Breaking Trail

We learned from the previous episodes how we are actually an eternal spark of life, a spirit soul. Now what? Do we just kind of float around and exist, that’s it?

No - we have an eternal function, an activity in which we align with our true selves and find true happiness. And that is to serve others, and serve the Supreme.

Like Bob Dylan sang back in 85:

“You may be a preacher with your spiritual pride

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed

So who do you choose to serve?

Highlights:

Recorded on January 3, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/52

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

We learned last week that we are not our bodies; neither our gross physical body or our subtle mental body. This time we dive deeper into the truth that we don’t stop existing at the time of death.

You, me, and everyone else - indeed everything around you that shows the symptoms of a life particle being present (including animals & trees) - are the life of the body. And live never ceases to be.

“Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all these kings, nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.”

This is the second part of a 3-part series on “Who Am I?”, where we dive deep down into our actual essence.

Highlights:

Recorded on December 27, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/51

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

“Perfection starts with the perfect understanding that I’m not the body. That’s a perfect truth, a perfect realization.”

If you don’t know who you are, how could it ever be possible to know where to go and what to do with your life?

Without knowing you you are, you cannot solve any of the problems you’ll face in life; not feeling complete satisfied, struggling with the temporary material body, feeling like you don’t fit in, and so on.

This is the first part of a 3-part series on “Who Am I?”, where we dive deep down into our actual essence.

Highlights:

Recorded on December 13, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/50

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

Losing a loved one is one of the hardest things we go through in life. A few months ago we recorded episode #29 with Madhavendra Puri dasi as our guest, where she spoke about living with the terminal disease of ALS and facing death without fear.

This time we’re joined by a family who suddenly lost a wife, mother and grandmother, as Madhavendra very recently passed away. We feel very fortunate and humbled to be let into the inner world and feelings of a family that all live a yoga meditation lifestyle.

How is the ancient wisdom of yoga a source of shelter and great comfort for them?

Highlights:

• (0:05) When Madhavendra Puri dasi left this world, it wasn’t a big drama but a wonderful transition
• (6:10) Madhavendra’s daughter Shalie shares her story of living as a hippie child in Australia before Madhavendra was introduced to the process of meditation and took a 180 turn
• (9:25) How Allan met and came to marry Madhavendra, and how he was introduced to meditation by her
• (16:17) Allan shares how he felt when Madhavendra had left; he lost companionship but is also emboldened to become more dedicated to the Bhakti Yoga process, inspired by her
• (23:20) Madhavendra’s health gradually got worse after being diagnosed with ALS. She did all she could to maintain a healthy body through diet and lifestyle, but she also did not go overboard; she trusted the higher plan.
• (33:51) What was Madhavendra’s key to success, for leaving this world happy and fearless?
• (40:09) Allan shares the story of Madhavendra’s last night in this world: Not wanting to disturb her, in his mind he begged her to forgive him for anything he’d said or done to her. And that morning she left her body.
• (46:38) Madhavendra walked towards leaving her body with a clear focus, never with anxiety or fear; and she succeeded with her goal

Recorded on June 11, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/49

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

There is really no hope—for the material body. Nor for the material utopia we sometimes dream about. But there is real hope for you, the spirit soul.

What is that hope?

Highlights:

• (2:14) Ruben shares story of how he and his family went for a concert tour for nursing homes, sharing the message of “There is hope”
• (11:19) There’s so much difficulty in the world. But if the consciousness of the people could be elevated, we would overcome all difficulties.
• (18:21) We are all spirit souls, regardless of the body we are in, and it’s our nature to be ever youthful and happy. We are all searching for the same thing—happiness, love, affection. And that’s where hope is.
• (26:16) Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.10.43: “There is another nature which is eternally existent, without being occasionally created or destroyed. And the conditioned soul can understand what he should do and how his valuable energy may be utilized.” Our faulty understand of life is due to our being materially conditioned. The conditioned soul needs to know the truth to get out of that illusion.
• (36:02) Balakhilya’s answer to the question “What is real hope? And where do we find it?”
• (44:26) It’s not all or nothing; even a little advancement on this path can protect one from the worst kind of fear, namely losing the human form of life. So take one step at a time, and share what you’ve realized with others.

Recorded on April 25, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/48

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

We can always find excuses to not do what we should do. But if we’re wishy washy, we are not going to be successful in life. Building internal strength and determination is an absolute necessity, and we do that by following the time-proven and scientific Bhakti Yoga process.

Highlights:

• (1:47) If we make a focused effort to apply the process of Bhakti Yoga, that will keep us in the mode of goodness and keep lethargy and sluggishness away. Some tips from Balakhilya: exercise, spend time in nature, sing, and stay away from eating meat.
• (18:44) The two different kinds of motivation: motivation and self-motivation. We need to be honest about our weaknesses.
• (23:05) The secret to be able to get up early in the morning—which allows you to get the most out of your life—is to protect your evenings. If you're wishy washy, you're not going to be successful.
• (29:56) Balakhilya shares a story about his friend who has ALS. Suddenly, he got very serious about the whole process and started preparing for death. Others are teaching us to ‘enjoy life’ and ‘be here now’, so what we're presenting in this podcast is different than what you may hear somewhere else.
• (37:05) The challenge to our spiritual life is on a mental level, because we're so influenced by material nature that just buries us, and we've been buried for a long time. It’s like a dead man trying to get out of the grave. Not so easy. And a key can unlock the door, but if you don’t put the key in, it doesn’t do any good.

