628: An Interview with Leela Vilasini — Vrindavan is Where I Belong

seeing life’s problems as tests, and rising to meet them / even-mindedness when all are losing their heads / all the great saints had to respond to persecution / the impostors of Triumph and Disaster / pretentiousness as the next level of the test / always responding with positive energy / passing through the world, uncorrupted / no one is barred from Bhakti / neither charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness, etc. can move Krishna - he’s waiting for pure love / the mature vision - beyond religious symbols and externals - recognizing God in everyone SB 7.7.48-55

“Beware of over-concern for money, or position, or glory. Someday you will meet a man who cares for none of these things. Then you will know how poor you are.” - Rudyard Kipling / the emptiness that drives us to seek fulfillment through externals / the treasure in the heart of the sadhu / affection for others running through affection for Krishna / prema is the wealth that makes everything else appear pale / the steady engagement in releasing, accepting and stepping up one notch / the ocean of eternal happiness / “This is misery, but it gives me a laugh…. All that is left of this family life is a list of names.” - Bhaktivedanta Swami / “I gradually take away all the wealth of those upon whom I am merciful.” - Krishna / with Krishna, there’s beauty in destitution SB 7.7.45-47

“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.” - Friedrich Nietzsche / don’t be afraid to turn it all upside down / “It makes no material sense” / The George Costanza Approach - do the opposite /  these mantras are timeless / the pessimistic eye (towards the material world) and the optimistic eye (towards the spiritual world) / 2 radically different ways of thinking about the body - (1) it’s destined to be food for the worms, (2) it belongs to others / there are 2 people in your body (and the other one created it) / Truth Blockers - Attachment, Fear & Resentment / sorry, we don’t accommodate those kind of thoughts in this mind SB 7.7.43-45

all our conveniences are making our minds less patient / less patient minds are less happy / as soon as you endeavor for happiness it backfires / change your algorithms / you can’t be happy unless you’re satvic / break the doomscrolling cycles / a zoomed out perspective of history / a wise person develops simplicity / for small things we complicate our lives / this AI isn’t the future we hoped for SB 7.7.40-42 Check out Raghunath on the Rich Roll podcast at https://youtu.be/BLopUQdMIGk?si=xNJMpiZ-46qqLK2c

What is your Bhakti-yoga elevator pitch? / Did Sri Chaitanya know He was Krishna? /  If we are not the body, why is it important that our ashes are thrown in the Ganges river after we die?

Celebrate Episode 1300 with us as we hear testimonials from Wisdom of the Sages listeners about how the podcast, Bhakti & Srimad Bhagavatam have transformed their lives. Check out Timothy Todd's t shirts at https://www.etsy.com/shop/Timothytoddtshirts

We don’t realize the burden that’s weighing us down (resentment, anger, fear, etc.) like a dreadlocked, homeless dog / "It's motive alone which gives character to the actions of men." - Jean de la Bruyere / Jatayu was a complete success / evolution of motive from Karma to Jnana to Bhakti / good intentions are everything / Bhakti delivers brahma-nirvāṇa / Krishna is easily accessible, being the friend in the heart of everyone / material good fortune is flickering / Krishna gives us what we need- we don’t need to save clutter / cluttered space means cluttered mind SB 7.7.37-39

Can you kindly explain the “three principal energies?” -Internal, External and Marginal? / Can you speak on the dance between faith in guru vs. having a relationship that is overly dependent? / As a neophyte devotee, how do I get the taste for praying?

Is dancing in your home as powerful as dancing in the temple?

Raghunath’s dream instruction / definitions of humility / Kaustubha’s dream instruction / time changes everything - take care not to devalue or hurt anyone / the material world prunes our self image / Lexus today, Gremlin tomorrow / the challenge to the ego of shaving the head / advanced spirituality appearing as madness / advanced spirituality appearing as material attachment / just one wandering sense can send you completely adrift / burning the seeds of material desires to ashes / transforming matter to spirit SB 7.7.35-36