Wisdom of the Sages

everyone is searching for love / all love has it's origin in Radha & Krishna's love / Radha is the compassionate, forgiving energy of God / why the Brijbasi's say Jai Radhe! / Krishna wants to be controlled by love / Radha in the Maha Mantra / the people of Varsana / Radha - the total fulfillment of ultimate grace / being in Varsana is a state of mind / Radha's pastimes are confidential because we...

The summer of love / the abundance of post war America / Howl / expecting magic to happen / spirituality without laughter is not the real thing / I was a drug dealer too / meet the Beatles / planting the seed of Bhakti behind the iron curtain / simultaneous oneness & difference / look around & you will see magic everywhere / George's love of Prabhupada / the new Bhakti Renaissance chasingrhinos.co...

if you had the opportunity to ask Srila Prabhuapda one question what would it be? / why do puja - why not? / Does Krishna accept service, even if it is not completely pure? / is it proper for a modern Sadhu to take up the practice of jogging? / do I need to forgive - even an abuser? / how is it possible for God's energy to be impersonal?

the dirt in the mind - our animosity towards other living beings / lust is a killer of love / the 3 modes of nature & how they condition us / life is a chance to learn lessons - not just to have fun / connecting everything with it's personal divine source / all the planets and luminaries have a person behind them / hate & anxiety are cured by seeing the divine in everything SB 2.1.20 - 39

settle the mind to find the self / seeing the universe as the form of God / desire can not be killed / meditation on OM - a way of changing the habit of the mind / what makes on mentally deranged? / Raghu's broken samadhi / temples - spiritual centers of meditation on the transcendental limbs of the body of Viṣṇu / rajas & tamas destroy meditation SB 2.1.16 - 20

good luck yogi / the path to perfection is kirtan / it's the quality of life that matters, not the quantity / earth advantages / the agitated mind can't realize God in the heart / hankering for the future, lamenting the past / no snooze movement / yoga success stories / the identity is not lost at the end of this present body, which is nothing but an outward dress only SB 2.1.11 - 15 (& 9.9.43 - 4...

what to hear, what to chant, what to remember / all the paths of yoga culminate in remembrance of God at the end of life / the topmost transcendentalists are attracted to bhakti / the fearless path / the pure devotee's finishing touch / it's not received exactly intellectually, but by submissive inquiries and a service attitude SB 2.1.5 - 2.1.10 (& 11.2.35)

fasting from the audio junk food / overview of the 1st canto / preview of the 2nd canto / samsiddhim - what is the path of perfection - what should one hear, chant, remember, worship - and what should one not do? / I'm a transcendentalist & I approve of this subject matter / 2 types of householders - transcendental & envious / none of this is mine SB 2.1.1 - 2.1.4

how to respond when your manhood is challenged? / is it possible to live a life of spiritual purity in the age of Kali? / is choosing not to engage or really educate myself in the world's negativity ok? / as yogis we try not to see faults in others, but what if that fault is part of a consistent pattern that has negative impacts on other people or a community? / I'm trying to follow the teachings...

Shyamali's message / the duration of life is immaterial / bhakti is fun for children / death is like a cat - perceived differently by the mouse and the kitten / karma, jnana & bhakti - three levels of approach in all spiritual traditions / Sukadeva Goswami appears - disinterested in externals & satisfied in himself / know how much one can share / the completion of the first canto! SB 1.19.23 - 1.1...

purifying desire, rather than killing desire / friendly relations with all living beings / being always a force of goodness / the sages words are sweet to hear, full of meaning & perfectly true / if a spiritual teacher has deep realization, then they can control the urge to speak, the mind's demands, anger, and the urges of the tongue, belly and genitals / the yogi's austerity in terms of body, wo...

in the age of Kali, dharma will be found in Srimad Bhagavatam / receiving the order to bring Bhakti to the West / a lifetime in preparation / translating the first canto in Vrindavana & boarding a cargo ship to New York / "if you want, make me dance" / years of deep meditation, writing and prayer / seeing God in the heart of every being, including the scorpion

