Wisdom of the Sages artwork

Wisdom of the Sages

1,278 episodes - English - Latest episode: 29 days ago - ★★★★★ - 845 ratings

Truths about life from the timeless wisdom of the Bhakti-yoga tradition - fun, relevant, and deep. Learn about dharma, yoga, bhakti, and how it relates to all the basic questions of life. This show is about how to live your best life, let go of the external distractions, and uncover the spiritual happiness that lies within the heart as the true nature of the soul.

Raghunath and Kaustubha's connection goes back to their teens in the New York Hardcore Punk Scene of the early 80s, through serving together as Bhakti-yogi monks in the 90's, to sharing their experiences in the world of yoga in the 21st century.

Religion & Spirituality Education Self-Improvement bhagavadgita bhakti dharma hardcore kaustubhadas punk raghunath raycappo spirituality srimadbhagavatam
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Episodes

1262: Mantra Meditation - Not Lip Deep, but Heart Deep

February 29, 2024 15:22 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MB

the power in hearing about lives of the great saints / the sun is setting, move along / the power in eating saffron filled gulab jamuns / Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati’s vision / You cannot vibrate the holy name simply by moving the lips and tongue. The pure name of krishna is not lip deep, but heart deep / the sound descends from the transcendental world into the heart, then rises through the lips and tongue - that vibration is the holy name of Krishna / "Maintain your worldly obligations...

1261: Each One of Us Matters & Has a Role to Play

February 27, 2024 14:40 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MB

“Each one of us matters, has a role to play, and makes a difference.” - Jane Goodall / both Hanuman and the little squirrel were equal, because both were giving their all / “Krishna has some plan for you. Always think in that way, and very soon he will provide everything to your heart's desire.” - Srila Prabhupada / Kaustubha is not Taylor Swift / lose faith in the material world providing us happiness / trade your expectations for appreciation BrahmaJi! / the chanting and hearing of Śrīmad-...

1260: Freeing Up the Mind for Meditation

February 26, 2024 15:16 - 56 minutes - 26.1 MB

let resentment go to free up the mind in chanting meditation  / What are the qualities of a Bhakti-yogi? They are like a rooster, a crane, salt, and you! / a rooster picks out the valuable nourishment even in the dung / salt enhances all the other flavors and yet takes no credit / the crane ignores the petty little fish and stays focused on what counts / in the end, Radha and Krishna are the only “Big Fish” / don’t let validation from others be your food / we can be the handle of the Vishnu ...

1259: The Krishna Magnet & the Rust of Illusory Desire

February 23, 2024 16:32 - 1 hour - 28.1 MB

Bhagavatam presents the theology of devotion in the context of the creation of the universe and the following lineages of demigods, sages and royal lines descending from the gods of the sun and moon / omniscience helps in debate / to the extent we are sectarian, we’re rowing the boat but the anchor is down / party line spirit blocks  perception of the Paramatma / Krishna’s like a magnet, we’re like iron - when the rust of our illusory desires is removed we are naturally attracted / our love ...

1258: The Doors of Perception

February 22, 2024 17:14 - 59 minutes - 54.1 MB

“If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” - William Blake / “…when the good is a furlong off, and we with our beetle eyes can only see three inches, it takes some confidence in general principles to pull us through.” – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle / confidence in the principle of aham
bramasmi / the pandit sees everyone equally / saintly persons try to emulate Prahlada’s character by practicing freedom from animosity / only devotion grants access...

1257: What it Takes to be an Instrument of Healing

February 21, 2024 16:28 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MB

Creeps are out there  / what it takes to be an instrument of healing / “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” - Jesus / it’s not spoken allegiance that makes one a son of God, it's aligning one's heart with His / Kaustubha runs with the Squirrel / the innocence which can tame the spirit of the unicorn / The 1st illusion - identifying with the body; leads directly to the 2nd illusion - seeing in terms of friends and e...

1256: 3 Levels of God Realization: Brahman, Paramatma & Bhagavan

February 20, 2024 15:02 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MB

How do you introduce higher dimensions of consciousness into your awareness? / Bhagavatam isn’t valid because it's ancient. It's ancient because it's valid. / growth means seeing your circumstances through a higher lens / the planets have a pull - so add the Krishna graha into your life / thesis: we are completely different from God - antithesis: we are one with God - synthesis: we are both one with and different from God / 3 levels of God realization: Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan / “God ...

