Questions & Answers
Philosophy Questions & Answers

Advaita Vedanta, Shastra

Question: What is the concept of shakti in Advaita-vada? Answer: Brahman has no shakti but Isvara has. Question: From where does Isvara get his shakti? If Brahman, the cause, doesn’t have it, how can the effect have shakti?

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Different Ways of Chanting, Focus during Japa

Question: I would like to know which chanting is more powerful, in the mind or audibly. 1) Srila Jiva Gosvami writes in his Krama sandarbha: “The names of God should be chanted loudly.” 2) Baladeva Vidyabhusana explain in the Stava malabibhusana bhasya, “If one chants the Hare Krsna mantra loudly, Krsna personally dances on his

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Questions & Answers

Physical Pain in Bhakti, Pandavas, Balarama’s Favoritism

Question: I have understood that bhakti leads to release from the three sources of miseries. This should also include physical pain. How does this work? Is Krsna going to appear like a kind of anesthesic? Fear of pain is even more fearful than fear of death (for a devotee will get either a new fresh

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Questions & Answers

Krsna’s Body, Dramatic Writing according to Siddhanta

Krsna’s Spiritual Body Question: In Bhagavad Gita the Lord says ‘ksine punye martya-lokam vishanti’ and also we know from scriptures like Brhad-bhagavatamrita that the demigods regularly have the audience of Lord Vamanadev. So they develop such devotional credits by being in the direct presence of the Lord and serving Him in some ways. So how is

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers

Sayujya-mukti and Bliss in Brahman

Question: This question is regarding sayujya-mukti, where there is no personal relationship with the Lord. If a living entity attains this mukti (after practice), then does he eternally remain in that liberated state or does he fall back to the material sphere due to lack of love for the Personality of Godhead? According to my

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Questions & Answers

Krishna’s Supremacy, Politics without Dharma, Bliss of Bhakti

Question: I am looking for scriptural texts that approximate "krsnas tu bhagavan svayam" in the Bhagavata Purana (1.3.28). From the Gaudiya Vaishnava point of view, this is a paribhasa sutra proclaiming that Krishna is Supreme, i.e., the source of all other divine incarnations.

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Questions & Answers

The Mechanics of Darshana

Question: I have a question about the mechanics of darsana – through what mechanisms or instruments does the qualified bhakta actually perceive Krishna (since the atman has no inherent senses)? In the Gita, Krishna has to give Arjuna divya caksus. Granted this is to see the virat rupa, as otherwise Arjuna is able to see

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