Wisdom of the Sages

for lifetimes we've been programmed by Illusion / more from Vamanadeva on being satisfied simply / the 4 legs of Dharma - austerity, purity, compassion & truthfulness / initiation into a Bhakti lineage / vows of vegetarianism, continence, sobriety & honesty / yoga teachings provide spiritual context for religious rules / liberation is the last snare of illusion / Bhagavatam puts liberation in perspective by comparing them with both material anxiety & divine love SB 1.16.21 - 1.16.23

why is the Earth suffering? / because dharma is barely standing on one leg? / because she's being exploited?/ the unspeakable cruelty of factory farming / recognizing higher beings behind nature / Black Elk speaks - the great spirit within & without - peace first within & then without / Sitting Bull speaks - if America was twice as big, it would still not be enough / Sri Vamandeva speaks - for uncontrolled senses, there is never enough / spiritual context for "religious" restraint SB 1.16.20

with "mystic eyes" Maharaja Pariksit witnesses the conversation between Dharma & the Earth / simple principle: when dharma and the Earth are respected people live happily / the qualities of brahminical culture - even-mindedness, self-control, simple living, purity, tolerance, honesty, knowledge, wisdom and religiousness / lacking a wisdom culture, America has lost it's morale SB 1.16.17 - 1.16.19

our disconnect has us pleading for validation / dharma personified as an injured bull speaks to the Earth personified as a suffering cow / Kali appears, the personification of corrupt leadership / Maharaja Pariksit sees the dialog with mystical vision / out of love, the devotee bends to the will of God and God bends to the will of the devotee / the supreme brahman is crawling in Nanda Maharaja's courtyard like a helpless child SB 1.16.1 - 1.16.16

positive meditation with a devotional attitude / fixing the intelligence on transcendence / flying your own airplane / higher than worshiping Shiva's instructions to Parvati on the highest worship / smarana (remembrance of or meditation on) wisdom brings relief to the burning heart SB 1.15.47 - 1.15.51

the origins of Bharatanatyam Dance / Bharata Muni & the Natya Shastras / bha = bhava (feelings, emotions), ra = raga (melody, framework for musical notes), ta = tala (rhythm) / rigidity vs feeling / beginning dance at the age of 3 / the handing down of sacred tradition from teacher to student / leading the audience to bhava / expressing prayer through movement / method acting in the context of India's classic texts of Bhakti / Srimad Bhagavatam is alive - it is Krishna

total disregard for the external world / ego shedding / meditating on God within the heart / chanting for God in the heart / all yoga practices are aimed at facilitating meditation on the Supreme / ignorance sets up the karma cycle - seed desire - action - unmanifest reaction - manifest reaction - disposition to act again - seed desire - etc. / Bhakti burns The whole cycle of karma SB 1.15.43 - 1.15.46

empowered by the tradition / not in the game anymore / dawn of freedom (mukti) / Yuddhisthira reverses the sequence of material attachment / we allow our minds to be tortured by identifying with the body / adjusting the material conditioning vs transcending material conditioning / realizing oneself as pure spirit / relating with others on the spiritual level / the jīvan-mukta stage, liberated even in the material world / one who only thinks himself Brahman is an impersonalist & one who acts like Brahman is the pure devotee SB 1.15.41 - 1.15.42

bhakti is handed down from one yogi to the next / meditation on what we will be remembered for at our funeral / collecting spiritual assets / hearing in the disciplic succession is the right medicine for the conditioned soul / a community based on spirit / study like you will live forever - practice sadhana like you will die tomorrow / bhajan or deeper spiritual connection is reached when we let go of our material designations SB 1.15.39 - 1.15.40

growing up in Bhakti / her moment of surrender / Aindra Das Prabhu / bhakti is handed down heart to heart / mantra addiction / keep the morning sacred / bhakti Partridge Family / Ludhiana Ratha Yatra / chanting brings happiness / chanting is a superior high / feeling the presence of God through chanting / Mahamantra is meditation on uniting Radha & Krishna

how does a newly spiritual person deal with criticism, estrangement, and lack of understanding in their close relationships? / what words or strategies are best for explaining one's spiritual practices to those who will find them difficult to accept? / how to apply the principles of yoga wisdom to help a sex worker and her family? / any words of wisdom a woman newly divorced and raising children without help? / the announcement of the passing away of HH Bhakti Charu Swami

