Question: How can I become strong enough to accept my faults? When I introspect, I understand that I have faults but there is a force within that does not want to accept this. Then I blame my flaws on other persons. How can I overcome this and become honest with myself? Answer: If you are
Question: I have a question regarding the birth of living entities. In the Bhāgavatam (3.7.27), it is described how humans are born from wombs, plants and trees from seeds, birds from eggs, and insects from sweat. The first three ways of birth are correct, but in the case of insects, śāstra contradicts pratyakṣa. My question
Question: In one of your articles it was mentioned that knowingly not following śāstra is as good as śāstra–nindā. This was in context of not accepting a guru even though śāstra says to accept one. If a sādhaka, who may have some faith in Bhagavān and śāstra, but due to anarthas or lack of taste,
Question: Often Vaiṣṇavas say that in the material world, there is only self-centered love or kāma, while kāma for Krsna is selfless love, or prema. But what about the selflessness, sacrifice, service, or selfless love we experience in this world? Sometimes we hear sādhus glorifying a mother’s love, a wife’s service, etc.? How can we
Question: Within Vaiṣṇava circles, there is a huge emphasis on humility. One should consider oneself lower than a blade of grass, we ought to think that we have no devotion, that we are lower than the lowest, etc. What differentiates this humility from low self-esteem, and how can a sādhaka cultivate such a level of
Question: How does one find and recognize the correct guru for oneself? Answer: Guru means a teacher. As regards to spirituality, guru means a spiritual teacher. A qualified teacher should have three qualities. The first is that he knows the subject well; the second is that he likes to teach, and the third is that
Question: I am reading your book Tattva Sandarbha, and have been reminded of a question that I could not find a proper answer for. The story of Parīkṣit Mahārāja is explained in both Mahābhārata and Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, but the story is described differently in these two texts. The version in Bhāgavatam is well known—he went
