Observe the nature of material enjoyment to see its false promise  / Expectations cause stress / attachments lead to anger / seeing the power of male/female connection beyond material enjoyment / happiness of the self is natural / the happiness born of the contact of the senses with objects is a mental concoction / Is there any happiness in a cigarette? SB 7.13.26-27 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Lao Tzu - “When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you” / sattva guna conditions one with a sense of happiness and knowledge - raja guna is born of unlimited desires and longings / we can’t snuff out our desires, we need to refine them / “When speaking in spiritual circles, one's statements must be upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying.” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami / seek the blessings of the Vaishnavas at important forks in the road / desires cause transmigration through the different species of life / human life is the junction - where you can break free / you don’t want to be reborn as a dove! Or a deer! Or a human for that matter! SB 7.13.23-25 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Thoreau experiences the unearthly nature of the Vedas / Thoreau’s balance of contemplation and activism / The Vedas feel nonsectarian, because Vyasadeva isn’t trying to wrestle you into immediate submission to the highest truth - he nudges you to take the next step in your evolution / Prahlad was able to recognize the Python man as special, because Vishnu instructed him in the heart / Kaustubha goes to jail / Krishna gives instructions in the heart according to the manner of their surrender / everyone follows Krishna’s path in all respects / karmis, jnanis, yogis, and bhaktas all all on the same path at different degrees of success SB 7.13.22 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Raghunath interviews the award winning (and his personal favorite) musical group Madhava’s Rock Band! Find out more about Madhavas Rock Band at https://www.youtube.com/madhavasrockband and support their girls' education initiative in Nandagao at https://www.projectkrish.com **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

How can I transition from a spiritual seeker into a deeper Bhakti practitioner, and quell my doubts when reading sacred texts? / How to stay even minded and not lose relationships during a divisive election season? / How to know where to put your spiritual focus / Why do bad things happen to good people? **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

becoming aware of yourself as the witness of the mind / pause and ask yourself, “where is my mind right now?” / change your thoughts, change your life / when Narayana predominates one’s heart, then their transcendental eyes are revealed / make some room for Krishna in the heart / Krishna is simultaneously eager for us to turn to him, and accommodating to our will to choose not to / The journey to reach Krishna through the layers of the cosmos / Krishna’s embrace and sweet words when we return SB 7.13.19-22 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

"There are the saints of every day, the 'hidden' saints, to which we can all belong" - Pope Francis / Tolstoy's hidden saint Pashenka / our sincerity is soiled by desire for human praise / Pralahd goes in search of the hidden saints / we shouldn't attempt to understand the pas of a Vaisnava / a saintly person may not expose himself to the vision of human society / the most humble are the most glorious SB: 7.13.10-13 **************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

6 things a sannyasi should avoid / even non-sannyasis can take some essential teachings from the sannyasi regulations / we need some people, with both feet in the spiritual realm, wandering around the material realm / avoid literature without spiritual benefit / avoid making a living by making a living / avoid indulging in arguments and counterarguments / Daniel Dennett's the 4 steps to arguing intelligently / Bhaktivedanta Swami's multi-faceted approaches / Sri Caitanya's method of argument / avoid alluring disciples with material benefits / avoid reading many books / avoid increasing material opulences unnecssarily SB: 7.13.7-9 ************************************************************************************ LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com. WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

a vow of silence can mean simply refraining from mundane talk / The power of our words, thoughts and presence / a little self-disgust can be a big breakthrough / our thoughts can move us through the universe and beyond / Raghu and Kaustubha communicate nonviolently / wherever you are, you can be in a holy place / Pilgrimage shows a world revolving around God / Arjuna asks Krishna about one whose consciousness is merged in transcendence. How does he speak? - how neither praises or criticizes the pleasant and unpleasant aspects of this world / not getting caught up in praise or criticism allows space to observe the power of time - Krishna impersonal representation SB 7.13.5-6 ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶ CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

dealing with the assassination attempt - wishing well for both the shooter and the shot / appreciating the compassion of care-givers / the power of the Bhagavad-gita’s vibration / the regulations are designed to facilitate essential realizations / be like the dried coconut – embodied but detached from the body / the magic happens when we stretch out of our comfort zone / sannyasi regulations - wander every day, go naked, carry no bags / sannyasi realizations - satisfied in the self, peaceful, well-wishing friend of everyone, dependent solely on God / see God in everything and everything in God SB 7.13.1-4 ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶ CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Alexandra Tirsu is recognized as one of the leading violinists of her generation and a devoted Bhakti-yogini. Here, Kaustubha interviews her about the intersection of her two worlds, that of Bhakti-yoga and the high pressure world as a solo violinist in classical music. Topics include…. •⁠  ⁠Feeling spirituality in music •⁠  ⁠Self discipline in music & Bhakti •⁠  ⁠The power of repetition in practice •⁠  ⁠The affection between teacher and student •⁠  ⁠How Bhakti helps one to negotiate high pressure environments ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶ CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Is Good Karma Bad & Bad Karma Good? / What if I’m  not attracted to Krsna for some of His qualities like wealth and fame? Check out Bhaktivedanta Institute's inaugural summer school at https://www.youtube.com/@bihstudies/streams ****************************************************  ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶ CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

the Universal plot - consciousness trapped in ego-based self interest gradually becoming free / a better way to frame out the world / “why me?” and “it’s not fair!” are mantras of maya / these social codes and austerities prepare one to see God everywhere / codes for retirement to the forest / dissolving the body & mind by meditation / standing alone as spirit - in the body but separate from it / our bodies, senses, mind, etc. have all been loaned to us and must be returned to their owners, the Devas / perfect knowledge of the self constitutes merging of the material body into the five material elements SB 7.12.16-31   ****************************************************  ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶ CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sage

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius  / So why do we always try to find happiness by adjusting the externals? / what if everyone was thinking higher thoughts? / the yoga mat is just the doormat / all the regulations of the yoga culture are designed for improving the quality of our thoughts - if we forget that, we miss the point / the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman / the sage sees everyone with equal vision / all the leaders need spiritual training / Mahabharata and the Puranas are validated by the Upanishads as "Panchama Veda" - the 5th Veda / Srimad Bhagavatam is the commentary of the Vedanta Sutra by the author himself / all the regulations are there to help us see how God is in everything, and not in everything SB: 7.12.10-15 ***************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

Raghunath's early enthusiasm self-discipline / Kaustubha leaves NY behind / mind over matter and spirit over mind / understanding the high guardrails of Vedic culture / everyone loves a doting mother / Prabhupada's cultural flexibility SB: 7.12.8-9 ***************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

there is  the pain of discipline or the pain of regret / reflecting with appreciation at our training as young monks / the power of the discipline of rising early / phone discipline / the connection between rising late and depression / the tradition of begging on behalf of the guru / the thoughtfulness of the approaching sexuality in yoga culture / becoming a virtuous, well-disciplined young man / the guru's intolerance of incompetence is just what we needed / how boys think and speak about girls - with self-discipline (as a yogi) or without self-discipline (the modern West) / the 7 mothers SB: 7.12.4-7 ************************************************************************ LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

the social codes found in the yoga tradition are designed to facilitate ease in self-discipline and higher thoughts / the only requirement to be in this club is an affection for Krishna / followers of the Veda claim that it is apaurusheya, "not created by any person" / in meditative trance, sages became living receptors of the vibrating knowledge of the cosmos / reading minds & controlling the minds of others - it's all real! / days-rasa - the genuine affection felt for a teacher or master / hypocrisy creates skepticism a healthy type of submission / when Western people portray a healthy form of submission they commonly look toward the East SB: 7.12.1-3 ****************************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

Acyuta Gopi is a legendary kirtan singer, writer, award winning poet, storyteller and mother. In this interview she and Kaustubha discuss her feelings of isolation as a young devotee in New York City's public schools, her growing faith in Bhakti in her teens, the profound experience of childbirth, developing inner dialogues with God, and how spiritual practice opens us up to finding "perfect moments" any time, anywhere. Find more information from Acyuta Gopi at the following: WEBSITE: https://www.acyutagopi.me/about YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@acyutagopi FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/acyutagopi INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/govindagirl_acyutagopi *************************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com  WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages      

How to get through heartbreak? / Is the "Ritvik" idea of disciple succession legitimate? ************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

"Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others" - Horace Jackson Brown Jr. / antah sukha (inner happiness) - when you understand that your happiness is not dependent on anything external you'll no longer feel that you have to impose your needs on others, or change others / sometimes God tags a person, a podcast, or a pakora / inner happiness frees up the mind and heart to care for others / the caveat - if everyone's not playing their roles it all falls apart / drops can feed a fire and a flood can extinguish it / birth in a particular family helps shape us, but doesn't confirm our qualifications SB: 7.11.28-35 *************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com and hit Join Now WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages      

SB: 7.11.18-27 'I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everythign else' / the faulty logic that demands empiric evidence / "Mother is all around us" / the symptoms of a brahmana / the sympoms of a warrior / the symptoms of the business leader / the symptoms of the employee / the qualities of a dharmic wife ******************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages.com LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

pure, naked spiritual encounter vs designer label spiritual fads / the real stumbling block to Bhakti is hypocrisy / dealing with the Western triggers to Eastern thought / understanding Vedic hierarchies / respect is both functional and fundamental / why is it better to do your own duty imperfectly, than another's perfectly? / the world is in a state of emergency - we need more Brahmanas SB:7.11.15-17 *********************************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED PODCAST AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love...and then we return home / the quality of our questions determines the quality of our lives / when we become capable of loving we return home / are the ancient ethical codes relevant to us today? / wouldn't it be better if our leaders were trained in leadership? / all ethics and codes are meant to bring you to devotion / the Vedic solution to toxic masculinity / the spiritual leaders are meant to direct the business leaders in caring for their employees ********************************************************************************* LIKE THE SHOW?: WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com to register! WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

How to share the wisdom of Bhakti with someone who is afraid of death? / How to process the experience of seeing people leave the path of Bhakti? ****************************************************  ▶ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶ CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

Consciousness has building blocks? OK, then go ahead and build us some / Why not admit that the Bhagavad-gita's presentation on consciousness still holds up? / you can't observe spirit with material instruments / consciousness is the irreducible symptom of spirtiual energy / originally it wasn't a "caste system", it was a code of ethics and leadership training / want the power and fame? You can be number 2. Wanna be number one? You've gotta give up everything. ****************************************************************** LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTING MEMBER https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@widomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages

The Surgeon General calls for warning labels on social media platforms / social media scrolling is like injecting stupidity straight into our veins / unsubscribe, unfollow turn it off and go outside / sattva doesn’t sell anymore / Mara is reprograming Raghu’s phone / until we regulate our senses we’re just polished animals / remaining silent and grave / contemplate whether one is the body or the soul / Give in charity if you wanna be human / contemplate that every one is part of god / hearing about the activities and instructions given by Krishna SB 7.11.8-11 Sign up now for 5th Annual Wisdom of the Sages in Tuscany-- 30 June - 7th July, 2025. https://retreatsquare.wetravel.com/trips/wisdom-of-the-sages-2025-5th-anniversary-retreat-square-21368255 ▶️ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶️ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶️ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶️ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶️ CONNECT: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages // https://www.wisdomofthesages.com

the pristine consciousness  of the sage Narada / the best of the A list sages / 2 ways in which Krishna is the root of all dharma / the formula for satisfying the soul / Don’t end up majoring in minor things / let's not water down the meaning of ahimsa / how rendering service to saintly persons saved Raghunath & Kaustubha / we’ve been living like kids in candy stores with credit cards SB 7.11.1-10 Ayurveda Mama: A Comprehensive Guide to Preparing for Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum https://a.co/d/08GfbCnZ ▶️ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶️ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶️ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶️ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶️ CONNECT: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages // https://www.wisdomofthesages.com  

Willow’s “Symptom of Life” is bringing Vedic contemplation into Pop culture / The Bhagavad-gita’s art of work - give your full effort, and be resigned to destiny / just hear Krishna’s pastimes to understand the highest absolute truth / We’ve got everything- breathwork, shape shifting, exercise, cooking, wisdom, conspiracy theories… / pushing and peeling myself out of my disguise / pushing and peeling the layers that cover my mind  / pain as the prompt to change  / all you know has vanished again / transcending virtue and sin SB 7.10.64-70 See Willow's Tiny Desk concert at  https://youtu.be/DmC2QQESN6E?si=KaLDwgJX22-Fd4Uw   ▶️ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶️ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:  https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages ▶️ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶️ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶️ CONNECT: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages // https://www.wisdomofthesages.com

What does it mean to belong to Radha & Krishna? / Questions around feasting and fasting in Bhakti-yoga ▶️ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ ▶️ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:    https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages ▶️ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 ▶️ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK:  https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 ▶️ CONNECT: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages // https://www.wisdomofthesages.com

astrology: mature vs superficial applications / Srimad Bhagavatam is the key to understanding all of the Vedic sacred texts / Krishna is the person behind the spiritual energy / Krishna is beyond the demigods / Shiva and the Devas saved by Krishna / The unseen power of providence can turn our agenda upside down / bypassing the logical malfunction that reality must be according to our liking / we are tiny, and dependent, but we also have a type of unlimited power SB 7.10.50-64   **************************************************** ▶️ LOVE THE PODCAST? -- BECOME A SUPPORTER: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/   ▶️ WATCH ON YOUTUBE:    https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages   ▶️ LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485   ▶️ CONNECT ON FACEBOOK:  https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108   ▶️ CONNECT: //Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages // https://www.wisdomofthesages.com    

on friendship / on forgiveness / on aging / on prayer / on pain / on death   ********************************************************************************* LOVE THE SHOW? WE ARE A COMMUNITY SUPPORTED PODCAST AND WE'D LOVE YOUR SUPPORT! Visit https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/ WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485 CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages      

How to understand the fate of one who has taken their own life? / How to help our children become God conscious? / Is there a place for hallucinogens in Bhakti? ************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? -- WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO BECOME A SUPPORTER: Visit www.wisdomofthesages.com to see how to sign up! WATCH ON YOUTUBE: -- https://youtube.com/@wisdomofthesages LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108 CONNECT ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/wisdom_of_the_sages  

   

Inferring the Divine string holding everything together / 3 levels of the absolute truth / Krishna is the most attentive friend / Krishna’s not our stepping stone / We are individual, eternal sparks of the divine / Sacrifice means understanding we are not the center / Krishna is the unconditional love we’re looking for SB 7.10.48-49

the ability to ask a question of great consequence is a power laying dormant within us / ask the BIG questions / in order to receive rewarding answers, what is important for the questioner? / marrying our purpose / enjoyment, renunciation or dedication? / what is the lesson? - an aphorism to shift from negative to positive thinking / our power is always in the present moment / full attention

How can we transcend karma? / How should someone on a spiritual path react when todl they are being passive aggressive? / Why does Krishan appeal to Arjuna on a materialistic level in the Bhagavad-gita?

Bhrigupad Das (Mans Broo) is a lecturer in Religious Studies at Abo Akademi University. He gained his PhD in 2003 with a thesis on the guru in Gaudiya Vaishnavism. 

What if this isn’t THE reality? / Leo Tolstoy - “Our life is but one of the dreams of that more real life, and so it is endlessly, until the very last one, the very real life of God.” / video games are double illusion / our desire for movies, VR, and fantasy reveal that illusion doesn’t satisfy - we need to go back to reality / even the evil king Sishupala has a back story / karma - acknowledging our own responsibility in our suffering helps us heal and cultivates virtue / how to develop a spiritual body - full absorption in seeing God everywhere / there’s regular Dharma, and then there is Bhagavat Dharma / just by hearing about Krishna one is liberated / the truth will set you free SB 7.10.40-47

a traditional yogi's appreciation of Bhakti in the West / the irony of how the claim of cultural appropriation can play into the hands of the oppressors / reincarnation in Johnathon Livingston Seagull / the fallacy of original sin / the fallacy of eternal damnation / the logical strength of reincarnation / the fallacy of reunion in heaven / Raghunath brings the Dhammapada to His Christian Club / contemplate and feel the distinction between your self, mind and body / the full evolution is love / our meditation on determines our destination SB 7.10.36-39

“In order to love your enemies, you must begin by analyzing your self." — Martin Luther King Jr. / the worst thing you can do for your spiritual life / in the healthy state of awareness, Krishna’s name makes us cry / resentment and anger shrivels us up / cultivating gratitude - we can’t control other people, but we can control our attitudes / best to leave murders and psychopaths for professionals / shifting from the vision of bodily differences to spiritual commonality / except for the uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this world / We need to feel “All These people are here, but primarily, I’m always living with God in my heart.” SB 7.10.30-35 Check out www.Kavachadesigns.com and use Coupon code wots30 for 30% off — valid for three days only !

George Harrison on the only reason we’re on this planet / we live in a virtual reality governed by the law of karma / breaking the addiction to external pleasures through addiction to internal experience / stay in the kirtan and keep the vibe high / when Raghu and Kaustubha will be like when they get old / Krishna gets personally involved in the karmic destiny of His devotees / tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam - do that as an offering to Me / Bhakti relieves the fever of anxiety /  Guru nishta can change our karmic destiny / the automated penal system of Karma / from the germ up to Indra, they all get their karma / what if we could see the karmic course of our own past lives? SB 7.10.27-29

“Getting distracted by trifles is the easiest thing in the world… Focus on your main duty.” - Epictetus / if you sincerely want Truth, that’s god consciousness / duty drags you back on track / western vs eastern attitudes toward duty / Too much choice makes a person miserable / duty makes the mind more peaceful / duty is prescribed specifically according to one’s mindset / the days of the employer / we’re indebted to our forefathers, the great sages, human society, etc. / one connected with the Supreme has no more debts / Brahma’s non-envious demeanor / all yogic rules and regulations serve one goal - to always remember Krishna SB 7.10.23-26

I want to be initiated into the path of Bhakti but I struggle to chant the required 16 rounds per day, so I feel guilty - can you please share some advice? / How can I keep myself and my daughter on the path of Bhakti when we live far away from other devotees? / Can you explain the analogy from Srimad Bhagavatam - that when one’s face is decorated, the reflection of one’s face in a mirror is also decorated?   Check out our new website at www.wisdomofthesages.com

It does not matter that you are in the material world - so long as you stay connected through hearing spiritual content / St. Francis’s counterintuitive formula for life / the courage to lead a spiritual life / St. Francis gets naked / your net worth is your spirit to contribute / by bringing your awareness to the purity of a devotee's love, our own awareness is purified / decorating oneself with the qualities of patience, tolerance, and kindness, etc. / devotees purify all places SB 7.10.13-22

Thomas Merton on climbing the ladder of success / analyze what your win is before you start the hustle / in a generation or two we will be forgotten / the Bhakti-yogi’s goal is a pure, soft heart / accepting that we are both very close and very far from the goal / “As soon as we have material desires, we lose our spiritual identity.” - Bhaktivedanta Swami / even as we live in the material world, by regularly hearing the sacred texts, our hearts and minds remain absorbed in spirit SB 7.10.8-12

Can there be competition on the spiritual platform? / can there be fear on the spiritual platform? / “Your problem is that you are not afraid enough of maya” A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami / by contemplating the objects of the senses ……. / 2 types of perfected Bhakti Yogis - the eternally perfect and those who achieve perfection through practice / “love” desiring material benefit in exchange for their devotional service is no better than a merchant / a “master” who bestows benedictions motivated by a desire for prestigious is just as bad / filtering out all the impurities that contaminate pure love in the heart / We’re all searching for unconditional love SB 7.10.1-7

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." - Kahlil Gibran / if external beauty is our currency, the market is gonna crash / for the Bhakti-yogi - the primary concern is the quality of their own heart / somehow, winning the lottery doesn’t buy happiness / one can reframe life’s struggle and pain as a purification of the heart / if we lean into Bhakti (and focused on the internal work) we could solve the world’s problems / religion doesn’t cause war - but the superficial understanding of it does / you’ve gotta start working on not being a dirty old man when you’re young / the more entitled we are, the less happy / satisfy the root, all the leaves are satisfied / foreshadowing the rasa of the 10th canto SB 7.9.52-54

It’s not ALL about the journey - there is a goal to yoga / OM is the bow;  the self is the arrow; God is said to the target / Marcus Aurelius on having a purpose to direct every thought and impulse toward / when Raghu received the pretentious “Do less” instruction / Bhagavad-gita showed how to focus all of your worldly responsibilities as part of your spiritual goal / the hodgepodge lodge of spirituality / the relative value of silence, vows, study, austerities, duties, mantras, etc. / spiritual posers / all becomes revealed through love and service SB 7.9.46-51

Where does desire reside, in the mind or in the self? / Is everything Krishna’s grace, or are there pockets of free will where His Grace doesn’t penetrate? / How to give life advice to someone who is resistant? / How to keep an elevated mind when experiencing chronic pain? / How to make my life an offering?

How can I learn tolerance and not get upset with people? / What should I keep in mind when raising my children? / How to explain my Bhakti practice to people who don’t like the fact that I have changed?

“Caught in that sensual music all neglect, Monuments of unageing intellect.” – William Butler Yeats / all the great wisdom traditions were able to recognize the inability for sense gratification to deliver happiness / the devotee has one optimistic eye and one pessimistic eye / your senses have their own agenda for you / Prahlad doesn’t want to be delivered alone / sex desire is like an itch - the more you scratch it the more it itches SB 7.9.40-45

John Coltrane – “God breathes through us so completely, so gently we hardly feel it, yet, it is our everything.” / spirituality starts as a vague intuition there’s more / Coltrane’s symbolism of Divine love in all 12 keys / the greatest secret of the sacred text -  there is a person behind everything and He can be connected to through love / Vishnu as the soul of the universe / the universe manifests as a tree grows from a seed / Brahma meditates and discovers God spread throughout his own body and senses / Little Prahlad drops the universal manual in our laps! SB 7.9.32-38

The Nrisimha Avatara’s heart frolics with his own playful pastimes / He fascinates the great sages / He enlightens His devotees from within their hearts / although ferocious, He is very soft and kind to devotees / He is here and there and everywhere / Prahlad’s gratitude to his guru / Prahlad identifies Vishnu as the designer behind the universe’s design / the inconceivable brilliance in the design of the elm seed / we are not creators we are manipulators SB 7.9.28-31 A Girl Can Touch The Sky continues its theatrical release following sold-out screenings with Q & A sessions in Birmingham, U.K., and Dublin, Ireland. The NYC screening with Q & A chaired by Shikha Uberoi (India’s former No.1 professional tennis player and social entrepreneur) has been confirmed for Saturday, June 22nd, 6-8 pm as part of the Her Vision International Film Festival at Slate, Manhattan. Tickets can be purchased at https://slate.ticketsauce.com/e/4th-annual-her-vision-international-film-festival/tickets You can see the trailer, reviews and the link to book tickets at www.agirlcantouchthesky.com  

Leo Tolstoy - “Joy can only be real if people look upon their life as a service and have a definite object in life outside themselves and their personal happiness.” / figuring  out how to use your gift as an offering / material enjoyment is junk food-  service is nourishment / the unique Bhakti idea of serving the servant / the whole point is to be connected / desires for future happiness are like a mirage in the desert / the counterintuitive truth - true happiness is derived though serving other (not through being served) / Lord Vishnu is impartial SB 7.9.24-27

all the great wisdom cultures draw our attention to our helplessness to the force of time / all your money won't another minute buy / the 3 modes of material nature - without our knowledge, external influences are working their way into your mind / basically, we’re all like defiant teenagers / ahem… um, debating Christian and atheist philosophers, the concept of karma kind of solves the whole thing / we’re being crushed by the wheel of time / Prahlad’s perspective as a witness of the destruction of a materialist at the highest level SB 7.9.20-23

While serving in active duty as a sergeant in the US Army in war-torn Iraq, Partha-sarathi Dasa maintained his devotion and encouraged it in the hearts of others.

