Author Archives: Chaitanya Charan

Understanding the unborn’s understandings 1 – How can the embryo with an undeveloped brain speak prayers? Understanding the unborn’s understandings 2 – How can the embryo know God Understanding the unborn’s understandings 3 – What is a human soul Understanding the unborn’s understandings 4 – What the embryo’s desire to stay in the womb implies…

Understanding the mind through four animal metaphors 1 – Horse & Wolf – Hindi

Understanding the mind through four animal metaphors 2 – Dog & Sheep – Hindi

Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 1 Understanding surrender meditation on prabhupada’s prayer markine bhagavata dharma from Chaitanya Charan Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma – 2 Understanding surrender meditation on prabhupada’s prayer markine bhagavata dharma from Chaitanya Charan Understanding Surrender – Meditation on Prabhupada’s prayer Markine Bhagavata Dharma –…

Understanding rasa-lila 1 – How the supreme Shelter (Ashraya) becomes sheltered (Ashrita) https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=283455372276144 Understanding rasa-lila 2- How Bhagavatam establishes para-dharma without trivializing apara-dharma https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2150021595220795 Understanding rasa-lila 3 – Arrogance keeps us locked in ourselves, both apara-dharma and para-dharma get us out of ourselves https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=1296601320481742 Understanding Rasa-lila 4 – Radharani’s apparent pride expresses her selfless love…

Understanding how our mind makes us misunderstand 1 – Misunderstanding ourselves Understanding how our mind makes us misunderstand from Chaitanya Charan Understanding how our mind makes us misunderstand 2 – Misunderstanding ourselves Understanding how our mind makes us misunderstand from Chaitanya Charan Understanding how our mind makes us misunderstand 3 – Misunderstanding Krishna Understanding how our mind makes us…

Understanding Destiny 1 – What is pre-determined and what isn’t

Understanding Destiny 2 – Destiny determines the scope of our free will, not our free will

Understanding attachment, detachment, commitment 1 – Frustration is not renunciation

Understanding attachment, detachment, commitment 2 – Detachment is not hardheartedness – it is levelheadedness

Understanding attachment, detachment,…

Those eighteen days – Day 1 Those eighteen days – Day 2 Those eighteen days – Day 3 Those eighteen days – Day 4 Those eighteen days – Day 5 Those eighteen days – Day 6 Those eighteen days – Day 7 Those eighteen days – Day 8 Those eighteen days – Day 9 Those…

The Son of the Sun – Part 1 The Mahabharata is a fascinating book with many of its characters not clearly black or clearly white, but multiple shades of grey. Karna is an intriguing character – virtuous, yet choosing the side of the vicious Kauravas; born as a warrior, but treated lifelong as charioteer’s son;…

The power of gratitude 1 – How gratitude empowers us

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2248058058756469

The power of gratitude 2 – How to cultivate gratitude

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embe…

199 Focusing on the practical in the scriptural – The Monk’s Podcast with Kaustubha Prabhu 198 Presenting Lord Chaitanya to today’s world via biography writing – The Monk’s Podcast Yogesvara P 196 Systematic outreach for sustainable community development – The Monk’s Podcast with Aniruddha P 195 Pursuing writing as an art in bhakti, The Monk’s…

Tap the mind, dont be trapped by the mind 1 – The pressure for pleasure

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2192825560946386

Tap the mind, don’t be trapped by the mind 2 – Why mind control backfires

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Spiritualizing our relationships 1 – How the modes turn good intentions into not-so-good actions Spiritualizing our relationships from Chaitanya Charan https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2182085372020405 Spiritualizing our relationships 2 – Changing our vision of others Spiritualizing our relationships from Chaitanya Charan https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2182139908681618 Spiritualizing our relationships 3 – Changing our vision of our role in relationships Spiritualizing our relationships from Chaitanya Charan https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2182515751977367 Spiritualizing…

Spiritualizing our relationships 1 – The more despiritualized we are, the more desensitized we become Spiritualizing our relationships 2 – To improve relationships, decrease expectation and increase contribution Spiritualizing our relationships 3 – Learning to separate people from their behavior Spiritualizing our relationships 4 – Accept yourself to relate better with others Spiritualizing our relationships…

What is destiny?

