Yoga Wisdom with Acharya das

Why does criticism hurt us so much?
Often, it’s because we want the opposite: honour, approval and validation.
And the more we depend upon one, the more vulnerable we become to the other.
Ancient yoga wisdom offers another possibility — humility.
Not weakness.
Not low self-esteem.
Not allowing people to walk over you.
Humility means becoming free from the anxiety of needing others to honour us.
The Bhagavad-gītā teaches that genuine spiritual awakening changes our entire perspective. We begin to discover that we are not the body, not the mind, and not the constantly changing stories we tell ourselves about who we are.
From that understanding comes a very different kind of strength: the ability to remain steady amid praise and criticism, pleasure and pain, honour and dishonour.
This talk explores how humility, spiritual wisdom and daily meditation can help us gain mastery over the mind — and experience a deeper, more enduring happiness.
Perhaps the greatest victory isn’t conquering the world around us. It’s no longer being controlled by it.
Some verses that were quoted:

What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage. - Bhagavad-gītā 2.69
Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and evenmindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; …… Bhagavad-gītā 13.8-12
Humility means that one should not be anxious to have the satisfaction of being honored by others. The material conception of life makes us very eager to receive honor from others, but from the point of view of a man in perfect knowledge-who knows that he is not this body-anything, honor or dishonor, pertaining to this body is useless. One should not be hankering after this material deception. – ACBSP Purport Bhagavad-gītā 13.8-12
For one who has conquered the mind, the Supreme Soul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same. Bhagavad-gītā 6.7
Chapters
00:00:00 Spiritual vs. Material Consciousness: Opposites ‎
00:05:08 The Problem with Self-Love and Positive Self-Talk ‎
00:07:55 Qualities of a Transcendentalist ‎
00:14:39 Understanding True Humility ‎
00:23:39 Humility as a Spiritual Superpower: A Nuanced View ‎
00:33:20 Controlling the Mind and Achieving Equanimity ‎
00:43:57 The Lifeline Analogy and the Call to Practice ‎

Can you really love yourself? Or is the whole idea built on a misunderstanding of who you are?
Self-love has become one of the defining ideas of modern culture—but what if it can never deliver what it promises?
Drawing on the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gītā and ancient yoga philosophy, Acharya das explores why lasting happiness, freedom from loneliness, and genuine love begin not with the mind, but with discovering your true spiritual identity. He argues that the widespread embrace of self-love is fundamentally flawed because it rests on a misidentification of the self — confusing the eternal spiritual being with the temporary body and mind.
The ancient Vedic verses quoted in this talk.
O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness. Bhagavad-gītā 13.34
Just as fire, which burns and illuminates, is different from firewood, which is to be burned to give illumination, similarly the seer within the body, the self-enlightened spirit soul, is different from the material body, which is to be illuminated by consciousness. Thus the spirit soul and the body possess different characteristics and are separate things. - Bhāgavata Purāṇa 11.10.8
One who is enlightened in self-realization, although living within the material body, sees himself as transcendental to the body, just as one who has arisen from a dream gives up identification with the dream body. A foolish person, however, although not identical with his material body but transcendental to it, thinks himself to be situated in the body, just as one who is dreaming sees himself as situated in an imaginary body. - Bhāgavata Purāṇa 11.11.8
A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well. - Bhagavad-gītā 6.5
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction and Motivation for Discussing Self-Love ‎
00:01:22 Historical Context and Modern Development of Self-Love ‎
00:05:12 The Fundamental Question: Who or What is the Self? ‎
00:07:45 The Yogic Understanding of Self and Spiritual Identity ‎
00:09:36 The Root Cause of Suffering According to Yogic Teaching ‎
00:11:19 Materialism vs. Spiritual Understanding ‎
00:14:44 Scriptural Evidence: Consciousness Illuminates the Body ‎
00:17:40 The Universal Nature of Consciousness in All Life Forms ‎
00:21:59 The Dream Analogy and False Identification ‎
00:25:26 The Problem with Self-Love: Who Loves Whom? ‎
00:27:10 The Mind as Separate from the True Self ‎
00:29:00 Self-Sabotage and the Confusion of Identity ‎
00:31:46 Positive and Negative Self-Talk: Two Sides of the Same Coin ‎
00:34:43 The Yogic Approach: Immunity to Praise and Criticism ‎
00:40:22 The Mind as Friend or Enemy ‎
00:42:21 The Faculty of Intelligence (Buddhi) ‎
00:44:14 Practical Advice for Emotional Regulation ‎
00:47:28 The Definition and Nature of Love ‎
00:50:22 The Spiritual Perspective on Love and Relationship ‎
00:53:35 The Historical Shift in Psychology's View of Self-Love
00:56:08 The Spiritual Foundation of Worth and Value ‎
00:58:06 The Natural Desires of the Soul ‎
01:00:32 Critique of "Greatest Love of All" and Conclusion

