1. How questions influence the quality of our life and service

4. SB 1.2.5
 Verse / O sages, I have been justly questioned by you.
Your questions are worthy because they relate to Lord
Krsna and so are of relevance to the world's welfare.
Only questions of this sort are capable of completely
satisfying the self.
 Purport / Satisfaction of the soul can only be obtained
by questions and answers on the subject of Krsna.

5. athato brahma jijnasa
 One should inquire into the Supreme
 Now one should inquire about Brahman
 He inquires about the real value of life, which is called
brahma jijnasa
 In the human form of life one should put many
questions to himself and to his intelligence
 In the human form of life the living entity must
inquire about his spiritual identity

6. athato brahma jijnasa
 human life is meant for understanding the ultimate
cause
 one should inquire about the Supreme Soul
 must inquire about his constitutional position
 one must try to inquire about life's goal
 Now let us begin to inquire about the Supreme
Absolute Truth

7. ARJUNA’S QUESTIONS
 BG 1.32-35: O Govinda, of what avail to us are a
kingdom, happiness or even life itself when all those
for whom we may desire them are now arrayed on this
battlefield? O Madhusudana, when
teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal
uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and
other relatives are ready to give up their lives and
properties and are standing before me, why should I
wish to kill them, even though they might otherwise
kill me?

8. Inquire
 Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual
master. Inquire from him submissively and render
service unto him. The self-realized souls can impart
knowledge unto you because they have seen the truth.
 BG 4.34

9. SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM
QUESTIONS BY THE SAGES
1. What is the ultimate good for people in general?
2. What is the essence of all scriptures?
3. What is the reason for Krsna's appearance in this world?
4. In what way is Lord taking part in creating, maintaining
and annihilating creations?
5. Please describe different activities of different incarnations
of the Lord!
6. Where has dharma took shelter after Krsna's
disappearance from this world?

10. THE PURPOSE OF ASKING
QUESTIONS
1. Understand the devotee well
2. Help them understand themselves
3. Clarify what they want
4. Discover new
options, opportunities, possibilities and
advantages
5. Identify and remove obstacles
6. Make an action plan
7. Take action

11. WHY QUESTIONS?
 Great results start with great questions
 Questions > Thinking > Action > Results
 Quality of questions influences quality of life

12. WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK?
 What questions we want to ask?
 What questions should we ask?
 What questions are we avoiding?
 What questions will benefit this person the most?

13. TYPES
 Open-ended and closed-ended
 Questions for yourself
 Questions for others
 Solution-focused
 Problem-focused
 Appreciative inquiry

14. POWER OF A RIGHT QUESTION
 The question that saved concentration camp
prisoner’s life.

15. EINSTEIN
 “If I had an hour to solve a problem and my life
depended on the solution, I would spend the first 55
minutes determining the proper question to ask, for
once I know the proper question, I could solve the
problem in less than five minutes.”

16. INTELLIGENT QUESTIONS
 Who am I?
 Why am I suffering?
 Why do I have to die?
 What happens after death?
 How can I become happy?
 Why are some people more successful than others?
 What do I want to be, do and have?

17. DEVOTEE QUESTIONS
 How can I please Krsna?
 How can I please Srila Prabhupada?
 How can I please my spiritual master?
 How can I please the devotees?
 How can I serve them?
 When will that day come ... ? (kabe habe bolo)

18. BENEFITS
 Clarity
 Focus
 Intelligence
 Expanding possibilities
 Wisdom
 Connection with the Supersoul

19. EXCELLENT QUESTIONS
 What one thing, if you would do superbly well
everyday, would make the greatest positive difference
in your life? (question about personal habits / best
practices)
 What can you learn from this?
 How can you turn this problem into an opportunity?
 What and who inspires you the most?
 Are you ready to pay the price?

20. EXCELLENT QUESTIONS
 What are your strengths, talents, skills, good
qualities?
 What do you want?
 What one great thing would you dare to dream if
you knew you could not fail? (question about an
exciting goal)
 What I am grateful for?

21. EXCELLENT QUESTIONS
 What's great about this problem?
 What can I learn from this?
 How can I improve in every area of my life?
 What can I give today?
 How can I serve today?
 What one thing, if you would do superbly well
every single day, would have a greatest positive
impact on your life (or on any particular area)?

22. EXCELLENT QUESTIONS
 What do you want to have in your life - excuses
or results?
 What can I do better today than I have done
yesterday?
 If not you - who? If not now - when?
 Do you spend time or invest time?
 What has to happen for you to feel ...
successful, happy, loved, fulfilled, love?
 What are your rules or conditions for
happiness?

23. COUNTERPRODUCTIVE QUESTIONS
 Why are you so bad?
 Why you don’t understand what’s good for you?
 When are you going to change / shape up / grow
up?
 How could you do such a thing?