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=324971928062921

Growing through adversities

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=376409919563134

Making healthy choices

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Spiritual Perspectives on Material Beauty 1 – Bring out each other’s higher side, not lower side

Spiritual Perspectives on Material Beauty – 2 – Should we be disgusted with the body?

Spiritual Lessons from Car Driving 1 – The mind is the passenger, don’t let it become the driver https://www.facebook.com/watch/ChaitanyaCharana/?ref=embed_video Spiritual Lessons from Car Driving 2 – What we are driving matters, but where we are driving matters more https://www.facebook.com/watch/ChaitanyaCharana/?ref=embed_video Spiritual Lessons from Car Driving 3 – Our attitude is our steering wheel https://www.facebook.com/watch/ChaitanyaCharana/?ref=embed_video Spiritual Lessons…

Prahlad Prayers 1 Krishna’s glorification is for our purification, not our glorification Prahlad Prayers 2 The damsel in distress redefines distress Prahlad Prayers 3 Linking manisha with Hrshikesha makes us manisha Prahlad Prayers 4 Upward mobility can’t save us from mortality ​Prahlad Prayers 5 Those who cherish the spiritual can channel the material Nityananda Trayodashi…

Six limbs of surrender 1 – The Medical Metaphor

Six limbs of surrender 2 – Accept the favorable, avoid the unfavorable

Six limbs of surrender 3 – Understanding how God protects

Six limbs o…

Shikshashtakam 1 Overview and flow of the ashtakam Shikshashtakam series at alachua from pustagopika26 Shikshashtakam 2 Text 1 The mind as a window, a TV screen and a mirror Shikshashtakam series at alachua from pustagopika26 ​Shikshashtakam 3 Text 1 The flower metaphor for the blossoming of consciousness Shikshashtakam series at alachua from pustagopika26 ​Shikshashtakam 4 Text 1 From the partial nectar…

Shakuni Character Analysis 1 – The mind rationalizes selfishness as selflessness

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2098640233698253

Shakuni Character Analysis 2 – Evaluate whether our relationships bring out our b…

Sensitivity in relationships 1 – Why we need to be sensitive and why we aren’t

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2240577836171158

Sensitivity in relationships 2 – From judgment to encouragement

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Self destruction Strategies 1 – Mistake self-pity to be humility

Self-destruction strategies 2 – Be a perfectionist

Self-destruction strategies 3 – Treat the peripheral as the essential

Self-destruction strategies 4 – Let gu…

Seeking Karuna Amidst Corona seminar part 1

Seeking Karuna Amidst Corona seminar part 2

Seeking Karuna Amidst Corona seminar part 3

Responsible relationships 1 – Hurt people hurt people

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=542877439510438

Responsible Relationships 2 – Make judgments, but don’t be judgmental

https://www.facebook.com/watch…

Reincarnation 1 – Preview of scientific, historical and philosophical analysis

Reincarnation 2 – Europe’s incredible delusion – we have only one life

Reincarnation 3 – Five intuitive contemplations for self-discovery

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Ramayana Series 1 – Dasharatha’s dilemma https://www.facebook.com/watch/ChaitanyaCharana/?ref=embed_video Ramayana series 2 – Maricha’s miscalculation – Our destination is not as important as our action https://www.facebook.com/watch/ChaitanyaCharana/?ref=embed_video Ramayana series 3 – Shurapanakha’s slyness – Beware of those who manipulate us using our weakness https://www.facebook.com/watch/ChaitanyaCharana/?ref=embed_video Ramayana series 4 – SEES acronym – 4 explanations why Rama abandoned Sita https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2087632298132380…

Ramayana series 1 – Manthara-Kaikeyi – How manipulators mislead

Ramayana series2 – Vali-Sugriva – Don’t judge without understanding

Ramayana series 3 – Rama-Lakshmana – Does destiny control everything?

