Podcasts about bhakti center

Radhanath Swami (talk begins at 15:05) is one of the world's most beloved and respected spiritual teachers. He spent his youth travelling the world, experiencing its rich cultures and diversity. As he wandered, he yearned to find meaning and purpose in his life. Since meeting his spiritual teacher in India 50 years ago, Radhanath Swami has been on a mission to share the beauty of Bhakti with the world. He is not only a guide but a community builder, activist, and a New York Times Bestselling author. Radhanath Swami's message is as profound as it is simple: by cultivating a rich inner life of self-awareness and serving others with humility, we can become instruments of compassion and agents of sustainable change in the world. SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Dr. Francis X. Clooney, S.J. Professor Clooney (talk begins at 1:20:04) is the Parkman Professor of Divinity and Professor of Comparative Theology at HDS. He taught at Boston College for 21 years before coming to Harvard in 2005. From 2010 to 2017, he was the Director of the Center for the Study of World Religions here at Harvard, and was President of the Catholic Theological Society of America in 2022-23. Professor Clooney has been a scholar of Hinduism for 52 years, since he first lived in Nepal, 1973-1975. He has been a Roman Catholic priest for 47 years, and a member of the Society of Jesus for 57 years. He serves regularly in a Catholic parish on weekends. His memory, Hindu and Catholic, Priest and Scholar: A Love Story, was published in 2024. Title of Session: Grace in an Age of Distraction Connect with Radhanath Swami: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/radhanathswami/WEBSITE: https://www.radhanathswami.com/ECOVILLAGE: https://www.ecovillage.org.in/BHAKTI CENTER: https://bhakticenter.org/VANI SCHOOL: https://www.vanischool.com/ Connect with Dr. Francis X. Clooney: WEBSITE: https://francisclooney.hsites.harvard.edu/#RadhanathSwami #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

Meet Vrindavanath Das (Shawn Coutu) Bhakti has been a part of his life since birth. His family played an integral role in the acquisition and renovation of what is now known as the Bhakti Center in Manhattan's East Village—a vibrant spiritual hub for seekers. As a teenager, Vrindavanath formed a personal connection with the Bhagavad-gītā, striving to understand its wisdom and apply it to his life. During a gap year between high school and college, he travelled to Vrindavan, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, to formally study bhakti texts. After spending 14 years immersed in the energy of New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, he began to feel the limitations of urban living and decided to return to the heart of bhakti textual study with renewed focus. Over the past two years, responding to a growing interest in online spiritual study, he began facilitating group readings of bhakti texts, including the Gītā. His sessions are known for their inclusivity, clarity, and devotion-centered approach. Now residing full-time at the Govardhan Eco Village, Vrindavanath is immersed in the study of the Bhāgavata Purāṇa alongside a diverse international community of learners. In this session, he'll guide us through an overview of the entire Bhagavad Gītā, inviting individuals in the group to take turns reading as we move through the flow and themes of the text—an enriching summary in just about 45 minutes. Title of Session: Connecting with God: Krishna's Step-by-Step Suggestions (A Thematic Summary of the Bhagavad Gita) Connect with Vrindavanath Das: EMAIL: vrindavanathdas@gmail.com WHATSAPP: +1 646 954 9539 SESSION HANDOUT: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MQtjPANaIgtRVKiieADtK2LzwPwsO6gv/view?usp=sharing #VrindavanathDas #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

Kaustubha Das serves as Senior Educator at The Bhakti Center in New York City and Co-host of Wisdom of the Sages, a daily podcast that has reached #1 in Religion and Spirituality on Apple Podcasts. Renowned for his approachable and insightful teaching style, he makes the deep wisdom of yoga philosophy accessible and relevant to modern seekers. From the age of 21 to 34, Kaustubha lived as a Vaishnava monk, immersing himself in study and practice while traveling through ashrams in India and America. For nearly four decades, he has dedicated himself to sharing the philosophy and meditation practices of Bhakti-yoga in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. Title of Session: Divine Revelation in Three Phases – Brahman, Paramatma & Bhagavan Connect with Kaustubha Das: WEBSITE: https://www.wisdomofthesages.com/feed INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/kaustubha/ VANI SCHOOL COURSE (Deepen your spirituality, gain new perspectives on life): https://courses.vanischool.com/wisdom (Use Code HARVARD10 for 10% OFF all individual courses or annual membership) #KaustubhaDas #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

Ghanashyam Das is an ordained Vaisnava Priest and Hospice Chaplain at Community Hospice and Palliative Care in Gainesville, FL. He lived for 11 years as a brahmacari monk in New York City at the Bhakti Center before transitioning to the Hospital setting and becoming a professional spiritual care provider. At New York Presbyterian Hospital he worked conjointly with the Pastoral Care Department and Palliative Care Services for 6 years. He teaches Bhakti Philosophy and Meditation at several Yoga Studios in NYC and Florida, and was the Co-founder of “End-of-Life Matters,” an End-of-life initiative for care givers offered at The Bhakti Center, a Vedic Cultural Center and Temple located in downtown Manhattan. He also previously served as Hindu Chaplain at both New York University and Columbia University. Presently, he works as a Hospice Chaplain at Community Hospice and Palliative Care in Gainesville FL, and also serves as one of the advisers for the End-of-Life Care Team at the Krishna Temple in Alachua, FL. Title of Session: Dying to Live: Death as Teacher Connect with Ghanashyam Das: EMAIL: ghanasyamdas108@gmail.com #GhanshyamDas #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

Venkata Bhatta Das (Dr. Vineet Chander) was born and raised in New York City and discovered the path of Krishna Bhakti in his youth, initially through the devotional community called New Vrindaban. An initiated student of His Holiness Radhanath Swami for more than two decades, he is now a sought-after speaker and teacher in his own right. He is particularly known for his ability to infuse ancient wisdom with relevant examples and avenues for application. He has offered classes and seminars in several temples, ashrams, yoga studios, and online platforms. In his professional life, Venkata is an Assistant Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University and serves as the institution's Hindu Chaplain. His writing has appeared in several publications, and he is co-author of two academic volumes on Hinduism and spiritual care. He earned his JD (law degree) from the George Washington University Law School, his MA in religion from Rutgers University (where his advisor was Professor Edwin Bryant), and his doctorate from New York University. Venkata and his wife, Krsangi Devi Dasi, were among the handful of pioneering community members who, in the early 2000s, came together to found the Bhakti Center in NYC. They have served the project in various roles, including as pujaris (temple priests), educators, mentors, and community group leaders. Venkata served as a board member of the Bhakti Center for five years. Title of Session: Fear & Trembling: Unraveling the Mystery of Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 11 Connect with Venkata Bhatta Das: INSTAGRAM @venkatabhattadasaWEBSITE: https://religiouslife.princeton.edu/people/vineet-chander This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

Rukmini is a teacher of Bhakti Yoga, an activist in interfaith dialogue and women's spiritual empowerment. She is the founder of the Urban Devi Collective, an online women's group originally based out of the Bhakti Center in New York City, where she is a member of the board of directors. At the age of sixteen, she met her guru, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and began a lifelong study of Bhakti Yoga, living in and managing yoga ashrams in India, Canada and the US. For twenty-five years, she owned and managed award-winning boutiques in the Washington, DC, area called As Kindred Spirits. She believes that truth and beauty are kindred spirits and that each serves the other to bless the world in the spirit of eco-bhakti. For many years, Rukmini, along with her son, the kirtan artist Gaura Vani, has led international groups to India, travelling to holy places and teaching bhakti-yoga. She and her husband have chaired Vaisnava Christian and Vaisnava Muslim Dialogues for many years in Washington, DC, and India. Rukmini is a member of the Sabha, an advisory group to the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. She and her husband live in the Washington, DC, area. Connect with Rukmini Walker: www.urbandevi.com Email: urbansevi108@gmail.com Instagram: @rukminiwalker This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ https://www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School: Experience a unique online opportunity with over 40 distinguished scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti... This conference offers you the chance to immerse yourself in the wisdom of dedicated practitioners as they tackle the questions and challenges we all face. Anticipate thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction while incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily routine.

Our teacher who led with the Bhagavad-gītā when he came to the west called it the Vedic intelligence. One of the practices of Krishna Consciousness is to, as my god brother told me in New York City just a couple of months ago—his name is Pradyumna; he's always bugging me to continue learning Sanskrit, which I've done in fits and starts. I usually do it to procrastinate when I'm writing a book and I think, "Well, maybe I'll learn Sanskrit instead because it seems easier." And I saw him on the street out in front of one of our centers in New York City called The Bhakti Center, and we greeted one another and just asked how we were. I asked how he was doing; he asked how I was doing. I said, "Fine," and he said, "Fine." Then he asked, "How's the Sanskrit?" I said, "Well, um..." and he already knows my Sanskrit teacher and had already told him that I hadn't talked to him in a couple months. So, he looked at me and goes, "Crack a book," and then he walked away. So that's my mantra in my head: "Crack a book." There's a way in which we look all around the room and think, "What could preoccupy me nowadays?" There's one object that especially attracts everyone's attention. I've noticed it because if you go to a bus stop, a train stop, an airport, and you look at people waiting for anything, have you had this experience? Do you know where I'm going with this? What are they doing? Looking at a screen, right? And usually, their thumbs are moving. wring, wring, wring. This is not yogic samadhi. It's different. It's very different. There is a way in which the human brain can be engaged in such a way that it can touch the web of transcendence, and that's called reading Bhagavad-gītā. It's the Vedic intelligence. One of our main practices is to read Bhagavad-gītā, and what we claim is, if you read Bhagavad-gītā, you'll have an intervention in your life. Did you ever feel like you needed an intervention? Yes. Did you ever feel like you needed rehab? Yes. Okay, yeah. In fact, it's trendy nowadays. "Where have you been? Rehab." "Yeah, I'm rehabbing." Practically living in the world, there's such an assault on the senses from every direction, and I just get swept away by habits, and we need some intervention. We need some rehab, and Bhagavad-gītā has both of those. The intervention of knowledge is quite enticing because the voice of the Bhagavad-gītā is gentle, like a friend. In fact, it's a conversation between The Great Krishna and His great friend Arjuna. Krishna speaks authoritatively, but there's also a sense that he's speaking to his friend. But there's also another sense, because He, Krishna, is the Supreme appearing in a human form, that He's talking to all of us. The intervention can happen for anyone, in any language. (Excerpt from the talk) To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ (USA only) https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered

Tuesdays with Yogi Green - On Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics. A weekly program at the Bhakti Center in New York with Yogesvara Prabhu, featuring Krishna Kshetra Swami. 2023-10-10

Premiere episode with a special guest, Kaustubha Das, on this very auspicious day of Janmashtami. Kaustubha and Jiva have been childhood friends and he was crucial on Jiva's recovery journey. Between the ages of 21 and 34, Kaustubha lived as a Vaishnava monk, traveling and studying in ashrams in India and America. He serves as Senior Educator of The Bhakti Center in New York City, teaching bhakti-yoga philosophy and meditation, which he has practiced for over 30 years in the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition. He is also the co-host of the Wisdom of the Sages yoga podcast, which we strongly encourage you to visit! You can find the mentioned Bhagavad-gītā verse 18.66 here: https://vedabase.io/en/library/bg/18/66/ Please share your feedback about this episode at bhaktirecoverypodcast@gmail.com.

