Questions on today’s Swami call:

Dear Guru Maharaja. My husband does not identify as a Vaishnava, but he is supportive of my practice and also approves of me teaching our children about bhakti. I think of him as a Vaishnava and serve him prasadam. However, he does not like food without onion, and according to deity worship standards, onions should not be offered to Sri Krishna. Can I still serve my husband food with onions, meditating that I am serving a Vaishnava according to his preferences?

Why do demons appear in the lila of Sri Krishna? Is it to show what happens when we turn away from Sri Krishna?

What is the significance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu worshipping Sri Advaita Acarya with the mantra "yo 'si so 'si namo 'stu te”, meaning "Whatever You are, You are — but I offer My respects unto You”?

What happens with deities that get stolen and end up in a place where there are no devotees around?

How can we dispose of mahaprasad items if we are in a country where such items cannot legally be disposed of in the way our scriptures prescribe, such as burning, burying or putting them a river?

Does Bhagavad-Gita 5.16-17 refer to realizing one’s bhava and seva and entering the spiritual world?

Are there any examples that illustrate Lord Balarama’s being the presiding deity of the rasa of laughter (hasya-rasa)?

Can you explain the differences between eligibility for vaidhi-sadhana-bhakti and for raganuga-sadhana-bhakti?

Pranams, Guru Maharaja. One devotee said that earlier in the history of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, when there were not many members, the small groups of practitioners made for an informal atmosphere suitable for the practice of raga-bhakti. But when it became bigger, things became more formal, and that is more suitable for spreading vaidhi-bhakti to the masses, and then there will be small pockets of people interested in raga-bhakti. What is your opinion on this view?