Wisdom of the Sages

the mantras of the Vedas are echoed & expanded on in Srimad Bhagavatam / what do we pray for? / virtual reality is generated out of reality / the universe didn't appear by chance, it is designed to facilitate our desires / we are given the virtual equipment (senses & sense objects) to experiment with separate enjoyment / Bhakti Yoga means we reconnect the senses to their original source SB 2.6.1-16

our depression, anger, etc. are not us, they are equipment not functioning well / pleasure of the ego always leads to pain / Sankhya - counting the material elements and knowing that I am something else / sattvic happiness turns from poison into nectar, rajasic happiness turns from nectar into poison / monk life strips away everything you've got / our little bit of freedom / sattvic living loosens the noose of the material energy / Vishnu is the soul of the universe SB 2.5.32 - 42

wisdom means making the micro - macro connections / universal creation is like baking bread / adding the elements of time, karma, and individual nature to the dough / the world is moving for our purification / Groundhog Day / our life is one thin page / Lord Vishnu on 3 levels / the ingredient of false ego facilitates the illusion we desire / earth, water, fire, air & ether / the 11 senses / for every "thou shalt not" we should have a good reason SB 2.5.21-31

Raghu's tamari almond binge & subsequent 90's girl band binge / there's either the pain of discipline or the pain of regret / behind the world we perceive is a director we don't perceive / studying the psychic effects of thinking, feeling and willing / God is never covered - we are / the bird and the hole in the wall / the false premise that everything real can be perceived empirically / ultimately, everything is revealed through love SB 2.5.17-20

a hollowness inside myself / India - an atmosphere of faith / inspiration from the widows of Vrindavan / getting past the immaturity of early followers / understanding Srila Prabhupada's intention / quaint, gleeful Vrindavan / the realization that I'm meant to serve with love / the journey from immature to mature spirituality Check out her book, Five Years, Eleven Months and a Lifetime of Unexpected Love, and her film Hare Krishna! The Mantra, the Movement and the Swami Who Started It All

who is your favorite character from Mahabharata & why? / how do Kaustubha and Raghu practice japa? / how to not become discouraged when our progress seems slow? / how to find community when isolated in a lonely part of the world? / how does one become initiated in a bhakti lineage? / how can we start letting go of these habits like pornography and masturbation?

illusory I & Mine conceptions of the self in the center / Brahma's clarification - everything is seen in relation to Narayana / to say "there is no Absolute Truth" is an absolute statement / with no spiritual foundation there is no basis for ethics / Kaustubha's Satanic friend / the understanding that consciousness in non-material leads to recognizing that all life is sacred / yoga & tapas are meant for connecting to Narayana / the beautiful verses of the Bhagavad-gita SB 2.5.14-16

levels 1,2 & 3 of the Bhagavatam / where is the school that studies the nature of the soul? / I'm not God - my significance comes from my contribution / we are made up of mercy / if Brahma is God why does he perform austerities? / sampradaya - lineage / a good question is as important as a good answer / "gurus" who let their followers think they are God / I meditate on Vasudeva / the illusion of I & mine SB 2.5.1 - 13

respects to Vyasadeva who compiled the Vedic teachings / one becomes enlivened through spiritual sound / drawing from the works of the previous teachers / exoteric and esoteric understandings / Krishna pastimes are transcendental, and so we meditate on them / Rasalila>10th Canto>Srimad Bhagavatam>Vedic literature / the words of the gopis at the Rasalila is the pinnacle of all the yoga teachings / the gopis are empowered in all the arts because they are pure / Vyāsadeva compiled the Vedic literatures to revive our lost memory SB 2.4.24 - 25

spiritual knowledge is a lamp lit from within / the lamp requires the right attitude & the right process / gimme a straight answer! / service attitude / the GPS is inside of us / spiritual knowledge is handed down in a chain - otherwise it's fruitless / the teacher has to be firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth - the student has to come carrying wood / nothing grows beautiful without the spiritual touch / God is the soul of the universe / Sukadeva's prayer SB 2.4.21 - 23