Why don’t you guys present a higher Vedic standard? / Why don’t you guys present a more tolerant standard? / How can I support someone who doesn't share my beliefs?

reading the world's patterns, recognizing the truths operating through them, coming to terms with those truths / the Taoist law of reverted effort - when humans try to fix things by their actions, the effect will be the exact opposite of that desired / the great paradox of our time: everything is both better and worse than ever before / material pursuit guarantees material problems / are we resisting the internal growth our problems are designed to initiate / happiness is found in the never changing, misery is found in the ever-changing SB 7.9.17-19

"Your future, your hard dangerous path is this: to mature and to find God in yourselves.” Herman Hesse / we’ve gone from letters, to emails, to written text messages, to emojis / we’ve gone from Shakespeare, to movies, to YouTube, to scrolling reels / focus on the higher call – let go of petty annoyances / Michael Jordan’s vices and virtues  / Vishnu’s nature is innately, completely satisfied / frustration through resistance to the flow of giving to Krishna / the comfort in atheism SB 7.9.10-17

selfishness is the core of our bondage / the quality of your heart, while giving, makes a difference / world peace can’t be done? / why Bhakti is translated as devotional service / faith without works is dead / eternal love is a higher aspiration than eternal peace / Prahlad's prayer with a heart softened by love / why our material opulences can’t touch the heart of God SB 7.9.4-9

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, love.” - St. Augustine / in fighting over inessential details we miss the essence / Bhagavatam is sarva-vedānta-sāraṁ - the essence of all the Vedic literature / if the inessential details aren’t bringing us to the essence, we can drop them / the mind unburdened by material concerns can appreciate the mercy of Vishnu / even anger and thievery can bring you closer to God / the paw or the claw SB 7.8.54 - 7.9.3

“We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” – origin unknown / we each perceive the world through a uniquely programed mind /  Religion = regulation for the purpose of checking sin, Yoga = regulation for purpose of clear perception / one must carefully choose and maintain the files downloaded to the mind / the Nagas are concerned with wealth and sex / the yogi will voluntarily give up wealth and sex for truth perception / prayers from different planetary perspectives SB 7.8.47-53

Where Does All the Darkness in the world come from? / How to deal with the struggle of re-integrating after returning from a spiritual pilgrimage? / Who were the 6 Goswami’s of Vrindavan and what was their role?

the burdens of hate and resentment / “Some of the worst things in my life never even happened” - Mark Twain / the attractiveness of the unburdened / Bhagavatam juxtaposes the burdened and the unburdened / Brahma expresses wonder / brahma gives credit for creation to Vishnu / Shiva gives credit for destruction to Vishnu / Indra’s prayer and lamentation of mixed devotion / Vishnu dissipates the gloom in our hearts / austerity can bring about creative power and lucid thought / The forefathers were burdened with concerned about sacrifice / The siddha yogis were concerned about their mystic abilities being restored / The Vidyādharas were concerned about the knowledge they attain through meditation SB 7.8.40-46

“Sometimes you have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” - Miles Davis / Krishna gets lost in his own play / first we follow the rules until we can play spontaneously / Lila is both playful and didactic / our divine love is warped by the element of selfishness / understanding the false representations of the original rasas reflected in the material world / boiling away the ego and programing in the mind to get to the self / we’re practicing to fall in love out of this world / they had better airplanes in the past / the joyful scene of the fall of the tyrant / sages, yogis, singers, dancers, zombies, snake people, bird people - Vishnu’s Dharshan make the Met Gala seem pale in comparison SB 7.8.32-39

Lila refers to Krishna's play, in the dramatic sense, as well as in the sense of child's play or ease / Rasa refers to the particular loving mood relished in the exchange of love with Krishna / it's not that Krishna's lila is modeled after the drama of this world, rather it's the other way around / the sages borrowed construct from the Sanskrit dramatist to explain Krishna's lilas / it's all happening to heighten the experience of love / Hiranyakasipu's horrific threat / Nrisimhadeva's rasa of anger / Nrisimhadeva's heightens the love and satisfies Pralad, Brahma, and the Devas / without the darkness of this world we would never develop the determination to let it all go SB 7.8.24-30

“Every one who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe.” - Albert Einstein / both the believer and the skeptic are investing faith / Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help.” - May Sarton / climbing the hill at Tirupati / “Is your God in this pillar?” / all varieties of Avatars spring from Krishna / Sri Nrsimhadeva appears to taste the ferocious anger of pure love / demons get the claw, devotees get the paw / when your ego collapses. SB 7.8.11-24

“The clue to the meaning of ultimate reality is found in personality.” Dr. Martin Luther King / our understanding of our shared connection to God dissolves our divisive mentalities / denial of the Personality behind the Universe removes the element of gratitude from our thinking / Ishvara in the yoga sutras is a “special person” / the Supreme Person energizes our senses, bodies and minds / “Except for the uncontrolled and misguided mind, there is no enemy within this world.” - Sri Prahlad / the real enemies are within SB 7.8.7-10

How do I find a Krishna a conscious way to prepare my family pet and the environment for his death? / I know we place significant importance on actually saying the mantra out loud, but is my method a legitimate way to chant? / How can one meet a guru if they live far from a temple? If you have a question, e-mail us at [email protected]

Is self-replication the measure of life? / is there a sufficient level of intelligence for matter to become conscious? / is there an “emergent property” that creates consciousness? / is Brian Cox really “damn sure” that consciousness is physical (our could it be that it is just very subtle)? / “Because He is subtle, He is beyond the power of the material senses to see or to know.” - Bhagavad-gita 13.16 / “the living entity, even though situated in varieties of bodies, is aloof from them due to his subtle nature… therefore it is impossible to see with the material eyes … no one in science can ascertain this.” - Bhaktivedanta Swami / what is the compulsion of empiricists to deny the existence of the soul? / Prahlad converts his school / Prahlad triggers his father / just as different grades of fire all derive heat and light from the sun, we all drive our power from the same source SB 7.8.1-7

seeing life’s problems as tests, and rising to meet them / even-mindedness when all are losing their heads / all the great saints had to respond to persecution / the impostors of Triumph and Disaster / pretentiousness as the next level of the test / always responding with positive energy / passing through the world, uncorrupted / no one is barred from Bhakti / neither charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness, etc. can move Krishna - he’s waiting for pure love / the mature vision - beyond religious symbols and externals - recognizing God in everyone SB 7.7.48-55

“Beware of over-concern for money, or position, or glory. Someday you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are.” - Rudyard Kipling / the emptiness that drives us to seek fulfillment through externals / the treasure in the heart of the sadhu / affection for others running through affection for Krishna / prema is the wealth that makes everything else appear pale / the steady engagement in releasing, accepting and stepping up one notch / the ocean of eternal happiness / “This is misery, but it gives me a laugh…. All that is left of this family life is a list of names.” - Bhaktivedanta Swami / “I gradually take away all the wealth of those upon whom I am merciful.” - Krishna / with Krishna, there’s beauty in destitution SB 7.7.45-47

“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” - Friedrich Nietzsche / don’t be afraid to turn it all upside down / “It makes no material sense” / The George Costanza Approach - do the opposite /  these mantras are timeless / the pessimistic eye (towards the material world) and the optimistic eye (towards the spiritual world) / 2 radically different ways of thinking about the body - (1) it’s destined to be food for the worms, (2) it belongs to others / there are 2 people in your body (and the other one created it) / Truth Blockers - Attachment, Fear & Resentment / sorry, we don’t accommodate those kind of thoughts in this mind SB 7.7.43-45

all our conveniences are making our minds less patient / less patient minds are less happy / as soon as you endeavor for happiness it backfires / change your algorithms / you can’t be happy unless you’re satvic / break the doomscrolling cycles / a zoomed out perspective of history / a wise person develops simplicity / for small things we complicate our lives / this AI isn’t the future we hoped for SB 7.7.40-42 Check out Raghunath on the Rich Roll podcast at https://youtu.be/BLopUQdMIGk?si=xNJMpiZ-46qqLK2c

What is your Bhakti-yoga elevator pitch? / Did Sri Chaitanya know He was Krishna? /  If we are not the body, why is it important that our ashes are thrown in the Ganges river after we die?

Celebrate Episode 1300 with us as we hear testimonials from Wisdom of the Sages listeners about how the podcast, Bhakti & Srimad Bhagavatam have transformed their lives. Check out Timothy Todd's t shirts at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Timothytoddtshirts

We don’t realize the burden that’s weighing us down (resentment, anger, fear, etc.) like a dreadlocked, homeless dog / "It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men." - Jean de la Bruyere / Jatayu was a complete success / evolution of motive from Karma to Jnana to Bhakti / good intentions are everything / Bhakti delivers brahma-nirvāṇa / Krishna is easily accessible, being the friend in the heart of everyone / material good fortune is flickering / Krishna gives us what we need- we don’t need to save clutter / cluttered space means cluttered mind SB 7.7.37-39

Can you kindly explain the “three principal energies?” -Internal, External and Marginal? / Can you speak on the dance between faith in guru vs. having a relationship that is overly dependent? / As a neophyte devotee, how do I get the taste for praying?

Is dancing in your home as powerful as dancing in the temple?

Raghunath’s dream instruction / definitions of humility / Kaustubha’s dream instruction / time changes everything - take care not to devalue or hurt anyone / the material world prunes our self image / Lexus today, Gremlin tomorrow / the challenge to the ego of shaving the head / advanced spirituality appearing as madness / advanced spirituality appearing as material attachment / just one wandering sense can send you completely adrift / burning the seeds of material desires to ashes / transforming matter to spirit SB 7.7.35-36

don’t just be a critic - plant a seed in the ground - do something, no matter how small! / the shame in the game of the critic / the tension, the waiting period, the resolution / focus on growth in the waiting period / Sri Caitanya’s visit to Varanasi / humility through understanding one’s blissful nature / the sannyasis of Varanasi discover the nectar of Bhakti Vedanta SB 7.7.34

Bhagvatam’s prescription - focus the mind on Krishna, see Krishna in everyone / Yoga Sutra’s prescription - focus the mind in general, relate to others with sattvic clarity / the disinterest of the referee / comparison is the thief of joy - the dangers of social media / friendship toward those who are happy, compassion toward those in distress, joy toward those who are virtuous, equanimity toward those who are non-virtuous / the evolution from equanimity to empathy / the dissolution of one’s lower nature SB 7.7.30-33

Kaustubha explores questions about the application of modern mental health therapies in the context of the practice of Bhakti-yoga with Relationship Counselor, Dhanya Rico and Hospital Chaplain, Kula Pradipa Das. Find Dhanya's newest song at  https://open.spotify.com/album/17HCyp59thGRtJPUhyKAUi?si=iczTCsYTRPCefe4vvILAew

Bhakti is the confidential teachings of Vedanta / the heart needs to be opened to understand Bhakti / compassion through not asking “what is their karma?”, but instead asking “what is my dharma?” / individuality should not be suppressed / Education not indoctrination - how to think, not what to think / the role of menial service / understanding bhakti is not merely academic - it involves both inquiry (to gain information), and service (to purify the heart) / Eastern vs Western attitudes towards hierarchies SB 7.7.29-31

the self is a flashlight; wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep are the layers that cover its illumination / are we any less helpless in the waking state, than we are in the dream? / just as the changing body is not me, the same is true for the changing mind / anchoring our awareness in something beyond change / 2 yogas - turning consciousness away from the world and directing it to the source of the world / moving through this world as an actor with awareness of the director and the nature of the film / our fundamental identities and our functional identities / extending the duration of our moments of spiritual awareness / harmonizing our external pursuits with our internal values / moving forward with balance SB 7.7.28-29

Kaustubha Interviews Krishna Kshetra Swami (Dr Kenneth Valpey) on the specialty of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the importance of the reoccurring theme of hospitality found in its narratives. Find his upcoming course at  https://ochsonline.org/course/bhagavata-purana-sacred-text-tradition/

On the day of its official release, Raghunath and Kaustubha read from and discuss Raghunath's memoir From Punk to Monk, available at https://a.co/d/bqccpnS

Is it primitive to believe that the eclipse is inauspicious? If you have questions, e-mail us at [email protected]

Its okay to be a dented can / de-mything the sacred texts / in whatever you shine in, you become an influencer / our karma gives us a recipe for future experiences / as changing aromas are evidence of the air that carries them, changing states of awareness are evidence of the soul that experiences them / just as one knows all things made of clay by knowing a piece of clay, one can know everything by knowing Krishna / our material experience is like a bad dream (unwanted and temporary) SB 7.7.25-27

to understand “what is the meaning of life?”, we first need to understand “who am I?” / Is our happiness coming from the soul or the ego? / purifying the mind through self analysis / the self is distinct from from all things that undergo creation, maintenance and destruction / life doesn’t develop from the body - the body develops from life / what’s the real creation myth? / attachment, fear and anger block perception of the divine / Einstein’s humility SB 7.7.24

Can you clarify the practice of japa for a relative newcomer like me? / What does it mean to "take shelter” of Krishna & Radha?

“I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves”? - Ludwig Wittgenstein / athāto brahma-jijñāsā - now is the time to inquire about the Absolute Truth / people get intoxicated by their good karma / the soul is the observer / a spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body / One must find the soul by analysis, saying, “This is not it. This is not it.” / My body and mind are shape shifters / Epstein Island and the dark places we go when we are drunk on the world  SB 7.7.21-23 Follow our podcast schedule at https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaQQ4xcGehEHtihNwq1X http://bit.ly/WOTSCAL

win the hearts of Brijbasis / there are no external disqualifications for Bhakti / hearing with faith is the key / figuring out life begins with “I’m not my body” and ends with seeing Krishna everywhere / artificial consciousness is a bluff / the empiricists have moved the goalposts / the most important questions of life lie beyond the scope of material science / if this philosophy is right, everything I know is wrong / look deeper into the Autostereogram until you see the self realization  SB 7.7.17-20

“The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation and we, (Lawyers) and scientists, don’t know how to do that.” - Gus Speth / God has empowered all of us in different ways (the politician has a role and the monk has a role) / the material world is designed to crack your shell / Narada instructs Prahlad in the womb / are women less intelligent than men? / cold-hearted, analytical Jnana vs the tender affection of Bhakti / Srimad Bhagavatam elevates the feminine disposition / Srila Prabhupada’s pride in his tradition breaking female disciples SB 7.7.1-16

Raghunath and Kaustubha interview HD Goswami about his new translation of the Mahabharata.

On the occasion of the appearance anniversary of Sri Chaitanya, Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss how special and important He is, even among the avatars of Krishna.

Is it ok to have friendships with people who are not Krishna bhaktas / Is it ok to get wisdom and truths from teachers who are not Krishna bhaktas / What are your recommendations for a devotee who lives too far from a Temple?

being used for a mighty purpose vs being a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances / the power of revolving around the Divine principle / we avoid diversions such as nonconstructive criticism, gossip, and politics / the world is our reform school / the essence that lies beyond religion / Sri Caitanya’s talks with Ramananda Raya / the false expectations of love we receive from films / sage level 4 / Bhakti is understood not simply by reading books, but by receiving it from someone who embodies it / becoming endowed you with all the favors bestowed upon a gentle disciple SB 7.6.26-30

“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” - Albert Camus / find philosophy you can live / Prahlad is pure to the core and entirely rebellious / what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation? / Bhagavatam rebels against the message of the previous Vedic texts / In the Vedas Indra is the hero - in the Bhagavatam Vritrasura is the hero / the innocence of Sukadeva / the pure-hearteness of Pariksit / you’ve gotta want Krishna  / liberation is like going to a water park all by yourself SB 7.6.25

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" 1 Corinthians 3.16 / religion is more concerned with salvation - spirituality is more concerned with transformation / access to God is easy because 1) you are intimately related to Him 2) He is present everywhere 3) He is always aware of you / nature arranges to keep the secrets of transcendence concealed from the intrusions of mundane intelligence / the theology is that God is in everyone - the practice is to act without enmity or duality, showing mercy to all / let the mantra be the stick shift / you stalk Krishna and He will stalk you SB 7.6.19-24

My head is in the philosophy of Krishna Bhakti, but my heart is with Jesus and the saints. Is that ok? / How can we tell the difference between satisfaction, happiness, and peace stemming from the mode of goodness, and that from actual spiritual advancement? / “With the upcoming solar eclipse could you speak a little to significance of solar eclipses in this tradition and what actions can be taken to divert any negative forces that may come with it?

Uncompromised brahmins should engage the military powers - not the other way around / Einstein as the brahmin in the film Oppenheimer (framed in nature, speaking distilled, essential thought, removed from urgent, fear-based thinking) / beware the separatist conception / Prahlad shines light on the dangers of family attachments / Prahlad as 5 year old revolutionary / we won’t be indoctrinated into separatist thinking! / revolution sans-hatred / separatist thought leads to cruelty / our rulers should be inspired and tethered by higher thinkers / if your goal is sense gratification, you’ll stay in bondage / find a roadmap to liberation / we can be both monk and revolutionary SB 7.6.16-18

it’s what we put in our consciousness in our downtime that shapes who we are / sacred literature is ever fresh and always relevant / sometimes goodness can cheat you out of greatness / Bhagavatam is one big intervention for the material world / hear Bhagavatam on a regular basis in youth and old age, in good health and bad / our daily activities are what change us / add a sense of urgency to your spiritual life / the current of material family life can pull you down the beach / morning Sadhana is like a daily pilgrimage  / let God be your God (not someone else) / where does our mind go in extreme situations? / find great souls who know how to harness the energy  SB 7.6.11-15 https://bit.ly/vanigita

Prabhupada didn’t mince words / everything is meant to support our relationship with God / don’t sacrifice the whisper of the heart to the contaminant of the mind / now is the time for self reflection / taking care of a baby and putting a kid in a car seat is real tolerance / renunciation or frustration and arrogance? / material nature lops and prunes your attachments / it’s not your wife or husband- it’s the beloved of Krishna entrusted to your care / chisel off the hard edges of the ego to serve family / marriage is meant to make you holy not happy / Raghu is not a narcissist  SB 7.6.6-9 https://bit.ly/vanigita

Kaustubha’s Vrindavan wanderings / Prayer is about saying what needs to be said / Vrindavan is the culture of Bhagavatam / While you’re healthy, focus on Bhakti and don’t waste any time / Train the mind to ease your suffering / “We must engage in the supreme practices of training the mind. There is no other way.” - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso / Kaustubha’s affirmation: “We don’t think like that.” / Raghu’s affirmation: “We don’t criticize.” / Discern but don’t criticize / If I don’t live that internal life, then I’m just an artificial, showbottle, so-called bhakti practitioner / Advanced Bhakti-yogis don’t waste time. / Join AA just for the affirmations! SB 7.6.5

Meander into random temples / focus and simplicity / move the internal mountains of attachment and petty grievances / everywhere we turn someone is trying to sell  us happiness / kindness saves a ton of mental baggage / simplicity saves us issues with stuff - kindness saves us from issues with people / when you become very focused on spiritual life, it affects everyone / we’re off the leash looking for distractions / Vishnu is our real soulmate / game-changer: happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress SB 7.6.1-5

How does puruṣārtha (the Vedic concept of 4 human pursuits) relate to Bhakti? / Is it true that one can be liberated in this life, even though you live a “normal” householder life, or do you have to become a monk? / Do you have a good book recommendation which simply outlines Bhakti in a way that is completely approachable?

Eat, sing and dance to create community  / “Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him.” -  Louis L'Amour / anger leaves you dirty and depleted / The greater the ego the greater the rage / It’s our behavior through the day that affects japa / Chat thread arguments drain integrity and harden hearts / Hiranyakashipu’s rage against little Prahlad  SB 7.5.33-57

“These people were so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back.” - Tuesdays With Morrie / everyone is starving - but not for food -  for love / the highest dharma is divine love / addiction to material life leads to darkness / Yamunacharya squirrel / take the dust of the feet of the Vaishnavas / we’re just a tiny blade of grass in a huge meadow / arrogance is a truth blocker / Krishna’s presence accumulates in the heart, and we draw from that when we chant SB 7.5.30-32

“People haven’t found meaning in their lives, so they’re running all the time looking for it. They think the next car, the next house, the next job. Then they find these things are empty too.” - Tuesdays With Morrie / we’ve gotta figure out what success looks like before we start climbing the ladder / the old musk deer analogy / externals just won’t make us happy / am I chewing the chewed? / your new car is chewing the chewed / Krishna’s name is heart deep not lip deep / Bhakti is an everlasting ever sweetening gobstopper / can we be happy with nothing? / Bhakti gets more bubblelicious as you go SB 7.5.25-30

You get an authentic experience through an authentic lineage / “Everybody is looking for Krishna. Some don't realize that they are, but they are.” - George Harrison / Rishikesh Kirtan mela / the love is in the details / one incarnation for one devotee / just by remembering the great souls before us we get pulled in their draft / a little self disgust can be healthy / service is a natural expression of love / the Vedas have already given us a map / don’t be a Kramer to Krishna / love in the mood of service, love in the mood of a friend SB 7.5.23-24

No more inattentive chanting / hear and chant here to prepare to hear and chant in holy places (and vice versa) / India is messy but pure / accept that our life is in Krishna’s hands and get on the Uber motorcycle / see God in the temple to practice seeing God everywhere / there has to be someone in the center of existence, to create harmony, otherwise we just battle in competition - Krishna is that center / we have to accept responsibility for the evil in the world / the devotion is in the details / It’s hard to find God in the heart, but easy to find God in the temple Follow our friend on IG at silver_tulasi_mala

Raghu and Mara chant Yamunastakam on the banks of the river / Kaustubha says goodbye to Sri Dham Mayapur / PULL THE TRIGGER! / concentrate your thoughts like the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass / the practices of Bhakti are not mere religious rituals, they are yogic practices designed to focus the mind on the most satisfying object / “Let my mind, with attention fixed on no other object, repeatedly carry its affection to Krishna, just as the Ganga carries a full stream of water to the ocean“ - Queen Kunti / Bhagavatam is one royal calamity after another / never let go of desperation even when things are rosy / bathing in the dust of Vrindavan

the power in hearing about lives of the great saints / the sun is setting, move along / the power in eating saffron filled gulab jamuns / Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati’s vision / You cannot vibrate the holy name simply by moving the lips and tongue. The pure name of krishna is not lip deep, but heart deep / the sound descends from the transcendental world into the heart, then rises through the lips and tongue - that vibration is the holy name of Krishna / "Maintain your worldly obligations in whatever way you can, but make the eternal principle, devotion to Krishna, the true provision for your voyage through life” / we’re wasting time trying to beautify a reflection

“Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference.” - Jane Goodall / both Hanuman and the little squirrel were equal, because both were giving their all / “Krishna has some plan for you. Always think in that way, and very soon he will provide everything to your heart's desire.” - Srila Prabhupada / Kaustubha is not Taylor Swift / lose faith in the material world providing us happiness / trade your expectations for appreciation BrahmaJi! / the chanting and hearing of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are transcendentally full of mellows / we don’t need a high birth or good karma to advance in spiritual life - just chant SB 7.5.19-24

let resentment go to free up the mind in chanting meditation  / What are the qualities of a Bhakti-yogi? They are like a rooster, a crane, salt, and you! / a rooster picks out the valuable nourishment even in the dung / salt enhances all the other flavors and yet takes no credit / the crane ignores the petty little fish and stays focused on what counts / in the end, Radha and Krishna are the only “Big Fish” / don’t let validation from others be your food / we can be the handle of the Vishnu axe / dharma, artha, kama, moksha, and beyond that is prema - the highest goal / don’t go to the jewelry store and walk out with some plastic - don’t go to the Vedas or the sadhu for material wealth SB 7.5.15-18

Bhagavatam presents the theology of devotion in the context of the creation of the universe and the following lineages of demigods, sages and royal lines descending from the gods of the sun and moon / omniscience helps in debate / to the extent we are sectarian, we’re rowing the boat but the anchor is down / party line spirit blocks  perception of the Paramatma / Krishna’s like a magnet, we’re like iron - when the rust of our illusory desires is removed we are naturally attracted / our love attracts even Krishna SB 7.5.11-14

“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” - William Blake / “…when the good is a furlong off, and we with our beetle eyes can only see three inches, it takes some confidence in general principles to pull us through.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle / confidence in the principle of aham
bramasmi / the pandit sees everyone equally / saintly persons try to emulate Prahlada’s character by practicing freedom from animosity / only devotion grants access to the greatest secrets of the Vedic wisdom / the last snare of illusion B 7.5.6-12

Creeps are out there  / what it takes to be an instrument of healing / “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” - Jesus / it’s not spoken allegiance that makes one a son of God, it's aligning one's heart with His / Kaustubha runs with the Squirrel / the innocence which can tame the spirit of the unicorn / The 1st illusion - identifying with the body; leads directly to the 2nd illusion - seeing in terms of friends and enemies / having no enemies is based on perceiving inherent spiritual equality of all life / “What did you learn in school today?” - “That any person who has accepted a temporary body and temporary household life is certainly embarrassed by anxiety because of having fallen in a dark well where there is no water but only suffering" SB 7.4.40-7.5.5

How do you introduce higher dimensions of consciousness into your awareness? / Bhagavatam isn’t valid because it's ancient. It's ancient because it's valid. / growth means seeing your circumstances through a higher lens / the planets have a pull - so add the Krishna graha into your life / thesis: we are completely different from God - antithesis: we are one with God - synthesis: we are both one with and different from God / 3 levels of God realization: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan / “God is my baby” - you can’t make this stuff up! SB 7.4.37-40

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius / temples (and ritual) are all about elevating the quality of our thoughts / 
clearing the head and heart of resentment, anger and bitterness / we find what we’re looking for / the Vastu Purusha /  you can’t change the planets you were born under, but you can make Krishna the predominating planet that shines auspiciousness in your life /  how the great devotees see Krishna everywhere / stop relying on our good karma for happiness SB 7.4.35-37

How can we best face our own mortality? / Can you speak on the relationship between Radha and Krishna / Are there any stories of Krisna with cats?

"Humans doing the hard jobs on minimum wage, while the robots write poetry and paint, is not the future I wanted." - Karl Sharro / ya can’t beat the system / simplicity & kindness / because we remain servants of our senses, we can never be satisfied / the Devas give up food and sleep, meditating to connect with Vishnu / connection with Vishnu dissipates the fear / the qualities that facilitate spiritual experience - sense control, mind control, kindness, respect, giving shelter, deep friendship, freedom from pride SB 7.4.18-34

Anything we have to conquer can be integrated as part of our Bhakti practice / give it your best effort and be detached from the results / mastering an even mind, equal vision and inner happiness / becoming successful emotion managers / Hiraṇyakaśipu terrorizes the universe / pass on praise or it’ll kill you / broken egos search for satellites SB 7.4.1-17

seek employment in the field, and with the kind of people you would select if you had no need for money / religion has been stripped of the sacrifice of ones body, words and mind / do you need to erase your conscience to enjoy? / the demonic mentality can’t recognize one’s dependence on the higher power / work in harmony with the system - because you can’t cheat it SB 7.3.17-38

Andrew C. Thornton II’s unbridled greed - how much cocaine do you need to sell to be happy? / Dr Bruce Alexander and the Rat Park Experiments /  
“One should accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” / All there is to satisfy the senses, can’t satisfy one who’s senses are uncontrolled / The demonic mentality is taking Vishnu out of the picture /  the soul gives life to the body, not the other way around / Hiranyakashipu is no better than the Cocaine Bear SB 7.3.6-16

As an adoptee, how can I understand the longing I have to meet my birth mother in the context of Bhakti-yoga? / Does a yogi just accept their ADHD, or do they try to mitigate it? / Is it too early to speak to my 5 year old about death and reincarnation? /  How to process life’s curses?

How do we become normalized to suffering, however abominable it may be? / Will you please explain ISKCON’s view of the Trimurti? (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) / How important is it for us to desire to go back to Godhead?

the Vrindavan flower vendor / if daily, love infused seva became mandatory in New York City / aligning one’s heart with the heart of God / the service itself is the payment / we see God in the deity to see God in the heart of every / Raghu would use the mystic powers only for good / the great commentators speak on austerity / don’t lay out during the meteor shower SB 7.2.58 - 7.3.5

Raghunath interviews Giridhari Das, an American who left his past behind, moved to Holy India, built his own cob house, grows his own food, and practices Bhakti-yoga.  

“Sometimes a dream almost whispers.” - Steven Spielberg / are we asking for advice, or for an instruction? / we're being driven around in a rental car / you can have Krishna consciousness right now, if you really want it / if we had a psychiatrist and a guru with us in the movie theater / the message is everywhere - that we’re all gonna die / śmaśāna-vairāgya - the detachment in a cemetery SB 7.2.45-57

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” – Mother Teresa / there’s a lot of crazy talk in our mind / sometimes God’s plan is for Raghu to keep the stage dive money / never consider yourself to be the Ultimate cause / put in the effort, but understand there’s a greater plan / we grow by applying wisdom to misfortune, death, grief, betrayal, etc. / real truth is the medicine SB 7.2.39-44

we’re living out the dream of Bhaktivinode Thakura / what good are my beauty products when this body burns? / isn’t it just sane to recognize and appreciate all that’s provided for me? / because we lack conviction in our spiritual nature, we focus on the differences and suffer / we follow our mind like a slave until we find truth / our thoughts and meditations are creating our next body right now SB 7.2.22-38

How can Sri Chaitanya give the highest gift to the most unqualified? / Please explain, who are the Pancha Tattva? / Is loving God as Father a lower type of love?

