Free from Attachment & Mumuksatva

Equanimity | Power of Thought

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #27 – “Samaḥ śatrau ca mitre ca tathā mānāpmānayoḥ śītoṣna-sukhaduḥkheṣu” or “Alike to friend and foe, honour and dishonour, heat and cold, joy and sorrow”

49:14 Question of the week: Do thoughts have consequences even if not acted upon?

54:39 Open Q&A Q1 – Is it enough for one to act based on one’s values and goals even if nobody else recognises that?

57:25 Open Q&A Q2 – What is the difference between conscious and the unconscious mind? 

58:35 Open Q&A Q3 – The key to equanimity and the other qualities of a devotee is “right thinking”. How do we develop “right thinking”?

Renouncer of Good & Evil | Charity

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #26 – “Subhasubhaparityagi” or “Renouncer of Good and Evil”

43:20 Question of the week: How does one find a balance between giving and being charitable versus setting and pursuing one’s own personal goals?

51:43 Open Q&A Q1 – Given that we are advised to renounce both good and evil, how should we choose our values?

54:25 Open Q&A Q2 – To renounce good and evil, should we seek neutrality? 

57:13 Open Q&A Q3 – Charity can be considered a good quality. But on the other hand, charity makes one feel good, so it becomes selfish. How do we reconcile this?

One Who Does Not Desire | Reducing Frustration

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #25 – “Na Kanksati” Or “One Who Does Not Desire”

46:40 Question of the week: What is frustration? How does it arise? How does one reduce or eliminate it?

55:50 Open Q&A Q1 – Can we motivate ourselves with something apart from desire?

58:25 Open Q&A Q2 – What is happiness and how is it linked to desire?

1:01:45 Open Q&A Q3 – Desires are part of human nature but we must move to higher, spiritual desires. Please explain.

One Who Does Not Grieve | The Role of Gratitude in Spiritual Evolution

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #24 – “Na Socati” Or “One Who Does Not Grieve”

34:07 Question of the week: What is the role of gratitude in spiritual evolution?

46:30 Open Q&A Q1 – Is the higher feeling of gratitude the same as “true love”?

48:45 Open Q&A Q2 – When I am happy, is that egoistic?

49:55 Open Q&A Q3 – Is it the Spirit that remains forever?

50:15 Open Q&A Q4 – What can we do to help someone who has lost a child?

54:45 Open Q&A Q5 – There is an element of “I” in gratitude. The ideal attitude is to simply be aware of the benevolence of nature. As an interim step, is it helpful to move to “We are grateful”? 

56:20 Open Q&A Q6 – I get comfort from the fact that I will meet my loved ones in my after-life. Could you help me understand if I will? 

59:15 Open Q&A Q7 – How does one prevent oneself from becoming attached to something or someone that makes you happy?

In this recording from the Pearls of Practical Philosophy series of Sunday Wisdom Sessions, Sudhakar analyses “The Village Preacher” - an extract from Oliver Goldsmith’s long poem The Deserted Village.

Goldsmith portrays The Village Preacher as the very embodiment of an ideal human being. His life is rooted in service — uplifting the poor, comforting the troubled, and giving freely of his time and compassion. Duty never weighed on him; instead, he embraced it with empathy and warmth, extending his care equally to all who crossed his path. His selflessness became a guiding light, a quiet beacon for the community.

Goldsmith crowns this portrait with a striking metaphor. He likens the preacher to a mighty cliff towering above the valley. The cliff rises into the skies, its breast untouched by storms or rain, while sunlight glows endlessly at its peak. In the same way, the preacher’s heart held the emotions and struggles of those around him, yet his intellect remained serene, unshaken, and attuned to a higher Reality.

One Who Does Not Hate | The Way To Gain Anything Is To Lose It

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #23 – “Na Dvesti” Or “One Who Does Not Hate”

45:45 Question of the week: “The way to gain anything is to lose it.” Please explain

57:36 Open Q&A Q1 – When one has negative feelings towards someone it may be useful to temporarily distance oneself from them, is it similar to the quality of “Udasinah” or being unconcerned?