In this insightful episode of For Souls Sake podcast I'm excited to be joined with Kaustubha Das, a senior educator at the Bhakti Center in New York City and co-host of the Wisdom of the Sages podcast. Our primary focus is to unravel the often misunderstood concepts of spirituality and religion and their impact on individuals as well as society. We begin the episode by exploring the definitions of religion and spirituality. Kaustubha Das shares his understanding of these terms, explaining that while religion often entails joining an organization or institution with a specific creed, rituals, and hierarchy, spirituality may include these aspects but does not necessarily require them. We discuss the increasing trend of individuals identifying as spiritual but not religious, a group that currently represents more than 30% of the population. Our conversation delves into the various religious and spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. Kaustubha Das provides his insights on how different cultures approach self-realization and salvation, and we discuss the teachings of sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gita. We venture into an examination of different sources of knowledge and delve into the concept of spiritual equality. We conclude by highlighting the transformative potential of spirituality for both individual lives and society at large. Throughout the podcast, Kaustubha Das shares valuable advice on controlling the mind, navigating spiritual transformation, and the concept of being equipoised, a key quality in defining a spiritual person.   0:00:00 - Exploring Religion and Spirituality0:12:31 - Religion, Spirituality, and Self-Realization0:28:55 - Stepping Outside for Spiritual Enrichment0:38:01 - Spirituality and Its Social Implications0:44:05 - Exploring Pramana and Spiritual Equality0:57:17 - Exploring Curiosity, Legacy, and Kindness   Want to connect further?Instagram: www.instagram.com/radhika_dasa/Facebook: www.facebook.com/radhikadasmusicYouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RadhikaDasWebsite: www.radhikadas.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/radhikadasLinktree: linktr.ee/radhika_dasa

Welcome to Episode #92 of the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast! My conversation with Paulina Podbiello, a yoga teacher from Poland, was so lovely as we circled around beautiful elements and aspects of yoga— peace, balance, and being one with yourself. I hope that this conversation brought you a desire to add more lightness and play into your practice, and wonder about how you can add more child-like qualities to your time on the mat. If you're looking to tune into a podcast episode that is all about yoga in Poland then this is the conversation for you. Support the podcast: https://www.patreon.com/wildyogatribe Tell me more about Paulina Podbiello Paulina Podbiello, a yoga teacher in Poland, is on a mission to help others lead fulfilling lives through natural health practices. She holds a 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training certification from the Bhakti Center in New York City, and she constantly works towards expanding her knowledge. She has been teaching yoga for six years and teaches vinyasa yoga, restorative yoga, and yoga for the spine. For the skimmers - What's in the yoga in Poland episode? Yoga is the moment that you are one How hypnotherapy can compliment yoga The spirit of child-like energy and play in yoga Being a mirror for your students How to building strong connections with students What to expect in the Yoga In Poland episode of the Wild Yoga Tribe Podcast Get ready for an inspiring journey as Paulina Podbiello takes us on her yoga adventure! Living in bustling New York City, Paulina initially struggled to connect with yoga's slow pace and relaxation. But everything changed when she joined a transformative yoga teacher training program at the Bhakti Center. The experience opened her eyes to the profound depth of yoga beyond just poses, shifting her life in unimaginable ways. One of the key elements Paulina emphasizes is the power of community. In a city that can feel isolating, she found solace and belonging in the supportive network of like-minded yogis. The camaraderie and shared mission ignited a sense of fulfillment rarely found in the fast-paced cityscape. Moreover, Paulina's teaching style is all about infusing childlike energy and playfulness. She encourages her students to embrace curiosity and let go of judgment, fostering an environment that feels light, joyful, and free. With each class, she guides her students to explore their bodies and breathe in the present moment, unleashing their inner child and inviting them to rediscover the wonder of life. Building connections is another pillar of Paulina's approach. Treating her students as equals, she creates a safe space for self-exploration and growth. Influenced by her hypnotherapy background, Paulina seeks to guid  her students into deep relaxation during shavasana, facilitating a transformative integration process. Beyond the yoga mat, Paulina understands the challenges of finding inner peace and balance in our fast-paced lives. She emphasizes the importance of daily rituals and routines that anchor us, providing stability and support in the face of life's demands. In Poland, where yoga was once viewed with skepticism, Paulina sees a remarkable shift as more people hunger for the wellness practices that yoga offers. The wellness industry is blossoming, and Paulina envisions a future where yoga becomes accessible to all, irrespective of background or financial means. Connect with Paulina Podbiello www.yogiofnyc.com www.instagram.com/yelaya Want more? Head on over to my website  https://wildyogatribe.com/thepodcast/ Questions? Comments? Let's get social! https://www.instagram.com/wildyogatribe/ https://www.tiktok.com/@wildyogatribe https://www.facebook.com/wildyogatribe https://twitter.com/wildyogatribe Everything you need is just one click away! Check out all the resources here: https://linktr.ee/wildyogatribe --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wildyogatribe/message

2023.05.24 New York EN

2023.05.23 New York EN

2023.05.23 New York EN

2023.05.24 New York EN

Q & A live from the Bhakti Center's Wisdom of the Sages retreat.

Q & A live from the Bhakti Center's Wisdom of the Sages retreat.

Nectar Talks EPISODE 28 with Murli Gopal das   Nectar Talks is back in action! Take a seat with Amrita-keli as she uncovers the intriguing life and services of Murli Gopal das. Murli Gopal is a medical physicist, performing artist and science author for the Bhaktivedanta Institute. He met the devotees in his early 30's, trading a decades-long hankering to build a time machine and gain mystic powers for 10 years as a monk at the Bhakti Center. Explore his mood in Bhakti and help us send our very best wishes as he moves from Gainesville to pursue medical physics at M.D. Anderson in Houston.  Join us onFacebook: Nectar Talks Live & ISKCON AlachuaYouTube: Nectar Talks & ISKCON Alachua Hare Krishna TempleYou can also hear us on Apple Podcast & Spotify Thanks for listening! Follow us on Facebook, YouTube, Apple podcast and Spotify.

In this episode of For Soul's Sake, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dayal Gauranga, the Program Director for the Bhakti Center in New York City. Dayal has dedicated his life to spiritual study, reflection, and service, and his insights were truly inspiring. From his humble beginnings, becoming a monk at the age of 18, to now continuing to live and serve in New York City as the Program Director for the Bhakti Center, Dayal's journey is an inspiration to us all. His love for music has made Kirtan and devotional singing a critical part of his own spiritual practice and he has shared his wisdom with others through regular Kirtan trainings and workshops around the world. During our conversation, Dayal opened up about his personal struggles with mental health, relationship crisis, and moral failings. He shared the importance of recognising that we are not alone in our struggles and the impact of having someone who sees and understands us. We also discussed the issue of criticism and how to determine whose opinion really matters in our lives. Throughout the podcast, Dayal emphasised the importance of finding refuge in something higher than ourselves, whether it be spirituality, community, or personal growth. He shared his own journey towards finding inner peace and the fulfilment that comes with helping others. Our conversation was enlightening and inspiring. Dayal's wisdom on spirituality and personal growth is invaluable, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with him and share his wisdom with you all! 0:05:45   "Exploring Spiritual Values and the Impact of Difficult Relationships"0:08:52   Reflections on Monastic Life0:12:56   Discussion on Letting Go of the Idea of Being the Center of Attention0:14:03   Leadership and Spiritual Values 0:19:51   Spiritual Practice of Loving Others0:21:47   Love, Forgiveness, and Misgivings0:24:58   Developing a Loving Relationship with a Higher Power0:26:35   Finding Love and Taking Time for Self-Care0:27:55   Dealing with Criticism0:29:26   How to Avoid Criticizing Others and Deal with Criticism0:33:15   Receiving and Criticizing Criticism: Determining Whose Opinion Matters0:36:40   "Exploring the Impact of Criticism on Our Self-Conception"0:39:33   Seeing God's Lessons and Blind Spots0:41:38   Intimate Relationships and Finding Blockages to Love0:47:51   Making an Impact and Rising Above Challenges   Want to connect further?Instagram: www.instagram.com/radhika_dasa/Facebook: www.facebook.com/radhikadasmusicYouTube: www.youtube.com/c/RadhikaDasWebsite: www.radhikadas.comPatreon: www.patreon.com/radhikadasLinktree: linktr.ee/radhika_dasa

