Websites from the ISKCON Universe
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/Isn’t%20the%20idea%20that%20everyone%20can’t%20understand%20dharma%20elitist.mp3
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The post Isn’t the idea that everyone can’t understand dharma elitist? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20the%20Gita’s%20spiritual%20knowledge%20be%20compared%20to%20nuclear%20weapons%20knowledge.mp3
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The post How can the Gita’s spiritual knowledge be compared to nuclear weapons knowledge? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/When%20Bhishma%20comes%20after%20Ajamila%20pastime,%20how%20does%20that%20pastime%20list%20him%20as%20a%20mahajan.mp3
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The post When Bhishma comes after Ajamila pastime, how does that pastime list him as a mahajan? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Seminar at ISKCON. Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Self-destruction%20strategies%204%20-%20Let%20guilt%20come%20between%20you%20and%20Krishna.mp3
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The post Self-destruction strategies 4 – Let guilt come between you and Krishna appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Seminar at ISKCON. Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Self-destruction%20strategies%203%20-%20Treat%20the%20peripheral%20as%20the%20essential.mp3
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The post Self-destruction strategies 3 – Treat the peripheral as the essential appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Seminar at ISKCON. Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Self-destruction%20strategies%202%20-%20Be%20a%20perfectionist.mp3
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The post Self-destruction strategies 2 – Be a perfectionist appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.14%20-%20Arjuna’s%20mood%20changes%20from%20submissive%20discussion%20to%20prayerful%20veneration.mp3
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The post Gita 11.14 – Arjuna’s mood changes from submissive discussion to prayerful veneration appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Seminar at ISKCON. Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Self%20destruction%20Strategies%20-%20Mistake%20self-pity%20to%20be%20humility.mp3
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ppt
The post Self destruction Strategies 1 – Mistake self-pity to be humility appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Talk to Bangalore youth forum
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/QA%20with%20Bangalore%20youth%20forum.mp3
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The post QA on balancing the material and the spiritual appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Sunday feast lecture at ISKCON. Seshadripuram, Bangalore
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/When%20God%20fails%20-%20Krishna%20as%20shanti-duta%20Hindi.mp3
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The post When God fails – Krishna as shanti-duta appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.13%20-%20The%20universal%20form%20reconciles%20the%20one%20and%20the%20many.mp3
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The post Gita 11.13 – The universal form reconciles the one and the many appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.12%20-%20Human%20perception%20and%20description%20are%20inadequate%20before%20divine%20self-revelation.mp3
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The post Gita 11.12 – Human perception and description are inadequate before divine self-revelation appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Bhakti Vaibhav class at Govardhan Ecovillage, Wada, Mumbai
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20canto%20six/Bhagavatam%20canto%206%20study%206%206.4.1-34%20The%20pure%20heart%20is%20the%20secret%20to%20know%20the%20pure%20Lord.mp3
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The post Bhagavatam canto 6 study 6 6.4.1-34 The pure heart is the secret to know the pure Lord appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/Do%20we%20need%20to%20combat%20social%20threats%20to%20dharma%20to%20preserve%20an%20environment%20conducive%20for%20practicing%20dharma%20in%20future.mp3
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The post Do we need to combat social threats to dharma to preserve an environment conducive for practicing dharma in future? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Youth meeting at ISKCON Seshadripuram, Bangalore
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Aversion%20to%20commitment%20is%20not%20detachment.mp3
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The post Aversion to commitment is not detachment appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.11%20-%20The%20visual%20demonstration%20reinforces%20the%20philosophical%20exposition.mp3
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The post Gita 11.11 – The visual demonstration reinforces the philosophical exposition appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Balaram%20Jayanti%20class%20-%20Balaram%20acts%20as%20the%20via%20media%20between%20Krishna%20and%20the%20Vrajavasis%20as%20well%20as%20conditioned%20souls.mp3
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The post Balaram Jayanti class – Balaram acts as the via media between Krishna and the Vrajavasis as well as the conditioned souls appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.10%20The%20first%20impression%20of%20the%20universal%20form%20is%20astonishing.mp3
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The post Gita 11.10 The first impression of the universal form is astonishing appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
On Balaram Jayanti, I was flying from Mumbai to Bangalore for the evening Balarama Jayanti class. As is standard on this sacred day, I was fasting from water till noon.
