Recorded on May 15, 2021 How we see the past shapes our understanding of the present. Scholarship defines the past as something shaped by temporal human forces, primarily politics, power, and market trends. Wisdom traditions, on the other hand, see the past as shaped by universal, timeless truths. In this dialog, religious studies professor Ravi Gupta and host Joshua Greene explore competing narratives of the past, their impact on the present and their role in shaping humanity’s future. Ravi M. ...
Jun 18, 2021•1 hr 26 min
[[:encoded, "Elsie Maio joins Joshua for a talk about spirituality in the workplace.\n\ngitawisdom.org"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
May 31, 2021•1 hr 29 min
[[:encoded, "This month we speak with renowned artist/writer/filmmaker, Iain McCaig.\n\nIain McCaig and Joshua Greene have a forty-year history as collaborative storytellers. Whether to entertain or enlighten, their relationship sprang from a mutual desire to create stories to remember and share them with the world, Join them for an intimate conversation about creation and collaboration, of a forty-year journey to tell an ever-changing version of ’The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ and the story of ‘Ha...
May 07, 2021•1 hr 27 min
A talk about the confluence of Bhakti teachings and contemporary family and personal therapy. Topics include: - The pathologies that accompany a life of devotion - Translating terms of devotion into modern clinical language - Risks and rewards on the journey to selfhood Part of a new monthly interview series: In Good Company. Guest Speaker For 25 years, Cristina Casanova (Krishna Lila) was Assistant Director of Guidance for the New York City Department of Education with a focus on crisis managem...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 28 min
[[:encoded, "An inner-city shooting, a yoga class in Qatar, a WWF wrestling match, and battling the voices in our own heads. These are just a few of the topics Joshua and Jules cover in this podcast and there's a story about how yoga connects them all.\n\nJules is a renowned teacher of asana yoga, meditation, chanting, and yoga philosophy. Jules, who started practicing yoga at age 6, is now considered one of the leading teachers of the Jivamukti Yoga method, teaching the method worldwide as well...
Nov 05, 2020•50 min
[[:encoded, "Show notes: gitawisdom.org/podcasts\nRecorded on June 16, 2020, via Zoom. To join the live conversation, visit bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Oct 04, 2020•24 min
[[:encoded, "Recorded @June 9, 2020, via Zoom. To join the live conversation, visit bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Jul 28, 2020•27 min
[[:encoded, "Joshua Greene and Martin Fleming (Akhandadhi) discuss the recent findings in consciousness studies, the nature of consciousness, the study of subjective experience.\n\nShow notes: gitawisdom.org/podcasts\nRecorded July 7, 2020, via Zoom. To join the live conversation, visit bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Jul 13, 2020•26 min
[[:encoded, "Featuring special guest Kamala Radha. A fascinating conversation about the duties of an interfaith death doula and some very practical advice. A few of the topics covered:\n- end-of-life care\n- caring for the caretakers\n- the Death Positive Movement\n- creating a legacy\n- finding meaning in loss\n- grief support\n- how to talk to kids about death\n\nShow notes: gitawisdom.org/podcasts\nRecorded June 30, 2020, via Zoom. To join the live conversation, visit bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] ...
Jul 03, 2020•41 min
[[:encoded, "-Does yoga have a place in the conversation amidst protests and violence?\n-A change in policy doesn't mean a change in the heart.\n-Relief from miseries is not the goal of yoga, but a starting point.\n-What does it mean to live a yogic life?\n\nA note: At the time of this recording, demonstrations have erupted across all 50 states to protest police brutality after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police. This class was recorded the day after President Trump ordered federal...
Jun 09, 2020•25 min
[[:encoded, "How do you steady the mind like a lamp in a windless place? In this session we talk about\n- meditating on Krishna in the heart\n- the faults of individualism\n- importance of community\n- the connection between improv and the Gita's description of a steady mind\n- not resisting discomfort\n\nShow notes: gitawisdom.org/podcasts\nRecorded May 26, 2020, via Zoom. To join the live conversation, visit bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Jun 01, 2020•31 min
[[:encoded, "How do we live up to the ideal character of people from the Gita and Bhagavatam or the examples set by enlightened gurus?\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast.\nFor information on attending a class, visit www.facebook.com/pg/gitawisdomteachings/events."]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
May 21, 2020•33 min
[[:encoded, "-Equanimity takes a lifetime of training\n-Uncovering the underlying issues\n-The value of mediation training\n\nShow notes: gitawisdom.org/podcasts\nRecorded May 12, 2020, via Zoom. To join the live conversation, visit bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
May 16, 2020•23 min
[[:encoded, "-Yoga is self-evaluation of the highest order\n-Don't be a fanatic - take the middle path\n-Sincere effort attracts a teacher\n-Regulate your behavior\n-Making the distinction between what we want and what others expect\n-The Gita gives you more to discover each time you go back to it\n\nShow notes at gitawisdom.org/podcasts\nWant to join the classes live on Zoom? Go to bit.ly/GitaClassInfo"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
May 08, 2020•22 min
[[:encoded, "The discussion continues about the nature of an inner life and giving up attachments. BG 5.22-5.25 \nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast. \n\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook.\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. \nRecorded at EverVeda on June 27, 2019.\nRunning time: 33 minutes"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Jun 27, 2019•34 min
[[:encoded, "Detachment is often misunderstood. It doesn't mean we don't experience emotions or that we withdraw from the world; it's quite the opposite. We'll talk about what detachment really means and how to cultivate that quality. BG 5.19-5.21\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast. Questions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook.\n\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.\nRecorded at EverVeda on June 6, 2019."]] Visit ...