Trees are part of a large, interconnected community interacting with their own and other species in deep and fascinating ways. In this talk, Rukmini Walker from Urban Devi and herbalist Ashley Elenbaas explore the hidden life of trees and how their interactions above and underground provide a rich array of symbols and teachings for achieving a more humble and community-minded way of life. Through weaving the latest scientific discoveries of tree communication and the integration of ancient scriptures, this talk will leave you thinking about trees in a new light. REFERENCES The Mother Tree Experiment - https://mothertreeproject.org/mother-tree-experiment/ The Social Life of Forests - New York Times article - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/12/02/magazine/tree-communication-mycorrhiza.html Environmentalism in the Lord of the Rings - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmentalism_in_The_Lord_of_the_Rings The Pando Aspen Colony - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pando_(tree) Mary Oliver - When I am Among the Trees - https://medium.com/magazines-at-marquette/when-i-am-among-the-trees-musings-on-mary-oliver-bc992e1934b FIND US ON SOCIAL Connect with Rukmini through her Patreon Community: Patreon.com/RukminiWalker  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker  Urban Devi: urbandevi.com  Bhakti Center: https://bhakticenter.org/  Connect with Ashley on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyHouseHerbSchoolApothecary  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.litecky  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyhouseherbs/ UrbanDevi Retreat with Rukmini and Ashley- Costa Rica, April 17-24, 2023 https://bhakticenter.org/urbandeviretreat/

Support us through our annual Kickstarter campaign https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nightlight2020/nightlight-daily-horoscopes-2023 In this episode, Ashley Elenbaas and Rukmini Walker explore the autumnal theme of the harvest and thanksgiving. Through an interfaith inquiry, we dive into the words and works of great mystics and wisdom keepers to unlock the sacred secrets of gratitude. We hope you enjoy this episode and welcome your thoughts, ideas, and questions! Thanksgiving Prayer inspired by Reshad Field: Let us turn to each person as the most sacred person on earth, to each moment as the most sacred moment on earth that has ever been given to us. This moment may never happen again, because no two moments are ever alike. Can we perhaps awaken a bit more, breathing together with God, harvesting our gratefulness? Connect with Rukmini through her Patreon Community: Patreon.com/RukminiWalker  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker  Urban Devi: urbandevi.com  Bhakti Center: https://bhakticenter.org/  Find Ashley on social:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyHouseHerbSchoolApothecary  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.litecky  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyhouseherbs/ UrbanDevi Retreat with Rukmini and Ashley- Costa Rica, April 17-24, 2023 https://bhakticenter.org/urbandeviretreat/

This week we have the third episode of Devotional Mysticism and Plant Teachers. In this series, Ashley Elenbaas and her spiritual mentor Rukmini Walker explore the symbolism and spiritual teachings found within the season of autumn, and more specifically, what we can learn from the autumn leaves. Ashley and Rukmini travel across many continents and religions to bring you poetry, imagery, and sacred writings that capture the minds and hearts. They examine the seasons of life, aging, letting go, impermanence, autumn practices, and the colors of the leaves, to explore their essence. We hope you enjoy these talks and welcome your questions, comments, and insights! Connect with Rukmini through her Patreon Community: Patreon.com/RukminiWalker Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker Urban Devi: urbandevi.com Bhakti Center: https://bhakticenter.org/ Find Ashley on social: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyHouseHerbSchoolApothecary Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.litecky Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyhouseherbs/

This week we have the third episode of Devotional Mysticism and Plant Teachers. In this series, Ashley Elenbaas and her spiritual mentor Rukmini Walker explore the symbolism and spiritual teachings found within the season of autumn and, more specifically, what we can learn from the autumn leaves. Ashley and Rukmini travel across many continents and religions to bring you poetry, imagery, and sacred writings that capture the minds and hearts. They examine the seasons of life, aging, letting go, impermanence, autumn practices, and the colors of the leaves to explore their essence. We hope you enjoy these talks and welcome your questions, comments, and insights! Connect with Rukmini through her Patreon Community: Patreon.com/RukminiWalker  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker  Urban Devi: urbandevi.com  Bhakti Center: https://bhakticenter.org/  Find Ashley on social:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyHouseHerbSchoolApothecary  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.litecky  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyhouseherbs/

This week we have the second episode of Devotional Mysticism and Plant Teachers. In this series, Ashley Elenbaas and her spiritual mentor Rukmini Walker will explore plants' rich history, their connection to ancient and modern mystic traditions, their inclusion in myths, sacred texts, and their use as spiritual aides in ceremony and in healing. We hope to inspire our listeners to see the plant world with a greater sense of wonder and reverence and inspire greater love, gratitude, care, and compassion for these plants and our own spiritual journeys. We hope you enjoy these talks and welcome your questions, comments, and insights! TODAY'S SPEAKERS Connect with Rukmini through her Patreon Community: Patreon.com/RukminiWalker Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker Urban Devi: urbandevi.com Bhakti Center: https://bhakticenter.org/ Find Ashley on social: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SkyHouseHerbSchoolApothecary Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashley.litecky Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skyhouseherbs/

This week we have the second episode of Devotional Mysticism and Plant Teachers. In this series, my spiritual mentor, Rukmini Walker, and I will explore plants' rich history, their connection to ancient and modern mystic traditions, their inclusion in myths, sacred texts, and their use as spiritual aides in ceremony and in healing. We hope to inspire our listeners to see the plant world with a greater sense of wonder and reverence and inspire greater love, gratitude, care, and compassion for these plants and our own spiritual journeys. We hope you enjoy these talks and welcome your questions, comments, and insights!  Connect with Rukmini through her Patreon Community: Patreon.com/RukminiWalker  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker  Urban Devi: urbandevi.com  Bhakti Center: https://bhakticenter.org/ 