Recorded on April 11, 2022. Episode link: https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/47

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

“The wind picked up more and more. And snow is one thing, because it doesn't hurt your face, but this was ice-water-snow. So it hurt your face that much you had to cover it all, and when that ice slush hits your glasses that gets totally covered as well.

But just that feeling of having the GPS-watch… I had the direction of the cabin, but for three hours all you could see was two meters in front of you at best, and we had to put our ski poles in front of us to feel what was up and down.

And all along you have this big, steep canyon to the right, with an obvious avalanche risk; so you don't want to fall into it. Always you always know it's there, somewhere to your right.

You’re forced by nature to become so small, so powerless. So you’ve got to have some faith in some authority greater than you, an inner compass that is not affected by the storm. In my case, the GPS. It’s tough, it’s hard, but at the same time it’s not; because you’ve been given guidance - if you just dare to follow it.”

Highlights:

• (3:28) The story of Ruben skiing through an ice storm in the mountains outside Tromsø, Norway, in the middle of May 2022
• (12:34) You can’t depend on the forecast (such as from tarot cards or palm reading), you got to have an inner compass or direction that is not affected by the weather
• (17:14) Life is a storm; sometimes more severe, sometimes less. Even in periods when there seem to be no storm, the clock is still ticking.
• (22:16) 2 kinds of people go into nature; the ones who wants to conquer nature, and the ones who want to harmonize with nature
• (27:29) How Ruben met a reindeer on the mountain, who poked his nose onto the cabin window. When that spirit soul in the reindeer body gets a human body, that’s when the angst and expectations start.

Recorded on May 11, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/46

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

We are all hungry for real love, but nothing but the real thing will ever satisfy that hunger. In that way, lust is not bad, it’s just a manifestation of an inner spiritual hunger, a desire that comes out in a perverted or distorted way.

The good news is that all we need to do is to come out of the influence of the current of lust, and place ourselves under the influence of spiritual love. But that requires a decision from us to listen to and repeat the Absolute Truth - and thus remember who we really are. That is; an eternal spirit soul, starving for the nourishment of spiritual love.

This is part 2 of ‘Lust vs Real Love’; if you haven’t already, we recommend you to first listen to episode #44 to fully understand the difference between lust and love.

Highlights:

• (2:45) Lust is a manifestation of inner spiritual hunger
• (9:48) As lust is transformed into its natural condition of spiritual love, the person begins to taste not just the sweet flavour of love, but also its handmaidens such as kindness, patience, forgiveness, tolerance, humility, etc.
• (17:53) Spiritual life means coming out of the influence of the current of lust, and coming under the influence of the current of spiritual love
• (27:03) You can give a hungry man a cardboard pizza and it will fill his belly, but not satisfy his need for nourishment. Similarly, the spiritual hunger will be there until we address it.
• (36:59) We need ask ourselves, “What am I exposing my eyes and ears to? What influences do I put myself under?” and consider how that will affect our consciousness. The ancient yoga wisdom gives us all the intel so that we know who and where the enemy is.

Recorded on April 2, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/45

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

Real love has become so rare that we barely even know what it means any more. What we think is love is often just lust in disguise; that is, based on mutual exploitation and sense enjoyment.

Consequently, instead of living the life we are meant to live—a life of inner satisfaction, contentment and harmony—we suffer from jealousy, anger, bitterness and anxiety in our relationships toward others. Regardless if it’s our partner, family, friends or colleagues.

“Therefore, lust and are quite different. Lust is like dense darkness, but love is like the bright sun.” Chaitanya-Charitamrita Adi-lila 4.178

So what is the key to opening our hearts and allowing the light of real love to enter?

Highlights:

• (04:08) There word “sin” has been cancelled—there is no longer any right or wrong, everything you feel like doing is good
• (10:02) From contemplating some object of the senses (could be anything from hiking shoes or a beautiful man/woman), attachment develops. From attachment (wanting to own it, enjoy it) comes lust. From lust comes anger and loss of memory.
• (24:24) Like George Harrison sang; “Senses never satisfied, only swelling like the tide”. Lust is like a fire, the more you throw into it, the hotter it burns.
• (38:45) Lust is just the perverted downward reflection of love, and to turn it back into its natural state we need to engage in devotional service
• (53:31) “Pure love for the Supreme is eternally established in the heart of the living beings; it is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, the living entity naturally awakens”

Recorded on March 19, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/44

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc:

If we want to feel good and be happy, what we eat is one of the most important factors to consider. We all know that some foods are healthier than others, but fewer know that different foods will impact our mental condition in a specific direction.

Depending on what food we eat, we come under the influence of one of the 3 modes of material nature (psychological forces); goodness, passion, or ignorance. As a consequence of this choice, we may experience agitation, anxiety, depression, stress—or peace of mind and heart.

“Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fattening and palatable. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in the modes of passion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease. Food which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people in the mode of ignorance.” Bhagavad-gita 17.8-10

Highlights:

• (2:46) We need proper information in order to make conscious food choices; for example, food in the mode of goodness automatically has an uplifting result in your life.

Recorded on February 15, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/43

Watch video version, join our email list, contribute, etc: