Gita Wisdom Teachings By Joshua M. Greene (yogesvara)

SummaryWho and what are the demigods and what is their role?Topics include:- Worship of the demigods- How demigods differ from Krishna and his avatarsOther topics:- The intention behind service- Yogi scientist Richard L. Thompson (Sadaputa)- The mysterious universe and yogic powers- How to develop love of GodWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaVisit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[: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

[[: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

[[: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 God as a person\n\nAdditional topics:\n - Meaning of the chant Govinda Jaya Jaya\n - The Nine Stages of Bhakti\n - The Bhagavad Gita as a non-sectarian text\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

[[: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’s birth and the lifting of Govardhan Hill \n- Street chanting\n- The arrival of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada\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

[[: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.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

[[: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 Group on Facebook\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada"]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[: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 by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada"]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org

Bhagavad Gita 3.21: The importance of good qualities in a leader.Topics include:- Developing good qualities- Krishna’s instructions on meditationWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaVisit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[: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

[[:encoded, "Third chapter Bhagavad Gita begins with a concise summary of how knowledge is attained and the formula for lasting prosperity (BG 3.3). \n\nAdditional topics include:\n - The cycle of ages: satya, treta, dvapara, and kali yugas.\n - Why do some people resist pursuing what would make them happy?\n - Who are the demigods (devas), what do they do and what is our relationship with them?\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

[[:encoded, "Are spiritual intuitions and rational thought antithetical or complimentary?\n\nTopics include:\n- Interviews with leading physicists on the existence of God\n- Questions and answers on the nature of devotional life\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

Understanding the guru-disciple relationship is critical to appreciating the conversation between Krishna and Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita.Topics include:- The role of guru- Approaching a guru- Responsibilities of the discipleAdditional topics include:- Radha: the embodiment of devotion- Krishna: the Source of all creationWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaVisit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[:encoded, "This week we summarized topics from the previous three classes. Topics include:\n - The purpose of yoga\n - The symptoms of life\n - The impersonal brahman\n - The distortion of Krishna’s pastimes\n\nAdditional topics include:\n - Brahma’s creation story and the Govinda Prayers\n - How to show compassion to those we disagree with\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

[[:encoded, "Personhood is critical to understanding the Gita. This class we discuss the personhood of the self and the Supreme and biases against personal divinity. \n\nTopics include:\n- Summary of last week’s class\n- The three levels of realization\n- The Bhagavad Gita and questions of religion\n- The challenges of a personal divinity\n\nClass notes available at www.gitawisdom.org/podcast\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group on Facebook at bit.ly/gitafbgroup\nWe are reading from Bhagavad Gita As It Is by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada"]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[:encoded, "To give the Bhagavad Gita context, in week 2 we talk about the Mahabharata and the backstory of events leading up to the Bhagavad Gita. Additional topics include:\n\n- Summary of last week’s class\n- The first teaching of Bhagavad Gita - you are not the body\n- Perspectives on the nature of the self\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

[[:encoded, "This is the first podcast in a new series, Gita Wisdom: Long Island Series, recorded at EverVeda. In this class, we cover the following:\n\n- Why read the Bhagavad Gita?\n- How to chant verses from the Gita\n- What is bhakti?\n- And we touch briefly on the topics of enlightenment and spiritual progress\n\nClass notes and homework available at https://bit.ly/2FZ75ia\nQuestions? Join the Gita Wisdom Discussion Group at https://bit.ly/2I2ZgV5\nWe’re reading from the book Bhagavad Gita As It Is: http://a.co/iGQyteX"]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[:encoded, "This special edition is a discussion between David Life, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga; Ray Ippolito, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Advocacy for the Catskill Animal Sanctuary; and your host, Joshua M. Greene about the connection between veganism and a yoga lifestyle. \n\nTopics include vegan vs. plant-based diet, vegan companies being purchased by non-vegan companies and where the ethical line should be drawn, how to educate the educators about diet and lifestyle choices, and how to be an effective advocate."]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[:encoded, "If the eternal self seeks pleasure (ananda), is desire wrong? Can a spiritualist be both realistic about needs and sincerely strive to transcend them? A workshop at Absolute Yoga, Long Island, 10-15-17."]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org

[[:encoded, "A workshop with written exercises you can do at home, including: creating lifetime, five-year, and 6-month goals; how to keep a spiritual diary; and how to determine what daily sadhana practices are right for you. \n\nTime for the writing exercises has been cut from the recording. If you would like to try the exercises, please pause the podcast at the appropriate times. \n\nRecorded at the Long Island Yoga Association, 10-14-17."]]Visit us at GitaWisdom.org