Wisdom of the Sages

upgrading in 2021 / everyone is struggling / Kunti's prayers / Bhisma's instructions / samadhi / festive culture as yoga / Vidura comes back and the blind king "quits home" /taking sanyasa / to voluntarily accept what nature will ultimately force us to accept involuntarily

Srimad Bhagavatam - lifeline for 2020 / 2020 taught us that we suffer together when we don't see all life and the earth as sacred / you get what you look for / the news / thanks to all the listeners / WotS in 2021 / questions by the sages / 3 manifestations of God / Krishna is the fountainhead / Vyasa's dissatisfaction / Narada's instructions to compose Srimad Bhagavatam / Narada's past life / Arjuna's dilemma / Kunti's prayers

we crave eternality / why we should clean our apartments / creation, maintenance & destruction / time is meant for our education / there has to be a shift / time is Krishna / Shelter "Hands of Time" lyrics / cooking coconuts / saintly Vidura / God is using people and situations to take me to higher places / "I'm spiritual. Now screw you!!!" SB 2.10.41-51

some of the glories of Srimad Bhagavatam / it's not sectarian, it's just describing different levels of knowledge / become happier by becoming a better person / happiness comes through a sattvic life / how to answer questions about karma / a long list of ancient aliens SB 2.10.33-41

why does Raghunath want to go to the Grand Canyon? / the 3 Purusha Avatars - Mahavishnu, Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, Ksirodakshayi Vishnu / the soul, the devas, the body, and the supreme shelter which they all depend on / lamp is powerhouse as the soul is to God / the creation of senses, and sense objects in the virtual realm / our bodies are fake-God suits / climbing levels in the video game are preventing us from finding real happiness within SB 2.10.3-31

Aindra's desire to touch people's hearts / 24 hour kirtan / utilizing material things for a spiritual purpose / incarnation through sound / the passing away of Aindra / there is nowhere I would rather be than right here right now / 3 types of Brijabasis / dying in Vrindavan / Aindra's kirtan skills / kirtan integrity / advice for kirtan leaders

if you had only 30 days to live, what scripture would you want to hear? from whom would you want to hear from? where would you want to be? what would you give up? is there something you would want to tell the world? / how to work out sexual issues in a relationship where only one partner is practicing bhakti? / which is most important, grace or effort? / which books should I focus on for learning the basics of bhakti? / what is the difference between imitating & following?

the greatest commandment - to love God & your neighbor / caring for others is more important than empty ritual / "you are not far from the kingdom of God" / though our bodies are dying our spirits are being renewed every day / we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen / the "sins" to be condemned - pride, hypocrisy, favoritism & slander / consider your troubles as an opportunity for great joy / don't you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you? / nothing done in bhakti is ever useless / a prayer that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace

our favorite Christmas carols (O Holy Night #1) / the 10 topics of Srimad Bhagavatam / where are we going with asana? / it's like we woke up in a prison & didn't know how we got there / Bhagavatam is the handbook / don't miss the forest for the trees / 1. Sarga - Creation / 2. Visarga - secondary creation / 3. Sthanam - positioning / 4. Poshanam - protection / 5. Uti - impetus / 6. Manvantara / 7. Ishanukatha - the pastimes of the Lord & his devotees / Nirodha - winding up of the universe / 9. Mukti - liberation / 10. Ashraya - the supreme shelter / all the rules & regulations are merely servants for remembering Sri Krishna

Raghunath likes parameters / the formula - strict with oneself - lenient with others / there are no self-made men / Salieri's sin of envy was greater than Mozart's sin of hedonism / pride correlates with illusion / humility correlates with truth / God will break our pride / Bhagavatam prepares us for both success & failure / the 4 sampradayas SB 2.9.37-46

the earnestness of the dented cans / technology vs spirituality / we are products, not prisoners, of our past / the auto-prompt conditioning in the mind / increasing & decreasing free will / self-improvement between the surging urges / the power of affirmative resolutions / addiction is like a snowball / we are possessors of programmable machines / spiritual actors / guilt, self-loathing & loneliness on the spiritual path https://www.thespiritualscientist.com http://bhakticenter.org/yoga-of-writing/

how to stay focused, minimize anxiety, and trust in God's plan while going through tragedy? / is is cultural appropriation for a westerner to practice bhakti-yoga? / how does one be happy in this material life while embodying a spiritual life? / how to adjust when God feels distant? / is it good for my spiritual practice to go to the forest for years alone? Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

