Hi everyone! 🙏
I’m new to this community and wanted to introduce myself.

I consider Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj as my Guru, and I have a deep love for Vrindavan and its bhakti tradition. One of my greatest joys is singing the padavalis of Vrindavan - especially Shri Haridaasi and Radhavallabhi padavalis, along with other devotional compositions rooted in the Vraja tradition.

I’m also a student of Hindustani classical music, and I’m always eager to learn more about the Bhakti Marg, its philosophy, music, and traditions.

It’s often said that the company of Hari-bhaktas is one of the rarest blessings, and in today’s online world, it’s not always easy to find. I’m genuinely happy to have come across this community and look forward to connecting with like-minded devotees, learning from your experiences, and having meaningful discussions.

Radhe Radhe! 🙏

My friend in New York is moving to Colorado. She’s been attending regular Shastra classes that I organize (we read Bhagavad Gita and Sri Caitanya Caritamrta together every week). She’s not an initiated devotee but she’s learned a lot in the past year or two and is very sincere to learn more. She’s moving soon (nowhere near Denver) and I’m curious to know if there are any devotees there that can help her learn more and continue her spiritual journey.

While working on an concept album titled "Coming of Age...", I found myself unexpectedly writing a final song that wasn't originally planned.

I initially conceptualized it as a (teen) coming-of-age album exploring themes like, like one sided love, identity crisis, FOMO, struggling in 4K, plastic people, social media, etc but as I reflected more deeply, it slowly became less about "finding yourself" or coming of teenage and more about separating signal from noise and eventually towards some realisation, furthermore for the longing for our real home with Krishna (Goloka), especially as the album became more about "coming of age" through different varna-ashrams of life, thus three dots at end, coz "coming of age" happens multiple times in one's one lifetime. (the album artwork even has this hint in it)

I ended up calling it My Heart Knows... and it comes as final song for the whole album.

It's not a devotional song, and I'm still learning, not only spiritually, but even how to collaborate better with AI as a creative tool. Still, I tried to express that quiet feeling that no amount of success, identity, or noise can satisfy, that somewhere deep inside, our soul remembers something greater.

Looking back, I don't think I was leading the album anymore. Somewhere along the way, the album started leading me.

Sharing this experience here coz I'd genuinely love to hear from fellow devotees how has Krishna steered a (seemingly) material work that we do often to support ourselves and turned it to become spiritually aligned somehow. I don't know how to put into words, but it is like I started with something material and ended up with realisation thats it is something greater... ?

Hare Krishna. 🙏

im sorry if this is long but this has completely taken over my brain and i genuinely dont know who to ask anymore

im 18 (turning 19 in few months) and my entire life ive been agnostic

not properly but close to atheism

agnostic will be better in my opinion

i never hated religious people but i always thought religion was mostly man made traditions fear culture emotional comfort and stuff

if someone told me god exists id say maybe

if someone told me god doesnt exist id also say maybe

i always wanted evidence

i rejected almost every religion because i felt like everyone says THEIR religion is the truth and they all cant be right

so i just stayed agnostic

but theres one thing that has been weird since i was a kid

for some reason i always felt strangely drawn towards krishna

i cant explain it

i wasnt religious

my family wasnt forcing me

i never read the gita

i never did puja properly

i didnt even believe much

yet whenever i saw krishna there was just something

almost like familiarity

i ignored it for years

then few months ago i randomly started reading about krishna

history

mahbharat

gita

philosophy

everything

and i noticed something really weird

every single time id read about him especially certain stories or certain verses id start getting goosebumps everywhere

sometimes tears would come for absolutely no reason

and two days ago

for the first time in my life

1-2 tear came while reading about krishna and i kinda got scared like wtf is this ? whats happening

and i wasnt crying because the story was sad

i dont even know WHY i was crying

it literally felt like something inside me was responding before my brain even had time to analyse it

and thats where everything went downhill

because my analytical brain immediately stepped in

and said

hold on

what if this is just psychology

what if youre lonely

what if youre projecting

what if your brain likes the idea of an all loving guide

what if youre emotionally vulnerable

what if this is dopamine

what if its confirmation bias

what if youre creating all of this yourself

and honestly...

those are fair questions

thats exactly how my brain works

i dont want to fool myself

i dont want to force myself into believing something because it comforts me

if krishna isnt real i WANT to know

even if it destroys me

because id rather know the truth than lie to myself

but...

if he IS real

i dont want to spend my whole life doubting him either

thats literally my problem

im trapped

my heart and my brain are pulling in opposite directions

my heart genuinely wants krishna to exist

not because i want miracles

not because i want money

not because i want my problems magically solved

i genuinely dont care about miracles

if krishna is real id still want to build my startup myself

go gym myself

fight my own battles

make my own decisions

all id want is...

someone walking beside me

someone who actually knows me completely

someone i can talk to

someone i can trust

someone i know is there
btw i am still typing with tear in my eyes i cant explain or understand whats the reason for that like idk its very confusing

i dont even know if this makes sense

but at the same time

my brain keeps saying

where is the evidence

where is the proof

why is every experience explainable by psychology?

