
701)
Is the Absolute Truth just a stream of consciousness for jnanis and a Person for bhaktas?
700)
When Ajamila chanted with the wrong conception, why did Vishnutas come?
699)
What is the result of chanting the names of godmen who have the name of God?
698)
Does upasana kanda contain things other than bhakti?
697)
Are Gita and Bhagavatam meant for less intelligent people because they are parts of smriti?
696)
When Vedas are said to be superior to pratyaksha and anumana, which meaning of Veda is used?
695)
Can you give an example of unnecessarily provocative presentation of apara-vidya that we should avoid?
694)
How can we give people initial faith so that they can practice para-vidya and experience its potency?
693)
Why does Arjuna brag that he is greater than Dwarkavasis in the brahmana son’s stealing pastime?
692)
Why is the same story told differently in different scriptures?
691)
If sensory knowledge is defective, why do we use it to refute atheistic theories?
690)
In the three scopes of meanings of the word Veda, which meaning is used by the Vedas themselves?
689)
When Bhagavatam is the commentary on Vedanta-sutra, why do Advaitins still study Vedanta-sutra
688)
How can we help a dying relative attain emotional closure with an unforgiving relative?
687)
Does the improbability of extra-terrestrial life support more the Christian conception of God than the Vedic conception?
686)
How can we best help a relative who is near death?
685)
As neophytes can’t understand tattva and rasa accurately, isn’t it better to consider Krishna-lila depictions as literal and not artistic?
684)
Should conversions be banned in India?
683)
What is the difference between faith and blind faith? (PK answered 27)
682)
Are different religions like different companies with their gods as their product? (PK answered 26)
681)
How can God who is unlimited appear as a limited stone image? (PK answered 24)
December 2014
680)
Is PK an anti-Hindu movie? (PK answered 22)
679)
Are we meant to not ask questions in matters of faith? (PK answered 21)
678)
Is dharma same as religion?
677)
Aren’t Hindu teachers by refuting PK unnecessarily promoting it?
676)
Why waste milk on God’s image when his children are starving? (PK answered 20)
675)
How can worshiping a cow get a person a job? (PK answered 19)
674)
If God has a plan for everything, does chanting mantras for getting something change his plan? (PK answered 18)
673)
Why do religious teachers threaten people with fear of future punishment? (PK Answered 17)
672)
Why does God like flattery? (PK answered 16)
671)
When God is all-powerful, why do religionists need to protect him and for that attack others? (PK answered 15)
670)
Why does God favor the wealthy by letting them bypass the queues in temples? (PK answered 14)
669)
Does God respond more to our prayers when we worship him in a bigger murti? (Pk answered 13)
668)
If God can hear our prayers directly, why do we need to pray to a murti? (PK answerd 12)
667)
Is going to temple due to fear cowardice? (PK answered 11)
666)
Is religion a business run by godmen to exploit people’s fears? (PK answered 10)
665)
Why do different religions have different rituals? (PK answered 9)
664)
Why aren’t we born with our religion stamped on our body? (PK answered 8)
663)
Is religion made by man or by God? (PK answered 7)
662)
Why would God want his children to roll on the ground to come to him? (PK answered 6)
661)
Do fearful people go to temples? (PK answered 4)
660)
Are rituals wrong numbers for calling God? (PK answered 3)
659)
Is the god who made us completely unknowable to us? (PK answered 2)
658)
Are there two gods – the god who made us and the god whom we made? (PK answered 1)
657)
In SB 1.2.7 if the knowledge is acquired through devotion how is it causeless?
656)
In SB 1.2.2 what does the trees’ echoing Vyasadeva’s call to Shukadeva mean?
655)
What exactly is the point of the nivrtta tarshair (SB 10.01.04) verse?
November 2014
654)
Is secularism against the Vedic tradition?
653)
Why does Gita 7.25 use yoga-maya instead of maha-maya?
652)
Does the Gita ask Arjuna to choose job over family?
651)
Should prostitution be legalized in India?
650)
What are the consequences of sin?
649)
Why is every sin ultimately a sin against God?
648)
What does it mean to be free from sin?
647)
What does it mean to be a slave to sin?
646)
How can I overcome a habitual sin?
645)
Why do we sin?
644)
Are all sins equal to God?
643)
Do parents suffer the sins of their children?
642)
Are children punished for the sins of their parents?
641)
How can I know if something is a sin?
640)
What is the definition of sin?
639)
Is caffeine addiction a sin?
638)
Is joking a sin?
637)
When chanting requires mind control, why do we say that chanting leads to mind control?
636)
Where does people’s evil tendency come from?
635)
Could God have prevented the Holocaust?
634)
Who is responsible for the Holocaust – Hitler or the Jews’ karma?
633)
Why does God not protect his devotees today like he protected Prahlad?
632)
When we don’t know what past-life karma caused our present suffering how do we learn?
631)
Are only Indian breed cows go mata?
630)
When God doesn’t conjure tricks can he be considered a magician?
629)
When God doesn’t need to do research, can he be considered a scientist?
628)
Where exactly is the pleasure of sex: in our mind, in our body’s hormonal secretion or in the other person’s body?
627)
Should we stop voting in elections because no political party stops sinful activities?
626)
Is God a scientist or a magician?
625)
What are phantom limbs – how do they prove the soul’s existence?
624)
Is the God of the Abrahamic traditions the same as the God of the Vedic tradition?
623)
Will devotional service free us from a painful disorder?
622)
Does one lose wealth or gain wealth by worshiping Hari?
621)
Is controlling lust forcibly helpful or harmful?
620)
Why do devotees consult psychologists instead of chanting mahamantra?
619)
Why do you call your site spiritualscientist when there’s not much scientific content?
618)
Does om purnam imply that we should be complete and so we should be Krishna?
617)
How can we share scriptural wisdom in today’s secular government?
616)
Why does Bhishma Panchaka have 4 days this year instead of 5?
October 2014
615)
Why do so many people commit suicide?
614)
Science believes in experiments – what does spirituality believe in?
613)
Do animals have mind – how do they control it?
612)
Does covering our bodies with clothes make us obsessed to see others’ bodies?
611)
Is wearing clothes unnatural as no other species in nature wears clothes?
610)
Do vaishyas have to do brahminical occupation to come to goodness for practicing bhakti?
609)
Why do we counter-push against lower modes and not against goodness?
608)
How do we deal with students who take to KC to escape from studies?
607)
When Prabhupada’s Gita is so obviously not as it is, how can he call it as it is?
606)
What is the benefit in hearing about Krishna?
605)
How can anyone accept such an antromorphic unscientific mythic conception of God as Krishna
604)
Aren’t Brahmavadis ultimately Mayavadis because they consider the Lord’s form to be temporary?
603)
Is the ability to remember past lives the mercy of the Lord?
602)
How is Krishna consciousness a science?
601)
Can science never prove the existence of God?
600)
Why can’t we remember our past lives?
599)
Can we take charanamrita when curd is forbidden during Chaturmasya?
598)
What is the basis for the classification of scripture as shruti smriti and nyaya?
597)
Did Krishna not have his conchshell before he killed Panchajanya?
596)
Is sensitivity the same as sentimentality?
595)
Is birthday celebration non-Vedic?
