Simple Living, High Thinking

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[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 18-23]

Time stamps and topics:

4:50 - Ch 5, Text 18 is one of the most popular verses in our tradition. This verse talks of having equal vision in the world which is so applicable in our present day.

7:20 - Breaking down Text 18 - why Krishna uses these specific examples to highlight his point. Krishna talks about 'highest' human behaviors to the 'lowest' human behaviors and how we should view them without judgment. Even an atheist can benefit from viewing the world in equanimity.

16:00 - It may sound like Krishna is giving a hierarchy in a judgmental divisive way. However, Krishna is bringing up specific categories like this so that we can't misinterpret his point. These specifics were prevalent in Eastern society when the Gita was spoken (~5000 yrs ago), and the concepts are applicable to our Western society (i.e. a dog-eater vs a chicken-eater).

22:00 - How vegetarianism goes hand in hand with a spiritual practice.

29:05 - What is the point of being vegetarian? Why do it?

37:00 - The effects of eating meat from an 'energy' perspective. How ingesting fear, adrenaline, and despair in animals (about to be killed) is now put into the human body when eating meat.

Tukaram Prabhu's 10/16/2020 Bhagavad Gita class: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/353687349206256

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

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[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 16-17]

Time stamps and topics:

7:09 - Engaging the senses for a higher purpose. The traditional yogi's use their body and senses to help purify their souls. Using what we have for a higher purpose allows us to become purified.

10:24 - It's impossible for us to understand something higher if we don't have a focal point that is 'closer' to us. Like a small ant trying to understand a relationship with an elephant. We learn through analogies and concepts we relate to in order to understand higher spiritual principles.

13:55 - The only way we can see things clearly is through the knowledge that is given to us, through grace. We gain knowledge from spiritual teachers and bonafide gurus, who have walked the path before us.

19:39 - Prabhupad's purport further expanding on the texts

24:06 - Gross matter vs subtle matter

30:34 - The benefits of a spiritual community with qualified teachers with regards to our spiritual growth

31:29 - Why did God not create us with all the knowledge we need to know everything about him?

32:19 - Why should we seek out a guru who is another human being just like me? Why do I need to go through another person in order to connect with God?

48:59 - What does it mean to have the mind fixed on God?

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

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[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 14-16]

Time stamps and topics:

6:30 - The idea of a pure soul theology, where everyone at the soul level is pure. Comparisons of Original Sin versus a pure soul theology. The implications of religions driven by fear.

10:50 - If we embrace a pure soul theology, are rapists and murderers pure souls as well?

14:45 - The problem of evil: Where does evil come from?

19:08 - The best version of love. Why does God give us so much free will, as opposed to limiting our choices so that we don't make harmful choices?

23:40 - What is meant by ignorance in the Gita? The varying degrees of ignorance and how it takes us down a dark path.

26:35 - The cycle of karma as it relates to suffering and evil

31:00 - Forgetfulness as it relates to ignorance. We are given free will, and we have the freedom to make 'good' or 'bad' choices. When we make choices that take us away from God, we have forgetfulness of who we are as spirit souls.

43:10 - An analogy for how the soul is covered by ignorance. How the pure soul gets contaminated over time.

56:29 - Where do I come from, and where do I go when I die? When we die, is that the end of me, or does my consciousness continue to exist? Further conversations on consciousness.

60:18 - The cycle of incarnations, types of bodies, heavenly planets, hellish planets, and the journey of consciousness.

Tukaram Prabhu's 9/25/2020 Gita class: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/362238658304135

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 10-13]

Time stamps & topics:

02:00 The culture Arjuna lived in further explained - those who engaged in the material world and those who renounced the world.

15:35 The integrity of Arjuna and why he repeatedly questioned Krishna when faced with the prospect of going into battle against his own family members.

20:55 The life of a sannyasi (renunciate) in Arjuna's culture

26:15 Krishna being an exemplary teacher and Arjuna as the ideal student. The importance of humility when we are students with qualified teachers.

34:10 Ch 5, text 11 - What does it mean to give "everything" to God?

41:55 Krishna explains the way by which you can attain peace

ISKCON Laguna Beach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 8-9]

Time stamps & topics:

11:04 Texts 8-9

12:44 The purity of the soul versus the material body

18:40 The relationship of the bodily senses, the mind, the intelligence, and the soul, as illustrated in a picture.

21:56 The first part of the texts are talking about input senses and taking information in. The second part of the texts are referring to output senses and how we act in the world.

28:58 Ch 2, text 62-63 - Krishna explaining to Arjuna how the soul gets entangled in the material world. How we're not attached to the material world if we have the right mindset.

37:55 Can we justify bad actions by saying that we're not the body? If I'm a pure spiritual soul, why am I still suffering and experiencing karmic reactions?

48:00 Lust is not limited to sexual desires. Lust is associated with anything material for your own gratification. Lust, thirst, and desire are used interchangeably here.

59:45 If you spend time educating yourself on how not to get entangled in this world, you can make a difference. Acting in this world with integrity. How spirituality goes hand in hand with our material life when our goal is integrity.

