Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

Gita 18.67 Though ultimately every heart longs for divine love, not every heart is presently ready for divine love
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast
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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 24 – 10.4.25-37 Kamsa’s change of heart doesn’t last for long
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study%2024%20-%2010.4.25-37%20Kamsa%27s%20change%20of%20heart%20doesn%27t%20last%20for%20long.mp3

 

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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 23 – 10.4.17.24 Others’ past bad karma doesn’t rationalize our present misdeeds towards them
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study%2023%20-%2010.4.17.24%20Others%27%20past%20bad%20karma%20doesn%27t%20rationalize%20our%20present%20misdeeds%20towards%20them.mp3

 

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Are all of God’s names the same or are there gradations of intimacy?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2018%20QA/08-18%20QA/Are%20all%20of%20God%E2%80%99s%20names%20the%20same%20or%20are%20there%20gradations%20of%20intimacy.mp3

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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 22 – 10.4.10-16 Kamsa’s self-recrimination is self-serving
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study%2022%20-%2010.4.10-16%20Kamsa%27s%20self-recrimination%20is%20self-serving.mp3

 

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Science, Spirituality and Wellness – Existence, Emotions and Ethics
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[Seminar at Maylands Community Center, Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Science%2C%20Spirituality%20and%20Wellness%20-%20Existence%2C%20Emotions%20and%20Ethics.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20Science%2C%20Spirituality%20and%20Wellness%20-%20Existence%2C%20Emotions%20and%20Ethics.mp3

 

Video:

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What makes relationships unsteady – and how to make them steady
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/What%20makes%20relationships%20unsteady%20-%20and%20how%20to%20make%20them%20steady.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20What%20makes%20relationships%20unsteady%20-%20and%20how%20to%20make%20them%20steady.mp3

 

Video:

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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 21 – 10.4.1-10 Heartless Kamsa rejects Devaki’s heartfelt plea
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study/Bhagavatam%20tenth%20canto%20study%2021%20-%2010.4.1-10%20Heartless%20Kamsa%20rejects%20Devaki%27s%20heartfelt%20plea.mp3

 

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Learning from Dhritarashtra – Does destiny make us or de we make it – 2?
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[Seminar at ISKCON, Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Learning%20from%20Dhritarashtra%20-%20Does%20destiny%20make%20us%20or%20de%20we%20make%20it%20-%202.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20Learning%20from%20Dhritarashtra%20-%20Does%20destiny%20make%20us%20or%20de%20we%20make%20it%20-%202.mp3

 

Video:

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Gita 18.64 Krishna’s tone rises from informational analysis to impassioned advocacy
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2018.64%20Krishna%27s%20tone%20rises%20from%20informational%20analysis%20to%20impassioned%20advocacy.mp3

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Learning from Dhritarashtra – Does destiny make us or de we make it – 1
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[Seminar at ISKCON, Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Learning%20from%20Dhritarashtra%20-%20Does%20destiny%20make%20us%20or%20de%20we%20make%20it%20-%201.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20Learning%20from%20Dhritarashtra%20-%20Does%20destiny%20make%20us%20or%20de%20we%20make%20it%20-%201.mp3

 

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If someone is in great pain and can’t understand philosophy, how can we help them?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2018%20QA/08-18%20QA/If%20someone%20is%20in%20great%20pain%20and%20can%E2%80%99t%20understand%20philosophy%2C%20how%20can%20we%20help%20them.mp3

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From exploration to realization to absorption – our devotional journey
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[Congregation program at Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/From%20exploration%20to%20realization%20to%20absorption%20-%20our%20devotional%20journey.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20From%20exploration%20to%20realization%20to%20absorption%20-%20our%20devotional%20journey.mp3

 

Video:

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Gita 18.62 The deepest peace comes by not an external serene situation but by an internal spiritual connection
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2018.62%20The%20deepest%20peace%20comes%20by%20not%20an%20external%20serene%20situation%20but%20by%20an%20internal…

How can we practically keep our intention above our emotion?
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Answer Podcast

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Transcription :

Transcribed by: Keshavgopal Das

bQuestion: How can we practically keep our intention above our emotion?

Answer: Keeping intentions above emotions is the battle of a sadhaka. Broadly speaking there are three aspects to it – (i) some emotions come from physical reality (ii) some from imagination (iii) some from a combination of both.

Let us understand with the help of examples.

Suppose I fell down and fracture my hand. I will feel pain. Now if I say, I will keep my intention above my emotion and will lift this big bag, I will be injuring myself. Thought of lifting a heavy bag with a fractured hand is stupidity. Similarly, if I want to wake up in the morning, but I slept very late, then physically waking up early may not be possible. When an emotion is arising from a physical reality, then we have to acknowledge that reality.