the personal feature of the absolute / a few thoughts on advaita vedanta / Prabhupada saved our butts / what's so special about humans? / using our higher capacity in lower directions / eating, sleeping, mating & defending / our advancement of knowledge is being misused / placing the ladder against the right wall SB 2.9.36 Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

offer what you love to do / Bhagavatam shares knowledge of both the Greatness & Sweetness of God / God is within & without / conceptual tools for meditating n the greatness of God 1. the universal form, 2. theistic sankhya, 3. Vedic cosmology / the thin glove of material beauty / eyes anointed with the salve of love / the spiritual world televised in the heart of the yogi www.souldancewithchampaka.com SB 2.9.35 Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

intent over skill / cultural train wrecks / #protectthecreeper / illusion lies in disconnection from God / illusory perception vs illusory conception / Ravana's misconception / bhakti puts a positive spin on the material energy / the proverbial rope & snake / the magic wand talk SB 2.9.34 Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

the power of a living example / find great souls & keep their company / sambandha, abhidheya & prayojana / mean God presentations / Achintya-bhedabheda-tattva – we are both one with & different from God / Abrahamic religions stress the difference, eastern spiritual paths often stress the oneness / envy of our source / Kirtan misconceptions / the cause of all causes SB 2.9.34 Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

how long have humans existed? / why is certain archaeology forbidden? / shifting paradigms / the California gold digs / bigfoot, yetis & vanaras / flat Earth? / aliens and vimanas Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

how can I be in partnership to a Bhakti yogi while my life is more secular? Is such a partnership even possible? Will I stand in her way? / Any suggestions for better reading, especially comprehending and retaining it? / Do you think it's possible that psychedelics had any influence on Vedic teachings? Could it be possible that there is a correlation between religious teachings spreading the message of LOVE, and the similar experience that one has under a psychedelic? / I have been forcing myself to chant. Will there be a time when one looks forward to chanting or it's like this lifelong? Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

my octopus teacher / like us, Krishna reveals Himself to those who love Him / Arjuna could understand Bhagavad-gita because he was Krishna's devotee & friend / viddhi-bhakti / 5 especially potent practices of Bhakti--nama, dhama / Bhagavatam, deity & devotees / making our mind & heart a holy place / giving up hope in material happiness / the right conceptions, the right sentiments, the right lifestyle SB 2.9.31-32 Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XNF7DJC

Srimad Bhagavatam gives light in these times of darkness / a crack in samsara / the brahminical qualities / the Indian extended family / Indian food / Prabhupada's purports always lead to the conclusion / the deepest mysteries of yoga are understood only through Bhakti / devotion is the attitude of reality / accepting the chastisement / devotion is rahasyam (confidential) SB 2.9.31

what's so special about Sanskrit? / our propensity to becoming proud over anything is pitiful / the perfect analogy of the spider & it's web / by nature we are instruments / temporary dharma & eternal dharma / the first prayer in the universe - in carrying out my dharma, may I not develop pride / pride ruins our connection to dharma Check out more from Nityananda at www.sanskritsense.com SB 2.9.26-30

the witness in the heart / desires have been planted in our minds / Indra takes birth as a hog / the "hoochie" outfit / cigar aficionados / what if we stopped identifying our desires as our own and saw them as viruses hacked into the computer of our minds? / building a firewall for the mind / no one can banish desires altogether because desiring is the living symptom / the perfection of desire / building a firewall for the mind /sattvic homework SB 2.9.25

keep it desperate / when that spiritual instruction is all you have / yoga is refining one's choices / the test of the guru / the character of the guru / austerity is Krishna is the spiritual energy / losing the superiority complex / pride in asana is pitiful / material detachment arises automatically out of spiritual attachment / renunciation without devotion can manifest as a hardening of the heart SB 2.9.22-24

what is your advice for a young man starting out on the Bhakti path? / what does daily spiritual practice look like for each of you today? how has that changed/evolved/grown over the last few decades? how have you dealt with those times when you have been compelled to leave either your particular spiritual path, or spirituality altogether? / what is the difference between evaluating, discerning, discriminating (in the positive sense) and fault-finding? / what practical methods can you suggest for realization of when and how we are encouraging I and Mine consciousness?