This is the sixth and final talk in a series on well-being, emphasizing that materialistic approaches to addressing wellbeing only provide temporary relief from unhappiness or suffering, rather than permanent solutions. True well-being requires incorporating spiritual solutions, as attempts to address well-being without spirituality are fundamentally flawed. The speaker explained that in dharmic traditions, there is a fundamental formula where pain and suffering are related to ignorance, meaning the more one embraces false ideas about life, the more unhappiness results. The core issue identified was people's stubbornness in refusing to accept that the physical body is not their true identity, their true ‘self’, but rather a temporary dwelling for an eternal spiritual being.
Several guided meditations were offered as tools to aid a spiritual practice and the links are given below.
Quotes used in this talk:
When impurities are destroyed by practicing the eight limbs of yoga, enlightenment dawns, culminating in full knowledge of the self/atma. Yoga Sūtra 2.28
Control of the senses (yama), observance of rules (niyama), bodily postures (asana), regulation of the breath (pranayama), the withdrawal of the mind from sense objects (pratyahara), focusing the mind on a chosen object (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and complete absorption in trance (samadhi) are the eight limbs of yoga. Yoga Sūtra 2.29
Non-violence, truthfulness, not stealing, celibacy and freedom from possessiveness make up the yamas. Yoga Sūtra 2.30
These laws are universal and must be practiced without consideration of time, place, birth or circumstances. Together they constitute the "great vow" of life. Yoga Sūtra 2.31
The niyamas (observances) are internal and external purity, contentment, acceptance of austerity, the recitation of sacred mantras and study of Vedic texts, and complete devotion and surrender to God. Yoga Sūtra 2.32
The highest state of spiritual devotion/realization is attained by slow degrees by the method of constant endeavor for self-realization with the help of scriptural evidence, theistic conduct and perseverance in practice. - Śrī Brahma-saṁhitā 5.59
O son of Kuntī, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.- Bg 9.27

Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction to Well-being and Materialistic Limitations ‎
00:03:06 The Fundamental Formula of Dharmic Traditions ‎
00:05:19 The Reality of Death and Life's Purpose ‎
00:07:30 The Need for Spiritual Understanding ‎
00:10:41 False Identity and the Concept of Atma ‎
00:12:52 Consciousness Problems and Material Stimulation ‎
00:15:14 The Futility of Repeated Failed Approaches ‎
00:17:28 Sadhya and Sadhana: Goal and Process ‎
00:19:18 Liberation from Death Fear ‎
00:21:15 The Goal of Human Life ‎
00:22:43 Human Capacity for Higher Questions ‎
00:24:02 The Need for Regular Spiritual Practice ‎
00:26:04 Modern Addictions and Distractions ‎
00:29:10 The Eight Limbs of Yoga ‎
00:32:44 Yama: Ethical Restraints‎
00:35:51 Niyama: Observances‎
00:37:46 Sustainable Living and Spiritual Practice ‎
00:40:24 Gradual Spiritual Development‎
00:45:17 Essential Components of Sadhana‎
00:47:45 Hearing Spiritual Wisdom ‎
00:49:14 Integration of Spiritual Life ‎
00:50:34 Meditation Practice Guidelines ‎
00:53:15 Closing Thoughts on Spiritual Nature ‎

https://soundcloud.com/acharyadas/guided-meditation-for-inner-peace-wellbeing
https://soundcloud.com/acharyadas/sets/meditations-for-wellbeing
Kirtan
https://soundcloud.com/acharyadas/sweet-and-mellow-mahamantra
https://soundcloud.com/acharyadas/mahamantra_kirtan
https://soundcloud.com/acharyadas/sets/transcendental-sounds-1

This is the questions and answers that followed the previous talk, both from Glebe, Sydney and Thirroul which is south of Sydney.

