Wisdom of the Sages

Bhakti culture is ready to explode / Laxmi Devi's love for Vishnu / it gives pleasure to glorify your beloved / we're searching for perfection in reflections of the Divine / the sass of the Gopis / God is the ultimate soulmate / it takes a Scientist a Philosopher and a Theologian to understand what's beyond the virtual reality SB 5.18.15-18

the British scholars completely missed the beauty, sophistication and spiritual depth of the Orissan culture developed around Lord Jagannath / Raghu's Rathayatra pastime / all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players / Shakespeare's seven ages / play our roles as an actor, play them well, but always know that the real life is beyond the stage

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." - C.S. Lewis / earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy - only to suggest the real thing / earthly blessings are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage / when the living entity remains in contact with the all-pervading Vāsudeva, he manifests his spiritual power / we're like fish out of water / letting go of the bewilderment of materialistic "love" / the checklist of sorrows that follow materialistic life SB 5.18.13-14

excessive criticism robs us of higher cognitive power / when we hear "family life" critiqued in sacred texts, think "affection limited to one's own family, community or nation" / 2 issues with family attachment – A. Seeing externals as our source of happiness, B. Limiting our affection to a small group / If I'm compassionate only to members of my own family, can it be said that I am truly compassionate? / the religious focus on the faults in others, the spiritual see the good and magnify it SB 5.18.10-12

there's fascinating mind blowing wonders in every nook and cranny of existence / do we hear life's wake-up calls, or do we just go on trying to find some enjoyment? / appreciate the architect - duh / "all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor" - Krishna / appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance / by accepting devotional service we will think of each other's welfare SB 5.18.1-9

"Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." - Albert Einstein / what we call reality is the level of illusion that we keep coming back to / we're searching for reality on a Hollywood set / our choice - sense gratification or self realization / Don't spiritual bypass Vyasadev / behind all the layers of illusion is sweet Krishna / love the root and you will love every living being / nature is nothing but a machine operated by the Supreme Person SB 5.17.21-24

Can spiritual advice be spiritual bypassing? / Do the Vedic texts support gun control? / How to help someone who doesn't want to be helped? / How to practice Bhakti in a world where I need to "code-switch"? / What does a committed Bhakti practice look like for a career person?

"If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern." ― William Blake / the Ganges originates at the feet of Lord Vishnu / every living being can purify his mind by touching it's water / Dhruva accepts the Ganges on his head and feels devotional ecstasy / the Santa Rishis keep the water on their heads and practice Bhakti / the water flows thru the heavens / Lord Shiva's prayers to Vishnu SB 5.17.1-20

"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." – Aldous Huxley / perception is the combination of our thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and awareness / what we consume creates our filters / I am an atomic particle of consciousness - Krishna is the infinite conscious entity - this world is a house of correction meant to reform my tendency to remain absent in our relationship / wear the lens of divinity / We Are Bugs, Living Under a Desk in a Ghetto / connect and spiritualize everything / this world is our finishing school

when Krishna is pleased, everyone's pleased / we are in debt to all those who've selflessly loved us / treat your guests like God / Krishna saves Draupadi / in kirtan, don't worry about pleasing the crowd - just please Krishna and everyone is pleased automatically / close your eyes and sing to Krishna / Krishna saves Kaustubha / Krishna always saves us Code: wisdomsages for 20% off vanischool.com

Audrey Hepburn on beauty and poise / Bhagavad-gita on poise / real inclusivity means looking to Paramatma / find the good in others and fan that flame / gratitude vs entitlement / Bhakti waters the root of the tree / tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam - when Krishna is pleased, everyone is pleased / Bhakti addresses all social maladies / Bhakti satisfies all the devas / Bhakti touches both the saintly and the thugs / becoming accustomed to having our mind dwell in fundamental level thought SB 5.15.13 / BG 13.29

there will always be people who will criticize - so just do the right thing / dial into your offering / Krishna anxiety - purchase it at any price / a leader's first responsibility is to unite / how a leader must satisfy the citizens / how a leader satisfy women / how a leader must satisfy the earth / how a leader must satisfy the wise / how a leader must satisfy other leaders SB 5.15

How do I gain that 100% faith / What's the relationship between vijnana and bhakti? / Can our spiritual attachments degrade back to material attachments if we are not careful of our intentions?