“The one who plants trees knowing that he or she will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” — Rabindranath Tagore / As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, simply worshiping the Supreme Person through Bhakti automatically satisfies the demigods / don’t cut down trees- just build around them /   take special care of your initiation beads / trees are sacred and so are squirrels / we’re like straws being washed down a river SB 7.2.13-21

one who is content enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavoring / for one who has mastered ahimsa, others become nonviolent in their presence / We need a class of pure hearted spiritualists without a material agenda / It’s simple math to see the value of a cow / There’s gotta be an adult in the room to stop all the junk mail / no good comes after 10 pm / Srila Prabhupada’s beautiful devotional audacity SB 7.2.1-12

(may God) deliver you from externals, and bestow upon you an inward occupation, which will absorb you so that your attention is not drawn away - Rumi / Begging for the removal of envy and animosity / let your meditation be thick like honey on Krishna / may our minds go to Krishna spontaneously / our inner meditation will deliver us to our spiritual body / it’s hard to be kind when you’re a hornet / the curse of a Bhakti-yogi is ultimately a blessing / the background history of the demon Shishupal SB 7.1.30-48

What are some of the do’s and don’ts when attending a temple? / Can you tell us about Sri Caitanya?

"If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already." — Bob Marley / Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. — Bob Marley / get obsessed with things that lift you up / knowledge frees one from the pain of insults / our issues all stem from our bodily concepts / enmity is a powerful meditation / Through song, ritual, music or meditation, bring your mind to Krishna SB 7.1.22-29

Raghu’s official apology to Bob Marley / “We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret.” - Earl Nightingale / Only if one contemplates something continuously does it become fixed as internal consciousness and manifest as a part of one’s nature. - Sri Madhvacharya / spiritual culture makes it easy to meditate all the time / Krishna is the most purifying force / Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail / “Everything is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa and is acting and moving by the supreme desire of Kṛṣṇa. This understanding, this consciousness, is Kṛṣṇa consciousness.” - Srila Prabhupada / Raghu would be looking for Sisupala’s head SB 7.1.16-21

the wisdom in accepting our fate / it’s the strong person who can accepts reversals in life without complaint / we have very little control beyond our own mind / entering Sage Level 3 / Sisupala’s focused hatred of Krishna / Krishna’s cool headed tolerance of Sisupala’s insults / right in the mists of the worlds great kings and sages, Krishna effortlessly takes Sisupala’s life / how did a deamon like Sisupala receive the moksha of merging into the body of Krishna? SB 7.1.13-15

‘Have your heart always turned towards the Divine…. It is not exterior silence that makes a monk, but silence of the heart.’ - Theodora of Alexandria / how to guard your snow globe heart / love God above all things, preserve tranquility, be meek and without malice, avoid obscenity and silliness, love non-covetousness, don’t neglect communal prayer - Theodora of Alexandria / Raghu Has Forgiven Elvis Costello & Moved On
 / It’s one thing to align with God externally, but it’s a life’s work to align entirely internally / Krishna is never partial / How did a demon like Sisupala get liberated? SB 7.1.7-11

How can I clear the bad karma accumulated through activities of the past? / If one of the pillars of Bhakti is to take no offense, why does the SB speak about the danger of offending pure devotees? / What is the Bhakti viewpoint on chanting japa silently?

“In ancient India, soul-searching crisis was not concealed or imbued with shame, but viewed as an important time of transition, a deep rite of passage.” - Simon Hass / passing through the gates of soul searching crisis to the next level of spiritual advancement / sacred literature- it’s one crisis after another / Krishna is independent, but likes to be dependent on devotees / there is growing evidence that depression is linked to television watching / why not binge out on the sacred texts? / binging Krishna gives you life, binging tv gives you depression SB 7.1.1-6

“I have tried to be impartial, though I know that a man's past always colors his views.“ - Will Durant / only the impartial can see the truth / true impartiality is found through seeing the soul within the body and behind the mind / Vishnu is both a cat and a dog person / the result of mixed devotion is fear, the result of our devotion is freedom / What is the way to get pure devotion? / because the body of the conditioned soul is infected by the three qualities of nature, dualities arise such as enmity and friendship, attachment and detachment

My question is about the difference between Shaivism and Vaishnavism? / Should we pray for others? / What advice should I give families as a hospice nurse?

when two enemies are talking, they're not fighting / if you spend five minutes with your worst enemy you will find that you both have something in common / Bhakti rituals destroy cruelty in the heart / Wanna change the world? Change yourself / Radhanath Swami's internal purity is changing the world externally / Understanding and respect leads to change / When the talking ceases the ground becomes fertile for violence / Vishnu and Laxmi are the original power couple SB 6.18.1-6.19.28

love others and God above all / Hate the greed, tyranny and animal appetite within ourselves / Spiritual freedom is the true happiness / See ourselves with the big I identity / We’re just concocting mental turbo scenarios / Our mind creates happiness and distress in illusion / Understand we’re living within a movie / Tragedy is around the corner and nobody gets a pass / We need to fully understand this illusory world in order to navigate and transcend it /  Knowledge and detachment come naturally to bhakti yogis / No one is dear or inimical, but he’s an auspicious friend to all / We need to be free of attachment to be free of hatred / Pull a Citraketu to disarm your haters / Vaishnavas don’t retaliate SB 6.17.31-41

You can choose your destiny by who you hang out with / What can ya do when truth comes in an uncool package? / There’s magic to be had / Take advantage of spirituality and connection however you can (even in Catholic school) / Don’t be worried about world wars and corruption, acharyas are being born/  You can lose the taste for the forbidden fruit / Take radical responsibility- I got what I got, now what? / Stop blaming to find peace / Be fixed only in the service to God / Once you have a deep spiritual connection, good and bad don’t affect you so much / When you’re out of the prison, you don’t care about extra jello / Tolerate hardship in the service of Narayana / Rise above negativity and respond like Citraketu SB 6.17.22-30

How to deal with feelings of inauthenticity when social obligations seem to get in the way of spiritual commitment? / How does my job fit in with my spiritual practice?

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." - Nathaniel Branden  /  the 5 stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance / shooting straight to acceptance / the comedy of when we can’t accept / Just because you join the Bhakti club doesn’t mean you’re liberated / As spiritual ambition rises, resentment anger and depression decreases / Am I capable of shooting straight for acceptance? / You get what you get and don’t be upset / However and wherever I can serve, please let me serve SB 6.17.17-21

“It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem” - GK Chesterton /  don’t just fix the symptoms, get to the root of the disease / our problem is that we see ourselves as disconnected from the root of all existence / Citraketu gracefully accepted his curse / Pariksit gracefully accepted his curse / Prithu gracefully responded to Indra’s offenses / Indra lacked grace, and always tried to hold onto his position / the more we try to rectify reversals, the more we enter into the darkest region of materialistic thought SB 6.17.1-16

“To love or to have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.” - Victor Hugo / Our desires drive us to pursue pleasure - but we end up getting the opposite results / pride in one's material experience brings contradictory results / a living being’s sense of identity apart from Kṛṣṇa is called māyā / having forgotten our purpose since time immemorial, we are situated in different bodies, as men, animals, demigods, etc. / when one is engaged in transcendental service one becomes at once liberated from this illusion SB 6.16.59-65

without self knowledge we are slaves / don’t let our senses carjack us / yoga starts with understanding how our machines work / the world isn’t our paradise, it’s our university / I’m not the enjoyer, I’m the student / Vishnu to the soul “Um, both you, and the world, are produced, pervaded and supported by Me / deep sleep, dreaming and wakefulness are insubstantial phases of conditional life / “Pay now or pay later.” - Raghunath / forgetfulness of our oneness with God is the cause of transmigration / we can try to tweak tradition, but instead we blow it up SB 6.16.52-58

Should I be attached or detached as a parent? /  Where do the gunas first get mentioned? / Are the different ages in life linked to the gunas? / How can we prepare to die in relation to the gunas? / How should we interact with people who are visibly affected by the lower gunas?

Bhagavad-gita is common sensical and profound / books change the world / Krishna was the original thought leader-influencer / what the world needs now is love via BG / just hear carefully / consult the Gita in all critical times / the Bhagavad-gita is impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space Goal: 3.7 Million Gita’s around the world.  https://livetogive.webflow.io/ To donate, text/whatsapp/call Malini at this number: +1 (669) 289-5563

"The quest for liberation from this bondage [or illusion] (of seeing ourselves as separate) is the only object of true religion." - Albert Einstein / our nature is intrinsically connected the whole / Krishna is the hub (holding everything together) and the root (nourishing everything) / “Persons who are too materialistic always see separateness.” - Srimad Bhagavatam / substantial relationships are built on spiritual truth / chant japa with attention and intention to open the safe / the key to confidential Vedanta is not renunciation, austerity or learning - it has to do the the state of our heart / Krishna reveals his love when we come correct / 2 keys to the safe - spiritual sound and form SB 6.16.47-51

reaching out when struggling over the holidays / I can’t save my face and my butt at the same time / praying for more stuff within the prison cell / it’s not sectarianism, it’s orienting our minds to higher thinking in whatever tradition one is from / frying out the seeds of material desire / freedom from the mentalities of “you and I” and “yours and mine” SB 6.16.36-46

response to a Stephen Hawking anti-nugget - we get it that computers don’t have an afterlife, but their users do / response to a Christopher Hitchens anti-nugget - we get it that germs cause disease, but where did the germs come from? / the forgotten past of microbiology from Sage Scientist Kanva in the Atharvaveda / nobody has a monopoly on truth / It takes a scientist, a  philosopher and a theologian / If we’re just bags of chemicals, why give holiday gifts? / Sattvika-bhavas - unpremeditated, involuntary expression arising directly from the spiritually surcharged consciousness / unconquerable Krishna is conquered by love / even Brahma is a secondhand God SB 6.16.31-35

Um, sorry Kiss, but your digital avatars don’t make you immortal / centrifugal vs centripetal force / glowworms only appear bright in the dark / the truth is we are fallible, vulnerable and dependent / finding meaning and happiness in truth, not illusion / sometimes our tragedy is just a little karma left to burn / clearing all the corrupted files in the mind SB 6.16.21-31

Can you please clarify the difference between imperfect senses and being illusioned as described in Vedic epistemology? / Can you share your thoughts about depression and the need for a guide to study Bhagavad-gita? / Is there any scriptural advice for a situation regarding the heart hardening to those who have done us wrong? / Do you have any practical guidance on studying Bhagavad-gita?

“You have something in you more powerful and miraculous than the things that affect you and make you dance like a puppet.” – Marcus Aurelius / We are all made of the superior energy of God. / We are far more effulgent than the sun! / we can be permeated and vitalized by God’s ever-blissful spiritual rasa / Social media has us dancing like puppets / You want resurrection? We got resurrection / our senses and mind are nothing but trouble / we’re qualitatively one with god, and quantitatively different / hear the sage’s wisdom, watch the body burn, and come out of the river a different person SB 6.16.11-20

“It’s better to conquer grief than to deceive it.” —Seneca / Citraketu conquers grief / deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the forest of this material world, enjoying the happiness and distress resulting from his past deeds / let grief open you up to truth / Excuse Me Indian Gentlemen in the Back, but This is Satyam / “and this schizophrenia, we call pleasure” / we can love but we can’t possess / if I was a director I would cut to the faces of the co-wives / Krishna has a better plan / Bhagavatam solves the world’s problems SB 6.16.7-10

the gift of the association of pure devotees / mantras change your vision / Has your lord ever manifested into a boar or a dwarf?! / to the degree you want to be closer to Krishna he comes closer to you / our children are our children for a moment / See past the temporary roles and love the soul beneath / to love an actor you need to see beyond the illusion of the roles they play / be cold to the illusion but warm to the spirit SB 6.16.1-6

“You have no choice. You must leave your ego on the doorstep before you enter love.” ― Kamand Kojouri / Bhaktivedanta is the fullest expression of the self / To the degree there’s ego, there’s no room for intimacy / looking at our own pain with the discernment of a stone cold Vendantin and a soft heart of a Bhakti-yogi / ask the sages for knowledge during times of pain / wisdom eases the pain of grief / “All that is left of this family life is a list of names.” - Srila Prabhupada / when you’re wailing on the floor, you’ve just got a little karma to burn SB 6.15.17-28

“Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it.” - Colin Powell / I identify only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa / “The ego is like a clever monkey, which can co-opt anything, even the most spiritual practices, so as to expand itself.” ― Jean-Yves Leloup / because the individual soul has desired to act in forgetfulness of his original identity since time immemorial, he is accepting different positions in material bodies and being designated according to many divisions of nationality, community, society, species and so on / 2 two side effects of Bhakti - 1. freedom from material designations 2. and one’s senses are purified (of the drivers of desire) SB 6.15.8-16

How to come to the point where I do everything purely the love of Krishna? / Should I be putting my chanting first before any other aspects of my Sadhana/Seva? / I have lost most access to long term memory so have a hard time maintaining a steady practice. Can you help?

“Your children are not your children. They come through you but not from you.” - Kahlil Gibran / Share what’s valuable but give them breathing room / the litmus test for what’s real - does it exist in all 3 phases in time? / We are not the body; we are spiritual beings trapped in the body / our massive problems are actually tiny / We have no independent potency to create / take this to your bosom SB 6.15.1-7

“If we climb high enough, we will reach a height from which tragedy ceases to look tragic.” - Irvin D. Yalom / without the spiritual lens, life’s tragedies (and it’s meaninglessness) become crushing / tragedy will come- nobody gets a pass / all our hopes for material happiness come with grief as the flip side / grief is the crack where truth can enter / tragedy can break your faith in God or break your faith in false promise of happiness in illusion / Let our most tragic moments be the most transformative / seeking out discomfort for spiritual growth / You want miracles, we got em! SB 6.14.49-61

“Tragedy is like strong acid. It dissolves away all but the very gold of truth.” - D. H. Lawrence / tragedy can kickstart our spiritual evolution / if we could only see our spiritual trajectories over the course of lifetimes / there’s real hope and beauty in material collapse / the material world always puts some sand in your sweet rice / Bhagavatam instructs as a ruler, a friend, and lover / Citraketu’s joy quickly turns to pain SB 6.14.1-49

“People who sincerely search will find the same truth in every age and culture. The direction is always toward more love and union-in ever widening circles.” - Richard Rohr / Sanatana dharma is the ultimate in inclusivity / the soul is never warped / may our actions please lord Krishna / all the same things are happening in the celestial world / our desires got us to this miserable place / good karma can ruin your life / for a devotee there is no bad karma / Indra’s long, painful, embarrassing journey all began with neglecting to honor the noble truth speaker in his life SB 6.13.1-23

Kirtan is magic / Krishna will crush your desire to be the center / We just gotta let go…and then it all comes / a devotee’s not interested in maintaining some position / Just when we need him most, the avatar appears / Indra recognizes that Vritrasura is a pure devotee SB 6.12.18-35

Is our path more about supporting others or should we be focused more on our own path? / In moments when doubts and hardships were overwhelming how are you able to turn it around? 

After both being sick for 5 days, Raghu and Kaustubha squirrel away for a show about their experiences and thoughts while under the weather. Topics include... • the glory of the devotees of Alachua Fl. • the soon to be released Mahabharata from HD Goswami • Jahnavi Harrisons music descending from the spiritual world • and a dream about the future for Wisdom of the Sages listeners Check out Kaustubha's upcoming Vani course:  The Sages' Insight MASTERCLASS WITH KAUSTUBHA https://courses.vanischool.com/sage Check out the Jahnavi Harrison song Kaustubha mentions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2PJF3YRClw Stay up to date on our events at www.wisdomofthesages.com See what Raghunath is up to at www.raghunath.yoga

What does it mean to be an authentic person on a Bhakti path? / Could you share a little advice on raising a child in Bhakti? / Clicker counters vs tulsi beads for counting japa - is one method better than the other? 

“the Matrix can remain our cage or it can become our chrysalis, ... To be free, you cannot change your cage. You have to change yourself.” - Neo, The Matrix Screenplay / we lose our dignity and our focus chasing pleasures in the matrix / the world is a virtual reality designed to to train us to love purely / loving purely means entirely selfless, and encompassing everyone / 'Perform your duty equipoised, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.' - Bhagavad-gita 2.48 SB 6.12.1-17

“What is life?… It is the breath of a buffalo in the winter time.” - Crowfoot / observe nature, reflect and journal / Vritrasura starts blowing Indra’s mind! / What is the fruit of devotion mixed with material desire? Enmity, anxiety, mental agitation, pride and belligerence. / we’ve all got a Crazy Joe Davola / Vritrasura offers his body, words & mind to Vishnu / Vritrasura shares his tender, inner, feminine side / Vritrasura’s desire to serve the servants / rooting out the inner tinder swindler SB 6.11.22-27

thoughts on kirtan / have faith the Maha-mantra will reveal everything / “Our bodies are just temporary vessels for our souls, which will go on forever. You really are an extension of the power that created the whole universe, no matter what drags you have on.” -RuPaul / we wear many drags / note what we’re leaning into to escape our pain / material focus keeps you on a rollercoaster of ups and downs / the material world is designed to humiliate us / devotees are awarded fearlessness / let the jackals eat this body SB 6.11.6-21

we’ve gotta reject the aspects of religion that prevent us from uniting in kirtan / kirtan can lift us to the spiritual world / once you dress like a cowherd boy you’ve gotta own it / great personalities are not disturbed by insults / welcome insults as an opportunity / why should anything in this illusory world disturb our connection to Krishna? / let’s be ready to die a glorious death / duels have umpires SB 6.10.13 - 6.11.5 Check out the Mayapur Kirtan that Kaustubha mentions at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRLV7ZEMQ18

Raghunath and Kaustubha interview their longtime friend, Yogi Charu, about the importance of maintaining a daily sadhana and other practices for physical, spiritual and mental health.  Check out Charu's book, https://a.co/d/3L4z0zB Learn more about Yogi Charu and his latest offerings at https://www.yogicharu.com/

How to explain Bhakti to a concerned spouse? / Why is religion the cause of so much war? / How to react when through serving others you feel like you are being taken advantage of? / How to explain Bhakti to skeptical family members?

you need your WHY to wake up in a good mood / Meaning comes from serving others / If you’re waking up in a bad mood most days, it’s not normal / if we’re trying to squeeze enjoyment out of sleep we’re missing the excitement of spiritual life / Engage your body as an offering for higher purpose / Prabhupada lived it / Bhagavatam is keying into the bhakti disposition / The body must be engaged for the benefit of others, or else it will be the source of tribulation and misery / Give your body give your breath give your blood SB 6.10.1-12

“… either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course.” - Martin Luther King Jr. / the lives of heros inspire us to make the most of our own / walk through your hell without spite, resentment or revenge / creating a devotional disposition / attachments cloud truth perception / Krishna is easily accessible to the pure and truthful / exclusive yogic focus on Krishna / the beautiful Bhagavatam continually turns stereotypical dharma paradigms upside-down / the world is designed to prune and prod us to become unconditional lovers SB 6.9.45-55

we’ve been marked by great souls / 'A good disposition is a virtue in itself.' - Ovid / ignorance causes the negative cycle, knowledge breaks it / 1 weekend with devotees can recalibrate your compass / the anxiety of the Devas vs the peace of Vritrasura / the anxiety of the Devas vs the peace of Krishna / Dear Krishna, we love you but….. could you please annihilate our enemies? / Don’t ask Krishna for things, just glorify him / when the demigods are utterly helpless, they approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead in grief and with tears in their eyes / the fully evolved disposition SB 6.9.40-44

“Time and reflection change the sight little by little 'til we come to understand.” - Paul Cezanne / with time and steady reflection for wisdom will take root / Striving For the Bhakti Tipping Point / Bhakti carries the potential to transcend all religious differences / No one has a monopoly on God / incessant transcendental bliss flows in the minds of those who taste a drop of Krishna’s glories / happiness of sense gratification is merely a reflection / how to become they the real friends of everyone / the beggars may be the experts at achieving the real goal in life SB 6.9.38-39

'We cannot attain the presence of God. We're already totally in the presence of God. What's missing is awareness.' - David Brenner / spirituality means trying to see what’s holding it all together / the Vishnu stereogram / letting go of the externals for awareness of Krishna / Raghu and Kaustubha have documentary dreams / the polluted eagerness for knowledge / external happiness comes with a dose of external distress / God’s rage is bliss, and his bliss is bliss SB 6.9.34-37

• How does our Bhakti practice influence the greater good in this Age of Kali (the Age of Quarrel)? • What do the scriptures say about the duration of Kali-yuga?  • Is it just something that we must endure while staying focused on our own spiritual practice or is it possible that conflict will diminish as the tradition spreads?

as we mature, we stop fighting (and start laughing at) the ego / Give up the race- we’re destined to lose / laughing at who we’ve tried to present ourselves as / the demigods have knowledge but not wisdom / eradicating the darkness in the heart / we are all pure souls covered by our mind’s conditioning / open your eyes and just see (and be seen) SB 6.9.26-33

“I prefer to their dogma my excursions into the natural gardens where the voice of the Great Spirit is heard in the twittering of birds, the rippling of mighty waters, and the sweet breathing of flowers.” - Zitkala-Sa / we’re a healthy blend of pagans and theists / here’s a postulate - that there is much to see that we are not seeing / What’s standing between me and my ability to see God? / the center of the universe is everywhere / If we move through the world harming others, we become callous and blind / we are trying to be separate independent Gods / the centrifugal force in the act of sex / if you wanna enjoy the flavors of power and opulence, you’re choosing illusion / the pure devotees see in their heart of hearts with the eye of devotion tinged with the salve of love SB 6.9.25

Kaustubha has a high bar for Krishna miracles / Miracles can shake us out of our skepticism / Figure out your offering and go full speed ahead / Krishna doesn’t want one song- he wants every note of every song / Before reciting the Srimad Bhagavatam we must remove our tin foil hat / we think we’ve let go of the ego, but we haven’t / Krishna chops away and sands us for pure bhakti / take your problems to Ganga devi and cry / When ya got nothing, you’ve got everything SB 6.9.23-24 Check out Page Family Bhakti & Queen of Hearts at https://open.spotify.com/album/0LOiCYBJCH4IlcMdWPcVBQ?si=qmJuLLQqS86qXhP0y-6-xA https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_ladOWRvRXTPo475wh_IUTtGcxNIe3mexc&si=eU504J96wA3JimGV Instagrams: @queenofheartsband108 @pagefamilybhakti @krishnawestchicago @krishnadasbhakti  

What is the objective of Karma? / Given the state of the world, the corruption, greed, and the pervasive evil that has shown itself increasingly over the past few years do you believe Krishna has returned? / If we are all just playing roles, why marry?

How to help a victim of abuse? / How to keep up with the modern world without getting entangled? / How to understand the Impersonal feature of the Absolute?

recommit to your Bhakti / everything is a distraction from the holy name / Life is short, war is everywhere -get serious about Bhagavatam // The more pain we see, the more determined we need to be to see spirit soul within / To the degree we are moved by hate we’ve lost our spiritual way / we have to learn forgiveness because we’re all fallible / positive attitude is a joke without spiritual substance / stop tripping over the same Maya SB 6.8.12-22

Indra’s karmic proclivity leads to his next big mistake / Pure devotional service doesn’t breed fear / Krishna accepts the mood, not our expertise / one who accepts Bhakti will never blunder on his path, even while running with eyes closed, he will never trip or fall / Krishna’s not power hungry He’s love hungry / Do it as an offering! SB 6.9.5-11

What are some ways that we can benefit the most spiritually during the month of Kartik? / How to respond to temple priests who seem like the “money changers” rejected by Jesus? / Is praying for the well being of a loved one like praying for material things?

Raghunath sits down with Krishna Murari Goswami and discusses the onset of the auspicious month of Kartik.

Chronic illness – how to know when to try to fix it or when to accept it? / If we don’t forgive we will have similar difficult relationships with family members in our next life?” / What is the connection between Bhakti-yoga and Jnana-yoga? / How to see Krishna in your dreams?

“First things first … he’s got three heads.” / material existence is riddled with envy fear and worry / Indra blows it again! / freedom comes with a price / the gradual path of letting go / big opulence leads to big bewilderment / Laxmi belongs to Vishnu, not to our Maya / attachment creates humiliation / sadhu’s gotta cut- don’t be a dirty old man / Indra is the hero of the Vedas, but the buffoon of the Bhagavatam (because Vyasa want’s to show us that mixed devotion is not the goal of life) 

you surrender and then you transcend to body and are in a totally different space / don’t weaponize your opulences / anything we’re proud of will be removed / pride sets one up for competition, anxiety, fear and humiliation / Krishna doesn’t tolerate false pride / our bodies have a low ceiling for enjoyment and a high ceiling for pain / we are the enjoyed, not the enjoyer / don’t try to adjust the world to your enjoyment - adjust yourself to be harmonious with the world / your devotion is everything 

What does transformation look like? / How can I keep the peace I’ve been feeling pilgrimage when I return home to figure out my material life? / How to gracefully move through mental layers of  cynicism, skepticism and fault-finding? 

we’re missing out on a map for dharma / Visvarupa is broad minded, Indra divides on party lines / all the yoga, rituals, austerities, etc. are meant to lead to pure love / pure devotees are happy to serve in heaven or hell / Indra’s prayers remind us of Hiranyakashipu  / there but for the grace of God go I / Gods mercy follows the devotees mercy

too many possessions is like carrying a lot of luggage when you travel - it just creates anxiety / Siddhartha would be no greedy hawker of incantations / “A brāhmaṇa who desires to achieve happiness by gaining wealth through professional priesthood must certainly have a very low mind.” - Visvarupa / to the degree you get into bhakti, you’re satisfied with simplicity / the sooner we realize our happiness comes from within, the sooner we’re relieved of anxiety / the Nārāyaṇa-kavaca Shield SB 6.8.1-15

India’s timeless spiritual culture / our faces and wrinkles and abs are all about to burn / feel the presence of great souls in the holy places / add transcendental sound during downtime / “Why should I worry? Radharani knows exactly what I need" / in bhakti, if your intention is pure , mistakes don’t matter / ask Krishna to stir it up / Indra’s desires are the cause of his anxiety / Indra did not have Visvarupa’s broad-mindedness   SB 6.7.31-40

Can gratitude reinforce material attachments? / How do I surrender? / How to get the most out of a pilgrimage experience? / How do we know wether we’re sincere?

