By Chinmaya Mission Niagara
A podcast on high thinking and happy living with Vivek Gupta.
We're revisiting another Freedom Talk, one of our bite-sized episodes with Vivekji featuring questions from seekers across the world. In this episode, we ask the questions: What is the difference in reflection and inquiry? What is the difference between contemplation...
We are revisiting one of our old Freedom Talks, our series of bite-sized episodes with Vivekji! In this next mini episode, we ask the questions: How should we handle people who always misinterpret our actions in a negative connotation even...
Many of us probably have probably at some point felt we have/had a reactive personality, we felt distracted, or dull. How can one develop a calmness of body (dama), quietude of mind (sama), and understanding (uparama) so that one...
We all feel we can create joy but that only leads to disappointment. When we have guidance in our lives we realize that joy cannot be created. How can one go from acting (karma), to depending (bhakti), to having insight...
Our mind is like a river -- sometimes it’s dashing and splashing with a never-ending flow of uncontrollable tides, and other times it’s calm and serene, slowly passing by like a lazy river. How do we tame this mind, so...
In life we have many ups and downs. Why do we feel moments of happiness and other times moments of sadness or anger? What can we do to always have this feeling of completeness no matter the situation? In this...
Everything and everyone around us are made up of matter (prakriti) but do we depend on these things or people to make us feel complete (purusha)? When we know all is changing and existence is the only constant, then why...
We often find ourselves feeling weighed down by changing circumstances and unending responsibilities -- but are our ropes really external, or internal? When we look inwards at our own temperament (guna), do we find ourselves tired and complaining in laziness...
Like Neo in The Matrix, has something always felt wrong about the world? Why is everyone looking for a permanent happiness in impermanent places, and then after it doesn’t last, wondering what they’re still missing? Why do we project (vikshepa)...
We may sometimes wonder why we are the way we are. Why do we do the things we do? Our actions are caused by our thoughts (vrtti) and those thoughts come from our print (vasanas), which is who we are...
Like weary travelers endlessly stumbling after illusions of water in the burning desert, we spend most of our lives running after one inner demand after another. When does the chase end? Are we carrying boulders of emotional baggage in our...
When using our gadgets in our daily lives, there’s one thing we never forget to do: plug them in. Well, what are we plugged into? Do we feel drained, and out of battery? Are we investing in a more efficient...
What does it truly mean to feel fortunate (bhagya)? What are some ways we can get to this feeling of serenity? Vivekji teaches us one way to invest in feeling fortunate is to know that all is temporary. Realizing that...
When dealing with uncomfortable situations, many of us try to escape from mental pain (dukha nivrtti), such as stress, anxiety, fear, etc. We try escaping by engaging in activities that we think will bring us joy. But what is a...
Reset and recharge your relationships for the new year!
Many times in life, we find ourselves tired -- completely exhausted in running the seemingly endless race of responsibilities. When we’re lacking in inspiration to keep going, where do we find purpose (puruṣhārtha) in all this? How do we choose...
Living is like a mirror. When we are angry, the world is angry. When we are happy, the world is happy. What can we do to cheerfully evolve into a courageous personality? What are the steps we can take...
What is the purpose of living? It is to be joyous. But how? What are some steps we can take to dive deeper into our purpose? How can we do this with all the ups and downs life throws at...
The path to Peace is a long one, filled with many hills of transformation and valleys of feeling stuck. Through this, are we living for Peace with the intensity needed to actually evolve? Are we seeking (sadhana) with the discipline...
We all know how much we’re capable of -- but we rarely live up to our highest potential. Since we know we need to change, how do we build the resolve (sankalpa) needed? How can a guide (guru) unleash our...
We are told we are Infinity. But how do we feel we are Infinity? What can we do to deepen our understanding of who we are?
We have all heard the saying "as you think so you become." But when we dive deeper into this thought, we ask ourselves: How do we think? Why do we think? What can we do to become more virtuous?
Most people live fast lives, full of escaping into pleasure and acting for “style” -- but we often find ourselves feeling incomplete when we live this way. How do we shift our focus to our lifestyle on this journey (yatra),...