594)
How can birthday celebrations be made more traditional and spiritual?
593)
What is the philosophy behind the worship of a pure devotee’s Deity?
592)
Should birthday celebrations for devotees’ children be banned?
591)
Do devotees have to go through Brahman realization to attain Bhagavan realization?
590)
Is the love of a mother for her baby Maya?
589)
I study scripture but don’t find it relevant to me. What to do?
588)
When bhakti can’t be quantified, why have a bhakti shastri course with marks?
587)
What does the CC statement that scripture contains illusory stories mean?
586)
When the word ‘Bhagavan’ is used in scripture for sages and demigods why does Prabhuapda say it should be reserved only for God
585)
Is the doer the ego as Gita 18.58 states or the modes as Gita 3.27 states?
September 2014
584)
How can we stay open to new ideas without weakening our convictions?
583)
How can we keep our mind steady amidst outer agitation and inner temptation?
582)
What should we do when we are blamed for something?
581)
Why do we offer prasad and how is it to be offered?
580)
Are fish vegetarian or non-vegetarian?
579)
Why are the divisions of different scriptures called differently – skandha, kanda and parva
578)
How can the spiritual soul taste or enjoy a material sweet?
577)
How should we respond to classes that seem confusing and contradictory to the standard philosophical understanding
576)
What is the difference between object and concept – and how does it apply to our philosophy?
575)
How should devotees respond to the threat of brutal religious groups like ISIS?
574)
Does ISKCON consider the English of the 1920s to be sacred?
573)
When the intelligence is material, how can it take us to the spiritual level of reality?
572)
Is it selfish to want taste in chanting?
571)
If Arjuna was superior to Karna, why does Bhagavatam say he was a small fish in an ocean of giant fishes?
570)
To know the meaning of challenge, know the challenge of meaning
August 2014
569)
What does the Gita’s inverted tree metaphor signify?
568)
When everything is in Prabhupada’s books, what is the need to read other books either by ISKCON devotees or previous acharyas?
567)
Is a devotee’s grihastha-ashrama a failure if the children don’t become devotees?
566)
Is the prayer to get a good spouse a material prayer?
565)
Is the holy name transcendental or immanent?
564)
How is the holy name different from ordinary sound
563)
Has the Lord come under Maya in Kali-yuga that he is not able to protect Deities
562)
Why were Indian rulers other than Shivaji not empowered by the Lord to protect Vedic culture?
561)
How do you maintain consistency in your daily writing year after year?
560)
Are tragedies in our lives such as a relative committing suicide God’s punishments on us?
559)
How should relatives of a suicide resolve their anger towards that person?
558)
Should relatives communicate via planchette with someone who has committed suicide?
557)
If a good person commits suicide due to some frustration, what is their destination?
556)
Does a sudden tragedy in the lives of God’s worshipers indicates that God is too busy in his own kingdom to protect?
555)
Why does the Gita use a setting of war to convey its transcendental message when such a setting can be abused to provoke communal violence?
554)
What is the theory of reflection Prabhupada refers to in the Gita 2.13 purport?
553)
What is the Vedic perspective on passive euthanasia?
552)
Why do we say that lust needs to be curbed when it can be channelized towards Krishna as Narottama Das Thakura says?
551)
Why does Krishna emphasise consciousness at death which is much more uncontrollable than consciousness while living?
550)
When Krishna had said he wouldn’t lift weapons in the Kurukshetra war, why does he say in Gita 11.33 that the Kauravas are already killed by him?
549)
Does taking anti-depressant drugs as medicine violate the no intoxication principle?
548)
When opulences are disqualifications for devotion, why does ISKCON preach to the opulent?
547)
If consciousness of the couple at conception determines the nature of the child, will a child born through rape be evil?
546)
Does Krishna control us through remembrance and forgetfulness just as computer controls through zeroes and ones?
545)
Why do we need to justify the Pandavas’ actions? Isn’t “Krishna told them to do it” enough reason?
544)
Why do we need to be in the mode of goodness to practice bhakti?
543)
What is the significance of the two metaphors of rivers and moths used in the Gita’s description of warriors entering into the Universal Form
542)
In shabda pramana we receive knowledge from our senses (ears), so how is it superior to pratyaksha pramana?
541)
How have so many languages come up worldwide when developing a computer language requires so much effort?
540)
Do we need to introspect whether we are progressing in our spiritual life?
539)
Does one have to give up one’s material life on becoming an ISKCON member, even if one doesn’t become a brahmachari?
538)
Is ISKCON an organization for rich people?
July 2014
537)
Mahabharata characters 73 Abhimanyu 2 Confronting conspiracy with courage
536)
Mahabharata characters 72 Abhimanyu 1 Penetrating the impenetrable phalanx
535)
Mahabharata characters 71 Ashwatthama The dangerous temptation to punish
534)
Mahabharata characters 70 Karna 5 The tragic end of heroic misdirection
533)
Mahabharata characters 69 Karna 3 Is word of honor greater than life of honor
532)
Mahabharata characters 68 Karna 2 Status insecurity leads to shocking immorality
531)
Mahabharata characters 67 – Karna 1 – Did life give him a raw deal?
530)
Where does Vishishtadvaita fall in the six systems of philosophy?
529)
If we have canine teeth for eating meat, then doesn’t it go against the regulative principle of no meat-eating?
528)
How do we develop taste for studying scripture?
527)
Mahabharata characters 66 Duryodhana 5 Baffled in words, battles and spirits
526)
Mahabharata characters 65 Duryodhana 4 Incompetence and fault finding personified
525)
When can a devotee seek honor instead of being humble?
524)
Did God create humans to care for him as no other living beings care for him?
523)
How does atheism lead to abolition of our free will?
522)
Mahabharata characters 64 Duryodhana 3 Foolishly adding fuel to fire
521)
Mahabharata characters 63 Duryodhana 2 Krishna’s magnanimity vs Duryodhna’s obstinacy
520)
Mahabharata characters 62 Duryodhana 1 The humiliator is humiliated
519)
Mahabharata characters 61 Draupadi 2 Exemplary devotion amidst tribulation
518)
Mahabharata characters 60 Draupadi 1 Responding to vice with virtue
517)
Mahabharata characters 59 – Sahadeva – Using intelligence in the service of dharma
516)
Mahabharata characters 58 – Nakula – Sustaining unity amidst individuality
515)
Mahabharata characters 57 – Arjun 20 – World conquest for Ashwamedha-yajna
514)
Mahabharata characters 56 – Arjuna 19 – The difficult disciplining of Ashvatthama
513)
Mahabharata characters 55 – Arjuna 18 – The final battle with Karna
512)
Mahabharata characters 54 – Arjun 17 – Devotional surrender amidst mixed feelings at Drona’s death M
511)
Mahabharata characters 53 – Arjuna 16 – Racing against time with the Lord of time
510)
Mahabharata characters 52 – Arjuna 15 – Breaking through the wall of the Kaurava forces
509)
Mahabharata characters 51 – Arjuna 14 – Besting the fearsome elephant and the formidable elephant wa
508)
Mahabharata characters 50 – Arjuna 13 – Battling and serving the beloved grandsire
507)
Why is Krishna worshiped in North India in intimate mood and Vishnu worshiped in South India in reverential mood?
506)
Mahabharata characters 49 – Arjuna 12 – The Gita goes far beyond violence to transcendence
505)
Why does the mind develop bad habits more easily than good habits?
504)
Mahabharata characters 48 – Arjuna 11 – The divine heart calls the human heart to the path of love
503)
Mahabharata Characters 47 – Arjuna 10 – Arguments against and for fighting in the Gita
502)
Mahabharata Characters 46 – Arjuna 09 – Choose Krishna over the world
501)
Mahabharata Characters 45 – Arjuna 08 – The stunning victory at Virata
500)
Mahabharata Characters 44 – Arjuna 07 – Singlehanded triumph over the Nivatkavachas and Kalakanyas
499)
Mahabharata Characters 43 – Arjuna 05 – Heaven hath no fury like a woman scorned
June 2014
498)
Mahabharata Characters 42 – Arjuna 05 – Austerity and audacity for the pleasure of Lord Shiva
497)
Mahabharata Characters 41 – Arjuna 04 – All the gods bested at Khandava
496)
Mahabharata Characters 40 – Arjuna 03 – The match made with Krishna as the matchmaker
495)
Mahabharata Characters 39 – Arjuna 02 – Accepting exile to honour virtue
494)
Mahabharata Characters 38 – Arjuna 01 – Diligence is essential for attaining excellence
493)
Mahabharata Characters 37 – Bhima 07 – Draupadi’s dishonorers destroyed
492)
Mahabharata Characters 36 – Bhima 06 – Bhima decimates the Kauravas in the war’s first sixteen days
491)
Mahabharata Characters 35 – Bhima 05 – Bhima’s heroics during incognito exile
490)
Mahabharata Characters 34 – Bhima 04 – Meting punishment while giving forgiveness
489)
Mahabharata Characters 33 – Bhima 03 – An attack on the gods that fulfilled a godly purpose
488)
Mahabharata Characters 32 – Bhima 02 – No demon is a match to this human
487)
Mahabharata Characters 31 – Bhima 01 – Growing stronger through danger and disaster
486)
Mahabharata Characters 30 – Yudhisthira 08 – Dharmaraja’s moments of infamy and glory in the war
485)
Mahabharata Characters 29 – Yudhisthira 07 – Steadiness through wisdom amidst the war’s worries
484)
Why are Einstein’s and Prabhupada’s metaphors about blind man-lame man contradictory?
483)
What does Einstein’s metaphor about science and religion mean?
482)
Is science based on rational faith and religion on irrational faith?
481)
Does religion require faith from start to end whereas science requires faith only occasionally?
480)
Mahabharata Characters 28 – Yudhisthira 06 – Wisdom wins where strength fails (Nahusha & Yaksha)
479)
Mahabharata Characters 27 – Yudhisthira 05 – Words of wisdom vs words of anger in the forest
478)
If we shouldn’t be disturbed by the mind’s impurities, then how can we beat the mind?
477)
Why do we have to give up material pleasures to experience spiritual pleasures?
476)
Did past people believe in miracles like Govardhana lila because they were unscientific and gullible?
475)
If Krishna is the cause of all causes, is he the cause of everything that we and others do?
474)
Mahabharata Characters 26 – Yudhisthira 04 – The Pandavas dishonoured and dispossessed
473)
Are chanting praying and meditation the same?
472)
Mahabharata Characters 25 – Yudhisthira 03 – The virtuous victimized in the vicious gambling match
471)
Is belief in God like belief in a cosmic teapot – undisprovable yet unreasonable?
470)
How can India’s wisdom-literature be introduced in the education without the saffronization of the syllabus?
469)
Should every action in the Lord’s pastimes be interpreted to get some instruction from it?
468)
Mahabharata Characters 24 – Yudhisthira 02 – The world’s king glorifies the supreme king
467)
Mahabharata Characters 23 – Yudhisthira 01 – Sticking to integrity amidst injustice
466)
Mahabharata Characters 22 – Kunti 03 – Successful amidst misery after misery
465)
Mahabharata Characters 21 – Kunti 02 – The glorious mother sees the glory of her sons and her Lord
464)
Mahabharata Characters 20 – Kunti 01 – The blessing that made a nightmare and a dream come true
463)
Mahabharata Characters 19 – Vidura 01 – A true friend, affectionate but not attached
462)
Mahabharata Characters 18 – Dhritarashtra 04 – Losing Everything Before Losing Blindiness
461)
Mahabharata Characters 17 – Dhritarashtra 03 – Blaming destiny for irresponsibility
460)
Mahabharata Characters 16 – Dhritarashtra 02 – How the attached get manipulated
459)
Isn’t it distasteful for brahmacharis to be watching and quoting movies when people come to them to hear about Krishna
458)
Isn’t violence against women in India, as in the Badaun rape case, caused more by the casteist society and not by the obscenity in the culture?
457)
Is instantaneous forgiveness the characteristic of pure devotion and seeking retribution that of neophyte devotion
456)
Mahabharata Characters 15 – Dhritarashtra 01 – The blindness of attachment begins
455)
What is the significance of the word avyaya in Gita 9.2?
454)
If Draupadi was dishonored due to her past karma, why did the Pandavas have to take revenge?
453)
How can we strengthen our resolve to correct our wrongs?
452)
How can we forgive not just with lips but with the heart?
451)
When we don’t feel like asking for forgiveness what should we do?
450)
What is the use of writing insubstantial articles in newspapers that don’t even mention the name of Krishna once?
449)
Why are divorces more among devotees than nondevotees?
448)
Why are all forms of science not equally authoritative – why is evoluion less reliable than gravity when its all science?
447)
Mahabharata Characters 14 – Drona 04 – Repaying deceit with deceit
446)
Mahabharata Characters 13 – Drona 03 – The Blunder Under Pressure
445)
Can devotees watch TV serials about Krishna’s pastimes?
444)
What is the meaning of Gita 14.11: “The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge”?
May 2014
443)
Has ISKCON replaced the scriptural worship of Ganesh in Hindu temples with the unscriptural worship of Prabhupada in its temples?
442)
Do we need to posit the existence of eternal souls to make the design argument robust?
441)
Do the Anthropic Principle and the multiverse theory make the design argument redundant?
440)
If all three aspects (SAT CIT ANANDA) are present within brahman, why can’t we perceive all of them just within the brahman itself?
439)
Just as one can climb out of a well without a rope using footholds in the wall, can one get liberated without following a valid process?
438)
Mahabharata Characters 12 – Drona 02 – The Teacher’s Tests
437)
If one has devotion, why does one need to count the names of God?
436)
When this world is duhkhalayam why are the distressed only one of the four categories of people coming to Krishna
435)
Isn’t demonisation of the present with its promise of hi-tech paradise necessary to make people seek spiritual happiness?
434)
Mahabharata Characters 16 – Dhritarashtra 02 – How the attached get manipulated
433)
Mahabharata Characters 11 – Drona 01 – From poverty to power
432)
Mahabharata Characters 10 – Bhishma 09 – The Ideal Departure
431)
Mahabharata Characters 09 – Bhishma 08 – The Grandsire on the arrow bed
430)
Does the M-theory do away with the need for God, as Stephen Hawking claims in The Grand Design?
