Wisdom of the Sages

The holidays can be a time of joy, togetherness, and reflection—but for Bhakti-yogis, returning home to family can also present unique challenges. In this special episode of Wisdom of the Sages, we're joined by Dhanya Rico, a mental wellness educator with advanced degrees in counselor education, and couples and family therapy. Both Dhanya and Kaustubha offer practical tools and insights for mainta...

Our minds become one by reciting the sacred texts together / wrapping yourself in the holy name / surrendering to Vishnu in times of hardship / Krishna's Star Wars level play for restoring cosmic order / the mantra is the weapon to take the empire back / shaking off the tamasic mindset / "The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus." — Bruce Lee / if we don't feel the urgency,...

Kaustubha Das speaks with  Vaisesika Das and Malini Devi Dasi on this special Gita Jayanti episode of Wisdom of the Sages as they dive deep into the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad-gita and discuss how you can participate in the campaign to distribute 4.2 million Bhagavad-gitas. Celebrate the day this sacred text was spoken and uncover its profound wisdom for everyday life. #BhagavadGita #GitaJ...

If you are going to get the mind under control you will need a strategy / Joseph Campbell on entering the myth through ritual / how Krishna's lilas make ritual dynamic / in Bhakti the means and the end are the same / training the heart to catch up to the externals / to love and to serve is our very nature / examining all the elements of the payo-vrata ritual / Take the Power Back! (From Your Own M...

Morihei Ueshiba on loyalty, devotion, bravery, the spirit of self-sacrifice and trust in the power of love / find what you have full conviction in and express it boldly / Let Krishna, in your heart, carry you through the anxiety / whatever fear you experience - try to just witness that from a distance / never allow anyone to make you feel foolish for walking away from a materialistic life / Krishn...

Raghunath interviews Yadubara das about meeting the devotees and Srila Prabhupada in 1970, travelling to India and photography and filmmaking. Yadubara's most recent film is Hare Krishna! The Mantra, The Movement and The Swami Who Started It.  Learn more at https://harekrishnathefilm.com ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPOR...

What is the attitude that we should take when it seems that God is taking everything away from us?  / How can I celebrate, and explain celebrating, Christmas to my daughter as a non-Christian?  ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to  https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YOUTUBE: ...

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another. - William James / separating ourselves from our thoughts / yoga means choosing what goes on in my mind / pushing out low level thinking with ritual / the average person has 60,000 thoughts a day 45,000 of those thoughts are negative / only love moves Krishna / the guru does not manufacture a new process / making...

Maya Angelou on becoming a representative / just as there are cheaters in the West - there are cheaters from the East / the big key to understand who is real - they don't pose as an enlightened being - they present their self as a simple representative / Enlightened One red flags / guru is like a postal peon - simply making a delivery / real gurus don't accept praise - they pass it up / the ego wa...

Paulo Segadaes is a professional photographer and daily listener of Wisdom of the Sages. Here, he tells how he became inspired to go to Vrindavan, India, the center of the Krishna Bhakti tradition, where he broke through the culture shock, and under the guidance of an ideal guide, captured the fascinatingly beautiful portraits and photos in his new book, VRINDAVAN. Follow Sega on Instagram @segada...

The material world is crumbling - but Bhagavatam is a fresh perspective / every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness - involves a rite of passage - Dan Millman - "Way of the Peaceful Warrior" / we should all have a strategy of where we want to be at the end of life / pass to the next stage and never look back / let the discomfort purify us / we need communities that help us climb higher...

"A great soul never dies." - Maya Angelou / the 12 Great People /  the spiritual master lives forever by his divine instructions and the follower lives with him / "What is this alone? Vaishnava is never alone." / Raghu's morning meditations / "Rādhārāṇī, kindly be merciful and tell about me to Your Kṛṣṇa. To Your Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa is Yours." / uninterrupted meditation on the instructions of the great s...

Kaustubha interviews Ineke Zondag, a leader at Food For Life Vrindavan, which is a favorite Non-profit Organization of his and Raghunath's, which provides free education, skill training, meals and medical help to over 1500 girls in Vrindavan, India. Find more info at  https://fflv.org Reach out to Ineke at ineke@fflv.org ********************************************************************* LOVE TH...

