Re-Examine Your Faith

To be strong and vibrant in spiritual life we need to regularly re-examine and re-affirm why we are giving our lives to Krishna. If we practice Krishna consciousness blindly simply out of habit, social pressure or sentiment, we can give it up at any time. Therefore we must regularly scrutinize why we are engaged in Krishna's service. In this connection Srila Prabhupada states in his purport to Bhagavad-gita 3.3:

"Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism, while philosophy without religion is mental speculation."

So it is very important to always maintain a clear philosophical perspective while we are engaged in the practice of Krishna consciousness.

Explaining the Basis of Krishna Consciousness
Santiago, Chile-6 January 2012

Sankarshan Das Explaining Krishna Consciousness,Santiago, Chile

Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Serving Spiritual Master from a Distance

Dear Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances.

In the purport of Bhagavad-gita 9.14 Srila Prabhupada explains that anyone can live anywhere in the world and be expertly guided by a spiritual master in full Krishna consciousness. How can I live so far away from you, be guided by you, and still render service unto you?

Your devoted and humble servant,

Deodat

Answer: Physical and Vibrational Presence

The spiritual master does not have to be physically present to guide his disciples. There are two ways that we associate with our spiritual master. One is by vapu or physical association. And the other is vani, vibrational presence, associating with the spiritual master in the form of his instructions. Of the two vani is more important, because vani is always present for the dedicated disciple, while vapu is sometimes present and sometimes not present. The intelligent disciple takes advantage of vapu association by getting it as much as possible, while simultaneously taking even more advantage of his spiritual master's vani association by of constantly meditating upon and carrying out his instructions. Those instructions are given by the spiritual master both in his spoken and written words.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

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