1255: Mantras, Yantras & the All Auspicious Krishna Planet

February 19, 2024 16:03 - 54 minutes - 50.2 MB

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius / temples (and ritual) are all about elevating the quality of our thoughts / 
clearing the head and heart of resentment, anger and bitterness / we find what we’re looking for / the Vastu Purusha /  you can’t change the planets you were born under, but you can make Krishna the predominating planet that shines auspiciousness in your life /  how the great devotees see Krishna everywhere / stop relying on o...

1254: Q & A Volume 212

February 17, 2024 16:18 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MB

How can we best face our own mortality? / Can you speak on the relationship between Radha and Krishna / Are there any stories of Krisna with cats?

1253: This is Not the Future We Wanted!

February 16, 2024 15:04 - 55 minutes - 25.5 MB

"Humans doing the hard jobs on minimum wage, while the robots write poetry and paint, is not the future I wanted." - Karl Sharro / ya can’t beat the system / simplicity & kindness / because we remain servants of our senses, we can never be satisfied / the Devas give up food and sleep, meditating to connect with Vishnu / connection with Vishnu dissipates the fear / the qualities that facilitate spiritual experience - sense control, mind control, kindness, respect, giving shelter, deep friends...

1252: It's Not the Mountain We Conquer, but Ourselves

February 15, 2024 15:29 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MB

Anything we have to conquer can be integrated as part of our Bhakti practice / give it your best effort and be detached from the results / mastering an even mind, equal vision and inner happiness / becoming successful emotion managers / Hiraṇyakaśipu terrorizes the universe / pass on praise or it’ll kill you / broken egos search for satellites SB 7.4.1-17

1251: Gandhi's 7 Social Sins

February 13, 2024 14:13 - 55 minutes - 25.5 MB

seek employment in the field, and with the kind of people you would select if you had no need for money / religion has been stripped of the sacrifice of ones body, words and mind / do you need to erase your conscience to enjoy? / the demonic mentality can’t recognize one’s dependence on the higher power / work in harmony with the system - because you can’t cheat it SB 7.3.17-38

1250: Pablo EscoBear & the God Shaped Hole in the Heart

February 12, 2024 16:40 - 54 minutes - 24.9 MB

Andrew C. Thornton II’s unbridled greed - how much cocaine do you need to sell to be happy? / Dr Bruce Alexander and the Rat Park Experiments /  
“One should accept only those things necessary for himself, which are set aside as his quota, and one should not accept other things, knowing well to whom they belong.” / All there is to satisfy the senses, can’t satisfy one who’s senses are uncontrolled / The demonic mentality is taking Vishnu out of the picture /  the soul gives life to the body,...

1249: Q & A Volume 211

February 11, 2024 14:11 - 56 minutes - 25.8 MB

As an adoptee, how can I understand the longing I have to meet my birth mother in the context of Bhakti-yoga? / Does a yogi just accept their ADHD, or do they try to mitigate it? / Is it too early to speak to my 5 year old about death and reincarnation? /  How to process life’s curses?

1248: Q & A Volume 210

February 10, 2024 14:41 - 54 minutes - 24.7 MB

How do we become normalized to suffering, however abominable it may be? / Will you please explain ISKCON’s view of the Trimurti? (Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva) / How important is it for us to desire to go back to Godhead?

1247: The Vrindavan Flower Vendor

February 09, 2024 12:36 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MB

the Vrindavan flower vendor / if daily, love infused seva became mandatory in New York City / aligning one’s heart with the heart of God / the service itself is the payment / we see God in the deity to see God in the heart of every / Raghu would use the mystic powers only for good / the great commentators speak on austerity / don’t lay out during the meteor shower SB 7.2.58 - 7.3.5

1246: Receiving Knowledge from Nature / Interview with Giridhari Das

February 08, 2024 12:25 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB

Raghunath interviews Giridhari Das, an American who left his past behind, moved to Holy India, built his own cob house, grows his own food, and practices Bhakti-yoga.  

1245: If a Psychiatrist & a Guru Sat With Us Through a Horror Movie

February 02, 2024 15:15 - 1 hour - 28.8 MB

“Sometimes a dream almost whispers.” - Steven Spielberg / are we asking for advice, or for an instruction? / we're being driven around in a rental car / you can have Krishna consciousness right now, if you really want it / if we had a psychiatrist and a guru with us in the movie theater / the message is everywhere - that we’re all gonna die / śmaśāna-vairāgya - the detachment in a cemetery SB 7.2.45-57

1244: Real Truth is the Medicine

February 01, 2024 13:57 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB

“God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.” – Mother Teresa / there’s a lot of crazy talk in our mind / sometimes God’s plan is for Raghu to keep the stage dive money / never consider yourself to be the Ultimate cause / put in the effort, but understand there’s a greater plan / we grow by applying wisdom to misfortune, death, grief, betrayal, etc. / real truth is the medicine SB 7.2.39-44

