Wisdom of the Sages

too much concern for external appearance brings inattention to the soul's inner function / keep the morning sacred / the value in being alone / applying the principles of fasting and vows of silence / shedding old costumes / how vows work / repetition is the mother of mastery / scary morning walks around Vrindavan / the machines of the body and mind have taken control / weakening the power of the...

plan on getting hurt - it's the material world after all / the pure places - where there is nothing for the materialist / what is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage / Vidura's conduct on pilgrimage - purely motivated & exclusive, independent - no compromises, always sanctified, lying on...

Vidura speaks truth to power / the banishment of Vidura / leaving his bow at the door, Vidura embrace a new dharma / Vidura's response to insult - both emotional & rational / if you see 3 jerks a day - you might be the jerk / let go of resentment & forgive / enemies become our meditation SB 3.1.10-16

Raghu wakes up to the exorcist / 3 ways the blind king failed / our taste for spiritual content is tied to our lifestyle / a yogi has to be straight forward & honest / turn your moral microscope on yourself / Gandhari's words of wisdom / seeing through a spiritual lens / Kunti's message to the Pandavas SB 3.1.9

happy birthday Raghunath! / deflect the credit - give appreciation / we are made of the mercy of other people / the king, the snake & the dead brahmin / the most advanced yogi has a heart completely devoid of the propensity to criticize others / the 12 mahajanas - "great persons" / Vidura & the blind king / we should feel that we have no enemies / cliffhanger - why is gambling so bad? SB 2.10.48 -...

how can one prepare their mind for entering an ashrama as a monk? / can you please speak on the feeling of intimidation? / at what age does karma kick in - are children held responsible? / as a new Bhakti practitioner how do I navigate a potential partnership with someone who doesn't share all of the same values?

American instability vs spiritual stability / we are consuming junk food yet we're surprised when the symptoms of disease appear / seeing adharma as dharma under the spell of illusion / material pessimism & spiritual optimism / we're tottering like a drop of water on a lotus petal / seeing God in nature, in the heart & as a person / the enlightened person should endeavor only for the minimum neces...

Ayurveda Mama with Dhyana Masla / raising undented cans / teenage mystics startin trouble / we all have a debt / we're all going to die / Raghu, Kaustubha & Mara's previous lives / the appearance of Sukadeva Goswami / everyone is meditating, everyone is worshiping / 1st Canto cliffhanger - what should we hear, chant, remember & worship? https://www.thesisterscience.com/ayurveda-mama-book

breaking bad habits / whatever you meditate on you get / watering the root is nonsectarian / small increments of faith / taking out the trash in our thoughts / cow dung stories / love & respect for the cow & the bull

what is Nyaya? / coming to Bhakti / studying philosophy can foster faith / influences in Indian & Greek philosophy / the mailman sadhu - truth is truth / 3 components to Karma-yoga / the Bhagavad-gita's 4 reasons to act / raising a family as a Karma-yogi Matthew R. Dasti is Professor of Philosophy at Bridgewater State University  

is there a such thing as "a healthy dose of illusion"? / I can't deal very well with Christmas time – how do I change the lenses I'm using to see it? / why do we choose to do things that are unhealthy for us? / would you please discuss the concept of expectations from a wide vantage point? / what is the difference between idolatry and deity worship?

upgrading in 2021 / everyone is struggling / Kunti's prayers / Bhisma's instructions / samadhi / festive culture as yoga / Vidura comes back and the blind king "quits home" /taking sanyasa / to voluntarily accept what nature will ultimately force us to accept involuntarily

Srimad Bhagavatam - lifeline for 2020 / 2020 taught us that we suffer together when we don't see all life and the earth as sacred / you get what you look for / the news / thanks to all the listeners / WotS in 2021 / questions by the sages / 3 manifestations of God / Krishna is the fountainhead / Vyasa's dissatisfaction / Narada's instructions to compose Srimad Bhagavatam / Narada's past life / Arj...

we crave eternality / why we should clean our apartments / creation, maintenance & destruction / time is meant for our education / there has to be a shift / time is Krishna / Shelter "Hands of Time" lyrics / cooking coconuts / saintly Vidura / God is using people and situations to take me to higher places / "I'm spiritual. Now screw you!!!" SB 2.10.41-51

some of the glories of Srimad Bhagavatam / it's not sectarian, it's just describing different levels of knowledge / become happier by becoming a better person / happiness comes through a sattvic life / how to answer questions about karma / a long list of ancient aliens SB 2.10.33-41

why does Raghunath want to go to the Grand Canyon? / the 3 Purusha Avatars - Mahavishnu, Garbhodakshayi Vishnu, Ksirodakshayi Vishnu / the soul, the devas, the body, and the supreme shelter which they all depend on / lamp is powerhouse as the soul is to God / the creation of senses, and sense objects in the virtual realm / our bodies are fake-God suits / climbing levels in the video game are preve...

Aindra's desire to touch people's hearts / 24 hour kirtan / utilizing material things for a spiritual purpose / incarnation through sound / the passing away of Aindra / there is nowhere I would rather be than right here right now / 3 types of Brijabasis / dying in Vrindavan / Aindra's kirtan skills / kirtan integrity / advice for kirtan leaders

if you had only 30 days to live, what scripture would you want to hear? from whom would you want to hear from? where would you want to be? what would you give up? is there something you would want to tell the world? / how to work out sexual issues in a relationship where only one partner is practicing bhakti? / which is most important, grace or effort? / which books should I focus on for learning...

the greatest commandment - to love God & your neighbor / caring for others is more important than empty ritual / "you are not far from the kingdom of God" / though our bodies are dying our spirits are being renewed every day / we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen / the "sins" to be condemned - pride, hypocrisy, favoritism & slander / consider your troubles as an opportunity for great joy...

our favorite Christmas carols (O Holy Night #1) / the 10 topics of Srimad Bhagavatam / where are we going with asana? / it's like we woke up in a prison & didn't know how we got there / Bhagavatam is the handbook / don't miss the forest for the trees / 1. Sarga - Creation / 2. Visarga - secondary creation / 3. Sthanam - positioning / 4. Poshanam - protection / 5. Uti - impetus / 6. Manvantara / 7....

Raghunath likes parameters / the formula - strict with oneself - lenient with others / there are no self-made men / Salieri's sin of envy was greater than Mozart's sin of hedonism / pride correlates with illusion / humility correlates with truth / God will break our pride / Bhagavatam prepares us for both success & failure / the 4 sampradayas SB 2.9.37-46

the earnestness of the dented cans / technology vs spirituality / we are products, not prisoners, of our past / the auto-prompt conditioning in the mind / increasing & decreasing free will / self-improvement between the surging urges / the power of affirmative resolutions / addiction is like a snowball / we are possessors of programmable machines / spiritual actors / guilt, self-loathing & lonelin...

how to stay focused, minimize anxiety, and trust in God's plan while going through tragedy? / is is cultural appropriation for a westerner to practice bhakti-yoga? / how does one be happy in this material life while embodying a spiritual life? / how to adjust when God feels distant? / is it good for my spiritual practice to go to the forest for years alone? Please help us improve by filling out a...

the personal feature of the absolute / a few thoughts on advaita vedanta / Prabhupada saved our butts / what's so special about humans? / using our higher capacity in lower directions / eating, sleeping, mating & defending / our advancement of knowledge is being misused / placing the ladder against the right wall SB 2.9.36 Please help us improve by filling out a short survey here: https://www.surv...