Jun 24, 2019•43 min
[[:encoded, "What is a guru? Who is qualified? How does one find a guru? What is the relationship between guru and disciple? What are the qualifications of the disciple? And more.\n\nWeek 31 of the Long Island Gita Wisdom Series recorded on May 9, 2019.\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast.\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook.\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada."]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
May 20, 2019•35 min
[[:encoded, "Action, forbidden action, and inaction and the resulting karmic reactions are covered. We discuss the different kinds of karma, how karma plays out over lifetimes, and whether or not we, as spiritual practitioners, are obliged to assume greater social responsibilities. Lastly, we touch on the psychology of karma. BG 4.16-4.18\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast.\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook. \nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As I...
May 10, 2019•45 min
[[:encoded, "Michael White is a senior Rabbi at Temple Sinai in Roslyn, NY. He joins our Gita class to talk about the role people of faith bring to social activism. \n--------------\ngitawisdom.org/podcast"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Apr 04, 2019•1 hr 11 min
[[:encoded, "Topics:\n-Varna-ashram system (the four castes and four life stages)\n-Vedic conception of work and distribution of wealth\n\nAdditional topics:\n-Becker's \"The Denial of Death\" and it's parallels to the teachings of the Gita\n-Agha, the terrible demon\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast.\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook.\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami\nPrabhupada."]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.or...
Oct 04, 2018•55 min
Summary Who and what are the demigods and what is their role? Topics include: - Worship of the demigods - How demigods differ from Krishna and his avatars Other topics: - The intention behind service - Yogi scientist Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa) - The mysterious universe and yogic powers - How to develop love of God We are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Visit us at GitaWisdom.org...
Sep 27, 2018•35 min
[[:encoded, "Director of the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, Shaunaka Rishi visits our class for an enlightening chat with Joshua about the Bhagavad Gita, Vedic culture, interfaith communication, dogma, and a variety of other topics."]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Aug 30, 2018•30 min
[[:encoded, "Deity worship is sometimes confused with idolatry. This brief Q&A addresses the differences and some of the history.\n\nRecorded during Long Island Series, Week 15 (August 9, 2018)"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Aug 10, 2018•8 min
[[:encoded, "Why do we become apathetic about spiritual practices? Rational excuses can disguise deeper causes. Bhakti practices, in particular, challenge us to confront our material discomforts—and often it is easier to pretend we are “One”. We should take care not to avoid the very relief we seek. [BG 4.9, 4.10]\n\nTopics include:\n - An explanation of \"ego\" or How material ego differs from the spiritual self\n - Why people reject the idea of an eternal self\n - Why people reject the idea of...
Aug 09, 2018•50 min
[[:encoded, "BG 4.7 explains that Krishna appears in this world when there is a decline in morality, a rise in violence, when leaders rule against the well-being of their citizens. The current state of the world seems to fit this description. So, where is Krishna now?\n\nTopics include:\n- Krishna’s purpose for appearing in the world\n- The different avatars of Krishna\n\nAdditional topics include:\n- How do we know Krishna is the Supreme? Why take him at his word? \n- A brief telling of Krishna...
Jul 26, 2018•37 min
[[:encoded, "Arjuna, who grew up with Krishna, questions how Krishna taught the science of the self to the sun god at the dawn of time. [BG 4.4 - 4.6]\n\nTopics include:\n - The role of karma in shaping our lives and bodies\n - Why we don’t remember our past lives\n - What happens when we are liberated\n - The story of Jada Bharata\n\nAdditional topics include:\n - Three obstacles to chanting\n - The story of Kalman Shapira, the rebbe of the Warsaw Ghetto\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisd...
Jul 12, 2018•40 min
[[:encoded, "Until now, Krishna has not given any hints as to his true identity. In Chapter 4 Krishna reveals he taught this ancient knowledge to the sun god at the dawn of the millennium. [BG 4.1 - 4.3]\n\nAdditional topics include:\n - An explanation of the invocation om namo bhagavate vasudevaya\n - The power of the Gita teachings for good and evil\n - The role of faith in understanding the Gita\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion...
Jun 28, 2018•30 min
[[:encoded, "Chapter 3 of the Gita points to the pathology of conditioned life and obstacles on the spiritual path. This class includes a summary of the Vedic story of Dhruva, the boy king who found God through meditation. Additional topics include:\n-How our spiritual knowledge can help us navigate life’s challenges\n-The role of guru\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is b...
Jun 21, 2018•47 min
Bhagavad Gita 3.21: The importance of good qualities in a leader. Topics include: - Developing good qualities - Krishna’s instructions on meditation We are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
Jun 09, 2018•47 min
[[:encoded, "Bhagavad Gita 3.6: Being honest about our spiritual capabilities.\nTopics include:\n - Realistically assessing our daily practice\n - A brief explanation of the four regulative principles\n - An explanation of the Hare Krishna mantra\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada"]] Visit us at GitaWisdom.org
May 21, 2018•24 min