2022.06.13 New York EN

2022.06.13 New York EN

Am I A Beast Of Burden | Bhakti Center NYC Feb 2022 by S.B. Keshava Swami

On this week's 51%, we speak with Sangeetha Kowsik, a Hindu Chaplain at New York University, as part of our series speaking with women religious leaders and scholars. Kowsik discusses the multitude of ways Hinduism is practiced, her love of pujas, and her thoughts on how the religion is depicted in popular culture. Guest: Sangeetha Kowsik, Hindu Chaplain at New York University 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's hosted by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for joining us, I'm Jesse King. This week, to kick off your new year, we're continuing our series speaking with women religious leaders and scholars, to celebrate the different ways that we worship. Our guest today is Sangeetha Kowsik, a Hindu Chaplain and founder of the Hindu Center at New York University. Kowsik has a lot of loves: she's an artist and fashion designer by profession, a scholar of Arabic calligraphy, an activist, and even a trained dancer. But she says her faith plays a role in every aspect of her life — and it has for as long as she can remember. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Kowsik says her father helped start three Hindu temples across the U.S., including her childhood temple in Livermore, California. Tell me about growing up by the temple. What was it that you connected with in Hinduism? Unfortunately in the West, there's a negative connotation, that they call our deities “idols,” and that Hindus are idol worshipers – which is not correct. The correct term for the statues, the deities that you see inside the temple, is “murti,” which is a symbolic representation of the divine. So these murtis stayed at my house and our puja room – a puja room is a special room, or a corner, or a cupboard, or anything in your house that you dedicate just for worship. We have an extra bedroom downstairs, so that's our puja room. So before the temple was consecrated, the deities stayed in our home. And for me, as a child – I'm a very small child here, [about] 4-years-old – these deities, I thought they were my friends. Just like I would play with my Barbie dolls and my stuffed toys, I would feed them, I would play with them. I gave them tea, played tea party with them. I loved them, and especially Durga. Hinduism is the only religion in the world that sees the divine as not just an almighty father, but almighty mother. So this murti, Durga, stayed in our puja room, and I thought she was my friend. I thought she was my bestie. I loved her so much. So when the deities – I think I was four – when the deities got moved, the temple was consecrated, I remember throwing a huge temper tantrum. Because you took my friends away. You took my dolls away, basically, right? But as I got older, I realized how much they mean to me, and how much Hinduism means to me. I'll give you an overview. So, India is the birthplace of Hinduism – South Asia, basically this giant landmass. So what is now India: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, parts of Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan. They were all one giant landmass before partition and lines occurred. So Hinduism has no historical founder, like the three Abrahamic religions. Islam, Christianity and Judaism all come from the prophet Abraham, peace be upon him. [But] we don't have that. Hindus don't have that. What I thought was so cool, is that you can see the divine in so many different ways. It's not some scary being in the sky, with a huge beard, telling you like, “This is wrong. That is wrong.” It could be the soft, sweet, beautiful deity like Ganesha – the elephant I'm wearing, it's written in Arabic here, right? So Ganesha, he's so sweet and gorgeous that you just want to pick him up and play with him, like a child. Or you see Lord Shiva, almighty Shiva, who is the mighty father. So whenever you have an issue or problem, you can call to Lord Shiva – like your dad, “Go kick his ass,” you know what I mean? It's like, “That dude is rude. Go kick his ass.” You can pray to Lord Shiva. You can see beautiful Mahalakshmi dressed in her gorgeous robe… And the fact that the songs that my mom taught me, the meaning behind them, is so beautiful – it's a very personalized relationship with God. That's why I love Hinduism so much. It's very personal, like you can feel it. You can feel him / her/ it, I don't know all these pronouns, [but] we believe in all the pronouns. So it's like all of them in your heart, and Hinduism doesn't state that something is wrong. It gives LGBTQI rights. It gives women's rights. It gives rights to all creation, because everything in this world is created by the mighty divine. Like paper, pens are all of the goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. So we don't step on any paper or step on paint brushes or musical instruments with our feet – feet are nasty and gross, you walk outside with it – I always thought that was so cool, and wonderful, that we respect everything. Everything is divine. When you say namaskar or namaste to somebody, it literally means, “I bow to the divine in you.” The fact that you can see multiple ways of the divine is something that always appealed to me. Like whatever you're feeling inside, there's space for you. There's room at the table for you. There's room for you in the temple. Kowsik says the Shiva-Vishnu Temple in Livermore showcases that inclusivity with a range of languages and priests, as well as a combination of North and South Indian architecture. When Kowsik moved to New York City, she found herself attending and volunteering at another temple her father had a history in: The Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, Queens. Kowsik says her work with youths there caught the attention of NYU — that, and her participation in another, what she calls “more hipster” temple at the time: Eddie Stern's Broom Street Temple in Brooklyn. Tell me about your work at Broom Street Temple and NYU. Well, I got 80 white people to sing [in service]. Pat on my back. Yeah, pronunciation was wack, but whatever. God accepts everything, you know. It's the intention behind the prayer, not your pronunciation. Anywho, NYU – they'd never met anyone who was born and raised in the U.S. who knows Hindu scriptures. Because generally, Jesse, most people who go to Hindu temples in the U.S., you just see older people. You see grandmas and grandpas, aunties and uncles. More people from India going to temples – you rarely see people born and raised here [in the U.S.] going to temple, because it's not clearly explained. I get it, I totally get it. You take a kid into a temple, the priest is doing something for like 40 minutes, he doesn't get what he's doing. He's bored, and thinks, “I'm gonna watch The Simpsons or some s***." You know what I mean? So it's like, I get it. Hinduism, it might be the oldest religion in the world, [but] it's still very much a baby religion in the United States. It's brought by immigrants. And so it's going to take a while for people to understand what this faith is. So I help the students [by] not just having events to teach about Hinduism [and] take part in worship, but also if they need spiritual advice, if they're having an issue, [I help them] solve that. I can refer them to a scripture passage, or teach them a mantra, or teach them a saying to help them get through their darkness as well. For those who might not know, what do Hindu prayers and services look like? OK, so again, Jesse, this depends on how you were born and brought up and raised – whether you're South Indian, North Indian, East Indian, this and that. “Puja” means ritualistic prayer. In Hinduism, when we're praying, we're not worshiping the idol. We're worshipping what this murti represents. We're asking the divine to come and inhabit this Ganesha, for example. Let's set Ganesha as an example, right? We're asking Lord Ganesha to inhabit this. And you have to go back into history: South Asia was very rich with gold, as well as agriculture, back in the day before colonization and partition. And so to express gratitude, they used to give everything to the temple. And they imagine that Ganesha is sitting right in front of them. We worship as though God is sitting right in front of us. So like the exalted king, or the exalted queen, these words that we're saying in the puja: “Avahayami, avahayami,” means, “Please come forth, my beloved.” So like a king or a queen, you offer them a seat, you offer them food, you offer them ritualistic bathing. At the end is the Aarti. People might be familiar with Aarti, because of all the Bollywood films. Everyone does it, right. But again, it's beautiful because when they sing it, it's saying, “You are my mother, you are my father, you are my friend, you are my beloved.” “You are my everything,” is what they are calling to the divine. So that's what a puja is. Puja is ritualistic prayer. Everything has to be neat and clean. Like, for example, before the priest starts the prayer, he cleanses himself with water, he'll drink the water to clean his insides, clean his heart, clean his brain, his ears – you know, to let only good thoughts [in] and let [him] be pure and clean when [he] offers these prayers. So a priest, he leads the prayer – but he's not God. Anybody can do this, that's another thing. But priests are trained, because they go to special schools in India where they study all these mantras, these chants, prayers. And then they come to the United States, and they lead it. And they're not chaplains. Like, you know how in Christianity, there's a pastor, and he goes up there, and he takes a Bible verse, and then he explains it? Or then he talks about day-to-day life, what's going on, and helps people? We don't have that. The priest, that's not his job to do something like that. His job is to lead the prayer rituals. And then he gives you the offering, the flowers, or the food that you offered, and stuff like that. So that's what puja is like. Pujas are very high flown in South India – because again, they didn't have the Islamic influence, they didn't have the Christian influence, because there's a mountain range that protects South India. Where my parents are from, it's called the Temple State. So these rituals for years on end, eons on end, have remained the same. Because they didn't have an influence from anybody else. North India, they have the Islamic influence. So a lot of North Indian women, they cover their hair when they go to prayer. And in North India, Sanskrit is the language, [they use] Sanskrit prayers. Sanskrit is supposed to be the mother of all languages – that's where Hindi came out of, Urdu came out of. Everything, all of our prayers and rituals, came out of Sanskrit language and came down here. But Tamil people also have a unique way of worshipping. So do Bengali people. So do Punjabi people. That's what makes Hinduism so cool, is its diversity, and multitude of practices. For example, if you took the New York City area: in Manhattan, there's only the Hari Krishna center, the Bhakti Center, which is in the East Village. So their main deity is Radha-Krishna, and they follow the sayings of the saint who started the Hari Krishna movement. But that's it. If you want to see a South Indian ginormous temple, you haul yourself on the seven train to go to Flushing, Queens, and then you can see the Flushing Ganesha temple. And then across the street from Flushing temple, there's a North Indian one that's there too. They have marble deities. And there's an Afghan Hindu temple, also. Afghan people were Hindus back in the day, and there's still some Afghan Hindus left. And the way they do things vary. But Flushing temple, you go on their website, and ever since COVID, they've been live streaming their prayer rituals every single day. And it's beautifully done. It starts on time ends on time, no Indian Standard Time, no brown standard time. Everything starts and ends on time. Why Jesse? Because it's run by a woman. Dr. Uma Mysorekar, for 45 years, she's been the president of flushing temple. Everything starts and ends on time, you know, complete efficiency. Well, on that note, is it becoming more common to see women becoming priests or taking leadership roles in temples? I think so. Like I read about in the New York Times, there's a – I think she's a North Indian lady – who married LGBTQI couples. She was featured in the New York Times, so that was pretty cool. I know another two or three like pujaris – “pujaris” means “lady priests” – in Chicago and in the New York area. So there are some people taking the initiative to learn these prayers and hymns and to be able to lead puja. Slowly but surely things are changing now in the community. You've mentioned some of the misconceptions about Hinduism. What are some other things that you feel people confuse between Hinduism in practice versus other societal or cultural norms? Of course, like, for example, the idea of arranged marriages. Did you see that crappy show, that show Indian Matchmaking on Netflix? Yes, I have. Yeah, I hate binge watched it along with Amina, my Muslim lady chaplain friend. We hate binge watched it, OK? Because, first of all, what she's saying – not all Indian people act like that. Not all Hindu people act like that. In fact, in Hinduism, none of our deities were arranged marriages. Goddess Parvati, who is the embodiment of beauty, and who's Shakti – “Shakti” means “energy,” like no male deity can live without his female counterpart, the energy, the almighty mother, right? Parvati won Shiva through penance. And her penance was so intense that the entire world shook. She chose Lord Shiva. She chose Lord Shiva. Lakshmi, she came out of the churning of the ocean. She chose Lord Vishnu. So not an arranged marriage, right? And Ganesha is technically Parvati's kid, Parvati didn't need Shiva to have a kid. Ganesh came out of a piece of Parvati's body, right. So why do we make fun of single mothers? Why is it such a taboo to be a single mom, when technically Parvati is a single mom? Subramanya, Kartikeya, [Ganesha's] younger brother came from the six sparks of Lord Shiva. So this is a modern-day family. Shiva and Parvati are a modern-day family because you have a father, you have a mother, and they have these two children. Ganesha's the first deity, you can't get around him. Every prayer begins with Lord Ganesha, can't get around him. Ganesha and Subramanya are brothers, but technically, they're not even half-brothers. They're brothers who came, one from Lord Shiva, one from Goddess Parvati. So why do we judge single parents? Why do we judge divorced people? Another cool thing, Lord Ayyappan – Ayyappa is a deity of South India, Kerala. He is the son of two male deities, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. So why is there so much animosity towards the LGBTQI community, when Ayyappa is the son of two fathers? Even though Vishnu took the form of the enchanter Mohini, the lady, to have the baby, still. It's like, why do we have these stigmas and taboos? Arranged marriages, it's a cultural phenomenon. It's not a religious phenomenon. And why is it always considered a Hindu thing, when the tutors in the European dynasties also had arranged marriages, in order to keep wealth in the family? Why is it a taboo that, “Hindus believe in arranged marriages?” No, we do not. It's a cultural thing. Maybe it's an Indian practice, or South Asian practice, you can say, but it's not a Hindu practice. That's something that I firmly believe in. Also, and we have Brahmacharya deities, celibate deities. Hanuman is a celibate deity. He didn't want to get married. Ganesha's technically a celibate deity. You know how he got out of marriage? They were pressuring him to get married. And he's like, “OK, fine.” He's also the lord of wisdom, right? It's like, “Alright, fine. Find me a woman more accomplished than my mama, more beautiful than my mama, and I will marry her,” right? And you can't get more beautiful or more accomplished than goddess Parvati, so he got out of it. But in some stories, in some ways of thinking, he has Siddhi and Buddhi, he has two wives. Also, when women have periods, they're considered impure. I remember, Jesse, when I went to India, and we went to a temple in North India, there's a huge sign outside that said, “Women on their periods who are menstruating should not enter the temple premises at all.” I'm like, “What are you going to do, check?” When I saw that, I was horrified, and I was disgusted also. I gave a lecture on this topic with Amina. So you have to go back, again, in history. When women had their periods, people didn't live in cities [back then] – they were gatherers and wanderers and nomads. They lived in like, tents in the middle of the forest. So when women bled, animals could smell the blood, right? Then they would attack. So that's why they kept these women isolated – so people could protect them. They would build the village around them. And where did everyone socialize and gather? It was at the temple back in the day. So when women are going there, animals could smell the blood, and they would attack. So that's why it's they kept them separate, they kept them from going there to keep [the community] safe. Plus, I don't know about you, but women, when we get our periods, we go crazy with PMS. It feels like someone stabbing us in the back with a stiletto. So why would you want to go to temple, when you're trying to pray and connect with God, and you're like, “Oh, my back hurts. Oh, my legs hurt.”? You know, that's another reason people kept them separate. But it's not because you're impure, or you're unclean. Actually, there are a couple of temples in northeastern India – I read about this – where the goddess menstruates. They have an entire festival built around this lady who menstruates. I thought that was so beautiful and so cool. You had asked me before what I love about Hinduism. There's always something new and fun and fascinating to learn about in Hinduism. Another deity, another way of thinking, another practice, another book, another scripture. Everyone says that in Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita is the only scripture that they're familiar with. No, that's not the only scripture we have. We have Vedas, we have Shastras. We have different books written by different saints and sages. So Bhagavad Gita isn't our “Hindu Bible.” That's another stigma that needs to be broken. While I was working at the Metropolitan Museum, a curator told me, he's like, “Think about it. Before the British came, the Bhagavad Gita wasn't really illustrated. It wasn't really written down. It wasn't really illustrated on paper. You saw carvings of it, but there's no paintings, no paper of this. Why? Because when the British came to South Asia, they saw all these people thinking in a multitude of different ways, praying in all sorts of ways, and they were massively confused, because they came from a Christian background. Because they came from one book, one prophet, one thing. And they saw all of this and they're like, ‘OK, you know what, we're going to take Mahabharat, the poem that Bhagavad Gita is extracted from, and here you go, this is the Hindu Bible.” And that's not right. So after the British came, you see a lot more paintings and drawings of Lord Krishna giving the sermon to Arjuna, and stuff like that written down. But it's interesting, you look in art history, and it teaches you a lot as well. So we don't just have one central text, we have a multitude of ways of thinking, and multiple books, and everyone should accept how the other ones think. North India isn't better than South India, South India isn't better than East India, East isn't better than the West. We're all equal, under the divine. You mentioned that Hinduism is growing in the US, but it's still one of the smaller religions. What do you see as both the obstacles and opportunities in Hinduism right now? For opportunities, first of all, we're all spending more time online, because we can't congregate in person because of COVID. Right? That means the reach is far. People can get to know about Hinduism through YouTube, through Facebook, through all these channels of communication, through the digital world. So that opportunity, and the fact that the world is becoming more inclusive. You see all of these different colleges have inclusivity and diversity trainings, so that's a step in the right direction – at least they're starting to care a bit more. The obstacles I face is that people don't know so much about Hinduism correctly in order to actually help. For example, I was part of NAHCA, the North American Hindu Chaplains Association when it was formed. And that's to help with spiritual caregiving and find chaplains to work in hospitals, the military, and the university system. But even the word chaplain, we don't have that in Hindu language. Like, when I went to NYU, Imam Khalid was the first person who took me under his wing, and I'm like, “What the hell's a chaplain, dude?” And he explained to me, it's spiritual caregiving. It's being there for someone the way they need you to be there for them. “Dope, that's so cool. I can do this.” But when you say Hindu chaplain, most Hindus, even the ones born and raised here, they don't know what a Hindu chaplain is. My parents don't know what a chaplain is, until I explained to them. Slowly, Hindu chaplaincy is growing in the United States. Like, I've had people contact me from the military, and from also prisons as well. But they also need to know the right terminology. For example, I'll get requests, “Can you marry this couple?” And I'm like, “OK, in Hinduism, what is the language that they speak? What culture did they come from? How are they raised? What do they prefer?” They can't explain these things to me, so you need to ask the right questions. Also, for example, one of my students at NYU, he wanted to study chaplaincy. So I wrote his recommendations to divinity schools – there's Harvard Divinity School, and there's one in Chicago. And the box check [on the form] says, “Affiliation: Church, Synagogue.” Yo, you forgot temple, you know what I mean? Stuff like that. But you know, Jesse, I have a positive outlook that things are growing. And because the world is becoming more inclusive, and people are starting to understand each other more, and have access to each other more – like, no matter how much I have a love-hate relationship with social media, at least you learn information, learn about new things. You can hear about some cool graffiti artist in the middle of Africa someplace, because he has an Instagram account. You know, there's a huge Hindu temple in Ghana, Africa, that I can't wait to go to. Yeah, Black people, African people are Hindus. There's a gigantic temple in Ghana, Africa. So [likewise] there are different Hindu people in the U.S. who are trying their level best to bring Hinduism to the mainstream. But I really don't appreciate [things like] this Indian Matchmaking show. You need to put a disclaimer on that, that this is only certain types of people who act like this. Meanwhile, there are other like good TV shows like Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever. Did you see that? I haven't seen that, no. It's about an Indian American family who lives in Southern California, in L.A. But you know, she beautifully illustrates what Indian American Hindu kids feel. Devi, that's the lead [character] in that show, she doesn't know anything about Hinduism. She's growing up like any other American kid, like, she has a crush on the hot guy or whatever. And then they take her to a Hindu puja in a school gymnasium, and it's just more a cultural thing than anything. No one is really worshiping. They don't understand the meaning behind it. That's how a lot of people feel, a lot of Hindu kids feel in the U.S. But I thought that was a beautifully done show. Because people assume, also, culturally, that everyone speaks Hindi. Like all Indians speak Hindi, which is not true. I don't speak Hindi. I don't understand Hindi so much, here and there. My father speaks Hindi fluently, because he lived in the north, and my mom does not. So it's like, at least Tamil has been put on the map, like, a South Indian language has been put on the map. And people need to realize that India is extremely diverse. There's over 5,000 languages that are spoken there. English and Hindi are not the only two, you know. People need to accept the diversity of Hinduism, the diversity of Indian cultures, as well as their different ways of thinking. And accept all of them. Lastly, do you have a favorite religious message or deity or story that you'd like to share with listeners? Oh, my God, I love all of them. That's the biggest thing is for me is this Sanskrit phrased that means, the world, the entire world, is one family. That's the principle that I adhere by. So technically, you're my sister. He's my brother. She's my mother. She's my sister. If you see everyone as one, as oneness, then you wouldn't have hatred or malice or judgement in your heart and your brain. And then another phrase, which means, “Let all creation be healthy, happy, prosperous.” It's said at the end, after every prayer ritual. So we're not just praying for Hindu people to be happy, or Indian people to be happy. We're praying for the entire world, entire planet, all creation. And creation includes animals, birds, plants, vegetation – all of that, too. Sangeetha Kowsik is the Hindu Chaplain at NYU. You can learn more about her work on the university's website, and her artwork at www.ihsanishan.com. You've been listening to 51%. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's hosted by me, Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Thanks again to Sangeetha Kowsik for taking part in this week's episode. Until next week, I'm Jesse King for 51%. Happy New Year!

