Questions on today's Swami call:

0:00 How should we understand arcana? Regardless of the different standards of worship found in different temples and homes, what are your general guidelines regarding arcana?

00:21:52 How should we understand the statement of Sri Krishna, “ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān”?

00:36:00 In Brhad-Bhagavatamrta, Srimati Radharani refers to Janasharma as her devotee as he is worshipping Durga, who is her expansion. Is Srimati Radharani’s blessing Janasharma because he is destined to be a priya-narma-sakha?

00:42:06 With Sri Radhastami coming up, is there a particular way that someone aspiring for priya-narma-sakhya bhava can petition Srimati Radharani for blessings?

00:43:18 There is a statement from Srila Rupa Goswami that vraja-bhakti can only be attained by intense eagerness. What does he mean when he says that it has to be purchased at any cost if available anywhere?

00:52:27 I recently became a father. How can I make sure taking care of my son will not become a distraction to my Krishna consciousness?

Questions/topics on today's Swami call:

Lord Balarama and the sandhini-sakti

It appears that Nityananda Prabhu does not manifest vatsalya-bhava as much as he does as Lord Balarama. What could be the reason for that?

What can I do when I desperately need sadhu sanga, but my immediate situation does not allow it?

What are the fundamental teachings that you impart to your married and unmarried students with regards to chastity/sexuality?

Sri Krishna says we should think of him and love him, but under the spell of illusion, I sometimes think, “Who am I to love Krishna?” What can I do to overcome this mindset?

Questions on today's Swami call:

0:00 Dandavat pranams, Maharaja. My question is, why did Srila Sridhara Maharaja not like the phrase “thank you”?

00:13:23 What does it mean that some rasas are incompatible?

00:25:11 Does Bhagavad-gita 9.14 explain how we can worship Sri Krishna with love despite our western unfavorable upbringing?

00:31:39 What is bhajana? How does one progress from anisthita bhajana-kriya to have bhajana?

00:45:17 I have heard that the naimittika lilas of Sri Krishna are going on even when the material world is unmanifest. How is this possible?

00:48:42 What kind of selflessness might not be conducive to our practice?

00:56:07 Could you speak a little about Sri Krishna’s svarupa-sakti and Yogamaya? What are their functions and how do they interact?

Questions on today’s Swami call:

0:00 Does the stage of unsteady devotional practice (anisthita bhajana kriya) manifest differently in eastern and western practitioners?

00:09:20 In my understanding, true bliss can only be experienced in love, and love requires a lover and a beloved (asraya and visaya). Still it is said that there is ananda in Brahman. Can you explain this?

00:34:15 With the simplicity, lack of majesty, and focus on nature and animals in Vraja-bhakti, could we say that Gaudiya Vaisnavism is a suddha-sattvic form of paganism?

00:38:00 When jivas are manisted from the Viraja, what is the cause of that, as they do not have previous samskaras?

00:58:07 Tomorrow is Lord Balarama’s appearance day. Would you like to share something about that?

0:00 News.

00:01:28 What do you think of the idea that we should tolerate our own anarthas and that we should not tolerate others anarthas.

00:10:44 Does Balarama catch the coded messages that Krishna gives to the narma-sakhas?

00:15:03 Please can you share a few words about the meaning of Nityananda Gayatri?

00:23:15 The Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu mentioned that some of Krishna"s enemies attain sarupyabhasam- a form similar to God's form in which they remain absorbed in the happiness of Brahman. How can they have a form while being in the formless Brahman? Is their absorption a kind of bhakti?

00:29:16 Does the jiva fall from santa rasa?

00:37:19 Could the cause of falling be that we are not doing anything?

00:37:55 Could you explain the term Bhavollasa?

00:48:34 The description of meditating on the Gopala mantra given in Gopala-tapani Upanishad seems to be full of aisvarya. Could you explain why this is the case.

00:53:56 How can we balance our pursuit of transcendence with fulfilling our material needs? How can we practically support devotees to help them maintain harmony between spiritual development and everyday life?

0:00 Introduction

00:02:47 Srila Sridhara Maharaja Tirobhava Mahotsava

00:52:35 Can you comment on the final days of Srila Sridhar Maharaja being with us?

