Yoga Wisdom with Acharya das

• #277 Part 2 - A Spiritual Awakening with Kirtan Meditation - Q&A

  This is Q&A interaction with the audience from the previous talk where Acharya Das explores profound spiritual concepts from Vedic philosophy, focusing on meditation, reincarnation, self-realization, and the nature of consciousness. He emphasizes the transformative power of Kirtan meditation as a daily practice that can lead to spiritual awakening. He addresses questions about the soul's journey between death and rebirth, explaining that the time between lives is subjective and depends on one's consciousness. He discusses how karma (action) and its fruits determine our future experiences and bodies, noting that those who transcend material desires can break the cycle of reincarnation. Acharya Das elaborates on the three features of the Absolute Truth (Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan) and their relationship to self-realization. He explains that our natural position is as servants of God rather than being self-centered, and that loving service aligns with our spiritual nature. Throughout the session, he stresses the importance of controlling one's mind rather than being controlled by it, and concludes by encouraging attendees to develop a consistent meditation practice, even if just for 10 minutes daily. The questions which were asked:Q: You spoke about birth, death and rebirth. I really would like to learn more about the time in between death and rebirth, the life between life there, what happens, where's the soul, what?Q: What's the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?Q: I'm a little bit naive, but I would like to hear a little bit more about reincarnation. ‎Q: Could you say something about the relationship between self-realization and God-realization?Q: How would you speak to an asleep person, unawakened, who is approaching the end of their life experience and is gripped by the fear of death? ‎Q: I was interested in what you said about the mantras being from an authentic spiritual master, something to that extent.Q: On Friday you touched on free will and you said that we're not really doing anything, it's not in our control. What's that last part? It's not in our control, free will. It's not in our control. What is not in our control? Any actions we do is already written. In what way is it not in our control? It's all destiny. You mentioned a bit about the balance between our free will.Q: What does it mean to be a servant of God and how one can become one?Q: Yeah, just wondering, just with earthquakes and flooding and stuff like that, is that God sending a message? Or how does that all sort of work? ‎

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• # 276 A Spiritual Awakening with Kirtan Meditation

  Namaste. This talk explores the experience of spiritual awakening through kirtan meditation, presented from a Vedic perspective. Acharya das discusses how humanity is largely asleep to their true spiritual nature, mistakenly identifying with temporary material bodies rather than recognizing themselves as eternal spiritual beings. He explains that people continually seek happiness in material existence but never truly find it, as material life is characterized by impermanence and ultimately ends in death. He introduces meditation as immersion in transcendental sound rather than merely a mental activity, contrasting this approach with traditional meditation practices such as the Ashtanga Yoga practices that require extraordinary discipline. Kirtan meditation is presented as an accessible yet powerful method of spiritual awakening particularly suited for the current age (Kali Yuga). Acharya das emphasizes the importance of receiving spiritual mantras through proper lineages to ensure their potency and explains the meaning behind the Hare Krishna mantra as a prayer seeking connection with the supreme spiritual reality. The talk concludes by contrasting the ascending path of spiritual practice (based on personal effort) with the descending path (based on grace and revelation). There is then a Q&A interaction with the audience which is in the next video.

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• #275 Reincarnation: A Second Chance or Stuck on a Treadmill?

  This talk on reincarnation takes a different angle from our earlier discussion in the Bhagavad-gita Wisdom Series. Last time, we explored how we came to have our present body. In this session, we shift the focus to discussing two common ideas about reincarnation — that it offers a second chance to “get things right,” or that it’s like being stuck on an endless treadmill. As part of the discussion we also delve into the Vedic perspective on the repeated cycle of birth and death, known as saṁsāra.The link to the ancient Vedic story about Jaḍa Bharata which I mentioned in the talk is here:Mistaking a Saint for a Fool – Jada Bharata - https://open.spotify.com/episode/0pwBt4zs0EqWUDMmWYNURx?si=5QF4-a-IRNGhBGw_GIpyvQ The Vedic verses I quote in this talk: As the embodied soul continuously passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. A sober person is not bewildered by such a change. - Bhagavad-gītā 2.13As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones. - Bhagavad-gītā 2.22Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail. - Bhagavad-gītā 8.6The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas. - Bhagavad-gītā 15.8The caterpillar transports itself from one leaf to another by capturing one leaf before giving up the other. Similarly, according to his previous work, the living entity must capture another body before giving up the one he has. This is because the mind is the reservoir of all kinds of desires. - Bhāgavata Purāṇa 4.29.76-77The living entity, thus taking another gross body, obtains a certain type of ear, tongue, and nose and sense of touch, which are grouped about the mind. He thus enjoys a particular set of sense objects. - Bhagavad-gītā 15.9When the living entity passes from the present body to the next body, which is created by his own karma, he becomes absorbed in the pleasurable and painful sensations of the new body and completely forgets the experience of the previous body. This total forgetfulness of one’s previous material identity, which comes about for one reason or another, is called death. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 11.22.39Other online resources about this topicReincarnation the ins and the Outs - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/acharya-das/episodes/182-Reincarnation--the-Ins-and-the-Outs-e1gju35 Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People? – Understanding Reincarnation - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/acharya-das/episodes/150-Why-Do-Bad-Things-Happen-to-Good-People-e1giggf Purpose, Reincarnation, and Suffering – an online Q&A session - https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/acharya-das/episodes/177-Purpose--Reincarnation--and-Suffering---an-online-QA-session-e1gjsmn

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• #274 Journey of the Soul - Part 2 Q&A

  This is the second part of a talk given in Adelaide, Australia. It is a Q&A session with the following questions:Q: You were talking earlier about every seven years, which I know of, that our cells die and are all renewed. But I've always thought of that as just being the physical body that's changing. I'm interested in whether the mind, the thoughts, the memories - I don't think that changes.Q: I want to know your thoughts in terms of connecting with others who don't share the same spiritual practice.Q: Can you explain God realization for those who haven't attained that? ‎Q: Why do most yogis who achieve self-realization have a child-like nature? How to get that child-like nature back? ‎Q: How do you describe truth?Q: How can we cope with our own ego in daily life while practicing these teachings?Q: What's the difference between soul and consciousness?

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• #273 Journey of the Soul - A Meditative Path to Purpose

  This is a talk from a 2025 Australian tour.In this talk Acharya das explores the concept of the soul and the journey of self-realization from a Vedic perspective. He explains that according to Vedic understanding, we don't "have" souls - we ARE souls, eternal spiritual beings temporarily residing in physical bodies. He emphasizes that identifying with our temporary physical bodies leads to suffering, while understanding our true spiritual nature is the foundation of genuine spirituality and happiness. Acharya das defines materialism not as the hunger for material things, but as the idea that "I am material" i.e. I am my body, and contrasts materialism with spirituality (understanding oneself as an eternal spiritual being having a temporary material experience). He discusses how self-centeredness, which has become increasingly normalized in modern society, leads to unhappiness, while acts of kindness align with our true spiritual nature. He criticizes how technology, particularly smartphones and social media, has exacerbated self-centeredness and contributed to rising mental health issues. The talk concludes by advocating for meditation as immersion in transcendental sound, which can help purify the heart and mind, bringing clarity and helping us break free from material illusions. He presents the journey of self-realization and God-realization as the true purpose of human life.

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