Light of the Spirit Podcast

In today's podcast, Abbot George Burke talks about how diet affects consciousness, and the importance of a pure diet for the yogi. The post Podcast: Diet and Consciousness: The Importance of a Pure Diet for the Yogi appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Swami Sivananda's joyful sense of humor are evident in this podcast. This includes the following incidents: • Sivananda's riddle and the over-serious student. • The story of the rare color film photos of Swamiji. • Sivananda's omniscience regarding what was going on in Sivanandashram. • And more! The post Podcast: Swami Sivananda's Humor (Updated 5-2022 with a Video Podcast) appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

There are a lot of stories that people have never heard, so here are some things that were told to me by direct disciples of Yogananda who were there when these incidents took place that you might find interesting. The post Podcast: The Real Yogananda – 8 Stories of Mischief and Mercy appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In this 4th podcast on Spiritual Experiences and Abilities, Abbot George delineates the very real and very extreme dangers of imbalancing experiences that fake yoga can produce, contrasting this with his observation of the cardinal qualities of real yogis he met. The post Podcast: About Spiritual Experience and Abilities–What Should the Beginner Yogi Know?–Part 4 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

“Have I learned anything? Has this spiritual experience changed my awareness, my meditation?” Abbot George contrasts the effect of real spiritual experience with examples of people who were deluded by visions and dreams. The post Podcast: What Should the Beginner Yogi Know About Spiritual Experience and Abilities?–Part 3 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

The state of perfected beings like Buddha, Krishna, and Jesus is far greater than most people's concept of God. Abbot George tells the story of Catholic stigmatist and visionary Therese Neumann's response to Christian who were overwhelmed with Christ's miracles, as an example of how ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Spiritual Experience and Abilities–What Should the Beginning Yogi Know?–Part 2 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In this four-part podcast Abbot George expounds on the attraction and many dangers of these kind of practices and the experiences they produce, and most importantly, presents the important questions the meditator needs to ask himself in assessing his spiritual practice and its effects. The post Podcast: What Should the Beginner Yogi Know About Spiritual Experience and Abilities? appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Soham Yoga is based on the science of spiritual sound. A mantra is a series of sounds whose effect lies not in an assigned intellectual meaning, but in an inherent sound-power that can produce a specific effect physically or psychologically. The post Podcast: How to Pronounce the Soham Mantra in Meditation appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In today's podcast, Abbot George discusses the inner mechanism of how the senses affect us, and how external connections influence our inner make-up, for good or ill. He begins by talking about the positive effect of darshan and satsanga, recounting his own experiences with holy people. The post Podcast: The Esoteric Side of Good and Bad Association appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In today's podcast our friend Jonathan Mahoney asks Abbot George about the Bhagavad Gita, its story and its value for the spiritual seeker. Abbot George discusses Vyasa, the pivotal figure in early Hinduism, and the author of many works, including the epic Mahabharata, from which the Bhagavad Gita is taken. The post Podcast: What Is the Bhagavad Gita, and Why Is It So Valuable? appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In today's podcast our friend Jonathan Mahoney asks Abbot George about Jesus' role as guardian of the Earth. Listen and you will discover: How Lucifer fell and how it affected the earth; What was the special mystery of the Crucifixion; The Buddhist master who had two Saviors, And much more. The post Podcast: Jesus as Guardian of the Earth appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In today's podcast, Abbot George is asked a question about Moksha. He then talks about arguments regarding levels of consciousness: are there seven levels of consciousness, or five levels, or fourteen levels? Then he discusses the seven levels of consciousness or lokas (worlds or main ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Moksha, the Seven Levels of Consciousness, and Avatars appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Today our friend Jonathan Mahoney asks Abbot George, “How does a human being evolve into an angel in this lifetime? How do they ‘get out of the game'”? In this podcast Abbot George discusses the two paths of evolution: the natural path by “accumulating a lot of goodness,” and the deliberate path of evolution through yoga and meditation. The post Podcast: How to Become an Angel (and More) appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

  (If you don't see the player above, visit this link to listen to the podcast: Evolution (Material and Spiritual) and What It Means for the Yogi. The podcast is 40 minutes long.) In a new podcast, our friend Jonathan Mahoney asks Abbot George Burke ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Evolution (Material and Spiritual) and What It Means for the Yogi appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

For our Christmas offering we share again a podcast from three years ago about Christmas, and about Christ being born in us. This podcast is from an interview of Abbot George Burke by our friend Bianca Vlahos of radio station FIVEaa in Adelaide, Australia. Listen to ... Continue reading The post The Symbolism of Christmas and Its Universal Message | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

