Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

Bhagavatam study 101 1.18.31-36 Presuming that we know God’s will and are doing his work is presumptuous and dangerous
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20study%20101%201.18.31-36%20Presuming%20that%20we%20know%20God%27s%20will%20and%20are%20doing%20his%20work%20is%20presumptuous%20and%20dangerous.mp3

 

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If a couple has to divorce, do they keep getting the other’s karma even after divorce?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2018%20QA/07-18%20QA/If%20a%20couple%20has%20to%20divorce%2C%20do%20they%20keep%20getting%20the%20other%27s%20karma%20even%20after%20divorce.mp3

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Understand the audience to make your speech understandable to them
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kiṁ kariṣyanti vaktāraḥ              śrotā yatra na vidyate

nagna-kṣapaṇake deśe                rajakaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

kim — what; kariṣyanti — will achieve; vaktāraḥ — speakers; śrotā — audience; yatra — where; na — not; vidyate — is present; nagna-kṣapaṇake deśe — in a town of naked sādhus; rajakaḥ — a washerman; kim — what; kariṣyati — will do

“What can expert speakers do if there is no like-minded audience? What can an expert washer-man achieve in a town full of naked sadhus?”

— Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāram, Sāmānya-nītiḥ, Verse 426.

 

In public speaking, speakers are often encouraged to prepare their content carefully and to deliver it clearly, confidently, charismatically. Working on content and delivery is certainly important, but it doesn’t guarantee that the speech will be well-received. If people are just not interested in a particular subject, then even a well-prepared, well-delivered talk on that subject may fall flat. This can happen especially when speakers speak on spiritual subjects because not many people are interested in spirituality.

To trigger people’s interest, spiritual speakers can and should try to present their message creatively. Still, there’s a limit to how much creativity can help – sometimes, people may just not be interested. As this verse states, a washer-man can’t find customers among those who have resolved not to wear clothes.

Having said that, interest is often a function of relevance. Education experts say that adult education is largely driven by relevance. Unlike school students who feel obliged to study for getting a degree, most adults don’t feel obliged to study. If they do study, that’s usually because the subject interests them or is relevant to their needs. And for spiritual talks, most of the audience comprises adults. So, spiritual teachers need to make their presentations relevant to their audience’s felt needs.

Why felt needs? Because, in the ultimate analysis, spiritual knowledge is an essential need for everyone; after all, every living being is essentially a spiritual being. But just as most people don’t realize that they are souls, so too most people don’t feel the need for spirituality. Of course, once they start understanding spiritual knowledge and appreciating that they are souls, they recognize that spiritual wisdom is their vital need. Till they come to that level of understanding, they need to be shown how spiritual knowledge serves some of their present needs. To do that, teachers need to take time to understand their audience’s felt needs.

Let’s consider two examples of relevant presentations of spiritual knowledge:

The rebranding of God as a cosmic therapist:

In the past, when people were unsure about getting their basic bodily needs, the portrayal of God as a provider of cosmic supplies such as food and water was relevant to the audience. Nowadays, when these needs are more or less steadily provided for, especially in the Western or Westernized world, people don’t feel the need for any cosmic provider. But with people facing ever-increasing mental health issues, they do feel the need for therapy. So, the portrayal of […]

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Bhagavatam study 97 1.18.4-10 Understanding Parikshit M’s treatment of Kali
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20study%2097%201.18.4-10%20Understanding%20Parikshit%20M%27s%20treatment%20of%20Kali.mp3

 

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As devotees in Vaikuntha know the Lord’s position whereas those in Goloka don’t, is the influence of Yoga-Maya lesser in Vaikunta – Hindi?
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Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2018%20QA/07-18%20QA/As%20devotees%20in%20Vaikuntha%20know%20the%20Lord%27s%20position%20whereas%20those%20in%20Goloka%20don%27t%2C%20is%20the%20influence%20of%20Yoga-Maya%20lesser%20in%20Vaikunta%20-%20Hindi.mp3

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Gita 18.20 Seeing commonality alone is not vision in goodness – seeing spirituality as the foundation of commonality is
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2018.20%20Seeing%20commonality%20alone%20is%20not%20vision%20in%20goodness%20-%20seeing%20spirituality%20as%20the%20foundation%20of%20commonality%20is.mp3

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Rationally choosing our life’s purpose and process
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[Renaissance youth session at ISKCON, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, India]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Rationally%20choosing%20our%20life%27s%20purpose%20and%20process.mp3

 

Video:

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Bring out the best within, not the beast within – Hindi
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[Youth meeting at ISKCON, Sant Nagar, Delhi, India]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Bring%20out%20the%20best%20within%2C%20not%20the%20beast%20within%20-%20Hindi.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20Bring%20out%20the%20best%20within%2C%20not%20the%20beast%20within%20-%20Hindi.mp3

 

Video:

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Analyzing Karna – Going beyond black and white perspectives in understanding scripture + QA
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[Renaissance youth session at ISKCON, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, India]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Analyzing%20Karna%20-%20Going%20beyond%20black%20and%20white%20perspectives%20in%20understanding%20scripture%20%2B%20QA.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20Analyzing%20Karna%20-%20Going%20beyond%20black%20and%20white%20perspectives%20in%20understanding%20scripture.mp3

 

Video:

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Three levels of purification – reaction, action and inclination – Hindi
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[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, India]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Three%20levels%20of%20purification%20-%20reaction%2C%20action%20and%20inclination%20-%20Hindi.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20Three%20levels%20of%20purification%20-%20reaction%2C%20action%20and%20inclination%20-%20Hindi.mp3

 

Video:

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How to increase our faith – Hindi
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[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Sant Nagar, Delhi, India]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/How%20to%20increase%20our%20faith%20-%20Hindi.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20How%20to%20increase%20our%20faith%20-%20Hindi.mp3

 

Video:

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Gita 18.19 The Gita’s flow verses make its question-directed discussion more accessible
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Bhagavad-gita verse-by-verse podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Gita%20verse-by-verse/Gita%2018.19%20The%20Gita%27s%20flow%20verses%20make%20its%20question-directed%20discussion%20more%20accessible.mp3

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We can’t delete our memories, but we can choose what we remember
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[Class at ISKCON, Dwarka, Delhi, India]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/We%20can%27t%20delete%20our%20memories%2C%20but%20we%20can%20choose%20what%20we%20remember.mp3

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2018%20classes/07-18%20classes/Summary%20-%20We%20can%27t%20delete%20our%20memories%2C%20but%20we%20can%20choose%20what%20we%20remember.mp3

 

Video:

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Bhagavatam study 94 1.17.31-36 Adharama-bandhu Kali can’t be allowed to live in the kingdom of Dharma-raja pautra
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Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20study%2094%201.17.31-36%20Adharama-bandhu%20Kali%20can%27t%20be%20allowed%20to%20live%20in%20the%20kingdom%20of%20Dharma-raja%20pautra.mp3

 

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Bhagavatam study 93 1.17.24-30 Avoid both extremes of taking everything in scripture only literally or only metaphorically
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Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/Lecture%20series/Bhagavatam%20study/Bhagavatam%20study%2093%201.17.24-30%20Avoid%20both%20extremes%20of%20taking%20everything%20in%20scripture%20only%20literally%20or%20only%20metaphorica…