429)
How do we respond when prominent scientists like Stephen Hawking write books propounding atheism?
428)
Is belief in God a virus of the mind, as atheists claim?
427)
Mahabharata Characters 08 – Bhishma 07 – Transcendental devotion amidst violent confrontation
426)
Mahabharata Characters 07 – Bhishma 06 – The heartbreaking conflict among loved ones
425)
Mahabharata Characters 06 – Bhishma 05 – The sacrifice of reputation for devotion
424)
How do we respond to scientistic fanatics who deny even emotions like happiness?
423)
If we have scriptural knowledge, why do we need science?
422)
Mahabharata Characters 05 – Bhishma 04 – The celibate becomes the match-maker
421)
I like to chant and meditate on the Supersoul. As that is my nature, can I just do this and not do other devotional activities?
420)
When religions like Buddhism are non-Vedic, how can Veda be the source of all knowledge?
419)
Mahabharata Characters 04 – Bhishma 03 – A test of faith
418)
When science explains planetary motion through gravity, why do we need God to explain it?
417)
When the design argument is so logical, why don’t most people and most scientists accept God’s existence?
416)
Is God improbable because he has to be more complex than his creation and complex things have very low probability of emerging?
415)
When Ramanuja has refuted the design argument, why does Prabhupada use it so extensively?
414)
Why has Ramanuja refuted the design argument in his Vedanta Sutra commentary?
413)
Short introduction to “Fascinating Mahabharata Characters” Course
412)
Mahabharata Characters 03 – Bhishma 02 – The fatal complication
411)
Does religion cause sexual repression?
410)
Is it ok to have belief in belief instead of belief in God?
409)
Mahabharata Characters 02 – Bhishma 01 – The fierce vow
408)
Won’t the progress of science make the God-of-the-gaps redundant?
407)
Does bringing God into science stop progress as does attributing plague to evil spirits?
406)
Do devotees have to oppose science to be faithful to Prabhupada?
405)
Isn’t it better to be satisfied with the beauty of the garden without imagining a fairy at its bottom?
404)
Why does the Gita 18.68 restrict its message of devotion to devotees?
403)
Can we be spiritual without being religious? – Prerana festival talk
402)
Why is Parikshit considered the sole survivor of the Pandava dynasty when sons of Bhima and Arjuna like Sutasoma and Babruvahana were still alive?
401)
Why did Bahlika despite being virtuous fight against the virtuous Pandavas?
400)
Does being humble mean that we shouldn’t give advice to others?
399)
Are chanting and going to the temple bhakti only if they are done to please Krishna?
398)
Why doesn’t ISKCON practice what it preaches? First new devotees are told to be detached from their parents and then senior brahmacharis spend months caring for their dying parents
397)
Can you explain the difference in the defects of being illusioned and committing mistakes as illustrated through the evolution theory?
396)
Do the ekatvena worshipers of Gita 9.15 refer to 9.11-12 or 12.3-6?
395)
Was Hitler interested in India’s ancient spiritual culture? If yes, then why was he so hateful towards Jews?
April 2014
394)
Is it right to feel envious of advanced devotees for their spiritual advancement? If not, how to deal with it?
393)
Does Krishna initiate us to do punya? Did he initiate Dhritarashtra to do punya for getting 100 sons?
392)
What kind of rules and regulations do the prestige-seekers referred to in the Gita 16.17 follow?
391)
Can talents like mimicry and comedy be used in devotional service?
390)
Should we as followers of Srila Prabhupada also study the books of the previous acharyas?
389)
Are the Gita’s instructions applicable in the spiritual world too or only in the material world?
388)
If the Gita is a transcendental literature, then why does the Gita Mahatmya glorify the attainment of heavenly planets?
387)
Why do we have a right to do prescribed duties as the Gita 2.47 states?
386)
Did Prabhupada want to re-write Bhagavad Gita As It Is because he worked very fast to publish it quickly?
385)
Why doesn’t Srila Prabhupada mention even once in the Bhagavad-gita As It Is that we should chant 16 rounds of Hare Krsna Mahamantra?
384)
Can chanting Hare Krsna help one to assimilate the knowledge of the scriptures more efficiently? How?
383)
How can I turn my occupational duty into devotional service to Krishna?
382)
How does contemplating on Krishna differ from mental speculation about Krishna?
381)
How exactly are “those in Krishna consciousness not responsible for their actions”, as Prabhupada states?
380)
Is it appropriate to judge students by the marks obtained by them in their examination?
379)
Can Gita 18.14 adhisthanam refer to some place of action other than the body?
378)
Who is the actual doer according to the Gita?
377)
How can we reconcile the Gita (3.4) – don’t give up work – and the Bhagavatam (1.5.17) – give up work?
376)
Did Krishna-Arjuna commit environmental holocaust at Khandava?
375)
By asking devotees to vote, why are you dragging Prabhupada’s pure legacy into dirty politics?
374)
What is the difference between charity in goodness and transcendence?
373)
Why does Prabhupada talk about the three energies in his purport to the atyahara verse (NoI 2)?
372)
In the division of the Vedas into Samhitas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, where do the Brahmanas fall?
371)
If the material world is perfect in itself, then why do we need to go to Godhead?
370)
How can we know that the Vedas and the stories in them are true?
369)
How can we introspect about our devotional progresss? How can we rise from kanishtha to madhyama level?
368)
Why is prana-pratistha not performed for the utsava-murtis though they ave their own names?
367)
Where do Abrahamic religions fall among the six systems of philosophy?
366)
Why is the edited BBT Gita different from Prabhupada’s unedited original Gita?
365)
What is the point of taking initiation from a spiritual master when there is very little chance of getting personal guidance from him?
364)
How did Nanda and Yashoda allow Krishna to go to Mathura so readily?
363)
Where was Radharani when the rasa-lila was performed? Why is there no mention of her in the Bhagavatam’s rasa-lila narration?
362)
What is the connecting link between the Gita’s ninth and tenth chapters?
361)
In which verses of the Gita’s eight chapter are the Lord’s glories stated?
March 2014
360)
How can women be said to have their own varna when Prabhupada says that the wife’s varna should be identified by the husband’s varna?
359)
In Gita chp 13, what exactly does jneya refer to?
358)
If dharma meaning to love and serve God is so simple and universal why do so many religions focus on such aggressive conversion?
February 2014
357)
Can you explain clearly the role of mind, intelligence and consciousness in the path from impulse to intent?
356)
How can we understand scientific concepts like space and time from the Vedic perspective?
355)
How is the Gita 4.9 the essence of the Bhagavad-gita?
January 2014
354)
Is niyoga – begetting children through some man other than one’s husband – an authorized Vedic practice?
353)
Isn’t it better to refer to women as behenji instead of mataji especially when they are of the same age as the men?
352)
What is the difference between ‘nishkarma’ & ‘karma’ as explained in Gita & its significance?
351)
If both Krishna and we are eternal, then how is he our source and why don’t we have the six opulences fully?
350)
Amidst life-threatening situations like attack by robbers, should a devotee tolerate, retaliate or flee?
349)
When we suffer due to our past karma does the Supersoul feel pain because his part is suffering?
