Wisdom of the Sages

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

Ram's name is the bridge over samsara / forgiveness & compassion of Ram's name / saguna & nirguna brahman / engagements for the day - bhajan, reading, fasting, puja / wake up in sattvic time and meditate / Manthara's fear is like a virus / Raghu's turbo scenarios / Rama's equanimity / transformation of character though hearing Vedic lore / gratitude of the boatman / the loving sacrifice of Jatayu

words from Bhakta Louie / Raghunath walks in cemeteries / graveyards, burning ghats, Pompeii, catacombs - meditating on death / Raghunath collects skulls / time's influence on everything material / no grudges, no complaining / you cover all your bases & accept time's influence / Shelter - the Hands of Time lyrics / why wrap up my identity with stuff / the mother in-law teaches the daughter in-law through the daughter

I have to change me - butterfly / hearing & chanting is the cocoon / joy comes from our contribution / reclaiming our inherent purity / spiritual form / God is everywhere, God is in me, God is the person behind it all / Horton Hears a Who / Krishna is God on Saturday / the story of Pandu / hone in on what our contribution is and stick to it no matter how the dogs bark / mentors & well-wishers

Monday makeover / a wave is coming - the gravity of a spiritualist / the 12 mahajanas / you can't cram gardening / transformation through regular hearing / train ourselves to see the good & overlook the shortcomings / yoga etiquette / etiquette is the ornament of the bhakti yogi / the purpose behind every aspect of ritual or etiquette lies in how it effects our mind / the cat in the basket

apocalyptic New York & Krishna's invitation to dance above it / responsible in this world & conscious of what's beyond / Bhishma stories / finding the blessing in misfortune / 3 levels of wisdom / no complaining allowed / "untimely" deaths of spiritual people / use the dream to wake up from the dream / keep going 1 level deeper in our realization / bhakti dreams / Krishna's joy in respecting an elder /

grihasta vs grihamedhi / making the home an ashram / kirtan is the sacrifice for this age / simple & connected make for a good kirtan leader / kirtan brings people together / Tolstoy's definition of art / centuries of devotion invested in India's temples / how temples should bring out the best in us / the sacrifice of japa / Bhagavad-gita's austerity of speech truthful, pleasing, beneficial, not agitating - Bg. 17.15 / personal charisma vs spiritual substance / Krishna's pastimes make you fall in love

respect to "essential personnel" / there's always a storm coming up / cows, brahmins & devotees / sarvatra sama darshina - seeing God everywhere / elephants! / living with animals & Gus living up to his potential / Yuddhisthira's mindset / we're not playing the victim anymore / self care vs self sacrifice /my body is meant for the service of others / rationalization is the intelligence serving the false ego / Duryodhana couldn't find anyone more qualified - Yuddhisthira couldn't find anyone less qualified

raghu for mayor / fall in love with Krishna / keep a standard for those you get close to / yoga culture is designed to influence the mind / the gods will be just fine / note if what we are consuming brings up our lower nature / religious practices mix of scriptural tenets with human interpretation & application / religion - take the good and improve it vs reject it / focus on spiritual purpose being happiness & meaning / does the power of mantra lie in pronunciation or in intention / karma's complicated - make the best with what you've got

the gift of being a dented can / pointing the finger ourselves / the yogi is dealing with two worlds / loving without possessing / a sadhu is childlike / living internal & external at the same time / our inner orientation is I am the servant of God / we don't destroy our desire, we purify it / serving to God and the devotee is identical / create a love triangle by bringing in the Paramatma / bhutta suddhi - purifying ourselves from material misidentification

something is shaking us up - what's the lesson / beachfront property - made of sand / Srila Prabhupada's mission wasn't religious conversion, it was sharing essential knowledge / natural gifts vs industrial enterprises / our diseases are commonly tied to the meat industry / ugra karma - horrible works / enough for our need but not for our greed / life's simple pleasures