On this week's 51%, we speak with Sangeetha Kowsik, a Hindu Chaplain at New York University, as part of our series speaking with women religious leaders and scholars. Kowsik discusses the multitude of ways Hinduism is practiced, her love of pujas, and her thoughts on how the religion is depicted in popular culture. Guest: Sangeetha Kowsik, Hindu Chaplain at New York University 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's hosted by Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is "Lolita" by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Follow Along You're listening to 51%, a WAMC production dedicated to women's issues and experiences. Thanks for joining us, I'm Jesse King. This week, to kick off your new year, we're continuing our series speaking with women religious leaders and scholars, to celebrate the different ways that we worship. Our guest today is Sangeetha Kowsik, a Hindu Chaplain and founder of the Hindu Center at New York University. Kowsik has a lot of loves: she's an artist and fashion designer by profession, a scholar of Arabic calligraphy, an activist, and even a trained dancer. But she says her faith plays a role in every aspect of her life — and it has for as long as she can remember. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Kowsik says her father helped start three Hindu temples across the U.S., including her childhood temple in Livermore, California. Tell me about growing up by the temple. What was it that you connected with in Hinduism? Unfortunately in the West, there's a negative connotation, that they call our deities “idols,” and that Hindus are idol worshipers – which is not correct. The correct term for the statues, the deities that you see inside the temple, is “murti,” which is a symbolic representation of the divine. So these murtis stayed at my house and our puja room – a puja room is a special room, or a corner, or a cupboard, or anything in your house that you dedicate just for worship. We have an extra bedroom downstairs, so that's our puja room. So before the temple was consecrated, the deities stayed in our home. And for me, as a child – I'm a very small child here, [about] 4-years-old – these deities, I thought they were my friends. Just like I would play with my Barbie dolls and my stuffed toys, I would feed them, I would play with them. I gave them tea, played tea party with them. I loved them, and especially Durga. Hinduism is the only religion in the world that sees the divine as not just an almighty father, but almighty mother. So this murti, Durga, stayed in our puja room, and I thought she was my friend. I thought she was my bestie. I loved her so much. So when the deities – I think I was four – when the deities got moved, the temple was consecrated, I remember throwing a huge temper tantrum. Because you took my friends away. You took my dolls away, basically, right? But as I got older, I realized how much they mean to me, and how much Hinduism means to me. I'll give you an overview. So, India is the birthplace of Hinduism – South Asia, basically this giant landmass. So what is now India: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, parts of Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan. They were all one giant landmass before partition and lines occurred. So Hinduism has no historical founder, like the three Abrahamic religions. Islam, Christianity and Judaism all come from the prophet Abraham, peace be upon him. [But] we don't have that. Hindus don't have that. What I thought was so cool, is that you can see the divine in so many different ways. It's not some scary being in the sky, with a huge beard, telling you like, “This is wrong. That is wrong.” It could be the soft, sweet, beautiful deity like Ganesha – the elephant I'm wearing, it's written in Arabic here, right? So Ganesha, he's so sweet and gorgeous that you just want to pick him up and play with him, like a child. Or you see Lord Shiva, almighty Shiva, who is the mighty father. So whenever you have an issue or problem, you can call to Lord Shiva – like your dad, “Go kick his ass,” you know what I mean? It's like, “That dude is rude. Go kick his ass.” You can pray to Lord Shiva. You can see beautiful Mahalakshmi dressed in her gorgeous robe… And the fact that the songs that my mom taught me, the meaning behind them, is so beautiful – it's a very personalized relationship with God. That's why I love Hinduism so much. It's very personal, like you can feel it. You can feel him / her/ it, I don't know all these pronouns, [but] we believe in all the pronouns. So it's like all of them in your heart, and Hinduism doesn't state that something is wrong. It gives LGBTQI rights. It gives women's rights. It gives rights to all creation, because everything in this world is created by the mighty divine. Like paper, pens are all of the goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and learning. So we don't step on any paper or step on paint brushes or musical instruments with our feet – feet are nasty and gross, you walk outside with it – I always thought that was so cool, and wonderful, that we respect everything. Everything is divine. When you say namaskar or namaste to somebody, it literally means, “I bow to the divine in you.” The fact that you can see multiple ways of the divine is something that always appealed to me. Like whatever you're feeling inside, there's space for you. There's room at the table for you. There's room for you in the temple. Kowsik says the Shiva-Vishnu Temple in Livermore showcases that inclusivity with a range of languages and priests, as well as a combination of North and South Indian architecture. When Kowsik moved to New York City, she found herself attending and volunteering at another temple her father had a history in: The Hindu Temple Society of North America in Flushing, Queens. Kowsik says her work with youths there caught the attention of NYU — that, and her participation in another, what she calls “more hipster” temple at the time: Eddie Stern's Broom Street Temple in Brooklyn. Tell me about your work at Broom Street Temple and NYU. Well, I got 80 white people to sing [in service]. Pat on my back. Yeah, pronunciation was wack, but whatever. God accepts everything, you know. It's the intention behind the prayer, not your pronunciation. Anywho, NYU – they'd never met anyone who was born and raised in the U.S. who knows Hindu scriptures. Because generally, Jesse, most people who go to Hindu temples in the U.S., you just see older people. You see grandmas and grandpas, aunties and uncles. More people from India going to temples – you rarely see people born and raised here [in the U.S.] going to temple, because it's not clearly explained. I get it, I totally get it. You take a kid into a temple, the priest is doing something for like 40 minutes, he doesn't get what he's doing. He's bored, and thinks, “I'm gonna watch The Simpsons or some s***." You know what I mean? So it's like, I get it. Hinduism, it might be the oldest religion in the world, [but] it's still very much a baby religion in the United States. It's brought by immigrants. And so it's going to take a while for people to understand what this faith is. So I help the students [by] not just having events to teach about Hinduism [and] take part in worship, but also if they need spiritual advice, if they're having an issue, [I help them] solve that. I can refer them to a scripture passage, or teach them a mantra, or teach them a saying to help them get through their darkness as well. For those who might not know, what do Hindu prayers and services look like? OK, so again, Jesse, this depends on how you were born and brought up and raised – whether you're South Indian, North Indian, East Indian, this and that. “Puja” means ritualistic prayer. In Hinduism, when we're praying, we're not worshiping the idol. We're worshipping what this murti represents. We're asking the divine to come and inhabit this Ganesha, for example. Let's set Ganesha as an example, right? We're asking Lord Ganesha to inhabit this. And you have to go back into history: South Asia was very rich with gold, as well as agriculture, back in the day before colonization and partition. And so to express gratitude, they used to give everything to the temple. And they imagine that Ganesha is sitting right in front of them. We worship as though God is sitting right in front of us. So like the exalted king, or the exalted queen, these words that we're saying in the puja: “Avahayami, avahayami,” means, “Please come forth, my beloved.” So like a king or a queen, you offer them a seat, you offer them food, you offer them ritualistic bathing. At the end is the Aarti. People might be familiar with Aarti, because of all the Bollywood films. Everyone does it, right. But again, it's beautiful because when they sing it, it's saying, “You are my mother, you are my father, you are my friend, you are my beloved.” “You are my everything,” is what they are calling to the divine. So that's what a puja is. Puja is ritualistic prayer. Everything has to be neat and clean. Like, for example, before the priest starts the prayer, he cleanses himself with water, he'll drink the water to clean his insides, clean his heart, clean his brain, his ears – you know, to let only good thoughts [in] and let [him] be pure and clean when [he] offers these prayers. So a priest, he leads the prayer – but he's not God. Anybody can do this, that's another thing. But priests are trained, because they go to special schools in India where they study all these mantras, these chants, prayers. And then they come to the United States, and they lead it. And they're not chaplains. Like, you know how in Christianity, there's a pastor, and he goes up there, and he takes a Bible verse, and then he explains it? Or then he talks about day-to-day life, what's going on, and helps people? We don't have that. The priest, that's not his job to do something like that. His job is to lead the prayer rituals. And then he gives you the offering, the flowers, or the food that you offered, and stuff like that. So that's what puja is like. Pujas are very high flown in South India – because again, they didn't have the Islamic influence, they didn't have the Christian influence, because there's a mountain range that protects South India. Where my parents are from, it's called the Temple State. So these rituals for years on end, eons on end, have remained the same. Because they didn't have an influence from anybody else. North India, they have the Islamic influence. So a lot of North Indian women, they cover their hair when they go to prayer. And in North India, Sanskrit is the language, [they use] Sanskrit prayers. Sanskrit is supposed to be the mother of all languages – that's where Hindi came out of, Urdu came out of. Everything, all of our prayers and rituals, came out of Sanskrit language and came down here. But Tamil people also have a unique way of worshipping. So do Bengali people. So do Punjabi people. That's what makes Hinduism so cool, is its diversity, and multitude of practices. For example, if you took the New York City area: in Manhattan, there's only the Hari Krishna center, the Bhakti Center, which is in the East Village. So their main deity is Radha-Krishna, and they follow the sayings of the saint who started the Hari Krishna movement. But that's it. If you want to see a South Indian ginormous temple, you haul yourself on the seven train to go to Flushing, Queens, and then you can see the Flushing Ganesha temple. And then across the street from Flushing temple, there's a North Indian one that's there too. They have marble deities. And there's an Afghan Hindu temple, also. Afghan people were Hindus back in the day, and there's still some Afghan Hindus left. And the way they do things vary. But Flushing temple, you go on their website, and ever since COVID, they've been live streaming their prayer rituals every single day. And it's beautifully done. It starts on time ends on time, no Indian Standard Time, no brown standard time. Everything starts and ends on time. Why Jesse? Because it's run by a woman. Dr. Uma Mysorekar, for 45 years, she's been the president of flushing temple. Everything starts and ends on time, you know, complete efficiency. Well, on that note, is it becoming more common to see women becoming priests or taking leadership roles in temples? I think so. Like I read about in the New York Times, there's a – I think she's a North Indian lady – who married LGBTQI couples. She was featured in the New York Times, so that was pretty cool. I know another two or three like pujaris – “pujaris” means “lady priests” – in Chicago and in the New York area. So there are some people taking the initiative to learn these prayers and hymns and to be able to lead puja. Slowly but surely things are changing now in the community. You've mentioned some of the misconceptions about Hinduism. What are some other things that you feel people confuse between Hinduism in practice versus other societal or cultural norms? Of course, like, for