a yogic perspective of "sin" – forgetfulness of your true Nature / whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail Bg 8.6 / the mind is a computer - the current thought is what's on the screen - bhakti-yoga is the practice of editing every file in relation to God / we get what we get - and then there is also mercy / Ajamila calls for Narayana / Krishna's compassionate nature SB 1.15.29

morning digital detox / treasuring a prescribed number of rounds of japa / meditating on truth & friendship with God pacifies the mind / eternal dharma & temporary dharma / living on two levels - Vyāvahārika (Relevant to the immediate material dealings) & Pāramārthika (Relevant to the highest spiritual truth) / mental hygiene / transcending the gunas / guru is the real magician SB 1.15.28 - 1.15.35

walk-on with Keli-Kanana Das / finding solace through truth / Bhagavad-gita is the essence of Vedic wisdom / 5 subjects of the Bhagavad-gita /jagat, jiva & Jagadisha / time and karma are the agents of transformation in the material world - time is involuntary but karma can be influenced by our decisions / the thin line of practicing yoga within society / 4 paths of yoga / the yoga which embraces our social roles is easier & quicker / using a thorn to remove a thorn / we are one with & different from God SB 1.15.27

keep the mornings sacred / respect for the great souls / arrogance is destructive / karma rewards behavior consistent with our true nature & punishes behavior inconsistent with it / survival of the kindest / how to become dear to God / the peace formula / saranagati SB 1.15.22 - 1.15.26

we're all acting entitled / how little free will we have when we are in illusion / freedom from the slavery of the mind and senses / everything is provided for us / under the influence of false ego we think "I am the doer" / the gods & goddesses are like the butlers / the Bhaktivedantas reveal the complete picture SB 1.15.20 - 1.15.21

facing death gets your attention / I can learn a lesson from anybody / 5 stages of grieving / catching another's enthusiasm / our spiritual practice is our prayer for mercy / gratitude / how you live will determine how you die / bring the holy name to the forefront of our consciousness

do our relationships continue after the death of the body? / after the temporary happiness of the material world no longer appeals where does one find joy? / how does one just give up SEX!!! / isn't it hard to find a guru? / what are the qualifications of a Vasinava or devotee? / how to pray?

seeing everyone as a pure spiritual soul / the 10 names of Arjuna / Arjuna & Krishna pass through all obstacles together / Krishna relishes reproaches of friends, parents or fiancees more than the Vedic hymns offered to Him by great learned scholars and religionists / the highest gift has been offered to the most needy people by Sri Caitanya's grace SB 1.15.14 - 1.15.19

Bhakta Ed's experiences with the deprogrammers / Arjuna comes out of exile / Duryodhana's bad decisions come back to haunt him in the form of anxiety as Arjuna approaches / "Fire burns silently and silently does the sun shine." / Arjuna sends respect to his elders in the form of arrows at their feet

Draupadi turns to Krishna / when God is satisfied we all feel satisfied / have I been following a false formula? / the comedy of our material endeavors / the loss of material power is a calling to rediscover our spiritual power / walking around with a boot / cliffhanger SB 1.15.11 - 1.15.14

Draupadi's complete surrender / insulting a great soul ruins everything / how a yogi relates to people - friendship toward the happy, compassion toward the distressed, joy toward the virtuous, and equanimity toward the non-virtuous / cleansing the heart with tenacity of things like faultfinding, desire for prestige, envy of other, desire for popularity / teaching by example SB 1.15.10

ashram life high in the Himalayas / yoga cleanses / the need to learn from a qualified teacher / environment / the nature of dreams / this world is just a long dream / a yogi's view of racial tensions / love is a force / air, earth, sun, moon are all God's love / our planet is a spaceship / urban yoga requires deep respect for all varieties of people / bhakti practices are powerful forms of dharana (mind concentration) / Srimad Bhagavatam is the churned wisdom of the greatest yogis and sages Find out more about Yogi Charu at www.omchandra.com.

how to puncture the material romance, and how to grieve? / how to navigate relationships with family, friends who have lived through the 60's and witnessed the dark side of The Hare Krishna movement? / swearing, are we born with a personality & should I change to a more reverent person or is this who I was born to be? / how do you know that Krishna is for real? / was there ever a time, or will there be a time when all creatures live in peace? / Is there always good in everyone and everything? / could you speak on the Vedic hierarchy of animals, animal consciousness, interspecies cooperation, symbiosis, etc?