Living in today’s society can feel like an endless chase. In the midst of constant change in society (samsara), how do we know what restrictions (yama) to put in place, and which commitments (niyama) to hold onto? During breaks such...
Life is like a game. How can we learn to play this game and navigate the ups and downs we are faced with? What are the steps we have to take to go from fear (bhaya) to acceptance, and confusion...
In this first episode of Stairway to Serenity, Vivekji introduces the first 3 steps on the path to freedom. How can we go from forgetfulness (avidya) to intentionality, desires (kama) to peace, and attachment (raga) to quietude?
Words matter. They can help us -- or they can hurt us. Examples of this abound in our daily lives, from a misplaced tweet that goes viral to the comforting words of a friend when we need it most. This...
How is the one who is independently joyous described? What is one thing they do that makes them completely free? In this last episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, Vivekji teaches the verse that teaches us how to be free once...
What is the secret to feeling totally free? What is holding us back? In this episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, Vivekji explains two verses that can help us to reach our goal of freedom.
What is the point of striving? What is the end game? In this episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, Vivekji teaches a hopeful verse that explains how all challenges we face and the work we do is training for us to...
In this mini-episode, we get answers to questions that so many of us have. How do we navigate the busy nature of our day-to-day lives? How do we approach our personal and professional life with the right mindset? How do...
How can you join our commitment to contribute, chant, and change to support our Mother Earth?
In this episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, Vivekji explains a verse that guides on how to break from the tiredness of being dependent on external factors to be happy.
In this episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, we are taught to just try! By giving our best in challenging circumstances and focusing on what is in our control, challenges will be less difficult than imagined.
What direction do we go when faced with challenges? How can we see the bigger picture when our circumstances blind us? Let’s listen in on this next episode of Bhagavad Gita 101 on challenges.
In this episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, we learn from a verse that guides us through ways we can empower others, even during a conflict. Vivekji explains how these few changes within us can resolve any conflicts we have within...
We're revisiting another one of our Freedom Talks! In this next mini-episode, we ask the questions: What is OM? How can we have compassion towards people whom we find difficult?
FREEDOM TALKS are our bite-sized episodes with Vivekji featuring questions from seekers across the world. In today's episode, originally published in 2022, we ask the questions: How to deal with expectations from close ones? How to balance time, resources,...
In this episode of Bhagavad Gita 101, Vivekji teaches us practices to help us quieten our minds so we can focus on resolving and accepting.
In this episode on conflict resolution, Vivekji shares a verse from the Bhagavad Gita that explains the different stages of desire and anger and how we can overcome them to resolve our outer and inner conflicts.
In this first episode on Resolving, Vivekji explains the solutions to our inner and outer problems. What should we focus on to help resolve any conflicts we may be experiencing?
In this episode on parenting, Vivekji delves into two verses from the Bhagavad Gita that describe the role of a successful parent. Vivekji also outlines 5 tactile practices to becoming a better parent–and a parent who works hard and smart.
In this episode on parenting, Vivekji teaches us what are the responsibilities of a parent. Vivekji also shares the difference between an ordinary parent and a Divine parent.
In this episode on applying Bhagavad Gita to parenting, Vivekji provides an explanation of a verse that opens up a fresh perspective on the role children play in our evolution.
In this mini-episode, we get a review on applying Bhagavad Gita to work. Vivekji provides a brief summary of 4 verses that help us realign our perspective and purpose for working.
A quick round-up of what's going on in our Chinmaya Niagara CommUnity.
In this episode on applying Bhagavad Gita to working, we learn about the importance of balancing what we do and how we think. With this checked off, we can then immerse ourselves with dedication and focus.
When one is dedicated to the Self, the Self will give us what we need. What does this mean? How does it apply to our daily lives? In this episode, Vivekji teaches us about what it means to be dedicated...
In this second episode on applying Bhagavad Gita to working, Vivekji covers a verse that teaches us how we can love what we do! We come to understand the importance of following our responsibilities with a purpose.