Tukaram Prabhu's 9/11/2020 Bhagavad Gita class: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/414570912857622

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Text 7]

Time Stamps & Topics: 1:55 Overview of what Ch 5 is about

8:35 What is a sannyasi? Discussion of the difference between sannyasi's in the Gita and sannyasi's within ISKCON (Int'l Society of Krishna Consciousness).

15:43 The lifestyle of Vaisnava gurus and followers of bhakti yoga

33:53 Text 7 sanskrit

39:00 Senses we use for 'input' and senses we use for 'output'. How the mind is ultimately in control of all of our senses.

47:55 Prabhupad's purport (explanation) of Text 7. It's impossible to control our senses if our mind is not controlled. Intelligence controls the mind, and it's impossible to control our intelligence if we're not aligned to something higher.

57:03 The nuances of being a professional translator. How to capture what is being said versus literal translation. Varangi Radha is a professional translator for the court system. Hear her take on what the job of a translator entails.

1:00:00 Translation versus interpretation.

1:19:15 The methodology of Srila Prabhupad's translations

Tukaram Prabhu's 9/4/2020 Bhagavad Gita class: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/632785617655344

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 5, Texts 1-6]

Time stamps & topics:

5:41: There's certain terminology in the Gita that can best be understood if left in the original language. Renouncing work (sannyas) and work with devotion (karma-yoga). Arjuna is asking Krishna which is better, sannyas or yoga.

9:15: Krishna answers Arjuna's question, but doesn't stop there. He expands on the answer to get Arjuna to ponder the answer. By Krishna expanding on the answer and giving more details, Krishna is wanting us to use our intelligence to see how he came to this answer.

15:25: Krishna is incorporating cognitive and behavioral concepts. Merely having knowledge (cognitive) or only acting properly (behavioral) is not as desired as acting based upon transcendental knowledge. By deepening of this knowledge, your action starts to become more pure. Whatever you are learning should be mirrored by your actions.

29:54: Prabhupad's purport in Text 5, on sankhya and yoga - The real purpose of sankhya is to find the ultimate goal of life. An individual's actions must be in some relationship with the Supreme. Determining what to detach from (matter) and what to attach to (Krishna).

34:35: What makes "Bhagavad Gita As It Is" the #1 translation of the Bhagavad Gita.

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 4, Texts 39-42]

Time stamps and topics:

13:03 Is it a blessing or a curse that we come into each life with amnesia of past lives?

25:50 The mercy of God played out in Christian teachings.

31:20 Faith is required as part of the spiritual journey. The distinctions between blind faith versus knowledgeable faith.

36:40 Faith is not something that happens overnight. Faith must be present in everything we do, whether in material or spiritual life.

50:40 How do we start to build faith? Krishna gives guidance for how we can start to build faith in something higher.

56:30 The reciprocal loving relationship that unfolds with the mercy of a guru.

Tukaram Prabhu's Bhagavad Gita class (08/21/2020): https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/1138973266496681

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

[Bhagavad Gita As It Is, Ch 4, Text 33]

Time stamps & topics:

06:50 Krishna highlights the power of doing the right thing for the right reasons.

11:15 The evolution of yajna - Krishna describes yajna in Chapter 3 as doing the right action but being attached to the results. Now Krishna introduces jnana yajna, which is right action with knowledge - doing the right thing for the right reason.

21:00 What is the Hare Krishna mantra (i.e. Maha mantra) and what does it mean? Why do we chant the Maha mantra?

27:00 Our natural role as Krishna's loving servants

31:50 Why chanting is so challenging for devotees

39:48 What Krishna desires from us as an offering

Tukaram Prabhu's Bhagavad Gita class (08/14/2020): https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/707024670029002

Tukaram Prabhu's Instagram: @tukaram.das

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app!

[Bhagavad Gita, Ch 4, Texts 19-23]

Time stamps & topics:

4:30 Krishna starts to explain what a spiritually advanced person looks like. How this person is engaged in the world.

9:10 Krishna calls us to be independent, but what does this independence mean?

17:25 How dependence can be a positive experience. Krishna is a person that we can develop a relationship with - how should we develop that relationship? How would you pursue a relationship with a friend?

25:10 How to be a self-realized person

33:20 Krishna Consciousness is universal in guiding us how to approach spiritual advancement.

38:15 The genesis of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam - moving from polytheism to monotheism and "my God vs your God" mentalities. In the East, religion is more harmonized in acknowledging similar spiritual goals. Some religions believe in impersonalism, where you become one with God and lose your individuality. Other religions believe in a personal God, where you (and God) retain your individual consciousness.

45:50 The Bhagavad Gita's approach to Oneness

54:50 Why Text 24 cannot point to Absolute Oneness

Tukaram Prabhu's Bhagavad Gita class (07/31/2020) - Ch 4, Texts 19-23: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/315414166249359

Tukaram Prabhu's Bhagavad Gita class - 08/07/2020 - Ch 4, Texts 24-34: https://www.facebook.com/lagunabeachtemple/videos/735072997330771

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/simpleliving108 Instagram: https://instagram.com/simpleliving108 Website: http://simplelivinghighthinking.net

To get your own copy of the Bhagavad Gita, or any of Srila Prabhupad's books, please visit: https://lagunatemplebooks.org/. All donations go toward the cost of the books and supporting the temple. Thank you!