24. EXERCISE
Pair up and help each other discover 3 questions
that will change the quality of life

25.  Question Thinking is a system
of tools for transforming thinking,
action, and results through skillful
question asking—questions we
ask ourselves as well as those
we ask others.

26.  Great results begin with great questions
 A question not asked is a door not opened
 Self-questions and interpersonal questions
 Problem-oriented or solution-oriented
 Judger or Learner

27. EXERCISES
1. What questions are you aksing yourself daily? What
questions produce what results?
2. Change thought-statement into question and see the
effect

29. Judger Questions
 What's wrong?
 Who's to blame?
 How can I prove I'm right?
 How can I protect my turf?
 How can I be in control?
 How could I lose?
 How could I get hurt?
 Why is that person so clueless?
 Why bother?

30. Learner Questions
 What works?
 What am I responsible for?
 What are the facts?
 What's the big picture?
 What are my choices?
 What's useful about this?
 What can I learn?
 What is the other person feeling, needing, wanting?
 What's possible?

31. Learner/Judger Chart
Judger Mindsets Learner Mindsets
Judgmental (of self and/or others Accepting (of self and others)
Reactive and automatic Responsive and thoughtful
Know-it-already Values not-knowing
Inflexible and rigid Flexible and adaptiv
Either/or thinking Both/and thinking
Self-righteous Inquisitive
Afraid of difference Values difference
Personal perspective only Considers perspectives of others
Defends assumptions Questions assumptions
Possibilities seen as limited Possibilities seen as unlimited
Primary mood: protective Primary mood: curious
We all have both mindsets, and we have the power to choose where
we operate from in any momen

32. Learner/Judger Chart
Relationships
Judger Learner
Win-lose relationships Win-win relationships
Feels separate from others Feels connected with others
Fears differences Values differences
Debates Dialogues
Criticizes Critiques
Listens for: right/wrong, Listens for: facts, understanding,
agree/disagree, differnces commonalities
Feedback perceived as rejection Feedback perceived as worthwhile
Seeks to attack or defend Seeks to resolve and create
We all relate from both mindsets, and we have the power to choose
how we relate in any moment

33. A-B-C-C Choice Process
 A – Aware: Am I in a judger ?
 B – Breathe: Do I need to step back, pause, and look at
this situation more objectively?
 C – Curiosity: Do I have all the facts? What’s
happening here?
 C – Choose: What’s my choice?

34. Judger Questions
 Who’s to blame?  How can I be in control?
 What’s wrong with me?  Why are they so clueless
 Why am I such a failure and frustrating?
 How could I lose?  How did I get stuck with
 How can I prove I’m
the worst team?
right?  Why bother?

36. Switching Questions
 Am I in Judger?
 Where would I rather be?
 How can I get there?
 What are the facts?
 How else can I think about this?
 What assumptions am I making?
 Is this what I want to feel?

37. Switching Questions
 Is this what I want to be doing?
 What am I missing or avoiding?
 How can I be more objective and honest?
 What is the other person thinking, feeling, needing,
and wanting?
 What humor can I find in this situation?
 What’s my choice right now?

38. Learner Questions
 What happened?
What’s useful about this?
What do I want?
What can I learn?
What is the other person
thinking, feeling, needing, and wanting?
How can this be a win-win?
What’s possible?
What are my choices?
What’s best to do now?”

39. TIPS
 Accept Judger, practice Learner
 Curiosity: Fast track to Learner

42. The Top 12 Questions for Change
 1.What do I want?  8.What can I learn
2.What are my choices? . . . from this person or
3.What assumptions am situation?
I making? . . . from this mistake or
4.What am I responsible failure?
for? . . . from this success?
5.How else can I think 9.What questions should
about this? I ask (myself and/or
6.What is the other others?)
person thinking, feeling, 10.What action steps
needing, and wanting? make the most sense?
 7.What am I missing or 11.How can I turn this
avoiding? into a win-win?
12.What is possible?

44. The 10 Tools of Question Thinking
Tool 1. Empower Your Observer
Tool 2. Use the Choice Map as a Guide
Tool 3. Put the Power of Questions to Work
Tool 4. Distinguish Learner and Judger Mindsets
and Questions
Tool 5. Make Friends with Judger
Tool 6. Question Assumptions
Tool 7. Take Advantage of Switching Questions
Tool 8. Create Learner Teams
Tool 9. Create Breakthroughs with Q-Storming®
Tool 10. Ask the Top Twelve Questions for Success

45. What will you choose?
 Judger
 Learner
 Create your own favorite questions?

46. Krsna Questions
 What is the most Krsna conscious thing to do in this
situation?
 How can I see this through the eyes of sastra?
 What would please Krsna here?
 What would Prabhupada do in this situation?
 What would I do now if Prabhupada was watching?
 What is the spiritual test that I have to pass here?
 What can I learn from this that will help me be more
Krsna conscious?
 How is this an opportunity to surrender to Krsna?

47. http://gitacoaching.blogspot.com
akrura@gmail.com