Essence Seeker

Milk sweets

Last year I met with some yoga students at the Krishna Village yoga school which is a sub-project of the New Govardhan Hare Krishna community in Northern N.S.W. Australia. We discussed mindfulness, ego death, the causes of suffering and ways to heal, remain focused on the path and aim toward the sacred.

Two ways to liberation: the first, involves holding oneself at the edge of perception as the detached observer; the second enters into the often challenging relationships to receive the reward of unlimited creative potential in a shared reality—in short, giving up attached to the individual ego and replacing it with recognising the importance of the Other.

Composed of two voice memos recorded on the 11th and the 14th of Feb 2019, in this episode, I attempt to convey my experience of realising the truth and persistence of my own breath and how this is linked to the yogic concept of prana or life-airs. First, I toy with a philosophical argument I happened upon, and then I share some of my own practice and things I docovered through it personally. I hope you enjoy this episode and enjoy the limitless bliss hiding in your own breath. Please send me any questions or comments by finding me on social media platforms. I would love to get your feedback on the podcast so I can consider ways to improve. If you would like to donate to my work, send some dollars to essenceseekers@gmail.com. That would be much appreciated.  Here's a link to the beautiful and profound vedic mantras I mentioned. https://open.spotify.com/album/1YIp5NKAM9vdbt2uB4uai3?si=o0ADEw2PSwOl5AgQLZgIZg

This episode is a recording of a public discussion at the University of Queensland's student club — Urban Monk — delivered on the 28th of August 2019. Ego death is discussed according to the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita as we try to understand the self according to modern science, Buddhism and Vedanta. The ice breaker finishes at about 8min if you would like to skip it. If you would like to support the podcast, please share it with your friends and, if you are in a position to do so pls donate to my Paypal found at the bottom of this web page https://essenceseekers.org/about/ Om-tat-sat cover art found here: https://www.spiritmolecule.com/psychedelics/other/you-do-not-exist-a-look-inside-ego-death

Hear about the 5 relationships with the divine and how they reflect in ignorance. To find an image of the diagram being discussed, go to this link: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1rJtuloUN_cp2SE-FTUAKdWAAFtUvkxhI To support the podcast you can find a donation link on my website here (scroll to the bottom of the page): https://essenceseekers.org/about/ This discussion took place 19/7/19

In this episode, I start out by separating consciousness from the gross elements of earth, water, fire, and ether, during which I also make the claim that although modern chemistry has broken those four elements of the ancients up into over one hundreds elements, it has not guaranteed a better quality of life.  By the midway point of this episode, I have brought us to the understanding that consciousness is even more subtle than space and mind. Some distinctions are then made between materialists who claim that atoms create consciousness and idealists who believe in a kind of impersonal oneness of universal consciousness being behind reality; the latter believing that consciousness needs illusion to express itself, which is Māyāvādī philosophy.  This Māyāvād theory I then proceed to defeat with two simple arguments and then move into the second half of the episode where I introduce the Paramātmā; the Superself behind our individual consciousness.  The Paramātmā can be likened to the conscience, or Socrates' Daemon, or even the all-pervading Holy Spirit. Some techniques are shared to uncover your Superself and then I finish up by describing how the Paramātmā is actually an agent of someone greater, some more special, someone hidden from arrogance. Despite my lack of qualification, I try to introduce us to this mysterious fellow, Krishna, who I see as the center of existence.  If you struggle following the second half of this episode, I suggest listening anyway for something different. But no pressure. If that is not possible you could skip the later part and move on to a different episode. Please share this episode around, leave questions and comments, and support this project any way you can. Thank you.  Om-tat-sat.

According to material science, matter, at its fundamental level, is undefinable. The self is non-material and matter is only a misconceived dream. Therefore, we are not in the Material World. There is only spirit; different forms and energies of the Supreme Being, Krishna. What we call “the world” is a bustling buzzing chaos until we are told what we are by society and culture, mother and father, what we experiencing! We see by hearing. We interpret the world through sound. One can see Krishna, God, by hearing about Him. That is the perfect method; the method of Krishna Consciousness.

In this episode I discuss the Nature/Culture Dichotomy and how it has influenced the environmental issues of our time. I then move in to discussing alternative indigenous world views and how they eventually lead to racism. All this leads me to set up an attack on our propensity to exploit others. I conclude by arguing that the way to destroy our propensity to exploit is by elevating our consciousness through yogic practices. Find show notes and references here https://essenceseekers.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/the-culture-of-exploitation/

We cannot study matter without subjectivity yet materialists claim implicitly that subjectivity is not real.

In this episode I share some reflections on why I left the science and engineering streams and entered into philosophy instead. They are foolishly grasping for precision with hands that are controlled by metaphysical spontaneity. I then finish off the episode with an illustration of one very interesting realisation on the relationship between free will and not knowing absolute objective facts.

Have you ever wondered why people become Hare Krishnas? Here is my attempt of explaining it from my perspective.

