501: Q & A – Volume 69

can you recommend any strategies for me to use to help bring my mind to higher things and away from these carnal thoughts? / why are we given a number of rounds to chant, rather than a length of time? / beating ourselves up can lead to unnecessary amounts of guilt and shame, but so-called self-acceptance can lead to remaining attached to things that are holding us back - how can we continue making progress in bhakti without being overly hard on ourselves? / how does Bhakti, although highly specialized, avoid the pitfalls of other forms of specialization & points of view that are prevalent today?