Wisdom of the Sages

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss the Bhakti Recovery Group with Jiva G and other participants about how principles from 12 step recovery can be applied in the context of Bhakti-yoga, and how it's not just for hardcore drug addicts, but can help address a very wide range of addictive behaviors. More info at https://www.bhaktirecoverygroup.com

Where do you draw the line between a medicine and an intoxicant? / Is it ever ok for me to serve meat to an elderly, disabled relative? / Why does Krishna give us free will when we are so prone to misuse it?

Krishna tags people to touch our lives / seek the spiritual essence, beyond the external stereotypes / humility is the conduit for Krishna's mercy / sweet Krishna places liberation in the hands of the devotees / let Krishna shine within our hearts! / the infinite love and beauty of Krishna's eyes / Krishna cannot check the rising tide of love He feels for his devotees / Lord Shiva Glorifies the beauty of Krishna's form SB 4.24.45-52

Jane Goodall on balancing the clever brain and the human heart / if we dare to look into those eyes, then we shall feel their suffering in our hearts / "If the factory farm does indeed unravel – and it must – then there is hope that we can, gradually, reverse the environmental damage it has caused." Jane Goodall / magic happens when you start to romance Krishna / imagine Lord Shiva coming up to you and telling you what he meditates on! / Shiva's meditative focus on the form of Krishna / Call Krishna and he will come SB 4.24.44

Bhakti culture develops the sentiments favorable for yoga transformation / prune the vestigial limbs that don't serve us / Shiva appeals to Krishna to purify his body and mind / change our choices to expand our free will / our bad choices make us miserable / Am I triggered by Krishna's central role? / If my pleasure brought pleasure to everyone else, then I would be the supreme enjoyer / cultivate the spirit of Vrindavan within / Bhakti - its a formula that works / declare your real identity to check your ego (I'm a pure spirit soul) SB 4.24.41-43

Jane Goodall's unannounced moments of true awareness / don't freak out, freak in / stepping out of the current of time to experience moments of true awareness / the Universe is the body of Vishnu - are we healthy cells, or a virus? / don't fight the flow - fight the anti-flow / the Vedas are an instruction manual for this human body / "It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words." / Sage Engage - we all need to serve / settle into your relationship, career, service and teachers / everything is revealed through spiritual sound SB 4.24.36-40

Jane Goodall is playing the role of a Brahmin / feeling spirituality in nature / the benefits of ashram life / pure and auspicious mantras make our minds pure and auspicious / happiness through loving service is our nature / false ideas impressed within our minds are the cause of our losing touch with our true nature and seeking happiness externally / mantras should be transcendental, pure and auspicious / mantras should be received carefully and attentively / getting into Anjali Mudra / the disciple must be respectful and the guru must be kind-hearted / Jane Goodall gets it - there must be a Master of Integration behind everything SB 4.24.31-35

How do you practice Bhakti sincerely without holding back and at the same time, not lose relationships? / What's the difference between chanting japa and kirtan? / Does Krishna love everyone?

"All Creatures exist for a purpose. Even an ant knows what that purpose is--not with its brain, but somehow it knows. Only human beings have come to a point where they no longer know why they exist." ― Lame Deer / when you set the ego aside you can feel love in your heart / Others are real / ants don't need to find themselves / even the appendix has a purpose / Naimittika-dharma (temporary) & Nitya-dharma (eternal) / our passion needs purpose / we need to tie our temporary purpose to our eternal purpose

"To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself." - Gandhi / how loving a 3 legged pitbull can light you up / ego and arrogance block our understanding of God / we are tiny insignificant specks - part of something greater / a gentle person is self satisfied; sensitive and concerned for others / interpretation of the Indian head bobble is an art / Lord Shiva's cinematic entrance / the Bhagavad-gita's hierarchal inclusivism solves the Rubik's Cube of Vedic thought SB 4.24.21-30

meeting a great soul on pilgrimage can change your life / when we chant with great care and attention, our spiritual life takes off / meeting Lord Shiva is very rare / Kali and Durga are serious women / the mind of a great soul is calm and quiet / our minds are always disturbed / the disciples of a great soul become very calm and quiet in mind / becoming pleased with whatever Krishna wants SB 4.24.1-20

Heal so that you can hear what is being said without the filter of your wounds." - Dr. Thema / truth is truth / another person's behavior towards oneself = a reflection of their relationship with themselves / the only answer - "take it to the soul" / truth gives us a framework for tragedy / the rarity of human birth / this is a tough world, but it is not our true home / would you enter the fire? SB 4.23.15-39

"God instructs the heart, not by ideas, but by pains and contradictions." –18th century French Mystic Jean Pierre De Caussade / It's gonna be so great when we finally see God in everyone's heart / when the mind is conquered, the Supersoul is already reached / Dr. Pain makes house calls for our growth / mysticism (yoga) & detachment (from Jnana) are meant to bring us to the lotus feet of Krishna / to the degree that we let go of resentment and anxiety and practice bhakti, it lightens the load / the point of Jnana & yoga is to remember Narayana at the end / we're the double dropped dented cans SB 4.23.13-14

Kaustubha speaks with Bhaktimarga Swami a monk who has crossed the continent of North America five times on foot. The Walking Monk shares why he does it, the joy of meeting people, the value of being alone, and of feeling small.