50 years ago the journey home begins / a gentle loving confirmation / in Vrindavan God's greatness harmonizes with His sweetness like two rivers merging / the feminine aspect of God becomes the crescendo of his spiritual search / not trying to enjoy Krishna, letting Him enjoy you / Krishna's "birth" - the original lockdown / Krsna appears in the mind & heart / it all leads to "may all beings be ha...

the auspicious passing away of Syamali Dasi / "you radiated joy and contentment, and it was impossible to feel down or unmotivated around you" / doing small things with great love / the great sages come at the time of death / bowing the head / the transcendentalist knows that this beautiful material world is nothing but a shadowy reflection of the reality / renouncing the idea that I am superior t...

the suicide of a friend sparks a spiritual journey / becoming servant of the servant / the early days of the Chowpatty Temple / spiritual principle in community building - music, storytelling, ritual, pilgrimage, serving each other / real renunciation is to simply ask "how can I serve" / Renouncing the idea that I am better than others / cooperation of monks & families in spiritual communities / a...

what can we do "in the moment" to control emotions & "get a grip"? / what are practical ways to give back to your teachers on the regular - can giving also be considered just being better than who you were the day before? / what advice would you give to someone who is a few steps down this spiritual path, but in a relationship with someone who is not? / how does the absolute nature of God reconcil...

The most bountiful branches bend low / gorgeous dead ends / Pariksit accepts the curse as a blessing and prepares to die / is it sectarian to recognize different levels of practice? / the sages ask Suta to share the essence of yoga teaches that give complete satisfaction to the soul / Suta shares that Bhakti is the highest dharma / Bhagavad-Gita's instruction to abandon all dharma but the highest...

wise people can see curses as blessings / wise people recognize that even good people sometimes act out of character, and are inclined overlook another's faults / wise people acknowledge their own misbehavior and feel a purifying sense of repentance / wise people are inclined to acknowledge their own offense towards another & disinclined to accept another's offense towards themself / dvija-deva-go...

be like a swan / when arrogance & false prestige replace humility / banning the influence of quarrel & hypocrisy from the mind & heart / upstart incarnations / Bhakti-yogis are never inclined to avenge themselves / the mantra that grants perfection - to show respect to all and demand it from none SB 1.18.31 - 1.18.50

as birds fly in the sky as far as their capacity, the devoted describe Krishna as far as their realization allows / hunting was allowed for a few, but always discouraged / life's difficulties can be seen as favorable / sometimes good people act out of character - the influence of the age of quarrel makes us see only the bad / the yoga culture turns the microscope on oneself / repentance comes in t...

wisdom of the Bhagavatam is what is dear to the Bhakti-yogis / hearing Bhagavatam elevates one beyond any unfortunate background / it's the qualities that make the teacher, not the birth / yogis are self controlled - not controlled by the body or mind / real freedom is freedom from the control of the body and mind / from darkness lead me to the light / by bhakti-yoga one automatically achieves the...

yogis simplify / coming together in nature / the power of the fortune cookie / graffiti writing vandal days / 3 jewels that inspired change - Siddhartha, Bodhisattva Vow & his father's yoga practice / how one's presence can be more influential than one's words / take off your shoes & enter the temple / fame is an illusion - the remedy is marriage, family & menial service

I thought the spiritual path was meant to be walked alone - what is the spiritual purpose of marriage / what does the bhakti-yoga tradition say about repentance? / how to live a simple, brahminical life in a modern, capitalistic world / are big city life and spirituality compatible? / if we live in the city, how can we be more in tune with the earth?

the theological depth of the swing festival / the sages feel the effect of hearing Bhagavatam / the sages glorify the association of Bhakti-yogis / the sages outline the qualification of the speaker (learned & purely motivated) & the hearer (eager) / Sukadeva, the quintessential transcendent yogi, walks onto the scene naked /Sukadeva & all varieties of ātmārāmas, are attracted to hearing Bhagavata...

the controversy - in the end, does the supreme truth include form, qualities, personality, relationships, etc. or all they all illusion / the person is the source of the divine light / isn't form, by definition, limiting? / what is the opposite of being $1 million in debt? / 3rd class religion turns people off / Sukadeva Goswami's transformation from impersonalism to personalism / the love & servi...