Ramayana Reflection – Why Rama abandoned Sita

Ramayana Reflection – Hanuman in Lanka 1 – Overcoming Obstacles

Ramayana Reflection – Hanuman in Lanka 2 – Discouraged yet determined

Ramayana Reflection – Hanuman in Lanka 3 – E…

Ramayana series 1 – Comparing Dasharatha and Dhritarashtra – What we do is not as important as why we do it https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=1940775015969924 Ramayana series 2 – Ravana’s recklessness – Attachment makes us overvalue things https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=287382915216771 Ramayana series 3 – Shurapanakha’s manipulativeness – Exploiting others’ weaknesses doesn’t make us strong https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=308409816438309 Ramayana series 4 – Sita’s…

Rama at home in exile 1 – The power of acceptance

Rama at home in exile 2 – The power of diligence

Radhashtami meditation 1 – Appreciating the sacrificing spirit of Sita and Radharani

Radhashtami meditation 2 – Appreciating the two separations endured by Sita and Radharani

QA on racism Q 1 From a spiritual perspective, why does racism exist? QA on racism Q 2 Does racism exist because of the caste system? QA on racism Q 3 Do people of particular skin colors belong to particular castes? QA on racism Q 4 Are varna and ashrama the only two hierarchies present…

QA on humility 1 – How are the various points of Lord Chaitanya’s verse on humility inter-related? QA on humility 2 – While being tolerant, how can we ensure that we aren’t abused by others? QA on humility 3 – How can we be humble with those who are exploitative? QA on humility 4 –…

Prabhupada: The moments that made his movement – Part 1 The Man … “It’s an astonishing story. If someone told you a story like this, you wouldn’t believe it. Here’s this person, he’s seventy years old, he’s going to a country where he’s never been before, he doesn’t know anybody there, he has no money,…

Prabhupada life-story 01 – A devotionally vibrant childhood Prabhupada life-story 02 – From political activist to spiritual activist Prabhupada life-story 03 – The dedicated disciple takes up the mission Prabhupada life-story 04 – League of Devotees – A clique thwarts the promise Prabhupada life-story 05 – Indian Partition – Transcendence amidst turbulence Prabhupada life-story 06…

Positive Thinking 1 – Countering external and internal negativity Positive Thinking 2 – Understanding the four kinds of thoughts Positive Thinking – 3 Science and positive thinking Positive Thinking 4 – Thoughts lead to things – and are things Positive Thinking 5 – Think positive – think spiritual Positive Thinking 6 – Don’t just see…

Are rituals wrong numbers to God? (PK QA 1) PK QA – article series 1. Are rituals wrong numbers to God? (PK QA 1) 2. Can we reject as wrong numbers the rituals that don’t make sense? (PK QA 2) 3. Why do religious teachers stereotype people as when they pronounce all Pakistanis as cheaters? (PK QA…

Parikshit M – Dharma discussion – Don’t blame 1 – See beyond the immediate cause – Hindi https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2276329829262625 Parikshit M – Dharma discussion – Don’t blame 2 – If why has no answer focus on how – Hindi https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=embed_video&v=2277762525786022 Parikshit M – Dharma discussion – Don’t blame 3 – How to deal with troubling people…

Overcoming obstacles 1 – Focus not on rejecting desire, but on selecting desire – part 1 Overcoming Obstacles in Spiritual Life Alachua 2017 1 & 2 Overcoming obstacles 2 – Focus not on rejecting desire, but on selecting desire – part 2 Overcoming Obstacles in Spiritual Life Alachua 2017 1 & 2 Overcoming obstacles 3…