59:55 Open Q&A Q2 – Sometimes we see hatred around us. This troubles us. How should we handle that emotion?

1:01:50 Open Q&A Q3 – While making decisions, should we rely on the mind or the intellect?

1:02:40 Open Q&A Q4 – How should one develop the intellect?

1:04:37 Open Q&A Q5 – To achieve results, does one need to be driven by the results?

1:06:05 Open Q&A Q6 – Hate seems very common in today’s world. How does one help with this?

One Who Does Not Rejoice | The Law of Karma

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #22 – “Na Hrsyati” Or “One Who Does Not Rejoice”

39:45 Question of the week: Please explain “The Law of Karma”

51:18 Open Q&A Q1 – Does the ability to maintain balance even when experiencing joy require a measure of humility?

53:15 Open Q&A Q2 – Rejoicing for others can be uplifting, but are there any pitfalls to that?

54:15 Open Q&A Q3 – What is the entity within us that is the owner/subject of our emotions? Is it the Self, the ego, or something else?

1:00:18 Open Q&A Q4 – Can karma come from past lives?

1:01:41 Open Q&A Q5 – Why do good people who perform good actions always suffer in this world?

1:03:45 Open Q&A Q6 – What is the correlation between karma and one’s sense of purpose

1:04:28 Open Q&A Q7 – Is it true that children choose which parents to be born to?

Renouncing Doership | Austerity and Frugality

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #21 – “Sarva Arambha Parityagi” Or “Renouncer of all Undertaking”

36:05 Question of the week: Define austerity and frugality. What are the benefits of practising them?

48:15 Open Q&A Q1 – In the book “Governing Business and Relationships”, the author says – “The more you give, the more you gain” is the inexorable law of life reiterated by Swami Ramatirtha. The “way to gain anything is to lose it”. Could you elaborate on these statements?

53:50 Open Q&A Q2 – It is said that in the end you have to give up the reward of heavens or that you have to surrender everything. Please explain.

56:40 Open Q&A Q3 – At work, one often needs to sell oneself. In this situation, how does one control the ego?

58:30 Open Q&A Q4 – Can you recommend some practical tips to keep a check on the ego on a day-to-day basis?

Untroubled | Managing Criticism

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #20 – “Gatavyathah” Or “Untroubled”

37:35 Question of the week: How does one avoid getting agitated when criticised?

50:26 Open Q&A Q1 – When someone close to us is facing problems, how do we calibrate our response to them?

52:51 Open Q&A Q2 – How do we manage troubles that come from within – for example, living in constant pain from a medical condition?

54:50 Open Q&A Q3 – Sometimes when we have a problem, we keep thinking about it and it seems to become a bigger problem. How do we prevent this?

56:33 Open Q&A Q4 – The society we live in often has expectations of us. Sometimes we feel we cannot meet those expectations. As a defense mechanism, sometimes we put on a mask that helps us portray to society that we are meeting those expectations. What is the right approach to this?

59:45 Open Q&A Q5 – How does one carry out a proper self-assessment and how does one develop conviction in this self-assessment?

1:03:51 Open Q&A Q6 – Where our attention goes, our energy goes. By constantly preparing for trouble, do we end up increasing the trouble in our lives?

1:05:18 Open Q&A Q7 – What do we do when the mind overpowers our intellect?

1:06:25 Open Q&A Q8 – Does your intellect have to come into play on a daily basis?

Unconcerned | Obligatory Duty

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #19 – “Udasinah” Or “Unconcerned”

34:10 Question of the week: What is an obligatory duty? What is a self‐imposed duty? Is there a hierarchy of obligations in one’s life?

49:50 Open Q&A Q1 – Is the organisation of a wedding for one’s child an obligatory or a self-imposed duty?

53:50 Open Q&A Q2 – Is it ok to set a goal that is beyond our capacity?

55:45 Open Q&A Q3 – Can a higher goal be something apart from Self-realisation?