Wisdom of the Sages in New York City Schools / coping with destitution / HELP ME! - we're drowning / the ocean teaches us how small and dependent we are / a little virus is meant to wake us up / the strength of knowing our weakness / Krishna is the soul of the universe / bhakti is kid friendly / Krishna gives life & beauty to everything / nature provides us with plenty, but then we break nature's laws /

lockdown in a holy place / life comes from life / wherever our mind goes is meditation / bhakti fundamentals - hearing leads to remembering / lesson 1. we're made to serve / lesson 2. by serving the root of all existence we connect with every living being / happiness & meaning are found through giving - not taking / Krishna appears in different ways, according to the state of our heart

livin' under lockdown / it can be hard to sit alone with the mind / regulate news consumption / lets come out the other side better people / media is our mind's food / the separation between you & what you present as you / dharma / battling with the demon inside / good dog bad dog / priest vs cop - who more embodies the spiritual essence

bhakti's not fear based / purifying our spiritual intention / gradations of prayer / Day by Day - Raghu's into Godspell / the wild devotion of the Banke Bihari Temple / understanding Krishna's fear / intimate love surpasses awe and veneration

there's no stability in the material world / "offensive chanting" / understanding the demigods in relation to Krishna / bhakti means love without material motive / anxiety + Bhagavatam wisdom is a great recipe for progress / money mantras / manasa puja - worship in the mind / make God your soulmate / you have incredible value so don't sell yourself short /

learning discernment through the Bhagavatam / universe is the impersonal way of saying Krishna / yoga is for connecting with the "Higher Power" / love requires more than one / Krishna is the root / devotees own Krishna & Krishna owns them / fear of a person / the material world is a warped reflection / pure bhakti is free from the desire to exploit, or escape, the material world / whatever it is, there's always a person behind it / the esoteric vs the exoteric

wisdom keeps us steady / at the point of boredom we start to grow / the problem of evil / good comes from suffering / we cause our own suffering / misapplying karma theory increases ignorance & suffering / properly applying karma theory fosters compassion / accepting suffering to relieve that of others is the highest worship / karma & reincarnation snaps everything into place / why me? / when we are sick of it all we can chant with feeling

maybe we could use a day of rest / what I will and will not allow myself to worry about / avoiding the negative loop / control vs hysteria / another perspective from Sri Isopanisad - everything is perfect & complete (except perhaps our understanding) / Siddharta's enlightenment - ॐ perfection / the good and the bad seen as one from a higher perspective / we will all be challenged to stand tall - to be raised

crucial times / seeing through the lens of love / seeing a benevolent hand behind everything / the privileged suffer too / The BIG VERSE - SB 1.8.25 - Kunti prays for more calamities / the duty of the sane person is to be undisturbed by worldly calamities / suffering in the dream world / when we know we are dreaming it changes the experience / we create our own suffering BG 13.21 / manifested and unmanifested karma / we can't judge based on manifest karma / the rain and the seeds / Krishangi's story of growth through suffering

the power of the Beatles / illusions that create the space between us / the Person beyond the oneness / qualitatively we are one - quantitatively we're not / relationships make life worth living / the soul is a person / George's shift / George's love for Srila Prabhupada / karma is intricate / viewing karma from a different perspective / always coming from a place of compassion

love will not be cancelled today / bhakti is contagious / it's futile to worry about things beyond my control / within you without you / love isn't a headlock - it's our choice / It's Krishna that is within and without you / Bhagavad-gita 6.29-30 / seeing divinity in people who aren't acting divine - yoga off the mat looks like that / can we glimpse the truth before it's far too late when we pass away?

what is forgiveness? / Prithu forgives Indra / we are off our spiritual path if we hold on to resentment / Buddhaghoṣa on holding onto anger / forgiveness means I let go of it all / to what degree should renunciation be part of my practice? / renunciation is a medicine applied differently to different people / establish your level of renunciation & adjust with time / the main thing is to make the main thing the main thing / is good karma good - is bad karma bad / good and bad karma have to do with how we enjoy the material world - Bhakti means going beyond that / a Bhakti-yogi sees the Lord's benediction at every step / better not to get too caught up in astrology - but if it may help us serve we may use it / what is the goal of a Krishna devotee at the time of death? / ante narayana smriti - remember God at the end / release from the cycle of birth & death is good - connection with God through love is the finishing touch

judging people based on externals / the misuse of our gifts / where are they now? / Krishna's opulences are hard to handle / the 1st prayer in the universe - may I not become proud / the universe humbles us / we are a spark of divinity / when the mind is conquered the Supersoul is already reached / seeing the Supersoul in everyone through hearing / this is a process of surrendering the ego

