Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan das

How can we overcome the mind’s habit of contemplating sense objects – Hindi?
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The power of appreciation
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I can live for two months on a good compliment – Mark Twain

 

Life can be disheartening. Things go wrong, people do wrong, we ourselves do wrong. Our best laid-plans can be wrecked by one massive upheaval or thwarted by a million tiny bumps. Either way, we end up feeling like giving up. Amidst such discouragement that may come upon us from a hundred directions, a few words of encouragement can be a vital morale-booster.

There are many shortages in the world, and most of them are not immediately in our power to rectify. We can’t do much about Somalia’s food shortage, Siberia’s power shortage or the Sahara’s water shortage. But there’s one shortage we all can rectify: appreciation shortage.

Lack of appreciation can hurt as much as can lack of food. Absence of appreciation can kill people emotionally, making them feel as if they have nothing to live for. And without something worthwhile to live for, they may give up on the will to live. Indeed, people commit suicide not so much because many things go wrong in their life, but because prior to those things going wrong, they felt unloved, unvalued, unappreciated. And when negative events pile on top of their negative feelings, their will to live gets crushed out of their hearts. That’s why appreciation can be literally life-saving. Complimentary words can give those contemplating suicide a reason to live. And if they keep living, they will soon find many more reasons to live.

When someone passes away, at their memorial meeting, their acquaintances speak appreciatively about the deceased person, and often speak so movingly that it brings tears to the hearers’ eyes. And yet those acquaintances don’t speak even a fraction of those appreciative words when that person was alive. If they had appreciated earlier, that person would have felt so much more loved, affirmed, treasured. Why should we appreciate people only after they have passed on? Why not start appreciating right now?

Though compliments can do so much good, we are often miserly in complimenting. Why? We may fear that over-appreciation may breed complacency. If we are always appreciative, people may get too habituated to compliments, may become over-expectant and may take our words and by extension us cheaply. That’s a valid concern. Sociologists refer to the post-World War II generation in the West as the praised generation – these were pampered children who were always complimented, never corrected. They grew up to become arrogant and insecure: too proud to take criticism and too emotionally dependent on praise.

We can and should give others constructive feedback when necessary and appropriate. But why should correction be the only thing we offer? Why can’t we offer both corrections and compliments? Better still, why can’t we offer compliments generously and corrections cautiously?

If we interact with others only to correct them, then our relationship with them becomes unpleasant, and people start avoiding us. And whenever they can’t avoid us, they dread the inevitable interactions, and that dread blocks their capacity to function effectively. We can […]

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Unusual experiences
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Trans-gender discomfort

After my hotel program in Panama, a couple of trans-gender devotees talked about the discrimination they faced because of their sexual orientation and asked how they could see it spiritually. I had addressed a similar question when I was in Detroit where after the Sunday feast a Vaishnavi Prabhupada disciple had asked, “How can we help people who feel that they have been born in bodies of the wrong gender?” Rather than getting into the morality of the volatile issue, I focused on the spirituality. Nobody is truly compatible with the soul; everyone feels discontented in some or the other way with the body they have. Rather than making a campaign for or against anything at the bodily level, it’s best to focus on raising our consciousness to the spiritual level and helping others do the same. If someone has fallen in an ocean, they may feel that their part of the ocean is stormier than another part, and may want to go to that calmer part. But in the process, if they neglect the rescue rope being extended from an overhead helicopter, that would be tragic. The process of bhakti-yoga is that rescue rope; which part of the ocean we are in and which part of the ocean we are going towards is not as important as our catching the rope. Rather than making a campaign for or against any kind of bodily change, it’s better to stress spiritual change – the raising of consciousness. I concluded by telling those trans-gender devotees that they could focus on associating with devotees who understood them rather than judged them and in that association strive to grow in bhakti.

Speaking on dharma at Swaminarayan temple

During my second visit to Panama, I came to know that one of my talks had been scheduled at a Swaminarayan center where some of the organizers were receptive and some reserved. Anticipating their concern that their beliefs might be criticized, I used the strategy we use in any inter-faith meet: focus on the common purpose of raising consciousness. Accordingly, I spoke on Select emotions with intelligence focusing on how scriptural knowledge equips us to make the choices that raise our consciousness. Speaking in Hindi to an audience of almost entirely Gujarathi people, and that too in a country outside India, was unusual. And speaking at a forum that required the female audience to sit in another room felt surreal, almost like a throwback to another age.

