|
An original and lively retelling of wisdom tales, riddles, humor, scriptures, etc. from the world's great religions and spiritual traditions, with a deep metaphorical interpretation in the tradition of the Kriya Yoga masters... and much more! A new podcast will be posted every other Tuesday.
Please 
or use the options listed in the right column, or come and check back regularly.
Wisdom Tales
 Do you want the Truth? - Part 1 (20 minutes, 4.8 MB)
This week: A Sufi definition; The Crocodile's Conundrum; Sir Gawain and the Green Knight; the Queen of Sheba's Riddle; The Lie of Truth.
Do you want the Truth? - Part 2 and final (12 minutes, 2.9 MB)
This week: King Midas' Ears; Testing the Master; Choose Between Right and Right: Sage Satyavrata's Way Out, and Prophet Mohammad's Solution.
Read the Choose Between Right and Right story here.
Read the Testing the Master story here.
Making assumptions - Part 1
(19 minutes, 4.6 MB)
This week: The Crow and the Coconut; The Shared Soup; The Missing Ax; Debunking Murphy's Law; Lucio the Fish; The Grasshopper's Hop.
Read The Missing Ax story here.
Making assumptions - Part 2 and final (20 minutes, 4.9 MB)
This week: The Unbound Cow; Guru Nanak Waters his Fields; Guru Nanak Points his Feet in the Wrong Direction; The Merchant who Entrusted his Money to the Thief; The Tailor-Samurai.
Jewish Mystical Tales - Part 1 (13:30 minutes, 3.2 MB)
This week: The Baal Shem Tov's Unauthorized Teachings; Concerned About Resisting the "Evil Urge"?; The Weight of One Eye.
Jewish Mystical Tales - Part 2 (14:40 minutes, 3.5 MB)
This week, wisdom through humor: The Merchant's Business Prayer; The Cowherder's Innocent Prayer; The Man Who Forgot His Prayer Book; Rabbi Akiva's parable on preaching the Torah in times of danger; The Baal Shem Tov's parable on growing spiritually; The Ari's compassion for dumb animals and even stones.
Read The Man Who Forgot His Prayer Book story here.
Jewish Mystical Tales - Part 3 and final (13:45 minutes, 3.2 MB)
This week: Tales about Self-Effort; Working out Knowledge by Ourselves; Finding Our Tune in God's Orchestra; Discovering the Joy of Selfless Service.
Indian and Buddhist Tales - Part 1 (12:20 minutes, 2.9 MB)
This week: The Best Cradle; How the Farmer Learnt Detachment.
Read the Best Cradle story here.
Indian and Buddhist Tales - Part 2 (17:10 minutes, 4.1 MB)
This week: Goddess Saraswati and the Gift of Knowledge; The Dream Wife; The Promise.
Read the Promise story here.
Indian and Buddhist Tales - Part 3 (14:20 minutes, 3.4 MB)
This week: How the Guru Helped the Opium Addict Overcame His Habit; The Monk and the Prostitute Who Died on the Same Day.
Metaphorical Interpretation of Religion
The Deeper Islam - Part 1 (10 minutes, 2.5 MB)
This week: The true meaning of Islam; The Life of the Prophet Mohammad; The Revelation of the Qu'ran.
The Deeper Islam - Part 2 (13 minutes, 3.1 MB)
This week: Early Preaching; The Flight to Medina; The Two Subsequent Divisions of Islam; Sufism.
The Deeper Islam - Part 3 (15 minutes, 3.7 MB)
This week: The Five Pillars of Faith; The Real Meaning of Jihad (holy war); Muslims Beliefs; On Idol Worship.
The Deeper Islam - Part 4 and final (13 minutes, 3.1 MB)
This week: Salient Features of Islam and of the Muslim Way of Life.
"My Kingdom is not of this World" - Part 1 (19 minutes, 4.5 MB)
Part 1 of a meditative journey within the New Testament.
This week: Return Again (song); Different Revelations, Different Platforms; Structure of the New Testament; Teaching to the Inner Circle vs. to the Multitudes.
Note: this is an extract from Swamiji's 6-CD set on the metaphorical interpretation of the New Testament. The complete set is available here.
"My Kingdom is not of this World" - Part 2 (16 minutes, 4 MB)
Part 2 of a meditative journey within the New Testament.
This week: The Disciples Gather their Field Notes; Four Gospels, Four Teaching Styles; The Gospel of Matthew, Manual of Knowledge; The Gospel of Mark, Manual of Action; The Gospel of Luke, Manual of Devotion.
"My Kingdom is not of this World" - Part 3 (10 minutes, 2.4 MB)
Part 3 of a meditative journey within the New Testament.
This week: The Gospel of John, Manual of Mystical Practice; The Logos; Meditation and Contemplation, East and West.
"My Kingdom is not of this World"- Part 4 and final (8 minutes, 2.1 MB)
Part 4 of a meditative journey within the New Testament.
This week: Meditation and Contemplation, East and West; The Four Steps of Lectio Divina ("contemplative reading").