“Etiquette is the science of living. It embraces everything. It is ethics. It is honor”. - Emily Post / Can juniors bless seniors? / Bhagavatam is repeatedly encouraging us to see the divinity, dignity and spiritual potential in every living being - this is the fundamental spiritual principle / everyone should be respected as a temple of the Supreme / keep it sacred! SB 6.7.25-30

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” – Martin Luther King Jr. / dismantling the barriers of our love / what’s so special about the cows and the Brahmanas? / by adopting a diet dependent on cruelty and petroleum based industry we are rapidly creating hell on earth / the positive alternative is an economy and diet based on simple living and a relationship of cooperation and love between humans and animals SB 6.7.22-24

Krishna is involved in every aspect of our life / how material opulence increases enmity, anxiety, mental agitation, pride and belligerence / we go through so much endeavor to increase and maintain our possessions, and we suffers great unhappiness when we lose them / external etiquette is for the internal change Check out Radhikesh Prabhu at www.radhikeshdas.com SB 6.7.13-21

“Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” ― G. Michael Hopf / Krishna kindly dismantles all of our false identities / the arc in the life of a sadhu / the wise voluntarily accept austerity / Indra’s opulence makes him weak - and brings on the hard times SB 6.7.12-13

Ingratitude is the frost that nips the flower even as it opens/ Don’t repay gifts with ingratitude / Do we hear the voice of Daksha in our own heart? / Good karma can be bad and bad karma can be good / material enjoyment bewilders us and covers our gratitude / Anything I’ve got, I’ve received from my teachers / everything becomes a waste of time if you don’t remember why you’re doing it SB 6.6.1-6.7.11

How do I know if I’m choosing the right faith tradition? / If the Maha Mantra is the Yuga Dharma, were people chanting it before? / What is universal love?

Is it ok to chant while doing other things? / How to respond to manipulation in spiritual circles? / How would you explain that God can be a person too someone brand new to Bhakti?

“Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.” - Marcus Aurelius / yogis anticipate criticism and accept it without becoming petty / If you don’t purge your material attachment, it will get taken away anyway / material enjoyment is the cause of all unhappiness / the Bhakti equation - as love increases, detachment increases / Bhakti-yogis don’t don’t counter-curse SB 6.5.41-44

“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” - Winston Churchill / let the world love or hate you and stay even minded / forget body positivity - go for spirit positivity / the real enemy is the mind’s negative programing and insecurity / “A perfect Vaiṣṇava’s position should be just like Nārada Muni’s, completely independent and unbiased.” - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami / we need high caliber devotees in our life / Daksha’s half truths / knowledge and detachment arise automatically through devotion SB 6.5.39-41

we’re born indebted / all debts are paid through Bhakti / all rules and rituals are meant to serve love - when we forget that, then religion becomes repulsive / awakening gratitude is the threshold of spiritual life / Daksha’s blindness to pure devotion / How much Daksha is inside me? SB 6.5.36-38 Check out Ananda Murari's music at https://show.co/ygaQGrA

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it. — Rumi / become the person Mr. Right is looking for / What’s the barrier keeping us from receiving Divine Love? / the mantra is the third rail / if we are hearing wisdom daily then when suffering comes we’ll be able to process it and grow / everyone was getting delivered except Daksha (what was his barrier?) SB 6.5.21-35

“Truth alone will endure, all the rest will be swept away before the tide of time.” - Mahatma Gandhi / of the unreal there is no endurance and of the real there is no change - Bhagavad-gita 2.16 / time is more than a measure, it’s a powerful force / floppy disks are a poor investment / shastra are our real father / One should not  become a parent if they cannot save their dependents from the impending danger of death SB 6.5.19-20

Can it be favorable to walk the path of Bhakti with a partner who doesn’t? / In leading a Bhagavad-gita study group, how can I be respectful to those whose faith is different than mine? / How can I reframe suffering?

this is not a pipe, this is not success, this is not happiness, this is not my child, this is not love / “To look at something as though we had never seen it before requires great courage.” — Henri Matisse / we’re living in the world of names / “Human life is simply meant for self-realization.” – A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami / this life is neither comfortable nor secure / the soul yearns for the eternal / to the degree you invest in illusion, you strengthen the illusion / spiritually - the name and the named are non-different SB 6.5.18

when devotees come, everything becomes auspicious / “Great calm, generous detachment, selfless love, disinterested effort: these are what make for success in life.” - Rabindranath Tagore / don’t just run with the current - pause, breathe and examine / Zip it up! Our material bodies are not eternal! / to the degree of our envy, we live in illusion / don’t let a cheating intelligence drag you around / austerity and knowledge are on the edge of samsara, but they flow quickly (in the form of anger and ego) SB 5.6.15-17 Check out Madhava's Rock Band at  https://youtu.be/dxdvPy8EMAU?si=b0pkQtEHIFwQSSnj

anyone can draw / dismantling the blocks to creativity / identifying and processing our emotions / build a bridge of empathy / centering the intelligence around Krishna / in yoga there is a practice and a goal SB 6.5.13-14 Pre order Rukmini's book at https://a.co/d/imxKaou Check out what she is up to at https://www.dearruksi.com/book

“False happiness is like false money... when it is brought to the touch, we find the lightness and alloy, and feel the loss.” - Alexander Pope / sattvic, rajasic and tamasic happiness / false happiness = senses contacting external objects, real happiness = internal nature of the self / what’s the use of karma endeavor for temporary happiness / the false premise upon which we build our entire lives SB 6.5.1-12

How is it possible to perceive and love Krishna's presence, and not fall into despair, in the sick, backwards state of the world we are living in? / How should I honor an altar at home? / Which books would you recommend, Srila Prabhupada’s original editions or the current revised editions?

For a Bhakti-yogi, can it be at all helpful to incorporate other yogic practices such as kundalini, tantra, kriya, etc.? And if so, how can one practice safely while keeping Krishna in the center?

Conventional Vedanta vs Esoteric Vedanta / Vaishnava acharyas give us a glimpse of Esoteric Vedanta / centrifugal knowledge vs centripetal knowledge / Krishna works through multifarious energies / Radha is the personification of the pleasure potency - the embodiment of Divine Love / when our heart becomes softened it can receive the pleasure potency from the heart of another who has it / approaching the esoteric with reverence / dismantling the ego in the land of Radha's Love / when will Sri Radha cast Her merciful sidelong glance upon me? http://www.harekrsna.de/Radha-kripa-kataksha-stava.htm

“We carry within us a divine spark, and if we chose to recognize it, our lives have dignity, meaning, hope.” - Dean Koontz / we aren’t selfish by nature – selfishness is an artificial imposition / yoga is all about remembering who you are / Bhakti-yogis are already liberated / how is Krishna the God of love? / the peril of offense SB 6.4.51-54

there is no happiness equal to contentment / there is no disease like covetousness / there is no virtue like mercy / shastra calls us to be cool headed / if we purify our existence by tapasya we can do wonderful things by the grace of the Lord / austerities for the body, words, and mind / our speech should be truthful, pleasing, beneficial, non-agitating / we all come in the achyuta-gotra - the family of Krishna SB 6.4.47-50

“We create our own unhappiness. The purpose of suffering is to help us understand we are the ones who cause it.” Willie Nelson / Woah! There’s a purpose to suffering!?! / 2 world views – the world has no design or purpose or the everything in the world is designed with purpose / we can simultaneously hold 2 ideas - that we must be compassionate to all who suffer and that we cause our own suffering / the best way to deal with our own pain is to take responsibility / the bank robbery analogy / the evidence is everywhere - the question is how you interpret it / a formula for seeing God behind everything /  WOTS - a simple fun way to Vedic epistemology / we can’t remove every thorn in the world, but we can put on some shoes SB 6.24.46

“It is in men as in soils, where sometimes there is a vein of gold which the owner knows not of.” - Jonathan Swift / the body and mind have faults but the self is pure gold / It’s the people that come that make a place holy / see God everywhere and everywhere becomes holy / the inconceivable form of Vishnu / Daksha places the manifestations of the Divine in a hierarchy / harmony is only around Lord Vishnu, not apart from him / Vishnu is always smiling SB 6.4.32-45

I feel unmotivated and depressed when it comes to my practice of devotion = any advice? / If our relationships in the material world are just temporary roles, what is the point of marriage?

“Those who cannot understand how to put their thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of debate.” - Nietzsche / just as fire is hidden in wood - the Paramatma is hidden in the material elements / yoga is a practice of seeing God in everything / Paramatma puts us under a spell - we forget our own identities and argue incessantly without ever reaching a conclusion / Nyaya’s 3 types of debate / Daniel Dennett’s 4 steps to arguing intelligently SB 6.4.27-31

“Unhappiness is not knowing what we want and killing ourselves to get it.” - Don Herold / why am I waiting in line to buy these sneakers? / Is all our pleasure from our ego? / ultimately we are just looking for love / we are unaware of forces that engage us / there’s a firewall preventing our perception of paramatma / every aspect of our experiences is designed for our growth / the dark worldview = this world is unreal, without foundation, without a controller, and risen without cause / most live under the spell of material nature / seeing through eyes trained in knowledge / endeavoring transcendentalists can see behind the firewall / cats vs monkeys SB 6.4.25-26

we can’t pay our spiritual debts back, but we can pay them forward / understanding our place in the levels of awareness / our experiences are being governed by unseen forces / the Supersoul is directing the workings of our senses / we own nothing / Paramatma writes the songs that make the whole world sing / If you were to find out how this entire universe works, would you expect that it all would be ordinary, or would you expect to hear things that would BLOW YOUR MIND! To donate a Bhagavatam set, contact Malini at +1 669 289 5563 SB 6.4.24

Respect to those practicing Bhakti where it’s illegal and dangerous / imagination is more important than knowledge / Mahabharata Super Squirrel – Abhimanyu’s death, Arjuna’s vow, and Krishna’s cheating out of love / Krishna cheats out of love again when Karma is killed / love is the highest dharma!

Wisdom of the Sages is mother approved (with cautious optimism) / “Realism is not a matter of any fidelity to an empirical reality..” - John Fiske / There’s no empirical evidence that all that exists falls within the realm of empirical evidence. / there’s a firewall between us and spiritual perception / virtue is a key to knowledge / sambhanda jnana (knowledge of the nature of our relationship) / ants have eyes, but they can’t see very well / there could be a blue cowherd boy at the center of Swiss cheese universes SB 6.4.23

Is a broken heart real or just an illusion? / How should a Bhakti-yogi apply Vedic Astrology? / Why is Rathayatra celebrated on so many different days?

anger is an acid / anger ends in shame / the 2 things one should never be angry about / anger is a wind that blows out our reasoning / the best speech you will ever regret / raging in denial of what our inner self is telling us / would Plato hang out with Raghu and Kaustubha? / how many times is anger mentioned in Bhagavad-gita / transcending anger through devotion / Pajapati Daksha comes back

Raghunath and Kaustubha share their appreciation for Srila Prabhupada on the day of the festival celebrating his appearance.


On the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmastami (the appearance of Krishna) Raghunath & Kaustubha share some of their favorite verses of devotional song and poetry.

“The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in.” / Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives within you? 1 Corinthians 6:19 / carry god awareness with you everywhere / “Please abide in the temple of my heart both day and night, O Krsna Murari” - Bhaktivinode Thakura / the clash between mixed devotion & pure devotion / we all got a little daksha-like resistance to pure devotion / don’t shame people to change- inspire them / a leader is a protector / soften the heart to make fertile ground for Bhakti to grow / every body is a temple SB 6.4.1-13

What does it mean to be self realized or God realized? / How to respond to scandals in Bhakti communities? / How do understand our indebtedness without feelings of lack of self-worth and shame?

How does one know when they should be initiated? / How can I best support my friends during times of tragedy?

The world is a mess - but what does it prove? / universal harmony through placing the Divine source in the center / trying to leave Bhakti is like being a yo-yo / Karma, Janna, and Bhakti are found throughout the world’s spiritual traditions / karmic ritualistic atonement in Buddhism / Bhagavatam is traveling throughout the universe, illustrating through a variety of dialogs, the superiority of Bhakti / you can’t get the goal (Krishna Prema) through Vedic ritualistic atonement / I wonder what the Yamaduta’s were wearing / Prabhupada got it SB 6.3.33-35

“We are good at preparing to live, but not very good at living.” - Thich What Hanh / we’re vainly seeking happiness in the material atmosphere / we’re can be in eternity Right Now through Bhakti / Lord Brahma installed 5 features of illusion into the material world / painful life + spiritual knowledge = spiritual realization / Like honey, Bhagavatam is derived from a most beautiful source, thick, sweet and nourishing / becoming a Great Goose SB 6.3.28-32



New York becomes Vrindavan when Radha and Krishna are the center / would Raghu pull the lever to kill 1 person in order to save 5? / “To save a family, abandon a man.” - Vidura / it’s not always easy to determine right from wrong / we like to think that we are the one pulling the lever when in fact we are all tied to the tracks / Yuddhisthira on what is the most amazing thing / Ajamila was living like he wasn’t tied to the tracks / with Bhagavat Dharma it’s the intention that counts / even Yājñavalkya and Jaimini don’t understand Bhagavat Dharma / the Yamadutas are ordered to not even go near the devotees SB 6.3.23-27

Happy 10th birthday Little Karuna! / there’s dharma and then there is dharmaḥ paraḥ, the highest dharma, Bhagavat Dharma, Bhakti / keep the highest dharma as the main thing, and every other dharma is covered / every sage is in debt to Vyasadeva / what is “Cheating Dharma”? / the highest dharma is understood by the pure of heart / After chanting and dancing in ecstasy, one gradually sees the form, pastimes and qualities of the Lord SB 6.3.22

Raghunath and Kasutubha speak with Crispian Mills about his life of bringing the magic of Bhakti into popular music.

Why does my devotional consciousness fluctuate? / How to respond to a mind full of negativity and self-loathing? / How do disciples approach the passing away of their guru?



Immanuel Kant’s view of morality / morality is designed to facilitate the realization of happiness / our wellbeing is determined by our willingness to flow within the universal laws / objective moral truths warrant a supernatural explanation / does morality develop out of evolutionary need? / secularists have trouble explaining why human beings have intrinsic value, rights, and moral obligations / Yamaraja explains that dharma is established by Bhagavan / to understand the confidential dharma you have to approach it through a valid lineage SB 6.3.19-21

“When you look at the sun during your walking meditation, the mindfulness of the body helps you to see that the sun is in you” – Thich Nhat Hanh / beyond mindfulness Lies the confidential knowledge of devotion / those free of resentment, envy and hostility can understand the confidential knowledge / your good fortune may trigger someone else’s self-loathing / my issues with others may reflect my own issues with God / the devotees wander with full independence / “My Life…My Rules…..BUT / the devotees are always protected / material danger is not meant for devotees SB 6.3.17-18

we don’t die / grounded in the reality of the timeless soul / there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge – the mature fruit of all mysticism / there’s hope in a decaying material world / all this life is about is learning what to let go of and what to hold onto / saying goodbye to everything SB 6.3.13-16

slow down and go deep in the mantra / sadhana helps us cope with life’s curveballs / keep steady and don’t be discouraged / don’t dilly dally in the unimportant / nowhere in the weave of the universe is Krishna not present / there is the material energy, and the spiritual energy, and it all rests on Krishna, like pearls strung on a thread Pre order Raghu's book at https://a.co/d/4VEIEeq SB 6.3.1-12

“The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind.” - Napoleon Bonaparte / austerity can strengthen the mind and bring peace / engaging the intellect as a rational filter / freeing up the mind to hear the direction of the Supersoul / Ajamila’s regret / Ajamila’s yogic knowledge / Ajamila sets his intention / Ajamila’s return to Vaikuntha SB 6.2.26-49



Is God an energy, a person, or both? / Once you reach the spiritual realm… what happens? / How do the physical instructions of yoga asana lead to a quiet mind? Preorder Raghu’s book now - https://a.co/d/4VEIEeq

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” ― Proverbs 4:23 / spirituality can be understood as a practice of purifying our desires from the level of exploitation, to renunciation, to devotion / don’t be so harsh on people, they’re mostly good hearted / chasing our desires will take us all over the universe / Bhakti-yogis aren’t so interested in counteracting their karma - the say “let it come and let me grow through it” / there can be purification in regret SB 6.2.12-25

“Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo / the resolution to die can add beauty and grace to life / practice saddhana like you will die tomorrow - study like you will live forever / "The mantra that is not received in a genuine lineage does not produce results.” / one must receive the instructions for how to access the power of the mantra from a qualified instructor / our conceptions, sentiments and lifestyles are important for meditation SB 6.2.11

the relentless noise we’ve created is distracting us from the essence of life – contemplation and meditation / the Vishnudutas make their case / calling out the name Narayana, in a helpless condition, wiped out lifetimes of bad karma for Ajamila / in Kali-yuga we are all sudras / there are so many books of dharma - but Vyasadeva, the author of them, points out that in this age we shall get light from Srimad-bhagavatam / Bhagavatam promotes the chanting of Krishna’s names from the beginning to the mille to the last verse / humility, tolerance, giving respect to everyone, and freedom from the need for prestige - these open us up to absorption in mantra meditation / we don’t live by Manu Samhita, we live by Srimad Bhagavatam SB 6.2.1-10

whatever you do, do it as an offering, and as beautifully as possible / work done as an offering is karma free / fixed in this principle of renunciation, one receives Krishna / home life can purge one of ego / Ajamila’s downfall / letting go of the concept of friends and enemies / don’t let porn into your life, even a little / the Yamadutas rest their case

"Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside wakes.” – Carl Jung / What am I, beyond the external ego presentation? / we’ve got layers to shed before we get to our authentic self / our relationship with our body is dream-like / our choices determine our next body / this is not religious dogma – it’s an invitation to think about life in a different way / the proposition that maybe “there really is no such thing as Consciousness” is completely absurd (because consciousness is required even to ask the question) / attachments cloud truth perception SB 6.1.49-52

How can I reconcile my non-binary gender identity with Bhakti? / What can I do to help the soul of my aging dog on his spiritual journey? / Does it makes senses to pray for world peace in the Kali Yuga?

Be careful what you get involved with, 'Cause you can't support a cause but then hate the effects that it causes. - DEE 1 / go all the way with Bhakti, don’t just dabble, because this life is slipping away / getting to bed early and waking early gets you flowing with the favorable currents / make your daily japa meditation a power hour / we’re bugged- paramatma and yamaraj know everything  SB 6.1.37-49

“Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge.” - William Shakespeare / “Earthly power doth then show likest God's when mercy seasons justice.”- William Shakespeare / Sage Vyasadeva sets out to crack our faith in ritualistic religious atonement /  Karma? Warm, Jnana? Warmer, Bhakti? Red Hot! / turning to God once with sincere surrender trumps everything / just one of the wandering senses can drag you down a slippery slope / It’s not so much the prostitute that brought his bad karma, it’s what he did to others in order to maintain her / Ajamila calls out Narayana! And the messengers of Vishnu arrive SB 6.1.18-36

austerity, celibacy, even-mindedness, charity, renunciation, truthfulness, cleanliness, and regulative principles - all don’t quite get to the root of material desire / Bhakti uproots the weeds of karma / the desire to enjoy this world (karma) and even the desire to become free of the sufferings of this world (jnana) are both “all about me” / Vyasa recommends Bhakti as a path free from fear - even while running with eyes closed / if your heart hasn’t softened, you haven’t understood what life is about SB 6.1.13-17   https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/events https://courses.vanischool.com/influences  

we all need stability, guidance, and a contribution for growth in our spiritual life / the periodic shaving of karmic stubble / atonement vs. at-one-ment / Bhagavatam highlights the conflict between mixed devotional service and pure devotional service / religion is interested in salvation, spirituality is interested in transformation / Bhakti can burn the seeds of bad karma / “Belief in a cruel God makes a cruel man.” - Thomas Paine / the disciple passes the first test SB 6.1.1-12

our habits are like seeds - they grow / Bhagavatam’s 16,000 verses has 28 about hell (and they are shared in order to frame a message of spiritual optimism) / the bad karma that results in seeing hell mostly has to do with acts of cruelty / hell is reasonable / if you are in a position of power….don’t misuse it / what if we treated sex as if it were truly sacred? SB 5.26.1-40

My wife and I spend our free time getting high and watching TV. I want to spend time with her but also want to break these habits. What to do? / Why is the Bhagavad-gita, in particular, studied on its own, among some many sections of Mahabharata? / Krishna and Arjuna grew up together so why would Krishna’s cosmic form startle Arjuna? If you have questions, e-mail them to us at [email protected]

through even insignificant observable objects - we get truths about what lies beyond the observable / contemplating what’s beyond is purifying and nourishing / external virtue extends from internal life / spirituality is the key to overcoming injustice / seeing others as their fullest potential / our bodies were designed to enjoy and suffer - but there’s a silken twine of spiritual joy that runs through them / to conquer our minds and give pleasure to our hearts, Krishna appears in different incarnations and manifests many pastimes / this universe is like a tiny mustard seed / without a universal designer there is no objective morality / mystery is built into our world for a purpose SB 5.25.9-15

the universe (Paramatma) is eavesdropping on your every desire / materialists chase desires – yogis modify desires / popular model of success = the ability to satisfy desires – yogic model of success = the ability to modify desires / a twofold strategy for dealing with desire 1. Jnanic - Reflection on the illusory nature of matter 2. Bhakti - hearing and remembering the descriptions Krishna / For those who hear about and meditate upon Krishna, He… enters the cores of their hearts, vanquishes corrupted files and cuts to pieces the hard knot within the heart SB 5.25.6-8

we’ve been traveling the universe, from the top of the bubble to the bottom / devotees meditate upon on the presiding deity of false ego to / be purified of the false conception of I and mine / this universe is like a tiny mustard seed / all sensations originally exist in the spiritual body / how to approach sacred topics with the right attitude SB 5.25.1-5 https://www.bhaktirecoverygroup.com/recovery-retreats https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/events  

don’t take the fun out of Bhakti / You don’t own your kids. Or anything else. / God shifts our life’s circumstances to make these truths come to life / In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things,- there is no samadhi / is it bad karma, or is it a blessing? / Bali zooms out / there is nothing of this material world that will satisfy me deeply SB 5.24.22-25

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss Bhagavad-gita Ch.15 / Krishna’s guided meditation – how to contemplate his sustaining presence in everything / Krishna pervades the heart of everyone / even to forget Him, we need Krishna’s help / beyond the condiitioned and liberated souls there is the Supreme Soul who enters the world and maintains it / knowing Krishna as the ultimate person, and engaging in His loving service is the most confidential secret of the Vedic literature

Raghunath and Kautstubha discuss Bhagavad-gita Ch.15 / this world is a reflection of a tree that we get entangled in / one must cut down the tree with the weapon of detachment - and then surrender to the original person - the source / the keys to transcendence / a summary of existence  in illusion / those with the eye of knowledge can see what’s happening / contemplations for seeing Krishna’s presence in everything

Does the soul really have feelings or are feelings the product of the mind-ego? / What's a good morning ritual for starting a Bhakti-yoga practice? / Do the thoughts at the the moment of death really determine the next birth, and if so, isn’t that kind of Random

“At some point the entire population of the earth is gonna have to look back at the essence of spirituality.” — Sinead O'Connor / Krishna and His name are non different / spiritual practice begins with refining perspective and culminates in refined perception / the vast, timeless Vedic texts have earned my faith / kindness and simplicity are the basic yogic principles / negative sound in the head can arrest our evolution / see your experiences as tailored for your evolution / happiness doesn’t come from sense contact with externals / thank you for your sincerity, Sinéad O'Connor SB 5.24.21

life as an exploration of living the truth / have I become comfortable projecting a lie? / living the truth, moment to moment / discarding our temporary identities / our default identity is pure spirit / 3 levels of purity in mantra meditation / the spread of Bhakti beyond the Sanskrit language into the local vernaculars / the rise of the “lowborn” Bhakti exemplars / the power of even a glimpse of the pure mantra SB 5.24.20

“All that there is within the universe to satisfy the senses, cannot satisfy one whose senses are uncontrolled.” - Sri Vamanadeva / always look for the deeper essence / the Bhagavatam shows us dharmic reversals again and again, even the demons can be glorified more than the devas - if they have devotion Follow Shyamesvari on Instagram @mridangawallii SB 5.24.1-20

“Our life always expresses the result of our dominant thoughts.” - Soren Kierkegaard / freedom requires a concerted, disciplined effort to direct our thoughts / the thoughts of a pure Bhakti-yogi radiate into the minds of those around them / meditate on Vishnu 3x a day / bathe to refresh your mind 3x a day / don’t meditate on murder before bed / Vishnu meditation 3 times a day disintegrates the bad karma programing in the mind SB 5.23.8-9



“This house, this car, this plane, this furniture, this bank account, so much reputation and fame, none of them are of any use to me.” - Kyrzayda Rodriguez / we’re not here to just enjoy ourselves / death as the final exam and we’ve gotta prepare for it / Bhagavatam is Vyasa's way of clarifying everything / the devas are like tax collectors / your body is a universe SB 5.20.5-33

Who is supreme - Vishnu, Rama, or Krishna? / Can conditioned people have unconditional love? / How can care-givers grow through their challenges? / How to find and recognize good guidance when you come to the forks in the road?

If we can’t remember our past life, how does it help us grow? / Is the instruction to give up bad association a bit harsh? / What is OM all about?

