Questions & Answers
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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Questions & Answers

Other Religions in View of the Bhāgavata

QUESTION: I am wondering if you are able to shed any light on Jīva Gosvāmī's (or any other important pre-colonial Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava author) views on non-Vedically aligned traditions, such as those of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, etc. 

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers

The Functions of Paramātmā, Bhagavān, and Mahā-Viṣṇu

Question: I´m experiencing some duality regarding the functional aspect of the Paramātmā. On one side we hear that his role as Antaryāmī is neutral; only a witness bestowing the proper fruits of one´s good or bad actions or in other words, an aspect of God more related to the world and the principle of karma/justice. On

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Questions & Answers

Why Offense Should Be Avoided

Question: Please kindly help me to understand why aparādhas to the deities, dhām, etc should be avoided. I understand that everything in the śāstras has a scientific reason, so I would like to know the scientific or psychological reasons why scriptures say not do certain things because they can be aparādhas.   I do not just want to refrain

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Questions & Answers

Customs of Worship, Vision, Golden Age

Question: What are the scriptural instructions on women chanting the Gāyatrī mantra?  Answer: I think it would be better to be specific. India is a vast country and there are at least twenty Smṛtis available. So as far as Bengal is concerned, women don’t chant Gāyatrī. We traditional Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas follow the Bengal tradition.  

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Gaudiya History Questions & Answers Sadhana

Worship of Śrī Śrī Gaura Gadādhara

Question: I wanted to know whether your paramparā has any scope for Gaura Gadādhara upāsanā. We know that many of the Nadiyā bhaktas wrote songs in praise of them together. Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākur and some of his followers also had a focus on Gaura Gadādhara. The other thing is, does your paramparā think that Gaura Gadādhara

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Gaudiya Philosophy Questions & Answers

Is Krishna unfair to us?

Question: Śrī Jīva Gosvāmī writes in his Paramātma Sandarbha (44): tad evam ananta eva jīvākhya taṭasthaḥ śaktayaḥ. tatra tāsāṁ varga dvayaṁ. eko vargaḥ anādita eva bhagavad unmukhaḥ anyas tu anādita eva bhagavat parāṅmukhaḥ svabhāvataḥ tadīya jñāna bhāvāt tadīya jñānābhāvāc ca: “There are innumerable spirit souls and they are the marginal potency of God. There are

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