Missing the point in Gaur Purnima talk?

This year I had the honor of celebrating Gaur Purnima at Phoenix, at nearly the opposite end of the globe from where I had celebrated it last year. In 2016, I had been on my Australia tour and had celebrated Gaur Purnima at Canberra.

Many temples in the US combine the Gaur Purnima celebration with the Holi celebration as they both happen on the same day. A little sprinkling of colors is added to the overall celebration that centers on Lord Chaitanya.

In Phoenix, I spoke on “Lord […]

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Chaitanya Charan, author of best-seller Demystifying Reincarnation, on Facebook Live, Fri, Aug 11, 2-3 P.M
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1. How does reincarnation matter to me?

2. Are there any scientifically proven cases of reincarnation?

3. If reincarnation is for real, why can’t we all remember our past lives?

4. Does reincarnation mean that we all have our soulmates?

5. Do animals have souls?

6. Can understanding reincarnation help address current world problems such as social discrimination, terrorism and climate change?

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Have you had a near-death experience?
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I often talk about how theoretical knowledge is different from experienced knowledge, but we don’t always know what we are talking about. I was reminded of this when I spoke at Jacksonville, Florida to students from the University of North Florida on “Near Death Experiences – Has the white crow been spotted?”

The title referred to renowned psychologist William James’ statement about the criterion to challenge ruling theories in science: ““If you wish to upset the law that all crows are black, you mustn’t seek to show that no crows are; it is enough to prove one single crow to be white.”

In my talk, I discussed a strong candidate for the white crow in near-death studies – a case that seriously problematizes the materialist dogma that consciousness originates in the brain. It is the case of Pam Reynolds who was made brain-dead as a part of a surgery called “operation standstill” and during that brain-dead period had a vivid near-death experience (NDE).

After the class, three among the twenty-thirty students said that they had had NDEs. Seeing this frequency drove home the reality of the statistic I had read: “IANDS (The International Association for Near Death Studies) reports that as many 14% people, especially in USA, have had NDEs.”

How commonplace near-death experiences were became even more apparent when one of them nonchalantly asked me whether I had ever had a near-death experience.

I answered that I had had not a near-death experience, but an out-of-body experience. Once nearly a decade ago I had been sick and had been hospitalized. While I was given an intravenous injection, something went wrong and instead of the fluid going into my body from the bottle, my blood started going into the bottle. I had dozed off during the injection. When I woke up and noticed what was happening, I became horrified and panicky. But suddenly I saw myself from an out-of-body perspective and immediately felt calm. After a few moments, I found myself back in my body. Still feeling calm, I pressed the nearby alarm button to call a nurse, who promptly fixed the problem.

My program in Jacksonville was held at the Bhakti House, a center run by a young couple: Amrita Keli Mataji, who is the Hindu Chaplain for the University of North Florida, and Lovelesh Prabhu, who is a software engineer.

While I have seen many youth centers managed by monks in India, this is the first youth center I have seen managed by householders, and that too in America. Amrita Keli Mataji and Lovelesh Prabhu have taken a two-story house, in which they live in one small part and open the rest of the house for students as a facility for staying and practicing bhakti.

One of the most inspiring features of being a traveling teacher of bhakti for me is seeing the commitment to outreach of devotees all over the world. Their dedication demonstrates that the zeal for outreach ignited by Srila Prabhupada burns strong in the hearts of his second generational American followers.

This article […]

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Latest Transcriptions – 08
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Understanding how dharma culminates in prema

Does chanting automatically make us kinder or do we have to strive to become kinder?

How to cultivate positive thinking in bhakti

How can we avoid fear after taking big decisions thoughtfully?

​How can I control anger when I am continuously provoked?

Is there a scientific explanation of the benefits of eating prasad?

What your phone can teach you about your mind 1 – Deal with your default settings maturely

What your phone can teach you about your mind 2 – Hardware improvement doesn’t solve software problems

What your phone can teach you about your mind 3 – Check your energy drainers

What your phone can teach you about your mind 4 – Let bhakti change your memory

From will and power to willpower

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Beyond Conversion to Conversation – Christian-Vaishnava inter-faith meet at Washington DC:
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The Christian-Vaishnava dialogue is the marquee achievement of the ISKCON Communications ministry and Anuttama P, who has been its insightful pioneer and my thought-provoking guide. He had invited, indeed insisted, that I be present for at least part of the conference.

