Breaking Trail

Let’s really make 2022 a new year; not just a different year. In today’s episode we hope to give you courage and faith to cross the bridge of change, toward a life of genuine happiness and inner fulfilment. We touch on various topics such as the importance of thankfulness, how internal motivation is really the only way forward, and how we need to get out of the ‘I am the number one’-consciousness to really be happy.

Remember, every thousand-mile journey starts with one small step. And maybe this episode is that one small step for you.

Highlights:

• (5:48) Behind the scenes it’s a different story; Lindsey Vonn struggling with depression
• (12:16) Do we choose to really have a new year; or just have the same old stuff but a different year?
• (21:53) The story of Ruben’s first (and last) New Years resolution in 2016
• (32:06) If a person really wants to have a new 2022, they’ve got to seek out good association, spiritual association
• (38:24) It might take you a long time to cross the bridge of change. But you’ve got to just keep moving forward.
• (44:07) The main reasons why people fail in their New Years resolutions, and how that translates into one's spiritual life

Recorded on January 17, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/32

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We all tend to find faults in others, instead of seeing (and working with) our own shortcomings. And the basic problem is us expecting perfection in the material world. We think that if other people and all material situations are as ideal as we want them to be, then we will be happy. Which couldn’t be further from the truth.

In this talk, Balakhilya and Ruben discuss how by following a spiritual path (and shifting our association) we gradually develop an aversion to faultfinding. Instead of looking at the faults of others we become aware of our own imperfections.

As you’ll hear, faultfinding goes completely against our spiritual wellbeing, since it feeds the false ego and false prestige. Passing judgement on others, we are really only passing judgement on ourselves.

We also look deeper at the topic of introspection; how being honest with ourselves is crucial in the process of spiritual development. Seeing our faults and admitting them, we’re able to pray for help to overcome our faults. And through meditation cleanse our hearts from the thorn of this faultfinding tendency.

Highlights:

• (5:40) We are attracted to finding faults with others, as we try to elevate ourselves to a higher position than them
• (16:01) Faultfinding is an avenue for self aggrandizement, and it feeds the false ego and false prestige; which are all enemies of the soul, of ourselves. And it makes for disharmony and discord in society
• (23:52) Being in the age of Kali Yuga, we are influenced in a very destructive way. But if I don't think I have any problem, I don't think I need to be cured.
• (34:11) The story of a king choosing which one of his two sons he should hand his kingdom to; the good man sees the good and all the bad man sees the bad
• (41:41) Becoming a "mental hypochondriac" is not the solution either, just focusing on "I'm so bad”. It’s still self-centred.
• (45:24) We cannot overcome our faults through willpower or a decision to be a better person. Our work is instead to make it so that I'm in contact with a cleansing agent; a purifying lifestyle.

Recorded on August 23, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/31

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We all try to find a stable, comfortable situation in this world, and make that our ‘bubble’. The problem is, this world is ever-changing. And so as my bubbles burst, as they inevitably do, we may feel like the rug is pulled out from under our feet; whether it be a relationship that ends, a loved one that dies, that we lose our job, or we face instability and conflict in our society.

In this talk Balakhilya reflects on how the bubble of his seemingly stable situation in Kazakhstan suddenly burst and the reality of this world came forward; being a place of conflict, chaos and confusion. If you tune in, you might find that some of your illusions about the world shatter, and are replaced with a profound and stable understanding who you actually are, what your place in this world is, and where to find the bullet-proof, never-bursting bubble.

Highlights:

Recorded on January 12, 2022. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/30

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9 years ago, she was diagnosed with the terminal disease of ALS. But that hasn’t stopped her from leading a meditation center in Toronto, Canada, and inspiring countless of people with her positive outlook and focus on the internal world. As she says herself, “the disease is an opportunity to turn within”.

In today's talk you get to meet and learn from Madhavendra Puri dasi, an old-time friend of Balakhilya. You’ll hear us discuss how real life is the interior world of spiritual life; when our external life starts collapsing we need to have an internal world to take refuge in—we need to know that we are not the body which is falling apart. But for that to happen, we need to come to a point of having a change in heart.

You’ll hear stories from both Madhavendra’s and Balakhilya’s travels around the world, sharing the knowledge they’ve received with others. We speak about how actually spiritual life starts when we come to the platform of realizing our vulnerability and inability to face the difficult situations of the world on our own.