Bhaktivedanta Hospital / when your senses own you there's no free will / we find meaning through service / the pseudo mystics / Prabhupada boiled down the whole Eastern Mysticism in a way that we could understand what was important / zooming out to see Brahman, Paramatma & Bhagavavan / it's not austerity, learning, renunciation, etc. - but when our motive is pure we may become impregnated with insight SB 2.9.14-21

can I just choose a mantra? / Brahma's vision of the spiritual world / to understand spirituality one will have to expand the range of possibilities in the mind / just because it's spiritual doesn't mean that there is no form or variety / one should not carry the ideas of imperfection from this world to the transcendental world / spiritual bodies don't have a soul, they are one big soul / we are made of God's spiritual energy & all of our spiritual attributes manifest when we reconnect SB 2.9.11-13 (Brahma Samhita 5.32)

Brahma, born into darkness, disconnected from his source & confused about his mission, reconnects through initiation into mantra / mundane austerity vs spiritual austerity / hankering & lamenting / exactly how is this world an illusion? / experiencing timelessness though bhakti / fearlessness by becoming a Vaikuntha man (person) / the formula for Vaikuntha - we are all centered around the root of all existence SB 2.9.6-10

wake up from the dream / Brahma - in the dark both literally & figuratively / representing the lineage / how to distill one's motive? / two factors in spiritual progress - our endeavor & grace / the cats and the monkeys / karmic motive (worldly enjoyment) - jnanic motive (escaping from worldly suffering) - bhakti motive (pure devotion) / it's not sectarian - karma, jnana & bhakti are found throughout the world's spiritual traditions SB 2.9.4-8

progressive resentment vs destructive resentment / managing resentment / what is good? / the will for the other to grow / commitment is the grease

how do you set healthy boundaries, or know if it's pushing your limits when it come to serving others? / how does one become fearless? / how do you balance being an householder and a devotee? / How does one go about constructively managing grief and sorrow, and learn to grow from them after one has already intellectually accepted yoga principles? / who is Jesus? / please explain to me in detail about the subtle body, mind, consciousness and paramatma in dual perspective and how to understand the various manifestations of Lord Vishnu?

this perspective changes everything / the knowledge lights up everything - like the sun / when the lights go on in the movie theater we wake up to reality / truth is the balm / enjoyment on the transcendental level / we go through many bodies even in this one life / the karmī thinks of this world as "mine," and the jñānī thinks "I am" everything SB 2.9.2 - 3

the service mindset is the key to happiness / be careful what you label yourself as / remembrance, knowledge & forgetfulness are provided by God in the heart / confirmation bias / Vyasadeva's meditation / remember Y2K? / the comedy of a phony king / imitating Krishna's cool / reconnecting / the child's desire for the moon SB 2.9.1

finding spirituality as a young teen / nirodhana through kirtan / hardcore as trying for bhakti / being a double dropout / wanting a guru as a child / meeting Edwin Bryant / 108 - "Art Nerd" Krishnacore band / room to be myself in the band

I deal with a chronic debilitating illness - how can I adjust my mindset to continue progressing spiritually? / as a single father who has just gone through a separation, how do i support two children, while being a good example to them? / how to face homophobic statements in a spiritual community? / what was the most peaceful day of your life? / if Krishna is the creator of everything, why does his energy manifest in negative ways? / please explain about offering food

faith / life is just a series of questions & answers / respect for teachers / mental speculation / you teach what you know & don't fake it / yoga epistemology - sense perception, inference, and hearing / training for the service attitude SB 2.8.25-29

how knowledge is received / in a sattvic (lucid) mind it is natural for the right questions to arise/ questions - with the right attitude - asked of the right person - constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding / the posture of the hearer counts too / bad attitudes for learning / the relationship with the guru / what's the value of etiquette / shanti mantras / knowing the entire universe in Krishna's mouth SB 2.8.7-24

hearing & feeling it / ET phone home / expect obstacles on the path / connecting to the root / Srila Prabhupada's journey to the West / Downtown Swami living uptown / I am never alone / such difficulties are very gladly suffered by the devotees / he lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him SB 2.8.6

yoga is about where you place your mind / hearing Bhagavatam regularly & sincerely has a quick effect / Bhagavatam is the sound incarnation of Krishna / Krishna sits in the heart and acts as a powerful fungicide / positive & negative sound / mantra>breath>asana / seeing God in ones own heart / the goggles of love SB 2.8.1 - 6

if bhakti yoga is the end result of yogic systems, why bother with asana practice? / I want to love all beings, but how can I deal with catcallers? / how to share Bhakti with a suicidal relative? / what does it mean to be humble - what does it mean to have self esteem - & how can you remain humble while maintaining your own self esteem? / is it possible to be initiated in Bhakti while also accepting Christ as Lord?