“Gravity explains the motions of the planets, but it cannot explain who sets the planets in motion.” ― Isaac Newton / sense perception and inference are valid ways of knowledge, but that can’t answer the big questions / science isn’t determined by consensus - politics is / life is not meant for sense gratification / the desire to hear grows in the heart of one who serves / Krishna purifies the mind & heart of the hearer / the result of Bhakti is happiness - and then positive scientific knowledge of the Absolute Truth / we don’t need to be a blind follower SB 1.2.6-20

Bhagavatam holds us steady through life’s ups and downs / we choose our actions and Vishnu sends the karma / it’s ok if we can’t figure everything out / there’s a subtle layer imbued with false ego surrounding the universe / you can live on the sun with a fire body / Surya is the representative of Vishnu / we’re moths born in a bag of cashews SB 5.20.5

normalize Vedic wisdom / a short life on earth is better than billions of years in the heavens / making the best use of this earth portal / intelligent people not take no interest in places where ,the river of Krishna’s pastimes don’t flow / Krishna will purify our desires / the subtle is the solid SB 5.19.23-31

“and so begins their journey of awakening" - Henri Bergson / choosing knowledge over the veils of ignorance / the first day of Purushottama month / keep the practices alive and mindful / proclivities are previous life practices / devotees can activate the devotion within us / Earth is the portal to freedom SB 5.19.19-21

“We're all going to die, all of us, what a circus! That alone should make us love each other but it doesn't. We are terrorized and flattened by trivialities, we are eaten up by nothing.” ― Charles Bukowski / we are like moths / we become purified by remembering the holy rivers / we take birth according to our karma   SB 5.19.16-19

Do you have advice for people entering marriage? / Should I give up the practice of Bhakti out of frustration? / Why do you think Krsna doesn't allow us to see Him? / With leaders growing older, how can the Krishna movement keep itself relevant to the current youth?

As a Bhakti-yogi, can I acknowledge my feelings and still take no offense? / How to view the premature loss of a child through the lens of Bhakti?

“Awareness needs constant refreshing.” Rick Rubin / approaching the state of constant openness to receiving / our practices create space for awareness / Patanjali’s definition of practice / skeleton keys to the secret chambers of awareness / a good attitude goes a long way in Bhakti / respect to the seniors, kindness to juniors / accepting even the unfair criticism / humility as a way of opening up to learning lessons at every moment

The value of simplicity is to open our minds for Krishna’s inspiration / Untangle the knots of revenge and anger, and control the senses to create space for Krishna /  Prepare and sincerely endeavor for connection to Krishna / The joy of life is not your family or your motorcycle / Get off the superficial level and get on the self transformational level and become fearless / We don’t care if you wear a robe or get a Krishna tattoo- understand nothing is ours / Be cynical about the body or you’ll get swept away / Make the best of a bad bargain- identify with the spiritual self / Nobody is sleeping on a bed of nails anymore / Your False security will be ripped away, take shelter of Krishna  SB 5.19.14-15

The mind is the slayer of the real / Pleasure and pain are mental experiences /  Ignorance of self is the field that kleshas and attachments grow from / Identity with the body is the genesis of illusion / Yoga practice requires surrender to God or it cultivates the ego SB 5.19.13-14

Raghunath talks with famed Sanskrit scholar Pradyumna Prabhu about Madame Blavatsky and other mystics, the early days in Calcutta, and the parallels among Baha'i, theosophy and bhakti yoga, and more.

Our creations are insignificant / How can we be proud when we don’t even know how to do anything? / Vaishnavas don’t take any credit / Real humility is truth - we are tiny and not in control / Consider your accomplishments from a zoomed out perspective / Give up the taste for prestige / Understand that we are made of God’s energy / Thank god for the Vedic framework / The leaves of the tree get their stability/connection from the roots / We’re manipulators not creators / Krishna is transcendental to our faults and aloof to attachments  SB 5.19.8-12

Raghu and Kaustubha interview Ananta Govinda about kirtan, creativity, becoming an instrument and the “Bhakti Fugue State”. Find out more at anantacuffee.com

the necessity of revealing one’s mind in confidence / duplicity is a recipe for disaster / “Don't only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets.“ - Ludwig van Beethoven / always striving for the deeper levels of awareness / Lord Rama is a connoisseur - he only wants pure love - material qualities such as one’s birth in an aristocratic family, personal beauty, eloquence, sharp intelligence or race or nation can’t touch His heart / the price for achieving God’s favor is simply one’s sincere eagerness to have it / Krishna wants every waking moment SB 5.19.7

What can I do to love and accept myself? / What is the essence of love? / How do we handle relationships with family, friends & loved ones that are not on this Bhakti path? / How can we be a good Bhakti friend? / How do people stay motivated in Bhakti without the fear of hitting rock bottom? / What journey does the soul take after leaving the body? / How did you decide to dedicate your whole life to the path of renunciation and to Krishna? / How to face my shortcomings without blaming myself and making the problem even bigger?

Questions from our live audience at the Wisdom of the Sages retreat in Tuscany. How can one transform or purify subtle egoistic desires? / How do you develop compassion for someone who has hurt you? / How do you know when it’s time persevere or time to move on? / Is there an eternal place of Sri Chaitanya’s pastimes in the spiritual realm? / What are the recommended practices for Purushotama month? 

Raghu Interviews Mikele, owner of Villa Casa Vecchia and Bhakti artist Vayu, about their individual paths to Bhakti and their art collaborations. mcgart.com.au Casavecchiavillas.com

Raghunath and Kaustubha speak about love in separation and survive a Tuscan Earthquake live on the show. SB 5.19.6

Mathurananda and his twin Velcro discuss with Raghu their hardcore backgrounds, first temple experiences, and how they bhakti-fied their careers. Check out their award winning short animated films: https://youtu.be/qe6gWsklnh0 https://vimeo.com/291661331 https://vimeo.com/28194902  



"Every now and then a man's mind is stretched by a new idea or sensation, and never shrinks back to its former dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes / good qualities are measured by the character of Lord Rama / Hanuman speaks of the consciousness that facilitates perception of Lord Rama / material “happiness” is the cause of distress SB 5.19.1-5

Krishna is naturally controlled by love / the pursuit of happiness is the pursuit of reality / self realization not sense gratification / Krishna creates this world only because the conditioned souls want to enjoy it / if life seems unfair it might just be that the scoreboard is displaying a score based on previous play (karma) / expect that things won’t go smoothly SB 5.18.38-39



the man who preserves his selfhood, is ever calm and unshaken by the storms of existence / Silence is the cornerstone of character / even mindedness is yoga / Bhagavad-gita, Native American Wisdom and the hundredth monkey effect / the quiet mind recognizes what’s happening behind the scenes SB 5.18.37 http://Courses.vanischool.Com/happy

Does the soul feel, or is that just the mind/ego? / What happens to one who commits suicide and can we help?

Are my mystic interests at odds with Bhakti? / How to connect all of Krishna’s manifestations with Krishna of Vrindavan?

Bhagavatam is that friend that tells you the truth / the truth is simple - everything will crumble but we’re spiritual beings / simplify, be kind, and we will be able to read the messages life sends us / excavate the spiritual self / pluck me Krishna I’m yours / just as fire is concealed in wood, Vishnu is within everything / When one understands that the Lord is within the heart and sees Him everywhere, they have perfect knowledge / if we only we all had a wholehearted percentage meter SB 5.18.36

appreciating the character of Novak Djokovic and Nikola Jokic / pass the praise like a Vaishnava / maintain humility because your position is temporary / we can become possessed by greed in a moment / can I appreciate it when others are praised / love is demonstrated through sacrifice / Vishnu is the generator and we are the lightbulbs / Vishnu is worshiped alongside the Goddess of Fortune and Mother Earth SB 5.18.34-35

you can’t find the painter by evaluating the chemical composition of the paint and canvas (but you know there is one) / if Richard Dawkins’ thoughts are developed through a random and meaningless flux of the atoms, then why are they more valid than anyone else’s thoughts? / if you’ve haven’t given up your biases you are just a so-called scientist / “the speculative research work of a so-called scientist or philosopher is always interrupted when he dies, and the laws of nature go on without regard for his work.” 

 SB 5.18.33 https://links.themodernyogipodcast.com

"when the moon is full, it is as if the Great Spirit were upon the whole world" — Black Elk / paramatma = the 3 Vishnus / even Lord Brahma is a tiny being / Lord Shiva sees like Black Elk / strive for Vasudeva consciousness - aware that Krishna is within everything and everything is within him / greed never satisfies / don’t let our mind degrade us / Lord Shiva sees like Black Elk SB 5.18.32

the Rathayatra experience / Did Jesus appear at Raghunath's birth? / Black Elk’s Paramatma realization / slow down, look at nature, reflect and consider what is beneath the surface / Vishnu is within everything and everything is within Vishnu / cupcakes are a type of medicine too / “I’m not saying I’m the anointed one….but I could be.” - Raghunath

Q & A live from the Bhakti Center's Wisdom of the Sages retreat.

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss dealing with spiritual dissatisfaction and how to take the next step in spiritual life.

Kirtan mindset: don’t try to have some “experience” - just sing for Krishna’s pleasure / may the  pure spiritual energy of Vrindavan be generated within our hearts / it’s our nature to love and to serve / “it's by creation's donation that you are maintained, but you'd rather turn your back” / atheistic science as intellectual bullying / can you live your philosophy? / Krishna’s prerogative isn’t whimsical, it’s all to do with the softening of the heart for divine love / inquire with deep sincerity and humility SB 5.18.28-31

Anthony Hopkins wisens with age / softening the soul through the blows of fate / my goal is to reach the end in harmony with myself / it’s all a miracle / the sincere search for truth is God Consciousness in itself / Raghu as ant overlord / Richard Dawkins refuses to see the gardener / overcoming delusion to realize Krishna’s presence both externally and internally / knowing our place in the macro/micro hierarchy / it’s enough to know that we are tiny sparks of incredible pure spiritual energy SB 5.18.24-27 

the power of cow seva / Laxmi Devi shares Her higher perspective / Bhagavatam pokes at our idea of security / our predicament - a time spark of spiritual energy, trapped in and identifying with the body and mind, moving through a world programed with time, karma and the gunas / we’ve lost touch with our bliss and eternality / our live’s are like eggs on the spoon of a toddler / the heartbreak and lamentation of the material world / Bhagavatam goads us towards the higher choices SB 5.18.19-23

Bhakti culture is ready to explode / Laxmi Devi’s love for Vishnu / it gives pleasure to glorify your beloved / we’re searching for perfection in reflections of the Divine / the sass of the Gopis / God is the ultimate soulmate / it takes a Scientist a Philosopher and a Theologian to understand what’s beyond the virtual reality SB 5.18.15-18



the British scholars completely missed the beauty, sophistication and spiritual depth of the Orissan culture developed around Lord Jagannath / Raghu’s Rathayatra pastime / all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players / Shakespeare’s seven ages / play our roles as an actor, play them well, but always know that the real life is beyond the stage

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” - C.S. Lewis / earthly pleasures were never meant to satisfy - only to suggest the real thing / earthly blessings are only a kind of copy, or echo, or mirage / when the living entity remains in contact with the all-pervading Vāsudeva, he manifests his spiritual power / we're like fish out of water / letting go of the bewilderment of materialistic “love” / the checklist of sorrows that follow materialistic life SB 5.18.13-14

excessive criticism robs us of higher cognitive power / when we hear “family life” critiqued in sacred texts, think “affection limited to one’s own family, community or nation” / 2 issues with family attachment – A. Seeing externals as our source of happiness, B. Limiting our affection to a small group /  If I’m compassionate only to members of my own family,  can it be said that I am truly compassionate? / the religious focus on the faults in others, the spiritual see the good and magnify it SB 5.18.10-12



there’s fascinating mind blowing wonders in every nook and cranny of existence / do we hear life’s wake-up calls, or do we just go on trying to find some enjoyment? / appreciate the architect - duh / “all opulent, beautiful and glorious creations spring from but a spark of My splendor” - Krishna / appear in our hearts and drive away our ignorance / by accepting devotional service we will think of each other’s welfare SB 5.18.1-9

“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.” - Albert Einstein / what we call reality is the level of illusion that we keep coming back to / we’re searching for reality on a Hollywood set / our choice - sense gratification or self realization / Don’t spiritual bypass Vyasadev / behind all the layers of illusion is sweet Krishna / love the root and you will love every living being / nature is nothing but a machine operated by the Supreme Person SB 5.17.21-24

Can spiritual advice be spiritual bypassing? / Do the Vedic texts support gun control? / How to help someone who doesn’t want to be helped? / How to practice Bhakti in a world where I need to “code-switch”? / What does a committed Bhakti practice look like for a career person?

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.” ― William Blake / the Ganges originates at the feet of Lord Vishnu / every living being can purify his mind by touching it’s water / Dhruva accepts the Ganges on his head and feels devotional ecstasy / the Santa Rishis keep the water on their heads and practice Bhakti / the water flows thru the heavens / Lord Shiva’s prayers to Vishnu SB 5.17.1-20

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.” – Aldous Huxley / perception is the combination of our thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and awareness / what we consume creates our filters / I am an atomic particle of consciousness - Krishna is the infinite conscious entity - this world is a house of correction meant to reform my tendency to remain absent in our relationship / wear the lens of divinity / We Are Bugs, Living Under a Desk in a Ghetto / connect and spiritualize everything / this world is our finishing school

when Krishna is pleased, everyone’s pleased / we are in debt to all those who’ve selflessly loved us / treat your guests like God / Krishna saves Draupadi / in kirtan, don’t worry about pleasing the crowd - just please Krishna and everyone is pleased automatically / close your eyes and sing to Krishna / Krishna saves Kaustubha / Krishna always saves us   Code: wisdomsages for 20% off vanischool.com

Audrey Hepburn on beauty and poise / Bhagavad-gita on poise / real inclusivity means looking to Paramatma / find the good in others and fan that flame / gratitude vs entitlement / Bhakti waters the root of the tree / tasmin tuṣṭe jagat tuṣṭam - when Krishna is pleased, everyone is pleased / Bhakti addresses all social maladies / Bhakti satisfies all the devas / Bhakti touches both the saintly and the thugs / becoming accustomed to having our mind dwell in fundamental level thought SB 5.15.13 / BG 13.29



there will always be people who will criticize - so just do the right thing / dial into your offering / Krishna anxiety - purchase it at any price / a leader’s first responsibility is to unite / how a leader must satisfy the citizens / how a leader satisfy women / how a leader must satisfy the earth / how a leader must satisfy the wise / how a leader must satisfy other leaders SB 5.15

How do I gain that 100% faith / What's the relationship between vijnana and bhakti? / Can our spiritual attachments degrade back to material attachments if we are not careful of our intentions?

How to keep faith when negative emotions haunt us? / How to let go of negative habits? / How does Kaustubha organize his day?

Joni Mitchell’s vision of duality / the ups and downs of lowercase L love / “I should’ve listened to the Swami.” / the Shakers didn’t lose (in their spiritual investment) / Joni brings the Jnana, Pete Seeger brings the Bhakti / we all feel melancholy till we turn and face “The Sun” / This world churns us / the power of Krishna’s flute / Krishna churns the hearts of the Gopis

Are we was so focused on achieving that we’re missing some great point about life? / Mind Experiment: We are ants in an alien ant farm. Are we learning the lessons we’re meant to learn, or just working aimlessly? / What good is speeding if you’re heading the wrong direction? / The satisfaction of devotion makes material success and liberation seem insignificant /  Bharata’s last prayer as a deer / “happiness arose out of all I didn't want or need, not all I did. - Pico Iyer SB 5.14.44-46

all material success is time bound / Bhakti is the path of Garuda, material success is the path of the flies / the depth of Bharata’s renunciation / a little devotional service rendered sincerely is a permanent asset SB 5.14.41-43

“Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.” - Henry David Thoreau / Srimad Bhagavatam is the commentary on Vedanta Sutra, by the author himself / creating enmity and dying without achieving life’s mission / all material success winds up in failure as long as we maintain the “I and Mine” illusion / turn down the volume of the ego and listen for Krishna’s whisper / humility like darkness reveals the heavenly lights / you don’t have to change your position, just purify your purpose SB 5.14.40-41

if we cannot display wisdom, then we will clash like (legally blind moles) / when we are out of touch with our spiritual nature we are prone to misjudge intentions and exaggerate the dangers / at times we may have to live with an imperfect, untidy world / necessity knows no law / any sane person can understand that there’s no happiness in the prison / saintly persons, who are friends to all living entities, have a peaceful consciousness

The Avanti Schools are a family of state funded schools in the UK which draw from traditional Bhakti texts like Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam to foster in their students not only educational excellence but also character formation and spiritual insight. In this episode, 
Kaustubha interviews Navin Krishna Das (Nitesh Gor) the Chief Executive of Avanti Schools Trust.

Can you share examples of women in Bhakti to follow - stories, authors, books, teachers, examples, etc? /  How to get past self-loathing?

regard this fleeting world like this… / the 4 sights of Gautama Buddha, which led to his realization of the impermanence and the ultimate dissatisfaction of conditioned existence / sleep is eating up our time / people try to drag us down / we stay in this cage for just a little material happiness / wealth is chanchala / oh the self-loathing / the indefatigable wheel of time / pseudo svāmīs, yogīs and incarnations / we’re running around like monkeys SB 5.14.20-33

consensual reality is significantly flawed / certainty is a mirage / security a delusion / the tyranny of the dull mind threatens / laughter is holier than piety / freedom is sweeter than fame / in the end it’s love and love alone that really matters / we can’t handle Krishna’s opulences / everything we’ve got is meant to offered back / the cheap blessings of so-called sadhus and swamis / the pain of family squabbles / the pain of putting on all the social ceremonies SB 5.14.13-19

you can’t beat the system -the laws break you / swinging on the pendulum of material enjoyment & renunciation / Bhakti transcends selfish concerns / This world is designed more for pain than it is for pleasure  / Naked we come into this world and naked we go out. In the interim we falsely claim, “This is my…” / the intense suffering of being criticized / hate ages you / don’t hate the assessor SB 5.14.9-12

Srimad Bhagavatam is the ripened fruit of the tree of Vedic literature / “God does not float on your horizon, he sleeps in your substance. Vanity runs, love digs.” - Gustave Thibon / “If you fly away from yourself, your prison will run with you.” - Gustave Thibon / mirages and will-o’-the-wisps / we’re chasing wealth, we’re chasing sex, we’re chasing a better home, but when we get there….poof / the materialist perpetually wanders in material existence, struggling to get the necessities of life / we create “artificial necessities” / the secret of nature’s ways / I still haven’t found what I’m looking for SB 5.14.7-8

is this world heaven or hell? / it takes two eyes to see the truth of this world - material cynicism is one eye, spiritual optimism the other / when stereoscopic depth perception kicks in we understand what we’re doing here / this world isn’t meant to be a paradise, it’s a university / try on the Bhagavatam’s philosophy / human being on earth - it’s a great opportunity / uncontrolled senses are plunderers / family members can be like Jackals / chasing the mirage / “at last, my love has come along” / our life is an egg tottering on the spoon of a toddler

Do you have any tools for bridging the gap between being aware and actually taking control of the mind and senses? / What is the meaning of this world’s emotional rollercoaster? / Why do the deva's desire the human form of life? / What was Raghunath’s hope behind his band Shelter?



the need to root out pride and cultural chauvinism / the devotion of Ida Straus / our mantras are a lifeline  We’re living on hopes piled on hopes / materially pessimistic, spiritually optimistic / neglect thoughts of being offended / what does lotus feet mean? / humbly serve the instructions of the great souls to see Krishna SB 5.13.21-26

On the occasion of the festival celebrating the appearance of Sri Nrisimhadeva the Lion like Avatara of Vishnu, Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss the stories and teaching of Nrisimhadeva and his boy devotee Sri Prahlada. https://youtu.be/R4xKn0w3WMM

a formula for producing pure thoughts / japa and kirtan are real silence / Jada Bharata reveals his true identity / there is no good investment in this material world / material enjoyment will break your heart / the sword of knowledge SB 5.12.14-16



“We've all got to stop just following our own little mouse trail…. People are out there doing bad things to each other… they've been dehumanized. It's time to take the humanity back... Without people you're nothing.” - Joe Strummer / let’s put spiritual knowledge back in the center / greed is going nowhere / you have to discipline yourself to find truth / the deepest spirituality is shared heart to heart / the transformative power of listening respectfully / let your heart go out to the worms / Am I dehumanized? SB 5.12.13

“In the great teaching of the Vedas, there is no touch of sectarianism. It is of all ages, climbs, and nationalities and is the royal road for the attainment of the Great Knowledge.” - Henry David Thoreau / no dogmatism - rather, question from all angles / step back and see how Vyasadeva is framing his message / Understand the progression in Vedic thought through hardcore - Me First & the Gimme Gimmes, Sick of it All, Shelter / Give your heart to a deeply realized soul SB 5.12.12



Chaitanya Charan, a prolific author and speaker on Bhakti and Bhagavad-gita speaks with Kaustubha on two ends of a spectrum in spiritual practice - immersive/world-rejecting on one end, and inclusive/world affirming on the other, and the need to find the right balance. 

 https://www.thespiritualscientist.com https://gitadaily.com

How to explain Bhakti to Orthodox Jews? / Where does a queer man find a Bhakti community?

"
the true joy in life: being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one – instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy" - George Bernard Shaw / we need a purpose to wake up for everyday / the Bhakti framework – we all share an eternal dharma of divine love - and we embrace and later let go of a series of temporary dharma’s designed to uncover the eternal / This is how we explain God - one, nondual source, pervading everything and everyone (inside and out) - but known intimately as a person / is belief in a personal God something we’ve evolved beyond? / perfect seers know that the three features of the one Absolute Truth are different perspective views / the perspective needed to understand that the earth is a goddess SB 5.12.11 Check out www.wisdomofthesages.com and www.raghunath.yoga for more info on events

Bob Dylan on how we are bombarded by insulting and humiliating “wonder bread” music / are we insulting our true self? / although the universe may temporarily appear to be the truth, it ultimately has no real existence / nondual knowledge is the ultimate truth / nondual knowledge as Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan SB 5.12.9-11

spiritual knowledge well applied facilitates social justice (rather than bypassing / seeing the world as illusion (spiritual perspective) grants relief from suffering / the world’s a mess - water the root, not every leaf / this life is just a blip / our bodily existence is as unreal as the physical manifestation of any dream in the brains neurotransmitters / by understanding the original cause of different varieties, one can understand everything SB 5.12.7-8

“Most people see what they expect to see, what they want to see, what they've been told to see, what conventional wisdom tells them to see - not what is right in front of them in its pristine condition.” Vincent Bugliosi / don’t just think you’re not your body, know it / the true self has nothing to do with our worldly dealings / control the senses by eating prasadam / Bhakti takes spirituality to the next level SB 5.12.4-6

to ask is to break the spell / "Blind belief and passive consumption can be broken through the simple act of asking questions." - Neil Postman
 / the yoga culture’s acclaim for thoughtful questioning / we presume we will be happier if we are materially successful - and never ask the right questions / question from all different angles / Bhakti is experience based - not just faith based / we don’t need to just conform- we need to transform / knowledge is revealed to the virtuous / “We need new tools in science.” - Do we? / you don’t “create” clean water / you don’t “create” life in a laboratory / a guru is pleased with the student when they inquire with sincerity

Family therapist/Bhakti-yogini Dhanya Rico joins Wisdom of the Sages to address some difficult questions.

 • How to deal with a difficult person who is permanently in your life?
 • In dealing with someone who has emotional problems, how does one release judgment and show compassion and yet keep your heart at a distance so you don’t get hurt?

never sniff glue! / the compelling, confronting, fascinating birth to death time-lapse diorama / we have to shift our perception in order to understand what we are doing here / the most amazing thing in the universe - we think we won’t die / “Don't become a mere recorder of facts, but try to penetrate the mystery of their origin." - Ivan Pavlov / when we dissociate anything from it’s origin we are in illusion / yogis see everything in it’s relation to Krishna / the discovery of Brahma Samhita Ch. 5 / don’t bust into the Grantha Samadhi / the beautiful sages - 6 Goswamis of Vrindavan / Kaustubha’s Vrindavan pilgrimage / preparing the mind for Vrindavan / understanding Krishna is the master key

anxiety for your children never ends / the mind can be an unruly, unappeasable 5 year old / sometimes the best option is to ignore the mind / the mind and senses are meant to work for us, not the other way around / when one’s mind is absorbed in the material conception, one thinks that they belong to a particular nation, family, country or creed / upādhis - false designations we adopt, disguises of the spirit / a gift of aging is understanding the cycles of the world / our false intimacy with the body - it’s going to walk away, and it won’t call back / conquer this mind by the weapon of service SB 5.11.15-17

“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.” Oscar Wilde / we’re zeros desperately searching for 1 / the variables that generate our unique blend of thoughts - the physical elements, nature, the original cause, culture, destiny, time / stepping back to see ourselves separate from our desires /developing a strategy to respond to the challenge of the minds programing / Vasudeva - everyone dwells in Him, and He dwells within everyone / If we don’t realize that the soul of the universe is within our own bodies, that is very sad SB 5.11.11-14

we have 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day, 80% are negative, 95% are repetitive / Bhagavatam predicted Kali-yuga minds would be always disturbed - the National Science Foundation confirms it / technology has created a bizarre world, and it’s driving us mad / yogis are in the business of retraining our thoughts / the senses are channels to the mind / we can consciously design our mind’s programming / the mind can be the cause bondage or liberation / we need a game plan, otherwise the team of the mind and senses are going to crush us / swipe right for Krishna SB 5.11.8-10

“We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.” - John Naisbitt / do we have the cognitive ability to distill information into wisdom? / we’re not asking all the most important questions / mental stability through knowledge of matter and spirit / the materialistic mind covering the living entity’s soul carries it to different species of life / we’re trying to find our tribe at a costume party / wrapping our heads around the idea that we could take birth as an animal / Prabhupada’s distinction between Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma / your mind is a pond and your emotions are the fish / Mara’s mind stretch SB 5.11.6-7

 Why is there conflicting information about the practices and regulations in Bhakti-yoga? / How to root out “false Bhakti” in oneself?