purifying the mind before speaking / receiving the spiritual download / intelligence engaged in enjoying prison life vs intelligence engaged in becoming free / 'I live to be corrected' / Krishna from within the heart gives intelligence / the manas and the buddhi / Raghu's mindset on Joe Rogan / Kumbakarna forgets everything / Keshava Kasmiri and the Goddess Sarwaswati SB 2.4.19 - 20

our attention is our one greatest asset / the human body is a lab for experimentation / impressions we allow in our minds become the mold of our future / develop a service mindset / the attitude "I live to be corrected" is pivotal / application - make incremental improvements- mini habits / the wedge / Bhagavatam understands us www.vaisesikadasa.com www.fanthespark.org

how to understand & respond when discontent, bitterness, envy & resentfulness arise / what does spiritual maturity look like? / I'm isolated and my spiritual life is sliding downhill - what to do? / why does the soul need to keep reincarnating to find what it already is? / do you have tips for someone with ADHD? / how to pluck the weeds that grow alongside the bhakti creeper? / how can I get past feelings of resentment after heartbreak?

elevation through reconnection / the complete whole is within everyone / Krishna is the attractor / no matter how dented our can is, remembering Krishna elevates us / reconnection liberates us from distress / reconnection purifies our bad karma / reconnection frees us of attachment to good karma / our good qualities only have value when we reconnect / cultural appropriation and who it applies to - bhakti purifies anyone who reconnects / Radhanath Swami & the King of Puri / Kaustubha gets 86ed from the temple / it not about our birth, it's about our character SB 2.4.12 - 18

bhakti satisfies the simple & complex / there's our faith & there's what our faith is based on / Vedic culture never broke / essentially, we have one big choice - to disconnect and live in service to the mind & senses or to connect and live in service to the root of all existence / is our body really ours? / the 4 defects of the conditioned soul / backing up what we say / the beautiful freedom of the connected soul SB 2.4.11

Dillinger Escape Plan's Liam Wilson - why a lot of musicians get into bhakti / the culture of respect facilitates truth perception / where one is at determines how much they can hear / we've got a culture of disrespect / the mood for learning / to one person it's a statue - to another it's Lord Vishnu / guru is the therapist - mantra is the medicine / Krishna creates, maintains & withdraws his energy back into himself like a spider SB 2.4.5 - 10

the yogi & the mouse fable / dovetailing material energy with the spiritual / the value of destitution / letting go of anxiety / letting go of possessiveness, not responsibility / a verse about connecting to the root / a verse about freedom from the need for validation / a verse about offering oneself completely to the supreme friend / 2 striking verses about unconditional love SB 2.3.25 - 2.4.4

Makeover Monday / Raghu dreams of Krishna / rules facilitate freedom / the change in heart / the balance between not changing the teachings, and explaining them in our own words / a mantra must be received in the lineage in order to be effective – the rational and transrational understanding / 10 important considerations in the meditation on the maha mantra SB 2.3.24

Peace Corps in India / meeting Prabhupada and inquiring / shifting from an observer to a practitioner / the secret - who we reveal our minds and listen to - who we trust / details vs principles / the Bhaktivedanta Institute - studying science & Vedanta / in order to really understand consciousness, we need to raise our consciousness

how should we view spiritual teachers who don't offer the "full picture" of the yoga tradition – is it unjust to dismiss them without respect? / how can we combat the mindset of low self worth? / if reincarnation exists then where is the urgency - would a Vedantin say to Hitler "Don't worry about this life, you'll get to try again next time around"? / if our identity is illusionary what gets reincarnated? / why does man forget his relationship with God? / how can I better understand the overlap of our spiritual qualities with their material analogues?