example, the idea of arranged marriages. Did you see that crappy show, that show Indian Matchmaking on Netflix? Yes, I have. Yeah, I hate binge watched it along with Amina, my Muslim lady chaplain friend. We hate binge watched it, OK? Because, first of all, what she's saying – not all Indian people act like that. Not all Hindu people act like that. In fact, in Hinduism, none of our deities were arranged marriages. Goddess Parvati, who is the embodiment of beauty, and who's Shakti – “Shakti” means “energy,” like no male deity can live without his female counterpart, the energy, the almighty mother, right? Parvati won Shiva through penance. And her penance was so intense that the entire world shook. She chose Lord Shiva. She chose Lord Shiva. Lakshmi, she came out of the churning of the ocean. She chose Lord Vishnu. So not an arranged marriage, right? And Ganesha is technically Parvati's kid, Parvati didn't need Shiva to have a kid. Ganesh came out of a piece of Parvati's body, right. So why do we make fun of single mothers? Why is it such a taboo to be a single mom, when technically Parvati is a single mom? Subramanya, Kartikeya, [Ganesha's] younger brother came from the six sparks of Lord Shiva. So this is a modern-day family. Shiva and Parvati are a modern-day family because you have a father, you have a mother, and they have these two children. Ganesha's the first deity, you can't get around him. Every prayer begins with Lord Ganesha, can't get around him. Ganesha and Subramanya are brothers, but technically, they're not even half-brothers. They're brothers who came, one from Lord Shiva, one from Goddess Parvati. So why do we judge single parents? Why do we judge divorced people? Another cool thing, Lord Ayyappan – Ayyappa is a deity of South India, Kerala. He is the son of two male deities, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva. So why is there so much animosity towards the LGBTQI community, when Ayyappa is the son of two fathers? Even though Vishnu took the form of the enchanter Mohini, the lady, to have the baby, still. It's like, why do we have these stigmas and taboos? Arranged marriages, it's a cultural phenomenon. It's not a religious phenomenon. And why is it always considered a Hindu thing, when the tutors in the European dynasties also had arranged marriages, in order to keep wealth in the family? Why is it a taboo that, “Hindus believe in arranged marriages?” No, we do not. It's a cultural thing. Maybe it's an Indian practice, or South Asian practice, you can say, but it's not a Hindu practice. That's something that I firmly believe in. Also, and we have Brahmacharya deities, celibate deities. Hanuman is a celibate deity. He didn't want to get married. Ganesha's technically a celibate deity. You know how he got out of marriage? They were pressuring him to get married. And he's like, “OK, fine.” He's also the lord of wisdom, right? It's like, “Alright, fine. Find me a woman more accomplished than my mama, more beautiful than my mama, and I will marry her,” right? And you can't get more beautiful or more accomplished than goddess Parvati, so he got out of it. But in some stories, in some ways of thinking, he has Siddhi and Buddhi, he has two wives. Also, when women have periods, they're considered impure. I remember, Jesse, when I went to India, and we went to a temple in North India, there's a huge sign outside that said, “Women on their periods who are menstruating should not enter the temple premises at all.” I'm like, “What are you going to do, check?” When I saw that, I was horrified, and I was disgusted also. I gave a lecture on this topic with Amina. So you have to go back, again, in history. When women had their periods, people didn't live in cities [back then] – they were gatherers and wanderers and nomads. They lived in like, tents in the middle of the forest. So when women bled, animals could smell the blood, right? Then they would attack. So that's why they kept these women isolated – so people could protect them. They would build the village around them. And where did everyone socialize and gather? It was at the temple back in the day. So when women are going there, animals could smell the blood, and they would attack. So that's why it's they kept them separate, they kept them from going there to keep [the community] safe. Plus, I don't know about you, but women, when we get our periods, we go crazy with PMS. It feels like someone stabbing us in the back with a stiletto. So why would you want to go to temple, when you're trying to pray and connect with God, and you're like, “Oh, my back hurts. Oh, my legs hurt.”? You know, that's another reason people kept them separate. But it's not because you're impure, or you're unclean. Actually, there are a couple of temples in northeastern India – I read about this – where the goddess menstruates. They have an entire festival built around this lady who menstruates. I thought that was so beautiful and so cool. You had asked me before what I love about Hinduism. There's always something new and fun and fascinating to learn about in Hinduism. Another deity, another way of thinking, another practice, another book, another scripture. Everyone says that in Hinduism, the Bhagavad Gita is the only scripture that they're familiar with. No, that's not the only scripture we have. We have Vedas, we have Shastras. We have different books written by different saints and sages. So Bhagavad Gita isn't our “Hindu Bible.” That's another stigma that needs to be broken. While I was working at the Metropolitan Museum, a curator told me, he's like, “Think about it. Before the British came, the Bhagavad Gita wasn't really illustrated. It wasn't really written down. It wasn't really illustrated on paper. You saw carvings of it, but there's no paintings, no paper of this. Why? Because when the British came to South Asia, they saw all these people thinking in a multitude of different ways, praying in all sorts of ways, and they were massively confused, because they came from a Christian background. Because they came from one book, one prophet, one thing. And they saw all of this and they're like, ‘OK, you know what, we're going to take Mahabharat, the poem that Bhagavad Gita is extracted from, and here you go, this is the Hindu Bible.” And that's not right. So after the British came, you see a lot more paintings and drawings of Lord Krishna giving the sermon to Arjuna, and stuff like that written down. But it's interesting, you look in art history, and it teaches you a lot as well. So we don't just have one central text, we have a multitude of ways of thinking, and multiple books, and everyone should accept how the other ones think. North India isn't better than South India, South India isn't better than East India, East isn't better than the West. We're all equal, under the divine. You mentioned that Hinduism is growing in the US, but it's still one of the smaller religions. What do you see as both the obstacles and opportunities in Hinduism right now? For opportunities, first of all, we're all spending more time online, because we can't congregate in person because of COVID. Right? That means the reach is far. People can get to know about Hinduism through YouTube, through Facebook, through all these channels of communication, through the digital world. So that opportunity, and the fact that the world is becoming more inclusive. You see all of these different colleges have inclusivity and diversity trainings, so that's a step in the right direction – at least they're starting to care a bit more. The obstacles I face is that people don't know so much about Hinduism correctly in order to actually help. For example, I was part of NAHCA, the North American Hindu Chaplains Association when it was formed. And that's to help with spiritual caregiving and find chaplains to work in hospitals, the military, and the university system. But even the word chaplain, we don't have that in Hindu language. Like, when I went to NYU, Imam Khalid was the first person who took me under his wing, and I'm like, “What the hell's a chaplain, dude?” And he explained to me, it's spiritual caregiving. It's being there for someone the way they need you to be there for them. “Dope, that's so cool. I can do this.” But when you say Hindu chaplain, most Hindus, even the ones born and raised here, they don't know what a Hindu chaplain is. My parents don't know what a chaplain is, until I explained to them. Slowly, Hindu chaplaincy is growing in the United States. Like, I've had people contact me from the military, and from also prisons as well. But they also need to know the right terminology. For example, I'll get requests, “Can you marry this couple?” And I'm like, “OK, in Hinduism, what is the language that they speak? What culture did they come from? How are they raised? What do they prefer?” They can't explain these things to me, so you need to ask the right questions. Also, for example, one of my students at NYU, he wanted to study chaplaincy. So I wrote his recommendations to divinity schools – there's Harvard Divinity School, and there's one in Chicago. And the box check [on the form] says, “Affiliation: Church, Synagogue.” Yo, you forgot temple, you know what I mean? Stuff like that. But you know, Jesse, I have a positive outlook that things are growing. And because the world is becoming more inclusive, and people are starting to understand each other more, and have access to each other more – like, no matter how much I have a love-hate relationship with social media, at least you learn information, learn about new things. You can hear about some cool graffiti artist in the middle of Africa someplace, because he has an Instagram account. You know, there's a huge Hindu temple in Ghana, Africa, that I can't wait to go to. Yeah, Black people, African people are Hindus. There's a gigantic temple in Ghana, Africa. So [likewise] there are different Hindu people in the U.S. who are trying their level best to bring Hinduism to the mainstream. But I really don't appreciate [things like] this Indian Matchmaking show. You need to put a disclaimer on that, that this is only certain types of people who act like this. Meanwhile, there are other like good TV shows like Mindy Kaling's Never Have I Ever. Did you see that? I haven't seen that, no. It's about an Indian American family who lives in Southern California, in L.A. But you know, she beautifully illustrates what Indian American Hindu kids feel. Devi, that's the lead [character] in that show, she doesn't know anything about Hinduism. She's growing up like any other American kid, like, she has a crush on the hot guy or whatever. And then they take her to a Hindu puja in a school gymnasium, and it's just more a cultural thing than anything. No one is really worshiping. They don't understand the meaning behind it. That's how a lot of people feel, a lot of Hindu kids feel in the U.S. But I thought that was a beautifully done show. Because people assume, also, culturally, that everyone speaks Hindi. Like all Indians speak Hindi, which is not true. I don't speak Hindi. I don't understand Hindi so much, here and there. My father speaks Hindi fluently, because he lived in the north, and my mom does not. So it's like, at least Tamil has been put on the map, like, a South Indian language has been put on the map. And people need to realize that India is extremely diverse. There's over 5,000 languages that are spoken there. English and Hindi are not the only two, you know. People need to accept the diversity of Hinduism, the diversity of Indian cultures, as well as their different ways of thinking. And accept all of them. Lastly, do you have a favorite religious message or deity or story that you'd like to share with listeners? Oh, my God, I love all of them. That's the biggest thing is for me is this Sanskrit phrased that means, the world, the entire world, is one family. That's the principle that I adhere by. So technically, you're my sister. He's my brother. She's my mother. She's my sister. If you see everyone as one, as oneness, then you wouldn't have hatred or malice or judgement in your heart and your brain. And then another phrase, which means, “Let all creation be healthy, happy, prosperous.” It's said at the end, after every prayer ritual. So we're not just praying for Hindu people to be happy, or Indian people to be happy. We're praying for the entire world, entire planet, all creation. And creation includes animals, birds, plants, vegetation – all of that, too. Sangeetha Kowsik is the Hindu Chaplain at NYU. You can learn more about her work on the university's website, and her artwork at www.ihsanishan.com. You've been listening to 51%. 51% is a national production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. It's hosted by me, Jesse King. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock, and our theme is “Lolita” by the Albany-based artist Girl Blue. Thanks again to Sangeetha Kowsik for taking part in this week's episode. Until next week, I'm Jesse King for 51%. Happy New Year!