Bhuta Bhavana Das (Ed Anobah) graduated in Philosophy and Economics at the London School of Economics and is currently responsible to training 47,000 leaders in a global financial organization. He’s also been practicing Bhakti-yoga for over 25 years. In this episode he discusses parallels in leadership from both modern and Vedic sources, especially regarding the importance for leaders in developing unity while honoring diversity. Ed Anobah Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ed-anobah-podcast/id1520006462 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edanobah/ 

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”  Marcus Aurelius / “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” - F. Scott Fitzgerald / our minds have been corrupted (made unreliable by  alterations) /  how the 3 gunas corrupt the mind / Without yoga, we’re helpless / Don’t get pulled into a bird body SB 5.11.4-5

“In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.” - Anne Frank / this world moves in cycles / the remedy for hate is spiritual insight / material awareness is like a dream - when we realize that material happiness is insufficient we begin to wake up SB 5.11.1-3

release the ego and sing with the devotees / functional identity vs fundamental Identity / we’ve got to simultaneously hold both the conventional perspective and the transcendental perspective / seeing the world through the perspective of what we hear from Bhagavatam / Bhagavad-gita’s formula for receiving spiritual insight / spiritual insight = seeing all living beings as part of the Supreme IG: keshava_rgm SB 5.10.23-25

"Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you.” - Walt Whitman / “Kṛṣṇa is compared to sunshine, and māyā is compared to darkness.” - Sri Caitanya / “Whatever appears to be of any value, if it is without relation to Me, has no reality. Know it as My illusory energy, that reflection which appears to be in darkness.” Sri Krishna / seeing everything (family, money, property, responsibility) through it’s relationship to Krishna is the key to the code /  seeking clarity between alternating conventional and transcendental contexts / material attachments lead to material suffering SB 5.10.19-22

“The truth will set you free. But not until it is finished with you.” —David Foster Wallace / do we point the truth only at others, or can we point it at ourselves? / Jada Bharata accepts karmic responsibility for his own circumstances / “Is everything going well in your endeavor to conquer the repetition of birth and death?” / King Rahugana bows down / Rahugana’s only fear, offending a truth speaker SB 5.10.14-18

Raghunath and Kaustubha ask each other…..

 • When did you know that you had to commit your life to Bhakti? 

 • What were your biggest doubts in the beginning? 

• What are your biggest doubts now?

What’s the difference between love and Love? / Should we sing mantras glorifying the demigods? / What is the importance of studying verses in Sanskrit?

"Men are not punished for their sins, but by them.” - Elbert Hubbard / karma is a natural law designed to foster a disposition of kindness, compassion and generosity / karma helps us own the consequences of our choices and actions / a little suffering can be healthy for our evolution / our desire for stability is indicative of our eternal nature / lust is nothing but love transformed / a real friend walks hand in hand with you toward divinity / we’re not naughty by nature SB 5.10.13



I Love Mayapur / our material positions are merely conventional / externally operating according to material convention, internally thinking on the spiritual level / king today, dog tomorrow / for some time we play as master or servant, as actors play / do extraordinary things for an extraordinary life / stage dive into reality SB 5.10.11-12 https://www.youtube.com/@IloveMayapur

“Affirm the spirit, the Eternal I” - Ella Wheeler Wilcox / children can break your attachment and the knot in the heart / externally - operate according to convention, internally - think beyond convention / we are gathered together like straws floating in the waves of an ocean… inevitably separated by the laws of the waves / every living being can be a channel of love /the reflection of the spiritual real shows itself when the turbulence of the mind is quieted / the ant’s soul is important too / the keys exist even if they aren’t under the lamppost / the soul is never tired / austerity and penance is meant for seeing the distinctions between body and soul / you’re not ripped! You’re not this body.

“We are very good lawyers for our own mistakes but very good judges for the mistakes of others.” Anonymous / Raghunath is not the spiller! / yoga creates space between stimulus and response / condemn activities, not people / don’t forget your principles, even when times are tough / ants are people too / distinction between rajo-guṇa and sattva-guṇa SB 5.10.1-8



In the Western world there is no equivalent to texts like Ramayana and Mahabharata, which are universally loved, from childhood till death, and chock-full of wisdom on many levels. Dr. Shubha Vilas was raised in the tradition of the Ramayana and in this interview he shares this ancient text’s relevance and how it can best be understood. Learn more at http://www.shubhavilas.com/

How to understand dementia in a Bhakti context? / Is Krishna real?



Radha is the para-shakti, the origin of all the shakti’s including Laxmi, Durga, Kali, etc. / Krishna protects those who - never identify with the body, are liberated from the knot in the heart, always engaged in welfare activities for all living entities, and never contemplate harming anyone / mental discipline in the morning / what does Krishna mean when He says “My devotee never perishes“ / the protection of Jatayu the vulture SB 5.9.20

For episode 1,000, Radhanath Swami shares his thoughts on friendship, aging, money, forgiveness, raising children, prayer and bhakti.


when we keep our minds simple, it all starts to click / religion can be a distraction from spirituality / Narada’s confession to the hunter Mrgari- “If you must kill, then please…..” / Vaisnava’s respect Kali and worship Radha / Kali protected Krishna’s devotee, and killed her own SB 5.9.12-20

we all have the potential to achieve the goal of yoga, in this lifetime / what’s the real measure of success? / fight the demons within - “Not Today Satan!” / make your life mission to uncover and experience your true spiritual nature / doing small things with great love is a perfect success / Jada Bharata was beyond the dualities of happiness and distressed caused by respect or disrespect - we can’t imitate it, but we can draw principles from it / good & bad are mental speculations (this is not about ethics - it’s about the relativity of material pleasure) / our minds are programed to see some things as attractive and others as repulsive - this programing can be changed SB 5.9.7-11


“Spirituality is about awakening the eyes, the ears, the heart, so that you can see what’s always happening right in front of you.” / the external life of the brahmana / the internal life of the Bhakti-yogi / we can’t let ourselves be distracted by external prestige or material blessings / we may forget death, but death never forgets us SB 5.9.1-6

• What is your favorite chapter or passage the sacred texts?  • Who is your favorite kirtan leader?  • Share a story of a memorable kirtan  • What is your favorite temple?

Is there any kind of basic ritual I could perform to offer food? / How to respond to a narcissist's criticisms? / How to understand Bhagavad-gita 12.18? / What are the death rites for Bhakti-yogis? 

“Discipline yourself, and others won't need to.” - John Wooden / to the extent we don’t discipline ourselves, life will discipline us / observe nature and follow the clues / an important part of any wisdom culture is how it helps us to voluntarily accept what nature will otherwise force us to accept involuntarily / “You have practiced how to bark in the legislative assembly. Now become a dog and go on barking.” - Srila Prabhupada / repentance precedes reconciliation / if we slip from our yogic discipline we may wake up with hooves! SB 5.8.28-31 Narayanam namaskryta Naram caiva narottamam Devim saraswatim vyasam  Tato jayam udirayet  Before reciting this Srimad-Bhagavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Narayana, unto Nara-narayana Rishi, the supermost human being, unto Mother Sarasvati, the goddess of learning, and unto Srila Vyasadeva, the author. nasta-prayesv abhadresu nityam bhagavata-sevaya bhagavaty uttama-sloke bhaktir bhavati naisthiki By regular attendance in classes on the Bhagavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact. oḿ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣur unmīlitaḿ yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ



“Some people regard discipline as a chore. For me, it is a kind of order that sets me free to fly.” - Julie Andrews / Better to pay now than pay later with compound interest / yoga means gaining ground in the battle of the mental algorithms / we can consciously choose our mind’s direction and direct your own destiny / keep chanting and it will get sweeter / Bharata takes his next birth as a deer SB 5.8.26-27



struggles are an opportunity to walk the walk / rationalizing your illusion is a bad look / justice and mercy / this world will make you cry / we’re all gonna fall in love and get killed / stimulus for spiritual feelings / this world is an upside down reflection / our spiritual friendships are so important Check out Dani's art at www.stillwatercraftco.com SB 5.8.20-25

Attachment is the great fabricator of illusions; reality can be attained only by someone who is detached. - Simone Weil / we are just here to love without caveats / we’re so attached to the jello that we’re unwilling to leave our jail cell / love every living being the way you love your dog / Shankara’s 5 Stanzas on the Loin Cloth / every material attachment will be pruned / our wrinkles are okay / you’re not the most anything / wisdom cuts out our big fat ego SB 5.8.15-19

“Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live.”-  Marcus Aurelius / improving the world and improving oneself are not diametrically opposed to each other / seek the commonality, not the difference / Although Bharata's compassion seemed noble, it was really all about him / the Vedic cultures stages of life / rationalization is intelligence in service of the false ego / the Bhagavatam is right again! SB 5.8.9-14

How to teach yoga to a primarily Judeo Christian population without offending? / How to overcome fear of death? / What’s a simple “Bhakti pitch” to a Christian? / Should we risk our spiritual bank account for material security?

genuine intimacy is based on truth, not illusion / is my intimacy with others facilitating my remembrance or my forgetfulness of God’s presence behind everything? / In my roles of maintaining others do I act in the awareness of being a representative of The Supreme Maintainer, or as an artificial maintainer? / What was it, about the form of the fawn, that drew the attention of Bharata? 

happiness comes simply / animals are people too / we crave service for meaning in life / Vishnu is in the sun / all of our heat and light can be traced back to the sun, and the sun can be traced back to Krishna - the cause of all causes / Everything is in Krishna, and Krishna is within everything https://divyas.com/?ref=6799 SB 5.7.13-14



“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.” - Helen Keller / Bhakti is about preparing the heart to melt / what if we were all taught from childhood that God is within the heart of every living being? / peace of mind comes from giving not taking / the devotees have Krishna always etched within their hearts / the progression in Bhakti-yoga - faith, association with advanced practitioners, purification through regular practice, freedom from unwinding things in the heart, becoming firmly fixed, gaining taste, addiction to the taste, the sprout of pure love, pure love SB 5.7.8-12

mundane world views based on the limited perception of our senses / messengers exist to wake us up and reveal the wonder that lies beyond our perception / life is meant for self discovery and everything happening in the universe can be interpreted and applied in that context / compassion and love lie at the heart of the self discovery / Can there be spiritual form? / the difference between matter & spirit / we’re getting caught in the laundry cycle of the mundane / am I perpetually annoyed? / self-discovery and empathy emerge together / ethics open the door to perceiving truth SB 5.7.7




In this interview Brighupada shares some fascinating insights on the role of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan and how they presented innovative ideas and practices of Bhakti within the context of an ancient tradition.  Brighupada Dasa (Dr Måns Broo), is a senior lecturer at the Department of Comparative Religion, Åbo Akademi University, Finland. His recent publication “Haribhaktivilāsa of Sanātana Gosvāmin” describes the normative ritual life of a Krishna devotee. https://brill.com/edcollbook-oa/title/63760?fbclid=IwAR1kkEziqOu8fhXIEexTcLv_1QOrt7_WKynUoLoqxibIh-KLfPe8gzki5rc

How do we make amends when we have wronged someone?
 /  Is there a problem with the impersonal conception of God?

sometimes we need a loving nudge / gratitude liberates us from the prison of self–preoccupation / the less we are preoccupied with ourselves, the happier we are / if you don’t feel loved or cared about, start loving & caring for others / in witnessing the cruelty of others, and feeling the hopelessness in it, the cruelty in yourself is diminished / speak your blessings and gratitude / gratitude is being fixed in reality / thank you death / Vedic rituals were communal expressions of gratitude / the maturation of gratitude SB 5.7.1-6

our respects to HH Kadamba Kanana Swami / "the last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.” - Victor Frankl / we all should become self-sufficient / the bodily conception creates unnecessary demands / what success looks like - freedom from hankering and lamenting / Satisfaction through self-realization is called svarūpānanda / to become happy by making material adjustments is impossible / the whack-a-mole principle / our remedies are often worse than our miseries / Chairman Mao’s whack-a-mole policies / our material solutions need to be in the context of self-realization / the 4 noble truths SB 5.6.19

“What lies behind us and what lies ahead of us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson / letting go of hankering for things in the future, and lamenting things of the past / there’s always going to be some sand in the sweet rice / Be Here Now (with Krishna) / to become happy by making material adjustments is impossible / Goddess Saraswati can revoke our intelligence at any time / Death holds a mirror before us / the best master is the best servant SB 5.6.18

Is My Ladder Leaning Against the Wrong Wall? “If the ladder is not leaning against the right wall, every step we take just gets us to the wrong place faster.” ― Stephen R. Covey / the Bhakti-yogi has no interest in the mystic magic tricks / liberation personified waits at the door of the Bhakti-yogi with folded hands 

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss Sri Caitanya, the Krishna Avatar, in terms of his internal and external purposes of appearing, along with calling out danger of personality cults and false claims of being an avatar.

Why do we have to experience loss in this world … the loss of loved ones, and will we ever be reunited? / How to make one’s life an offering to God? / How to improve at japa meditation?



authentic practice allows for individuality, imitation limits it / imitating the great saints doesn’t help anyone / hippies were imitating Rsabhadeva / adjusting tradition, maintaining the compassionate purpose / it makes perfect sense to worship stones! SB 5.6.9 - 14



the inevitable global influence of Bhakti / thinking about death can clarify your life / cemeteries are full of indispensable people / Yogamaya - Krishna voluntarily becomes influenced by illusion for play / What was Rsabdeva trying to avoid by living as an avaduta? (And how can it be applied in our lives?) 1. Prajalpa (gossip and unhelpful talk), 2. Entanglement in the regular material affairs, 3. Ego related thought, 4. Being seen as a saint SB 5.6.6-8  

Don’t preach, be the example / We’re being sold a false identity / Our identity is a divine spark of God and we’re meant to reconnect with it / Let go of the excess baggage and scrub the window of the soul / Be cautious trusting the mind & following your instinct / don’t offend devotees if you want to control the mind / mind your own business & Control your own senses & mind / Give love, inspire and assist others on their spiritual path / there’s always a greater plan / Perfect randomness is part of a divine tapestry / Sometimes purification comes by fire  SB 5.6.3-6

Maya is a black out curtain / Call in the light and watch magic happen / What is my conditioning and what is real? / find your authentic self before Madison Ave sold you your looks / our vehicles have nothing to do with us / The world is a maze / Pruning enhances our growth / Cultivate knowledge to help understand tragedy / Weave knowledge in daily to cultivate wisdom / How can there be anything wrong when I’ve got Krishna? / We’ve been practicing anxiety for lifetimes / Krishna has dropped a bell over us for protection  SB 5.6.1-3

Nick Cave on the death in 2015 of his teenage son, Arthur / understanding of our vulnerability / step beyond the full force of the grief and experience a kind of joy that is entirely new / grief can enlarge the heart heart / in bhakti, not only do you survive, you thrive / better not to judge - you never know who you’re dealing with / yogic practices of extreme renunciation / if this world is unreal, then in one sense there is no good and bad SB 5.5.29-35

What is the Importance of Initiation / Is the desire for peer association in Bhakti due to ego or is it my true soul wanting to connect? / Any advice for the spiritually vacant? /

Raghunath interviews Draupadi and Vaishnava about Plenitud Farm, PR. They discuss water harvesting, SuperAdobe huts, permaculture, and more. For more info, check out https://www.plenitudpr.org/welcome

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The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” Mahatma Gandhi / Get out of the bathtub! / even self reflection needs guidance / Mickey Mouse costumes won’t satisfy us / don’t hate the warden, take responsibility for your crimes / don’t attach your worth to a false designation (upadhi) / engage your senses for the master of the senses / the senses are like apps, someone is maintaining their functioning / meditating on your own death SB 5.5.27-28

The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn / When I start to hate, I’m off my spiritual path / Put the microscope on me / Bhakti Yoga means rooting out one’s animosity / I don’t have to be the lawyer, judge and jury -  I can be the mailman / What pleases Vishnu - is not so much about sacrifices or offerings to Him - it’s 2 things – 1. honoring and learning from virtuous people, 2. respecting the spiritual equality in all living beings / The quality of the Vaisnava Brahmin - akiñcanānām mayi bhakti-bhājām - they do not want to possess anything. They simply engage in devotional service. SB 5.5.25-26

applying spiritual principles to times of tragedy / Bhakti is devotion & service / handling the rough waves on the surface, while being situated in the deep calm / rituals need substance / the qualities of a brahmana / Bhakti-yogis take no offense and harbor no resentment / We can all become the personified Vedas https://www.etsy.com/shop/VvlcanHaus SB 5.5.23-24

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss memories and instructions they received from Kaustubha’s guru, Srila Tamal Krishna Goswami, on the 21st anniversary of his passing from this world.

Thanks Hare Krishna Movement (for helping promote animal rights) / leverage your influence for good / the entire cosmos is a cooperative / finding the social balance thru inspiration rather than legislation / finding happiness in truth, not in things / be guided by the wise and self controlled / Jatayu the vulture of the Ramayana, probably history’s most popular bird / recognize the hierarchy on the level of bodies, and the equality on the level of the soul SB 5.5.20-22

Raghunath and Radhikesh Prabhu discuss planetary influences, being possessed by ghosts, our roadmap of karma, yajnas, gemstones and more. Find out more about Radhikesh at https://www.radhikeshdas.com/

Any advice for a recovering Atheist? / How can we bring up teenage kids who are more empathetic, understanding and caring? / If God has a plan, are we still free to choose? / How to deal with feelings of comparison to others?

Pity me not, your nose will grow too / teach your kids the law of karma / opt out of a society of envy / I dont wanna be in a pack of dogs / we’ve been addicted to Maya for lifetimes / Align your heart with the heart of God SB 5.5.15-19

Mayapur is buzzing with devotional energy / Radha embodies the ecstatic energy of love / through cultivating a relationship with the Deities you can incur magic / Krishna Lila - Its not a Warner brothers cartoon! / immerse yourself in Vrindavan with proper focus & perspective and never have downtime / Krishna Lila draws you in, purifies and refines you / Bhakti is trickling down from great souls - immerse yourself in the flow / May auspiciousness reign!

the only disqualification is hypocrisy / there’s a power of honesty and vulnerability / Don’t doubt that Bhakti can change the world / having a healthy self-disgust / be a religious virtuoso (you’re not a fanatic) / thoughtful enthusiasm and patience is a necessity for spiritual advancement / Bhakti yoga- the means and the end are the same 

If Krishna is the creator, is He responsible for creating the issues that plague humanity? / How to see all living entities without distinction, and still make important distinctions? / How can the soul be both eternally separate and never separated from God? / Is reincarnation always sequential? / How to “come out” as a Bhakti-yogi to a catholic family? 

Raghunath and Kaustubha share from their recent visits to the temples of Srinathji in Rajasthan and Sri Padmanabhaswamy in Kerala, and explain how these ancient masterpieces of science and art were designed to create harmony by bringing our awareness to essential spiritual truths.

The words that come out of our mouth attract people or repel people / Hear and chant about Vrindavan to gain entry / Prioritize romancing Krishna / May we all grow and change / We’ve got good people in our life Reading from Ananda Vrindavan Campu

the universe is working for our evolution / our bodies are like bowling shoes - we have to give them back / the attraction between male and female is the basic principle of material existence / masculine - feminine dichotomy plays out in homosexual relationships as well / the door to our cage is wide open, but we're attached to the food inside /  knowledge slackens the knot in the heart / jnana via The Twilight Zone / shoot the robot of illusion SB 5.5.7-9

Service to the great souls opens the doors to liberation /  the temptation to exploit women’s bodies is the dark door in life / Let service to great souls be your austerity / great souls see everyone in a relation to their spiritual identity, are very peaceful, and satisfied, are without anger, are well-wishers of everyone / lock the dark door of porn / The living entity is not really connected with this material world / the excitement of desire robs us of peace / the desire for sense gratification is never fulfilled / we’re just test driving different vehicles until we evolve to the point of love / get back in the water SB 5.5.2-6

Vishnu descends to recalibrate and enliven / birth as a human is a rare opportunity to learn and be liberated / we all have an eternal spiritual nature - don’t settle for temporary happiness / formula for human life - divine austerity, to purify the heart, leading to liberation / car culture has gotta collapse / Bright Door: Service to the great souls opens the doors to liberation / Dark Door: exploitation of women for sex / when it come to porn, everyone has to draw a hard line and not cross it / speaking about women as sex objects - yogis don’t talk like that! SB 5.5.1-2

Can we make adaptations for Senior Citizen Bhakti-yogis? / Why do materialist sometimes seem happier than spiritualists? / How to explain the yamas and niyamas to a new audience?

the return of the Varkala Jellyfish / Sri Nityananada - God manifests in unlimited ways for enjoyment / Krishna is behind everything / respecting the Devas in the context of Krishna / how the seers of the truth define what is real SB 5.4.16-19

it’s inevitable that Bhakti will spread / keeping the message of the Bhagavatam as the main thing  /  respond to the darkness but see the light / Vyasadeva was is a beautiful sage / wanna be a chosen person- become qualified / he crow of old age and death is coming / “Serves him right” is a red flag that you’re in maya / Kaustubha reveals his evil to the world / filter out animosity SB 5.4.11-15

tuning into the power of ancient sacred places / mental stability through timeless rituals vs mental instability through 15 second videos which disappear forever in 24 hours / celibate student life as preparation for a successful marriage / what do you do when you drop your baby in the hundi? / why pop n lock when you can play mridanga? SB 5.4.6 - 10

Kaustubha’s birthday reflections / let the religious part of me die and the spiritual part of me rise / aspiring to develop real yogic vision / cultivate Feelings of gratitude daily / accepting austerity expertly & joyfully / depend on Krishna and hear his whisper / 8 symptoms of a liberated soul from Chandogya Upanishad SB 5.4.1-5

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss with the charming and learned monk Nityananda Das about his youth in South India practicing in the ancient Bhakti lineage of the great teacher Sri Ramanuja and how he eventually came to the lineage of Sri Caitanaya.

the names of Rama & Krishna have been resounding from the hills in India for longer than we can calculate / the humility of parents who can learn from their children / What is the next step on my path? What could I let go of, or what could I embrace that will make a real difference in the awakening of my own self realization / material energy is a glue trap / there are higher goals in life than getting stuff / the need for truth tellers who can’t be bought

Raghunath and Kaustubha interview more of the guests from their retreat at the Govardhan Eco Village in India.

Janeshwar Das, Raghunath's assistant on his India pilgrimages, shares his inspiring story of being born and raised in the slums in Bombay and his courageous and fascinating path to Bhakti.

In this emotional and touching episode, Raghunath & Kaustubha bring their friend Sri Govinda onto the show to discuss the loss of his young son, the sprouting of his faith in Krishna, meeting his fiancé, and taking up services as a successful financial consultant coming to the path of Bhakti.

Raghunath & Kaustubha speak with Dhanya Rico, a professional Relationship Counselor and Bhakti-yogini, about the importance of honesty and revealing our minds to people we can trust.  

 I look at my dogs life with envy, why are some births considered lower?

 / If you’re born on a higher planet and you still have a mind, what about it would be an improvement over the planet we’re already on? / Who judges or decides our next births?

Raghunath and Kaustubha share their thoughts on Victoria’s Vedic wedding, and interview some of the guests from their retreat at the Govardhan Eco Village in India.

Will we learn to live in harmony with nature, or will we run off the edge of a cliff? / the cow and bull provide everything we need / Ella’s Story - I Won't Be Groomed for Cruelty

Krishna is not interested in wealth, He just wants only our devotion / the story of Kolavecha Sridhar / Make a little time for a sincere sadhana and it can transform everything else / strive for the next level of awakening / all our desires and fantasies are prayers - and Paramatma is the heart monitor SB 5.3.4-13

Priests can be bigots and cops can be saints / it’s not your intelligence position that counts, it’s the quality of your heart / how did marriage get so complicated? / sometimes you go with the wild card / keeping the consciousness pure and uncontaminated before rituals / the beauty of the vision of Lord Vishnu SB 5.3.1-3

How do we learn from karma? / How can we bring yoga into our everyday life while still being in line with the people around us instead of maybe scaring them off by religious or spiritual theories? / Where to start if you’re new to Bhakti and a little overwhelmed by all the resources? / What happens to the souls of those who achieve impersonal liberation?

In a moment we’ll be gobbled by the frog of death  / “As soon as the heart is pure, all truths sparkle in it in a minute; all truth in the universe will manifest in your heart if you are pure enough.” - unknown / it’s reasonable I can’t perceive everything / we’re all untouchables but there’s hope / don’t let your mind be a broken record / let your heart become a place of pastimes for Krishna SB 5.1.30-41

planning for our (birthday) enjoyment can bring great distress / 1 person with a sincere focus on service can change the world / work externally, but always think of Krishna internally / the soul of the universe is within each of our hearts / yogis see the world as moving specifically for the purpose of their enlightenment / looking at the universe from a different angle SB 5.1.22-29



Resentment blocks the flow of grace / evolve or repeat / devotion shrinks the ocean of the material world down to the amount of water in a calf’s footprint / To do the right thing, when it is difficult, is a sign of goodness. To do it without resentment is a sign of greatness. / Lord Rama had no resentment / Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. SB 5.1.19-21



“The strong man is the one who is able to intercept at will the communication between the senses and the mind.” - Napoleon Bonaparte / Yogis recode their experience through the filter of intelligence / bolstering the intellect by daily hearing the truth / It’s a war on Maya out there / Self control is the secret of being in the world but not of the world / We have to work on our mind wherever we are / how family life can be yoga / there’s a noble way to age SB 5.1.17-18

• What’s the root of intention? 
 • Is Krishna immoral? 
 • If we reincarnate as an animal, how do we get back to human birth?
 • Is there sin and repentance in Bhakti?

SB 5.1.13-16

Can one really be in the world but not of the world? / Lord Brahma descends on a swam / the highly qualified language of the yogis / don’t flatter, but set your mind right with appreciation / we don’t need to isolate, we need to insulate / find a community to help us evolve / seeking blessings before our  endeavors /  God is coming back in vogue SB 5.1.8-12

learning to live in harmony with nature / power comes from austerity / stop manufacturing what we can’t throw away / the reality is we’re about to die / know your why / Bhagavatam clarifies everything / the sage expands their affection from My family, to everyone SB 5.1.1-7  

Raghunath and Kaustubha speak about their own lives in 2022 and how hearing Srimad Bhagavatam every day made a difference.

Advice for an Intensive Care Unit Nurse.
 - How to give your patients what they need but also save some energy for yourself.
 - Prayers to offer to patients when they are sick or actively dying.

