2025 Swami Padmanabha

0:00 Introduction 11:46 Is there a place to ask God to help us with our desires, dreams and intentions or should we only pray to align our will with his? 32:10 What is the definition of raganuga bhakti? 51:40 How is Krishna both personal and nondual? 1:27:16 I am struggling. The practices I used to think defined Krishna consciousness are no longer working for me, so I have lost my reference point...

In this second part of a two-part series, Swami Padmanabha explores the profound idea that divine form is shaped by love. Drawing from ancient narratives like the appearance of Narasimha, he illustrates how God responds to the devotion of His devotees—not just as a distant deity, but as one whose identity is carved by affection. Swami Padmanabha then brings the discussion into a more contemporary...

When we touch down in an infinite moment of divine celebration—within the life of God, who is relationality itself—we discover a tapestry woven from countless threads of love, each one linking God and His devotee. In this reflection, Swami Padmanabha traces a few of these luminous threads that compose the sacred fabric of Narasingha Caturdasi. Watch on: https://youtube.com/live/k93C8wXxpLs *******...

0:00 Introduction 10:07 Although Madhurya Kadambini can serve as a compass of our devotional journey, it also seems to present an impossible task. How to navigate these two experiences. 30:50 Sometimes, even in the beginning stages of bhakti, we can sometimes experience some kind of higher taste. Is this a glimpse of the higher stages? 40:48 What is a positive and healthy way to consider that we l...

0:00 Introduction 5:52 What is the Relationship between Work and Service (karma and bhakti)? 41:12 It is said that Krishna is a liar, a womanizer, a despot in order for us to come to him. What does that mean? Are we being cheated? 1:07:56 How to guide someone who is depressed? Watch on: https://www.youtube.com/live/IPJ9KN8GtB4?si=NurQpV9wwCcDqxaK Join us each week in this sacred space as we deepen...

Join us for this intimate and revelatory class with Swami Padmanabha on the sacred occasion of Gadadhara Pandit’s appearance day — a day he boldly describes as the most important of the Gaudiya calendar. Why such a bold claim? Because Gadadhara Pandit is not only a central yet overlooked figure in Gaura-lila — he is the hidden heart of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s mission. Drawing from deep scriptural i...

0:00 Introduction 4:59 Although we are in a personalistic tradition, and personalism is needed, I am finding a lot of resistance in myself as well as others, even in very open-hearted people. How can we overcome this resistance and build a personal community? 30:00 I am attracted to contributions from other traditions but I find myself still fearful of approaching them. How to deal with that fear...

0:00 Introduction 4:25 How does meditation, Dhanya, fit into the practice of japa? Sometimes meditation is presented as being too difficult in this age, and, therefore, just chant, and other times it is spoken of as being vital. 29:50 How can we give up the rigidity born of certitude? 54:40 Do we get to a point in our spiritual development where we outgrow the need for our spiritual tradition and...

0:00 Introduction 3:14 What should be the commitment of the siksa guru and disciple? 33:52 What is repentance? What can we do with it? What has to happen for repentance to become transformational? Watch on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKKcKW3EkOU Join us each week in this sacred space as we deepen our commitment to truth and authenticity. Emphasizing exploration over certainty, these sessions...

0:00 Introduction 4:39 How to balance self-love and humility? 24:36 Is philosophical confrontation necessary? How can we handle aggressive reactions from devotees who disagree with us? 1:03:16 Since Krishna is ever-expanding, how can we know him enough to fulfill his declaration in Bhagavad-gītā 4.9, for one who know him in truth, you go to him 1:17:49 How can we harmonize Arjuna’s surrender in th...

0:00 Introduction 3:12 What is the "Gaudiya Matha"? What is "ISKCON"? 22:55 Is there a right way to disagree with someone I think is wrong? How can we normalize "disagreeing"? 1:02:57 Is extreme suffering a necessary element of parikrama? And can one's capacity to suffer be used as a measurement of their surrender? Watch on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doqjXY8NJJI&t Join us each week in th...

0:00 Introduction: honoring of Srivas Pandit 13:28 Do you think Gaudiya’s can benefit from some Buddhist practices? 38:18 How do we show up for others who are searching for Krishna and still maintain our boundaries? 54:50 What can we do with our critical tendencies. Is it necessary to accept all things in scripture? 1:14:29 How can we cultivate spiritual discernment without falling into denial or...

