In this insightful episode of For Souls Sake podcast I’m excited to be joined with Kaustubha Das, a senior educator at the Bhakti Center in New York City and co-host of the Wisdom of the Sages podcast. Our primary focus is to unravel the often misunderstood concepts of spirituality and religion and their impact on individuals as well as society.

We begin the episode by exploring the definitions of religion and spirituality. Kaustubha Das shares his understanding of these terms, explaining that while religion often entails joining an organization or institution with a specific creed, rituals, and hierarchy, spirituality may include these aspects but does not necessarily require them. We discuss the increasing trend of individuals identifying as spiritual but not religious, a group that currently represents more than 30% of the population.

Our conversation delves into the various religious and spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Kaustubha Das provides his insights on how different cultures approach self-realization and salvation, and we discuss the teachings of sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita. We venture into an examination of different sources of knowledge and delve into the concept of spiritual equality. We conclude by highlighting the transformative potential of spirituality for both individual lives and society at large.

Throughout the podcast, Kaustubha Das shares valuable advice on controlling the mind, navigating spiritual transformation, and the concept of being equipoised, a key quality in defining a spiritual person.

 

0:00:00 - Exploring Religion and Spirituality0:12:31 - Religion, Spirituality, and Self-Realization0:28:55 - Stepping Outside for Spiritual Enrichment0:38:01 - Spirituality and Its Social Implications0:44:05 - Exploring Pramana and Spiritual Equality0:57:17 - Exploring Curiosity, Legacy, and Kindness

 

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