The subject of past life recall is a broad topic. So this interview of Abbot George Burke by our friend Bianca Vlahos of PBA-fm radio in Australia is a long one—just over 53 minutes. Among the questions Bianca asks is “What is the main value ... Continue reading The post The Benefits of Past Life Recall | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In a followup interview with Bianca Vlahos of PBA FM radio in Adelaide, Australia, Abbot George discusses the importance of understanding karma as the basis of reincarnation. With this understanding, we can begin to comprehend our present situation in life, and we can become empowered to ... Continue reading The post Understanding Karma as the Basis of Reincarnation | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Last month our friend Bianca Vlahos of the Australian radio station PBA-FM interviewed Abbot George Burke on the broad topic of reincarnation. They discussed the source of  reincarnation (karma—our actions, both positive and negative) and the purpose of reincarnation: our spiritual evolution and growth. Abbot George likened ... Continue reading The post Reincarnation: Its Causes and Consequences | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In part 2 of the recent interview with Abbot George about Buddha's everyday wisdom as recorded in the Dhammapada, Bianca Vlahos of radio station PBA-FM in Adelaide, South Australia, inquired further about how to lead an effective and uplifting life in the world applying the principles ... Continue reading The post Everyday Wisdom from Buddha: Part 2 of Bianca Vlahos' Interview with Abbot George appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

How can Buddha's wisdom as recorded in the Dhammapada be applied in our every-day lives? That was the topic of the latest radio interview of Abbot George Burke by Bianca Vlahos of radio station PBA-FM in Adelaide, South Australia a couple of weeks ago. Bianca ... Continue reading The post Buddha's Wisdom for Every Day: A Podcast Interview of Abbot George by Bianca Vlahos appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In a followup to the interview about vegetarianism that Bianca Vlahos (facebook.com/bianca.vlahos) did with Abbot George in late September on the radio station PBA-FM in Adelaide, South Australia, she again interviewed Abbot George last week on October 22nd. The subject was vegetarianism again, as the topic ... Continue reading The post Vegetarianism: an Interview of Abbot George on Australian Radio, Part 2 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

About a month ago, Bianca Vlahos of Adelaide, Australia, became a vegan for a multitude of reasons. She researched the topic exhaustively and found several articles about aspects of vegetarianism on our website (See Spiritual Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet and Humans: Are We Carnivores ... Continue reading The post Vegetarianism: an Interview of Abbot George on Australian Radio appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to How to Gain the Vision of God if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 20:34 minutes.   When I was very young there was a television program called The Big Picture. Most people live in The Little ... Continue reading The post How to Gain the Vision of God | Monastic Life Podcast 3 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to How to Become a Friend of God if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 17:48 minutes. “The first time I wrote to Mother Anandamayi, in her reply she referred to me as “my friend,” which ... Continue reading The post How to Become a Friend of God | Monastic Life Podcast 2 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Reflection on Monastic Life, Part 1 if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 16:46 minutes. Who should lead a monastic life and who shouldn't, and what motivates a monk. I would like to share with you my reflections ... Continue reading The post Reflections on Monastic Life – Part 1 | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to My Friend Jugavati, and the Vishnupur Train Platform Swami if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 6:35 minutes. The next treasure I want to tell you about lived right in the midst of the bustle of Delhi, but ... Continue reading The post My Friend Jugavati, and the Vishnupur Train Platform Swami | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Swami Rama of Hardwar (Ram Kunj) if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 11:06 minutes. Late one afternoon when I was staying for a while with Srimati Rani Bhan and her family in Delhi she told me ... Continue reading The post Swami Rama of Hardwar (Ram Kunj) | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Four First-Class Sadhus if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 16:00 minutes. Sadhu: a seeker for truth (sat); and a person who is practicing spiritual disciplines. Usually this term is applied to monastics. In this podcast, Abbot George ... Continue reading The post Four First-Class Sadhus | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to The Healer, the Raja, Neem Karoli Baba, and the Unnamed Master if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 19:37 minutes. It might seem strange that I am writing about Neem Karoli Baba because I have no stories about ... Continue reading The post The Healer, the Raja, Neem Karoli Baba, and the Unnamed Master | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Three Remarkable Indian Saints if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 27:15 minutes. Swami Sivananda-Hridayananda The next heart-treasure I want to tell you about is Swami Sivananda-Hridayananda of Sivananda Ashram. Her name means Bliss of Sivananda's Heart, and ... Continue reading The post Three Remarkable Indian Saints | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Memories of Sri Maitri Devi if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 15:03 minutes. My first trip to India I was always in walking distance of at least one saint. And sometimes I was living with them. Late ... Continue reading The post Memories of Sri Maitri Devi | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to The Monk That Challenged Lenin: Yogeshwar Brahmachari if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 15:48 minutes. I first saw Sri Yogeshwar Brahmachari at the birthday celebration of Anandamayi Ma in 1971. He was sitting on the ... Continue reading The post The Monk That Challenged Lenin: Yogeshwar Brahmachari | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Raihana Tyabji, the Moslem Saint Who Worshiped Krishna if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 25:48 minutes. One afternoon in India in a conversation my friend Rani Bhan told me about Raihana Tyabji, a Moslem saint, an ... Continue reading The post Raihana Tyabji, the Moslem Saint Who Worshiped Krishna | Podcast appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Memories of Didima (Swami Muktananda Giri), Mother of Anandamayi Ma if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 16:55 minutes. Swami Muktananda Giri, the mother of Anandamayi Ma In America before I first went to India in 1962 ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Didima (Swami Muktananda Giri), Mother of Anandamayi Ma appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Tips for Successful Meditation if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 18:28 minutes. In this the seventh podcast on the Yoga Life, Abbot George gives tips for success in meditation. You will hear about: how to ... Continue reading The post The Yoga Life Podcast 7: Tips for Successful Meditation appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to How to Tell if You Are Making Progress in Meditation if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 15:20 minutes. Today's podcast concerns how to gain a greater understanding of spiritual life through study of the Bhagavad Gita, ... Continue reading The post Podcast: How to Tell if You Are Making Progress in Meditation appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Swami Sivananda's Humility if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 9:45 minutes. This podcast is the last in the series of Abbot George's Reminiscences of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, focusing on incidents showing Swami Sivananda's humility. ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Swami Sivananda's Humility appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Days with Swami Sivananda if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 15:19 minutes. What was it like to spend time with a spiritual giant like Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh? In today's podcast Abbot George shares ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Days with Sivananda appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to Swami Sivananda and Jesus if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 14:24 minutes. “One of the most memorable experiences of my life was hearing Swami Sivananda sing every day in the evening satsang: O my ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Swami Sivananda and Jesus (and More) appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In this new series of podcasts about Swami Sivananda, Abbot George relates his memories in a much fuller form than in previous podcasts. Click here to listen to I Meet Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh if you do not see the player above. The podcast length ... Continue reading The post Podcast: I Meet Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Click here to listen to The Yoga Life 5: The Importance of Vegetarianism for the Yogi if you do not see the player above. The podcast length is 15:41 minutes. Since we have considered shaucha in the last podcast which includes purity of diet, let's ... Continue reading The post Podcast: The Yoga Life 5: The Importance of Vegetarianism for the Yogi appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Having finished Yama, the “Don't”s of Yoga, in the last podcast, we now consider Niyama: the “Dos” of yoga. Shaucha: purity, cleanliness Santosha: contentment, peacefulness Tapas: austerity, practical (i.e., result-producing) spiritual discipline Swadhyaya: introspective self-study, spiritual study Ishwarapranidhana: offering of one's life to God Click ... Continue reading The post Podcast: The Yoga Life 4: Niyama, the “Do”s of Yoga appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In today's podcast Abbot George finishes the consideration of Yama, with its last three elements: asteya, brahmacharya, and aparigraha, and the sidesteps that people will take to avoid a strict adherence to these important principles. Then he considers the “Great Vow” of the Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. ... Continue reading The post Podcast: The Yoga Life 3: Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha, and the Great Vow appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In this podcast Abbot George begins a practical and detailed analysis of the first of the components of Yama: Ahimsa (harmlessness) and Satya (truth), which it is essential for the aspiring yogi to understand. Ahimsa is not willfully causing any harm or pain whatsoever to ... Continue reading The post The Yoga Life 2: a Practical Understanding of Harmlessness and Truthfulness appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