memories of last night - Minna's dreamy song, Kaustubha was the jerk / the value of festivals / spiritual communities sing, dance, tell stories & eat together / the guru tests the disciple before sharing knowledge / Bhagavad-gita 4.34 / humility is the fertile ground for the seed of transcendental knowledge / a culture of submissive hearing / prayer for protection / the sudarshan disc / Krishna's morality in the Mahabharata - he is willing to lie, break the rules out of love / love is the highest principle

special episode for Sri Caitanya's appearance / it's not about conversion, it's about waking up / reasons for Sri Caitanya's descent / bhakti - practical & esoteric / kirtan is the yoga for this age / the bhakti explosion / krishna = sweetness, Caitanya = compassion / Caitanya gives bhakti freely to the dented cans - the highest to the lowest / the 8 instructions of Sri Caitanya - Shikshastakam / relative vs absolute / tolerance, humility & respect

gripping vs. letting go / Uttara's history / Mahabharata stories / what do you take shelter of when you feel stress? / transcendental knowledge is the balm to soothe stress / let go of fear & need to manipulate - find shelter in Gita & Bhagavatam / you come to a guru to serve, not to be served / gurus' presence is an inspiration for self reflection and improvement / vani - instruction vs vapu - personal presence / shiksha guru - instructor vs diksha - initiator / get formal training before becoming Picasso

inauspicious choices lead to a ripple effect of inauspicious results, 1 camp - the spiritual camp, bhagavad-gita helps us face life's challenges with transcendental knowledge / we are totally dependent / Sri Brahma Samhita 5.1 - cause of all causes / 6 symptoms of surrender / Krishna is my protector / in the jaws of death, will we be the mouse or the kitten

we all need loving critics / we protect what we value - brahmanas, cows, women, children, elders / a voluntary vow of poverty / we need to revive wisdom in society / a loving integration with humans & animals / does society need a collapse? / valuing the unique contributions of women / providing love, values and protection to children / garbhādhāna-saṁskāra - meditation prior to conception /the value of elders / early training, married life & spiritual retirement in yoga culture

is it ok to enjoy the material world? / different paths of yoga / jnana cultivates detachment / bhakti connects the world with God / are there different types of love? / the esoteric side of bhakti / the happiness of the abode of love is in the happiness of the object of love/ God exists to enjoy varieties of love - raso vai saha / Krishna accommodates all varieties of love / bronzing baby shoes / Bhagavad-gita & Buddhism / soulmates & money mantras / we don't argue with the divine plan / pure bhakti

a yogi has no enemies / animosity clouds the mind with ignorance / bhakti yogis decorate themselves with the ornaments of tolerance, mercy, friendliness to all, having no enemies, peacefulness, & abidance to sacred texts / Andal, the mystic poet girl who decorated herself for the pleasure of Vishnu / 2 dharmas - temporary & eternal / Yuddhistira vs Bhima - we all have different natures that can be offered / refining our lower nature / tolerance & intolerance in bhakti / Raghu drives the swami / Kaustubha tries to give up anger

we've created so much hate / great people can differ in opinion / sage Kunti's most courageous prayer - let the calamaties continue / preparation for meditation at the time of death / wherever we bring our mind is meditation and the results stay with us / bhakti yogis meditate on the name, form, qualities and pastimes of Krishna / rituals are designed to leave lasting impressions in the mind / the Ganges River flows through the universal body / the material world is programmed with the elements of time and karma, which bring suffering / we are not trying to avoid suffering by changing the circumstance, we are trying to restore the consciousness the allows us to transcend no matter the circumstances / consciousness of Krishna helps us pass over life's obstacles Bhagavad-gita 18.58 / great souls soothe suffering through sharing truth, not illusion

binge on the Bhagavatam / Chutes and Ladders is Vedic / leaders need wise counselors / resurrecting a spiritual class of people / Krishna changes his mind / our egos get wrapped up in our opinions / justice vs mercy - dharma can be challenging to determine / let our aim be to come to truth, not to conquer our opponent / wise and pure hearted people may disagree / respect the intention / Arjun finds a we to satisfy both sides

yoga wisdom is not summer reading, we have to hear it and apply it daily / dharma means doing what's right rather than trying to change the circumstances to our favor / learning Sanskrit prayers to aid meditation / Arjuna's red hot copper eyes - Krishna's lotus eyes

