No God, No Knowledge; Know God, Know Knowledge
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
The question is familiar, almost worn out by repetition: If God is all-good and all-powerful, why does He allow evil and suffering? Why should a child be born into war, a mother bury her son, or a man be driven to despair by loneliness, disease, or betrayal? And if such things are real—and they are—then how can we claim that this world is governed by a benevolent and omnipotent God?
Continue reading “Why God Allows Evil: The Masochism of the Soul”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Why do we turn away from truths we already know deep inside? Vaiṣṇava theology describes self-deception not as innocent ignorance but as the soul’s conscious attempt to forget its eternal role as Kṛṣṇa’s servant. Out of envy and the desire for independence, we suppress reality, and māyā gently provides the illusions that make the lie livable. At our core, we still know Kṛṣṇa, yet on the surface we resist Him, creating contradictions—like atheists who rely on morality and reason that only make sense if God exists. This self-deception fuels saṁsāra, false philosophies, and even subtle ambition within spiritual life. But bhakti offers the cure: not gaining new knowledge, but removing the coverings that hide the truth we already carry. Through honesty, humility, and hearing from Śrīla Prabhupāda’s books, the soul’s real identity begins to shine again.
Continue reading “Self-Deception and Vaisnava Theology: Understanding the Soul’s Will to Forget”
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
Many people—atheists and theists alike—believe that logic must be a valid epistemic tool simply because it cannot be denied without being used. “Even denying logic requires logic,” they say. “So logic must be valid.” This argument sounds compelling, but it is deeply flawed. It confuses necessity of use with justification. Just because something must be used does not mean it is grounded in truth.
Continue reading “No God, No Logic: The Epistemic Suicide of Atheism”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Some argue that meaningful debate between the theist and the atheist is impossible. Their reasoning is simple: if one accepts that reality is founded on the Supreme Person, and the other denies any transcendent source, what real dialogue is possible? Aren’t they just speaking past one another, trapped within incompatible presuppositions?
This objection seems persuasive at first glance. After all, if our basic assumptions about reality, truth, and meaning differ, what common ground could we possibly share?
Continue reading “Can Theists and Atheists Debate Meaningfully? A Vaisnava Perspective”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
This paper presents a comprehensive framework for understanding Vaiṣṇava epistemology, intended especially for those engaged in the serious intellectual preaching work of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission. We will explore how knowledge begins not with inquiry, but with revelation—how śabda (divine testimony) is not a supplement to reason or perception, but the very ground upon which all rational thought, moral judgment, and empirical investigation rests.
Continue reading “How Vaisnava Epistemology Grounds an Effective Preaching Method”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
The claim that God is hidden from sincere seekers has become a central objection to theism in contemporary philosophy of religion. The argument suggests that if a perfectly loving God exists, He would ensure that all non-resistant individuals are aware of Him. The absence of such awareness is thus presented as evidence against God’s existence. Yet this objection presupposes a form of spiritual neutrality that the Vaiṣṇava tradition does not accept. According to Vaiṣṇava Vedānta, God is not absent—He is actively resisted. His apparent “hiddenness” is not a flaw in His nature, but a function of His personalism, His respect for the soul’s autonomy, and the moral and ontological conditions necessary for real relationship.
Continue reading “A Vaisnava Response to The Problem of Divine Hiddenness”
By Ajit Krishna Dasa
Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), often pointed out a profound inconsistency in human thinking: “We want the kingdom of God without God.” This statement encapsulates a deep critique of materialistic worldviews, particularly those that seek the benefits of order, purpose, and meaning—attributes traditionally associated with the divine—while rejecting the very source of those qualities. From a Vaisnava perspective, which emphasizes the eternal relationship between the soul and Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this contradiction reveals not only a philosophical error but also a spiritual blindness.
Continue reading “Wanting God’s Kingdom Without God”
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
In preaching, I often see devotees of Krishna unknowingly abandon our Vaisnava worldview in favor of an atheistic epistemology. This tends to happen when we engage with atheists or those who rely solely on sense perception and logic—what the Vedic teachings call the aroha-pantha (the ascending path). In such discussions, devotees sometimes concede to the atheistic claim that their aroha-pantha approach is neutral and, therefore, scripture cannot be accepted as proof.
Continue reading “The Dangers of So-called Neutrality in Preaching”
Ajit Krishna Dasa 