Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

How are multiple personality disorders related with the mind?
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When our consciousness is low, how do we continue spiritually?
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Faith is essential in daily life, science – and spiritual life
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Bhakti Vriksha program at Perth

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Beware of the temptation to punish 1- Ashwattama pastime analysis
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Evening program at ISKCON, Perth

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What was Prabhupada’s mood when going through reversals?
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How can we practically understand that shaking an apple tree may lead to the falling of mangoes?
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Answer Podcast

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Does surrender mean seeing problems as Krishna’s mercy?
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To ask guidance from visiting devotees and to not follow it – is that offensive?
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If some devotees deal insensitively with us in our in our early days, how can we overcome the scars?
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Answer Podcast

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Eating can be spiritualized, but how can mating be spiritualized?
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How do sages like Kardama Muni enjoy material things despite being great spiritualists?
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God is not a means to an end – he is himself the highest end 
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ārtā devān namasyanti

tapaḥ kurvanti rogiṇaḥ

nirdhanā dānam icchanti

vṛddhā nārī pati-vratā

ārtāh — the distressed; devān — to the gods; namasyanti — pay obeisances; tapaḥ — austerities; kurvanti — perform; rogiṇaḥ — the diseased; nirdhanāh — the poverty-stricken; dānam — donations; icchanti — desire [to give]; vṛddhā — old; nārī — lady; pati-vratā — is devoted to her husband;
“The distressed automatically start paying obeisances to the gods [for they have no other option]. The diseased naturally perform various austerities [for they have no other option]. The poverty-stricken desire to give big donations [for they do not have the option of doing it in real life] and an old lady automatically shows devotion to her husband [for all hope of attracting paramours is lost].”

— (Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra, Sāmānya-nītiḥ, page 157, Verse 168)

[Verse and translation provided by Hari Parshad Prabhu] 

Life’s temptations frequently deviate us from the right path – they make us give up principle for pleasure. Conversely life’s tribulations, especially tribulations that we have no hope of solving on our own, impel us to the right path; they make us accept the available even if it is not particularly appealing, because the alternative is utterly unpalatable. This Subhashita talks about such forced choosing of the right course of action.

People often have a similar utilitarian attitude towards God. Such motivated devotion is usually interrupted devotion. When things go wrong in our life, we come rushing to God; and when things start looking up, we bid him goodbye.

The mistaken notion that God is a dispensable means is illustrated in an insurance company’s ad: “If you don’t have our insurance, it’s time to say your prayers.” Actually, it is always the time to say our prayers and to connect with God. Why? Because we as souls are his eternal parts, and we can find lasting happiness only in loving and serving him. Moreover, even in dealing with our practical problems while living in this material world, no solution can work without God’s sanction. Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.9.19) illustrates how the apparent solution can’t provide the actual solution, if divine sanction is missing: parents can’t always protect their children; medicines can’t always save the sick; and boats can’t always rescue the drowning. Extending this principle, we can contemplate that the insurance company too can’t guarantee us relief. What if it goes bankrupt at the same time when we are facing a crisis?

Of course, motivated devotion is better than no devotion at all – instead of living godlessly, we at least believe in God and worship him, even if for self-centered purposes. How we can rise from motivated devotion to pure devotion is outlined in the Bhagavad-gita (07.16-19). The first verse (07.16) mentions four kinds of people who approach Krishna and start worshiping him: the distressed, the inquisitive, the wealth-seekers and the knowledgeable. Krishna appreciates all of them for their piety in approaching him – he calls them as large-hearted (07.18). Yet he lauds especially the knowledgeable, for they are unmotivated in approaching him – they are interested only in him, so their devotion is one-pointed (07.17). He concludes the section by declaring (07.19) that after many lifetimes, the motivated become unmotivated when they finally understand […]

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How authentic are the Dwarka arcahaeological findings about Krishna?
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How did ordinary people see Lord Chaitanya’s ecstatic trances?
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Understanding the purpose of explicit language in scripture
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Brahmachari class at ISKCON, Melbourne

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Two ways to realization: as sudden illumination and as gradual awakening
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Brahmachari class at ISKCON, Melbourne

Podcast

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Should new people be told strongly to give up meat-eating?
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How can we apply the mood of “Krishna, I am yours”?
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Answer Podcast

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If the devotees who introduced us to bhakti don’t inspire us later, what should we do?
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Answer Podcast

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When Vibhishana went over to the side of virtue, why didn’t Vidura do the same?
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When Lakshmana left Sita unguarded because of her harsh words, whose mistake was it?
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How do I know which type of surrender is suitable for us?
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How do avoid depression caused by the mistakes we make and by thinking about past bad karma?
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Is black magic real – what should devotees targetted by it do?
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Vritrasura lila analysis 2 – The heroic leader and the hidden devotee
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Srimad Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Adelaide

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Vritrasura lila analysis 2 – The heroic leader and the hidden devotee
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Podcast

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The mind is a monkey that makes us a donkey
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Evening program at ISKCON, Adelaide

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How much does Krishna intervene in the lives of good people, if they are not devotees?
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What is the relationship between astrology and karma, especially for devotees?
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How does our material varna relate with our spiritual svarupa?
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Why does Bhaktivinoda Thakura refer to temporary duties as anitya-dharma?
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Should we stabilize our material life before practicing spiritual life?
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How can we know that we have done our best in our services or relationships?
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