Questions and Ansers:

1. How can we chant with spiritual emotions?

The emotion of gratitude is very important because it's a kind of material emotion and it’s familiar to us, but at the same time it is something from a higher nature, it is like a springboard to the spiritual emotions. Therefore we have to develop gratitude by understanding how much we received from Krisna, from Srila Prabhupada and from devotees, and gradually we will understand what spiritual emotions mean.

2. How to overcome the situation when material emotions carry us away?

The beginning of the spiritual life is to train ourselves to be less and less disturbed by the material surrounding. The cause of our material emotions in 99% cases is our relationship with other people. Therefore "Srimad-Bhagavatam" teaches us that we have to establish proper relationships with people around us, it will give us protection. To become peaceful we really have to work on proper relationships. When I am in a very strong controlling mood I will always feel matsarya, or irritation, because there is always somebody who can say or do something, which I don’t like. So we have to become nirmatsaraha and santa.

3. We have to remember Krisna all the time. How to remember Krisna?

To remember Krisna all the time is difficult, we will be distracted. We should not forget Krisna, it means before doing something I say: Krisna I am doing it for you.

4. I have many non-devotee friends, when I hear them speaking something I end up looking down on them. What is the remedy for it?

This is the tendency of our false ego to look down at people, no matter what they do, because we want to be the best, and we need this confirmation every time. This is the program of somebody who wants to enjoy. We need to change this attitude to be better than somebody else to the opposite attitude of service. Service gives a lot of emotional rewards. The other way to get rid of this fault finding tendency is to glorify others.

5. How to experience positive emotions towards non-devotees?

We always experience positive emotions towards those people whom we serve. If we serve somebody nicely he may transform.

6. How much we can care about others because we still have anarthas?

Bhakti is pleasing Krisna. We can care about others as a way to please Krisna. We should take care of ourselves as a way to please Krisna.

7. How can we help such devotees who have a lack of self-confidence?

In Kali-yuga people are always dysfunctional because of the bad environment and bad family. Just to chant Hare Krisna will be difficult for such a person because of some vacuum in his heart. Chanting will not bring enough satisfaction to heal. To be healed one has to get a lot of positive emotions to drive away negative emotions from the heart. The other way is try to help others, it will be the healing process.

8. Is it possible to be сured from psychiatric diseases by practicing devotional service?

It is possible, but professional help should also be there.

9. I have heard that we should have personal association with a pure vaisnava in order to be able to progress in spiritual life. Or is it enough just to read Srila Prabhupada’s books, discuss them?

Personal association leaves a very deep samskara in our heart. If we don’t have it, we should have regular association, it will make spiritual samskaras stronger.

10. I did something and later I realized that this was a mistake.

There is some strong force within us, afterwards we regret about what we did, the source of it is the mode of passion.

11. Is everything mercy in our life? What is in our control to come closer to our goal?

Sadhana prepares our heart to be receptive and appreciative to the mercy which we get, then mercy will be stable in our heart.

12. Is every single Tulasi plant an expansion of Tulasi Devi?

It’s an expansion.

13. Sometimes I feel exhausted understanding that everything is temporary in this world. While I am in association of devotees I am happy, but sometimes negative emotions are coming, how do I get rid of this?

Devotional life is very positive. We have to have healthy detachment and enthusiastic spirit. Enthusiasm is the main sign of faith. So we need to read more and associate with those who will give a lot of strength and enthusiasm.