How to keep faith when negative emotions haunt us? / How to let go of negative habits? / How does Kaustubha organize his day?

Joni Mitchell's vision of duality / the ups and downs of lowercase L love / "I should've listened to the Swami." / the Shakers didn't lose (in their spiritual investment) / Joni brings the Jnana, Pete Seeger brings the Bhakti / we all feel melancholy till we turn and face "The Sun" / This world churns us / the power of Krishna's flute / Krishna churns the hearts of the Gopis

Are we was so focused on achieving that we're missing some great point about life? / Mind Experiment: We are ants in an alien ant farm. Are we learning the lessons we're meant to learn, or just working aimlessly? / What good is speeding if you're heading the wrong direction? / The satisfaction of devotion makes material success and liberation seem insignificant / Bharata's last prayer as a deer / "happiness arose out of all I didn't want or need, not all I did. - Pico Iyer SB 5.14.44-46

all material success is time bound / Bhakti is the path of Garuda, material success is the path of the flies / the depth of Bharata's renunciation / a little devotional service rendered sincerely is a permanent asset SB 5.14.41-43

"Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts." - Henry David Thoreau / Srimad Bhagavatam is the commentary on Vedanta Sutra, by the author himself / creating enmity and dying without achieving life's mission / all material success winds up in failure as long as we maintain the "I and Mine" illusion / turn down the volume of the ego and listen for Krishna's whisper / humility like darkness reveals the heavenly lights / you don't have to change your position, just purify your purpose SB 5.14.40-41

if we cannot display wisdom, then we will clash like (legally blind moles) / when we are out of touch with our spiritual nature we are prone to misjudge intentions and exaggerate the dangers / at times we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world / necessity knows no law / any sane person can understand that there's no happiness in the prison / saintly persons, who are friends to all living entities, have a peaceful consciousness

The Avanti Schools are a family of state funded schools in the UK which draw from traditional Bhakti texts like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam to foster in their students not only educational excellence but also character formation and spiritual insight. In this episode, Kaustubha interviews Navin Krishna Das (Nitesh Gor) the Chief Executive of Avanti Schools Trust.

Can you share examples of women in Bhakti to follow - stories, authors, books, teachers, examples, etc? / How to get past self-loathing?

regard this fleeting world like this… / the 4 sights of Gautama Buddha, which led to his realization of the impermanence and the ultimate dissatisfaction of conditioned existence / sleep is eating up our time / people try to drag us down / we stay in this cage for just a little material happiness / wealth is chanchala / oh the self-loathing / the indefatigable wheel of time / pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations / we're running around like monkeys SB 5.14.20-33

consensual reality is significantly flawed / certainty is a mirage / security a delusion / the tyranny of the dull mind threatens / laughter is holier than piety / freedom is sweeter than fame / in the end it's love and love alone that really matters / we can't handle Krishna's opulences / everything we've got is meant to offered back / the cheap blessings of so-called sadhus and swamis / the pain of family squabbles / the pain of putting on all the social ceremonies SB 5.14.13-19

you can't beat the system -the laws break you / swinging on the pendulum of material enjoyment & renunciation / Bhakti transcends selfish concerns / This world is designed more for pain than it is for pleasure / Naked we come into this world and naked we go out. In the interim we falsely claim, "This is my…" / the intense suffering of being criticized / hate ages you / don't hate the assessor SB 5.14.9-12

Srimad Bhagavatam is the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature / "God does not float on your horizon, he sleeps in your substance. Vanity runs, love digs." - Gustave Thibon / "If you fly away from yourself, your prison will run with you." - Gustave Thibon / mirages and will-o'-the-wisps / we're chasing wealth, we're chasing sex, we're chasing a better home, but when we get there….poof / the materialist perpetually wanders in material existence, struggling to get the necessities of life / we create "artificial necessities" / the secret of nature's ways / I still haven't found what I'm looking for SB 5.14.7-8

is this world heaven or hell? / it takes two eyes to see the truth of this world - material cynicism is one eye, spiritual optimism the other / when stereoscopic depth perception kicks in we understand what we're doing here / this world isn't meant to be a paradise, it's a university / try on the Bhagavatam's philosophy / human being on earth - it's a great opportunity / uncontrolled senses are plunderers / family members can be like Jackals / chasing the mirage / "at last, my love has come along" / our life is an egg tottering on the spoon of a toddler