As I participated in the conversations, I was intrigued to see the level of candor among the participants coming from two different faith-traditions. They had found common ground in their humanity and, putting aside their differences, had focused on the generic human issues that face religions in today’s post-modern world. Coming from India where Christianity draws a lot of flak from concerned Hindu circles because of its overt and covert conversion agendas, it was refreshing to meet Christians who had genuine interest in conversation, not conversion.

Thus, I realized a point that I have spoken often in my classes: we need to see people not by the designation of their religion, but by the level of their consciousness. Every religion has people in the three modes, and moderates, who are usually in the mode of goodness, can cut through the barriers of differing, even conflicting traditions, to establish authentic connections and conversations.

Living Spiritually in Today’s World – QA session at Bhakti Center, New York 

Jai Giridhari P, a certified yoga teacher and the vice-president of the Bhakti Center, had invited me to speak at his Sunday afternoon called Recharge for yoga practitioners who want to go deeper into the yoga tradition. He had arranged the format of the program to be a QA session named – Ask. All the participants were Westerners and they asked many thoughtful questions. While addressing the overall theme of Living Spiritually in Today’s World, I highlighted the theme of positivity in spirituality, stressing how “What we are is God’s gift to us and what we become is our gift to God.”

These articles are part of a series of articles about the recent Western tour. Full article can be read here

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Latest Transcriptions – 07
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How can we spiritualize our material attachments?

If people treat us based on their past negative impressions about us even after we have improved, what can we do – Hindi?

If we are working wholeheartedly in our material life, but can’t work similarly in our spiritual life, what can we do – Hindi?

Should we preach when we are not feeling devotionally?

What does om mean?

When God knows everything, why doesn’t he stop bad things from happening?

When our material obligations make us too busy to practice sadhana strictly, what can we do?

Why did Rama worship Shiva?

Why do leaders of religious organisations sometimes form sects and fight with each other – Hindi?

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Posting transcripts of lecture summaries along with lectures
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Dear Devotees and Friends,

You may have noticed that during the last few months whenever we post lectures, we have been trying to post lecture summaries as separate audios. Now, we will also be trying to post transcripts of those summaries.

Currently, the transcripts of the following lectures have been posted.

Krishna is the trans-personal shelter of all the things that shelter us
Spiritualizing our relationships 4 – Accept yourself to relate better with others
Spiritualizing our relationships 3 – Learning to separate people from their behavior
Spiritualizing our relationships 2 – To improve relationships, decrease expectation and increase contribution
How to cultivate positive thinking in bhakti
What your phone can teach you about your mind 4 – Let bhakti change your memory
What your phone can teach you about your mind 3 – Check your energy drainers
What your phone can teach you about your mind 2 – Hardware improvement doesn’t solve software problems
What your phone can teach you about your mind 1 – Deal with your default settings maturely
From Grudging to Gratitude 4 – Forgiving internally and externally by focusing on Krishna
From Grudging to Gratitude 3 – Learn to re-interpret reality devotionally
From Grudging to Gratitude 2 – See beyond the immediate cause of suffering
From Grudging to Gratitude 1 – Grudging is like driving with brakes pressed
Gita Essence 3 – The transformational power of love – World-knowledge as the vehicle for love
Gita Essence 2 – The transformational power of love – God-knowledge as the fuel for love
Gita Essence 1- The transformational power of love – Self-knowledge as the basis of love
What your phone can teach you about your mind 4 – Let bhakti change your memory
What your phone can teach you about your mind 3 – Check your energy drainers
What your phone can teach you about your mind 2 – Hardware improvement doesn’t solve software problems
What your phone can teach you about your mind 1 – Deal with your default settings maturely
Overcoming resentment amidst difficult situations

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Beyond emotion to intention – Talk at Ohio State University
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My most attended program for a Western audience was at the Ohio State University. Naveen Krishna Prabhu, along with an inspired team, has been conducting a weekly vegetarian cooking class, which has over the years blossomed into a full-fledged program. Over one hundred and fifty students attended the program where I spoke on “Focus on conscious intention, not circumstantial emotion.” I explained how our intentions are often sabotaged by our emotions, and how we can subordinate our emotions to our intentions using spiritual wisdom and meditational practice.