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras - Part 1 (10 minutes, 2.2 MB)
Part 1 of a study on the most ancient scripture on yoga.
This week: A general historical perspective on the Yoga Sutras; the "sutra" genre; Who was Sage Patañjali.
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras - Part 2 (12 minutes, 2.9 MB)
Part 2 of a study on the most ancient scripture on yoga.
This week: The metaphorical meaning of Sage Patañjali's miraculous birth; The structure of the Yoga Sutras.
Patañjali's Yoga Sutras - Part 3 (14 minutes, 3.3 MB)
Part 3 of a study on the most ancient scripture on yoga.
This week: Yoga Sutra 1, Chapter 1. The six different meanings of the word "atha" corresponding to the six desirable spiritual qualities.
Holy Humor
The Wisdom of the Idiots - Part 1 (13 minutes, 3.2 MB)
Part 1 of a series of storytelling sessions on the wisdom of God's fools.
This week, a few Mullah Nasruddin stories: Right Prescription, Wrong Time; Changing the Order; Return my Donkey or Else!; The Duck Soup; Never Bet Against Nasruddin!
The Wisdom of the Idiots - Part 2 (19 minutes, 4.5 MB)
Part 2 of a series of storytelling sessions on the wisdom of God's fools.
This week: The Miracle of the Buttered Toast; Am I Dying Doctor?; Judge Nasruddin; Anything you Want, my Son; Mullah's Age; The Rich Man's Funeral; How to Divide 17 Camels; The Battle of the Tall Tales; The Aquarium; I don't Like Spinach!; The Judge and the Potato; Fighting for What? Mullah Takes a Fall.
The Wisdom of the Idiots - Part 3 and final (8 minutes, 2 MB)
Part 3 of a series of storytelling sessions on the wisdom of God's fools.
This week: Nothing Changes with Age; The Donkey's Curse; The Mute.
Interviews
Baba on San Francisco's Infinity Radio - Part 1 (13 minutes, 3 MB)
Part 1 of a KCBS interview of Paramahamsa Hariharananda in 1986 when Baba was 79-years young. A rare gem!
This week, we hear Baba explain what is Kriya Yoga and the importance of yogic breath.
Baba on San Francisco's Infinity Radio - Part 2 (8:45 minutes, 2.1 MB)
Part 2 of a KCBS interview of Paramahamsa Hariharananda in 1986.
In this segment, Baba speaks on developing spiritual discernment, the effect of food and intoxicants on meditation, and the universal application of Kriya Yoga.
Baba on San Francisco's Infinity Radio - Part 3 and final
(8:20 minutes, 2 MB)
Part 3 of a KCBS interview of Paramahamsa Hariharananda in 1986.
In this last portion, Baba speaks on treading the spiritual path, who is God, the social and personal benefits of calmness, and the practice of spirituality in the scientific age.
Copyright notice: Despite repeated attempts to contact
KCBS regarding the permission to reproduce this interview for non-commercial purposes, we never heard back from them. As it was so long ago, we will therefore assume it is in the public domain unless told otherwise.
Spiritual Tips for Busy People
Grace and Deception - Part 1 (9:50 minutes, 2.4 MB)
Part 1 of a series on how to differentiate between the shoutings of the ego and the quiet whisperings of the soul.
In this first part we introduce the concept of Divine Grace and what spiritual masters do to awaken their students to it.
Grace and Deception - Part 2 and final (12:20 minutes, 2.9 MB)
Part 2 of a series on how to differentiate between the shouting of the ego and the quiet whisperings of the soul.
In this second part we learn how Krishna used "divine deception" in the Mahabharata War to come to the rescue of his devotees... and how Baba Hariharananda helped those who have faith in him.
Listening to Silence - Part 1 (10:20 minutes, 2.4 MB)
Part 1 of a series on the art of speaking, listening... and knowing when to leave things unsaid.
In this first part we discover how to listen to the master's silence more than to his words, and let it set us on fire. As Thomas Hardy said, "A man's silence is wonderful to listen to."
Listening to Silence - Part 2 (10:45 minutes, 2.6 MB)
Part 2 of a series on the art of speaking, listening... and knowing when to leave things unsaid.
This week we examine the difference between outer silence and inner peace, and how the master "cooks" the disciples to perfection.
Listening to Silence - Part 3 and final (8:10 minutes, 2 MB)
Part 3 of a series on the art of speaking, listening... and knowing when to leave things unsaid.
This week we talk about the art of spiritual contentment. Example for children—the Birthday Gift. How the Master answered the question "What does it feel like to be enlightened?" The Three Reasons Why We Need To Go to School (humor).
The Monk and the Businessman
A series of conversations between Swamiji and David Fischman, a noted business leadership author. Together they explore a wide range of issues relevant both to the business environment as well as to one's personal life—stress management, time management, empowerment, communication, learning from experience, vision and motivation, taking responsibility, and team spirit.