apologies for our inappropriateness / the path is easy - if we can avoid offending others / we've been raised snarky / gotta get sick of it all / why is Krishna killing everything? / serious students are interested in both internal & external energies / what is a fanatic? / what is Niyamagraha? / what is a sahajiya / ending on a creepy note SB 2.7.49-53

wasted years become a wealth of experience when viewed through the lens of Bhakti / Bhakti-yogis need other methods like Indra needs to dig a well / Bhakti makes everything auspicious / Bhakti delivers knowledge and detachment without extra effort / knowing God within everything or within the heart vs knowing God in the temple / nothing is higher than love / Bhakti is both the means & the end / is it sectarian to see one path as superior? / Bhakti is the fruit of all endeavor SB 2.7.47-48

woman? no problem. mountaineer? no problem. Siberian? no problem. / we are spirits in the material world / surrendering oneself is in one's own hand / even though imperfectly composed Srimad Bhagavatam brings about a revolution / antiquated language / we are concerned with the techniques and not with the language / Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan / Bhagavan is the summum bonum SB 2.7.46 - 47 www.bhavawellness.com

Mama was the first guru / Leela goes to Vrindavan / the natural affection found in Vrindavan / Bhakti isn't an austerity / Brahma visits Vrindavan / you can't by a ticket to Vrindavan / the spiritual reality is the ultimate psychedelic experience / Krishna's pastimes are playful / the desire to go to another world / the golden age has begun / the story of Radha's lake

how do we maintain spiritual practices and disciplines with integrity, yet not become rigid and spiritually prideful? / to teach or not to teach ?/ what about all the religions out there? / how to see everyone as equal & is it ethical to kill sharks for a vaccine? / is there a particular form of Bhakti seated meditation? / could you give me some useful tips about daily routine for someone with little time to spare?

regular practice makes the difference / you can't take good advice when you're in illusion / I've made some crazy choices - but from this moment on I am yours / favorites from the Srimad Bhagavatam family tree / as many people as many paths? / one can know God proportionately with the advance of one's surrender / nothing compares to the sweetness of Bhakti / different spiritual processes are different degrees of success on the same path SB 2.7.43 - 45 (& BG 4.11)

the subtle thread that ties everything together / surrender / that dead body will be me / the metric for deeper understanding is our connection with divinity & how we treat people / reaching the top of a ladder that is leaning against the wrong wall / pick up the phone https://www.panditdasa.com/books SB 2.7.39-42

higher and lower planets / shifting sands of time / a 1 in 26.2 million Krishna miracle / the Brahminical qualities / in Kali-yuga everyone is low born (dented cans) / leading with character / the role of the spiritual leaders / the role of the political administrators / the role of the business people / Raghu's teachers' lounge trauma / Bhaktivedanta Hospital as a microcosm of a spiritual society / our position in life is unstable / passing though unstable times with a spiritual foundation / let's change what we can SB 2.7.38 & BG 18.42

Yuga cycles / Buddha's mission to teach nonviolence / giving up meat / is it possible to see the past and future? / Einstein - "The more I learn, the more I realize how much I don't know." / is there a 4th dimension? / are there multiple universes? / Kaustubha says skeptics should marinate - Raghu says "why not!" SB 2.7.33 - 37

dealing with illness / taking the role of the observer / when Raghu met the Swami / offering even just a little lamp / contacting Vrindavan in the mind / the attitude of a pilgrim / how not to be a pilgrim / the deities of Bhakti want you to excel / simple steps for observing Kartika / the spiritual train never leaves one behind Daily 5-Minute podcast Kartik Inspirations can be found at www.facebook.com/sacinandana.swami. Learn more and check out books at http://www.sacinandanaswami.com

is it wrong to say that there is no true love in this world? / I'm struggling with following a yogic lifestyle - can you advise me? / is sense enjoyment bad - is it just a question of moderation? / are the Devas aware of their own mortality? / why did Krishna never return to his loved ones? / can we have bhakti for anyone and everything or is bhakti only directed to the Absolute truth Krsna?