Wisdom of the Sages
1,310 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 845 ratingsTruths 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.
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Episodes
1294: Comparison is the Thief of Joy
April 16, 2024 12:45 - 56 minutes - 25.9 MBBhagvatam’s prescription - focus the mind on Krishna, see Krishna in everyone / Yoga Sutra’s prescription - focus the mind in general, relate to others with sattvic clarity / the disinterest of the referee / comparison is the thief of joy - the dangers of social media / friendship toward those who are happy, compassion toward those in distress, joy toward those who are virtuous, equanimity toward those who are non-virtuous / the evolution from equanimity to empathy / the dissolution of one’s...
1293: Modern Psychology: Lack of Faith or Act of Faith?
April 14, 2024 13:33 - 54 minutes - 25.1 MBKaustubha explores questions about the application of modern mental health therapies in the context of the practice of Bhakti-yoga with Relationship Counselor, Dhanya Rico and Hospital Chaplain, Kula Pradipa Das. Find Dhanya's newest song at https://open.spotify.com/album/17HCyp59thGRtJPUhyKAUi?si=iczTCsYTRPCefe4vvILAew
1292: Guru Education vs. Guru Indoctrination
April 12, 2024 12:50 - 58 minutes - 26.8 MBBhakti is the confidential teachings of Vedanta / the heart needs to be opened to understand Bhakti / compassion through not asking “what is their karma?”, but instead asking “what is my dharma?” / individuality should not be suppressed / Education not indoctrination - how to think, not what to think / the role of menial service / understanding bhakti is not merely academic - it involves both inquiry (to gain information), and service (to purify the heart) / Eastern vs Western attitudes towa...
1291: I am the Never-Changing Perceiving the Ever-Changing
April 11, 2024 12:35 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MBthe self is a flashlight; wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep are the layers that cover its illumination / are we any less helpless in the waking state, than we are in the dream? / just as the changing body is not me, the same is true for the changing mind / anchoring our awareness in something beyond change / 2 yogas - turning consciousness away from the world and directing it to the source of the world / moving through this world as an actor with awareness of the director and the nature o...
1290: The Theme of Hospitality in Devotional Yoga
April 10, 2024 12:26 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MBKaustubha Interviews Krishna Kshetra Swami (Dr Kenneth Valpey) on the specialty of the Srimad Bhagavatam and the importance of the reoccurring theme of hospitality found in its narratives. Find his upcoming course at https://ochsonline.org/course/bhagavata-purana-sacred-text-tradition/
1289: From PUNK to MONK!
April 09, 2024 12:46 - 1 hour - 29.3 MBOn the day of its official release, Raghunath and Kaustubha read from and discuss Raghunath's memoir From Punk to Monk, available at https://a.co/d/bqccpnS
1288: Q & A Volume 217
April 06, 2024 20:33 - 57 minutes - 26.5 MBIs it primitive to believe that the eclipse is inauspicious? If you have questions, e-mail us at [email protected]
1287: The Perception of Wakefulness, Dreaming & Deep Sleep
April 04, 2024 20:34 - 1 hour - 27.8 MBIts okay to be a dented can / de-mything the sacred texts / in whatever you shine in, you become an influencer / our karma gives us a recipe for future experiences / as changing aromas are evidence of the air that carries them, changing states of awareness are evidence of the soul that experiences them / just as one knows all things made of clay by knowing a piece of clay, one can know everything by knowing Krishna / our material experience is like a bad dream (unwanted and temporary) SB 7...
1286: Knowing Yourself is the Beginning of All Wisdom
April 01, 2024 12:23 - 58 minutes - 26.9 MBto understand “what is the meaning of life?”, we first need to understand “who am I?” / Is our happiness coming from the soul or the ego? / purifying the mind through self analysis / the self is distinct from from all things that undergo creation, maintenance and destruction / life doesn’t develop from the body - the body develops from life / what’s the real creation myth? / attachment, fear and anger block perception of the divine / Einstein’s humility SB 7.7.24
1285: Q & A Volume 216
March 30, 2024 14:54 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MBCan you clarify the practice of japa for a relative newcomer like me? / What does it mean to "take shelter” of Krishna & Radha?
1284: The Dark Places We Go When We are Drunk on the World
March 29, 2024 12:52 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MB“I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves”? - Ludwig Wittgenstein / athāto brahma-jijñāsā - now is the time to inquire about the Absolute Truth / people get intoxicated by their good karma / the soul is the observer / a spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body / One must find the soul by analysis, saying, “This is not it. This is not it.” / My body and mind are shape shifters / Epstein Isl...
1283: Figuring Out Life Begins with "I'm Not My Body"
March 27, 2024 12:33 - 57 minutes - 26.4 MBwin the hearts of Brijbasis / there are no external disqualifications for Bhakti / hearing with faith is the key / figuring out life begins with “I’m not my body” and ends with seeing Krishna everywhere / artificial consciousness is a bluff / the empiricists have moved the goalposts / the most important questions of life lie beyond the scope of material science / if this philosophy is right, everything I know is wrong / look deeper into the Autostereogram until you see the self realization ...
