Wisdom of the Sages

the world of New York Hardcore Punk / a second wave of bhakti in the West / how Porcell & Ray were introduced to bhakti / Youth of Today brings straight edge and vegetarianism to the hardcore scene/ Ray leaves the band to become a monk / Mark blows away the anti-cult people / Porcell takes to Bhakti / Ray & Porcell reunite in Shelter / living as a monk & touring in a hardcore band

should I switch mantras? / how to navigate lust as a yogi in today's world? / does the soul die or does it become so purified that it transcends? / what does it mean to "give your life to your guru"? / what does the Bhagavad-Gita mean when it says that one should work in Krishna consciousness? / how to deal with spiritual friends that let us down / do we have any say on how we take our next birth? / how do I deal with the regret over lost years?

meditating on the smile of God / the role of the rites of passage - samskaras / bhakti-yoga on 3 levels / difference between religion and spirituality / spirituality is when we see God everywhere and in everyone / the state of our democracy - administrators quarreling √ party selfishness √ exploitation of state resources √ corruption √ intrigue √ hypocrisy √ / we need spiritual revolution

character & dharma / understanding astrology, karma & predestiny - our previous choices either expand or contract or liberate / crossing over the 3 modes - Bhagavad-gita 7.14 / for the reconnected yogi the karma winds down like an unplugged fan / when we reconnect all the karma becomes auspicious / sex with spiritual consciousness - calling elevated souls / the disposition for liberation Srimad Bhagavatam 10.14.8

Srimad Bhagavatam gives perspective on all yoga literature / life in the womb / Krishna is in every atom in the universes, and every universe is in him / Krishna appears in the Deity form because we are incapable of perceiving Him everywhere / meditative absorption comes with wisdom / wisdom involves being steady minded through shifting externals and seeing God everywhere / we are qualitatively one with God & quantitatively different / realizing our eternality

how to embody joy / rewiring oneself / dead practice vs living practice / aligning body, mind & emotions / Western yoga's need to go deeper / the sadhu in the storm / traveling the path of absorption / the mantra is imbued with spiritual potencies / Philosophy, People, Practice / the prayer of Vritrasura http://www.sacinandanaswami.com

it's not about joining a religion, it's about self transformation / you have to walk into the lab / the sages bring it back to the original topic / transfer of spiritual knowledge through hearing / cheap imitations come in all traditions / ya can't cheat the system / the process is simple, but only the sincere achieve the result / we are servants by nature / slaves to the senses / the hunger is for the spiritual atmosphere

how to balance motherhood with spiritual practice? / why are we fascinated with evil ? / any inspiration to help endure life's trolls / how to trust in guru when trust has been broken / is having children selfish? / why did Krishna create illusion / is illusion only seen as negative

tongue scraping & where culture should lead / there is a bhakti explosion brewing / we're over "stuff" and are looking for something more meaningful / understanding Prabhupada's commentaries in context / yoga paths either forbid or regulate sexuality / sexual attraction is the primary motivator in materialistic life / sexual attachment expands to include children, home, society, nation and the need to acquire wealth / what are we falling in love with? / yogamaya - illusion which facilitates intimate divine love

samadhi & being free of happiness & distress / birth as a fruit fly hearing Bhagavatam / japa advice - bathe in the mantra / Cupid & Kandarpa / Krishna's senses can not be agitated but He is captivated by devotion / material enjoyment is like fake food / think it through / 1st 9 Cantos prepare our hearts for the 10th / Krishna is unaffected by matter & so are his devotees / yogamaya