Kaustubha Das, Co-host of Wisdom of the Sages Podcast joins us on his own this time to discuss how he came to Bhakti in his teens, his training under Tamal Krishna Goswami, and his experience in helping to develop The Bhakti Center in New York City.

2021.10.06 Gaura Bhavan EN

2021.10.06 Gaura Bhavan EN

kirtan at the Bhakti Center / our egos get in the way of everything / Krishna is like the sun, and I'm a stinky t-shirt / 3 approaches – karma, jnana & bhakti / engaging the mind, words and body / the devotee is fearless - heaven & hell are the same to them - externals don't matter / Krishna is my inner engineer SB 3.15.49-50

kirtan at the Bhakti Center / our egos get in the way of everything / Krishna is like the sun, and I'm a stinky t-shirt / 3 approaches – karma, jnana & bhakti / engaging the mind, words and body / the devotee is fearless - heaven & hell are the same to them - externals don't matter / Krishna is my inner engineer SB 3.15.49-50

Christina is a Conscious Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Yoga and Meditation teacher, and an Activist. She has been vegan for over 8 years and in that time has explored the depths of compassionate living through plant based foods, social justice, animal rights, and the environment. She creates space for others through cooking classes, lifestyle programs, and retreats, to explore what it means to live consciously and how to live life more from the heart. It is through yoga that she found a path of sharing what it means to be a conscious vegan – understanding that it's not just about what we eat but more about living life in alignment with our ethics and morals. These guiding compassionate principles are what can make this world a better place. The actions and choices we make are not just for animals, but equally as much as this planet and people, acknowledging the reciprocity between Mama Earth, communities, and our body, minds, and souls. She is a native New Yorker and 1st generation to Greek immigrants from her motherland's mountainous farmlands. She received her training from the Bhakti Center in NYC, in Bhakti Yoga and Meditation. Currently she is training with the Prison Yoga Project through the lens of Trauma and Incarceration and hopes to soon serve prisoners in New York State. When she is not working on her Conscious Vegan business, she spends her time immersing herself in Mother Nature and spending time with her partner and newly adopted dog, Louka. Subscribe & Listen: Listen & Subscribe on Spotify Connect with Christina:Website: compassionatefilledlife.comInstagram: @christina.ahimsa

Callan Wolff: Connecting to nature – our nature and those around us. This has been an immense gift from my years of practicing and teaching yoga, meditation, and animal communication, which I now share with clients. ​ My father introduced me to Yoga at age 15 to help improve my soccer game. What started as physical exercise led me to discover much more - practical tools to help live a happier, healthier and more easeful life.  ​ Yoga, Meditation and Breathwork have remained integral to my life and helped me connect with true desires by getting my doubts, negative self-talk and guilt out of the way. Six years ago, I took the plunge to purchase and train my wise horse, Dolly (Dahlai lama). She's taught me a softer way of being and feeling. These experiences helped me transition from work in international business consulting to teaching yoga full-time, providing animal communication consultations and writing about the unique ways animals help us find love within ourselves and each other.   My schedule is currently split between the New York City and the Hudson Valley (Millbrook NY area) where I enjoy spending quality time with my Appaloosa horse, Icelandic Sheepdog (Oskar), and husband. I'm happy to meet at your location or mine. ​ I'm continually learning at teaching at The Bhakti Center in NYC where I completed Yoga Teacher Training in 2016 and offering Animal Communication sessions since finishing the Practitioner Course and Teacher's Path Certifications through Heart2Heart with Animals. 