 Advice for parents cooking for picky eaters

convenience and comfort breed complaints and intolerance / downgrading from the tour bus to the van / you’re about to lose everything (superficial) / reach out, but don’t tip and fall / indulgence is miserable / a yogi is satisfied somehow or other / Maitreya concludes the 4th Canto with a description of the God of Love / although Krishna is self-sufficient, He becomes dependent on His devotees SB 4.31.19-31

wash your brain and think for yourself / joy is the default of the spirit soul / being is more fulfilling than having or doing the most / don’t blame God / we are not this earth suit / we’re all going through the same things / Krishna is accelerating our karma / have faith in the bhagavatam and fall in love with Krishna / choose enthusiasm and associate with enthusiastic people / keep spirit at the forefront of our consciousness / purify your mental contamination / focus on the inner reformation / Make Krishna your Number 1 SB 4.31.17-20

"

Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein / existential clues are found in nature / devotion makes up for all external shortcomings / lack of devotion leaves any strengths or achievements hollow of true, lasting meaning / the primary lesson taught through the functioning of this world is the need to reestablish our connection with our source / our identity is in relation to, and granted by, our source / don’t just accept this as religious dogma - look deep into nature / by watering the root, the entire tree is satisfied / everything emanates from Krishna, and in due course of time everything enters into Him again SB 4.31.11-16

All that counts in life is intention.” - Andrea Bocelli / evolved souls look past the externals and understand, sympathize, and appreciate the person underneath - and it’s palpable / our past doesn’t equal our future / a perfect Vaiṣṇava should be completely independent and unbiased / put the people before the regulations / the devotee is the great reminder / external imperfection becomes perfect when one's purpose is selfless / external perfection becomes imperfect when one’s intentions are selfish / Krishna is Bhava Grahi Janardana - He accepts one’s mood and intention / say his name! SB 4.31.3-10

Are there any Krishna consciousness nonprofits that work to provide food for the hungry, help children in need, or other charitable works? / Can we trust healing mediums? Make a donation to https://annamrita.org https://fflv.org https://ecovillage.org.in https://www.iskconchildprotection.org https://bhakticenter.org https://careforcowsvrindavan.com

“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” - Confucius / step out of your comfort zone for growth / real growth comes from taking responsibility and releasing resentment / growth = growing pains / the message of Bhagavatam comforts the disturbed and disturbs the comfortable / the comforts of home reinforce limited perspective / cultivating expansion of perspective from love for my small circle, to love for every living being SB 4.31.1-2



“I’ll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything.”  — Alan Watts / forests are the lungs of our land / who has priority—humans or nature? / dharmic leadership brings about the Earth’s flourishing / a shortage of natural resources indicates the lack of dharmic leadership / Bhagavatam gives trees agency and voice in its narrative / human and nonhuman - parts of the same whole /  responsible leadership plays a central role in averting ecological crises

you never know what Krishna is going to use to bring you back / don’t mistake the flute for the player of the flute / don’t get too comfortable- this isn’t your home / the whole material world is a sad story / offer what you got / material desire breeds ignorance / trees are people too / see every body as a temple - by such vision you will satisfy the Lord / one who desires self-realization and thus subdues his powerful anger SB 4.30.39-51



our little mouths can create so much suffering / our speaking apparatus is an amazing faculty - very effective in either binding us or releasing us / Yoga is a process of cleaning the window for the sunlight to come in / we can create the spiritual world in the material world by vibrating transcendental words / pure words - relieve material hankerings, and remove envy and fear / Krishna is present where His devotees discuss Him / superficial spirituality sees God in the Temple only - deeper spirituality sees God in people SB 4.30.35-38 For the Live to Give campaign of Bhagavad Gita distribution, text/whatsapp/call Malini at: +1 (669) 289-5563

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. - Matthew 5.8 / what does the heart need to be purified of? / "In monasteries, seminaries, retreats and synagogues, they fear hell and seek paradise. Those who know the mysteries of God never let that seed be planted in their souls.” - Omar Khayyam / a moment of interfaith harmony / destitution is a prodding for Krishna / the yogis ask for their benediction - to be around those who speak of Vishnu, birth after birth / Find people who lift you higher and keep them close / hearing about Krishna relieves anxiety

Madan Mohan is an old friends of Raghunath & Kaustubha going back to their teens. A deep thinker and poet, he shares his thoughts and experiences as a youth that led him to the practice of Bhakti, where he’s at today, and some of his poems.

Spirituality or Spiritual Bypassing? / If Bhaktivedanta Swami were alive today do you believe he would restrict the internet? / Can y'all recommend some slokas (or mantras) that are good to memorize?



that love should be transitory is intolerable / love leaps over the massive of our selfishness / love makes desire itself altruistic / love plants the interests of another in the center of our being / loving one (well used) prepares us to love all / bhakti yogis meditate on name, qualities, form and pastimes / let’s god’s satisfaction be our benediction / the Absolute Truth is realized in three features / one has to approach the Supreme Person through the impersonal Brahman / liberation is just the neutral point SB 4.30.26-30

“To find love I must enter into the sanctuary where it is hidden, which is the mystery of God.” - Thomas Merton / there’s a secret love with capital L / lowercase love stinks / the reflection appears just like the reflected source, but it’s backwards / our mind and words can’t capture the Supreme / Krishna outsources creation, maintenance and destruction / knowing Krishna makes the world of duality seem meaningless / Wisdom of the Sages came overcome malefic planets / Krishna’s lotus feet are captivating SB 4.30.14 - 20

when the intention is selfless, work becomes yoga / “one who restrains the senses of action but whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender” - Bhagavad-gita 3.6 / a sincere sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan meditator / the devotee does not feel hackneyed or stereotyped / in the heart of the devotee the Paramatma reveals Himself as ever-increasingly new SB 4.30.14-20

am I a criminal or a victim? / Alexander the Great could have been content (right now) / satva guna = contentment, raja guna = discontentment / get off the treadmill / even the #1 materialist is in anxiety / striking the balance between competition & cooperation / the material model vs the spiritual model / there’s room for competition in the spiritual realm SB 4.30.13

“One's first step in wisdom is to question everything - and one's last is to come to terms with everything.” - Georg C. Lichtenberg / the need to question our sacred cows / the maturity needed to question our sacred cows / there’s always time for questions in discussions of Santana dharma / the danger of giving up independent thought / question - boil away what’s not real - and then place your faith on a more stable foundation / the need to question the sacred texts / the need to let others question

In today's show we hear from the participants of The Wisdom of the Sages Sage Groups, a way of connecting weekly online, in a small group setting, to learn, question and share, about practicing Bhakti-yoga.

Raghunath speaks with Bhanu-Nandini about connecting with God as a child while escaping a war torn country, and with Krishna Murari Goswami about the origins of Holi and growing up as a 14th generation Goswami in Nandagram. 40% of Divya’s MasterClass at https://divyas.com/?ref=6799 and 15% off your first purchase with code Wisdomofthesages15 10% off Happy Girl Kitchen with coupon code WISDOM Chasing Rhinos 3 book set at www.chasingrhinos.com

I know but one freedom and that is the freedom of the mind. – Antoine de Saint-Exupery / thank God I am not my mind! / if our body is forced to age, are we really free? / try a mantra mind experiment / Lord Vishnu appears / Lord Vishnu appreciates the friendship of the Pracetas / the mind can be trained out of lust, greed and envy SB 4.30.1-13 40% of Divya’s MasterClass at http://divyas.com/?ref=6799 and 15% off your first purchase with code Wisdomofthesages15 10% off Happy Girl Kitchen at www.happygirlkitchen.com with coupon code WISDOM

“There are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.” - Ann Landers / we are just playing our roles then we give them up / life will go on without us - they’ll be telling jokes at our funeral / spiritual maturity lies in managing  polarities / we want eternal life in a temporary world - it doesn’t work / everything within time is a dream SB 4.29.80-85

dreams as evidence of previous lives / “Because consequential things in our present experience turn inconsequential with the passage of time, as they do in a dream, we can be said to be in a dream.” - Spiritual Scientist / The mind of the living entity continues to exist in various gross bodies / our old neighborhoods are like a dream / we’re passing through bodies even during our sleep / shrinking the karmic stockpile / losing identification with the body during deep sleep, fainting, shock, death, fever / understand the purpose of the virtual reality Get 10% off Happy Girl Kitchen products with coupon code WISDOM https://happygirlkitchen.com/ 4.29.66-79



Lensa AI - a dream within a dream / when I want you, all I have to do is dream / we are constantly choosing the blue pill / we take on new bodies based on our desire and our punya (karmic merit) / working out, plastic surgery, makeup, hair styles, Lensa AI - all different ways of trying to taste the fantasy / Bring your warm and fuzzy to Vrindavan / the old want to look young, the young want to look old - we’re never happy with what we’ve got / Yogis decide “I want reality”, and the promise is that reality is way better than the fantasy SB 4.29.62-65

Raghu Dreamt of Prabhupada - Kaustubha dreamt of Ringo / 3 apps operating on the computer of the mind - manas, ahankara and buddhi / consciously reprograming the mind / recreate the samskara / transformation starts with one good choice / trap, cotton candy and other forms of junk food / in dreams, do we go somewhere else? - are we somewhere else right now? / Positive habits lead to positive desires SB 4.29.61

How to practice humility and tolerance? / How to prepare for pilgrimage? / Can you  explain the 36 Tattvas (from Shaivism) in the context of bhakti? / Are there rituals to be performed before Japa meditation? 40% off Divya's Masterclass with link https://divyas.com/?ref=6799

Should we be detached from our family? / Are tattoos motivated purely by ego? / What does it mean to practice bhakti “without deviation?

For Episode 900, Raghunath and Kaustubha hear from their listeners about their favorite verses from Bhagavad-gita.

Prestige is a slippery slope / sometimes you have to make a change and don’t look back / hyper-inclusivism vs hierarchal-inclusivism / Look for lessons everywhere SB 4.29.55-62

we’re here to love, not to control / our deepest attachments are our deepest vulnerabilities / we are trying to taste the rasa that Krishna enjoys / we can’t protect someone from their destiny / Bhagavad-gita’s formula = being complete dutiful, and completely detached / the love formula - two souls, holding hands, walking towards Divinity / Don’t you get it - we’re all about to die?! / At any moment your woohoo could end with a bonk / Get the hell out of the garden! SB 4.29.52-54 40% off Divya’s MasterClass at https://divyas.com/?ref=679   15% off first purchase with code wisdomofthesages15

“the river laughs both at me and at you” / to what path, to what deeds, to what sufferings have we been called? / “even if you died 10 times for him, you would not succeed in relieving him of even the smallest fraction of his destiny.” / “this pain is of the sort that is tempting to laugh about” / Siddhartha lives his past again and comes back to OM / the novice sees materialists with disgust, the master sees them with love / “everything returned again, that had not been fully suffered and resolved; it was always the same sorrows being suffered again and again.”

getting over our pretense / Mara’s a good hearted woman in love with a good-timin’ man / we’re just wandering spirits looking for a way out / the Supersoul is provided remembrance, knowledge & forgetfulness / the Supersoul knows our desires like Amazon Prime / take shelter of the root for all good fortune in the heart / Siddhartha’s letting go SB 4.29.50-51

How to deal with guilt, shame and regret on the Bhakti path? / How can women navigate the effects of menstruation on their daily sadhana?

algorithms are distorting our perception of reality - we need to be meeting with people in person more / dance unabashedly / all the sages draw from the teachings of Vyasa / how do we know that Bhakti is not just a concession, rather than the goal? / this is not our real home SB 4.29.45-49

Thanks to the Wisdom of the Sages family! / Its ok to recreate family / appreciate people and spread gratitude / zoom out and be thankful / choose serving the devotees over serving the senses / Narada has the cure for our material disease / the secret of success is hearing from the right person / receiving Bhakti through a heart to heart transfer / Hee Haw will not endure SB 4.29.38-45

Bhagavatam is the thread holding it all together — Essential, relevant, and practical / time comes along and ruins the illusion / There is no material solution / have courage and take shelter / all of our suffering is due to illusion / the only real solutions lie in spiritual principals / we have to laugh at ourselves and our own attachments / Postulate 7 - Evolve or Repeat SB 4.29.34-37

“Every solution to every problem is simple. It's the distance between the two where the mystery lies.” ― Derek Landy / my attachments stand in the way of the simple solution / kindness & simplicity are always the solution / lean into spiritual life / the wise can find great joy with nothing / sometimes you’ve gotta get the mafia involved / the sacred cow vs the tractor / a meat-based diet and economy dependent on cruelty, machinery and fossil fuels vs simple living and loving cooperation between humans and cows SB 4.29.32-33

How can one apply Bhakti wisdom to the grief of the loss of a loved one?

The influences of the gunas are woven into the tapestry every object w encounter, and every circumstance we experience / a wise person learns how to make the gunas work for them / only when one is content, can they focus inward SB 4.29.26-32



careful what you look for- you’ll find it / attachment clouds truth perception / who am I in this story - wise Narada or the attached king? / peeling away the layers of attachment / the humility of Akinchana Krishna das Babaji / am I in control or am I being controlled? SB 4.29.1-27

the need for material success, popularity, and power stem from self-rejection / "Being the Beloved constitutes the core truth of our existence.” Henri J.M. Nouwen  / don’t get triggered out of the treasure / the only satisfying identity is I am spirit / the soul is a person and an enjoyer in reality / non-binary gender identification mentioned in Srimad-Bhagavatam / our factual position - both one with and different from God / every Starbucks should have a swan 40% off Divya's Masterclass with link https://divyas.com/?ref=6799   SB 4.28.55-65

What do you do when your guru gives you an instruction but your heart and intuition say something else? /  Was Srila Prabhupada a saint? 40% off Divya's Masterclass with link https://divyas.com/?ref=6799

Guru Questions

Can one love, without loving themselves first? / What can I do for Krishna? Is intention enough? / Any advice for bringing kids on pilgrimage? / How does a swami become a swami?

“A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep.” - Saul Bellow / How deep is my need for illusion? / Our home is the spiritual world / Plato’s allegory - Life as we know it, is like being chained in a cave and forced to watch shadows of reality projected on a stone wall / Who am I, among Plato’s cave dwellers? / things in the physical world are flawed reflection of the ideal forms in the spiritual world / Is there a source of light that will reveal the falsity in even our most basic assumptions? / physicists speak of a real world behind the world of perception and change / when the living entity wants to enjoy himself, he falls down into the material world / how we both fall and never fall, from the spiritual world / you should try to realize the meaning of what I have said through cit-samadhi, spiritual meditation SB 4.28.54

how to relieve the world’s suffering / spiritual knowledge as a way of checking the imbalance of values in life, and achieving real unity and peace / “The more directly one aims to maximize pleasure and avoid pain, the more likely one is to produce instead a life bereft of depth, meaning and community.” - Emily Esfahani Smith / the Supersoul isn’t a judge, He’s a friend / how many burials or funeral pyres of our loved ones have we witnessed in our many lifetimes? / funeral pyre renunciation / how many times have we heard that voice and ignored it? / desiring earthly enjoyments, we’ve become attached / we’re allowed to unfollow whoever we want 

in life’s most difficult moments, when one feels most alone, we may hear the voice of God within / we have an eternal friend in the heart / we’re still far away from our original home / we’ve been traveling in different forms throughout this material world / we’ve forgotten our spiritual life and have been placed in various miserable conditions / our sense of identity shifts from one body to another / we’re in the process of remembering what we are / formula to hear God - follow the instructions of a master - and then God will instruct you in the heart / just because there’s lots of fool’s gold doesn’t mean there isn’t any real gold 

perceiving the spiritual world in the material world / whatever our view of reality is, it’s going to be far out, and require faith / taking a picture in the heart / when our interests merge with those of the Supersoul / the practice of the disciple - serving with love and affection, giving up sensual enjoyments, renunciation, austerity, peace and steadiness / the disciple cries when the guru leaves /  the disciple and guru are live together eternally through the instructions  

What’s happening in the Spiritual World? / Are feelings of unworthiness on the Bhakti path common? / What is Hare Krishna 2.0?

Broken Pickers - We’re attracted to the Causes of Our Suffering Krishna disguises himself as a boatman / Krishna disguises himself as a snake doctor / Are we attracted to things that are causing suffering? / the meaning of life is as simple as fixing our broken picker / the king develops attraction to Krishna through austere yoga / dharma is meant for developing attraction to Krishna - SB. 2.2.8 / the distinction between the soul and the Supersoul / we are the witness in the body - doing nothing / don’t trust your instincts 

old death-defying India vs new materially developed India / how the king became fixed in spirit - austerity, learning, regulative principles, self-control / practical ways to include austerity in our lives / Sri Chaitanya gave the highest spiritual sentiments to the most dented cans / Krishna is everything.” Bhagavad-gita 7.19 / “For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome.” Bhagavad-gita 12.5

the biggest cause of my distress is planning for happiness / beware of being the enjoyer in Vrindavan / if you come in a mood of service it’s like you’re already liberated / material indulgence always ends in indigestion / me first mentality is like Lord of the Flies / happiness through service is the peace formula / all there is within the universe for satisfying one’s senses cannot satisfy a person who’s senses are uncontrolled / if your happiness is from your ego,  prepare for pain / contentment opens you up to deeper spirituality / association is everything 

Pustulate 4 - let Krishna be the attractive one (because we can’t handle the fame, power, beauty, wealth, etc.) / Krishna is the original addiction, the one that never gets old / the guru gives birth to attraction to Krishna - and the practices of Bhakti / the practices give birth to the varieties of devotion expressed though the authentic Bhakti lineages / the mind unites with attraction to Krishna and gives birth to detachment to external pleasures / a real disciple carries firewood / a real guru is expert in understanding the Vedic conclusion and always fixed in spirit / Bhakti is without selfish motive, and directed to Krishna, the root of all existence 

Kaustubha interviews Shara McGlinn about growing up in Bhakti, and her journey through professional modeling, acting, recovery and back.

• How does a Bhakti-yogi face workplace challenges?   • Can a Buddhist Love Krishna?   • How can I be responsible for being misled by the heart and mind Krishna gave me?

On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of his Tirobhava (passing from this world) Raghunath and Kaustubha share their appreciation for Bhaktivedanta Swami by reading a short bio and hearing from Allen Ginsburg, George Harrison, Thomas Merton, and scholars Harvey Cox and Stillson Judah.

the mood needed to enter a holy place / we suffer for our over-indulgence / we move toward who we meditate on / a devotee has no vision other than Krishna / don’t criticize but discern / charlatans exist in the East too / pseudo-avatāras,-svāmīs,-yogīs and others

letting go of resentments for Diwali / the loneliness of death / remembering the inner friend and well-wisher / open your home in loving service / starting the conversation with God in your heart / through control of the sex-drive, power is attained / in the presence of one who is established in nonviolence, enmity is abandoned 



Kaustubha discusses with Professor Ravi Gupta about the unique role of Srimad Bhagavatam in the broader yoga tradition, and how it presents “Dharmic Reversals” where common religious, social hierarchies (in terms of gender, age, caste and even species) are turned upside-down. Dr. Ravi M. Gupta (Radhika Ramana dasa) is the Charles Redd Professor of Religious Studies and Department Head for History, Religious Studies, and Classics at Utah State University. He is the author or editor of four books, including an abridged translation of the Srimad Bhagavatam (with Kenneth Valpey), published in 2017 by Columbia University Press. Ravi has received four teaching awards, a National Endowment for the Humanities summer fellowship, three research fellowships, and a book award. He is a Permanent Research Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies and a past president of the Society for Hindu Christian Studies. He speaks around the world on topics related to Chaitanya Vaishnavism, Vedanta philosophy, and Krishna bhakti traditions.

Any advice for people coming to Bhakti later in life? / Am I practicing detachment or avoiding responsibility? / If God is singular, how can we all be God?



“But fate ordains that dearest friends must part.” – Edward Young / there’s only one friend that we don’t part with / starting the conversation with God in the heart / the wise voluntarily renounce what time will take away involuntarily / the spirit soul is the principal factor within the body / our schools need to engage us with spiritual knowledge / spiritual knowledge can heal us socially and psychologically SB 4.28.23-25

we try to keep death under wraps / Pompeii can happen at any moment  / fear, dread and resignation at the moment of death / fear for our loved ones in the future / regret about how we treated loved ones in the past / life will go on without us / they’ll be eating chips and dip, and laughing at your funeral / the iceberg of death is coming, destroying love and romance / only spiritual knowledge will save us from the pain of separation / our miserly intelligence limits our love SB 4.28.18-22



“… our concern must be to live while we're alive - to release our inner selves from the spiritual death that comes with living behind a facade designed to conform to external definitions of who and what we are.” - Elisabeth Kubler-Ross / we’re here for self realization / there’s a bigger ROI on your spiritual life / yoga wisdom could save yoga asana / Postulate 4 - My body is a vehicle for devotional service / sexual attraction is the basic principle of material existence, and leads to thinking in terms of I and mine / who is the real sannyasi? SB 4.28.14-17



“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.”- Haruki Murakami / the terror of death without spiritual knowledge / “Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go.” Jean de La Fontaine / death can be a gift to put your life in perspective / our deep affections for family should be based on truth / the chains of habit are too light to be felt until they’re too heavy to be broken 40% off Divya’s MasterClass at https://divyas.com/?ref=6799 15% off your first purchase with code WISDOMOFTHESAGES15 SB 4.28.1-13  

Divya Alter discusses her new cookbook, how to incorporate ayurveda in your daily life, the importance of prana and pranic foods, and more. For Divya's Masterclass use our referral link for 40% off! https://divyas.com/?ref=6799  And for 15% off your first purchase at www.divyas.com, use code WISDOMOFTHESAGES15

How to explain your new interest in Bhakti to loved ones? / Can you pinpoint the reasons why you both got into Bhakti?

know that Krishna listens to the voice of your chanting / share the spiritual messages that strike you with others / remain clear that we are staying only a short time in the guesthouse of planet earth / do I treasure things that aren’t so valuable? / are my thoughts giving me energy? / finding the small spark in the heart and acting out of love https://www.urbandevi.com/the-inspiration-list/

dying as a spiritually aware person / time is creeping up on us / Time gives birth to Old Age, who teams up with Fever & Disease to attack our body / Vaishnavas are immune the anxiety and suffering of old age and disease / even curses can be blessings / old age can be an impetus for our spiritual life / separating ourselves from our external reality through Bhakti / yoga leads to boundless happiness, truth, and steadiness through life’s greatest challenges Bhakti Tirtha Swami's last kirtan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0B8vOZJ3WY SB 4.27.21-30

we’re here to observe, learn, grow, love and then return home / you don’t need to decorate your hotel room / Postulate 14 - let Krishna be the attractive one / we can’t handle fame, wealth, beauty, etc. / both materialistic piety and decadence lie on the other side of truth / Krishna comes in the form of time and forces us to surrender / our life airs are being attacked by time, along with the days and nights / every time the sun sets we can reflect that my body is losing a battle / for those who identify with the body, time brings anxiety / time brings disease SB 4.27.5-20

what is normal now is really abnormal / the blind pursuit of materialism is a hamster wheel of debt / 
making sense of an upside world through Bhakti / stay where you are but cultivate wisdom / Bhagavatam juxtaposes spirituality, not only with moral decadence, but with materialistic piety as well / material enjoyment is just a thin veneer over suffering / material happiness will shoot you in the groin /  disease and time are creeping up on us / what’s your pillow, that helps you sleep through life’s important messages? SB 4.27.1-4

the desires of the guru are always in the heart of the disciple / “What is sacred is considered to be ordinary & what is ordinary is considered to be so important.” -  Radhanath Swami / Clear out the junk in your mind to make space for the extraordinary / let your Inner archaeologist dig deep /  Krishna’s Lila as the ultimate focal point / It’s not just cleaning and emptying the house, it’s filling the house with love / the higher consciousness is inaccessible through the material senses / meditation on Krishna’s Lila arises in the consciousness, reveals itself and summons the eternal, blissful participation of those who meditate upon it / Krishna’s dance is the churned essence of all the Vedic literature

How to associate with “wonderful” non devotees? / How to find joy again after the loss of my daughter? / Can you share 1 everyday practice for people who don’t live in an ashram? / How to gracefully receive worship, praise, validation & love?

clutter smothers, simplicity breathes / the results that arise from weakness of heart / what unsteady spiritual practice looks like - (1) enthusiasm based on over-confidence, which is thus feeble and short-lived,  (2) irresolute, sporadic, endeavors, (3) indecisiveness and doubts constantly assailing one’s resolve, (4) the battle with desire for worldly sense objects, (5) the inability to uphold vows, (6) delighting in the mundane benefits afforded by bhakti

once we neglect it, dharmic intelligence does not come back so easily / a mind without devotion and dharma endowed intelligence is like an empty home / worse than the tangible karmic reaction is the deepening of adharmic disposition which steals our freedom / reestablishing dharmic intelligence through giving up false ego and respecting the Bhakti-yogis / battling the voices of adharma in the mind / we are both tiny and significant  / our subordination to insignificant objects / in weakness we buy into false arguments  SB 4.26.14-26


“No man was ever wise by chance.” – Seneca / the lifelong attempt to acquire wisdom / I want your body, but not the emotions that come with it / the mind’s power over us is eroded by hearing (śravana), reflecting (manana), and meditating (nididhyāsana) / working the renunciation muscles / resetting the algorithms in the Mind / what do we need to “unfollow” / coming back to our dharmic intelligence SB 4.26.10-13

“Remember that pain has this most excellent quality. If prolonged it cannot be severe, and if severe it cannot be prolonged.” - Seneca / “There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall.”- Gandhi / there is something to learn from our pain / “Apart from separation from the devotee of Kṛṣṇa, I know of no unbearable unhappiness.” - Ramananda Raya / cynical German hippies / we’re all spirit souls, treat everyone with dignity / animals are not dead stone, but the killers of animals are stonehearted / attachment covers truth perception SB 4.26.5-9

"Let us train our minds to desire what the situation demands." - Seneca / lust is the beginning of misogyny / we’ve got a quiver of unlimited desires / a womanizer can’t be kind / cruel reactions follow cruel behavior / global pandemics, climate change related disasters, and war are all tied to the cruelty of factory farming SB 4.26.1-4

How to practice humility free of shame & unworthiness? / Am I callous or wise? / How to study with devotion? / What is compassion in a Bhakti context?

How to explain Krishna to my child? / Is it wrong to put down a pet? / Why does the Vedic Literature teach in a progression to Bhakti?