We're like moths - our ability to understand through our senses or inference is limited / spiritual truth is not ascending, it's descending / Nara-narayana Rishi's oneness & difference / srivatsan on Krishna's chest / Laxmi, wish fulfilling trees, stones & cows / Krishna's beauty / broken connections result in a sad experience / perfect manifestations of internal energy

knowledge matures into wisdom through reflection / practicing for the moment of death / birth, death old age & disease / Haridas Thakura & material blessings / the deity is an access point / Raghu & Kaustubha's first temple experiences / imperialism & the aryan invasion theory / Krishna's beauty never gets old / the law of satiation

brainwashing, youthful enthusiasm & magic / Krishna reciprocates according to how we approach / impersonal energy - in the heart - as a person / as master - friend - child - lover / do we practice our role in the spiritual realm / all the details are revealed through the mantra / finding a guru / guru is that through which spiritual knowledge descends / guru's qualifications / we are not asked to give up our common sense

which face of the goddess do we want to see? / masculine & feminine energies / knowledge is foundational but the goal is Love / the gentle men of Srimad Bhagavatam / upending the pyramids of power / Srimad Bhagavatam uplifts the humble & simple – brings down the proud / the brahmins & their wives / the role of masculine energy / flowing around misogyny Check out www.urbandevi.com

you have to give your heart over / dealing with anger / is playing video games tamasic / what does it mean to first establish yourself in yoga, then act - Bhagavad-gita 2:48 / the fine line between service & abuse / how to preach without coming off as a judgmental jerk

we should die with hearts saturated with affection / the devotion of Dwaraka's prostitutes / we may end up in compromising positions but it is our state of heart that matters / Cintamani - the prostitute guru / Govinda Damodara Madhava / the citta vritti nirodha of Vrindavan / Freudian slips / on the bhakti path the means and the end are the same

verses for the appearance of the Divine within and the destruction of the inner darkness / the story of the half-man half-lion avatar / Nrisimhadeva miracles / closing blessing

kali-yuga minds are always disturbed / hearing Bhagavatam as mental hygiene / perfection of human civilization is made possible by utilizing the gifts of nature / industry deteriorates the finer instincts of the human being / ugra-karma / civilization means caring for the earth & animals / the Mayapur elephant parade / shifting the current of our loving offering / a culture of love

pronoia - eradicate the victim mentality / what exists internally manifests externally / commentaries by the previous masters / Brahma's envy of the "dirty little cowherd boy" / getting centered around the whorl / what is the most painful thing? / value the association of devotees / the Mickey Mouse outfit we all wear

kirtan & pilgrimage as a child / devotee dog / seeing Shelter as a kid / the intimate devotion of Vrindavan / so many ways of expressing devotion / kumbha Mela at 17 / music is an offering, meditation, joyful expression / advice for kirtan leaders - develop a relationship with the mantra / Divine power is the true protection

bhakti as meditation & as service / I move for the enjoyment of my source & I enjoy naturally as a result of the connection / asana is a condiment of yoga - the meal is the offering we make / meditation of the formless is always troublesome / pure bhakti demands pure intention (as opposed to activity) / clarifying yoga terminology / there is power in commitment / we've been waking up early

Arne's letter / remembrances of Navadvipa Mandala Parikrama / Kripamoya Prabhu's unforgettable kirtan / Krishna reels you back in / so many things are vying for our attention / Srila Gaura Govinda Swami / the embankment of union & the embankment of separation / transformation by spiritual contact/ Sita's separation / Krishna is atmarama - self-satisfied

let go of what we can't control / leave room for magic / Sanatana Goswami's Bhagavatam glorification / Bhagavatam is the churned nectar / mad elephant offense / respect flows up - affection flows down / except for the uncontrolled, misguided mind, there is no enemy / the 6 enemies

the more we exploit nature and animals, the more we become entrapped by the reactions / spread the message from a place of love / don't use it as a vehicle for our lower nature / rituals are designed to restore our original nature / the 5 primary rasa - flavors of love for God / Yoga is a practice which empowers one to overcome the obstacle of the mind for the purpose of the self experiencing its own true nature / take a vow not to criticize

to be truly true it has to be true in all 3 phases of time /social justice has to be taken to the spiritual level / all life is sacred / Svarupa - our original form / we are not our outer Mickey Mouse outfit / yoga-pitha - where the spiritual and material worlds meet / panchanga bhakti - 5 most potent spiritual practices / the right people can reveal the spiritual nature of the holy places