shape shifting lizard / keep the great souls close / more miracles / you gotta follow / becoming an educated consumer spiritually - don't get conned by a seedy used car salesman / 1. Happiness through loving service is our true nature. 2. False ideas impressed within our minds are the cause of our losing touch with our true nature and seeking happiness externally. 3. The transformative practices of Bhakti-yoga are designed to purify the mind through contact with powerful sources of spiritual energy. 4. The steady flow of the transformative energy requires the right conceptions, the right sentiments and the right lifestyle / important Considerations in the Meditation on the Maha Mantra - translated SB 2.3.24

Krishna miracles / purushottam month / ya can't bypass humans on the path to God / God is the property of the devotee / heart to heart transferral / psychic surgery / lack of appreciation of others is the death knell of spiritual growth / the servant of the servant of the servant / happiness comes through service / Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the tenderhearted feminine energy of God SB 2.3.23

the soul is there - walk on with Jamuna Jaya / don't bring your bad habits into sacred circles / you can't bypass humans on the road to love of God / you can't get bhakti through austerity, worshiping the devas, renunciation, being dutiful, or Vedic chanting - you only get it from someone who has got it / letting go / Bharata's obsession with the tender little fawn / Bharata's birth as a deer / Bharata's birth as Jada Bharata / you never know who you are talking to - treat everyone with dignity / the six enemies lust, anger, greed, delusion, pride, envy SB 2.3.23 (& SB 5.11.4)

snakes & frogs / don't croak / is wearing jewelry problematic? / to have freedom you have to regulate the senses / how temples can infuse the mundane mind with spiritual inspiration / pilgrimage vs wanderlust / earn with integrity - spend with compassion / don't go wide - go deep / the need to be guided on pilgrimage SB 2.3.20 - 22

relishing Mahabharata / the chicken of death / the rare opportunity of human birth / we gotta dance / polished animal life - eating, sleeping, mating & defending / dogs, hogs, camels & asses / who do we celebrate - and is it based on their technique or their character? / we go begging for a master like dogs / if we'll eat anything we're not a yogi SB 2.3.17 - 19

on music / on friendship / on being a good man / on children / on pain / on teaching / on religion / on prayer / on death / on marriage / on the Bhagavad-Gita

why does it feel like that bad guys always win (when does the karma kick in)? / how to practice meditation the right way? / how to understand attachment & detachment when it comes to one's family? / please advise me about chanting mantras in relation to bhakti? / is my intense longing a healthy spiritual desire ?

the levels of conversation in the Bhagavatam / the eagerness to hear spiritual talks / Bhagavatam is mind medicine in candy / dreams with the dream / Raghunath's androgynous avatar / we're meant to tire of the material world / spiritual experience is the gateway drug to God / we got stuck in the virtual realty because we desired to play the role of God / bhakti is like the mafia - once you're in you can't get out / once we realize this is a virtual reality we are free SB 2.3.13 - 17

truth can be a big pill to swallow / ya can't just say stuff / when our rust is removed we will be attracted like a magnet / the 4 nutshell verses of the Bhagavad-gita / keeping on track / kaivalya / the liberated soul loses interest in worldly affairs / the liberated person can spiritualize world affairs SB 2.3.12 (& BG 10.8 - 11)

Krishna's got a special plan for you / devotion is attained by the association of devotees / ratiḥ (attraction) / acalo bhāvo (unflinching spontaneous attraction / pure bhakti has 6 characteristics / the inauspiciousness of leaving the association of the Bhakti-yogis / progressing through 3 stages - unaware of the faults of devotees, engrossed in the faults of devotees, less concerned about the faults of devotees / the all attractive is attracted to the one who has pure devotion SB 2.3.10 - 11 bijaartisans.org

we are the children, the devas are the house servants, Krishna is the parent / Raghu shares a little Socrates / impregnated desires vs those from within / ya can't reach Bombay with a ticket for Baroda / pure devotional service means without any tinge of material desires / bhakti is for Krishna / the show of bhakti vs true love / we all have to throw something in the Ganges / Krishna fulfilled Raghu's desire but gave him the tools / "serve God not be God" SB 2.3.1 - 10