00:53:57 To what degree should we engage our intellect when receiving siksa.

01:10:20 What are the books written by Sridhar Maharaja? Which ones would you recommend for us?

01:14:05 What can you share with us about Pujyapada Sridhara Maharaja's inner mood and his siddha deha? Any examples or hints?

01:30:15 Would you say Sridhara Maharaja was especially attracted to Gaura lila? From all I have heard about him, he seems to have some special connection to Mahaprabhu and Navadvipa. Or was this preoccupation just his humility to not want to rush into Krsna lila?

01:37:30 Can you comment on the sadhaka deha vesa of the gopas in regards to their preaching.

Questions on today's Swami call:

0:00 Technical details.

00:01:47 Can you explain the division among the pioneers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s movement into gopalas and mahantas?

00:08:49 How does the devotional practice of remembrance (smaranam), as recommended and exemplified by Prahlada Maharaja, relate to the time factor?

00:16:45 If Sri Krishna’s quality of being a meticulous dresser (suvesa) is an excitant (uddipana) only for sakhya-rasa, what about the times that Sri Krishna dresses to impress the gopis?

00:22:33 Although Lord Balarama is the maryada-purusa in Sri Krishna’s life, he allows him to do things that externally is against dharma, but not against the spirit of dharma. Similarly he appeared to Sri Krishnanda Acarya and told him to give up a vow for the sake of service. With this in mind, can one pray to Lord Balarama for when to and when not to follow rules in the course of service?

00:28:19 How should we take it when our acharyas make strong statements like saying that other paths are of the devil?

00:40:38 Sri Advaita Acarya is mostly identified with Maha-Vishnu and Sadashiva, but some vaishnavas have identified him with Sri Ujjvala-sakha. Can you elaborate on this?

00:47:42 Can you speak more about Sri Krishna leaving many of the cowherd boys in the care of Lord Balarama at midday but taking the priya-narma-sakhas with him? Also, when both Krishna and Balarama are with all the cowherd boys together, is it as if the cowherd boys have two Krishnas?

00:55:41 Srimati Saraswati Devi is said to be the wife of Lord Brahma, who is jiva-tattva. She is also said to be an expansion of Lakshmi-devi. How does this go together?

Questions on today’s Swami call:

0:00 Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura wrote about how some devotees focused on Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the life-force of Sri Nityananda Prabhu, while others focused on him as the life-force of Sri Gadadhara Pandit. Is this related to what you talk about as the two windows of opportunity--sakhya and madhurya--in our sampradaya, one given by Sri Nityananda Prabhu's lineage and the other by lineages stemming from other associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu such as the six Goswamis?

00:15:10 It is said that Sri Uddharana Datta Thakura established deities of Sri Sadbhuja Gauranga, Sri Nityananda Prabhu, and Sri Gadadhara Pandit. Would this be indicative of his priya-narma-sakhya bhava?

00:18:55 When gurus in our sampradaya are spoken of as having certain identities in the spiritual world, where does this information come from? Do you have personal insights into such identities?

00:39:21 What does Sri Jiva Goswami mean when says that one has to be identical with God in order to worship God?

00:47:40 Can our conceptions about the goal of our spiritual path get in the way of realizing it, as it cannot be captured by thought?

Questions on today's Swami call:

Why did the cowherd boys fearlessly march into the mouth of Aghasura, assured of Krishna's protection, but when there was a forest fire they became frightened and cried out to Krishna?

How did Sri Krishna deal with the fact that he could not marry Srimati Radharani?

What is a balanced way to see the importance of guru, sadhu, and shastra on the one hand, and the caitya-guru on the other hand?

Can one take guidance from the caitya-guru directly in higher stages?

Are the wives of Sri Krishna considered to be embodying sambandha-rupa or kama-rupa bhakti?

Can you explain about the appearance of pranaya in the hearts of sadhakas, gopas, and gopis, respectively?

Does Sri Krishna ever have mana?

Was it pranaya that brought Gopakumara forward on his path?

Why did Indra attack Sri Krishna later in the Mahabharata when he had already understood who Sri Krishna is though the Govardhana-lila?

2024 (Poland Retreat) Q&A Compassion of the Lord