makeover Monday / purifying the mind & senses / Vishvamitra muni loses control / artificial sense control vs spontaneous attraction / positive engagement for the senses / Hiranyakashipu's yoga vs Prahlad's / jnana yoga ends in surrendering to God in everything - bhakti-yoga begins there / a human goes beyond polished eating, sleeping, mating & defending

is there a universal message in the bhakti tradition? / is there a message to share about how to see this crisis / advice for maintaining mental well being & relationships through the crisis / a message for the essential health care providers / how to avoid dogmatic exclusivism in spiritual circles? / why is the Bhagavatam so powerfully transformational? / who is Nara-Narayana Rishi?

we need to have like minded devotees in our life / Bhagavatam refines our love / let go of expectations / Krishna's mission is to enjoy divine love / breaking ties with a yogi / don't try to understand the spiritual world through the material, understand the material through the spiritual / we receive a form suited to our consciousness / we forget the trauma of past lives / when we act on behalf of the higher power there is no reaction

all the -isms are the culmination of the illusion / Gita & Bhagavatam are the access point to reality / jnana-yoga = renounce the virtual world / bhakti-yoga = see the virtual world in connection to the programmer & connect with Him / the programmer wants us to wake up & enjoy with Him / miseries of this world are a way the programmer helps wake us up

our habits become us / dedicating hours, days, months and years / the Purusha shuktam hymn of the Vedas / Brahma's life is calculated to help us with perspective shift / minimizing fears and concerns through perspective shift / little fish & big fish / a bhakti-yogi is like a rooster, salt, a crane & you / wisdom though time perspective / nostalgia vs perspective shift / wisdom punctures the romance of past experience / perspective shift via psychedelics vs via Bhagavatam

happiness through the senses followed by misery / Bhagavatam brings auspiciousness into life / rock bottom can be a blessing / musk deer tattoo / plastic vs natural ingredients / things just keep getting crummier / the earth kicks back / the Absolute Truth can have form and qualities / materialism is the thesis - renunciation is the antithesis - divine love is the synthesis / the simple talk of devoted ladies is beyond the hymn of the Vedas

past bad decisions become valuable realizations through bhakti / when doubts set in, pull yourself back / think it through / in separation the love goes deeper into the core of the heart / on the spiritual platform love is not determined by physical proximity / Srimad Bhagavatam trains us to the stage of perfection / melting the heart / how to we know it's real - because it still works

locked down with the Bhagavatam / collective karma / leadership with ethics / consumer culture tells us we'll be happy by getting things and we're successful when we are consuming more / simple living - high thinking / those ridiculous leaf blowers / What have we done! / the earth kicks back / we've become sociopaths/ Vaishnava etiquette is for cultivating a disposition of respect and affection

chip away at illusion / progression of Vedic literature leads to divine love / shedding the exoskeleton / if I merge I can't serve / hearing is most important / working with detachment is true mysticism / stereotypical yogi vs karma-yogi / karma-yoga - according to one's nature, with detachment, as an offering / you gotta serve somebody / re-integrate

my external is draggin down my internal / the morality of Krishna & his girlfriends / there's a driving force constantly saying upgrade your life / knowledge matures to wisdom through reflection / when we are free from attachment, fear & anger we can absorb the mind in meditation / it's not about converting, it's about remembering our identity / spiritual vision makes us happier / fish out of water / food for the soul / what's the definition of good / jaundice analogy

seeing the working of the Divine Hand in hindsight / Bhishma's perfect death scene / the motions and smiles of the Gopis / the progression of Vyasadeva's spiritual literature up to the Rasa Dance / the glory of the Gopis' love / mukti / aversion to service / 5 types of liberation / the "equal footing" of the Gopis