Do you have any tools for bridging the gap between being aware and actually taking control of the mind and senses? / What is the meaning of this world's emotional rollercoaster? / Why do the deva's desire the human form of life? / What was Raghunath's hope behind his band Shelter?

the need to root out pride and cultural chauvinism / the devotion of Ida Straus / our mantras are a lifeline We're living on hopes piled on hopes / materially pessimistic, spiritually optimistic / neglect thoughts of being offended / what does lotus feet mean? / humbly serve the instructions of the great souls to see Krishna SB 5.13.21-26

On the occasion of the festival celebrating the appearance of Sri Nrisimhadeva the Lion like Avatara of Vishnu, Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss the stories and teaching of Nrisimhadeva and his boy devotee Sri Prahlada. https://youtu.be/R4xKn0w3WMM

a formula for producing pure thoughts / japa and kirtan are real silence / Jada Bharata reveals his true identity / there is no good investment in this material world / material enjoyment will break your heart / the sword of knowledge SB 5.12.14-16

"We've all got to stop just following our own little mouse trail…. People are out there doing bad things to each other… they've been dehumanized. It's time to take the humanity back... Without people you're nothing." - Joe Strummer / let's put spiritual knowledge back in the center / greed is going nowhere / you have to discipline yourself to find truth / the deepest spirituality is shared heart to heart / the transformative power of listening respectfully / let your heart go out to the worms / Am I dehumanized? SB 5.12.13

"In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is no touch of sectarianism. It is of all ages, climbs, and nationalities and is the royal road for the attainment of the Great Knowledge." - Henry David Thoreau / no dogmatism - rather, question from all angles / step back and see how Vyasadeva is framing his message / Understand the progression in Vedic thought through hardcore - Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, Sick of it All, Shelter / Give your heart to a deeply realized soul SB 5.12.12

Chaitanya Charan, a prolific author and speaker on Bhakti and Bhagavad-gita speaks with Kaustubha on two ends of a spectrum in spiritual practice - immersive/world-rejecting on one end, and inclusive/world affirming on the other, and the need to find the right balance. https://www.thespiritualscientist.com https://gitadaily.com

How to explain Bhakti to Orthodox Jews? / Where does a queer man find a Bhakti community?

" the true joy in life: being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one – instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy" - George Bernard Shaw / we need a purpose to wake up for everyday / the Bhakti framework – we all share an eternal dharma of divine love - and we embrace and later let go of a series of temporary dharma's designed to uncover the eternal / This is how we explain God - one, nondual source, pervading everything and everyone (inside and out) - but known intimately as a person / is belief in a personal God something we've evolved beyond? / perfect seers know that the three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views / the perspective needed to understand that the earth is a goddess SB 5.12.11 Check out www.wisdomofthesages.com and www.raghunath.yoga for more info on events

Bob Dylan on how we are bombarded by insulting and humiliating "wonder bread" music / are we insulting our true self? / although the universe may temporarily appear to be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence / nondual knowledge is the ultimate truth / nondual knowledge as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan SB 5.12.9-11

spiritual knowledge well applied facilitates social justice (rather than bypassing / seeing the world as illusion (spiritual perspective) grants relief from suffering / the world's a mess - water the root, not every leaf / this life is just a blip / our bodily existence is as unreal as the physical manifestation of any dream in the brains neurotransmitters / by understanding the original cause of different varieties, one can understand everything SB 5.12.7-8

"Most people see what they expect to see, what they want to see, what they've been told to see, what conventional wisdom tells them to see - not what is right in front of them in its pristine condition." Vincent Bugliosi / don't just think you're not your body, know it / the true self has nothing to do with our worldly dealings / control the senses by eating prasadam / Bhakti takes spirituality to the next level SB 5.12.4-6

to ask is to break the spell / "Blind belief and passive consumption can be broken through the simple act of asking questions." - Neil Postman / the yoga culture's acclaim for thoughtful questioning / we presume we will be happier if we are materially successful - and never ask the right questions / question from all different angles / Bhakti is experience based - not just faith based / we don't need to just conform- we need to transform / knowledge is revealed to the virtuous / "We need new tools in science." - Do we? / you don't "create" clean water / you don't "create" life in a laboratory / a guru is pleased with the student when they inquire with sincerity