Through their different stories, Ruben, Madhavendra, and Balakhilya all came to the same conclusion—there’s something beyond all of this. The nature of the world is to change, and they all found a place to find comfort.

Highlights:

• (1:40) Common interests bring friends together; meet Madhavendra Puri dasi, bhakti yoga practitioner, traveler, and a long-time friend of Balakhilya
• (12:54) When diagnosed with an illness, many are lost and scared as their external world deteriorates. Madhavendra shares her experiences with finding peace internally.
• (19:19) By understanding that we are eternal spirit soul, we can truly help others who might be experiencing the pain of their body deteriorating - whether it's cancer, ALS, or old age
• (23:58) “Have mantra, will travel” Hear some stories from Madhavendra and Balakhilya during their travels, sharing knowledge, practicing; learning that what’s happening internally is the most important
• (32:00) We can find a weird comfort escaping into our own misery, but self-pity is a form of anger. Changes need to take place internally, at the heart level; and facing these truths will help us in everyday life.
• (44:07) Jumping back in time to Madhavendra’s journey as a “child of the 60s”, Balakhilya and Madhavendra share what it was like in simpler times, and their experiences during the era of George Harrison and the Vietnam War
• (1:00:17) Through their different stories, Ruben, Madhavendra, and Balakhilya all came to the same conclusion —there’s something beyond all of this. The world’s nature is to change, and they all found a practical place to find comfort.

Recorded on November 22, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/29

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What if you knew you had a friend somewhere in this world who had a sanctuary, his very own place, a piece of land that he himself owned, and where none of the world's turbulence and conflict could reach?

Where the people who lived there were just nice to each other, listened and respected each other. Where peace, tranquility and happiness prevailed. A place you knew you could go to if things got too crazy, a place you were welcome to, safe. Free. In this place, you did not have to worry anymore, did not have to plan, brace yourself or protect yourself from everything possible; personal attacks, physical attacks, natural disasters, or attacks by corrupt leaders.

What if you learned that these burdens of yours did not have to be on your shoulders anymore, day in and day out? That they’re not yours to solve. That the world around you is happening anyway, and that you cannot do anything about it anyway. That true shelter exists. It is not an illusion. It exists.

But the truth is that “There is no place on earth like home”. Home is not to be found ‘on earth’.

This talk sprang from Ruben’s intense feeling of longing for home when he especially sees snowy mountain peaks in the horizon, feeling that “The mountains are calling, I must go”. What is this calling, where does it come from, and does such a place exist where there is no worry, fear, or anxiety? Where is home?

In our first episode of 2022, we invite you to join the greatest and most important journey of all, the journey of finding home.

Highlights:

• (2:37) The real meaning of ’The mountains are calling, I must go’. You can’t long for something that does not exist.
• (7:05) The search for the perfect love is intrinsic to us. Story of the father of a friend of Balakhilya leaving his body, saying “The game is over, I’m going home now.”
• (16:22) Why we might feel like “I’ve been here before”; the material world is just the temporary mirror reflection of the real thing, the spiritual world.
• (25:05) We try to find our roots through journeys back in history, but to really understand our roots we need to go back to the truth that I’m a spirit soul
• (37:55) We have a real home. The biblical story of the prodigal son; love is fathomless, it has no bottom
• (50:10) Home is where the heart is—with the Supreme Being—because that’s where the heart really is. We’ve just forgotten that.

Recorded on August 30, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/28

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The world around us is changing rapidly. And many of us feel great stress & worry as a result. But actually, feeling stressed and in anxiety in a changing world is natural for the spirit soul. Just as it is natural for fish to be suffering and unhappy when he is not in the water.