shifting the hearing process / Lord Brahma's triple scrutinization concludes that attraction (rati) to Krishna is the perfection of dharma) / regularly hearing Vedic literature is fundamental to bhakti-yoga / focus on the similarities rather than the differences / nature has provided everything we need - so keep it simple / pursuing artificial needs for comforts is like a whack-a-mole / Parjanya Maharaja's Patel Motel / Raghu's inspiration verse SB 2.2.36 & 37

lawless NY and the Broome St. Temple / differences of yoga in India & in the west / Kaustubha does yoga like an Indian / sense of devotion vs self improvement / contrasting Eastern & Western mindsets / self-care via the Upanishads / seeing the mother, father teacher & guest as God / every object has it's nature / thoughts on cultural appropriation / kriya yoga / the kleshas / identity beyond survival function https://eddiestern.com

what is your favorite bhajan or hymn? / what is the purpose of living in an ashram or temple? / how can we tell if we are on the right spiritual path or just hiding from the real work we need to do? / can ashtanga yoga be combined with bhakti? / can we offer food that we don't prepare ourselves as part of bhakti ritual? / what advice would you give to someone who wants to maintain and develop this faith that God is kind but struggles when seeing the suffering people go through? / how to deal with vague, fluffy "spiritualists"? / what is the relation between Vishnu and Krishna?

baby sea turtles prompted from within / instinct as the Divine whisper / yoga's 3 means of knowledge - pratyakṣa (perception), anumāna (inference), Śabda (hearing or testimony) / dealing with dogma / applying perception and inference to what we've heard / as the sun illuminates the universe, the soul illuminates the body by consciousness / beyond the paramatma is the divine person / beyond hearing is grace / the Upanishads' 2 birds in the tree / 2 world views - either the world has meaning or it doesn't SB 2.2.35 (& BG 13.34-35 & 10.42)

one who has conquered the mind reaches the internal guide / layers of conditioning distort internal guidance / the yogi is promoted from within and confirms it from without / guru, sadhu & sastra / practical samadhi / you can't make consciousness in a laboratory / the false premise that everything can be explained empirically / how are the little turtles prompted to run? / Our freedom consists in orienting our desire from illusion toward truth / the last snare of illusion SB 2.2.35 (& BG 6.7 & 18.58)

Mara's story / Brahma - the universal engineer / intelligent design / in defense of reality / we are here to evolve / we are all tied to a time bomb / perceiving God within through reasoning / the seer & the seen / the act of & objects of perception have been supplied to us / that we are dissatisfied with matter indicates that we are spirit / the religious belief that consciousness develops out of matter SB 2.2.34 - 35

bhoga - tyaga / cultivate the growth of the seed of bhakti in the heart / when we realize that everyone is pure underneath, there is no room for hate / pure love of God is eternally in the heart / I Can't Get No Satisfaction / peace comes with freedom for the separate desires / the discipline succession / jnana-yoga and ashtanga-yoga find completion in bhakti - bhakti-yoga is independent / practicing bhakti is like a child learning to walk SB 2.2.31-33

revisiting perfect yoga alignment / no other life in the universe? - give me a break! / you don't need to be smarter / how the yogi exits the body and exits the universe - micro & macro / bhakti-yoga is the viable path to the spiritual realm in the current age / the seed of bhakti in the heart / watering the seed by hearing & chanting / building a protective fence by being respectful / pulling out the weeds / Haridasa Thakur - the namacharya / Haridasa's bliss in chanting SB 2.2.18 - 30

on friendship / on marriage / on being a good man / on prayer / on listening / on religion / on when to separate / on how to face death / on mental illness / on forgiveness / on teaching / on money / on love http://krsnanandini.com

how to raise children in a scary world? / how to be a good yogi mother under difficult circumstances? / are there practical steps to take for one who's faith and spiritual practices suffer during bouts of depression? / why does it seem like the heart is so much quieter than the mind? / how to preserve spiritual progress made during COVID as we step back into our normal routines? / how to get my heart and mind back on track to serve others when my heart is aching from all the hate in the world? / are there Vedic teachings we can use to reboot the modern business leaders mindset?