0:00 Introduction 9:10 How do we manage addiction to our thoughts? 46:23 What is meant by "theistic agnostic"? 1:05:57 How do you navigate a conversation with someone who disapproves of authors who you find inspiring? 1:21:42 Is it possible to be compassionate and empathic without being attached to the person? Watch on: https://youtube.com/live/HvXF0qRQzjw Join us each week in this sacred space as...

0:00 Introduction 5:45 Sometimes it is understood that karma dominates grace. Can you please speak about understanding karma in this way and is it the Gaudiya understanding and if not, then how is it different? 33:40 The term “aparadha” has been so weaponized that a culture of fear seems to have formed around it—the fear of losing grace if we speak up “to power”. So what is the actual offense? Wha...

0:00 Introduction 2:28 In Sri Guru and His Grace, Srila Bhaktiraksak Sridharadeva Maharaja speaks about the necessity to remaining tru to our ideals and to not compromise our integrity, even if it means we need to leave our sangha—that anything and everything should be given up that compromises our values. We don’t hear that much in contemporary Gaudiya circles. Could you please speak about that?...

0:00 Introduction 7:45 How can we navigate our day to day life when we don't perceive any purpose? 38:21 Since Krishna is everywhere and everything comes from him, is he the source of avidya? 55:37 If we experience fear in relation to love, should we just accept that we are fearful and experience that or should we try to change that? If everyone wants love, then why would be fear it? 1:20:32 Where...

0:00 Introduction 4:35 Is there truth in the popular understanding that we inherit impressions through our ancestral DNA. And if so, is this related to Krishna's explanation of how the jiva travels from one body to another, being carried by impressions? 19:34 We hear in the scripture that the renounced ashram is necessary and the best, then how can other ashrams not be an impediment on our bhakti...

0:00 Introduction 2:29 How can we accept where we are now in a healthy way and still honor the necessity to change? 32:39 Can you speak about the interplay of equality and justice? 58:27 How can one distinguish between the “right” and “wrong” reasons for accepting a guru? What if we accepted someone as our guru for the wrong reasons? 1:19:38 Because of past experiences in spiritual communities, I...

0:00 Introduction 5:09 Does spiritual bypassing "work"? 25:39 Is finding certain parts of sastra as being irrelevant a sign of progress or regression? 1:04:17 What is the relevance of guru? Does one need a particular guru in a specific form in a particular lineage to be able to get the mercy of bhakti or you are just out of luck? What did you mean when you said that we surrender proportionately to...

Join Swami Padmanabha and friends as they weave the last line of the third verse of Siksastakam, "kirtaniya sada hari," into the context of the first three lines: "Be as humble as the quiet grass, as enduring as the ancient tree. Seek not the praise of man but honor every soul you see. With this heart, sing the name of Hari." Exploring the profound opportunity of chanting Krishna's name, the discu...

0:00 Introduction 5:05 Why don’t we eat meat? 25:52 What is meant by the term “svarupa”? 47:27 How to reconcile being placed in the material world with a God who unconditionally loves us? 1:01:017 Can we have teachers who are mayavadis and not lose our appreciation for Bhakti? 1:16:44 What can we do when we discover that we keep repeating the same patterns, even if we are conscious of it? Watch on...

0:00 Introduction 5:35 How can we better recognize advanced practitioners, and what lessons can we draw from instances where we’ve sincerely failed to do so? 43:40 How can we move beyond certain rules with self-compassion when our regulated practice no longer feels effective? 1:07:19 Can self-sacrifice carry a negative connotation, and if so, under what circumstances? 1:22:23 How can we avoid comp...

In this fourth out of 5 sessions, Swami Padmanabha and friends explore the intertwined virtues of amānīnā mānadena: not seeking respect for oneself while offering it to others. These principles, often mirrored in scriptural verses like "Always remember Krishna, never forget Krishna," invite us to approach life holistically. The discussion circled around both the toxic and healthy expressions of th...

In this illuminating session, Swami Padmanabha and friends delve into the profound wisdom of Mahaprabhu’s teachings on tolerance, drawing from the imagery of the ancient tree found in the 2nd line of the third verse of Siksastakam:" taror api sahishnuna— be as enduring as the ancient tree."The discussion begins by dismantling misconceptions—what tolerance is not—before reconstructing a healthy, su...

Swami Padmanabha and friends delve into what humility is not, challenging the common misconceptions that often define (and weaponize) it. Watch on: https://youtu.be/S4flN0Zilqo **************************************************** ▶ PURCHASE “RADICAL PERSONALISM: Revival Manifesto for Proactive Devotion” in hardcover, paperback, and/or Kindle formats: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Personalism-Mani...