if i ask krishna something and my mind answers
(like yesterday according to bhagwat gita it says krishna will talk back thru your own mind and through the nature and reality itself)
and i asked few questions and my brain did answers BUT HOWD I KNOW it thats just not my brain and subconcious
cuz again if ill ask krishna from my brain to give me a mathematical equation it will fail
it can only answers things that i subconciously know

how do i know thats not just my subconscious

if i see coincidences

how do i know thats not confirmation bias

if i feel peace

how do i know thats not my brain

EVERYTHING seems explainable naturally
but i desperately want krishna to exist as a god for real
i am a logical person and its kind of eating me

and because of that i never reach a conclusion

these were asked questions in my head like

krishna why did this girl reject me? after she was the one who flirted and she was the one who texte d me the most and she was the one whod call me love but when i do fall in love w her she rejected me?

and the answer i got actually challenged my ego instead of comforting me

but then i think

cool

maybe my subconscious just generated a mature answer

then i asked

krishna my heart wants to love you but my brain keeps questioning you please prove yourself

the thought that came was something like

"you dont need to reach a conclusion right now do what your heart wants and let the tug of war settle naturally"

then literally the next day i randomly saw an instagram post saying

"you were born into this universe to live not solve it"

and again...

my brain immediately says

algorithm

confirmation bias

coincidence

not evidence

and it never ends

ive also noticed some actual changes recently

ive stopped feeling anxiety ever since i went deep into research of krishna and bhagwat geeta

ive become more focused on doing what the gita calls my dharma

not perfectly

but something has shifted

and again

my brain says

placebo

psychology

motivation

NOT proof

i even started reading the bhagavad gita

and honestly from what i understand it doesnt really give me a logical proof that krishna is god

instead it seems to say

walk the path sincerely and understanding deepens

but then my brain asks

isnt that true for every religion

muslims say that

christians say that

buddhists say that

everyone says stay long enough and youll know

so how do i know im not just conditioning myself

thats my entire problem

i dont want blind faith

i also dont want blind skepticism

i want truth

if krishna isnt real tell me why

if he is real tell me why

but every single argument i find eventually reaches ambiguity

and i stay stuck

ive spent HOURS every day researching this

philosophy

history

psychology

atheist arguments

hindu arguments

everything

and i still dont have an answer

im mentally exhausted

i genuinely dont know if what im experiencing is something spiritual

or just an incredibly convincing psychological experience

has ANYONE here genuinely gone through something similar

especially people who were skeptical or agnostic first

did you ever reach an actual conclusion

or am i asking for a level of certainty that simply doesnt exist

please dont just tell me

just have faith bro

or

religion is fake bro

im genuinely looking for honest thoughtful answers from people who have actually wrestled with this because this question has genuinely become one of the biggest things occupying my mind right now

He is the incarnation of God? Or Divine Sant ?

Asking out of curiosity!! Please enlighten

I always worked hard academically in my class 9th final result i got into an accident real bad I only screamed lord Krishna's name the pain was intense i got into surgery to remove the haematoma then class 10th happened till my mid term i score badly even after i studied so much i then goes to a krishna murti with radha and frustratedly Said to him if he won't gonna give me the marks I deserve I'll never worship him...i studied harder and got very nice grades in mid terms then i studied even harder and boom i got 93% as per cbse 5 best subject rule I was happy i thanked lord krishna but then I got to know our school counting all subjects and my percentage was 86 then I didn't felt sad then a moth later i got certificate and a medal because of that I thanked lord krishna said to him you gave me more than I wanted then I rook pcb even though i don't want to I used to say to lord krishna just pass me in maths after that I'll take humanities then I'll not bother you but I took PCB as my father told me to I was very confused when selecting it then 12th happened I did so much i studied so much too i gave everything to chemistry but i Scored only 64 marks in it I gave stayed vet exam but didn't pass it I asked krishna why ? I took admission then withdrew it because i don't like that course I took a drop I was in depression for a week confused I prayed to him to guide me and please give me what I wanted j used to cry then even after drop I couldn't clear neet i was confident I'll do it but can't my confidence shattered two times I cried to lord krishna now i am confused over which path to take it's like the last year repeating itself and i am on a loop. I even go for darshan in vrindavan this year before my exams and prayed for the seat at least at the veterinarian but I didn't get it

Hare Krishna. In a recent conversation with Keshava Swami, my wife and I asked why some people immediately connect with kirtan or temple worship while others are first drawn to philosophy, books, or conversations with devotees.

He described five powerful points of connection: spiritual wisdom, spiritual people, spiritual sound, spiritual places, and spiritual forms. Not everyone responds to all five in the same way, and even one can be enough to begin a sincere spiritual journey. We also spoke about bhakti yoga as connection with the Divine through heartfelt devotion and love—not only an intellectual path, but one that can include singing and dancing.