After the class, a Chinese girl asked, “How can we conquer all our fears?” I answered that fear is an essential psychological defense mechanism that alerts us to danger, just as pain alerts us to physical danger. Fear is not the problem; fearfulness is. When fear continues to be present even when there is no danger, then fear morphs into fearfulness. The way to overcome it is by filling ourselves with positive, protective, purposeful thoughts – and the most efficacious of such thoughts are thoughts about our spiritual core and the whole to which we belong.

This article is part of a series of articles about the recent Western tour. Full article can be read here

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Latest Transcriptions – 06
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Can someone say that my nature is to talk insensitively – Hindi?

How can we intelligently neglect some people’s criticism of us?

If we don’t see others’ faults, how can we guide them to improve – Hindi?

When the mind is like software, then how can pills for treating the hardware – the brain – cure mental problems?

Why did Krishna allow the desecration of Deities by foreign invaders in medieval times?

Will banning beef lead to economic problems?

Why do serious devotees sometimes die prematurely?

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Temptation leans on the doorbell
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“Opportunity may knock only once but temptation leans on the door bell” – Oprah Winfrey

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Suppose we are busy working in our house. If someone knocks on the door, and knocks softly, we may not hear them, especially if we are not expecting anyone. But if that person keeps knocking and knocking, we may feel as if we have no alternative except to open the door.

If we consider our consciousness to be like a house, then various stimuli from the outer world are like visitors that knock on the door of our consciousness. When opportunity knocks, it knocks softly. So, we need to be alert enough to notice and grab it.

Whereas we need to be alert to notice when opportunity knocks, we need another kind of resourcefulness when temptation knocks. If a visitor leaned on the doorbell, it would ring on and on and on, leaving us with no option but to open the door. Temptation is such an insistent visitor. When it appears in our consciousness, it just keeps propositioning us repeatedly and relentlessly. Over time, its siren call consumes our consciousness so completely that we feel as if we have to put everything else aside and just give in to it.

How does temptation ring the doorbell incessantly? By appearing irresistible. Initially, temptation allures us with the promise of pleasure that seems immense and immediate and irresistible. However, once we indulge in it a few times, then the desire becomes increasingly forceful, goading us towards indulgence. Being goaded, we indulge not so much because the pleasure is so irresistible, but because the torment of not indulging is so unbearable. Thus, the incessant and loud ringing of the bell of our consciousness by temptation manifests initially as the promise of irresistible pleasure and eventually as the misery of intolerable torment. Either way, we feel driven to open the door just to silence the bell. But as soon as we open the door, temptation barges into our consciousness and takes it hostage, as the Bhagavad-gita (02.44) warns. With our consciousness thus captivated, temptation impels us into self-defeating actions that cause tribulation and degradation.

Significantly however, we don’t have to open the door. If a persona non grata is leaning on the doorbell, we can just turn off the power to the doorbell. How can we turn off the power to the bell when temptation rings it? By not thinking about the temptation. What gives any stimulus, the power to disturb us is the attention we give it. If we turn our attention to something else, that stimulus becomes disempowered.

To turn our attention away from temptation when it allures us, we need to have ready at hand activities that can engage and absorb us. We will readily have such activities if we have cultivated for our life some higher purpose, a purpose that brings out our higher, nobler, purer side. Gita wisdom explains that the highest purpose is spiritual purpose – the purpose of lovingly harmonizing our spiritual core […]

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Gratitude and originality in spiritual creativity
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yad atra skhalitaṁ kiñcid                 vidvāṁsaḥ pūrayantu tat

yad atra sauṣṭhavaṁ kiñcid                         tad guror eva me na hi

yad — that which; atra — here; skhalitaṁ — is faulty; kiñcid — whatever; vidvāṁsaḥ — the learned souls; pūrayantu — may kindly correct; tat — that; yad — that which; atra — here; sauṣṭhavam — is beautifully done; kiñcid — whatever; tad — that; guror — belongs to my guru; eva — certainly; me — mine; na — it is not; hi — certainly

“Whatever errors are present in this commentary, may the learned souls correct it; and whatever good is found here, it is due to my gurus, not me.” (Krama Sandarbha introduction, Jiva Goswami)

When authors write a book, they usually include a section for acknowledgments where they give credit to all those who helped them in writing that book. But few authors go to the extent as to give all credit for the good in the book to others. They naturally want credit for what they feel is their creativity, their hard work, their original contribution.

