Wisdom of the Sages

how should we view spiritual teachers who don't offer the "full picture" of the yoga tradition – is it unjust to dismiss them without respect? / how can we combat the mindset of low self worth? / if reincarnation exists then where is the urgency - would a Vedantin say to Hitler "Don't worry about this life, you'll get to try again next time around"? / if our identity is illusionary what gets reinc...

shape shifting lizard / keep the great souls close / more miracles / you gotta follow / becoming an educated consumer spiritually - don't get conned by a seedy used car salesman / 1. Happiness through loving service is our true nature. 2. False ideas impressed within our minds are the cause of our losing touch with our true nature and seeking happiness externally. 3. The transformative practices o...

Krishna miracles / purushottam month / ya can't bypass humans on the path to God / God is the property of the devotee / heart to heart transferral / psychic surgery / lack of appreciation of others is the death knell of spiritual growth / the servant of the servant of the servant / happiness comes through service / Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, the tenderhearted feminine energy of God SB 2.3.23

the soul is there - walk on with Jamuna Jaya / don't bring your bad habits into sacred circles / you can't bypass humans on the road to love of God / you can't get bhakti through austerity, worshiping the devas, renunciation, being dutiful, or Vedic chanting - you only get it from someone who has got it / letting go / Bharata's obsession with the tender little fawn / Bharata's birth as a deer / Bh...

snakes & frogs / don't croak / is wearing jewelry problematic? / to have freedom you have to regulate the senses / how temples can infuse the mundane mind with spiritual inspiration / pilgrimage vs wanderlust / earn with integrity - spend with compassion / don't go wide - go deep / the need to be guided on pilgrimage SB 2.3.20 - 22

relishing Mahabharata / the chicken of death / the rare opportunity of human birth / we gotta dance / polished animal life - eating, sleeping, mating & defending / dogs, hogs, camels & asses / who do we celebrate - and is it based on their technique or their character? / we go begging for a master like dogs / if we'll eat anything we're not a yogi SB 2.3.17 - 19

on music / on friendship / on being a good man / on children / on pain / on teaching / on religion / on prayer / on death / on marriage / on the Bhagavad-Gita

why does it feel like that bad guys always win (when does the karma kick in)? / how to practice meditation the right way? / how to understand attachment & detachment when it comes to one's family? / please advise me about chanting mantras in relation to bhakti? / is my intense longing a healthy spiritual desire ?

the levels of conversation in the Bhagavatam / the eagerness to hear spiritual talks / Bhagavatam is mind medicine in candy / dreams with the dream / Raghunath's androgynous avatar / we're meant to tire of the material world / spiritual experience is the gateway drug to God / we got stuck in the virtual realty because we desired to play the role of God / bhakti is like the mafia - once you're in y...

truth can be a big pill to swallow / ya can't just say stuff / when our rust is removed we will be attracted like a magnet / the 4 nutshell verses of the Bhagavad-gita / keeping on track / kaivalya / the liberated soul loses interest in worldly affairs / the liberated person can spiritualize world affairs SB 2.3.12 (& BG 10.8 - 11)

Krishna's got a special plan for you / devotion is attained by the association of devotees / ratiḥ (attraction) / acalo bhāvo (unflinching spontaneous attraction / pure bhakti has 6 characteristics / the inauspiciousness of leaving the association of the Bhakti-yogis / progressing through 3 stages - unaware of the faults of devotees, engrossed in the faults of devotees, less concerned about the fa...

we are the children, the devas are the house servants, Krishna is the parent / Raghu shares a little Socrates / impregnated desires vs those from within / ya can't reach Bombay with a ticket for Baroda / pure devotional service means without any tinge of material desires / bhakti is for Krishna / the show of bhakti vs true love / we all have to throw something in the Ganges / Krishna fulfilled Rag...

shifting the hearing process / Lord Brahma's triple scrutinization concludes that attraction (rati) to Krishna is the perfection of dharma) / regularly hearing Vedic literature is fundamental to bhakti-yoga / focus on the similarities rather than the differences / nature has provided everything we need - so keep it simple / pursuing artificial needs for comforts is like a whack-a-mole / Parjanya M...

