Yoga Wisdom with Acharya das

We are often so caught up in the ‘small stuff’ that it is hard for us to take a step back and consider whether there is really a higher purpose to my life.     In interviews with astronauts who have spent time living on the International Space Station, they all speak of a common experience of peering down at our planet and being struck by the reality that we live on one massive glob...

The term, “Harmony of Mind Body Spirit” is frequently used by yoga practitioners and others, but what does it actually mean?  Well many people apply different meanings, some just ‘winging it’, and many explanations may not be very helpful.  We have a grip on ‘body’ and ‘mind’, but what do the words ‘harmony’ and ‘spirit’ mean in this context?     This talk is an explanatio...

We are often told that simply by the use of technology or the adoption of certain ideas that we are becoming “empowered”.  This is a hard look at empowerment and happiness and whether materialism, in general, can actually deliver on these promises.   I spoke on this subject in an auditorium at the Queensland University of Technology on the 19th November, 2018.

It requires great courage to embark upon the path of self-discovery, because you will be faced with having to question things which you and perhaps everyone around you have accepted as undeniable truth.  The search for true happiness brings into question something that many of us hold to be a fact – the idea that sensually pleasurable experiences are the same as happiness.  This is not t...

Learning to forgive is in our best interest. To forgive someone doesn't mean their actions were right, but it is an amazing act of kindness and is liberating.  Holding on to hurt feelings and anger make us prisoners of the past and trap us in a dark place.     "The duty of one seeking enlightenment is to culture the quality of forgiveness, which is illuminating like the sun. Th...

For the past decade or more, we are seeing a growing sense of isolation among young people in spite of (or maybe because of) the ‘connectedness’ social media offers,  and also rising levels of depression and suicide (at almost epidemic proportions). Why?  Is there any connection with this generation also being identified as the ‘Selfie Generation’?  Sara Konrath Phd., a researcher a...

Sometimes we are asked what exactly Nirvana is and whether it is the highest spiritual state or whether there is anything beyond it.  The short answer is that there are spiritual realizations and experiences beyond Nirvana. The word Nirvana in Sanskrit means 'blown out' as in, to blow out a candle or lamp. It refers to the extinguishing of material existence but does not refer to anything bey...

To “do good” is commonly defined as having or showing a concern for the welfare of others. But to do good I must know what the real welfare of others is.     The great spiritual personality, Caitanya Mahaprabhu,  who appeared over 500 years ago advised that one “should make his life successful and work for the benefit of all other people”.  This success is to rediscovery m...

There is literally an epidemic of depression going on in spite of the mega-billions being spent on mood-altering substances (legal and illegal) in an attempt to prevent it.  But is this epidemic of depression a result of our chosen personal and societal direction and values and “truths” we embrace?  We discuss the issue from the ancient yoga perspective.   This was a talk at the Man...

Last night at our 1st Mantra Night get-together for 2018 we discussed New Year resolutions and how they are generally about wanting to become a better "me".  This, of course, leads to a conversation about our having two natures - a higher nature and a lower nature or Sat-svabhāva and asat-svabhāva in Sanskrit. Our real happiness and true spiritual love are experienced when I am living in harm...

Though surrounded by others, I sometimes feel all alone. Why? Will more friends or someone to love fix that?   Someone wrote the following in a blog post, and I think it captures this reality.   "I have almost everything people talk about when it comes to happiness. A good husband, a great job that I enjoy and pays me well.   "But here I am, feeling all confused, blank and painful....

If we are heading in the wrong direction then we may need to make a U-turn to find happiness. The Bhagavad-gita speaks to this point.

Tolerance at the Mantra Room

Tolerance @ The Mantra Room

“And the truth shall set you free.” But what is the TRUTH? Do we all have our own truths? Is truth changing with the so-called development of societies?  As societies advance(?) we are confronted with enormous and growing levels of anxiety, depression, and suicide, especially among the younger generation. Is there a problem with our collective acceptance of what it true? Let’s look at this fr...

We seem to want to try and disconnect our own choices, decisions and actions in life from any unhappiness or difficulty we may experience as a result of these choices or actions.  We always seem to want to blame someone else for my unhappiness. This talk explores the ancient yoga wisdom perspective of personal responsibility. It was held at the weekly Mantra Night event put on by Meditation N...

It has become very common that people use the phrase "Spiritual but not Religious", so we explored that idea a little bit.

The concept of a soulmate is an ancient and authentic spiritual principle which is part of the yoga system. But that idea has now been supplanted in modern times by something less perfect.  When I expect another mundane personality to be the eternal love of my life or provide me with the shelter, protection and happiness I crave, then I will always face disappointment and even unhappiness. It...

Self-centeredness leads us away from our true inner spiritual nature, where real happiness and spiritual love is to be found.  While the selfie-epidemic may seem harmless (because it is so common), not so long-ago selfies would have been viewed as somewhat narcissistic and not healthy.  What is the spiritual view on self-centeredness and its’ harmfulness?  Any point to consider is t...

The question “what if I break up with me?” is a joke but the subject is not.  It has become commonplace for mental healthcare professionals to promote an idea that is considered in all authentic and ancient yoga teachings to be unhealthy and detrimental for your happiness and the spiritual experience of self-realization.  It is common to see articles from professionals such as: “Uncondit...

The quest for peace and happiness are intertwined and can be difficult if we are looking in the wrong places.  Too often we act on false assumptions - the greatest being the idea that my body IS ME when in fact I am a spiritual being occupying and using this body and mind. Therefore trying to make my body or mind happy is not the same as "me" experiencing happiness.

The Dalai Lama stated that the two key factors to happiness are: 1) having a purpose and, 2) serving others. This is fundamentally true and so we examine the question of what it means to have purpose here.  Sorry about the video quality - technical issues.

After last week’s talk about Alcohol, Drugs & Yoga I received some inquiries about whether pornography also affects one’s yoga practice and its place or role in our search for happiness.  This is an important topic considering how viewing porn has become so common and accepted.  There is the view that it is harmless, unless engaged in excessively.  However, this is not true. &nb...

A useful introduction to mindfulness and its practical application in my daily life. How to use it as a tool to living a more meaningful, peaceful and happy existence.

What role does my mind play in finding happiness?     The Bhagavad-gita states - "One must deliver himself with the help of his mind, and not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.  For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his mind will remain the greatest enemy. "...