1282: God Has Empowered All of Us in Different Ways
March 26, 2024 12:22 - 1 hour - 28.1 MB“The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed and apathy… and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation and we, (Lawyers) and scientists, don’t know how to do that.” - Gus Speth / God has empowered all of us in different ways (the politician has a role and the monk has a role) / the material world is designed to crack your shell / Narada instructs Prahlad in the womb / are women less intelligent than men? / cold-hearted, analytical Jnana vs the tender affect...
1281: Re-presenting the Epic Mahabharata - An Interview with HD Goswami
March 25, 2024 15:06 - 1 hour - 31.7 MBRaghunath and Kaustubha interview HD Goswami about his new translation of the Mahabharata.
1280: Why Sri Chaitanya Is So Special
March 24, 2024 13:26 - 1 hour - 27.7 MBOn the occasion of the appearance anniversary of Sri Chaitanya, Raghunath and Kaustubha discuss how special and important He is, even among the avatars of Krishna.
1279: Q & A Volume 215
March 24, 2024 13:14 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MBIs it ok to have friendships with people who are not Krishna bhaktas / Is it ok to get wisdom and truths from teachers who are not Krishna bhaktas / What are your recommendations for a devotee who lives too far from a Temple?
1278: The Essence That Lies Beyond Religion
March 22, 2024 12:53 - 1 hour - 27.7 MBbeing used for a mighty purpose vs being a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances / the power of revolving around the Divine principle / we avoid diversions such as nonconstructive criticism, gossip, and politics / the world is our reform school / the essence that lies beyond religion / Sri Caitanya’s talks with Ramananda Raya / the false expectations of love we receive from films / sage level 4 / Bhakti is understood not simply by reading books, but by receiving it from so...
1277: Bhagavatam’s Innocent, Rebellious Appeal to the Essence of Being
March 21, 2024 12:32 - 59 minutes - 27.2 MB“Every act of rebellion expresses a nostalgia for innocence and an appeal to the essence of being.” - Albert Camus / find philosophy you can live / Prahlad is pure to the core and entirely rebellious / what is the use of following the principles of religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation? / Bhagavatam rebels against the message of the previous Vedic texts / In the Vedas Indra is the hero - in the Bhagavatam Vritrasura is the hero / the innocence of Sukadeva / the p...
1276: Let the Mantra be the Stick Shift (to Shift the Gears of Consciousness)
March 20, 2024 13:14 - 59 minutes - 27.1 MB"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" 1 Corinthians 3.16 / religion is more concerned with salvation - spirituality is more concerned with transformation / access to God is easy because 1) you are intimately related to Him 2) He is present everywhere 3) He is always aware of you / nature arranges to keep the secrets of transcendence concealed from the intrusions of mundane intelligence / the theology is that God is in everyone - the practice is to...
1275: Q & A Volume 214
March 16, 2024 13:50 - 57 minutes - 26.2 MBMy head is in the philosophy of Krishna Bhakti, but my heart is with Jesus and the saints. Is that ok? / How can we tell the difference between satisfaction, happiness, and peace stemming from the mode of goodness, and that from actual spiritual advancement? / “With the upcoming solar eclipse could you speak a little to significance of solar eclipses in this tradition and what actions can be taken to divert any negative forces that may come with it?
1274: Einstein as the Brahmin in ”Oppenheimer”
March 15, 2024 12:30 - 59 minutes - 27.4 MBUncompromised brahmins should engage the military powers - not the other way around / Einstein as the brahmin in the film Oppenheimer (framed in nature, speaking distilled, essential thought, removed from urgent, fear-based thinking) / beware the separatist conception / Prahlad shines light on the dangers of family attachments / Prahlad as 5 year old revolutionary / we won’t be indoctrinated into separatist thinking! / revolution sans-hatred / separatist thought leads to cruelty / our rulers...
1273: A Spiritual Household Transforms Caterpillars to Butterflies
March 14, 2024 13:39 - 1 hour - 27.6 MBit’s what we put in our consciousness in our downtime that shapes who we are / sacred literature is ever fresh and always relevant / sometimes goodness can cheat you out of greatness / Bhagavatam is one big intervention for the material world / hear Bhagavatam on a regular basis in youth and old age, in good health and bad / our daily activities are what change us / add a sense of urgency to your spiritual life / the current of material family life can pull you down the beach / morning Sadha...
1272: Putting a Child in a Car Seat is Real Tolerance
March 13, 2024 12:36 - 1 hour - 29.9 MBPrabhupada didn’t mince words / everything is meant to support our relationship with God / don’t sacrifice the whisper of the heart to the contaminant of the mind / now is the time for self reflection / taking care of a baby and putting a kid in a car seat is real tolerance / renunciation or frustration and arrogance? / material nature lops and prunes your attachments / it’s not your wife or husband- it’s the beloved of Krishna entrusted to your care / chisel off the hard edges of the ego to...
1271: The Practices of Training the Mind
March 12, 2024 12:45 - 55 minutes - 25.4 MBKaustubha’s Vrindavan wanderings / Prayer is about saying what needs to be said / Vrindavan is the culture of Bhagavatam / While you’re healthy, focus on Bhakti and don’t waste any time / Train the mind to ease your suffering / “We must engage in the supreme practices of training the mind. There is no other way.” - Geshe Kelsang Gyatso / Kaustubha’s affirmation: “We don’t think like that.” / Raghu’s affirmation: “We don’t criticize.” / Discern but don’t criticize / If I don’t live that inter...
1270: Krishna is Sending People to Mess With Your Head
March 11, 2024 12:18 - 54 minutes - 25 MBMeander into random temples / focus and simplicity / move the internal mountains of attachment and petty grievances / everywhere we turn someone is trying to sell us happiness / kindness saves a ton of mental baggage / simplicity saves us issues with stuff - kindness saves us from issues with people / when you become very focused on spiritual life, it affects everyone / we’re off the leash looking for distractions / Vishnu is our real soulmate / game-changer: happiness is automatically obta...
1269: Q & A Volume 213
March 10, 2024 17:06 - 55 minutes - 25.2 MBHow does puruṣārtha (the Vedic concept of 4 human pursuits) relate to Bhakti? / Is it true that one can be liberated in this life, even though you live a “normal” householder life, or do you have to become a monk? / Do you have a good book recommendation which simply outlines Bhakti in a way that is completely approachable?
1268: Chat Thread Arguments & Hardened Hearts
March 08, 2024 12:56 - 59 minutes - 27.3 MBEat, sing and dance to create community / “Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him.” - Louis L'Amour / anger leaves you dirty and depleted / The greater the ego the greater the rage / It’s our behavior through the day that affects japa / Chat thread arguments drain integrity and harden hearts / Hiranyakashipu’s rage against little Prahlad SB 7.5.33-57
1267: The Highest Dharma is Divine Love
March 07, 2024 18:55 - 56 minutes - 25.6 MB“These people were so hungry for love that they were accepting substitutes. They were embracing material things and expecting a sort of hug back.” - Tuesdays With Morrie / everyone is starving - but not for food - for love / the highest dharma is divine love / addiction to material life leads to darkness / Yamunacharya squirrel / take the dust of the feet of the Vaishnavas / we’re just a tiny blade of grass in a huge meadow / arrogance is a truth blocker / Krishna’s presence accumulates in ...
1266: Can We Be Happy With Nothing?
March 06, 2024 12:42 - 59 minutes - 27 MB“People haven’t found meaning in their lives, so they’re running all the time looking for it. They think the next car, the next house, the next job. Then they find these things are empty too.” - Tuesdays With Morrie / we’ve gotta figure out what success looks like before we start climbing the ladder / the old musk deer analogy / externals just won’t make us happy / am I chewing the chewed? / your new car is chewing the chewed / Krishna’s name is heart deep not lip deep / Bhakti is an everlas...
1265: Getting Pulled in the Draft of the Great Souls Before Us
March 05, 2024 12:25 - 1 hour - 28 MBYou get an authentic experience through an authentic lineage / “Everybody is looking for Krishna. Some don't realize that they are, but they are.” - George Harrison / Rishikesh Kirtan mela / the love is in the details / one incarnation for one devotee / just by remembering the great souls before us we get pulled in their draft / a little self disgust can be healthy / service is a natural expression of love / the Vedas have already given us a map / don’t be a Kramer to Krishna / love in the m...
1264: See God in the Temple – See God Everywhere
March 04, 2024 13:25 - 1 hour - 28.5 MBNo more inattentive chanting / hear and chant here to prepare to hear and chant in holy places (and vice versa) / India is messy but pure / accept that our life is in Krishna’s hands and get on the Uber motorcycle / see God in the temple to practice seeing God everywhere / there has to be someone in the center of existence, to create harmony, otherwise we just battle in competition - Krishna is that center / we have to accept responsibility for the evil in the world / the devotion is in the ...
1263: Let Vrindavan Rest in Your Mind
March 04, 2024 12:36 - 1 hour - 29.9 MBRaghu and Mara chant Yamunastakam on the banks of the river / Kaustubha says goodbye to Sri Dham Mayapur / PULL THE TRIGGER! / concentrate your thoughts like the sun’s rays through a magnifying glass / the practices of Bhakti are not mere religious rituals, they are yogic practices designed to focus the mind on the most satisfying object / “Let my mind, with attention fixed on no other object, repeatedly carry its affection to Krishna, just as the Ganga carries a full stream of water to the ...
1262: Mantra Meditation - Not Lip Deep, but Heart Deep
February 29, 2024 15:22 - 56 minutes - 25.7 MBthe 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 MBlet 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 MBBhagavatam 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 MBCreeps 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 MBHow 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 MBHow 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 MBAnything 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 MBseek 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 MBAndrew 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 MBAs 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 MBHow 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 MBthe 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 MBRaghunath 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