Chapters
00:00:15 Language, Consciousness, and Spiritual Identity ‎
00:01:56 Three Pillars of Spiritual Practice ‎
00:03:29 Confronting Spiritual Reality and Finding Hope ‎
00:06:49 Global Interconnectedness and Finding Peace ‎
00:08:54 The Serenity Prayer as Spiritual Guidance ‎
00:11:37 Identifying What We Can and Cannot Control ‎
00:16:01 Material vs. Spiritual Sound Vibration ‎
00:22:01 The Heart's Spiritual Connection ‎
00:27:57 Breathing, Meditation, and Ancestral Knowledge ‎
00:34:17 Chaos, Spiritual Practice, and Life Choices

In a powerful and thought-provoking talk delivered in Sydney, Australia, Acharya das explores the dramatic transformation of human consciousness in the modern age and asks a confronting question: Why, despite unprecedented technological advancement and material comfort, are so many people experiencing anxiety, emptiness, and hopelessness? Drawing on alarming statistics surrounding depression, mental health crises, and the growing despair among younger generations, he presents a compelling analysis of a society that has become increasingly disconnected from inner peace and spiritual purpose.
Acharya das examines the profound psychological impact of modern technology, social media, and smartphone culture, revealing how people are not only consumers in the digital economy — but have themselves become the product. He explains how algorithms, data collection, and constant stimulation shape human behavior, fuel dissatisfaction, and intensify mental disturbance. He further critiques the institutionalization of greed and envy within modern economic systems, arguing that many societies actively cultivate endless consumption and comparison as drivers of economic growth, often at great cost to human wellbeing.
Contrasting this modern condition with the timeless wisdom of the Bhagavad-gītā, Acharya das offers a deeply hopeful alternative vision of life. He explains the yogic understanding that true peace does not arise from endlessly pursuing material desires, but from awakening spiritual consciousness and recognizing our deeper identity beyond the temporary body and restless mind. Using profound spiritual insights and practical guidance, he concludes by presenting meditation and mantra chanting as transformative daily practices capable of restoring clarity, balance, and genuine inner peace.
This illuminating presentation challenges conventional assumptions about happiness and progress while offering practical spiritual wisdom for anyone seeking meaning, resilience, and lasting peace in an increasingly restless world.
Chapters
00:00:00 Introduction: The Unprecedented Transformation of Human Consciousness ‎
00:03:58 The Smartphone Revolution and Loss of Human Connection ‎
00:06:15 The Economic Value of Peace and Generational Despair ‎
00:10:25 Misconceptions About Peace as a Commodity ‎
00:14:19 The Surveillance and Exploitation of Smartphone Users ‎
00:18:52 The Scale of Digital Advertising and Tech Company Revenue ‎
00:20:56 The Rise of Self-Centeredness and the Selfie Culture ‎
00:26:31 Historical Analysis: The Century of Self-Centeredness ‎
00:30:34 The Origins of Consumer Culture and Propaganda ‎
00:35:28 The Deliberate Shift from Needs to Desires Culture ‎
00:39:21 Economic Theory Promoting Envy and Greed ‎
00:41:40 Economic Critique and the Seeds of Destruction ‎
00:43:44 The Promise of Happiness Through Consumption ‎
00:46:58 The Influencer Economy and Children's Aspirations ‎
00:48:45 Ancient Yogic Wisdom: The Alternative Perspective ‎
00:52:52 The Necessity of Transcendental Connection ‎
00:54:38 The Fundamental Spiritual Principle‎
00:57:07 The Illusion of Physical Identity ‎
00:58:58 The Reality of Mortality and Spiritual Identity ‎
01:00:39 Spiritual Nutrition and Meditation Practice ‎
01:03:19 Conclusion: The Path to Genuine Peace