Wisdom of the Sages

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 inqu...

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 t...

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 wisdomofthesages108@gmail.com

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...

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 a...

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 analysi...

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, every...

"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 w...

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 film...

"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...

"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 int...

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...

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...

it's what we put in our consciousness in our downtime that shapes who we are / sacred literature is ever fresh and always relevant / s ometimes goodness can cheat you out of greatness / Bhagavatam is one big intervention for the material world / h ear 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 you...

Prabhupada didn't mince words / e verything 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 / t aking 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 hus...

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...

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 lookin...

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 / Hir...