For my body type, fasting is not difficult. I fast every week, but I usually take water. On appearance days of the Lord and the saints, I try to fast from water, but I find it draining. And the parched throat makes speaking difficult too.
On Balaram Jayanti, I reached the security clearance at around 11.50 for the flight at 12.30. There, they found something suspicious in my laptop bag. When it turned out to be nothing but my water bottle, they asked me to drink that water to demonstrate that it didn’t contain anything toxic. As this is standard procedure that I have encountered earlier, I instinctively sipped some water. As soon as the water touched my tongue, my parched throat seemed to heave a sigh of relief. And I remembered that I was supposed to be fasting.
I was disappointed that I had unwittingly broken the fast. But then it struck me that the water had not yet gone down my throat; so, I still had a chance. As I tried to hold the water in my mouth without letting it go down the throat, I remembered the pastime of Shukadeva Goswami when he passed a similar, though far more excruciating, test set by Maharaja Janaka. He was told to hold a lump of sugar in his mouth for quite some time. And through it all, he didn’t even secrete any saliva to moisten the sugar. Such was his total sense control!
Taking inspiration from his example, I resolved to hold the water in my mouth for the next ten minutes. With my wheelchair wobbling while moving up and down some inclines, preventing even a drop from going down the throat was difficult. Some droplets might have trickled down below my conscious awareness, but I tried my best to prevent any drop from consciously going down.
Those few minutes gave me a profoundly enhanced appreciation for Shukadeva Goswami’s phenomenal self-restraint. Eventually, when I broke the fast after noon by drinking water, I felt grateful and blessed to have got a deeper appreciation for the guru who gave us the Bhagavatam on the appearance day of the adi-guru Balaramji.
The post Fasting from water while holding water in the mouth appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.09%20The%20universal%20form%20is%20the%20ultimate%20mystical%20vision.mp3
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The post Gita 11.09 The universal form is the ultimate mystical vision appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Seminar at National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/How%20we%20defeat%20ourselves%20-%20and%20how%20we%20can%20stop%20doing%20so.mp3
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Link to powerpoint presentation
Seminar outline:
How we defeat ourselves:
Our mind
1. Magnifies problems
2. Imagines pleasures
3. Neglects opportunities
4. Denies reality
How can we stop defeating ourselves:
1. Meditate
2. Illuminate your inner world
3. Navigate your inner pitfalls
4. Do it with others
The post How we defeat ourselves – and how we can stop doing so appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Bhagavatam class on Bhagavatam 3.2.42 at Govardhan Eco-village, Wada, Mumbai
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Understanding%20how%20to%20understand%20scripture%20-%20Ladder%20of%20abstraction%20and%20nature%20of%20attribution.mp3
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The post Understanding how to understand scripture – Ladder of abstraction and nature of attribution appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Bhakti Vaibhav class at Govardhan Eco-village, Wada, Mumbai
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Bhagavatam%20canto%206%20study%205%206.3.12-35%20Yamaraja%20explains%20the%20position%20of%20Vishnu%20and%20his%20servants,%20and%20the%20nature%20and%20application%20of%20dharma.mp3
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The post Bhagavatam canto 6 study 5 6.3.12-35 Yamaraja explains the position of Vishnu and his servants, and the nature and application of dharma appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.08%20Our%20vision%20is%20a%20function%20of%20our%20qualification.mp3
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The post Gita 11.08 Our vision is a function of our qualification appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
How can we consider adversities such as diseases or death of loved ones as good?
Brief answer: Nowhere does the Gita say that everything happens is good. Its teaching is that everything that happens can be for good – provided we make good choices in responding to it.
Detailed answer: When terrible things happen, the Gita doesn’t ask us to somehow imagine those things to be good. Consider the Gita’s repeated call to stay equipoised amidst good and bad (02.38, 05.21 and 06.07, for example). Through this call, it implicitly acknowledges the difference of good and bad. Its call for equanimity doesn’t ask us to deny the goodness or badness of happenings, but to deny such happenings excessive power over our emotions. Indeed, Gita wisdom shows the way not to emotionlessness, but to emotional empowerment – to choosing the emotional response that is the most practically helpful.
