This is a compilation of all of the quiz questions from the Gita Wisdom Long Island Podcast Series.
Results
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#1. Which is not a category of avatar?
Most avatars fall into the Vishnu-tattva category — those directly descended from Vishnu, the Supreme Being. Rama and Parashurama are examples of Vishnu-tattva avatars. The other category of avatar is jiva-tattva. Jiva souls are like us: individual sparks from the fire that is the Supreme Being. An example of jiva-tattva avatars is the shaktyavesha avatar: beings empowered by Vishnu to carry out a mission. Jesus, Buddha, and the guru are examples of shaktyavesha avatars. Maha-tattva refers to the cosmic material manifestation—the total energy of the material world—and is not a category of avatars.
#2. What type of karma is antithetical to one’s spiritual progress? One might call it “negative karma”.
Vikarma. Vikarma actions are contrary to the wisdom teachings: harm to others, harm to yourself, harm to the environment, harm to animals, etc. Anything that is not spiritually progressive, which is retrograde in our return back to a holy life, is vikarma.
#3. Which is not one of the varnas?
Brahmacharya is the celibate, student stage of life and not one of the varnas. The fourth varna is vaishya.
#4. The crevice at the crown of the head, by which a great mystic yogi can exit his body at will, is known as
#5. Who is depicted on the flag atop Arjuna’s chariot?
#6. panditah sama-darsinah roughly translates to what?
#7. There are nine progressive stages of bhakti. The final stage, transcendental love for God, is known as:
#8. The aspect of God seated in the hearts of all living beings is known as
Krishna is realized in three ways: Brahman, the impersonal realization that everything is God, is the origin of all energies. Everything is pervaded by and made up of Brahman energy. Paramatma is experienced as God within the heart. This is not an abstract idea. Krishna says in the Gita he is situated in everyone’s heart — hṛdi sarvasya viṣṭhitam [BG 13.18] and again in BG 15.15 sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto. The highest realization is Bhagavan, Krishna in personal form. Understanding Krishna in this form, we are able to engage in loving exchange with Krishna.