Questions & Answers
Questions & Answers Vedic Culture

Does God Prefer Indian Culture?

Question: To be a devotee, is it really necessary to follow Indian culture? For example, is it necessary to wear a dhotī or sari, shave one’s head, or apply a tilaka? Answer: Most people do not have a clear concept of God. If you ask them, “what is God?” the most common answer that I

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Questions & Answers Vedic Culture

Brāhmaṇa by Birth or Qualification?

Question: Upon study of the Gosvāmī literature it is clear that: 1) Brāhminical initiation is only meant for children born in brāhminical families; 2) Bhakti is meant for everyone; 3) Bhakti can give Kṛṣṇa but still not qualify one as brāhmaṇa in this life. Technically, nobody except Indians can take upanayana and recite Brahma Gāyatrī. Yet,

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers Vedic Culture

Eligibility of Brāhmaṇas and Vaiṣṇavas

Question: In SB 3.33.6, it is stated: tyan-nāmadheya-śravaṇānukīrtanād, yat-prahvaṇād yat-smaraṇād api kvacit śvādo ‘pi sadyaḥ savanāya kalpate,  kutaḥ punas te bhagavan nu darśanāt “To say nothing of the spiritual advancement some who see the Him face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately becomes eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if

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Questions & Answers Vedic Psychology

Brain and Mind / Progress in Bhakti

Relation of Brain and Mind Question: What is the role of the brain in Vedic Psychology and what is the relationship between mind and brain? Answer: The sense (indriya) and is organ (golaka) are two different things. For example, there is a sense of seeing and there are two physical eyes, which are the golakas

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Questions & Answers

Why Think Bad about Others?

Question: I am not a devotee of Ṡri Hari because I do not follow the rules and regulations nor do I chant. However, I do pray and try to chant the praṇām mantras as described in the Gaudiya Vaishnava songbook. Is it an offense to whimsically chant the praṇām mantras and a few times the

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Questions & Answers

Does the Theory of Evolution Throw out God?

Scientist: You mentioned that the Bhāgavata has stories because contemporary people did not understand the language of modern science. Could Vyāsadeva write a Bhāgavata for the scientifically literate, considering that times have changed greatly? It seems that the Bhāgavata is mysterious, as it is not really clear what Kaśyapa was doing. Would someone who got

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Questions & Answers

On the Theory of Evolution—A Dialogue

(Transcript from a conversation) Scientist: In the Sarva-saṁvādinī, Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī quotes Vācaspati Miśra from the Bhāmati. Vācaspati Miśra is considering ordinary sense perception and contradictions between sense perception and scripture. He makes the argument that the śāstra is also heard with the senses. So we cannot reject the authority of the senses because then

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