born into a bhakti community / finding bhakti on one's own / learning the offering of Ayurveda / learning from a bhakti-yoga master / leading by caring for each individual person / the constant need for clear communication / what comes next www.thesisterscience.com

born into a bhakti community / finding bhakti on one’s own / learning the offering of Ayurveda / learning from a bhakti-yoga master / leading by caring for each individual person / the constant need for clear communication / what comes next www.thesisterscience.com

2019 - 12 - 14 NY Bhakti Center Srimad Bhagavatam 7.13.29 - HG Vaisesika Dasa by Vaisesika Dasa

how Raghu & Kaustubha met / Tompkins Square Park - a hub of both Hardcore and Bhakti scenes / Kaustubha learns Bhakti from street kids / appreciation for Prabhupada's books / a street fight changes his course / meeting his guru and committing / going back into the world from being a monk / love & appreciation for his wife Gitapriya / Kaustubha's history of the Bhakti Center / trying to make a contribution

how Raghu & Kaustubha met / Tompkins Square Park - a hub of both Hardcore and Bhakti scenes / Kaustubha learns Bhakti from street kids / appreciation for Prabhupada’s books / a street fight changes his course / meeting his guru and committing / going back into the world from being a monk / love & appreciation for his wife Gitapriya / Kaustubha’s history of the Bhakti Center / trying to make a contribution

In this episode Suhag Shukla talks with Rukmini Walker. Rukmini Walker is an activist in women's spiritual empowerment and interfaith dialogue. She is the founder of the Urban Devi collective (urbandevi.com), based out of Bhakti Center (bhakticenter.org) in New York City, where she is a member of the board of directors. Rukmini is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bhaktivedanta College in Belgium.  She is also a member of Sabha – a thirty person international committee that advises the Governing Body Commission of the International Society for Krsna Consciousness.  She has been traversing the path of Bhakti for most of her life, living in India, Canada and the US as one of the first disciples of Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who first brought the path of Bhakti to the West in 1965. She is featured in the film, Women of Bhakti. Rukmini writes, teaches, and leads workshops and retreats internationally. The kirtan artist, Gaura Vani, is her son. Together, they lead a Bhakti Immersion Kirtan Adventure to India each year. She lives in the Washington, DC area where she and her husband lead a Vaisnava (that is, the Bhakti tradition) Christian Dialogue and a Vaisnava Muslim Dialogue each year. Rukmini sees the world animated by spirit, and practices an eco-Bhakti seeing truth and beauty in nature and in the world as kindred spirits.You can follow Rukmini at: https://www.facebook.com/rukmini.walker/,https://www.patreon.com/RukminiWalker , and on Instagram under Rukmini Walker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Suhag Shukla talks with Rukmini Walker. Rukmini is convener of Urban Devi, a women’s discussion circle at the Bhakti Center in New York City, as well as online, that seeks to make spirituality accessible to women in the 21st century.

Class given at the Bhakti Center in New York, USA

A Srimad Bhagavatam (5.7.7) class given at the Bhakti Center in New York, USA

2019 - 09 - 29 Bhakti Center, NY Bhagavat Sravana Program - HG Vaisesika Dasa by Vaisesika Dasa

2019 - 09 - 29 Bhakti Center, NY Kirtan - HG Vaisesika Dasa by Vaisesika Dasa

We continue to meet the healers of the Bhakti Center in Willimantic today.  Let's start off by meeting Anne Belliveau.  Anne heals others through sound and music, but also plans ceremonies for some of life's most sacred events.  Alexis Schweitzer is a life coach and yoga instructor who teaches at the Bhakti Center, helping clients to reach their goals on and off the mat.       To find out what's coming up at the Bhakti Center, be sure to check out their website! Contact Anne Belliveau at  Alexis' site is linked here!  

  When I visited the Bhakti Center in Willimantic, CT, I learned so much that I couldn't possibly fit it into one episode! Today we start with Lisa Day-Lewis, who was on season 1 talking about her ayurvedic practice.  She has since grown her business to open the Bhakti Center, which houses a number of holistic services.  After catching up with Lisa and learning about the Bhakti Center, I chat with Genessa Zickefoose to learn about her shamanic work and yoga classes at the center.  Tune in next week to meet two more healers from this space!   Find the Bhakti Center CT's site here!  Genessa also has a website!  

2019.05.18 San Francisco EN

2018-12-07 SF Bhakti Center Launch - HG Vaisesika Dasa by Vaisesika Dasa

Notes from the Show:- Divya on The Web | Instagram | Twitter- Divya's Kitchen on The Web | Instagram | Facebook - Episode #200 with Sahara Rose is a great podcast to get more background info about Ayurveda- check out her cookbook: What to Eat for How You Feel- Favorite Menu Item: Vegetable Pancakes- Favorite book recipes: Red Velvet Soup & Cooked Apple Pre Breakfast- Favorite drinks: Vida’s cup, Tulsi tea, Gardenia tea, mooringa,- Bhagavad life- check out the Bhakti Center above the restaurant- taro root - a great healing replacement for potato- asafoetida spice — a good replace spice for onions and garlic Cool Things to Check-Out:-I'll be at this CAP Beauty event in NYC on Jan. 24th-Interested in learning how to launch your own podcast? I'm gaging interest for podcast advising + perhaps eventually an online course down the line. Email us to let us know if you're interested.-Sign-up for my newsletter to get updates on where I'll be and what I'm loving!-Join the listener Facebook Group-Get my book Let It Out: A Journey Through Journaling-The Good Fest will be in L.A. on Feb. 3rd, 2018 !! Get $10 off with the code "KATIEDALEBOUT" — Show Sponsors —Juice BeautyI'm thrilled to have Juice Beauty as a sponsor for the podcast. It's the only makeup brand that will actually feed and nourish your skin while you wear it. The company uses only antioxidant-rich certified organic ingredients sourced from farms in California. If you haven't heard my interview with the founder, Karen, you can check that out here. My personal favorite products include the Green Apple Cleanser and the Primer. Karen (the founder) also recommends the Stem Cellular CC Cream, SPF products + in her makeup bag: lip crayon (Malibu, Pebble and Laguna), phyto pigments eyeliner and mascara.  Be sure to use this link for 15% off all your online orders.Care/OfHave you signed up and tried out Care/Of yet?? If you have tweet me your pics of your cute packs! If not you NEED to give them a try. Why do I love them so much?  Care/Of creates personalized supplement packets for you based on your unique needs and delivers them in daily customized packets for 20% less than comparable brands. They come in cute customizable packages (that have your name on them!) making them easy to take with you on the go and know exactly what to take each day.  It's a win-win-win, you save time, you save money and your optimizing your health specific to YOU.Enter the code "KATIE" at checkout for 50% off your first order. 

On this month’s Study With the Best: Religion and Spirituality through the CUNY lens. Michael Prettyman is a Hunter College grad who also went to Harvard Divinity School, and we look at his most recent church commission. Shamanism in New York City is thriving and we look at it through the eyes of the former director of the Center for Alternative Health at LaGuardia Community College. John Jay’s Noe Dinnerstein talks with us about music and spirituality; Reporter Ari Goldberg visits with Doyal Gauranga, a a student at Hunter College and Program Director of the Bhakti Center; and Professor David Orenstein of Medgar Evers College explains what humanism means and its relationship to the New York Society for Ethical Culture.

Are Utopian descriptions in sacred texts sheer myth? A discussion at New York's Bhakti Center held May 3, 2017.

Visvambhar 4.24.17 TNK at The Bhakti Center by Concrete Jungle Kirtan

Each of us faces a journey to complete awakening. Will we embrace that challenge? Or will be remain in the maya world? Discover the stages of the Hero Journey in this talk about Srila Prabhupada, the late great master of Krishna consciousness, given at The Bhakti Center on April 14, 2017.

Each of us faces a journey to complete awakening. Will we embrace that challenge? Or will be remain in the maya world? Discover the stages of the Hero Journey in this talk about Srila Prabhupada, the late great master of Krishna consciousness, given at The Bhakti Center on April 14, 2017.

A class on Srimad Bhagavatam 10.9.9 as part of the "Light of the Bhagavat" series on Damodara Lila held at The Bhakti Center in New York City.

Here is an ideal introduction to the epic narrative behind Bhagavad Gita. 100,000 verses in 20 minutes -- plus an audio clip from the Emmy Award film by renowned director Peter Brook. The first of a three-part series at The Bhakti Center.

Here is an ideal introduction to the epic narrative behind Bhagavad Gita. 100,000 verses in 20 minutes -- plus an audio clip from the Emmy Award film by renowned director Peter Brook. The first of a three-part series at The Bhakti Center.

The "gunas," or determinants of behavior, offer a complementary approach to the genetics of personality. Are you more in the guna of "goodness," "passion" or ignorance"? Host Joshua Greene welcomes guest speaker Hari-kirtana from Jivamukti, Washington, D.C. Recorded at The Bhakti Center in New York, 10/22/14.

The "gunas," or determinants of behavior, offer a complementary approach to the genetics of personality. Are you more in the guna of "goodness," "passion" or ignorance"? Host Joshua Greene welcomes guest speaker Hari-kirtana from Jivamukti, Washington, D.C. Recorded at The Bhakti Center in New York, 10/22/14.

This second weekly session at New York's Bhakti Center (10/8/14) asks "How do we know anything is real?" Includes excerpt from TED presentation by mind-philosopher David Chalmers.

A one-hour summary of the entire Bhagavad Gita, this is the next-to-last class at Jivamukti Yoga School (after eight years) before the Gita Wisdom series moves to The Bhakti Center, 25 First Avenue, 6:30pm on Wednesdays beginning October 1, 2014.

A one-hour summary of the entire Bhagavad Gita, this is the next-to-last class at Jivamukti Yoga School (after eight years) before the Gita Wisdom series moves to The Bhakti Center, 25 First Avenue, 6:30pm on Wednesdays beginning October 1, 2014.