This podcast [see below for player] is the beginning of a series on how to lead the Yoga Life. Today Abbot George discusses what is lacking in the yoga practice of many, and why people fail or do not persevere in the path of yoga. ... Continue reading The post Introducing the Yoga Life: Laying the Foundations appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

Why do we meditate? In this podcast Abbot George discusses the real reason to meditate as contrasted with wrong reasons. Then continuing with Patanjali's instructions from the Yoga Sutras, he explains the obstacles to spiritual life and their effects. The obstacles Patanjali lists are as ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Why We Meditate and the Obstacles We Overcome appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

The last podcast about God was philosophical, so in this podcast Abbot George will go into the practical side. It is the goal of every sentient being to evolve and attain union with God. Evolution takes place naturally as we move up the ladder from ... Continue reading The post Yoga, God, and Gurus: an Important Perspective appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In this week's podcast, Abbot George discusses who God is, and what man is, and the importance of making God an immediate reality in our daily lives. Abbot George bases his talk on Paramhansa Yogananda's valuable book, The Science of Religion. Here Yogananda says: “We should ... Continue reading The post Podcast: Plain Talk About God appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

In this week's podcast, Abbot George Burke speaks of the necessity of experience in spiritual life, and the fact that too often mere theory is offered as a substitute. The talk is from a satsang in which he comments on the preface to Raja Yoga, ... Continue reading The post Beyond Theory and Belief to Actual Experience appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.

During his first trip to India in 1962 Abbot George Burke (Swami Nirmalananda Giri) was blessed to spend time with the great Swami Sivananda at his ashram in Rishikesh. In this three-part podcast Abbot George shares his memories of this saint with visitors to our ... Continue reading The post Remembering Sivananda, Podcast Part 2 appeared first on Original Christianity and Original Yoga.