lawless NY and the Broome St. Temple / differences of yoga in India & in the west / Kaustubha does yoga like an Indian / sense of devotion vs self improvement / contrasting Eastern & Western mindsets / self-care via the Upanishads / seeing the mother, father teacher & guest as God / every object has it's nature / thoughts on cultural appropriation / kriya yoga / the kleshas / identity beyond survi...

what is your favorite bhajan or hymn? / what is the purpose of living in an ashram or temple? / how can we tell if we are on the right spiritual path or just hiding from the real work we need to do? / can ashtanga yoga be combined with bhakti? / can we offer food that we don't prepare ourselves as part of bhakti ritual? / what advice would you give to someone who wants to maintain and develop this...

baby sea turtles prompted from within / instinct as the Divine whisper / yoga's 3 means of knowledge - pratyakṣa (perception), anumāna (inference), Śabda (hearing or testimony) / dealing with dogma / applying perception and inference to what we've heard / as the sun illuminates the universe, the soul illuminates the body by consciousness / beyond the paramatma is the divine person / beyond hearing...

one who has conquered the mind reaches the internal guide / layers of conditioning distort internal guidance / the yogi is promoted from within and confirms it from without / guru, sadhu & sastra / practical samadhi / you can't make consciousness in a laboratory / the false premise that everything can be explained empirically / how are the little turtles prompted to run? / Our freedom consists in...

Mara's story / Brahma - the universal engineer / intelligent design / in defense of reality / we are here to evolve / we are all tied to a time bomb / perceiving God within through reasoning / the seer & the seen / the act of & objects of perception have been supplied to us / that we are dissatisfied with matter indicates that we are spirit / the religious belief that consciousness develops out of...

bhoga - tyaga / cultivate the growth of the seed of bhakti in the heart / when we realize that everyone is pure underneath, there is no room for hate / pure love of God is eternally in the heart / I Can't Get No Satisfaction / peace comes with freedom for the separate desires / the discipline succession / jnana-yoga and ashtanga-yoga find completion in bhakti - bhakti-yoga is independent / practic...

revisiting perfect yoga alignment / no other life in the universe? - give me a break! / you don't need to be smarter / how the yogi exits the body and exits the universe - micro & macro / bhakti-yoga is the viable path to the spiritual realm in the current age / the seed of bhakti in the heart / watering the seed by hearing & chanting / building a protective fence by being respectful / pulling out...

on friendship / on marriage / on being a good man / on prayer / on listening / on religion / on when to separate / on how to face death / on mental illness / on forgiveness / on teaching / on money / on love http://krsnanandini.com

how to raise children in a scary world? / how to be a good yogi mother under difficult circumstances? / are there practical steps to take for one who's faith and spiritual practices suffer during bouts of depression? / why does it seem like the heart is so much quieter than the mind? / how to preserve spiritual progress made during COVID as we step back into our normal routines? / how to get my he...

sthiraṁ sukhaṁ āsanam - the purpose of yoga asana / the bhakta doesn't need to worry about the perfect time or place to die / freedom though controlling the senses / Goswami vs godasa / perfect yoga alignment (senses - mind - intelligence - atma - paramatma) / the junk food poison of praise & prestige / the bitter health food of wisdom & humility / rooting out the turbo scenarios in the mind SB 2....

Bhakta Louie (old school New York hardcore) / real modern day yogis / keeping it simple / meditation on the personal form of Vishnu / Vishnu in the heart is smiling and happy / the material bizarro world / the overseer, permitter, supreme enjoyer, paramatma / consciousness spreads through the body via the blood / by knowing God in the heart & His presence everywhere & in everyone, one sees the tru...

yoga is an eternal practice / karma, Jnana, bhakti/ the universe moves in cycles / having more can bring more anxiety / bhoga-tyaga / in this world, time separates the form from it's name / all that is left of this family life is a list of names / everyone is our brother / keep life simple so you can find God in the heart / fearlessness through connection to God in the heart / Raghu's night japa /...