Why am I moved by simple kirtan and turned off by commercialized kirtan? / Can one attain Krishna Bhakti in just one lifetime, or does it take many? / Should a Bhakti-yogi refrain from wearing gold and jewels / Is the 'evil eye' real?

this place is a dream….you wake up laughing at what you thought was your grief / look at our suffering from different angles / we know too much to be able to enjoy the material world / Krishna 2.0 is accessible to everyone! / we need a release valve from the pressure cooker of the material world / transcendental sound is the power washer of Kali Yuga / add wisdom to your practice / this podcast will end your material life SB 4.23.6-12

You are not responsible for the programming you picked up in the "download years" of your childhood, but you are 100% responsible for installing the upgrades. - (source unknown) / the mind is a computer / don't forget to install the Buddhi app / take radical responsibility for upgrading your programming / examine if it's real pleasure or just your ego / who was Rupa Goswami? / the termites that eat away at our spiritual foundation

we're burning through time quick / it's not the what's that make a difference, it's the who's / Happy Birthday Mara! / our souls and minds are starving (for spiritual conversation) / beware the termites of spiritual life SB 4.23.1-5

Kaustubha & Jahnavi discuss her upcoming tour, her experience of bringing kirtan to the stage, her recent wedding, her father's influence and practicing Bhakti as a newly married woman. Find out more about her upcoming tour at https://jahnavimusic.com

How to process disappointing experiences in holy places? / How to view people from different faiths equally when there are long histories of violence and oppression? / How to respond to beggars from a Bhakti perspective?

metalheads are people too / I'm not okay, you're not okay and that's okay / we shouldn't sacrifice long term growth by settling for cheap, temporary positivity / more on Karma-yoga / my child has their own higher power / rituals for conception / Raghu draws the line / burn like the sun / when we are inwardly content, we can move gently and with grace SB 4.22.52-63

there's a Bhakti Tsunami coming / great souls are taking birth / Bhakti recovery group is going to change the world / Karma-yoga 1st requirement - Phalaṁ brahmaṇi sannyasya : giving the fruits of activity to the Supreme / trying to take what's not ours screws everything up / we're just secondhand creators / This consciousness is called nirmama, or "nothing is mine." SB 4.22.51

Raghunath and Paramananda broadcast live from Poland

His Holiness Sacinandana Swami answers live questions from our listeners at the Wisdom of the Sages retreat at Villa Vrindavan

Raghunath and Kaustubha answer live questions from the retreat participants at Villa Vrindavan.

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." - Marcus Tullius Cicero / education steers our choices - our choices become us / we think we are independent, but we've been divinely cared for / Krishna has an eye on you / Bhagavatam teaches us to Zoom out even more / the material world is a fading dream / how many lifetimes have I been through? / let go of the cactus / in bhakti it's all good / spiritual knowledge is the perfect benediction / the sages share the knowledge to develop the conviction to break the cycle 4.22.41-47

4.22.38

What really makes you believe Krishna is real? / What does it mean to surrender to Krishna?

the sublime mixed emotions of Mary in Michelangelo's Piete / Bhakti provides coping mechanisms for the glue traps and tragedies of material world / art is creativity engaged in highlighting and preserving something sacred / "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark" Michelangelo / setting the bar high - Bhagavad-gita 6.20-23 / Krishna predominates with love / what is actual spiritual culture? / tat tvam asi - you're not exactly that SB 4.22.37

with death comes sobriety / Gopal was simple and selfless / don't miss the opportunities and lessons for growth that life is sending / the key to life: humility + tolerance + showing respect to others, not expecting respect for oneself = deep, constant spiritual absorption / the model of a mother's love for her child / Raghu renames the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel / Raphael's appreciation of Michelangelo / Vaisnavas die to live

accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the one you're with, with all your heart / treat everyone with the same quality of love that you treat those you love the most / the body is a universe, the universe is a body / Vishnu is the soul of the universe / awareness of the Supersoul in every nook and cranny is uplifting SB 4.22.37

keeping Krishna at the the center of our life of wacky hijinks / do we pick up exactly where we left off in the previous life? / those who understand life, let go of judgment / we have no clue where people are at /stepping out of automated karma / with every choice, we're choosing a new body / dharma, artha, kama & moksha / we don't have to go cold turkey / higher life and lower states of life exist only in relation to the interchange of the modes of material nature SB 4.22.34-36

Raghunath and Kaustubha talk with Gopi Gita about parenting, teaching, bhakti practices, and her new book Leadership Parenting. More info at www.gopigita.com

How do we practically put Krsna first in our pursuits? / Is personality a superficial aspect of the mind or do we have a transcendental personality? / how can one practice Ekadashi? / What do I do if I just can't connect with the Maha Mantra?