In the human response to adversity, feeling shattered, ranting at fate and grieving are natural phases. But just as life doesn’t stop because of any adversity, we too can’t stop at these phases in our emotional coping and healing. To help us move forward, the Gita offers several uplifting insights:
Knowing that we are eternal souls means that we are bigger than any reversal that life may send our way; it means that we have weathered many storms in our past, in this life and in previous lives; and it means that we have a destiny far brighter than the worst darkness of this world.
Knowing that Krishna is an omni-benevolent God means that he is not somewhere up there, causing the problem; he is in here, next to us in our own hearts, wanting to help us deal with it. The Gita (13.23) indicates that he is the overseer and sanctioner. He is not the reason for the problem; he is the refuge from it – the source of our strength to live with it and the source of our intelligence to find a solution to it.
In the Mahabharata (of which the Gita is a part), after Draupadi is dishonored during the gambling match, Krishna meets her later in the forest. While consoling her, he doesn’t say whatever happened was good; he doesn’t blame her for questioning why he didn’t stop the calamity; he doesn’t make her emotional reaction a barometer of the depth of her faith. Gently and lovingly, he encourages her to persevere in her dharma. Krishna’s expertise is that he can bring good out of the bad, just as a good musician can produce good music even with a poor instrument. But unlike instruments that are insentient, we human beings have consciousness and free will. So, to bring good out of a bad situation, he needs our cooperation, our service attitude, our determination to stick to our dharma.
To get such determination, we need to change the question we ask ourselves. The question “Why this?” is often a most disempowering question – answers that resort to past karma offer little solace when the karma is […]
The post Does the Bhagavad-gita teach that everything that happens is good? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2016%20classes/08-16%20classes/Gita%20Insights%20on%20Terrorism%20by%20Chaitanya%20Charan%20(Facebook%20Live%20recording).mp3
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The post Gita Insights on Terrorism appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2011.07%20The%20universal%20form%20transcends%20limitations%20of%20space%20and%20time.mp3
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The post Gita 11.07 The universal form transcends limitations of space and time appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20understand%20which%20qualities%20are%20good%20and%20which%20bad.mp3
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The post How can we understand which qualities are good and which bad? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20to%20avoid%20becoming%20indecisive%20when%20encountering%20different%20advices%20from%20different%20people.mp3
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The post How to avoid becoming indecisive when encountering different advices from different people? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20avoid%20being%20misled%20by%20people%20who%20are%20confident%20but%20wrong.mp3
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The post How can we avoid being misled by people who are confident but wrong? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/Why%20don’t%20we%20like%20the%20good%20and%20dislike%20the%20bad.mp3
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The post Why don’t we like the good and dislike the bad? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20live%20in%20the%20present%20alone%20without%20learning%20from%20the%20past%20or%20preparing%20for%20the%20future.mp3
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The post How can we live in the present alone without learning from the past or preparing for the future? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20to%20respond%20when%20things%20go%20wrong.mp3
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The post How to respond when things go wrong? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20know%20ourselves%20well%20enough%20to%20make%20wise%20choices%20with%20lifelong%20consequences.mp3
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The post How can we know ourselves well enough to make wise choices with lifelong consequences? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20better%20execute%20our%20plans.mp3
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The post How can we better execute our plans? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20to%20persevere%20despite%20our%20failures%20in%20following%20standards.mp3
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The post How to persevere despite our failures in following standards? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/Is%20the%20mind%20alone%20the%20link%20between%20the%20gross%20body%20and%20the%20soul%20-%20or%20are%20the%20intelligence%20and%20false%20ego%20also%20included.mp3
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The post Is the mind alone the link between the gross body and the soul – or are the intelligence and false ego also included? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20one%20practice%20bhakti%20without%20going%20through%20other%20yogas.mp3
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The post How can one practice bhakti without going through other yogas? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20knowledge%20of%20other%20yogas%20help%20in%20practicing%20bhakti.mp3
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The post How can knowledge of other yogas help in practicing bhakti? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.
Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2016%20QA/08-16%20QA/How%20can%20we%20differentiate%20between%20the%20mind’s%20voice%20and%20the%20Supersoul’s%20voice.mp3
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The post How can we differentiate between the mind’s voice and the Supersoul’s voice? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.