348)
If a person feels spaced out after chanting 16 rounds daily and more focused after chanting less rounds, what should be done?
347)
If devotees’ children are advanced devotees from past lives, why do many of those children not become devotees in this life?
346)
Should we avoid offering obeisances to senior devotees in public places because people find it alienating
345)
Do Yamadutas commit mistakes by taking some person other than the intended?
344)
When Krishna is satisfied by simple devotion do we need technical intellectual analysis as done by Gita-daily articles?
343)
Can we integrate walking as an exercise with our daily chanting?
342)
Is the quality of chanting inversely proportional to the speed of chanting?
341)
How can we channelize our emotions in devotional service?
340)
When the Lord’s glance is purifying why did Mohini-Murti’s glance not purify the demons?
339)
When Krishna knows everything, how did he not know that Rahu & Ketu were impersonatings as demigods?
338)
Why has God given us free will?
337)
If God is complete and doesn’t desire anything, doesn’t he desire our deliverance?
336)
Is ignorance a thing? What does “ignorance is nothing but the absence of knowledge” mean?
335)
Is chanting 16 rounds practical for an engineering student (or for anyone in our fast-paced times)?
334)
If serving the Lord is more important than serving parents, why did Pundalika keep Vitthal waiting?
333)
Are spiritualists seeking a soul driving the brain like illiterates seeking a horse driving a car?
332)
Why are we bound to certain patterns of thinking? Doesn’t that make us like pre-programmed robots?
331)
Why do so many saints from so many traditions desire to merge with the Absolute Truth?
330)
When the Gita instructs sarva dharman parityajya why does a devotee need to perform apara dharma?
329)
Is teaching children about religion before they can think on their own child abuse?
328)
If someone is really determined in one’s devotional service, why would that person fall?
327)
How can we practice humility in a competitive world where everyone parades their credentials?
326)
Do we need a personal culture with many devotee teachers? Does it mean that one guru is not enough?
December 2013
325)
Is offering the heart to Krishna easier and more fulfilling than offering the head?
324)
How can an aspiring devotee-precher put one’s heart in a career that increases people’s illusions?
323)
How can we avoid the ego’s feeling that service to others is demeaning?
322)
If Krishna frees the surrendered of sinful reactions , why do pure devotees suffer?
321)
How can we avoid pride during times of material success and remain thankful to Krishna?
320)
In our efforts to become pure, pride somehow or the other sneaks in. How to avoid this?
319)
When we have to spend time on family duties, how can we stay strong in our devotional standards?
318)
What can we do when the mind gets agitated by a tempting sense object that can’t be avoided?
317)
We surrender to Krishna’s will sometimes but mostly act for our own pleasure. What is our hope?
316)
When something happens, how do we decide whether it was due to past karma or present actions?
315)
Though Yudhishthira is the oldest Pandavas, why does Gita chp 1 mention him after Arjuna & Bhima?
314)
Are the four defects hierarchical: imperfect senses cause illusion, illusion causes mistakes etc?
313)
Among the four defects, can the first three be unintentional, but cheating is always intentional?
312)
As all the bodily forms we take are temporary, does that mean the eternal and real is formlessness?
311)
What can we do when religions use surrogate advertising for converting unsuspecting needy people?
310)
Is institutionalization alien to Vedic culture? Did Gaudiya acharyas import if from Christianity ?
309)
When Hinduism is not a missionary religion, why does ISKCON stress missionary activities so much?
308)
If we are served more prasad than what we can eat, can we throw it away?
307)
When even Americans are concerned about Christian conversions in India, why is ISKCON unconcerned?
306)
When Prabhupada did many things different from his spiritual master, how did he not change anything?
305)
How can we identify false ego while doing services?
304)
When do questions move from being inquisitive to offensive? What kind of questions can be asked?
303)
Is chanting with beads more blissful because the fingers are connected with certain brain parts?
302)
When sex is an experience of Krishna, as the Gita states, why does Yamunacharya spit at sex desire?
301)
Is Ramananda Raya’s decoration of devidasis a standard devotional practice or an exception?
300)
Is it possible for a human being to be entirely free from sex desire?
299)
Are the beliefs “kshatriya martyrs attain heaven” & “jehadi suicide bombers attain paradise” different?
298)
When so many microbes are present in a cm, isn’t the idea of a God who loves everyone impractical?
297)
Isn’t Prabhupada’s Gita 18.65 call to worship Krishna alone and no other Vishnu form fanatical?
296)
Don’t descriptions of Krishna’s form make us imagine as spiritual our material attraction to forms?
295)
Is Gita 18.55’s impersonal message (vishate tad anantaram) overridden by Prabhupada’s translation?
294)
If the Gita is a manual why is it so confusing? Why couldn’t it have been clearer?
293)
Is the Gita an attempted reconciliation of different Upanishadic thoughts and not a revelation?
292)
What is the destination of those people who die after receiving blessings of advanced devotees?
291)
Does “knowing in truth” (Gita 4.9) happen by “experiences of Truth” or by “understanding”?
290)
When Prabhupada’s perfect purports to the Gita are there, why are Gita daily articles needed?
289)
Considering “gurushu naramati..”, isn’t thinking about spiritual teachers’ human failings offensive?
288)
Does ISKCON promote subtle emotional enjoyment in the name of spiritual enjoyment?
287)
Is ISKCON’s conception of God like the Abrahamic religion’s jealous God?
286)
Could the unbelievable stories about Krishna not be some poets’ fabrications?
285)
What does sound travels to ether mean when science says ether doesn’t exist?
284)
As Brahma has come as Haridasa Thakura what is the meaning of the statement that Maya could tempt Brahma but not Haridas Thakura?
283)
Does having some ambitions in life mean having material attachments and doing tenth offence?
282)
Why do we take shelter of Krishna more in difficult times like exam period but not during sadhana and service?
281)
How is the material world non-existent as Prabhupada states in the Gita introduction?
280)
In Gita 13.12 is there any difference between atma-vinigrahah and indriyartheshu vairagya?
279)
What is the meaning of kavitam in the na dhanam na janam verse?
278)
In the namo-brahmanya devaya prayer, why does hitaya come twice?
277)
What does Shad-Goswami Ashtakam mean by ‘the devouring mouth of liberation’?
276)
Should a devotee oppose crimes like rapes? Should he feel compassion for the criminal?
275)
Does Prabhupada’s request to cooperate with devotees mean that we allow them to exploit us?
274)
How can we pray for those who are troubling us?
273)
How can sitting erect like Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati help in our chanting?
272)
How can a devotee use the ambition to research in Physics in Krishna’s service?
271)
How can a student who wants to become a brahmachari in future feel inspired to do academic studies?
270)
How can we avoid getting caught in doubts about unimportant issues while studying scriptures?
269)
Did Ekalvaya fight in the Kurukshetra war?
268)
If Vrajavasis love each other doesn’t that mean Krishna is not all-attractive for he can’t exclusively attract their love?
267)
How do we understand our love for our relatives from the soul point of view?
266)
Why does Srila Prabhupada criticize Mayavadis but not mlecchas who desecrate Deities?
265)
Can we use Tulasi as medicine in life-threatening diseases?
264)
Why do devotees quote as authorities scientists who belong to Christian-funded institutes?