1243: We Follow Our Mind Like a Slave Until We Find Truth

January 31, 2024 14:16 - 58 minutes - 26.6 MB

we’re living out the dream of Bhaktivinode Thakura / what good are my beauty products when this body burns? / isn’t it just sane to recognize and appreciate all that’s provided for me? / because we lack conviction in our spiritual nature, we focus on the differences and suffer / we follow our mind like a slave until we find truth / our thoughts and meditations are creating our next body right now SB 7.2.22-38

1242: Q & A Volume 209

January 29, 2024 13:57 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MB

How can Sri Chaitanya give the highest gift to the most unqualified? / Please explain, who are the Pancha Tattva? / Is loving God as Father a lower type of love?

1241: Plant a Tree!

January 24, 2024 15:27 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MB

“The one who plants trees knowing that he or she will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.” — Rabindranath Tagore / As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, simply worshiping the Supreme Person through Bhakti automatically satisfies the demigods / don’t cut down trees- just build around them /   take special care of your initiation beads / trees are sacred and so are squirrels / we’re like st...

1240: Beautiful Devotional Audacity

January 23, 2024 15:16 - 1 hour - 29.2 MB

one who is content enjoys transcendental happiness without endeavoring / for one who has mastered ahimsa, others become nonviolent in their presence / We need a class of pure hearted spiritualists without a material agenda / It’s simple math to see the value of a cow / There’s gotta be an adult in the room to stop all the junk mail / no good comes after 10 pm / Srila Prabhupada’s beautiful devotional audacity SB 7.2.1-12

1239: Jai Sri Ram!

January 22, 2024 13:45 - 58 minutes - 27 MB

(may God) deliver you from externals, and bestow upon you an inward occupation, which will absorb you so that your attention is not drawn away - Rumi / Begging for the removal of envy and animosity / let your meditation be thick like honey on Krishna / may our minds go to Krishna spontaneously / our inner meditation will deliver us to our spiritual body / it’s hard to be kind when you’re a hornet / the curse of a Bhakti-yogi is ultimately a blessing / the background history of the demon Shis...

1238: Q & A Volume 208

January 20, 2024 15:34 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MB

What are some of the do’s and don’ts when attending a temple? / Can you tell us about Sri Caitanya?

1237: Emancipate Yourself from Mental Slavery

January 19, 2024 15:21 - 55 minutes - 25.6 MB

"If something can corrupt you, you’re corrupted already." — Bob Marley / Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. — Bob Marley / get obsessed with things that lift you up / knowledge frees one from the pain of insults / our issues all stem from our bodily concepts / enmity is a powerful meditation / Through song, ritual, music or meditation, bring your mind to Krishna SB 7.1.22-29

1236: What We Meditate Upon, We Become

January 17, 2024 14:25 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MB

Raghu’s official apology to Bob Marley / “We become what we think about most of the time, and that’s the strangest secret.” - Earl Nightingale / Only if one contemplates something continuously does it become fixed as internal consciousness and manifest as a part of one’s nature. - Sri Madhvacharya / spiritual culture makes it easy to meditate all the time / Krishna is the most purifying force / Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fa...

1235: The Wisdom in Accepting Our Fate

January 16, 2024 12:49 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MB

the wisdom in accepting our fate / it’s the strong person who can accepts reversals in life without complaint / we have very little control beyond our own mind / entering Sage Level 3 / Sisupala’s focused hatred of Krishna / Krishna’s cool headed tolerance of Sisupala’s insults / right in the mists of the worlds great kings and sages, Krishna effortlessly takes Sisupala’s life / how did a deamon like Sisupala receive the moksha of merging into the body of Krishna? SB 7.1.13-15

1234: How to Guard Your Snow Globe-like Heart

January 15, 2024 15:40 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MB

‘Have your heart always turned towards the Divine…. It is not exterior silence that makes a monk, but silence of the heart.’ - Theodora of Alexandria / how to guard your snow globe heart / love God above all things, preserve tranquility, be meek and without malice, avoid obscenity and silliness, love non-covetousness, don’t neglect communal prayer - Theodora of Alexandria / Raghu Has Forgiven Elvis Costello & Moved On
 / It’s one thing to align with God externally, but it’s a life’s work to ...

1233: Q & A Volume 207

January 14, 2024 14:35 - 56 minutes - 26 MB

How can I clear the bad karma accumulated through activities of the past? / If one of the pillars of Bhakti is to take no offense, why does the SB speak about the danger of offending pure devotees? / What is the Bhakti viewpoint on chanting japa silently?

