Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

When our emotions don’t keep pace with our convictions, as when facing adversities, what can we do?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/09-17%20QA/When%20our%20emotions%20don%27t%20keep%20pace%20with%20our%20convictions%2C%20as%20when%20facing%20adversities%2C%20what%20can%20we%20do.mp3

The post When our emotions don’t keep pace with our convictions, as when facing adversities, what can we do? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Science, Spirituality & Self-improvement
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Talk at Yale Medical College, Connecticut, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Science%20Spirituality%20%26%20Self-Improvement.mp3

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20Science%2C%20Spirituality%20%26%20Self-improvement.mp3

The post Science, Spirituality & Self-improvement appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Are religious rituals entirely separate from philosophy – why do different religions have different rituals?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/09-17%20QA/Are%20religious%20rituals%20entirely%20separate%20from%20philosophy%20-%20why%20do%20different%20religions%20have%20different%20rituals.mp3

The post Are religious rituals entirely separate from philosophy – why do different religions have different rituals? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Might our desire for eternal life come from our experience of an external long-living object, not from an eternal soul?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/09-17%20QA/Might%20our%20desire%20for%20eternal%20life%20come%20from%20our%20experience%20of%20an%20external%20long-living%20object%2C%20not%20from%20an%20eternal%20soul.mp3

…

Simplify, Clarify, Purify – Three principles for a fulfilling life
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Sunday feast class at ISKCON, Connecticut, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Simplify%2C%20Clarify%2C%20Purify%20-%20Three%20principles%20for%20a%20fulfilling%20life.mp3

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20Simplify%2C%20Clarify%2C%20Purify%20-%20Three%20principles%20for%20a%20fulfilling%20life.mp3

The post Simplify, Clarify, Purify – Three principles for a fulfilling life appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

From material detachment to spiritual attachment – Ignorance, Tolerance, Transcendence, Immanence
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Congregation program at Hartford, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/From%20material%20detachment%20to%20spiritual%20attachment%20-%20Ignorance%2C%20Tolerance%2C%20Transcendence%2C%20Immanence.mp3

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20From%20material%20detachment%20to%20spiritual%20attachment%20-%20Ignorance%2C%20Tolerance%2C%20Transcendence%2C%20Immanence.mp3

The post From material detachment to spiritual attachment – Ignorance, Tolerance, Transcendence, Immanence appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Prabhupada life-story 07 – Seeking to reach the Western mind
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Audio Podcast :

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/Srila%20Prabhupada%20life-story/Prabhupada%20life-story%2007%20-%20Seeking%20to%20reach%20the%20Western%20mind.mp3

“/public_html/”

 

Video :

The post Prabhupada life-story 07 – Seeking to reach the Western mind appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Seeing ourselves clearly through others’ eyes
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Sometimes you can’t see yourself clearly until you see yourself through the eyes of others.

– Ellen DeGeneres

Podcast:

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/WOW/2017%20WOW/07-17%20WOW/Seeing%20ourselves%20clearly%20through%20others%27%20eyes.mp3
Download by “right-click and save”

When we want to know how we look, we need a mirror. Similarly, when we want to understand ourselves better, we need an appropriate mirror. One such mirror is others who know us well.

Of course, just anyone who knows us well can’t act as a useful mirror – they need to be intelligent and benevolent. That is, they need to be perceptive enough to see our potentials and our blind spots, and they need to be favorably disposed, wanting to help us. From our social circle, we need to carefully shortlist such people, or we may need to expand our social circle till we find such people. And once we have identified such intelligent and benevolent friends, we need to cherish and nourish our relationship with them.

Do we need others for understanding ourselves? Can’t we understand ourselves through introspection? Yes, we can. By observing ourselves, especially in situations that foster emotions of comfort and in situations that trigger emotions of discomfort, we can better understand our strengths and our limitations.

However, when our mind is attached to something and agitated because of an opportunity or threat related with that thing, we can’t easily calm it by our own efforts. The ruffled mind makes our inner world like a turbulent pond that we can’t see through. Amidst such inner murkiness, introspection becomes not only difficult but also dangerous. Our mind becomes a distorter of our vision instead of a channel for our vision. The more we try to think about that thing, the more our mind misleads us towards misperceptions and mistakes. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (06.05) cautions that our mind can act as our enemy.