the final moment / attaining our original form (sva-rupa) / mechanical mystic yoga vs spontaneous devotional yoga / Wilson in Cast Away - why do impersonalists fall from the divine light - they get lonely / getting your head dunked under water - material pleasure is just relief from suffering / should we pray for health / compassion for body, mind & soul / Raghu's death plan / you can't cheat the system

prayers for Hana / civilized warfare / Arjuna's pure intelligence / Bhishma's love for Bhagavad-gita / Bhishma's melting heart / love is the highest principle / Krishna's absorption in divine play / Krishna's "enemies" / understanding that Lila is beyond mythology by understanding rasa

everything is trying to kill something - minimize it & make your life an offering / fear snowballs in the mind / in bhakti, it's all good / the body is a gift - it's not even ours / Krishna is all-attractive / the perfect beautiful vision of Bhishma / the lover's bite is welcome / the esoteric side of bhakti / love in the heart brings out service / Krishna makes it all good

letter from Vrajabhumi! / self sacrifice + sadhana is a good spiritual formula / as a people, we have lost our ability to think critically / getting lost in politics & conspiracy theories/ work now samadhi later / life's purpose isn't to find a comfortable or enjoyable situation / if our politics or theories are driving us to be bitter, harsh, or hateful, seeing others as enemies - then we've been tricked

getting deeply rooted / Ghanashyam's journey to bhakti / becoming comfortable with what's uncomfortable / greatest spiritual meditation is Krishna - greatest material meditation is death / death can tighten our focus / Krishna comes as his devoteee / NDE's - seeing messengers of darkness & messengers of light / have faith in suffering / why is coronavirus happening - to ask the questions we haven't asked before / seize the opportunity / how can this change me?

what I learned as a monk - find happiness with nothing / intention makes all the difference / ultimately only the devotee is peaceful / Radhanath Swami's books - a good place to start / how I relate with others is important / God is in everyone's heart / no pride / see the good & magnify it / share what you have by example / doubt my doubts / contemplate again and again - there is no true or lasting security or happiness in anything material / cultivation of selflessness though family / what's beyond the gunas?

Krishna comes to us at the time of death / the vision of Bhisma on his bed of arrows / questions about caste / taking a good look in the mirror - our society is broken economically, politically, ecologically, etc. / the modern day caste system is a warped version of varnashrama dharma / varnashrama dharma is about laying out clear responsibilities for societies leaders / carefully apply ancient wisdom in a modern context / dust off your gift and use it

Srimati's lesson - we're just being tested / our whole life is a test - how will we respond / Bhagavatam - it's all special / who is Nara-Narayana Rsi / evolution by our own strength / give your heart to Krishna & he will take you by the hand / the wives of the Brahmanas / cultural appropriation / samadhi as action in steady God consciousness / shifting our desires

tribulations imposed upon the devotees constitute an exchange bhāva / medicating with food, sex, media, etc. / tuning into Paramatma, tuning out the noise / prayer for constant connection / letting it all go / love bomb the bombers

quiet the mind and listen / western yoga world is missing a strong tradition of guru recognition / am I hearing the inner guru or the mind & senses / guru qualifications / guru red flags / verses illustrating how a disciple follows a guru

is the world waking up? / becoming instruments of positive change in a shifting world / my own spiritual consciousness affects others / spiritual pioneers have left a map/ Vedic epistemology/ sense perception (pratyakshya), inference (anumana), hearing (shabda) / building faith gradually / the telephone game / a guru doesn't make it up, they represent / the guru must be potent and the disciple must be fertile / the disposition for receiving spiritual knowledge

the I experiences the mind / the mind is a computer / checklist for dealing with depression & anxiety / is religion the opiate of the masses? / the depth & sophistication of the Vedic tradition / to be a recluse or an activist, and where do I fall on the long line in between / setting parameters guiding how we associate / insulate not isolate / the deeper we go into the essence of one spiritual tradition, the more we recognize the same essence in other traditions / guru & gurus