We are potential relationships with the Absolute. In this episode I use the experience of geometry to illuminate the nature of reality and our relationship with the Devine. Contact me or donate to my PayPal with this email: dhruva.oshea@gmail.com

Well who knows what you will find here. Maybe something useful; maybe something interesting; maybe something funny; or maybe nothing of value at all. Regardless, do not hesitate! Enter and see what you can discover about your Self. Be sure to contact me with any questions or comments at essenceseekers@gmail.com

In this episode I interact with the question of why we don't hear of dinosaurs in the revealed scriptures; specifically the vedic scriptures (shastra). I talk about what is shastra exactly; is it fixed and unchanging or is it living and constantly being retold in ever-fresh ways? I also address the general point of needing shastra to match up with empirical evidences, how much of that should we expect, and whether or not it would actually be a good thing for revealed scriptures to match up exactly.

In the episode I ask you to consider the possibility of accessing your inner most being through meditation and using what you find there to live a more fulfilling existence.

In this episode I share with you my perspective on two types of enlightenment. The first being a glimpse that is given to us by the explanation of another, an enlightenment person, which inspires confidence within us, but is not continuous. The second is penetrating and persistent, and comes from realignment at the deepest level. This second type gives unshakable, clarity and understanding. I hope it meets you well.

In this episode I have a conversation with local indigenous elder and artist Dean Rotumah. Dean shares with us aboriginal history, philosophy, art and culture. Many great lessons we learnt on this occasion and for this we are very grateful to Dean. The modern world can learn a great deal from the ancient was. I hope you enjoy this episode and I look forward to telling you all about the presentations that happened in Peru very soon.

In this episode I share some thoughts on the popular concept that a person is no more than a product of the brain and how this concept actully leads any serious thinker back to the monistic or "oneness" conception taught most commonly in the eastern traditions.

In this episode I share with you some history of my life in relation to a dream I had, a premonition, when I was 17 years old. You will hear about the turmoil I was experiencing in my life before I had the dream as well as the details of the dream. Then you will hear how the dream unraveled in my day life with the peaks valleys leading to triumphant breakthroughs. You might not like the theme music but I don't care. It's my podcast so I can do what I like, lolz. Show notes available here: https://blissoftruth.wordpress.com/2017/06/08/premonitions-in-a-tipi/ Support the podcast here: https://www.patreon.com/essenceseeker

This episode is a public discussion on the Bhagavad Gita, mysticism, yoga and Bhakti, given at the local Hare Krishna temple. The video with accompanying slide show is available here https://youtu.be/rFrQcHEvXdc.

This episode is a conversation has been separated into 3 segments. Part 1 (00:00-18:00) Abhirama's history growing up in the Gaudiya Vaisnava Hare Krishna movement and spending time with Gaura Govinda Swami in India. Part 2 (18:00-36:40) Abhirama becoming an engineer, being unsatisfied with the pursuit of money for money's sake, looking into western philosophy and seeing its uses and its eventual futility and then on becoming a teacher and doing something meaningful with his life. Part 3 (36:40-74:00) Discussion with Nimai Hedemark on the validity, utility and facticity of the impersonal aspects of Krishna. Many topics discussion in this segment. I highly recommend. Support the podcast at Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/essenceseeker

In this episode I will attempt to prove that the universe is intelligent and has memory, and that consciousness is eternal. The way I will try to achieve this is by using an ontological argument that came to me, which is "nothing comes into existence that does not already exist in potential". To build my argument I use examples of; scientific laws such as energy and mechanics, the development of technology throughout history, and also the creative arts such as music and poetry. I hope it meets you well. Show notes available here: https://essenceseekers.wordpress.com/2018/07/20/pattern-precedes-form-a-potential-platonic-presentation/. Donate at the podcast's Patreon account here: https://www.patreon.com/essenceseeker

The progress of science has given us great confidence in areas of life such as those where we use technology and medicine. But in terms of the complete picture or the true nature of reality, at its most fundamental level, we actually know very little. I therefore argue that we need to expand the scope of science into the realms of consciousnesses by taking advantage of yoga , meditation and mysticism, in order to explore and take advantage of the subtler aspects of reality. I then provide 5 practical tips of how to do this taken from Patanjai’s Yoga Sutras. The 5 ways are; by birth, with herbs, with mantra, by sense restraint and through samadhi. Donate at the podcast's Patreon account here: www.patreon.com/essenceseeker

In this episode I discuss why I think that it is easy to be a Buddhist or an Impersonalist when one takes the ascending path of gaining knowledge. One can easily accept these conclusions simply by using their own intellectual faculties to analyse reality. One can easily minimise paradoxes and apparent contradictions in teachings and behaviour by accepting a monistic or void-like conclusion. But in accepting these conclusions one must also accept that reality is going on like a machine and never have we observed a machine without a mind behind it nor have we ever observed a mind without a personality behind it. Therefore those who are true essence seekers will not stop at the simple conclusion, they will go deeper and seek the Supreme Personality behind it all. Although it may appear that Voidism and Impersonalim are easier paths we find out that they are more difficult in the long run because of the expertise required to traverse the vague definitions and the many traps along the path.

In this episode I give a brief yet telling biographical history of my life and how I came to be an essence seeker. You might be shocked to hear some of my histories. I then move into presenting the motivation and mission for this podcast. I really hope it excites you to enter this journey of discovery with me and I hope you gain something of value for your own personal endeavours in life.

In this episode I present how it is that our personal view about the ultimate nature of reality is pivoting on our own free will or desire to understand.

In this episode I discuss how modern science and medicine has made as safe but also sterilised our routine to the point that we risk being disconnected from value and meaning.