Bhakti makes the inauspicious auspicious / the secret to all of these stories is that their deepest meaning has to do with the love between God and the devotee / the killing of Jarasandha / civil warfare / Duryodhana is embarrassed / until we let go of our material attachments our lives will be a comedy / the alchemy of a yogi is a shift in perspective of their own suffering SB 1.15.8 - 1.15.9

this wisdom is timeless / spiritual lamentation deepens the feelings of divine love / this world is a reflection - it looks the same as the spiritual reality, but is the exact opposite / Krishna's greatest pleasure is to serve his devotees with love / Krishna is the soul of the universes / Arjuna wins the hand of Draupadi / Arjuna, Krishna and the Khandava forest SB 1.15.3 - 1.15.8

tune into the messengers / spiritual life involves cultivating fearlessness / what are the causes of despondency? / material life is the disconnection from our best friend / the greatest pain for a Bhakti-yogi / we know too much to ever enjoy materially again / let our pain bring us back to Krishna / the mystery of how spiritual pain is the deepest bliss / our rightful claim to liberation SB 1.14.37 - 1.15.3

Śrī Balarāma is the mercy incarnation / Sri Caitanya made spirituality easy / Nityananda delivers the gangsters / just stop causing harm to others, be humble, grateful & chant / coercion vs attraction / truthfulness, equanimity, sense control, forbearance, simplicity, general knowledge, transcendental knowledge, firm faith / brahminical qualities vs false prestige / 3 manifestations of Lord Vishnu SB 1.14.19 - 1.14.36

Kaustubha's manasa Rathayatra / sadhu sanga / bhakti makes the inauspicious auspicious / learn to love those who are not like you & who don't like you / break down the walls / we are a moment away from being despicable / crusading for God within / let's pass through this inauspicious time & make it auspicious SB 1.14.1 - 1.14.18

chanting keeps you young / spiritual communism / glories of Sri Caitanya / sweet baby Krishna / Bhagavatam nectar / the song of Krishna's flute / Govinda Virudavali / what's so special about Sanskrit / the holy name of Sri Hari is surely all that be / Mahamantra explanation / Krishna cares / Dharma takes shelter in the Bhagavatam / what real society looks like / who is Radha? / servant of the servant

how to handle relatives with different (terrible) political views / how to keep my teaching sacred in a secular environment + does practicing bhakti-yoga mean I need to give up Jiu Jitsu? / I'm black and I want my sangha back / how to counsel friends during the time of mourning / I like the protests but not the violence /

our life can change in an instant / the power of setting an intention - sankalpa / refusing to let go / what if everyone could see our minds? / the yogis never feel alone - they feel God in the heart / Sati's spontaneous human combustion / Dhritarastra's spontaneous human combustion / Gandhari enters the fire / resentment blocks Dhritarastra's advancement / letting go of criticism SB 1.13.56 - 1.13.60

ok, lets's give golfers a break :-) / Q: what do you have to give up for bhakti? A: suffering / asana & pranayama are for helping to transcending the gunas and bring the mind to God / satva guna is also a trap / goodness is illuminating - frees one from all malady & conditions one by a sense of happiness and knowledge - Bg. 14.6 / passion is all about desires & longings - conditions one to feel the need to work for a material result - Bg. 14.7 / Ignorance is the delusion of all embodied living entities -It conditions one by a sense of madness, laziness & sleep - Bg. 14.8 / the predicament of the soul / spontaneous human combustion SB 1.13.54 - 1.13.55

Jahnavi Harrison drops in to discuss "Surrender" / 2 mindsets - worldly & other-worldly / no need to lament on what's beyond our circle of influence / the internal, external & marginal energies / we (the marginal) can become lost in the ephemeral external energy / the regular current of spiritual energy - within & without / we are one with God in quality, but still different / God can appear to you as a person or in the form of time / Dhritarasta begins his yoga practice / Yoga begins with controlling the tongue SB 1.13.48 - 1.13.53

always seeing the good / we can't control the world / time takes it all away / the rare opportunity of human life / "how will they exist without me" / time, karma & the gunas are the software installed in the virtual reality of this world SB 1.13.33 - 1.13.47

the God shaped hole / the emotional bank account / the need to be able to hear good advice / that which is unreal has no endurance - that which is real has no change / real detachment vs false detachment / you gotta have a good morning program SB 1.13.29 - 1.13.32