In such situations of attachment and agitation, we need trustworthy others who can look at things objectively. For issues in which we are too emotionally invested and others are not, they can give us a healthy balancing perspective that we can’t get by introspection. This is one critical role played by spiritual friends. When they can understand our mind and can help us to understand our mind, they serve as vital mirrors and invaluable mentors.

According to modern psychology too, accountability partners are especially important in fostering self-awareness and facilitating self-improvement, especially for addicts whose minds often sabotage introspection with rationalization.

Additionally, others can also act as sounding boards, wherein we test our ideas and get feedback. By thus better appreciating the strengths as well as the limitations of our ideas, we can process them appropriately, by rejecting, refining or developing them.

In spiritual circles, introspection and association are both considered important for fostering growth. The Bhagavad-gita (17.16) recommends silence as an austerity of speech. Simultaneously, it stresses that devotees joyfully enlighten each other through spiritual discussions (10.09).

Our spiritual friends are mirrors who help us see both the best within us as well as the worst within us. They help us understand our essential spirituality, our dormant divinity as eternal parts […]

The post Seeing ourselves clearly through others’ eyes appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

I desire to start a new business – is this desire compatible with bhakti?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/09-17%20QA/I%20desire%20to%20start%20a%20new%20business%20-%20is%20this%20desire%20compatible%20with%20bhakti.mp3

The post I desire to start a new business – is this desire compatible with bhakti? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

The jnanis concepton of the Absolute Truth lacks potency – please explain?
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Answer Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/CCD%20QA/2017%20QA/09-17%20QA/The%20jnanis%20concepton%20of%20the%20Absolute%20Truth%20lacks%20potency%20-%20please%20explain.mp3

The post The jnanis concepton of the Absolute Truth lacks potency – please explain? appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Gopi Gita 3 – “We cannot tolerate your feet being hurt by thorns – please return”
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Congregation program on Bhagavatam 10.31.14-19 at Pittsburgh, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Gopi%20gita%203%20-%20We%20cannot%20tolerate%20your%20feet%20being%20hurt%20by%20thorns%20-%20please%20return.mp3

 

 

 

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20Gopi%20gita%203%20-%20We%20cannot%20tolerate%20your%20feet%20being%20hurt%20by%20thorns%20-%20please%20return.mp3.mp3

The post Gopi Gita 3 – “We cannot tolerate your feet being hurt by thorns – please return” appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Gopi Gita 2 – You alone can free us from contamination and tribulation – please return
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Congregation program on Bhagavatam 10.31.7-13 at Pittsburg, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Gopi%20Gita%202%20-%20You%20alone%20can%20free%20us%20from%20contamination%20and%20tribulation%20-%20please%20return.mp3

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20Gopi%20Gita%202%20-%20You%20alone%20can%20free%20us%20from%20contamination%20and%20tribulation%20-%20please%20return.mp3

The post Gopi Gita 2 – You alone can free us from contamination and tribulation – please return appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Prabhupada life-story 05 – Indian Partition – Transcendence amidst turbulence
→ The Spiritual Scientist

Audio Podcast :

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/Srila%20Prabhupada%20life-story/Prabhupada%20life-story%2005%20-%20Indian%20Partition%20-%20Transcendence%20amidst%20turbulence.mp3

 

Video :

The post Prabhupada life-story 05 – Indian Partition – Transcendence amidst turbulence appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Gopi Gita 1 – Whoever you are – Lord or lover – please come back
→ The Spiritual Scientist

[Congregation program at Pittsburg, USA]

Podcast

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Gopi%20Gita%201%20-%20Whoever%20you%20are%20-%20Lord%20or%20lover%20-%20please%20come%20back.mp3

Podcast Summary

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/09-17%20classes/Summary%20-%20Gopi%20Gita%201%20-%20Whoever%20you%20are%20-%20Lord%20or%20lover%20-%20please%20come%20back.mp3

The post Gopi Gita 1 – Whoever you are – Lord or lover – please come back appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.