Gaudiya Vaishnavas
Gaudiya History Gaudiya Vaishnavas Shastra

Guru-tattva: Criteria of Re-Initiation

Question: I would like to hear from you some words about the criteria and sensibility to leave one’s guru and take re-initiation, since it´s a very delicate and personal issue. In other words, some devotees may receive re-initiation when that was not necessary, and vice versa. Any thoughts? Answer: These are very important and relevant

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Gaudiya Vaishnavas Questions & Answers

Guru-tattva: Necessity of Guru

Question:  I would like your educated opinion about the necessity of a “living” i.e. physically present guru. There are a lot of strong opinions on this topic that are very often one-sided and pushed with an agenda. I am mainly interested to know whether it is legitimate to follow a guru’s teachings without ever having

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Events Gaudiya History Gaudiya Vaishnavas General

Jiva Underground Classic Now Published as E-book

We have decided to publish the treatise “In Vaikuṇṭha Not Even the Leaves Fall” as our first Kindle e-book since it is about to go out of print. It is a systematic and thorough analysis of the bondage of the soul or jīva according to Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava theology. The book was banned by ISKCON and

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Events Gaudiya Vaishnavas

A Gauḍīya Legend Has Left this World

by Satyanarayana Dasa Yesterday morning, November 11th 2018, Jagadānada prabhu came shouting at my main entrance gate around 8.30 am. I just heard him saying, “Ananta Dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja has …!” I thought Bābājī Mahārāja had come to Jiva Institute. So I rushed to the gate only to discover that has left his body. It was

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Gaudiya Vaishnavas Questions & Answers

Siddha-Deha and Nitya-Līlā

Question: My Gurudeva and you both state that our siddha-deha is inactive until it is actuated when we attain svarūpa-siddhi. I like your example of the siddha-deha decorating the spiritual world in a passive way like a flower decorates an altar. Also, I love the example my Gurudeva gives of wonderful dress, not fitting us

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Gaudiya History Gaudiya Vaishnavas Vedic Culture

Cultural Principles in the Gauḍīya line

Question: In Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Antya 12.37 it is said: peṭāṅgi-gāya kare daṇḍavat-namaskāra govinda kahe śrīkānta āge peṭāṅgi utāra When Śrīkānta offered obeisances to the Lord, he was still wearing his shirt and coat. Therefore Govinda told him, ”My dear Śrīkānta, first take off these garments.” In his commentary, Śrīla Prabhupāda quotes from the Tantra:  vastreṇāvṛta-dehas

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Events Gaudiya Vaishnavas

Jīva Gosvāmi’s Disappearance Celebration at Jiva

Today the Tirobhāva Mahotsava for Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī Prabhupāda held at Jiva Institute. The following is an excerpt from the talk by Satyanarayana das Babaji on that occasion: “…The means by which you get proper knowledge and experience is called pramāṇa. Just like if you want to see, then your eyes are pramāṇa for that. If

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