What is a Vaishnava? / Does it really make sense to pray for the benefit of another person, to an all knowing, all powerful God? / If someone gives you a lottery ticket is it still considered gambling? ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to  https://www.wisdomofthesages.com WATCH ON YO...

"When you truly understand karma, then you realize you are responsible for everything in your life." -Keanu Reeves / raking radical responsibility /  everyone loves Keanu Reeves / the definition of gaslighting / getting caught in a gaslighting loop / being encouraged to consider whether our suffering caused by ourself may not be gaslighting - it may be torchlighting / looking into the Vedic marria...

"Preserve everything in a pure, still heart, and let there be for every pulse a  thanksgiving, and for every breath a song."  Konrad von Gesner / To the degree we're grateful we are happy and to the degree we're entitled we're sad / Raghunath almost dies laughing / what is a pure - still heart? / alternative views of spiritual bypassing / how to be always thankful / the whole Bhakti thing is about...

We own nothing, God owns everything / Bali Mahārāja became a disciple of Śukrācārya and with great faith, offered everything he had / devotion to a real guru can grant one great power / the empowerment of Prabhupada's disciples / Bali gets empowered and assembles his army / The beauty of Indra's capital / Brihaspati reveals to Indra the key to Bali's power / "By the pleasure of the spiritual maste...

Raghu's redecoration is a super high meditation / Kaustubha is not judging Raghunath / our challenge: to maintain the integrity of the tradition, while expressing it's vision in a way that responds to the needs of new situations / the Ganga Tilak Lady / the universal management teams / we're no spring chickens / Bali will become the new Indra! / we can't even imagine the opulence of higher planets...

"Through pride we are ever deceiving ourselves. But deep down … a still, small voice says to us, something is out of tune." - Carl Jung / "Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying." St. Vincent de Paul / pride is a costume / it hurts if you lead with your ego / pride brings anxiety / the pauper is proud of his penny / you can't humiliate the humble / the truth will set us free...

Can we be fully committed Vaishnavas without initiation? / Can I have a guru without the initiation process? / Is keeping long hair offensive or should we shave our heads? / How do we minimize sex life when we are married to a person who is not on board with the philosophy? / If Krishna is the 8th avatar of Vishnu, then how is He also "The Supreme Personality of Godhead"? Does that mean He's above...

Kaustubha speaks with Recording Artist Jahnavi Harrison about her brand new record "Into the Forest" which drops today!  Find her album at  https://open.spotify.com/album/4rS61VN26x28jONi3U0UWG?si=zJDRq3UWRWyoP9yO9vtBWg ********************************************************************* LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN! Go to  https://www.wisdomofthesag...

Seeing partial truths in different spiritual traditions / we're trying to find absolute truth with subjective lenses / knowing the one Absolute Truth as Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān / as Krishna enters the wrestling arena he is seen in 10 different ways according to various rasas / how varieties of philosophers see Krishna through the lens of their philosophy / Shiva asks to see Vishnu's form of...

Saint Teresa of Avila on making a garden of our heart / in the spiritual world there's just Bhakti-yoga / we're preparing our minds and hearts for selfless love / Lord Shiva shares a comprehensive exposition on the supremely divine status of Lord Vishnu / Vishnu as Supreme Controller / Vishnu as Supreme Inexhaustible / Shiva on the elevated purity of Vishnu's devotees SB 8.12.1-8 *****************...

Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called 'Ego'. - Friedrich Nietzsche / self realization - not sense gratification - is the goal of life / the ego bonds our sense of self to the body / the the apps on the computer of the mind / the Goddess Sawaswati in Sri Chaitanya's pastimes / Bali tells Indra that the sadhus pity him for his ignorance / bewildered by the influence of false ego we think th...

everyone is shining after completing their Kartik vows / 3 different vows for 3 different Bhakti-yogis - personal ways to deepen Bhakti / Kaustubha finally get's it - Narada loves the Demons too /  daily Bhagavatam reflection matures knowledge into realization / Bali lectures  Indra on even-mindedness / how do devotees feel always protected? - regardless of externals, they know their constitutiona...