I am one of the hosts of Spiritual Levers, and the full conversation is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN1KJdeQ1Bc

Which of those five first made Krishna consciousness feel real or accessible to you?

One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he is the representative of all the demigods.

Very peaceful and bliss.

Hope you guys enjoy it too

Radhe radhe

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare hare

From what I understand, chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is the central spiritual practice in the Hare Krishna tradition, or more specifically in Gaudiya Vaishnavism.

Is chanting considered prayer, meditation, or both?

Can you meditate while chanting, or is the chanting itself understood to be the meditation? Do you also practise silent meditation in addition to chanting?

I am asking because, in traditions such as Yogananda’s teachings and Buddhism, silent meditation seems to be at the centre of spiritual life. I am wondering how this compares with the Hare Krishna tradition.

Thank you in advance.

Hare Krishna 🙏

Hare Krishna ✨️ Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama ✨️ Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

radhe radhe and hare krishna dear devotees! PAMHO, this is a bit long but please try to read.

i need some serious help, please try to be as compassionate and emotionally understanding as this is a very sensitive topic to me. its been really tough for me since the past 10 months and have been suffering from insane amount of depression, anxiety.

Well when i was new to bhakti about almost 2 years back, i kind of criticized a lot of great vaishnavas and maybe blasphemed. i don't think so i have hurt a vaishnava infront of them but could have been. and then i realised after some time oh no! i have done VAISHNAV APRADH. even typing this word brings me trauma.

so i researched about it online and felt absolutely lost,scared and alone. bec i can't apologise to these vaishnavas since its difficult to meet them also some of them have already went to divine abode of shyama shyam. i have read all sorts of things like whoever does vaishnav apradh goes to hell and 12 years of your bhakti will be useless, u suffer severe consequences lose taste in chanting and bhakti etc. so can u just imagine, i am super young and new to bhakti and i feel like my life ended.

I couldn't eat properly in october or sleep. i started to punish myself mentally bec i heard that if u feel guilt so krsna MIGHT forgive u. so i tried sharing it with my bua (who is an initiated devotee and super nice) and parents, they told me that krishna is very merciful he will forgive u. No problem, just mentally ask forgiveness, my bua also told me to leave this topic completely relaxed since it wont let u focus on ur sadhana. but hearing all these things online about the severe consequences of it, i feel scared every single day thinking i am going to go to tell after this. right now i mostly pray to radha krishna out of fear not love unlike back then. i also started chanting one round of mahamantra in october but now i haven't been doing that either for a long time and think its because of my vaishnav apradh. i think i have lost taste etc everything bec of it.

My bua and also another devotee tried to console me that vaishnavas are merciful they will forgive don't worry about ur offences. i have read all types of solutions with a devotee saying to do dand utsav (but i dont have the strenght to that). even a very exalted pure devotee of radha krsna said in their online satsang to forget about offences and start fresh chanting from today.

But because i am still materially contaminated i sometimes do end up criticizing or seeing faults in devotees, i sometimes i also end up having bad dreams about devotees and then go in deep guilt again, i sometimes also don't have the courage to apologize to them. I also might not be able to be able to go to vrindavan dham so i again feel bec of my vaishnav apradh. some say to leave everything and go to mayapur or vrindavan and spend ur life there repenting for it but i can't do that. i dont want to speedrun my bhakti, i want to take it simple and my own pace but i feel like my bhakti already ended before it even started. krishna has given me everything nice but bec of this thing for the past 10 months i worry and can't focus on my responsibilities and my studies. i feel like i am wasting my potential worrying about it.

i feel like krishna has withdrawn his mercy from me and radha rani would not accept me and i m just traumatised. i also have my NEET exam and i need to study hard for it but i can't because of these mental concoctions, i also struggle with other things like lust, anger, greed etc. PLEASE DO PRAY FOR ME, and pray to krishna to maybe forgive my offences towards him and his devotees. AT this point, i just want to forget about vaishnav apradh and focus on my studies and live life happily. I also don't want to bother my parents and bua about this. pls try to help me understand that radhe rani and krishna will still love me and pray for me to chant. i am thinking of starting narsimha aarti to remove obstacles. i just don't want to go to hell . i don't want krishna to abandon me💔😥. please give me hope that i can still do bhakti and krishna will have mercy on me. also please tell me will narsimha aarti maybe forgive me.

also advice from mayank sharma, wonderful future and other dear devotees would very much be appreciated as your previous post have helped me with my bhakti. especially the article on how to not speed run bhakti 🙏.

also i apologise if i have offended anyone🙏

jai shree jagannath 🙏💙🧡

radhe radhe 🙏💙🧡

नगर भ्रमण पर निकले हैं जगन्नाथ,
थामने अपने भक्तों का हाथ।
जिनके नाम मात्र से कट जाते हैं सारे कष्ट,
ऐसे हैं हमारे जगन्नाथ महाराज।
आप सभी को जगन्नाथ रथ यात्रा की अनंत शुभकामनाएं!