sthiraṁ sukhaṁ āsanam - the purpose of yoga asana / the bhakta doesn't need to worry about the perfect time or place to die / freedom though controlling the senses / Goswami vs godasa / perfect yoga alignment (senses - mind - intelligence - atma - paramatma) / the junk food poison of praise & prestige / the bitter health food of wisdom & humility / rooting out the turbo scenarios in the mind SB 2.2.15-18

Bhakta Louie (old school New York hardcore) / real modern day yogis / keeping it simple / meditation on the personal form of Vishnu / Vishnu in the heart is smiling and happy / the material bizarro world / the overseer, permitter, supreme enjoyer, paramatma / consciousness spreads through the body via the blood / by knowing God in the heart & His presence everywhere & in everyone, one sees the truth and does not degrade himself by the mind / connect with that happy form in the heart and be happy too SB 2.2.6 - 14 (& BG 13.23-29)

yoga is an eternal practice / karma, Jnana, bhakti/ the universe moves in cycles / having more can bring more anxiety / bhoga-tyaga / in this world, time separates the form from it's name / all that is left of this family life is a list of names / everyone is our brother / keep life simple so you can find God in the heart / fearlessness through connection to God in the heart / Raghu's night japa / shortening the turbo scenarios in the mind SB 2.2.1 - 2.2.6

everyone is searching for love / all love has it's origin in Radha & Krishna's love / Radha is the compassionate, forgiving energy of God / why the Brijbasi's say Jai Radhe! / Krishna wants to be controlled by love / Radha in the Maha Mantra / the people of Varsana / Radha - the total fulfillment of ultimate grace / being in Varsana is a state of mind / Radha's pastimes are confidential because we tend to take things cheaply / Rasa-lila / the story of Radha's appearance / you can only see God through love in the heart / be grateful today

The summer of love / the abundance of post war America / Howl / expecting magic to happen / spirituality without laughter is not the real thing / I was a drug dealer too / meet the Beatles / planting the seed of Bhakti behind the iron curtain / simultaneous oneness & difference / look around & you will see magic everywhere / George's love of Prabhupada / the new Bhakti Renaissance chasingrhinos.com

if you had the opportunity to ask Srila Prabhuapda one question what would it be? / why do puja - why not? / Does Krishna accept service, even if it is not completely pure? / is it proper for a modern Sadhu to take up the practice of jogging? / do I need to forgive - even an abuser? / how is it possible for God's energy to be impersonal?

the dirt in the mind - our animosity towards other living beings / lust is a killer of love / the 3 modes of nature & how they condition us / life is a chance to learn lessons - not just to have fun / connecting everything with it's personal divine source / all the planets and luminaries have a person behind them / hate & anxiety are cured by seeing the divine in everything SB 2.1.20 - 39

settle the mind to find the self / seeing the universe as the form of God / desire can not be killed / meditation on OM - a way of changing the habit of the mind / what makes on mentally deranged? / Raghu's broken samadhi / temples - spiritual centers of meditation on the transcendental limbs of the body of Viṣṇu / rajas & tamas destroy meditation SB 2.1.16 - 20

good luck yogi / the path to perfection is kirtan / it's the quality of life that matters, not the quantity / earth advantages / the agitated mind can't realize God in the heart / hankering for the future, lamenting the past / no snooze movement / yoga success stories / the identity is not lost at the end of this present body, which is nothing but an outward dress only SB 2.1.11 - 15 (& 9.9.43 - 49) See more at goodluckyogi.com