by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
Ask your questions in a submissive mood; not a challenging mood. “tad viddhi praṇipātena / paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
Don’t accept blindly. BRING UP your doubts, confusions and misgivings As well as asking questions that clarify the meaning of the text (see Principle 10), we also need to ask questions if we doubt the truth of something Srila Prabhupada writes. This kind of doubt...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
Ask Questions that help clarify Srila Prabhupada’s intended meaning. For assimilation of Srila Prabhupada’s teachings to fully take place, questions are required. Or in other words, asking questions is a vital part of the assimilation process. “In this verse, both...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
Discuss with humility, gratitude, mutual appreciation and respect. Personally I think this is one of the most important principles. I don’t know if you are anything like me, but my thinking processes seize up in the presence of people I fear may be combative in their...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
HELP your discussion partner develop their own understanding by using empathic hearing skills. When we first started discussing Srila Prabhupada’s purports at home we would often feel frustrated by the end of a discussion due to subtle rivalry between us. There are...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
Don’t debate. ACCEPT there can be different valid understandings. There can be many different legitimate meanings of each text. Lord Chaitanya illustrated this by giving sixty one different meanings to the atmarama verse of the Srimad Bhagavatam 1.7.10. He then...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
SCRUTINIZE the meaning of the sentence phrase by phrase or word by word if necessary. Instead of trying to understand a whole chapter or even a whole purport or paragraph in one go, focus on understanding one sentence at a time. Of course, you can read the chapter,...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
REPEAT in our own words the meaning If we want to understand something, passive hearing will not help us. We need to hear ACTIVELY. That is to say, we need to hear, think, and then repeat what we understood. When we practice active hearing, our association with...
by Pranas | Apr 26, 2020 | Principles
Discuss Srila Prabhupada’s books SYSTEMATICALLY. I have heard different opinions regarding how best to approach Srila Prabhupada’s books. Many devotees favour the ‘thematic’ approach. They like to research on topics like ‘varnashrama’, ‘women’s role’, ‘creation’,...
