No God, No Knowledge; Know God, Know Knowledge
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.2
“Śukadeva Gosvamī said: ‘The Supreme Lord manifested the material intelligence, senses, mind and vital air of the living entities so that they could indulge their desires for sense gratification, take repeated births to engage in fruitive activities, become elevated in future lives and ultimately attain liberation.’”
Continue reading “Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and the Transcendental Argument”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
As we engage in philosophical discussions, we must be mindful of our approach. Many devotees of Krishna make the mistake of refuting individual arguments one by one, like facing an attacking lion and trying to wound its limbs instead of stopping it entirely. Imagine being in the wilderness, and a fierce lion suddenly charges toward you. If you panic and merely injure its legs, paws, ears or tail, it will keep coming, adapting to its injuries and growing more aggressive. Every second wasted prolongs the danger. The wise person knows that the only way to truly stop the threat is to aim for the heart or the head—the vital points that ends the attack instantly.
Continue reading “How Vaisnava Epistemology Defeats Atheism”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
At your next vegetarian pizza party, as you reach for the ketchup to add that extra zest to your slice, consider the profound philosophical implications hidden in this simple act. Each squeeze of the bottle is not just an expectation of ketchup but a testament to the deep-seated, often unrecognized knowledge of God’s existence embedded within us. This seemingly trivial daily routine offers a compelling proof of God, rooted in the principles of Vaisnava presuppositional apologetics. Let’s delve into how this ordinary action reveals our innate awareness of a divine order governing the universe.
Continue reading “The Ketchup Proof of God’s Existence”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
A critic of my article “What Is Presuppositionalism and Why Does It Matter for Vaisnavas? wrote:
“Isn’t this just the argument from reason? It seems like that’s what you’re making. Presuppositionalism, on the other hand, is incoherent. From what I remember, presuppositionalism assumes God exists without proof.
Continue reading “Answering critics: Is Presuppositionalism for Vaisnavas?”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Given naturalistic evolution, the chances that our cognitive faculties are genuinely reliable for apprehending truth appear low or practically indistinguishable from unreliability. Here’s how this likelihood unfolds under naturalistic assumptions:
Continue reading “How Naturalistic Evolution Undermines Its Own Basis for Trust in Our Epistemic Faculties”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Our Vaisnava philosophy tells us that our senses and reasoning powers are limited and defective when it comes to gaining knowledge. Srila Prabhupada explains:
” … anyone born through the material energy must be subject to the four material deficiencies: bhrama (the tendency to commit mistakes), pramada (the tendency to be illusioned), vipralipsa (the tendency to cheat) and karanapatava (imperfect senses).”
Continue reading “Trusting Our Senses and Cognitive Faculties for Knowledge”
Ajit Krishna Dasa 