However, in devotional and spiritual circles, especially circles that draw from a venerable lineage of teachers, books often feature acknowledgements such as that expressed by Jiva Goswami here. Are these spiritual authors expressing excessive humility, refusing to take credit where it is due? Or is a deeper truth operational?

In any intellectual or artistic work, no one starts from scratch. We use the language thinkers before us have developed, and we draw extensively from their ideas.

Of course, we may claim credit for having brought those words and ideas together distinctively. However, even for that distinctive integration, we are more a channel than the source. All insightful works rely on inspiration, and inspiration comes from outside of ourselves, giving us in fully developed form ideas that we simply receive and write. The Bhagavad-gita (15.15) indicates that the source of inspiration is the indwelling Supreme Lord. In that sense, we can’t take sole credit for either the points or their integration.

Additionally, in spiritual circles, originality has a sense distinct from its sense in contemporary circles. Nowadays, originality refers to coming up with an insight that no one has come up with till now. In traditional spiritual circles, originality refers to that which is as close to the origin as possible. If we were traveling using a map and wanted to understand the symbols in the map, we would need the second kind of originality, not the first kind. We wouldn’t need to come up with some new meaning for those symbols; we would need to know that meaning intended by the map-maker. When we understand that meaning, we can properly navigate the terrain depicted in the map.

The Bhagavad-gita (16.24) indicates that scripture is a guidebook for helping us make sound decisions. Thus, scripture is like a map for our life-journey. Naturally therefore, when scriptural commentators keep this purpose in mind, they consider their commenting successful if they convey the import given by the previous teachers who had successfully used […]

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Latest Transcriptions – 05
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As sadhus, should we focus on internal change through sadhana or social change through activism?
I was initiated earlier by a priest – how do I see it when seeking initation from a Vaishnava guru?
Should we use the words “fools and rascals” just as Srila Prabhupada did?
When a close relative troubles us, do we need to tolerate infinitely?
Understanding how dharma culminates in prema

When we can’t overcome our bad habits, what to do – Hindi? 

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Spirituality in the age of science – Balancing science, spirituality and audience interest
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Most by college program organizers asked me to speak on “Spirituality in the age of science.” Not wanting to speak the same content again and again, I started approaching the topic from different angles in different talks. And I soon discovered that I had enough approaches to address this topic in a full book. One such talk centered on “The hard problem of consciousness” at the Texas A and M university, College Station. I explained how consciousness is the basis of all our knowledge – even the denial of consciousness requires the presence of consciousness. While research may show which areas of the brain are activated when we have different emotions and experiences, the emotions and experiences themselves can’t be reduced to anything mechanical, be it neural or digital.

At the universities where I spoke on the mind, the audience frequently asked many questions about emotions and relationships. Even among Indian college students in the US, dating is very common. While many youths in India demand the freedom to choose their partners themselves, talking with students in a campus where such choices were the norm revealed the flip side of that freedom: anxiety. Most of the students were in various phases of uncertainty, insecurity or animosity based on whether their relationships with their significant other was forming, fraying or breaking.

This article is part of a series of articles about the recent Western tour. Full article can be read here

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Latest Transcriptions – 04
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Are the Vedas mythological because they talk about mysticism?

How can karma such as fighting in army be spiritualized?

How can we make our presentation more crisp and condensed?

​How can we develop taste for chanting?

How can we make the effect of hearing last for long?

If somebody asks questions arrogantly, how should we respond?

Is repressing the sexual instinct harmful?

Why is the Shambhu aspect of Lord Shiva glorified as the topmost devotee?

Was sati suicide or murder?

Does the definition of success vary from person to person or is it universal?

When we face real problems, can we spiritually raise ourselves above those problems?

When we face real problems, can we spiritually raise ourselves above those problems?

When we have to choose between two good options, how do we choose?

When chanting is so simple why do we feel so lazy – how can we chant constantly?

Why is the desire for sex stronger than the desire for any other sense gratification?

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Talking on karma and appreciating the audience’s karma – Talk at Princeton University, Princeton
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Vineet Chander (Venkat Bhatta P), who is the Director of Hindu Affairs at Princeton University and has become a close friend over the years, organized a talk on The Karma Conundrum – Does our destiny make us or do we make it? I have found that audiences all over the world are keenly interested in the topic of destiny because here philosophy intersects with reality in a way that matters tangibly to all of us. We all have experienced some higher forces working for or against us, and often they shape the results of our endeavors much more than our endeavors themselves.