Family therapist/Bhakti-yogini Dhanya Rico joins Wisdom of the Sages to address some difficult questions. • How to deal with a difficult person who is permanently in your life? • In dealing with someone who has emotional problems, how does one release judgment and show compassion and yet keep your heart at a distance so you don't get hurt?

never sniff glue! / the compelling, confronting, fascinating birth to death time-lapse diorama / we have to shift our perception in order to understand what we are doing here / the most amazing thing in the universe - we think we won't die / "Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin." - Ivan Pavlov / when we dissociate anything from it's origin we are in illusion / yogis see everything in it's relation to Krishna / the discovery of Brahma Samhita Ch. 5 / don't bust into the Grantha Samadhi / the beautiful sages - 6 Goswamis of Vrindavan / Kaustubha's Vrindavan pilgrimage / preparing the mind for Vrindavan / understanding Krishna is the master key

anxiety for your children never ends / the mind can be an unruly, unappeasable 5 year old / sometimes the best option is to ignore the mind / the mind and senses are meant to work for us, not the other way around / when one's mind is absorbed in the material conception, one thinks that they belong to a particular nation, family, country or creed / upādhis - false designations we adopt, disguises of the spirit / a gift of aging is understanding the cycles of the world / our false intimacy with the body - it's going to walk away, and it won't call back / conquer this mind by the weapon of service SB 5.11.15-17

"Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead." Oscar Wilde / we're zeros desperately searching for 1 / the variables that generate our unique blend of thoughts - the physical elements, nature, the original cause, culture, destiny, time / stepping back to see ourselves separate from our desires /developing a strategy to respond to the challenge of the minds programing / Vasudeva - everyone dwells in Him, and He dwells within everyone / If we don't realize that the soul of the universe is within our own bodies, that is very sad SB 5.11.11-14

we have 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day, 80% are negative, 95% are repetitive / Bhagavatam predicted Kali-yuga minds would be always disturbed - the National Science Foundation confirms it / technology has created a bizarre world, and it's driving us mad / yogis are in the business of retraining our thoughts / the senses are channels to the mind / we can consciously design our mind's programming / the mind can be the cause bondage or liberation / we need a game plan, otherwise the team of the mind and senses are going to crush us / swipe right for Krishna SB 5.11.8-10

"We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge." - John Naisbitt / do we have the cognitive ability to distill information into wisdom? / we're not asking all the most important questions / mental stability through knowledge of matter and spirit / the materialistic mind covering the living entity's soul carries it to different species of life / we're trying to find our tribe at a costume party / wrapping our heads around the idea that we could take birth as an animal / Prabhupada's distinction between Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma / your mind is a pond and your emotions are the fish / Mara's mind stretch SB 5.11.6-7

Why is there conflicting information about the practices and regulations in Bhakti-yoga? / How to root out "false Bhakti" in oneself?

Bhuta Bhavana Das (Ed Anobah) graduated in Philosophy and Economics at the London School of Economics and is currently responsible to training 47,000 leaders in a global financial organization. He's also been practicing Bhakti-yoga for over 25 years. In this episode he discusses parallels in leadership from both modern and Vedic sources, especially regarding the importance for leaders in developing unity while honoring diversity. Ed Anobah Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ed-anobah-podcast/id1520006462 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edanobah/

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength." Marcus Aurelius / "The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." - F. Scott Fitzgerald / our minds have been corrupted (made unreliable by alterations) / how the 3 gunas corrupt the mind / Without yoga, we're helpless / Don't get pulled into a bird body SB 5.11.4-5

"In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank / this world moves in cycles / the remedy for hate is spiritual insight / material awareness is like a dream - when we realize that material happiness is insufficient we begin to wake up SB 5.11.1-3

release the ego and sing with the devotees / functional identity vs fundamental Identity / we've got to simultaneously hold both the conventional perspective and the transcendental perspective / seeing the world through the perspective of what we hear from Bhagavatam / Bhagavad-gita's formula for receiving spiritual insight / spiritual insight = seeing all living beings as part of the Supreme IG: keshava_rgm SB 5.10.23-25