shaming doesn't work / hearts don't change through humiliation / seek first to understand / don't leave Raghu a voicemail / everything is fear-based these days / take shelter of the decoder / Bhagavad-Gita 7.14 / no time to tinker anymore / first thing in the morning - fix my mind right / transcendental knowledge melts away fear / BNN Bhakti News Network / don't let mundane sound into your morning

kirtan is what the whole world needs / kirtan without ego / dancing without ego / we become what we consume / kirtan is the yoga for this age / Bhagavatam is an eternal conversation / yoga is eternal / the Earth is crying / the devas approach Lord Vishnu together / Krishna wants to serve / devotion is more important than scholarship

start with gratitude / yogis discern but don't hate / the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing / kindness, simplicity, tolerance, love / Bhakta Louie hates hate / the atmarama verse / the opposite of being $1,000,000 in debt / liberation into the oneness is just the neutral stage / liberated souls are attracted to spiritual form, qualities, and relationships / Vishnu instructs Brahma about spiritual vision / our negative experience of service in this world create a fear of transcendental loving service

resurrecting our natural identity / Bhagavatam background - Suta, Sukadeva & King Pariksit / bhakti mitigates material miseries / cats & monkeys / Krishna's energies - internal, external & marginal / we are like the beach, sometimes covered and sometimes uncovered / living in the moment / savant syndrome - underneath it all, nothing can touch the soul / true social justice requires equal vision - Bhagavad-gita 5.18 / Joan of Arc is Bhagavatam

sages hits #1 / Krishna takes everything away / Jesus didn't even have a watch / thanks to the listeners! / just a matter of time before our world gets shaken / transcending good & bad / Drona - Arjuna's guru / Vyasadeva's ashram high in the Himalayas / Krishna, God, Higher Power, Divine Source - let's not get caught up in the semantics / Vyasa's meditation / the 3 gunas / sattva guna expands the space between stimulus & response / our fundamental problem - misidentification with the mind & body / analogy of the moon's reflection on water

choose your addictions carefully / loving every living being - beyond externals / what is the duty of one about to die (all of us) / perspective - our senses are so limited / karma & free will / free will expands & contracts according to the choices we make / bhakti releases one from past karma / yoga as an access point out of samsara / you get what you get & don't be upset / Maya (illusion) keeps out the riffraff / religious language vs yogic language - sin = bad karma / Astrology as a form of metaphysical materialism / we think we're free, even when we are completely controlled

Raghu makes bhakti history on Joe Rogan / speaking with genuine conviction can be as strong as a well developed argument / summary - what is Srimad Bhagavatam / we are here to grow / Narada's meditation experience / even-mindedness through shifting externals is called yoga (Bhagavad-Gita 2.48) / fundamental misconception - happiness is found through external things / a peaceful mind is not the end goal - it is the platform for connecting with spiritual sound

what's next God? / time is short - we gotta get focused / gravity / the material world gets boring / we've got too much love to give to just one person / the 50's / bhakti accumulates / petty material things are like shadows / Narada's character, instructions, meditation & results / the interconnectedness of trees / how do you know it's a myth? / what do we build our faith on / it all can't come from nothing

Raghu's in Cali / everything we have is a gift from someone / Narada's perfection in meditation / the bhakti path - 9 steps from faith to divine love / be steady and do the basics / we're chasing forms that don't satisfy / flash melts / bhakti is a descending (not ascending) path

it's not about joining a club / focus on kindness & simplicity - drop the pettiness / you've been tricked to hate / simplicity means finding pleasure in the simple things / bhakti means transforming our desires - not our name or our clothes / this world is a jungle and we have to see God in the heart of all the creatures / Krishna appears in the heart of little Narada / Paramatma as the object of meditation / the value of initiation / there is a qualification to receive mantras - it's not done by whim / guru stuff vs guru fluff / study Srimad Bhagavatam to understand what is a real guru / guru, sadhu & shastra / some final words from bhakti Louis

retraction: the Council of Nicea / gulab jamuns for increasing church attendance / we are made up of the mercy of other people's love / spiritual form / sharing knowledge is the ultimate act of welfare / seeing all reversals as blessings / taking "Why is this happening to me!?" out of our rotation / Raghu's Scottish divine messenger / wandering alone as a spiritual practice / warning: never chase female owls / sadhus see God in the hearts of the dangerous animals / we need to walk more / we can also just sit & hear