263)
When devotee-scientists’ books are criticized by mainstream scientists can we quote them as scientific evidence for KC?
262)
If dharma is the innate characteristic of a thing, how can it differentiate humans from animals?
261)
If we feel grief-struck on losing a loved one, how do we relate with Krishna thereafter?
260)
How do we understand Prabhupada’s statements about the Holocaust?
259)
Which varna do doctors belong to?
258)
What is the Gita’s position on deontology?
257)
What is the Gita’s etiology?
256)
What is the Gita’s ontology?
255)
What is the Gita’s eschatology?
254)
How can we best offer prayers from the Bhagavatam?
253)
Does Gita 9.32 which says that anyone can begin bhakti apply to those who fall while practicing bhakti?
252)
Is the Gita 18.66 exclusivist or inclusivist in spirit?
251)
If we need to see intellectually before we can see visually, what about non-intellectual practitioners?
250)
Isn’t unconsciousness of Krishna more harmful than unconsciousness of our faults?
249)
Is there any difference between dambha, darpa and abhimana in Gita 16.04?
248)
How much should a grihastha plan for financial security and how much depend on Krishna?
247)
Is there any actual difference between Brahman Paramatma and Bhagavan, or is it just a matter of perception?
246)
If the Ishopanishad is spoken by a sage, how is it apaurusheya?
245)
What is the destination of the yogis who meditate on the Paramatma?
244)
If madhurya rasa is taught in other traditions, then what is unique about the Gaudiya tradition?
243)
As yoga refers to connection and Patanjali is said to have taught yoga did he teach all the various ways of connecting with God like karma-yoga etc?
242)
Is love of God available to followers of non-Vedic systems?
241)
Instead of Vyasadeva begetting a successor king in his deceased brother’s wife couldn’t he have become the king himself?
240)
What are the English translations for the six systems of philosophy?
239)
In Vraja the cows go ahead of Krishna to remove the thorns from his path, who goes ahead of Radharani?
238)
Just as Vedanta Sutra explains Vedanta are there other books that explain the other five systems of philosophy? How authentic are they?
237)
As the Lord plays the part of a human being in his pastimes, doesn’t it imply that there’s a higher realer feature of the Lord beyond the part he plays in his pastimes?
236)
What is the authenticity of Lord Rama’s pastimes that are not mentioned in the Ramayana?
235)
Prabhupada presented Krishna consciousness sensitively, then why did he use the word cult not culture to refer to his movement?
234)
Is Vedanta is the conclusion of the Vedas or is it one of the six philosophies derived from the Vedas? What exactly is their mutual relationship?
233)
What does crying for Krishna, as Srila Prabhupada recommends, mean practically?
232)
How can we develop divine passion? Do we need an external motivation?
231)
Is the passion for our material duties like excelling in studies desirable or undesirable?
November 2013
230)
Why does Vasudeva Krishna, not Vrindavan Krishna, kill demons? Why do demons like Putana killed by him attain Goloka, not Vaikuntha?
229)
How are the lower planetary systems different from hell? What purpose do they serve?
228)
Why did Krishna ask Arjuna to worship Durga before the Mahabharata war?
227)
Srila Prabhupada recommended monarchy in his books, yet instituted democracy in managing ISKCON through the GBC. Why?
226)
Why did Lord Chaitanya not give the Hare Krishna mantra to Tukaram Maharaj?
225)
Is the Absolute Truth like water that appears liquid to the impersonalists and solid to the personalists?
224)
What is the logical proof for the existence of the spiritual world?
223)
Does one have to accept everything in the philosophy of ISKCON to become a devotee-preacher?
222)
Can you explain the various characteristcs by which the essential meaning of a book can be ascertained?
221)
In what mood should we take darshan of Deities?
220)
When scriptures teach bhakti clearly, why do Mayavadis misinterpret scriptural teachings?
219)
How do we deal with people who become cold or hostile when we share Krishna consciousness with them?
218)
What exactly does the Gita say about ‘work is worship’?
217)
How is hearing a service to Krishna?
216)
Is a shudra devotee better than a brahmana nondevotee? How?
215)
In today’s competitive society, how can we practice simple living & high thinking?
214)
How can we determine our varna?
213)
How can we avoid becoming lethargic in spiritual life?
212)
If we are not to slave for worldly recognition, how can we go ahead in life?
211)
Doesn’t Krishna protect devotees from black magic?
210)
Isn’t it superstitious to believe in black magic?
209)
Why do jnanis say that bhakti is for the less intelligent and Prabhupada say that only the intelligent can take to bhakti?
208)
How can we counter competitive mentality when we see other devotees succeeding in spiritual life?
207)
If devotees are troubled by black magic can they seek a remedy from tantriks?
206)
When Yudhisthira says that only foolish people seek worldly things in the famous “ascharyam” verse, why does he seek a kingdom?
205)
Was Yudhisthira the most immoral among all the Pandavas because he gambled away all of them and even their innocent wife?
204)
Can ISKCON devotees participate in social causes like anti-corruption activism or do they have to only cultivate and teach pure devotion?
203)
If my sva-dharma is not favourable for my bhakti, then can I accept another dharma favourable for my bhakti?
202)
Can our prescribed duties be changed according to our likes or dislikes?
201)
Why do we avoid specific food items in specific months during Chaturmasa?
200)
When Uddhava already had so much knowledge about Krishna, why did Krishna send him to learn from the Vrajavasis?
199)
Is the concept of good and bad omens a superstition?
198)
Why did Arjuna despite being a pure devotee hunt animals?
197)
When Jayadratha didn’t actually kill Abhimanyu, why did Arjuna target him to avenge Abhimanyu’s death?
196)
How can we rectify an offense, especially when the devotee whom we have offended doesn’t know about the offense?
195)
Why do Abrahamic religions violently oppose Deity Worship?
194)
Should we hear only from advanced pure devotees or from whichever devotees inspire us?
193)
Are all vegetarian seekers more spiritually advanced than non-vegetarian seekers?
192)
Should there be dowry in devotee-marriages?
191)
Is all sex an expression of lust or can it be an expression of love?
190)
Can devotees do abortion if it is favorable for their bhakti?
189)
Do women have the same varna as their husbands?
October 2013
188)
Did Dasharatha Maharaj go to heaven instead of the spiritual world?
187)
How did you come to Krishna consciousness?
186)
Is having doubts unfortunate? Are doubts undesirable?
185)
How did God create black holes?
184)
Can’t the universe have always existed the way it is? Why bring God into the picture?
183)
Is spirituality the explanation that we resort to when we can’t get explanations?
182)
If a senior brahmachari changes his ashrama, how should we understand that situation and deal with that devotee?
181)
How does evil harden our heart towards Krishna? How can we prevent such hardening?
180)
Does the Dashavatara conception – with aquatics in the start, semi-humans in the middle and humans in the end – support the theory of evolution?
179)
Is buddhi-yoga a separate type of yoga apart from the four main yogas?
178)
Can one person have true love for other person in material world?
177)
If Padma Purana is written by Vyasadeva then how can the Damodarashtakam in it Purana be composed by Satyavrata Muni?
176)
While glorifying Damodara why do we say Radha-Damodara and not Yashoda-Damodara?