The caliber of the Princeton audience (a result of their past good karma) was evident in their subtle and sensitive questions about karma and destiny, as well as their measured appreciation after the program. During a private conversation, a student, who is a department topper in his field, said that he found the talk insightful, though he didn’t agree with everything that was spoken. He felt that my saying that bhakti was the best way to spiritual elevation smacked of sectarianism – it undermined the esteemed path of jnana.

We didn’t have time to go into the technicalities about various paths, but I recognized that he had simply voiced what others in his position might have thought too. When speaking to an audience trained in critical thinking, it’s not easy to present the special position of bhakti without coming off as bhakti exclusivists. I am slowly learning this art by discussing with devotees who regularly make presentations to similar audiences and by studying how teachers of other paths present their philosophies without attracting the label of sectarianism.

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Latest Transcriptions – 03
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Are different religions like different companies with their gods as their product? (PK answered 26)

Are the gods of different religions different? (PK answered 25)

Doesn’t population growth disprove reincarnation?

How can we improve our focus?

How can we overcome our ego?

How do we understand contradictions in scriptures?

How does one find the right path to attain peace?

If intelligence is higher than the mind, then why does intelligence come from passion and mind from goodness?

Should conversions be banned in India?

What does it mean to not take credit for the things we do?

What is the difference between faith and blind faith? (PK answered 27)

What is the position of Lord Shiva?

Why does God let some people be atheists?

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Caring for the minds of those who care for sick minds – Program at Carrier Clinic, Central New Jersey
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My tour to the West in 2017 was the longest till date, lasting for three months and extending across forty cities in five countries: USA, Canada, Trinidad, Panama and UK. During the tour, by Krishna’s mercy, I gave around 132 classes and answered around 1000 questions. Here I share some of the highlights of the tour.

This article is part of a series of articles about the recent Western tour – similar articles will be published daily for the next ten days or so.

Carrier Clinic is a behavioral healthcare center specializing in psychiatric and addiction treatments. In both the talks, I focused on the mind, analyzing its functioning from different perspectives.

The first talk was on “Spirituality changes how we perceive, process and pursue.” After the talk, one of the participants, a counselor for teens recovering from addiction, said that she had noted as many points as she could, but if there had been a book with this content, she would immediately have ordered it and recommended it to her clients.

The second talk about a month later was on “From will and power to willpower.” After the talk, a participant, a trauma therapist, said that the level of insight about the mind was so deep that he felt inspired him to study the wisdom-text (Bhagavad-gita) from which it had been drawn.

The talk was organized by Prem Chaitanya P, who is a consulting doctor at Carrier Clinic, and Devakinandan P, who is the vice-President of our Central New Jersey temple and who coordinated with the leaders of the various places I visited in America.

Full article can be read here

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Latest Transcriptions – 02
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Are the sense and mind different – which of them drives us?
Are Gita and Bhagavatam meant for less intelligent people because they are parts of smriti?
I found blasphemy of ISKCON leaders online. How should I respond?
Do women have the same rights as men in ISKCON?
Is institutionalization alien to Vedic culture? Did Gaudiya acharyas import if from Christianity?
History of Gaudiya Vaishnavism – Post-Prabhupada ISKCON
History of Gaudiya Vaishnavism IV – Prabhupada’s unprecedented success
The History of Gaudiya Vaishnavism III – Transcendence Amidst Independence
KC and World Religions 1 – Judaism
KC and World Religions 2 – Christianity 1

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Why does the Gita in chapter sixteen describe divine qualities in three full verses and demoniac qualities in just one verse?
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How is simplicity as an austerity of the body in Gita 17.14 different from simplicity as an austerity of the mind in Gita 17.16?
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Podcast
http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/07-17%20classes/How%20is%20simplicity%20as%20an%20austerity%20of%20the%20body%20in%20Gita%2017.14%20different%20from%20simplicity%20as%20an%20austerity%20of%20th…

Transcriptions uploaded on 26-12-2016
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What exactly is the heart? 
Why is Krishna blue?
Why does corruption exist in religious organisations – can it be minimized?
Why was ashtanga yoga recommended in Satya-yuga?
How can we cope with enduring sadness?
Is love for our parents, brothers, sisters Maya – does such love have no meaning or value?
What exactly is humility – how do we develop it in bhakti?
How can I protect my bhakti from bad association in college?
What causes inferiority complex?
Are the sense and mind different – which of them drives us?
Why is the same story told differently in different scriptures?
When Ajamila chanted with the wrong conception, why did Vishnutas come?
Are Gita and Bhagavatam meant for less intelligent people because they are parts of smriti?

