Sampradaya or Disciplic Succession: Importance of Disciplic Succession

Q. While practicing Krishna consciousness, sometimes I am very enthusiastic and sometimes I feel very morose. The cause for being morose is not being able to see any change in my attitude. Please help me.

Q. I have a question that is bothering me. I went last year to see MATA AMRITANDAMAYI also known as AMMA. She is a big devotee of Lord Krishna, always speaks of Lord Krishna's glories. She has the same message to humankind that our place is with the Lord and that we have to go back to Lord Krishna. My question is, I have seen devotees of amma chanting "om nama shivaya". So I am confused. What is the difference between the maha mantra and this mantra?

I hope you would enlighten me on this.

Q. How can a common person without any religious background understand that tribulations are due to karma or time?

Q. Did Caitanya Mahaprabhu also accept that Madhvacarya was Jagat guru or did he disregard that fact because as He is the incarnation of God, He can do anything. Why don't you celebrate Madhva Navami when even Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself claimed Himself to be a follower of Madhva? I would really appreciate the answers to these Questions.

Q. Can you please explain how we can follow the Supreme Lord's teachings without imitating His deeds during His pastimes?

Q. How can I guard against being too sentimental when it comes to the guru/disciple relationship?

I tend to romanticize about how nice it would have been to know, say, Jesus, but would I recognize Him if He were here today? The same can be applied to Prabhupada.  I

romanticize and become quite sentimental about how nice it would have been to have seen Him face to face, but would I have been surrendered any more if I had? This all leads to (the way I am) seeing Prabhupada's disciples today.  Just as I would like to have seen Prabhupada "in the flesh", I'm now seeing His disciples "in the flesh", but I'm not any more surrendered.

Q. Is Krishna Consciousness the only one and superior way to go back home to God?  I ask this for various reasons.  One is that in many instances I have read or heard that Christians don't really believe in God properly. They show up for church on Sundays and turn the switch off Monday through Saturday. I used to think that this saying was so great and that it made complete sense as I grew up in one of those "Christian" families. As I grow and become more aware of the world around me, I find that there are Christians that are very much in love of God and who do live their lives and all aspects of it for God.

Q. One of the elder relatives of my family does not want me to chant on beads. He says by using beads concentration is lost. He also says Kabir advised not to use beads. Can someone please give me material describing advantage of chanting on beads so that I can tell him or any pointers where I can get that material.

Q. Part 1: Krishna says in BG "Surrender unto me and I'll take all your sins" but sometimes we see a devotee of Krishna also suffers. So please explain how karma affects a devotee (i.e. karma done in previous life, in this life and all future karmas).

Complete surrender to Krishna destroys all stages of karma, both a priori and a posteriori, just as Krishna promises. In other words, a fully surrendered devotee is NOT AFFECTED by karma.

Q. 1. I would like to know why there are many Hindus biased in accepting Sri Krishna as the Supreme Lord. Why are there clearly so many Hindu gods stated in the Vedas. Why are there so many points of view regarding the Vedas?