Author: Swami B.G. Narasingha

I have read the book "Our Original Position" (OOP) published by the Iskcon GBC Press in which it is stated that the jivas (living entities) come to this material world after falling from grace in the spiritual world. Is this 'fall philosophy' correct according to sastra and previous acaryas?

When Lord Jagannatha is worshipped without Balarama and Subhadra He is Patita-pavana, the deliverer of the fallen. He was the principal Deity of Bhaktivinoda Thakura's ancestors for four hundred years. The worship of Lord Jagannatha along with Gaura-Gadadhara represents a very special conception.

There is a doubt circulating among some devotees about the authentic location of 'Mayapura,' the birth site of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There is also a controversy among some devotees about the Adbhuta-mandira. Will you please say something to clarify these issues?

Glorifying the Vaisnavas brings one the greatest benefit. All suffering in the world is due to not knowing who you are (servant of God). We praise the great devotees but this does not mean we can treat the ordinary devotees roughly. Without association of devotees our creeper will not grow properly. The last section of the lecture is about the wealth of Srila Sridhara Maharaja.

I have seen on your website that you have installed and worship Deities of Lord Narasimha in your ashram. When Gaudiya Vaisnavas are devotees of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna why do you worship Lord Narasimha?

I have heard it said that there are some gaps in the list of names in the Gaudiya parampara and that some of the names given there are actually fictitious names of personalities that never really existed. Do you think this could be true?

The extraordinary appearance and childhood of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura. The restoration of Sri Chaitanya's birthplace, Yoga Pitha, by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura and Srila Bhaktisiddhanta. The irrefutable evidence for the Yoga Pitha site: the Ganges riverbed, text book references and divine revelation.

The necessity of Advaitacarya, who gave us Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Proof of the existence of God thru faith and experience. The uniqueness of madhurya-rasa. The erroneous teachings of the sahajiyas. Do not approach Krishna-lila for our enjoyment. Srila Prabhupada was empowered by Nityananda Prabhu.

I have heard whispers that the temple being built in Mayapura, called the "Temple of Understanding," in some ways falls short of the proper conception of Gaudiya Vaisnavism. I have also heard that this Temple of Understanding is thought by some devotees to be the Adbhuta Mandira predicted by Sri Nityananda Prabhu and Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura. In your opinion is there any truth to this way of thinking?

I once heard a devotee say that the proof of when your devotion has become real bhakti is when you can take the betel-nut prasadam from the mouth of Krsna and place it in the mouth of Radharani. Is this the actual standard by which we are to measure or understand when we have real bhakti?

Why is the advent of Mahaprabhu not mentioned directly in the sastras? Why did Srila Prabhupada write Krsna Book when it is not advised for neophytes to read the 10th Canto of Bhagavatam? What is the difference between jnana-misra bhakti and jnana-purvaka-bhakti? Srila Narasingha Maharaja answers these questions and many more in this class.

Some devotees worship Govardhana as Krsna or Balarama and others worship Him as the best devotee of Krsna (Srimati Radharani). How should we worship Govardhana?