1232: Passing Through the Gates of Crisis

January 12, 2024 14:40 - 54 minutes - 24.9 MB

“In ancient India, soul-searching crisis was not concealed or imbued with shame, but viewed as an important time of transition, a deep rite of passage.” - Simon Hass / passing through the gates of soul searching crisis to the next level of spiritual advancement / sacred literature- it’s one crisis after another / Krishna is independent, but likes to be dependent on devotees / there is growing evidence that depression is linked to television watching / why not binge out on the sacred texts? /...

1231: The Soul Within the Body & Behind the Mind

January 10, 2024 13:06 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MB

“I have tried to be impartial, though I know that a man's past always colors his views.“ - Will Durant / only the impartial can see the truth / true impartiality is found through seeing the soul within the body and behind the mind / Vishnu is both a cat and a dog person / the result of mixed devotion is fear, the result of our devotion is freedom / What is the way to get pure devotion? / because the body of the conditioned soul is infected by the three qualities of nature, dualities arise su...

1230: Q & A Volume 206

January 07, 2024 14:25 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MB

My question is about the difference between Shaivism and Vaishnavism? / Should we pray for others? / What advice should I give families as a hospice nurse?

1229: Spend 5 Minutes with Your Worst Enemy

January 04, 2024 14:29 - 1 hour - 27.7 MB

when two enemies are talking, they're not fighting / if you spend five minutes with your worst enemy you will find that you both have something in common / Bhakti rituals destroy cruelty in the heart / Wanna change the world? Change yourself / Radhanath Swami's internal purity is changing the world externally / Understanding and respect leads to change / When the talking ceases the ground becomes fertile for violence / Vishnu and Laxmi are the original power couple SB 6.18.1-6.19.28

1228: Am I a Warmonger?

January 03, 2024 16:26 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MB

love others and God above all / Hate the greed, tyranny and animal appetite within ourselves / Spiritual freedom is the true happiness / See ourselves with the big I identity / We’re just concocting mental turbo scenarios / Our mind creates happiness and distress in illusion / Understand we’re living within a movie / Tragedy is around the corner and nobody gets a pass / We need to fully understand this illusory world in order to navigate and transcend it /  Knowledge and detachment come nat...

1227: Expect Your World to Get Turned Upside Down

January 02, 2024 13:00 - 56 minutes - 25.8 MB

You can choose your destiny by who you hang out with / What can ya do when truth comes in an uncool package? / There’s magic to be had / Take advantage of spirituality and connection however you can (even in Catholic school) / Don’t be worried about world wars and corruption, acharyas are being born/  You can lose the taste for the forbidden fruit / Take radical responsibility- I got what I got, now what? / Stop blaming to find peace / Be fixed only in the service to God / Once you have a de...

1226: Q & A Volume 205

December 30, 2023 14:37 - 57 minutes - 26.1 MB

How to deal with feelings of inauthenticity when social obligations seem to get in the way of spiritual commitment? / How does my job fit in with my spiritual practice?

1225: Shooting Straight to Acceptance

December 29, 2023 12:52 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB

"The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance." - Nathaniel Branden  /  the 5 stages of grief - denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance / shooting straight to acceptance / the comedy of when we can’t accept / Just because you join the Bhakti club doesn’t mean you’re liberated / As spiritual ambition rises, resentment anger and depression decreases / Am I capable of shooting straight for acceptance? / You get what you get and don’t be upset / However ...

1224: The Darkest Region of Materialistic Thought

December 28, 2023 13:04 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MB

“It isn’t that they can’t see the solution. It is that they can’t see the problem” - GK Chesterton /  don’t just fix the symptoms, get to the root of the disease / our problem is that we see ourselves as disconnected from the root of all existence / Citraketu gracefully accepted his curse / Pariksit gracefully accepted his curse / Prithu gracefully responded to Indra’s offenses / Indra lacked grace, and always tried to hold onto his position / the more we try to rectify reversals, the more w...

1223: Divine Love - Ask for Nothing More

December 27, 2023 12:30 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB

“To love or to have loved, that is enough. Ask nothing further. There is no other pearl to be found in the dark folds of life.” - Victor Hugo / Our desires drive us to pursue pleasure - but we end up getting the opposite results / pride in one's material experience brings contradictory results / a living being’s sense of identity apart from Kṛṣṇa is called māyā / having forgotten our purpose since time immemorial, we are situated in different bodies, as men, animals, demigods, etc. / when on...