Next aspect is when the emotion is arising only from the mind. For example, I have slept enough, but still feel lazy. Some day when we chant we feel “japa should never end” while at some day we feel “japa never ends”! Such emotions are rising from the mind as there is no physical stimulus. This emotion is just a mood-swing. Such are the emotions that need to be resisted.
Sometimes a child falls down deliberately and starts crying to get attention. There is no need for crying but just to get attention child behaves so. That is the kind of emotion which is unhealthy and needs to be avoided. If we give to such emotions, we will tend to do unhealthy things.

Most often our emotions are neither of these two extremes. They do not arise only from the mind or only from the body. For example, if I am very particular about punctuality and finds that someone has not come on time. For a normal person, this situation will attract some negative reaction, but since I am very particular about punctuality, I become wild and overreact. Here the emotion has come both because of the situation and my particular disposition.

When we say keep our intentions above our emotions that means that the emotions are being stimulated by the modes without any basis in physical reality.
If I decide that I will not be angry on anyone, but if someone does something which upsets me, at that time I cannot wish away the fact that they have upset me. That annoyance, irritation will be there, and I will tend to overreact on this. For me it is important, but for others it may not be so important. In this situation, let me not respond immediately, calm down and then respond.

Sometimes, the emotion may determine that we should respond, but the emotion should not determine how we respond. So, a balance has to be maintained.

The more we come to the mode of goodness, the more we can perceive the reality and the emotion as two separate things. We cannot wish away the […]

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Bhagavatam tenth canto study 20 -10.3.47-53 Just as the ocean gave way to Rama, Yamuna gave way to Krishna
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Podcast
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Faith in Krishna’s existence, relevance, benevolence, intelligence and remembrance
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[Congregation program at Perth, Australia]

Podcast

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Podcast Summary

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Video:

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Don’t take others’ actions personally – they are dealing more with their mind than with you
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Don%E2%80%99t%20take%20others%27%20actions%20personally%20-%20they%20are%20dealing%20more%20with%20their%20mind%20than%20with%20you.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

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Video:

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Understanding Krishna’s love 2 – Experience
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[Congregation program at Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Understanding%20Krishna%27s%20love%202%20-%20Experience.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

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Video:

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Understanding Krishna’s love 1 – Knowledge
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[Congregation program at Perth, Australia]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/08-18%20classes/Understanding%20Krishna%27s%20love%201%20-%20Knowledge.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

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Video:

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Gita 18.58 The destructive voice can’t be tuned out unless we tune in to the divine voice
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

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How does humility relate with willpower?
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Transcription
Question: What is the relationship between humility and willpower? How does humility help us to distance ourselves from our emotions?

Answer: The word “humility” can have different meanings in different contexts. In the context of, say, self-improvement, humility means acknowledging where we are right now. It simply means, this is where I am. Now, in the outer world, I may act as if I have this much control, I have this much discipline, I have this much self-mastery, but actually, this is where I am. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because we can start our journey only from where we are, not from where we think we should be.

Sometimes, humility, if it is misunderstood, it can lead to feelings of inferiority or inferiority complex. That happens when we are centred only on ourselves. Like, oh, I am so bad, I am so good for nothing, I can never do anything right. When we are thinking only about ourselves and how deficient we are, that is not actually humility. The essence of humility is not to think low of ourselves. It is to think less about ourselves. Not that I am so fallen, I am so bad, I am so useless, but there are better things for me to think about than myself. I have a purpose, I have a service. Let me think about that. Ultimately, when we start practicing Krishna Bhakti, we have Krishna to think about. We have Krishna’s service to think about. So, the purpose of humility is not to push ourselves down. The purpose of humility is to lift our consciousness to Krishna.

So, if I am too full of myself, then I can’t think of Krishna. But if I understand that there is some reality bigger than me and I focus on that. So, in the context of self-improvement, humility means that I understand I can’t do it alone. I need Krishna. If I only think, oh, I am here and my disruptive mind is here and I have to alone fight against this, no I can’t do it. And then it will lead to feelings of low self-esteem and it will lead to feelings of inferiority complex and that can be very damaging for us.

But when we see that I am here, this disruptive mind, these bad habits, these negativities are here, but beyond them is Krishna and He is much bigger than me and He is much bigger than my conditioning also.

So, for us, humility doesn’t mean just thinking, I am so fallen, I am so fallen, I am so bad, but rather, yes, I have my conditionings and I cannot fight them without Krishna, but with Krishna, I can do it.

So, our humility should direct us towards Krishna. Our humility should inspire us to take shelter of Krishna. If somebody says, I am so fallen that I cannot practice […]