Wisdom of the Sages

Questions from our live audience at the Wisdom of the Sages retreat in Tuscany. How can one transform or purify subtle egoistic desires? / How do you develop compassion for someone who has hurt you? / How do you know when it's time persevere or time to move on? / Is there an eternal place of Sri Chaitanya's pastimes in the spiritual realm? / What are the recommended practices for Purushotama month?

Raghu Interviews Mikele, owner of Villa Casa Vecchia and Bhakti artist Vayu, about their individual paths to Bhakti and their art collaborations. mcgart.com.au Casavecchiavillas.com

Raghunath and Kaustubha speak about love in separation and survive a Tuscan Earthquake live on the show. SB 5.19.6

Mathurananda and his twin Velcro discuss with Raghu their hardcore backgrounds, first temple experiences, and how they bhakti-fied their careers. Check out their award winning short animated films: https://youtu.be/qe6gWsklnh0 https://vimeo.com/291661331 https://vimeo.com/28194902

"Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes / good qualities are measured by the character of Lord Rama / Hanuman speaks of the consciousness that facilitates perception of Lord Rama / material "happiness" is the cause of distress SB 5.19.1-5

Krishna is naturally controlled by love / the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of reality / self realization not sense gratification / Krishna creates this world only because the conditioned souls want to enjoy it / if life seems unfair it might just be that the scoreboard is displaying a score based on previous play (karma) / expect that things won't go smoothly SB 5.18.38-39

the man who preserves his selfhood, is ever calm and unshaken by the storms of existence / Silence is the cornerstone of character / even mindedness is yoga / Bhagavad-gita, Native American Wisdom and the hundredth monkey effect / the quiet mind recognizes what's happening behind the scenes SB 5.18.37 http://Courses.vanischool.Com/happy

Does the soul feel, or is that just the mind/ego? / What happens to one who commits suicide and can we help?

Are my mystic interests at odds with Bhakti? / How to connect all of Krishna's manifestations with Krishna of Vrindavan?

Bhagavatam is that friend that tells you the truth / the truth is simple - everything will crumble but we're spiritual beings / simplify, be kind, and we will be able to read the messages life sends us / excavate the spiritual self / pluck me Krishna I'm yours / just as fire is concealed in wood, Vishnu is within everything / When one understands that the Lord is within the heart and sees Him everywhere, they have perfect knowledge / if we only we all had a wholehearted percentage meter SB 5.18.36

appreciating the character of Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic / pass the praise like a Vaishnava / maintain humility because your position is temporary / we can become possessed by greed in a moment / can I appreciate it when others are praised / love is demonstrated through sacrifice / Vishnu is the generator and we are the lightbulbs / Vishnu is worshiped alongside the Goddess of Fortune and Mother Earth SB 5.18.34-35

you can't find the painter by evaluating the chemical composition of the paint and canvas (but you know there is one) / if Richard Dawkins' thoughts are developed through a random and meaningless flux of the atoms, then why are they more valid than anyone else's thoughts? / if you've haven't given up your biases you are just a so-called scientist / "the speculative research work of a so-called scientist or philosopher is always interrupted when he dies, and the laws of nature go on without regard for his work." SB 5.18.33 https://links.themodernyogipodcast.com

"when the moon is full, it is as if the Great Spirit were upon the whole world" — Black Elk / paramatma = the 3 Vishnus / even Lord Brahma is a tiny being / Lord Shiva sees like Black Elk / strive for Vasudeva consciousness - aware that Krishna is within everything and everything is within him / greed never satisfies / don't let our mind degrade us / Lord Shiva sees like Black Elk SB 5.18.32

the Rathayatra experience / Did Jesus appear at Raghunath's birth? / Black Elk's Paramatma realization / slow down, look at nature, reflect and consider what is beneath the surface / Vishnu is within everything and everything is within Vishnu / cupcakes are a type of medicine too / "I'm not saying I'm the anointed one….but I could be." - Raghunath

Q & A live from the Bhakti Center's Wisdom of the Sages retreat.

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss dealing with spiritual dissatisfaction and how to take the next step in spiritual life.

Kirtan mindset: don't try to have some "experience" - just sing for Krishna's pleasure / may the pure spiritual energy of Vrindavan be generated within our hearts / it's our nature to love and to serve / "it's by creation's donation that you are maintained, but you'd rather turn your back" / atheistic science as intellectual bullying / can you live your philosophy? / Krishna's prerogative isn't whimsical, it's all to do with the softening of the heart for divine love / inquire with deep sincerity and humility SB 5.18.28-31

Anthony Hopkins wisens with age / softening the soul through the blows of fate / my goal is to reach the end in harmony with myself / it's all a miracle / the sincere search for truth is God Consciousness in itself / Raghu as ant overlord / Richard Dawkins refuses to see the gardener / overcoming delusion to realize Krishna's presence both externally and internally / knowing our place in the macro/micro hierarchy / it's enough to know that we are tiny sparks of incredible pure spiritual energy SB 5.18.24-27

the power of cow seva / Laxmi Devi shares Her higher perspective / Bhagavatam pokes at our idea of security / our predicament - a time spark of spiritual energy, trapped in and identifying with the body and mind, moving through a world programed with time, karma and the gunas / we've lost touch with our bliss and eternality / our live's are like eggs on the spoon of a toddler / the heartbreak and lamentation of the material world / Bhagavatam goads us towards the higher choices SB 5.18.19-23

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