175)
Should devotees be promoting any particular candidate during political elections?
174)
What is the meaning of the Gita 6.44 statement that the advanced yogi goes beyond the range of Vedic sound?
173)
When adharma continues to exist in the world, what does it mean to say that the Lord’s mission is complete?
172)
Is the Brahmastra Brahma’s weapon? Why is it considered so special?
171)
Can a homosexual become a brahmachari?
170)
Do material laws cease to apply for devotees?
169)
How can we offer all the results of our work to Krishna?
168)
People say “Pursue your passion.” Is such passion coming from the soul or the mind?
167)
How can we take shelter of Krishna when the sexual urge troubles us while we are resting in bed?
166)
Why do we talk about the benefits of chanting when we are meant to chant selflessly for Krishna’s pleasure?
165)
Should we avoid debates with argumentative people who believe that technology is beneficial?
164)
Is our capacity to practice devotional service limited by our prarabhda karma and the resulting guna configuration?
163)
Who has the proof or knowledge that incredibly well-designed natural crystals, the natural arches, or even complicated biological things were designed by someone ‘intelligent’?
162)
If the mechanisms of evolution are just imagination, then isn’t religion also just the imagination of some sages?
161)
Is there a difference between the spirit soul and the spiritual body that he possesses?
160)
Does the spirit soul remain the non-doer in the spiritual world just like he is the non-doer of his activities in the material world?
159)
Can hearing classes on the internet substitute for going to the temple to hear classes?
158)
Aren’t we blaming the victim when we say that women’s revealing dresses are the cause of crimes against them?
September 2013
157)
Can we attain a level where nothing that Krishna does can stop us from loving him?
156)
Does the Vishva-rupa’s devouring the Kauravas prove that the Hindu God is a cannibal, as preachers of some other religion claim?
155)
How can a butcher be advanced in spiritual knowledge as the Vyadha Gita in the Mahabharata depicts?
154)
What does the Mahabharata pastime of Draupadi and all the Pandavas except Yudhisthira falling before they reach the top of the Himalayas signify?
153)
When the Gita says the world is duhkhalayam, does that mean we should face all duhkha passively?
152)
While hearing scripture, should we seek solutions to our current problems through the hearing or just focus on hearing about Krishna?
151)
When Lord Chaitanya didn’t insist that Haridas Thakura be allowed entry into Jagannatha temple, why do ISKCON’s non-Hindu devotees want entry?
150)
Why do some temples not allow non-Hindus from entering? Is this rule scriptural or merely cultural?
149)
Isn’t it self-promotion to put one’s own lectures on the internet for the world to hear?
148)
Why do Krishna and all incarnations descend according to such a tightly fixed schedule in particular yuga in specific Manavantara etc?
147)
When Krishna has all the qualities of all the other incarnations, why are other incarnations needed?
146)
Why is going Back to Godhead most important when the creation reflect the causeless mercy of creator?
145)
When Lord Chaitanya refused to meet king Pratap Rudra, why do ISKCON leaders invite politicians like the President of India for inaugurating their temples?
144)
What is the ideal path to live according to the Bhagavad Gita As It Is?
143)
What is the difference between wealthy people who live simply and real renunciates?
142)
Sometimes the philosophy seems too philosophical and not practical. What should we do in such situations?
141)
Is it correct to say Vaishnavism is a sex religion?
140)
What does the word Srimad Bhagavatam mean?
139)
I have joined as a brahmachari but am opposed and troubled by my relatives. How should I stay strong?
138)
I am suffering from a diease from last 10 years almost. May i know how my problem can be resolved.
137)
How can we overcome laziness, especially wrt waking up in the morning?
136)
Due to some problems with the local temple devotees, I have stopped going there. How can I maintain my enthusiasm in practicing devotional service?
135)
When money offers security amidst uncertainty how can one give up material ambition for spiritual pursuits?
134)
How can we love Krishna when he is not like a normal person and doesn’t reciprocate immediately?
133)
Does loving Krishna always protect us from all heartbreaks?
132)
When famous religious teachers are accused of crime, how can we expect people to keep faith in religion?
131)
Can the level of language in Gita-daily articles be made simpler?
130)
How can we excel in our work if we are detached and don’t set goals?
129)
Is Krishna consciousness spirituality or spiritualism?
128)
How can we avoid complacency in spiritual life?
127)
How can any energy of Krishna be inferior?
126)
Are sexless marriages the best marriages?
125)
What does Prabhupada’s statement “All men should remain as brahmacharis and all women should get married” mean?
124)
Are demigods bhavagrahi? Otherwise when demigod worship is done improperly, how does it produce results?
123)
Does deja vu have spiritual significance?
122)
How do we discover our sva-dharma? Should we wait for the spiritual master to tell us our lifelong service?.mp3
121)
Why does the Gita emphasize sva-dharma repeatedly from the second chapter (2.31) to the eighteenth chapter (18.47)?
120)
When the Bhagavatam simply condemns household life, how can we as householders get encouragement from it to face life’s problems?
119)
If the chidren of devotees don’t become devotees, then does the devotee-parents’ duty of caring for their chilldren no longer count as devotional service?
118)
What should I do when my devotional service interferes with my duties as a mother?
117)
When a loved one has passed away, isn’t it heartless to dismiss the resulting grief as mundane?
116)
If the cultivation of knowledge is important in bhakti, then why does Lord Chaitanya say “I am a fool, so I simply chant the holy names”?
115)
Is the state of impersonal merging higher that personal devotion?
August 2013
114)
Why have Hindus suffered for a thousand years? Why don’t Hindus unitedly fight against their aggressors?
113)
Wasn’t Vedic culture destroyed because of its own faults and not external forces like Macaualay’s schemes?.m4a
112)
Why do Christianity and Islam allow meat-eating? Is it essential for Muslims to eat meat?
111)
Why do some spiritual organizations that believe in the Vedas not accept Deity Worship?
110)
Why hasn’t ISKCON presented Prabhupada as a national spiritual hero?
109)
Was Vedic education responsible for social evils like caste system that Indian reformers tried to remove by adopting Western education?
108)
Why does ISKCON focus on English outreach when everyone understands Hindi?
107)
Due to its emphasis on class preaching, is ISKCON not losing the opportunity for mass preaching?
106)
Why does Prabhupada say that God has no names?
105)
What is the difference between enjoyment and sense enjoyment?
104)
Is the Shiva-sahasra-nama that glorifies Lord Shiva as supreme an interpolation in the Mahabharata?
103)
When the Bhagavatam declares Krishna to the source of all incarnations then why does it refer to the Supreme by the name Vishnu repeatedly, even in the rasa-lila section?
102)
Isn’t the Hindu belief that girls are the result of bad karma and boys the result of good karma responsible for female foeticide?
101)
How can we differentiate between offering help and interfering in others’ business?
100)
Is the Garga-Samhita authentic? If yes, why don’t the Goswamis quote it?
99)
What does Krishna’s threefold bending form signify?
98)
Isn’t Balaramji’s killing Romharshana just because of failure to offer respects objectionable?
97)
What is the Vedic perspective on artificial meat?
96)
Won’t adjusting according to time-place-circumstances lead to deviations?