So how to truly find a shelter in the storm? How can I live fearlessly, deal with the grief of losing someone, or find myself in the middle of all of this? In today’s talk we discuss how to adapt to a changing world;

“What is unnatural is not the suffering, but the spirit soul’s being here in the material world. What is unnatural is not that the soul is unhappy here. But the fact that the soul is here”

Highlights:

• (1:55) We’ve got to learn to deal with different changes on different levels; hardships in life come in many different ways.
• (7:53) Spiritual life is a gradual process that requires acceptance and knowledge coming from someone who is a real authority
• (13:40) “What's unnatural is not the suffering, but the spirit soul’s being here in the material world.”
• (22:52) Mercy, care and concern for others is part of the soul's true nature. But we need to operate with true love and compassion without getting attached.
• (33:36) Society should be oriented in a direction of harmonising with the Absolute Truth and with nature. Harmony, peace, freedom from fear, etc, doesn't come by following a self-centered lifestyle.
• (43:18) Materially adjusting to change is not enough, there needs to be a knowing that “I’m spirit soul, I’m not the body”
• (46:57) If you want to change, you need to adapt a new way of feeling, thinking, and willing; and engage in lifestyle practices that will bring about the change

Recorded on December 4, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/27

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It sometimes seems like the whole world is going full speed off track. With no proper spiritual leadership guiding the way forward, moral standards have been replaced by ‘just do what you feel like’. In part 2 of Finding a Spiritual Guide, we discuss how you and me can be lights in the world, an inspiration for others.

As an ancient Vedic text states, “Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues” (Bhagavad-gita As It Is, 3:21).

Highlights:

• (5:30) Moral guidelines & rules enable us to make a free choice in which direction we want to go, instead of automatically being pulled toward a negative direction
• (7:02) All too often when we interact with people, we're trying to draw attention to ourselves. We should instead communicate; “Put your attention on spiritual growth and accomplishments, make this your horizon.”
• (12:23) The story of professional Slovenian snowboarder Marko Grilc, who recently died in an accident during filming. At the time of death, what have we accomplished?
• (16:52) An action is worth 1000 words; how we can be a force for good by being an influencer of positive values & morals.
• (19:43) As the world is designed to be imperfect, there’s no such thing as material perfection
• (24:33) Understanding “I’m not the body” is a huge step toward spiritual perfection

Recorded on November 29, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/26

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Polar night has just started at Ruben’s house in Tromsø, Norway—the sun is gone and will be back by the end of January again. This, together with the outdoor temperatures of -18°C, inspired us to cosy up about the fireplace and speak about how to be able to maintain an inner warmth through cold and dark times, the importance of being adaptable in this world and how we tend to project happiness on things that really have no pleasure in them.

This all leads up to an inspiring story and discussion around how Balakhilya met his spiritual guide on a remote island in Hawaii, living in an old sugar cane camp house in the jungle with no running water or electricity (but with vegetables trees all around for his sustenance). And like he says, he realized that “… as far as the philosophy, and the direction in life, and understanding what is true and what is not—when I met these teachings, I just knew; ‘This is perfect. This has got all the answers, this includes everything I need to know. I don't have to look for anything else. I don't have to change.’”

You’ll hear us talk about how finding a spiritual guide is all about accepting that the Supreme Soul will arrange for to come into contact with such a person, at the proper time for us. We have to be able to trust in the higher plan, but also dare to actually trust in another person—which may be hard, since it seems like at soon as we start trusting somebody, we get burnt.

We end by speaking about how spiritual life is the real adventure; an exhilarating, ever-fresh, increasingly satisfying journey toward actual life.

Highlights:

• (4:41) Polar night has come to Tromsø; no sun for 2 months to come
• (9:06) In material life, we project pleasure on objects, situations, or relationships to actually experience pleasure there. But it’s just another dream, another projection.
• (11:05) We need wisdom to be able to know which things I need to put effort into changing in my life, and which things I just have to let be
• (16:58) How Balakhilya came to receive this way of life, living in the jungle on a remote Hawaiian Island in a sugar cane camp house without electricity or running water
• (23:40) Finding a spiritual guide is all about understanding that the Supreme Soul in within our hearts, and when he have a desire to come closer to the Absolute Truth; it will be arranged
• (28:54) How to make it so life is not gray and boring; embark the adventure of spiritual life and let the sun of internal happiness shine, though it disappears on the horizon

Recorded on November 29, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/25

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It is a fact that we humans have wrecked havoc on the planet. Not only are we causing irreversible changes to ecosystems all over the world, but also created societies plagued by greed, anger, and division. These are all results of our misusing the opportunity we have in the human form of life.