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Minding the Intel Mind
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Perhaps the most significant program during my Western trip was a seminar at Intel, in Phoenix, Arizona, on the topic “MIND the MIND.” It was attended by around 25-30 Intel employees, who were engrossed in the subject throughout the whole talk.

I developed my talk using two acronyms MIND.

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 feedback after the talk was that the content was simple and clear – the double acronym structure helped them understand readily where I was in the overall context of the talk.

During the QA session, a South American Intel employee asked whether we can ever come to a stage when the voice of wisdom within us becomes stronger than the voice of impulse. I answered that it is possible by studying wisdom-literature, adopting spiritual practices and especially by seeking the right social circle. After the program, she approached me and said that she came from a conservative family and had felt intense peer pressure to conform with the materialistic US culture. But on understanding the spiritual worldview and specifically the strategies for strengthening the conscience in the class, she felt inspired to stick to her higher values.

The program was organized by Sapna Kant (Shriji Priya Devi Dasi), who works in Intel, and her husband Eshant Garg (Ishvara Gauranga Das ). They coordinate my online outreach. Being the first program of its kind at Intel, Phoenix, they had to expertly get the program sanctioned through the Intel hierarchy. MNCs such as these are particularly cautious to not promoting anything sectarian.

The Intel India coordinator had been apprehensive about having a Hindu monk speak in their company. But he was relieved and pleased to see the positive feedback, especially by the non-Indians attending the program. And he said that the next time when I come to the US, they could organize a two- or three-part series.
Due to security and privacy considerations, Intel didn’t allow us to video record or even photograph the program, though they themselves clicked some photos and shared them with us.

I have spoken at several MNCs in the past, but Intel was the biggest MNC where I spoke. My small realization is that ultimately a similar heart beats in all people, whichever country they may be from and whichever company they may be working for. They all face the same eminently human issues that we all face – dealing with the mind’s stresses, and seeking greater satisfaction and better contribution. And for addressing those universal issues, the Bhagavad-gita’s timeless wisdom stands ready to empower everyone.

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Response to “My daughter wants to become Sunny Leone”
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Podcast:

http://www.thespiritualscientist.com/audio/ccd%20classes/desiretree/2017%20classes/07-17%20classes/Response%20to%20My%20daughter%20wants%20to%20become%20Sunny%20Leone.mp3
Download by “right-click and save”

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2017 Spring tour of the West
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My tour to the West in 2017 was the longest till date, lasting for three months and extending across forty cities in five countries: USA, Canada, Trinidad, Panama and UK. During the tour, by Krishna’s mercy, I gave around 132 classes and answered around 1000 questions. Here I share some of the highlights of the tour.

Programs for Western audiences:

Minding the Intel Mind

Perhaps the most significant program during my Western trip was a seminar at Intel, in Phoenix, Arizona, on the topic “MIND the MIND.” It was attended by around 25-30 Intel employees, who were engrossed in the subject throughout the whole talk.

I developed my talk using two acronyms MIND.

How we defeat ourselves:

Our mind

Magnifies problems
Imagines pleasures
Neglects opportunities
Denies reality

How can we stop defeating ourselves:

Meditate
Illuminate your inner world
Navigate your inner pitfalls
Do it with others

How can we stop defeating ourselves:

Meditate
Illuminate your inner world
Navigate your inner pitfalls
Do it with others

The feedback after the talk was that the content was simple and clear – the double acronym structure helped them understand readily where I was in the overall context of the talk.

During the QA session, a South American Intel employee asked whether we can ever come to a stage when the voice of wisdom within us becomes stronger than the voice of impulse. I answered that it is possible by studying wisdom-literature, adopting spiritual practices and especially by seeking the right social circle. After the program, she approached me and said that she came from a conservative family and had felt intense peer pressure to conform with the materialistic US culture. But on understanding the spiritual worldview and specifically the strategies for strengthening the conscience in the class, she felt inspired to stick to her higher values.