“When 'happiness' eludes us - as, eventually, it always will - we have the invitation to examine our programmed responses and to exercise our power to choose again.” - Richard Rohr / do we feel invited to resent, complain, feel self-pity…..or examine our mind? / the 9 gates of the body / expanding the space between stimulus and response / the bikini cardboard cut-out seen through the lens of reason / there’s no reward for dancing dogs SB 4.25.24-62



“Contemplation is an alternative consciousness that refuses to identify with or feed what are only passing shows. It is the absolute opposite of addiction, consumerism or any egoic consciousness.” - Richard Rohr / contemplation is freedom / pause for thought / the mind should be our employee / “sattvic scrolling” / if we could only monitor the mind / Jagrat (waking state), Svapna (dreaming state), Sushupti (deep sleep state) / in the waking state the mind experiences outward impressions - in the dreaming state, it creates its own impressions developed from the materials of the waking hours / Japa locks you into the sacred sound / “From wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.” Bhagavad-gita 6.26

Egoic consciousness is the one we all normally operate with, until we are told there is something else! – Richard Rohr / identifying our common central reference point is the key to “checking the imbalance of values” and “achieving real unity and peace in the world” / my body is deteriorating while I’m in it / there’s no even playing field in the material world / egoic consciousness = seeing everything in the context of the enjoyment of our senses - rather than in the context of the Source that it stems from / when 2 people strike a deal - thinking that the other will satisfy them - they are setting up for conflict / ego consciousness does not necessarily mean David Lee Roth SB 4.25.40-43

“Faith is not for overcoming obstacles; it is for experiencing them—all the way through!” - Richard Rohr / read 5 Bhagavad-gita versus today / this isn’t bypassing, it’s facing the obstacles with wisdom - so we can grow / giving up on figuring out the meaning of life is bypassing / before the truth sets you free, it makes you miserable / the dream within the dream / positive role models lift us up / what is prana? SB 4.25.34-39

Idolatry & Bhakti - what’s the deal? / What is pure devotion pure of?

“Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together: For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.” ― Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet / postulate 31 - upper and lower case love / We should have a mad pursuit for growth (not happiness) / understanding the “demoniac” mentality / Kaustubha’s Satanic friend / the idea that there is no moral foundation to the world doesn’t hold up / selfishness leads to pain and anxiety / time is running out - Now is the time to inquire into the absolute truth SB 4.25.29-33

How to have better inter-sangha relations? / How to become more sincere? / How to get over feelings of insecurity? / Is there a motive in Bhakti?

“The timeless in you is aware of life's timelessness.” - Khalil Gibran, The Prophet / that which sings and contemplates in you is still dwelling within timelessness / spiritual energy means beyond time / why Raghunath hangs out in graveyards / how much of my time is spent in timelessness? / great cultures were built on contemplation of life’s most important questions / three apps operating on the computer of the mind - manas, ahankara, and buddhi / freedom is most effectively taken away by giving the illusion of freedom SB 4.25.27-32 E-mail [email protected] and put WoS giveaway and your city in the subject line

“Accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields. And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.”  –  Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet / Bhagavad-gita 2.14-15 / becoming the inner witness by disengaging from identification with our thoughts and emotions and just observing them / by embracing the delusion of dualities it becomes impossible to acquire self realization / without self realization there’s no God realization / human life is meant for asking the important questions

“Verily the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul, and then walks grinning in the funeral.” ― Khalil Gibran, The Prophet / austerity feels difficult at first, and liberating in the end / the mind is a computer, the senses are the plug in devices, the soul is the user (and the battery) / our senses are servants of the mind, each with hundreds of desires / attachment and aversion are two sides of the same coin

How does one know when they are ready to make a commitment to seek a guru and initiation? / How does one chant mantras on beads? / How to let go of resentment?

“Every day we should hear at least one little song, read one good poem, see one exquisite picture, and, if possible, speak a few sensible words.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / we need to sing together / how the results of yoga practice become firmly rooted through culture / Raghu’s recent parenting wins / Brooklyn Radha Govinda Temple back in the 80’s / India is lame (but with spiritual assets), the West is Blind (but with material assets) / blinded by the glitter of material opulence

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / are we free or are we following the programing in the mind? / shrimp scampi or cockroach scampi - what’s the difference / naked man and the box revisited / yoga is aimed at uncovering the true self, underneath the mental programing / we are all the king of our bodies, wandering with an unknown friend - the paramatma /  for one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached  - Bhagavad-gita 6.7 / we can’t find satisfaction through the body SB 4.25.7-12

who is Narada? / don't be fooled by the highlight reels of peoples life / don’t work on decorating your prison cell, work on your reformation / never forget the reason behind the rule (divine love) / we’ve been wandering through different bodies and planets / everyone has dormant kṛṣṇa-bhakti — love for Kṛṣṇa — and  in the association of good devotees, that love is revealed SB 4.25.6 https://www.fooseforlife.com

“It is not doing the thing we like to do, but liking the thing we have to do, that makes life blessed.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe / the impulsive part of the mind is programed to believe externals bring happiness - the reflective part of the mind can reprogram it / “I acted and behold, service was joy.” - Rabindranath Tagore / what are “fruitive activities”? / material enjoyment comes with suffering - no way around it / even Michael Jordan’s not happy / when we try to take Krishna’s role we crash SB 4.25.1-5

Gurudas and Raghunath discuss the early days with Prabhupada, the Beatles, and his new book, The Swami who Rocked the Worlds, as well as his nonprofit organization The Vedic Care Charitable Trust. More info here https://vediccarecharity.org

Why do we have to suffer so much? / Is it wrong for a yogi to drink coffee & tea? / Could you share a good morning ritual for someone with PTSD?

“Be like water, making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.” - Bruce Lee / the universe is designed to assist us - so don’t be so rigid / the balance of knowing when to be soft like grass and when to be rigid like a tree / instead of sizing up the whole world find the good qualities / you won’t find self worth through others’ shortcomings / to serve the universe - start by meditating on it’s source SB 4.24.71-79


“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” Bruce Lee / starve your distractions, feed your focus / find God in your heart and meditate on Him continuously / One who sees the Supersoul equally present everywhere, in every living being, does not degrade themself by their mind / Kaustubha’s prema breath work / Haridas Thakura become the Namacharya / keep digging into the mantra / keep digging into your heart SB 4.24.70

The medicine for my suffering I had within me from the very beginning but I did not take it.” - Bruce Lee / don’t empower the triggers / materialists look without, spiritualists look within / hack away at the unessential - distill the mind / triggers direct you toward your self work / here’s the key - human life is meant for inquiry of Absolute truth / 3 features of the Absolute Truth - Brahman, Paramatma, Bhagavan / you can’t understand a sage by the externals / the formula - staying situated in you social position, purify internally through chanting, and carry out your social duties SB 4.24.68-69

“You don’t ask God to give you things, you depend on God for your inner theme.” - Bruce Lee / worship ≠ self-deprecation / focus all our good qualities to Krishna / worship = the development of deep respect and love for every living being / will we run our life away on the hamster wheel, or focus on learning life’s lessons? / we have 2 options: evolve or repeat / the rarity of human birth / 9 symptoms of an advanced devotee SB 4.24.67

Srimad bhagavatam - the great reminder / We aren’t selling you a religion, we’re waking up your true identity / excavate your spiritual identity / Bhakti is all inclusive / Let everyone sweep their own door and the whole world will be clean / Check ourselves on giving unsolicited advice / its hard to heal in isolation / friends don’t cosign friends’ nonsense / world  peace can’t be done, but there can be peace in our consciousness / fame exacerbates pain / even chickens are greedy / we are not the centre, we are satellites of the centre    4.24.64-66

Vaisesika Dasa and Kaustubha discuss the Srimad Bhagavatam's presentation of beauty & love on the spiritual plane and how this world is a reflection of that.



Radhastami Special: How to understand Radha’s suffering in separation from Krishna?

the secret of human life lies in the surrender to and awareness of Krishna / the Gita fuses worship, action and contemplation in a fulfillment of daily duty that transcends all three through becoming an instrument of a transcendent will / the Gita remains utterly vital / Swami Bhaktivedanta brings to the West a salutary reminder that we lack the inner depth of an authentic metaphysical consciousness / without illuminated consciousness, we live life with tragic seriousness / the absence of violence in the Gita’s content, context and consequence / our future fantasies become a repugnant present / “In obedience to that inner truth we are at last free.” - Thomas Merton

Love is my true identity. Selflessness is my true self. Love is my true character. Love is my name.” - Thomas Merton / The Big Flip-flop = selfishness leads to suffering, selflessness leads to happiness / don’t be a Cosmic Player hater / real romance = holding hands and walk together toward Divinity / living a life both more serious and less serious than the one who does not sense the inner cosmic dynamism / capital e Enjoyer vs lower case enjoyers / Am I just a child and is my entire life just playing with a toy imitation? SB 4.24.62-63



internal, external and marginal energies / we’re the marginal engird trying to enjoy the external energy / it’s reasonable to infer that someone is holding everything together / past, present and future are natural for the soul / it’s hard for us to conceive of existence without time / our desire to enjoy in competition with krishna is the cause of our material existence https://www.mandala.org/upcoming-events/chantcamp2022 SB 4.24.61 

“Reason is in fact the path to faith, and faith takes over when reason can say no more.” - Thomas Merton / atheism is a type of faith / spirituality is about respecting all other spirits / Raghu says Choose! / the external, internal and marginal energies / the body is planned obsolescence / if there’s a corrupt guru in your kitchen, practice Bhakti in the garage / my inner Dr. Evil, is battling my inner Thomas Merton / we’re all are being maintained - grow up and acknowledge it SB 4.24.61

“to be a saint means to be myself” Thomas Merton / sainthood is within us - chip it away / if I’m not being a saint, I’m not being myself / Western salvation vs Eastern self-realization / tat tvam asi - you are that (but not like that) / We are God’s energy yet we are individual / the personal conception makes everything click / Sri Caitanya schools the monist sannyasis / Arjuna - “how can one transcend the material energy?” - Krishna - “through Bhakti-yoga” / Krishna is the basis of brahaman / three manifestations of the Absolute Truth - Brahman, Paramatma & Bhagavan SB 4.24.60

How do you navigate loneliness on the path of Bhakti? / How to keep Bhakti alive while living in the ordinary world? / How to share Bhakti with my kids? / How to describe Bhakti to someone new to it?

Can we trust our intuition? / How to get through spiritual puberty? / What’s so special about me, that I found the path of Bhakti? / What to do if you feel your spiritual teacher’s advice is wrong?

"Neither the past nor the future exists.” - Yoda / A key for meditation – what distracts our mind most is thoughts of the past and thoughts of the future / the past is not for enjoying through reminiscing or wallowing in lamentation and the future is not for yearning or fantasy, they are both for upgrading the present / the past can enrich the present through knowledge gained by experience / envisioning the future can bring direction to the present / bhakti is transferred from the heart of a devotee / live to be corrected / putting a positive spin on the 10 offenses SB 4.24.59

drop the mysteries of the universe on someone’s lap / Bhagavatam makes your home sacred / Bhagavatam untangles all difficulty / one moment’s association with a devotee can shift your trajectory / we’re out of our real element / a devotee can trigger the dormant devotion in the heart of another / devotional service IS our thing, we just forgot / getting past the triggers SB 4.24.58

Yoda gets it - we’re not these bodies / hear the gong of God for a paradigm shift / we go through many bodies, even in this one life / the force of the false ego causes the eternal self to identify with the temporary body / now (while you’re in a human body) is the time to inquire into the Absolute Truth / happiness is the natural situation of the living entity / the Bhakti-yogi can transcend the influence of time / death is a symptom of material infection / resist the flow of mundane material life - confront your own dark force SB 4.24.56-57

Yoda speaks to the reflection of his own evil / rejecting our inner evil through patience and training / light up your life with transcendental practices / hearing and reflecting on truth provides our foundation for life / Bhakti-yoga is all about refining and directing emotions / everyone loves Shiva / its easier to cry / Indra wants Bhakti - the monists need Bhakti / why Bhakti is easier / love alone satisfies Krishna SB 4.24.53-55

“Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” — Yoda / Dig  in and examine your fears to cultivate detachment / through reflection we fear less / though Bhakti we transfer attachment and fear / Bhagavatam dissipates the darkness of the heart / Fearfulness is the result of material involvement / a real yogi is focussed on ridding their heart of darkness / you light up my life Sri Krishna SB 4.24.52

Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss the Bhakti Recovery Group with Jiva G and other participants about how principles from 12 step recovery can be applied in the context of Bhakti-yoga, and how it’s not just for hardcore drug addicts, but can help address a very wide range of addictive behaviors. More info at https://www.bhaktirecoverygroup.com

Where do you draw the line between a medicine and an intoxicant? / Is it ever ok for me to serve meat to an elderly, disabled relative? / Why does Krishna give us free will when we are so prone to misuse it?

Krishna tags people to touch our lives / seek the spiritual essence, beyond the external stereotypes / humility is the conduit for Krishna’s mercy / sweet Krishna places liberation in the hands of the devotees / let Krishna shine within our hearts! / the infinite love and beauty of Krishna’s eyes / Krishna cannot check the rising tide of love He feels for his devotees / Lord Shiva Glorifies the beauty of Krishna’s form SB 4.24.45-52

Jane Goodall on balancing the clever brain and the human heart /  if we dare to look into those eyes, then we shall feel their suffering in our hearts / “If the factory farm does indeed unravel – and it must – then there is hope that we can, gradually, reverse the environmental damage it has caused.” Jane Goodall / magic happens when you start to romance Krishna / imagine Lord Shiva coming up to you and telling you what he meditates on! / Shiva’s meditative focus on the form of Krishna / Call Krishna and he will come SB 4.24.44

Bhakti culture develops the sentiments favorable for yoga transformation / prune the vestigial limbs that don’t serve us / Shiva appeals to Krishna to purify his body and mind / change our choices to expand our free will / our bad choices make us miserable / Am I triggered by Krishna’s central role? / If my pleasure brought pleasure to everyone else, then I would be the supreme enjoyer / cultivate the spirit of Vrindavan within / Bhakti - its a formula that works / declare your real identity  to check your ego (I’m a pure spirit soul) SB 4.24.41-43

Jane Goodall’s unannounced moments of true awareness / don’t freak out, freak in / stepping out of the current of time to experience moments of true awareness / the Universe is the body of Vishnu - are we healthy cells, or a virus? / don’t fight the flow - fight the anti-flow / the Vedas are an instruction manual for this human body / “It is the duty of every living being to perform welfare activities for the benefit of others with his life, wealth, intelligence and words.” / Sage Engage - we all need to serve / settle into your relationship, career, service and teachers / everything is revealed through spiritual sound SB 4.24.36-40

Jane Goodall is playing the role of a Brahmin / feeling spirituality in nature / the benefits of ashram life / pure and auspicious mantras make our minds pure and auspicious / happiness through loving service is our nature / false ideas impressed within our minds are the cause of our losing touch with  our true nature and seeking happiness  externally / mantras should be transcendental, pure and auspicious / mantras should be received carefully and attentively / getting into Anjali Mudra / the disciple must be respectful and the guru must be kind-hearted / Jane Goodall gets it - there must be a Master of Integration behind everything SB 4.24.31-35  

How do you practice Bhakti sincerely without holding back and at the same time, not lose relationships? / What’s the difference between chanting japa and kirtan? / Does Krishna love everyone?

“All Creatures exist for a purpose. Even an ant knows what that purpose is--not with its brain, but somehow it knows. Only human beings have come to a point where they no longer know why they exist.” ―  Lame Deer / when you set the ego aside you can feel love in your heart / Others are real / ants don’t need to find themselves / even the appendix has a purpose / Naimittika-dharma (temporary) & Nitya-dharma (eternal) / our passion needs purpose / we need to tie our temporary purpose to our eternal purpose

“To see the universal and all-pervading Spirit of Truth face to face one must be able to love the meanest of creation as oneself.” - Gandhi / how loving a 3 legged pitbull can light you up / ego and arrogance block our understanding of God / we are tiny insignificant specks - part of something greater / a gentle person is self satisfied; sensitive and concerned for others / interpretation of the Indian head bobble is an art / Lord Shiva’s cinematic entrance / the Bhagavad-gita’s hierarchal inclusivism solves the Rubik’s Cube of Vedic thought SB 4.24.21-30

meeting a great soul on pilgrimage can change your life / when we chant with great care and attention, our spiritual life takes off / meeting Lord Shiva is very rare / Kali and Durga are serious women / the mind of a great soul is calm and quiet / our minds are always disturbed / the disciples of a great soul become very calm and quiet in mind / becoming pleased with whatever Krishna wants SB 4.24.1-20

Heal so that you can hear what is being said without the filter of your wounds.” - Dr. Thema / truth is truth / another person’s behavior towards oneself = a reflection of their relationship with themselves / the only answer - “take it to the soul” / truth gives us a framework for tragedy / the rarity of human birth / this is a tough world, but it is not our true home / would you enter the fire? SB 4.23.15-39


“God instructs the heart, not by ideas, but by pains and contradictions.” –18th century French Mystic Jean Pierre De Caussade / It’s gonna be so great when we finally see God in everyone’s heart / when the mind is conquered, the Supersoul is already reached / Dr. Pain makes house calls for our growth / mysticism (yoga) & detachment (from Jnana) are meant to bring us to the lotus feet of Krishna / to the degree that we let go of resentment and anxiety and practice bhakti, it lightens the load / the point of Jnana & yoga is to remember Narayana at the end / we’re the double dropped dented cans  SB 4.23.13-14

Kaustubha speaks with Bhaktimarga Swami a monk who has crossed the continent of North America five times on foot. The Walking Monk shares why he does it, the joy of meeting people, the value of being alone, and of feeling small.

Why am I moved by simple kirtan and turned off by commercialized kirtan? / Can one attain Krishna Bhakti in just one lifetime, or does it take many? / Should a Bhakti-yogi refrain from wearing gold and jewels / Is the 'evil eye’ real?

this place is a dream….you wake up laughing at what you thought was your grief / look at our suffering from different angles / we know too much to be able to enjoy the material world / Krishna 2.0 is accessible to everyone! / we need a release valve from the pressure cooker of the material world / transcendental sound is the power washer of Kali Yuga / add wisdom to your practice / this podcast will end your material life SB 4.23.6-12

You are not responsible for the programming you picked up in the “download years” of your childhood, but you are 100% responsible for installing the upgrades. - (source unknown) / the mind is a computer / don’t forget to install the Buddhi app / take radical responsibility for upgrading your programming / examine if it’s real pleasure or just your ego / who was Rupa Goswami? / the termites that eat away at our spiritual foundation

we’re burning through time quick / it’s not the what’s that make a difference, it’s the who’s / Happy Birthday Mara! / our souls and minds are starving (for spiritual conversation) / beware the termites of spiritual life SB 4.23.1-5

Kaustubha & Jahnavi discuss her upcoming tour, her experience of bringing kirtan to the stage, her recent wedding, her father’s influence and practicing Bhakti as a newly married woman. Find out more about her upcoming tour at https://jahnavimusic.com

How to process disappointing experiences in holy places? / How to view people from different faiths equally when there are long histories of violence and oppression? / How to respond to beggars from a Bhakti perspective?

metalheads are people too / I’m not okay, you’re not okay and that’s okay / we shouldn’t sacrifice long term growth by settling for cheap, temporary positivity / more on Karma-yoga / my child has their own higher power / rituals for conception / Raghu draws the line / burn like the sun / when we are inwardly content, we can move gently and with grace SB 4.22.52-63


there’s a Bhakti Tsunami coming / great souls are taking birth / Bhakti recovery group is going to change the world / Karma-yoga 1st requirement - Phalaṁ brahmaṇi sannyasya : giving the fruits of activity to the Supreme / trying to take what’s not ours screws everything up / we’re just secondhand creators / This consciousness is called nirmama, or “nothing is mine.” SB 4.22.51

Raghunath and Paramananda broadcast live from Poland

His Holiness Sacinandana Swami answers live questions from our listeners at the Wisdom of the Sages retreat at Villa Vrindavan

Raghunath and Kaustubha answer live questions from the retreat participants at Villa Vrindavan.

"If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need." - Marcus Tullius Cicero / education steers our choices - our choices become us / we think we are independent, but we’ve been divinely cared for / Krishna has an eye on you / Bhagavatam teaches us to Zoom out even more / the material world is a fading dream / how many lifetimes have I been through? / let go of the cactus / in bhakti it’s all good / spiritual knowledge is the perfect benediction / the sages share the knowledge to develop the conviction to break the cycle 4.22.41-47

4.22.38

What really makes you believe Krishna is real? / What does it mean to surrender to Krishna?

the sublime mixed emotions of Mary in Michelangelo’s Piete / Bhakti provides coping mechanisms for the glue traps and tragedies of material world / art is creativity engaged in highlighting and preserving something sacred / "The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark" Michelangelo / setting the bar high - Bhagavad-gita 6.20-23 / Krishna predominates with love / what is actual spiritual culture? / tat tvam asi - you’re not exactly that SB 4.22.37

with death comes sobriety / Gopal was simple and selfless / don’t miss the opportunities and lessons for growth that life is sending / the key to life: humility + tolerance + showing respect to others, not expecting respect for oneself = deep, constant spiritual absorption / the model of a mother’s love for her child / Raghu renames the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel / Raphael’s appreciation of Michelangelo / Vaisnavas die to live  

accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the one you’re with, with all your heart / treat everyone with the same quality of love that you treat those you love the most / the body is a universe, the universe is a body / Vishnu is the soul of the universe / awareness of the Supersoul in every nook and cranny is uplifting SB 4.22.37

keeping Krishna at the the center of our life of wacky hijinks / do we pick up exactly where we left off in the previous life? / those who understand life, let go of judgment / we have no clue where people are at /stepping out of automated karma / with every choice, we’re choosing a new body / dharma, artha, kama & moksha / we don’t have to go cold turkey / higher life and lower states of life exist only in relation to the interchange of the modes of material nature SB 4.22.34-36

Raghunath and Kaustubha talk with Gopi Gita about parenting, teaching, bhakti practices, and her new book Leadership Parenting. More info at www.gopigita.com

How do we practically put Krsna first in our pursuits? / Is personality a superficial aspect of the mind or do we have a transcendental personality? / how can one practice Ekadashi? / What do I do if I just can't connect with the Maha Mantra?

“I neither enjoy the idea of command nor am I frightened of it. It simply exists, and I will do whatever logically needs to be done.” - Mr. Spock / make Krishna the end game / detached work leads to liberation / practice letting go / Gopal Chandra’s detachment / self realization not sense gratification / receiving the blessing of departing yogis / let go of the material world one more notch SB 4.22.32-33

“Pain is a thing of the mind. The mind can be controlled.” - Mr. Spock / being human is an inconvenience, but it is manageable / separating suffering from pain / Vulcans never self-loathe / when we turn fruitive activities into acts of devotion we can understand that we are not different from anyone else, regardless of the form / our real consciousness is getting sucked up / pornography - draw the line and don’t flirt with it / all the activities of the lost soul are performed on a false basis SB 4.22.29-31

faith develops in small increments / don’t be a shooting star be a rising moon / "I'm frequently appalled by the low regard you Earthmen have for life." - Mr. Spock / treat every little being with dignity / transcending distinctions between external and internal / upadhis - false designations / our false designations are unstable / functional and fundamental identities / the perfect conception of oneness SB 4.22.27-28

Let go of your past and future, it’s just you and Krishna /  Burning is learning / There’s a healthy bitterness in the transition of death / surrender is going to come anyway, best to do it voluntarily with a smile / "In critical moments, men sometimes see exactly what they wish to see” - Mr. Spock / Our perception can be clouded by attachment & fear / become detached through devotion / burning away the material body through devotion SB 4.22.25-26

Raghunath and Kaustubha answer live questions from the audience at Supersoul Farm

Vegan or Vegetarian? / How to Deal with Chronic Pain

get off the mental platform and start identifying as a soul! / he who can control the mind is in charge / Mr. Spock - “we can control the mind, therefore we can control the pain” / “To give free rein to the senses is to shackle the soul.” ― Theoleptos /  “The ignorant man passes through the world dead to all pleasures, save those of the senses.” - “Sammy” Smiles / kindness and simplicity! / the great yogis understood that ahimsa requires a vegetarian diet / yoga means following, not making it up / elevate the mind by remembering Krishna’s character and pastimes / follow the yoga regulations without criticizing others / reprograming the mind through tolerating the dualities SB 4.22.24

human beings are sensation-receiving machines / people have little access to the possible world existing beyond their sensations - or do they? / after the indulgence  - how do you feel? / there’s bitter sweetness in self-disgust  / the mind is living in the glue trap of desire / material pleasure is chewing the chewed - spiritual pleasure has newer and newer flavors /  Yamunacarya’s devotion is reignited / I’m better than this! / trade in small L love for big L Love / I don’t want to live in a hope to enjoy life- I want to enjoy life / the cotton candy of material enjoyment leads to nausea / the satisfaction of serving SB 4.22.22-23

Bhakti is a practice of inviting God to reside in the temple of the mind or heart / have faith in the process / always feel encouraged to go deeper / after one handles the bad habits, next comes the subtle desires / progress not perfection CC Madhya 12.135 https://sanskritsense.thinkific.com/courses Code- wisdom25off     

I’m born, I forget my true identity, I get caught up in the drama, I expire before I learn my lessons, I’m born / our nature is to be attracted, it’s just a question of what we’re attracted to / the ultimate goal for the welfare of human society is detachment from the bodily concept of life and increased and steadfast attachment for Krishna / Krishna is a magnet, we are the iron, our false designations are the rust SB 4.22.18 - 22

it’s degrading for a brave, intelligent creature to waste time arguing with an ass / pointless argument is a disqualification for Vrindavan consciousness / if we knew how precarious our situation was we’d do something / good karma can be bad, bad karma can be good / our speech should be meaningful, appropriate, concise and sweet / the quality of Hunuman’s speech / society has lost appreciation for quality speech SB 4.22.15-17

Raghunath & Kaustubha discuss Philology (the study of language in oral and written historical sources) with Sanskrit expert Jeffrey Armstrong. Learn more at https://jeffreyarmstrong.com or https://gitacomesalive.com

Can you bridge the gap between Bhakti and other spiritual stuff? / What would be your advice or perspective on beginners growing pains in finding meaningful relationships in Bhakti?

gratitude - start with thanking the sun / if you look to others for fulfillment, you will never be fulfilled / the ungrateful are getting owned by the world / a grateful mind is a great mind / gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder / freedom comes from simplicity / good & bad are concoctions of the mind / resetting the impulsive mind with the intellect / what is woo for one is woe for the other SB 4.22.14