Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

Gita 12.11 To be self-situated, begin with selflessness
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.11%20To%20be%20self-situated,%20begin%20with%20selflessness.mp3
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Bring out the best within, not the beast within
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[Talk at youth forum meeting, Nasik]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/02-17%20classes/Bring%20out%20the%20best%20within,%20not%20the%20beast%20within.mp3
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Gita 12.10 Bhakti means dedicating our external to the eternal internal instead of the ephemeral internal
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.10%20Bhakti%20means%20dedicating%20our%20external%20to%20the%20eternal%20internal%20instead%20of%20the%20ephemeral%20internal.mp3
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Why did Krishna allow the desecration of Deities by foreign invaders in medieval times?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/02-17%20QA/Why%20did%20Krishna%20allow%20the%20desecration%20of%20Deities%20by%20foreign%20invaders%20in%20medieval%20times.mp3
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Does the soul come first in the womb and the subtle body comes later after which consciousness manifests?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/02-17%20QA/Does%20the%20soul%20come%20first%20in%20the%20womb%20and%20the%20subtle%20body%20comes%20later%20after%20which%20consciousness%20manifests.mp3
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Determination in the three modes – Hindi
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[Class at Radha Madan-Gopal Mandir, ISKCON Nasik on Bhagavad-gita 18.33-35]

Podcast

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When others’ words makes us disturbed and dissatisfied, how to deal with that dissatisfaction – Hindi?
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Answer Podcast

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When we are unable to practice devotional principles, are we hypocritical – how to overcome it – Hindi?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/02-17%20QA/When%20we%20are%20unable%20to%20practice%20devotional%20principles,%20are%20we%20hypocritical%20-%20how%20to%20overcome%20it%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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How can we overcome the unhappiness felt on seeing others go away from bhakti – Hindi?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/02-17%20QA/How%20can%20we%20overcome%20the%20unhappiness%20felt%20on%20seeing%20others%20go%20away%20from%20bhakti%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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Gita 12.09 If absorption in Krishna is unattainable, seek attraction through connection
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.09%20If%20absorption%20in%20Krishna%20is%20unattainable,%20seek%20attraction%20through%20connection.mp3
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Gita 12.08 Bhakti changes not our outer location but the locus of our inner world
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.08%20Bhakti%20changes%20not%20our%20outer%20location%20but%20the%20locus%20of%20our%20inner%20world.mp3
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When the mind is like software, then how can pills for treating the hardware – the brain – cure mental problems?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/01-17%20QA/When%20the%20mind%20is%20like%20software,%20then%20how%20can%20pills%20for%20treating%20the%20hardware%20-%20the%20brain%20-%20cure%20mental%20problems.mp3
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When problems go beyond our tolerance limit, we explode as per our past conditionings – how to deal with this (Hindi)?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/01-17%20QA/When%20problems%20go%20beyond%20our%20tolerance%20limit,%20we%20explode%20as%20per%20our%20past%20conditionings%20-%20how%20to%20deal%20with%20this%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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If those in power such as Dhritarashtra stay silent amidst injustice, can their silence be attributed to their nature (Hindi)?
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Answer Podcast

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When children of same parents such as Ravana and Vibhishana have the same DNA, why are their characters so different (Hindi)?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/01-17%20QA/When%20children%20of%20same%20parents%20such%20as%20Ravana%20and%20Vibhishana%20have%20the%20same%20DNA,%20why%20are%20their%20characters%20so%20different%20-%20Hindi.mp3
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Gita 12.06 Devotional renunciation centers not on what we renounce but on for whom we renounce
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.06%20Devotional%20renunciation%20centers%20not%20on%20what%20we%20renounce%20but%20on%20for%20whom%20we%20renounce.mp3
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Gita 12.05 Attachment to oneness leaves us with nothingness to be attached to
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.05%20Attachment%20to%20oneness%20leaves%20us%20with%20nothingness%20to%20be%20attached%20to.mp3
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Gita 12.04 Don’t treat impersonalists impersonally – they are not all the same
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.04%20Don’t%20treat%20impersonalists%20impersonally%20-%20they%20are%20not%20all%20the%20same.mp3
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Gita 12.03 To say that the Absolute is indescribable is to describe it
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.03%20To%20say%20that%20the%20Absolute%20is%20indescribable%20is%20to%20describe%20it.mp3
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Gita 12.02 Closeness unites more than oneness
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.02%20Closeness%20unites%20more%20than%20oneness.mp3
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The Gita’s five subjects analyzed as a guide to action
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[Talk at Bhaktivedanta Hospital, Mumbai]