"I neither enjoy the idea of command nor am I frightened of it. It simply exists, and I will do whatever logically needs to be done." - Mr. Spock / make Krishna the end game / detached work leads to liberation / practice letting go / Gopal Chandra's detachment / self realization not sense gratification / receiving the blessing of departing yogis / let go of the material world one more notch SB 4.22.32-33

"Pain is a thing of the mind. The mind can be controlled." - Mr. Spock / being human is an inconvenience, but it is manageable / separating suffering from pain / Vulcans never self-loathe / when we turn fruitive activities into acts of devotion we can understand that we are not different from anyone else, regardless of the form / our real consciousness is getting sucked up / pornography - draw the line and don't flirt with it / all the activities of the lost soul are performed on a false basis SB 4.22.29-31

faith develops in small increments / don't be a shooting star be a rising moon / "I'm frequently appalled by the low regard you Earthmen have for life." - Mr. Spock / treat every little being with dignity / transcending distinctions between external and internal / upadhis - false designations / our false designations are unstable / functional and fundamental identities / the perfect conception of oneness SB 4.22.27-28

Let go of your past and future, it's just you and Krishna / Burning is learning / There's a healthy bitterness in the transition of death / surrender is going to come anyway, best to do it voluntarily with a smile / "In critical moments, men sometimes see exactly what they wish to see" - Mr. Spock / Our perception can be clouded by attachment & fear / become detached through devotion / burning away the material body through devotion SB 4.22.25-26

Raghunath and Kaustubha answer live questions from the audience at Supersoul Farm

Vegan or Vegetarian? / How to Deal with Chronic Pain

get off the mental platform and start identifying as a soul! / he who can control the mind is in charge / Mr. Spock - "we can control the mind, therefore we can control the pain" / "To give free rein to the senses is to shackle the soul." ― Theoleptos / "The ignorant man passes through the world dead to all pleasures, save those of the senses." - "Sammy" Smiles / kindness and simplicity! / the great yogis understood that ahimsa requires a vegetarian diet / yoga means following, not making it up / elevate the mind by remembering Krishna's character and pastimes / follow the yoga regulations without criticizing others / reprograming the mind through tolerating the dualities SB 4.22.24

human beings are sensation-receiving machines / people have little access to the possible world existing beyond their sensations - or do they? / after the indulgence - how do you feel? / there's bitter sweetness in self-disgust / the mind is living in the glue trap of desire / material pleasure is chewing the chewed - spiritual pleasure has newer and newer flavors / Yamunacarya's devotion is reignited / I'm better than this! / trade in small L love for big L Love / I don't want to live in a hope to enjoy life- I want to enjoy life / the cotton candy of material enjoyment leads to nausea / the satisfaction of serving SB 4.22.22-23

Bhakti is a practice of inviting God to reside in the temple of the mind or heart / have faith in the process / always feel encouraged to go deeper / after one handles the bad habits, next comes the subtle desires / progress not perfection CC Madhya 12.135 https://sanskritsense.thinkific.com/courses Code- wisdom25off

I'm born, I forget my true identity, I get caught up in the drama, I expire before I learn my lessons, I'm born / our nature is to be attracted, it's just a question of what we're attracted to / the ultimate goal for the welfare of human society is detachment from the bodily concept of life and increased and steadfast attachment for Krishna / Krishna is a magnet, we are the iron, our false designations are the rust SB 4.22.18 - 22

it's degrading for a brave, intelligent creature to waste time arguing with an ass / pointless argument is a disqualification for Vrindavan consciousness / if we knew how precarious our situation was we'd do something / good karma can be bad, bad karma can be good / our speech should be meaningful, appropriate, concise and sweet / the quality of Hunuman's speech / society has lost appreciation for quality speech SB 4.22.15-17

Raghunath & Kaustubha discuss Philology (the study of language in oral and written historical sources) with Sanskrit expert Jeffrey Armstrong. Learn more at https://jeffreyarmstrong.com or https://gitacomesalive.com

Can you bridge the gap between Bhakti and other spiritual stuff? / What would be your advice or perspective on beginners growing pains in finding meaningful relationships in Bhakti?

gratitude - start with thanking the sun / if you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled / the ungrateful are getting owned by the world / a grateful mind is a great mind / gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder / freedom comes from simplicity / good & bad are concoctions of the mind / resetting the impulsive mind with the intellect / what is woo for one is woe for the other SB 4.22.14

the Sanskrit Vedic sciences have passed the test of time / let's sing meaningful songs, tell meaningful stories / get out of the meta verse and grow vegetables / the appearance of the child sages / receive a guest with humility and hospitality / every week is gratitude week for Maharaja Prthu SB 4.21.50-4.22.14 https://theayurvedaexperiment.com