The program was organized by Sapna Kant (Sriji Priya Mataji), who works in Intel, and her husband Eshant Garg (Ishvara Gauranga P). They coordinate my online outreach. Being the first program of its kind at Intel, Phoenix, they had to expertly get it sanctioned through the Intel hierarchy. MNCs such as these are particularly cautious to not promoting anything sectarian.

The Intel India coordinator had been apprehensive about having a Hindu monk speak in their company. But he was relieved and pleased to see the positive feedback, especially by the non-Indians attending the program. And he said that the next time when I come to the US, they could organize a two- or three-part series.

Due to security and privacy considerations, Intel didn’t allow us to video record or even photograph the program, though they themselves clicked some photos and shared them with us.

I have spoken at several MNCs in the past, but Intel was the biggest MNC where I spoke. My small realization is that ultimately a similar heart beats in all people, whichever country they may be from and whichever company they may be working for. They all face the same eminently human issues that we all face – dealing with the mind’s stresses, and seeking greater satisfaction and better contribution. And for addressing those universal issues, the Bhagavad-gita’s […]

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Announcement about a new weekly feature – Wisdom on Wisdom (WOW)
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I am happy to announce that thespiritualscientist.com will be offering one more service to its esteemed visitors: from now, every week, I will be publishing an article in a new feature called “Wisdom on Wisdom.” In this feature, a quotable quote will be commented from the perspective of the Bhagavad-gita. Thus, the wisdom of the quote will be analysed and explained using the wisdom from the Gita.
This feature will be similar to the Gita-daily feature on my other site gitadaily.com in that it will have an article, an audio and a video. Of course, the article will be longer – whereas Gita-daily is around 300 words, this will be about twice-thrice of that length.
Several articles and audio-videos have already been published, but the articles and audio-videos have been published separately. From now onwards, all three will be published together in the same post. The first such post was published yesterday and you can read / hear / watch it here. https://www.thespiritualscientist.com/2017/07/god-laugh-plans/

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Does God laugh at our plans?
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“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” – Woody Allen

This quote provocatively restates a universal truth, enshrined in sayings such as “Man proposes, God disposes.” We all have dreams and we make plans accordingly. We envision our life going along a smooth line leading to destination happiness, with happiness being equated with the fulfillment of our dreams. However, life rarely goes the way we plan – factors beyond our control disrupt things. If we ascribe those disruptive factors beyond our control ultimately to the supreme divinity, then we could say that God has disposed the plans we had proposed.

But does God really laugh when we make plans? Is he a sadist who delights in disrupting our plans? Certainly not. The point of God’s laughter is subtle and non-literal. To appreciate that point, we need to understand that our perspective is very limited – so limited in fact that our plans often involve such a huge degree of presumption that it makes those in the knowledge of things laugh indulgently. Suppose a small girl plans to build a sand castle and tells her parents that her dream prince will come on in shining armor on a white horse and live with her in that castle. The parents laugh not sadistically, but indulgently, at the child’s grandiose imagination associated with the sand castle.

Similarly, when we make our plans in this temporary material world where everything is swept away by the tides of time, even our best-laid plans can be seen to be not much different from the child’s fantasies about a sand castle. Seeing the grandiosity of our plans, God laughs – not sadistically, but indulgently.

The key illusion that we need to counter is the notion that we are controllers who can make the world bend to our plans. However, countering this illusion doesn’t have to be disempowering, implying that we have no control and are utterly helpless. We are parts of God, and as he is the supreme controller, we as his parts are controllers in our own small right. Just as parts are meant to work in harmony with the whole, we are meant to use our capacity to control in harmony with his plans.

Those devoted to God make plans, but they do so in a mood of service without becoming attached to their plans. Their attachment is to God, not to their plans. If a particular plan of theirs get disrupted, they may be temporarily perplexed not being sure what to do. But they don’t become disheartened, thinking that nothing is worth doing. They soon regain their perspective, focus on their ultimate plan of serving the Lord and find some other practical way of continuing their service to him, thereby moving closer to him.

Gita wisdom explains that we are meant for something much bigger than this world. Just as the child needs to grow up and learn more constructive engagements, we too need to grow up spiritually and learn more constructive engagements. Whereas the […]

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