discovering bhakti behind the iron curtain / translating Srimad Bhagavatam / the mystical goal of Ayurveda - discovering God in the heart / the 3 doshas / mysteries of the pulse / hospitality is even more important than food / masalas / lifestyle tips / Sanskrit poetry

do I need to dress in rags to be spiritual? / how to deal with losing my cool? / how does Bhakti as a movement respond to racism in a relevant, critical, active, & dynamic way? / can I care and do things that are helpful, without being overwhelmed by all the pain I'm seeing constantly? / can one have romance, sex, and the warmth of family life on the bhakti path?

the value of never complaining / rise early / the relative difference between detachment & devotion / "family life" in it's cultural context / Srimad Bhagavatam clarifies all the previous teachings on yoga / temptations of the heavenly planets / connecting to God within the heart SB 1.13.27 - 1.13.28

Vidura's presence makes Dhritarastra ripe to hear / Indian Culture / Sadhus don't flatter / the world is magic when we are connected spiritually / we are that egg on a spoon / hours, days, months, years - exclusively devoted to spiritual life / retirement with wisdom / spiritual knowledge is like the mafia - once you are in you can't get out SB 1.13.23 - 1.13.26

ekadashi is the mother of devotion / grow food, sacrifice, be happy, & go back home / Vidura's tough love / the grim reaper is coming for the king / samadhi through the waves of life / show bottle sadhus just flatter - real sadhus cut / Raghu's chastisement SB 1.13.15 - 1.13.17

a statement about racial inequality in the United States / no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it / there is a dire need at hand to live as dedicated instruments of God's love / the insurmountable force of time / the value of the rare human life and the need to make the most of each moment / learning from the tree / one day we'll pack up our lives in a box / young Kaustubha watches a man die SB 1.13.15 - 1.13.17

Vidura's compassion / omnipresence through diverse potencies / a guru cuts / giving up the ego is both painful and a relief / preparing for the change of body / Radha & Krishna enshrined in the heart / renunciation ≠ spiritual advancement / alien yogis / great souls are like surgeons SB 1.13.10 - 1.13.14

music is spiritual / doing the gritty work of the 12 steps / doing a fearless moral inventory / coming to terms with the ego / being a good listener / beautiful desperation / carrying forward the idealism of punk / hate born of frustration & fear / how much of my world view is informed by a screen? / be an activist in all that you do / the challenge of keeping hate out of our activism www.moby.com

how to respond to inexperienced influences? / how do spiritual communities deal with racial injustice? / I'm new to this - what's next? / how did Kaustubha become a monk? / to whom and how should I properly offer obeisances and what does that mean? / do you think God Is trying tell us something? / how to overcome the discomfort with the idea of a personal God? / how to build a personal relationship with God? / how does friendship give each other new light & inspiration? / if we are spirit, why do we have exclusive gatherings based on gender?

12 steps and it's parallels with bhakti / more background on the blind king Dritarashtra / in the material world we fight with each other - in the spiritual world we fight to serve one another / hospitality is conducive for bhakti / uncle Vidura comes home Srimad Bhagavatam 1.13.1 - 1.13.10

"horse rejuvenation ceremony" / what is sacrifice? / Kali Yuga - the age of dented cans / kirtan - the dharma for dented cans / hunting always causes problems / the story of Pandu / the story of Kunti / Dritarashtra was such an enabler / Vidura's wake up call

healthy addictions/ the impressions left in childhood / bhakti is kid friendly / Prabhupada's childhood bhakti / Oh! Calcutta! / most yoga paths are a means to an end - in bhakti the means & the end are the same / 4 yoga paths are meant to lead to bhakti / is asana necessary for bhakti-yoga / bhakti harmonizes the mind with the self

how yogis respond to being wronged / Raghu's mystic friend / forgiveness is the key to bliss / God is using this person to bring out my own greatness / death doesn't care about your plans / Kaustubha gets what Joe Rogan missed / today is an OK day to die / the world can go on without Mara / just say it - "what I did was wrong"

the qualities of a brahmana - Bhagavad-gita 18.42 / peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness / brahmana is not based on birth, it's based on qualities / the futures glories of Maharaja Pariksit / material attachment & surrender go ill together / the story of Pariksit's curse / transcending death through hearing Bhagavatam