General Guidelines
We invite you to share your personal, community or organizational stories, creative ideas, questions and help us spread bliss and love to the global bhakti community. Let’s make this a place where everyone, new or seasoned can feel welcome, representing the highest Vaishnava ideals.
Srila Prabhupada writes in CC 1/8/62 “It is a qualification of a Vaiṣṇava that he is adoṣa-darśī: he never sees others’ faults. Of course, every human being has both good qualities and faults. Therefore it is said, saj-janā guṇam icchanti doṣam icchanti pāmarāḥ: everyone has a combination of faults and glories. But a Vaiṣṇava, a sober man, accepts only a man’s glories and not his faults, for flies seek sores whereas honeybees seek honey. Haridāsa Paṇḍita never found fault with a Vaiṣṇava but considered only his good qualities.”
While there are problems and disagreements in any community, bhakti means (Wiki: “attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity”) and never insults, condemnation and vilification. Every Vaishnava, regardless of flaws, deserves respect and kindness. In the heart of a Vaishnava, there is absolutely no room for insult, hate or animosity.
Being a family/child friendly website, Bhakti.today has a “Controversial Topic Filter (CTF)” switch in the menubar that is ON by default. Posts that are in the category “Controversy” are indicated for readers who prefer to not read such content.
Please consider carefully the following quotes from our holy scriptures:
Lord Chaitanya: “Renouncing criticism of others, everyone please chant Lord Krishna’s name. I will personally deliver anyone who does not criticize others (anindaka) and who once chants ‘Krishna!’ That is the truth. It is the truth.” – Chaitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khanda – 19.213-214
Srila Prabhupada writes in CC Madhya Lila 15.261 Purport:
“Vaiṣṇavas are all great souls. Whoever blasphemes them falls down to the hell known as Mahāraurava. He is also accompanied by his forefathers. Whoever kills or blasphemes a Vaiṣṇava and whoever is envious of a Vaiṣṇava or angry with him, or whoever does not offer him obeisances or feel joy upon seeing a Vaiṣṇava, certainly falls into a hellish condition.”
Chaitanya Bhagavata Madhya-khanda – Ch 22:
Text 8-9 – Even if he has attained Lord Krishna’s mercy, a person who offends a Vaishnava is stopped from attaining ecstatic love (Prema) for Lord Krishna. I do not speak these words. They are the Vedas’ words. Saci’s son proved that they are true.
Text 130 – One should avoid an offender, even if the offender is otherwise very qualified. A little association with an offender will make one fall down.
Posting Guidelines
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| Read the About Page to understand what Bhakti.today is about. All posts and comments are reviewed by rotating moderators. Posts usually appear on the home page within 24-48 hours. If they don’t, please check your post against the guidelines below, or it could be a duplicate post. | ||
| Posts: Respectful presentations and discussions on anything related to bhakti are welcome, as they can strengthen bhakti. Try to post inspirational content and void gossip and denigration of others. Angry separatist glorification of bhakti and Vaishnavas at the cost of others is in the mode of darkness (SB 3.29.8). | ||
| Categories: Please choose an appropriate Category for your post. If you cannot find your category, choose the closest match and add all other topics as Tags. To find the best category for your post, examine the site main menus, which represent categories and submenus are usually tags. | ||
| Tags: Please choose appropriate tags, no more than 5 – 8. Too many tags are considered spam and will be negative for SEO. As you type in each tag, a list of available tags appear. Try to add existing tags before adding a new tag, as that will ensure your post will be found. | ||
| Controversy Category: Controversial topics are topics that divide the bhakti community and usually trigger heated debate or disagreements. This may involve news or philosophy, but if the post is centered around organizations, individuals, scandals, etc. it must be placed in the “Controversy” category. | ||
| Controversy Filter: Posts in the “Controversy” category can be viewed by all like other posts, but visitors with CTF (Controversial Topic Filter) ON (default) can choose not to view such content. The Controversy Filter can be turned off or on in the menu bar. | ||
| Commenting: Comments must be relevant to the post. Debate is welcome, in agreement or disagreement, as long as it is done in a respectful manner following Vaishnava etiquette. Provide sources or scriptural references to support statements. Best to not write in an angry state of mind. A good way to start a counter argument comment is: “With all due respect…”. Disagreements do not have to degrade into animosity and arguments can be made without resorting to insults and denigration of others. | ||
| Images: Images can be .JPG or .PNG format. Currently .webp image format is not yet supported. Please try to compress your image while maintaining good quality. Images should be no wider than 900 pixels. | ||
| Post Content: If your Post is simply a copy & paste from bhakti books, you need to add of your own unique content or context, making the post relevant and newsy, otherwise it may not get published. | ||
Moderation: What may not pass moderation:
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| Warning: If a Vaishnava offense is written online, that offense is repeated each time someone reads it, and will haunt the writer even in the afterlife.
“If even a person equal to Lord Siva offends a Vaishnava, the offender will perish. This the scriptures say. They who will not follow these instructions and blaspheme good people are sinners. They will suffer birth after birth.” – Chaitanya Bhagavad 2.22.55-56 |
Comment Guidelines
These guidelines are designed to create a harmonious and respectful environment for all members.
- Respect and courtesy: Show respect and courtesy to all members of the forum, regardless of their opinions or backgrounds. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
- Constructive discussions: Engage in discussions in a constructive manner, focusing on the topic at hand. Avoid personal attacks, insults, or derogatory language towards anyone.
- Stay on topic: Keep your discussions relevant to the purpose and theme of the Vaishnava forum. Avoid veering off into unrelated subjects.
- Cite sources and references: Whenever possible, provide sources or references to support your statements or claims. This helps promote accuracy and credibility in discussions.
- Be open to learning: Maintain an attitude of humility and openness to learning from others. Vaishnava forums are spaces for knowledge-sharing and growth, so be willing to listen and consider different perspectives.
- Avoid aggressive preaching: While sharing information and discussing beliefs is encouraged, avoid trying to forcefully convert others to your viewpoint. Respect the autonomy and diversity of beliefs within the community.
- Resolve conflicts peacefully: If conflicts or disagreements arise, try to resolve them peacefully and respectfully. Engage in open dialogue, seek common ground, and be willing to apologize or forgive when necessary.
- Maintain confidentiality: Respect the privacy and confidentiality of other members. Do not share personal information or conversations without the explicit consent of the individuals involved.
