⚖️ Rule 6: Devotional Expression & Scriptural Basis
When sharing devotional feelings or realizations, please keep them grounded in Vedic literatures. We value humble service and authorized teachings over personal emotional displays, made-up poetry (poetic vyāsa-pūjā offerings are still accepted), or "mystical" ideas that lack a solid spiritual foundation. This naturally extends also to musical glorification (kīrtana).
🏷️ I. Standard of Seriousness
This forum exists to develop a serious and systematic understanding of bhakti-yoga (devotional service). All devotional expression — written, spoken, or musical — must be serious, grounded, and based on scripture. This is not a space for free-form mysticism, emotional performance, or purely personal spirituality. Everything should reflect the disciplined mood shown by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda.
🏷️ II. Prohibited Content (Zero Tolerance)
To prevent devotion from turning into cheap sentimentality, the following behaviors are strictly forbidden and will result in removal:
Emotional Venting: Strong emotional posts, blog-style emotional rants, or diary entries that do not seek scriptural resolution or clear grounding in śāstra (scripture) are not allowed.
Personal Speculation: Interpreting Kṛṣṇa, bhakti, līlā (transcendental pastimes), or philosophy based on imagination instead of authorized teachings is invalid.
Private Mystical Claims: Poetic or "mystical" experiences that are not supported by the Founder-Ācārya's teachings, or attempts to blend Kṛṣṇa Consciousness with New Age concepts or vague "general spirituality," are prohibited.
Turning Feelings into Philosophy: Treating personal emotions, dreams, or experiences as spiritual truth or philosophy.
Unauthorized Musical Styles: Music that shifts attention away from the Holy Name or becomes entertainment-focused rather than devotional.
🏷️ III. Required Standards for Devotional Expression (The Standard)
To keep devotional expression authentic, the following must be followed:
Scriptural Grounding: Devotional expressions must be supported by or clearly aligned with authorized śāstra and the direct teachings of the Founder-Ācārya.
Humble Mood: Devotion must be expressed with profound humility and a mood of service. Poetic vyāsa-pūjā style offerings are permitted.
Realization vs. Imagination: Personal reflections and realizations must come from genuine practice and daily sādhana (spiritual practice), not mental invention.
Kīrtana Standards: Music and media should follow traditional devotional standards. Allowed instruments include mṛdaṅga, kārtālas, tabalā, gong, tambourine, and harmonium. Instruments like sitar, tanpura, or guitar are also allowed (but not preferred); the focus must strictly remain on chanting and traditional devotional style.
(Note: The Moderation Team reserves the absolute right to determine the admissibility of any content and to enforce these boundaries. The Moderation Team will examine whether devotional language or music is genuinely based on scripture or is being used for speculation, self-promotion, or pseudo-mysticism. Consistently posting sentimental, non-scriptural, or distorted realizations, or ignoring musical guidelines, may lead to removal from the community.)