In today’s talk we speak about how humans have power above all other creatures, and it can be used for either good or bad. What separates humans from animals is our capacity for spiritual realization—escaping the entanglement of material existence, and working for the wellbeing of all sentient beings on this planet. The fact is, we are eternal spirit souls in temporary material bodies. But when we identify with the material body, this immediately produces conflict—We struggle with material nature because we don't want to die.

Tune in and hear how and why scriptures advise us not to waste the human form of life. Actually, this life form is very rare; in each and every plant and animal there is a person, a living entity. The souls transmigrate from one body to another, from lower to higher forms of life, with the accompanying consciousness that goes with that form. The human form of life is the facility through which we can escape this wheel of birth and death.

You’ll hear some perhaps difficult truths in today’s talk; including how if we don't use the human form of life for spiritual realization, we go back to the lower forms of life. And it can take millions of births to get a human body again. But if we try to use this life for developing God consciousness, then even if we don't have a complete success we still get another human body in the next life to continue our development.

According to the Vedas, just because one has a human body it doesn't mean that one is a human; the definition of a human is when one uses the human form of life to enquire about the Absolute Truth. If all one is doing with his human body consists of animal activities (eating, sleeping, mating and defending), one hasn't done anything human yet. Balakhilya also mentions how the teachings of all great acharyas is to follow the path of spiritual realization, not to look for material development; because God provides all material resources that humans need.

Actually, spiritual fulfillment and satisfaction is the true happiness. There is no substitute for the real purpose of human life—the greatest welfare activity is to teach this truth to others.

Highlights:

• (11:34) The human form of life is not meant for cheap happiness. In the human form of life, we have the facility to obtain eternal unlimited happiness through spiritual realization.
• (17:21) Just like animals, we have our particular purpose, our place to fill in the universe. But if we don’t know about that purpose, and not act upon it, we are therefore not living in harmony.
• (26:14) What makes humans human? The difference between the human form of life and the lower forms of life.
• (46:54) When we identify ourselves as this body, we experience a conflict between our eternal spiritual nature and the temporary nature of this body.
• (50:50) The human form of life is very rare and should not be wasted. There is a natural evolution of the soul and once we reach the human form, karma, attachment and desires dictate what form of life we get next.

Recorded on August 2, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/24

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‘Mindfulness’ has become a buzzword that is used both in business world (often as a means to achieve material success) as well among spiritual seekers (often as a means to quiet the mind). But the fact is, most mindfulness techniques are not spiritual at all; just being mindful of the present does not satisfy the soul. And whether mindfulness is spiritually beneficial or not depends upon what one is mindful of.

So what is the real importance and function of mindfulness, and how can it help us in our quest for self-discovery? Why should I practice mindfulness?

In today’s talk we take a closer look at the (perhaps) inconvenient truth about mindfulness. We speak about how this podcast presents truths that most people are not speaking about, because they are somehow inconvenient. But if you really want to know the truth, then this podcast is for you. We also discuss how there are many spiritual teachers who have a good intention, but also have a limited knowledge about the goal of life. Therefore, they can only lead people to a certain level - and not to the ultimate destination.

Mindfulness means to focus the mind on a particular subject matter. Many times it is used for the end goal of some kind of material material, or just to quiet the thoughts. But if you tune in, you’ll hear Balakhilya explain how the goal is to be mindful of, or focused on, the Absolute Truth - that we are spirit souls, part and parcel of the Supreme Soul. And being mindful of our relationship to the Supreme Cause allows us to awaken the spiritual love inherent in all of us.

Highlights:

• (1:24) A spiritual teacher can only take you as far as their understanding goes, though their intention and motive does matter. But the heart knows; there’s nothing superior to loving devotion.
• (7:55) Practicing being mindful about the right things is essential in the spiritual journey
• (13:08) Spiritual techniques to train our mind to be mindful of the truth
• (20:05) The degradation of family and authority in society is now a stumbling block in seeing the true function of a spirit soul, and attaining absolute mindfulness
• (31:32) With knowledge and intelligence, we can gradually train the mind to see things in the proper perspective and take steps to go in the direction of our goal
• (41:15) Balakhilya shares a short story about how to engage in fulfilling activities while being mindful of others needs, according to our true nature. Some look forward to retirement from work, but satisfaction comes from providing true value.

Recorded on July 19, 2021. Read episode transcript on https://breakingtrail.life/podcast/23

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