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/01-17%20classes/The%20Gita’s%20five%20subjects%20analyzed%20as%20a%20guide%20to%20action.mp3
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Sattva-guna – A competitor to bhakti and a stepping stone to bhakti
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[Bhagavatam class at Govardhan Eco-village, Wada, Mumbai]

Answer Podcast

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Changing the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves
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[Talk in Mumbai at Axis Bank Training Convention]

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/01-17%20classes/Changing%20the%20stories%20we%20tell%20ourselves%20about%20ourselves.mp3
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Gita 12.01 Pantheism and impersonalism both conceive of the Absolute as diffused
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2012.01%20Pantheism%20and%20impersonalism%20both%20conceive%20of%20the%20Absolute%20as%20diffused.mp3
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Gita 11.55 The same chapter that calls for war also calls for giving up animosity
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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Gita 11.54 Pure devotion grants the topmost spiritual vision
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.54%20Pure%20devotion%20grants%20the%20topmost%20spiritual%20vision.mp3
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Don’t let the drink take the drinker
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“First the man takes a drink, then the drink takes a drink, then the drink takes the man.” – Japanese proverb

 

The man takes a drink: No one takes their first drink with the desire to become alcoholics. They think that they are just having some fun; they are being cool; they are fitting into the crowd. They believe that they can drink without becoming drunkards.

But drinking moderately is like walking too close to the edge of a road that has no fence and that borders a deep valley. Just by staying close to that edge, they run the entirely unnecessary risk of slipping and falling off.

 

The drink takes the drink: When people drink in moderation, their habitual indulgence creates within their consciousness an impression, frequently subconscious, that drinking offers pleasure and relief. When life becomes frustrating or distressing and they feel the need for some quick relief, they will turn, often without even their conscious awareness, towards alcohol for relief.

In their seeking such relief, it can be said, in terms of the proverb, that the drink takes the drink. That is, the impressions created by the previous drink impel the drinker to take another drink in what psychologists call “absent-minded indulgence.” The person drinks without even being aware that they had a desire to drink and that they had opened a bottle, poured the drink and sipped it or even swallowed it. Maybe after they drink a full glass or even a full bottle do they realize that they had been drinking.

 

The drink takes the man: Over time, the pattern of seeking relief through drinking degenerates into drinking becoming the only source of relief. Worse still, the state of not drinking becomes a state of discontent and disturbance that can be relieved only by drinking. Thus, they end up drunkards. At such times, the drink has taken the man – their intelligence, their prestige, their finances, their job, their relationships, their dignity all can be destroyed by their alcoholism.

The Bhagavad-gita (02.62-63) cautions that the degeneration to self-destruction begins with contemplation. By avoiding contemplation on a tempting object, we can protect ourselves from the entire problem of degeneration to self-destruction.

Best to be safe and eschew the drink to avoid the disastrous chain of the drink taking the drink and then the drink taking the man.

And applying this preventive principle can protect us from our particular weakness, the behavioral pattern that we tend to downplay as small, but which can put us in big trouble.

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Gita 11.53 Krishna can’t be known by the Vedas, although the Vedas are meant for knowing him
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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Gita 11.52 Vision results not just from perception but also comprehension
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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Gita 11.51 Right emotion results from right perception
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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Gita 11.50 The many-handed changes through the four-handed to the two-handed
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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Gita 11.49 If we maintain a service disposition, Krishna will reveal a conducive vision
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Gita verse-by-verse Podcast

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