1222: The World Isn’t Our Paradise, it’s Our University

December 26, 2023 15:03 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MB

without self knowledge we are slaves / don’t let our senses carjack us / yoga starts with understanding how our machines work / the world isn’t our paradise, it’s our university / I’m not the enjoyer, I’m the student / Vishnu to the soul “Um, both you, and the world, are produced, pervaded and supported by Me / deep sleep, dreaming and wakefulness are insubstantial phases of conditional life / “Pay now or pay later.” - Raghunath / forgetfulness of our oneness with God is the cause of transmi...

1221: Q & A Volume 204

December 24, 2023 15:13 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MB

Should I be attached or detached as a parent? /  Where do the gunas first get mentioned? / Are the different ages in life linked to the gunas? / How can we prepare to die in relation to the gunas? / How should we interact with people who are visibly affected by the lower gunas?

1220: Bhagavad Gita Gives Relief to the Burning Heart

December 22, 2023 12:30 - 54 minutes - 25 MB

Bhagavad-gita is common sensical and profound / books change the world / Krishna was the original thought leader-influencer / what the world needs now is love via BG / just hear carefully / consult the Gita in all critical times / the Bhagavad-gita is impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and space Goal: 3.7 Million Gita’s around the world.  https://livetogive.webflow.io/ To donate, text/whatsapp/call Malini at this number: +1 (669) 2...

1219: Albert Einstein on the Illusion of Separateness

December 21, 2023 13:23 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MB

"The quest for liberation from this bondage [or illusion] (of seeing ourselves as separate) is the only object of true religion." - Albert Einstein / our nature is intrinsically connected the whole / Krishna is the hub (holding everything together) and the root (nourishing everything) / “Persons who are too materialistic always see separateness.” - Srimad Bhagavatam / substantial relationships are built on spiritual truth / chant japa with attention and intention to open the safe / the key t...

1218: I Can't Save My Face & My Butt at the Same Time

December 20, 2023 13:17 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MB

reaching out when struggling over the holidays / I can’t save my face and my butt at the same time / praying for more stuff within the prison cell / it’s not sectarianism, it’s orienting our minds to higher thinking in whatever tradition one is from / frying out the seeds of material desire / freedom from the mentalities of “you and I” and “yours and mine” SB 6.16.36-46

1217: If All is Matter, What Really Matters?

December 19, 2023 14:31 - 55 minutes - 25.3 MB

response to a Stephen Hawking anti-nugget - we get it that computers don’t have an afterlife, but their users do / response to a Christopher Hitchens anti-nugget - we get it that germs cause disease, but where did the germs come from? / the forgotten past of microbiology from Sage Scientist Kanva in the Atharvaveda / nobody has a monopoly on truth / It takes a scientist, a  philosopher and a theologian / If we’re just bags of chemicals, why give holiday gifts? / Sattvika-bhavas - unpremedita...

1216: Digital Avatars Don’t Make You Immortal

December 18, 2023 15:28 - 56 minutes - 26 MB

Um, sorry Kiss, but your digital avatars don’t make you immortal / centrifugal vs centripetal force / glowworms only appear bright in the dark / the truth is we are fallible, vulnerable and dependent / finding meaning and happiness in truth, not illusion / sometimes our tragedy is just a little karma left to burn / clearing all the corrupted files in the mind SB 6.16.21-31

1215: Q & A Volume 203

December 17, 2023 15:46 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MB

Can you please clarify the difference between imperfect senses and being illusioned as described in Vedic epistemology? / Can you share your thoughts about depression and the need for a guide to study Bhagavad-gita? / Is there any scriptural advice for a situation regarding the heart hardening to those who have done us wrong? / Do you have any practical guidance on studying Bhagavad-gita?

1214: Come Out of the River a Different Person

December 15, 2023 15:43 - 57 minutes - 26.3 MB

“You have something in you more powerful and miraculous than the things that affect you and make you dance like a puppet.” – Marcus Aurelius / We are all made of the superior energy of God. / We are far more effulgent than the sun! / we can be permeated and vitalized by God’s ever-blissful spiritual rasa / Social media has us dancing like puppets / You want resurrection? We got resurrection / our senses and mind are nothing but trouble / we’re qualitatively one with god, and quantitatively d...

1213: Excuse Me Indian Gentlemen in the Back, but This is Satyam

December 14, 2023 15:06 - 54 minutes - 25 MB

“It’s better to conquer grief than to deceive it.” —Seneca / Citraketu conquers grief / deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the forest of this material world, enjoying the happiness and distress resulting from his past deeds / let grief open you up to truth / Excuse Me Indian Gentlemen in the Back, but This is Satyam / “and this schizophrenia, we call pleasure” / we can love but we can’t possess / if I was a director I would cut to the faces of the co-wives / Krishna has a bet...

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