Wisdom of the Sages

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?

how to approach a holy place / dhamas & tirthas / walking holy places / sound transforms space / sound is the key to a spiritual home / spiritual sound loops / kirtan changes everything / yogis consumes differently / mantra trumps the negative mind loops / spiritual PMA / who should live & who should die / it'a all Bhagavatam Poppa Tony!

bhakti philosophy - it's simple, but there is a lot behind it / just admit it, we are all dependent / Dr. Frog / the Lila of the lifting of Govardhana Hill / the steeped arrogance of materialism / Indra - the most successful materialist / pleasure from ego brings pain / the purpose of sacrifice / the key to understanding the Krishna stories - it's all about creating the setting for deepening the exchange of rasa (varieties of divine love) SB 2.7.32

decoding the layers of meaning in the sacred spaces / finding meaning without giving everything up / another miracle / samadhi / by places Krishna in the center material life becomes saturated with spiritual potency / Kaustubha's mafia story / longing for kirtan can be as good as kirtan itself / motive is everything - when you risk for service you are protected, when you risk out of selfishness you enter a world of anxiety / attempt is anxiety / Kartik is coming SB 2.7.31-32

the shape-shifter demon / fake gurus / can a Bhakti-yogi appear like Liberace? / a noble person accepts the good qualities of a person of doubtful character / no hate allowed for yogis / when you get to the very source of all existence - it is the most beautiful, most kind, most merciful / Raghu's embarrassing story / beautiful desperation / the layers of meaning in Krishna's pastimes SB 2.7.27 - 30

when it's ok to reject the guru / uncontrolled senses can never be satisfied / swan avatar / ayurveda avatar / taking down bad leaders avatar / Lord Rama! / esoteric & exoteric faith / both learning & character are important in a teacher / Vishnu-tattva & jiva-tattva SB 2.7.17 - 26

childhood India fascination / yoga grows out of the Upanishads / asana - 1% of the yoga sutras, prepares the body to sit for meditation / recognizing that life is frustrating is the 1st sign of wisdom / 2 kinds of yoga / Patanjali in the morning - Gita 9-5 / become conscious of Bhagavan / japa / the special place of the Bhagavatam / Beauty of power / 10th Canto of the Bhagavatam is transrational / contemplation of death is not depressing / think of Krishna all day! Learn more at www.edwinbryant.org

there are so many books that are to be read, where to start? / what other projects have you thought about? / monism & dualism, can you speak about this? / how to introduce a friend with cancer to bhakti? / mercy vs justice - can you share some clarity on the subject? / how can I deepen my practice during this crazy time that is COVID?

when leaders don't take good advice / the Brahminical qualities / Raghu's Jada-yogi friend / the purpose of yoga, under any heading, is to control the mind & senses and prepare one for self-realization / we become what we hear & repeat - our current social need for hearing the stories of the Bhagavatam / Krishna incarnates for our instruction, for His own adventure, and to captivate our minds / the devotee crocodile of Kerala / being in our element SB 2.7.9 - 16

captivated by spiritual pastimes or by creepy pastimes / remain satisfied under any condition / 3 ways to interact with 3 types of people / 5 ways to recognize a senior / Raghu and his prepubescent seniors / going to a holy place / pranayama as a means to fixing the mind on Vishnu / worshiping God in the heart through mantra / the deity is an access point / meditation on the pastimes of the avatars / 4 types of people approach Krishna / Dhruva's desires are transformed though bhakti SB 2.7.8

Krisangi of adventure - turning a curse into a blessing / Krishna of adventure - appearing in far-out ways for the sake of His own adventure, maintenance of the material world, and to captivate our minds / 5 varieties of devotional relationships / Raghu receives messages from false avatars / sincerity is the key / 6 types of avatars SB 2.7.1-6 Find more of Krisangi's books at www.absolutetruthpress.com and www.timeaftertimebook.com

the transcendental Q-tip / resisting the clickbait of mundane sound / the one part of the body to focus on for a deeper yoga practice - the ear / mantra > pranayama > asana / if we don't consciously swim against the tide we go downstream fast / the iPhone - a little box of "foul matter" / yoga sutras on how practice becomes firmly rooted SB 2.6.46

we are only seeing what we see / a universal line-up of characters / getting to the root of it all / the opulences of the absolute / Raghu aces the 10th Chapter game / ant colonies and intuition / know that all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of Krishna's splendor SB 2.6.43-45 (& BG Chapter 10)

owls are dangerous / our desires get in the way of our making sense of the universe / pure soul theory - we're not born sinful / the spiritual metaphor of Dogface208's viral video / Bhagavad-gita 18.63 - deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do / the attraction of Krishna's detachment / romance - micro & macro / the metaphor of the musk deer / Bhagavatam drops the pin in the material GPS SB 2.6.42

don't waste your time / our desires get in the way of making sense of the universe / you need a peaceful mind to perceive truth / peace comes from selflessness / misconceptions of "there is no Mara" - "we are all Mara" / no mantras, no gurus, no chanting...no yoga / Srimad Bhagavatam is the spotless Purana / to those who are attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, "no samadhi for you!" / Bhagavad-gita 2.44 SB 2.6.39-41

go right for the essence / if you're broken, you're qualified / Instagram's measure of success / establishing cosmic order / creating with the mind - the iPhone is a looking glass / empirically, I can see that people wrongly limit their idea of what is possible / all-auspiciousness / Raghu's experiments in nature / qualifications to hear & know / spirituality isn't joining a club, it's a practice of gradually, step by step advancement / qualifications for perception beyond the senses is devotion / we're making ourselves vessels for truth SB 2.6.29-38

two paths - red pill - knowledge, blue pill - ignorance / ignorance of the principle of sacrifice results in clash & frustration / sacrifice means to make something sacred by reconnecting it / Bhagavad-gita shows how to make one's entire life a sacrifice / ritual is designed to bring the mind back to reality / it's all God's anyway / we find peace though sacrificing for Krishna, the dearest friend / one way or another we sacrifice / divorce from source is the disconnection / recreate & offer SB 2.6.21-28

everyone has their spiritual awakening / the hardest lessons are the ones best learned / the light of knowledge / the planting of the seed of bhakti / why become a monk? / the proof is in the higher taste / take risks! / how faith increases / my home is the world, the people of the world are my family / I've been taught to see the soul / raising saints / so much hard endeavor in the material world / every word of Bhagavatam is an inspiration / chanting is the main process / I am the servant of a glorious master www.travelingmonk.com https://www.youtube.com/c/indradyumnaswamiofficial

is there a certain way a yogi should act around non-yogis? / do I have a dharmic responsibility to vote? / where is the line between free will, my endeavor, and what God has planned? / what is life for the monks who don't greatly achieve? / how to present important spiritual values (such as humility and not criticizing) in a way that the possible negative material manifestations of them found in our society don't turn people away from them / how to handle family who are inimical to our path

The Purusha Shukta describes the totality of creation as 1/4 illusion & 3/4 spiritual reality / our choice the red pill or the blue pill / the fine print on the material blue pill - "users may experience death, fear and old age" / some gastrointestinal advice from Raghu / materialism is the blue pill - jnana is the red / bhakti synthesizes everything - you can maintain your material life while still moving from illusion to reality SB 2.6.17 - 20