95)
Does bhakti come from bhakti or from punya?
94)
What is the Vedic equivalent of the Golden Rule of Chrisitianity?
93)
When the tongue is non-living why does King Kulashekarha pray to the tongue in Mukunda Mala Stotra 26?
92)
Should devotees adopt politically correct usages like “senior citizens” for old people or “medical termination of pregnancy” for abortion?
91)
Did Lord Rama have to be separated from Sita due to Bhrigu Muni’s curse to Vishnu?
90)
Won’t inter-caste marriages lead to varna sankara (unwanted progeny)?
89)
When Krishna tells Arjuna in the Gita to do his duty, why do brahmacharis give up their duty in the name of the Gita?
88)
Why does Bhishma say in SB 1.9.22 that he is a pure devotee? Shouldn’t a devotee be humble?
87)
Why does Kavi Karnapura say he is writing Anand Vrindavana Champu for my own pleasure?
86)
Should devotees network with thinkers focusing on Hinduism and Indian nationality?
85)
Why does the “yena sarvam idam tatam” in Gita 2.17 refer to the body and not all of existence
84)
When Lord Chaitanya knew he was soon going to take sannyasa, why did he marry for a second time?
83)
Should devotees do kirtan in drought-afflicted places to produce rains and thereby attract people to devotional service?
82)
Why do scriptures refer to the mind negatively when it is our faculty for deep thought as in “Einstein was the greatest mind of the 20th century”?
81)
Can a devotee pursue a career as a cricketer?
80)
Can devotees enter into politics?
79)
If bhakti offers higher taste why do devotees still struggle with sex desire?
78)
When scriptures teach matra devo bhava, why do brahmacharis give up their parents for the sake of God?
77)
Why is the Gita’s first chapter called a chapter on yoga when it contains no yogic teachings?
76)
Why is the Gita called yoga-shastra?
75)
What do we mean by the mind’s eye? How does the mind see?
74)
What does the Gita say about love and inter-caste marriages?
73)
Why does the Krishna book publically present confidential tenth canto pastimes?
72)
Is the soul conscious in the period between death and the next birth?
71)
What is the difference between free will and desire?
70)
Are birthday celebrations for devotees authentic from the Vedic perspective?
69)
If a person is attached to a family member will he be reborn in the same family?
68)
How can we stop our family members from using items having animal products?
67)
What is the conscious mind and the unconscious mind?
66)
Are the Vedic scriptures faith-based theology or logic-based philosophy?
65)
How can we deal with doubts rising on seeing that many leading Prabhupada disciples are no longer practicing KC?
64)
Why do many Vedic sages engage in behavior that is lower than the moral standards of modern Vedic practitioners and even many modern atheists?
63)
How can we absorb ourselves in devotional service?
62)
When all did Krishna reveal the universe in his mouth to Mother Yashoda?
61)
When we could learn so much about Krishna’s glories by asking him about, say, how quantum mechanics and relativity are reconciled, why are his simple pastimes like playing with children considered the highest?
60)
When knowledge comes easier than faith, why does CC say that faith develops in the madhyama stage and knowledge in the uttama stage?
59)
When should we concern ourselves with helping other devotees and when should we mind our own business?
58)
How can we differentiate between yukta-vairagya and bhoga-vrtti?
57)
Wasn’t Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s rejecting his spiritual master Bipin Bihari Goswami offensive?
56)
Can one go back to Godhead just by chanting without taking initiation?
55)
How should we prepare for giving our first Bhagavatam class?
54)
Does Lord Chaitanya appear in all Kali yugas or only in this Kali yuga?
53)
Why were prostitutes present in Ayodhya?
July 2013
52)
Can we be fully dependent on Krishna? How?
51)
Does everyone have to take sannyasa to go back to Godhead?
50)
How can Parshurama be affected by sinful reactions?
49)
If rains come due to kirtan, then are floods due to too much kirtan?
48)
As Gajendra had been a Vaishnava king, why did he offer impersonal prayer?
47)
Is the bridge between India and Lanka Rama-setu?
46)
How can we offer correction without committing offenses?
45)
Should devotees bathe in Radha-Kunda?
44)
How should we receive criticism constructively?
43)
Is using Radha Kunda tilaka authentic?
42)
How can we remember Krishna constantly and also do our work properly?
41)
Is it right to say that we have a right to happiness when we are sinful, having rejected Krishna?
40)
If our KC becomes weak away from devotee association, does it mean that our core conviction is weak?
39)
What’s the significance of “new” in the “New Vedic Cultural Center”, the ISKCON temple at Pune?
38)
If we chant while doing other activities, won’t that chanting be inattentive and thereby offensive?
37)
When does medical treatment interfere with nature?
36)
Do engineers have secure future in devotional life?
35)
Is a devotee born in a brahmin family working in a bank a brahmana or a vaishya?
34)
How many types of bodies are there in the spiritual world?
33)
Should one give charity even while being in debt?
32)
Doesn’t the idea that devotees deliver their ancestors indicate bodily identification?
31)
Can devotees perform agnihotra sacrifice?
30)
Isn’t the Goswamis’ having boatful of gold atyahara?
29)
How can we learn to contemplate on scriptural verses?
28)
Why did Prabhupada recommend worship of Narasimha amongst all avataras? Isn’t this against the principle of peace?
27)
How were Ikshvaku kings rulers of the earth when Ravana was in Lanka?
26)
Does the Rantideva pastime exemplify social service?
25)
Can we use the word “our spiritual glory” when actually we are meant to be humble servants in spiritual life?
24)
Is obesity a medical problem or a behavioral problem?
23)
If we are in a service that doesn’t inspire us how long can we continue in that service?
22)
If devotees don’t notice our service, then is our service authorized or whimsical?
21)
Isn’t it better to do one thing at a time instead of chanting inattentively while doing other things?
20)
Is it ok to celebrate Holi to attract new people to the temple?
19)
How can we differentiate between humility and humiliation?
18)
Do those who don’t accept that Prabhupada descended from the spiritual world comprise an apasampradaya?
17)
What does the sentence “From your place at your pace join the race” mean?
16)
Does Krishna protect his devotee-students from bullies at school?
15)
Are sahajiyas better than Mayavadis?
14)
Will those who reject Gaur-Nitai go to hell?
13)
How can devotees engage in charity so that they will not become bound in karma?
12)
How can we sustain the momentum in spiritual life year after year?
11)
During their spiritual advancement, do devotees see the Supersoul in their heart? How?
10)
Does commitment to ideology make us blind to objective understanding?
9)
Is it ok to ask for a specific wish like our family’s well being in our prayers?
8)
If devotees don’t help the needy because of fear of being bound by good karma, aren’t they sacrificing basic humanity for spirituality?
7)
When cows are souls who were cow-killers in their past life, why is killing them considered so sinful?
6)
Why do we glorify George Harrison so much when he was not chanting 16 rounds or following the regulative principles?
5)
Do we need to chant 25 rounds on Ekadashi?
4)
How can we ensure that honest communication doesn’t become Vaishnva apradh?
3)
How and Who decides that the involvement in the stock market is cautious and won’t effect the mind?
2)
How can we better recollect what we hear in classes?
April 2012
1)
Why did the Lord make us with the nature to love and serve?