Wisdom of the Sages

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 w...

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...

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...

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 sp...

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 compas...



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 o...

"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...

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 Ris...

"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 abs...

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.co...

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...



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 /...

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...

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...