On Stress Management
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 1 (17:45 minutes, 4.2 MB)
Part 1 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we talk about the difference between eustress (positive) stress and negative stress, and how the stress response is largely an unconscious choice. Story of how the racist woman gradually overcame her prejudice. How to see all difficulties as gifts, and how St Teresa of Lisieux could attain peace in the midst of the most intense suffering.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 2 (6:15 minutes, 1.5 MB)
Part 2 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we talk about unrealistic goals as a major cause of stress, and the need to abandon control—because we never had it in the first place! The Bhagavad Gita as the perfect manual of stress management.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 3 (13 minutes, 3.1 MB)
Part 3 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we talk about the body's physiological response to stress, and the three major sources of stress as identified by the yogic scriptures. Understanding and using the psycho-spiritual model of sattva, rajas, and tamas.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 4 (8:30 minutes, 2 MB)
Part 4 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we correlate yoga's three personality types—type T (tamasic, or dull), type R (rajasic, or passionate), and type S (sattvic, or harmonious)—with people's constitution: kapha (earthy and resilient), pitta (fiery and strong), and vata (airy and vivacious). The solution to eliminate stress as found in the Chhandogya Upanishad.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 5 (8:20 minutes, 2 MB)
Part 5 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week it's storytelling time! Swamiji and David trade wisdom tales on the theme of greed and desire.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 6 (13:30 minutes, 3.2 MB)
Part 6 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we make a distinction between the three types of stresses—natural, man-made, and mental, illustrated with several classic widom tales and examples from the life of Paramahamsa Hariharananda.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 7 (13:20 minutes, 3.1 MB)
Part 7 of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we talk about practical solutions to eliminate and prevent these three types of stressors. Mahatma Gandhi's cardinal advice "You are never obligated to give an answer to a question"... illustrated by famous stories from the world scriptures.
Spiritual Stress Management - Part 8 and final (12:20 minutes, 2.9 MB)
Last part of a series on stress identification, interpretation and resolution.
This week we discuss the three types of business people: moral, amoral, and immoral. We also examine how stress emerges from a system of interlocking patterns. September 11 is for instance a symptom of a deep spiritual disease—religious hypocrisy, and a chance for inner cleansing.
On Time Management
Spiritual Time Management - Part 1 (9:30 minutes, 2.3 MB)
Part 1 of a series on time management from a spiritual perspective.
We begin by examining the two different Greek words used in the Bible both of which have been loosely translated as "time" in English: kronos (chronological time), and kairos (relational time). Why "time management" really means "desire management."
Spiritual Time Management - Part 2 (10:45 minutes, 2.6 MB)
Part 2 of a series on time management from a spiritual perspective.
The true meaning of the Sabbath. Why are holidays and "time out" periods often so stressful.
Spiritual Time Management - Part 3 (17:20 minutes, 4 MB)
Part 3 of a series on time management from a spiritual perspective.
Differentiating between essential and non-essential things and activities, according to the world's religions. Learning from children how to remain relaxed and happy. A review of what the great sages of various world religions define as being the most important thing in life. The example of the Peace Pilgrim.
Spiritual Time Management - Part 4 (12:20 minutes, 2.9 MB)
Part 4 of a series on time management from a spiritual perspective.
A review of inspiring quotes on what is important in life and work. The concept of svadharma (one's assigned duty in life) and mindful living. Summary of the spiritual time management techniques covered so far.
Spiritual Time Management - Part 5 and final (10 minutes, 2.4 MB)
Last part of a series on time management from a spiritual perspective.
To know how to manage your time, it is important to know what is the final goal of life. A useful tool: the Buddhist practice of mindfulness—to always ask "Why?", about one's activities, thoughts, or words. "Out of evil cometh good"—faced with mounting stress and work load, employees and management have new opportunities to develop new processes, and grow personally and professionally.
On Empowerment
Spiritual Empowerment - Part 1 (10:20 minutes, 2.4 MB)
Part 1 of a series on empowerment from a spiritual perspective.
To begin with, David presents an overview of the two basic types of companies—bureaucratic-centric, and empowerment-centric, and what it means in terms of customer satisfaction, time management, and employee performance.
Spiritual Empowerment - Part 2 (10:00 minutes, 2.3 MB)
Part 2 of a series on empowerment from a spiritual perspective.
Swamiji illustrates the difference between patriarchal contract and the empowering contract, and how to to delegate and empower, with quotes from the Scriptures and examples from ancient spiritual traditions.
Spiritual Empowerment - Part 3 (11:40 minutes, 2.8 MB)
Part 3 of a series on empowerment from a spiritual perspective.
Swamiji draws some analogies between religious and corporate structures: their rise and fall and transformation; the training and testing of leaders; how King Janaka tested his disciple Shakti.
Spiritual Empowerment - Part 4 and final (13:40 minutes, 3.3 MB)
Last part of a series on empowerment from a spiritual perspective.
The metaphorical meaning of Moses' transformation from exiled shepherd to prophet. The new leader's role and vision. From stockholders to stakeholders. New directions and new questions. Business as one of the tools to manifest the kingdom of God.
|
