Yoga Wisdom with Acharya das

In this second installment on the subject of humility, we examine two of the critical reasons why humility is essential to achieve enlightenment.

The quality of humility is so important in spiritual realization, that the failure to cultivate it will ensure the lack of success.   The living being in the embodied state has two coverings, the gross physical body, and a subtle body comprised of the mind, the intelligence, and the false ego (ahaṅkāra).  The false ego is the first and most powerful covering of the soul, which distorts t...

We are encouraged to live a Life of excess by advertisers, retailers, the government and society, with the promise that this will make us happy and fulfilled.   This is having a huge impact on the planet, on mental health and on our state of peacefulness.    The Vedas propose that our well-being and happiness is tied to a life of restraint and moderation, of “simple living and high...

It is very sad how many people struggle with residual anger over past hurt. The problem is that this anger traps us in a world of suffering. The only way out is forgiveness, but what does that mean and how is it done.   We go into more detail than in any of the previous talks on this subject.  One of the wonderful verses I quoted: “It is the duty of all transcendentalists to cultivate th...

The Vedas and ancient sages use wonderful analogies to help common folk develop a deeper appreciation of important spiritual teachings/truths.   One example is the reference to a bird and a cage.

In this talk we examine the search for perfection.  We may seek perfection in; my body, a “home”, in relationships or a partner, a job, social or economic status, or in our children.    But why do we do this? It is due to our spiritual nature which is perfect. But when I try to do this in the material world I am seeking perfection in that which is imperfect. It is like our seeking p...

There is a need to change how we think about some of the major issues facing humanity today. If we don’t then the issues will not be addressed properly. Climate and environmental issues are the obvious ones but there are also major social issues that need real solutions.   Pollution is not just the nasty stuff we pump into the land, the air, and the water, it is also what we pump into people’...

After last week's talk “The Workings of the Mind” I received a number of questions asking me for more detail about the nature of the mind and also about emotions and how they affect us.  So this is in response to those questions.   I gave a number of quotes from the Vedas and will post those quotes here:   "The atma/self is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence...

The view that the mind and all its workings is a function of the brain, is probably the most commonly held understanding of the mind in the world today. But the yogic view is radically different. There was an appreciation that we exist as eternal spiritual beings, temporarily occupying a gross material body, and also covered by a subtle material body constituted primarily of the mind. Three Vedic...

Quite a large number of people accept, either fully or partially, what is called reincarnation. But for many there are also some confusion or misunderstanding.   This talk attempts to shed some light on the subject. Some verses which I quoted this subject:   As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another bo...

To feel that your body is not “you” is natural because after all, you are an eternal spiritual being inhabiting a temporary material body.  But if I “misread” this natural occurrence and wrongly conclude that what I need to do to find the true me, to be happy, is to re-engineer my body so that it aligns with the desires of my mind, then an artificial “reality” is produced.  This can only...

The extraordinary rise of suicide and depression amongst young people under 25 years old over the past ten years is shocking and sad.  Some reports say that 1 in 8 young people in developed countries have suffered from significant depression in the past year.  The need for resilience is undeniable.    What is needed is a more grounded worldview and the acceptance that life is c...

Being humble is not something you “do”, it is a state of consciousness, a way of seeing the world, others, and myself.    We explore how one cultivates humility as part of the process of self-realization or enlightenment.   I did quote a wonderful verse from Patanjali’s Yoga-sutra regarding our dealing with others which I will share here.   The mind(consciousness) becomes purif...

In a very recent news article I read, the headline stated: “Nearly half of Americans think they’re a better person than EVERYONE they know!”   I personally think this is shocking and sad because it is so spiritually damaging.  I feel that it is due in large part to the influence of big tech and the way in which they affect society by eroding the finer values needed to help us live a more...

I was asked to answer some questions via video link last Saturday, from people attending a yoga and kirtan retreat on the Coromandel Peninsular in New Zealand.  I thought that others may also benefit from this, so am posting it.   The questions in summary were:  1.  What is my purpose in life ..? Why am I here?   2. What is the point of us not remembering our previous live...

The idea that there is no difference between the living being (jīva-ātmā) and the Supreme Soul (Paramātmā) leads to the erroneous conclusion that “I am God”.  This idea is promoted by many of the well-known so-called gurus who have taught in the Western world.   The idea arises from an incomplete understanding of the nature of both the soul and of God.  It is a fact that the essence...

The day following this talk was the 534th anniversary of the appearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the “Father of Kirtan”, so I was asked to speak about him.   In the talk I referenced several quotes from the Vedas about him, predicting his appearance over 4,500 years prior to that day.  I also referenced 3 of the 8 prays he personally wrote, all of which I am sharing here.   गौरः सर्...

The inspiration for the talk was that the UN has declared March 20 each year as the International Day of Happiness.  Most people think that by seeking out something I consider desirable that is situated outside of myself (some object, experience, relationship, etc.,) and pulling that in close to myself, I can experience happiness. But lasting happiness is not acquired like this, it is “an ins...

There is a general and quite pervasive idea that if I am “progressive” then I am a ‘good’ person, I have high ethical standards and I am heading in a positive and desirable direction. But what does it actually mean to make progress as a society?     Well, the question becomes, “Progress towards what?” What if my goals and direction in life will produce bad outcomes?  I may then...

A few years ago, a guy from England decided that his life was too painful and sad. He was having trouble with relationships and a lot of other things. While taking care of his friend’s dog he had the flash of brilliance; “if only I was an animal, I would be like this dog, not a care in the world, I would be so happy.”   After considering which animal species he could “become” in order to find...

Last night I was asked to speak about Valentine’s Day from a spiritual perspective since it was February 14th.      The desire for an eternal and lasting perfect love is at its root, really a spiritual desire. It arises from the soul itself, and the attempts to find it in a material dimension will always be frustrated. But it is possible, although it requires a paradigm shift i...

This is the final talk in the series. In our journey so far we explored the following:   The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. Gus Speth – Environmental Scientist   In the 1920’s, Banker Paul Mazur of Lehman Brothers famously wrote: "We must shift America from a needs, to a desires cultur...

Last week we listed some of the qualities we have been advised since ancient times to adopt in order to become more peaceful and happy.   When we begin to build a personal list of guiding principles that will serve as my life’s compass, it is helpful to examine the 3 areas of our life that will be impacted by our adoption of at least some of these qualities.      a) How do...

Continuing with the series “My Life’s Compass” we explore a little deeper into the proposal by that yoga system that it is through restraint and control of the mind, senses, and desires, that one gains true freedom and is able to overcome selfishness, greed, and apathy, which the environmental scientist Gus Speth says is the root cause of all the environmental problems.   Some of the Vedic ve...

There is a single trait that psychologists have studied over the years that can actually predict the answers to all of the 5 questions: How happy are you?; How wealthy are you?; Do you have an addictive personality?; Are you in debt?; How satisfied are you with your life?    And that trait isn’t grades in school or friendliness or confidence or emotional stability or even personality in...