Questions on today’s Swami call:

Do circumstances like what kind of country we live in and where we live in that country make a difference for our spiritual practice? For example, I have heard that living in the countryside, especially in a Western developing country, may pose obstacles.

It is said to be an offense to preach the glories of the holy name to the faithless. Does this also include simple recommendations to the general public like “chant the holy name and be happy”?

You often say that the lila of Sri Krishna is humanlike, but in one article you wrote that Sri Krishna is both fully divine and fully human. Can you please explain?

Hare Krsna, Gurudeva. Pranama. Could you please share about the significance and conception of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura’s deities, Sri Sri Gaura Gadadhara?

Is Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu experiencing the type of love with anyone in Gaura-lila that he had with Uddhava in Krishna-lila?

Pranams, Guru Maharaja. Hare Krishna. Can you share something about the different kinds of bhakti in Garuda and Hanuman?

I heard that you have met Srila Sridhara Maharaja. Can you tell us about your relationship with him?

What would be the function of navels in Goloka?

I would like to set a good example of Krishna consciousness for my child. How can I know whether I’m truly practicing bhakti? What would be a good book for me to read as a beginner?

What is your opinion on the worship of Salagrama shilas?

Pranams, dear Guru Maharaja. In Aesthetic Vedanta, commenting on the gopis feeling that they have no devotion, you describe how one feels further from Bhagavan the closer one gets, and also that his presence is both humbling and reassuring. Can you say something more about this?