57:45 Open Q&A Q4 – Why are people concerned about other people’s lives? Why do people spread lies and fake stories about others even when they haven’t harmed them? Could you provide tips on how we can avoid such people?

Daksha | Dexterity | Skillfullness00:00 Quality of a Seeker #18 – “Daksha” 36:47 Question of the week: What is the significance of prayer, rituals, and idols?

Purity | Personalisation

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #17 – “Sucih” Or “Pure”

41:32 Question of the week: What is personalisation? How does one combat it?

56:32 Open Q&A Q1 – Does one really need to destroy the ego?

1:00:37 Open Q&A Q2 – Why do some people criticise/attack others? When others attack you, how does one handle the situation? 

1:04:32 Open Q&A Q3 – How does one balance between spirit and matter?

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #16 – “Anapeksah” Or “Free from Want”40:35 Question of the week: Please explain the quote ‘Intense work is rest’ by Swami Rama Tirtha.53:45 Open Q&A Q1 – Can meditation help bring your thoughts to the present and to a single thought? 55:52 Open Q&A Q2 – Why don’t we believe that we are the Self? 57:33 Open Q&A Q3 – What does “Knowledge of the Self” mean?1:01:05 Open Q&A Q4 – When I meditate, I recognise/experience some feelings. How do I manage these feelings?

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #15 – “Harsa Amarsa Bhaya Udvegaih Muktah” Or “Freed from Joy, Envy, Fear, Anger, Anxiety”27:55 Question of the week: Why is one scared of death? How do we reduce or eliminate this fear?52:00 Open Q&A Q1 – Death is explained as a transition into an environment that is more conducive to one’s evolution. If that is so, then why do some people appear to die despite being in the prime of life?54:00 Open Q&A Q2 – Please explain the concepts of Sanchita and Prarabdha Vasanas in the context of death58:45 Open Q&A Q3 – Life seems like being on a hamster wheel. How does one stay energised and motivated every day?1:01:45 Open Q&A Q4 – Many of us have plenty. Yet there is greed, envy and a tendency to harm others. Why is this?1:05:10 Open Q&A Q5 – Is there any relationship between discontent and selfishness?

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #14 – “Lokat Na Udvijate Yah” Or “Who is not
agitated by the world”
42:05 Question of the week: Explain the concept of forgiveness. It is
said that we ought to forgive people. We are also told to act when
righteousness is at stake. How does one assess in a conflict whether
one should forgive or act?
50:40 Open Q&A Q1 – Please elaborate on the statement – “We should
forgive irrespective of whether we believe the forgiveness is
deserved”
54:57 Open Q&A Q2 – How does one deal with overexposure to stimuli?
58:07 Open Q&A Q3 – Not forgetting, excusing or reconciling is often
misunderstood as holding a grudge. This also happens when we step back
from a relationship to protect ourselves from agitation. How do we
deal with this reaction?
1:03:07 Open Q&A Q4 – Some individuals tend to “take over” the
conversation in a group. How should we manage such situations?

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #13 – “Yasmat Na Udvijate Lokah” Or “By Whom
the World is not Agitated”
40:00 Question of the week: It is said that one must not linger on his
past perceptions. Would reflection upon knowledge gained then be
considered as lingering? If not, what is the difference between
reflection and lingering?
49:30 Open Q&A Q1 – Why do many leaders not follow the principles of
Vedanta philosophy?
53:20 Open Q&A Q2 – In society, there are givers and takers. How does
one avoid being taken advantage of by takers?
55:25 Open Q&A Q3 – Despite our efforts, we may agitate others. How do
we deal this?
56:35 Open Q&A Q4 – Is it correct to say that “The past never happened”?

00:00 Quality of a Seeker #12 – “Mayi Arpita Manobuddhiḥ” Or “With
Mind and Intellect Dedicated to Me”
33:15 Question of the week: What does it mean to turn introvert? How
does turning introvert give you peace?
40:50 Open Q&A Q1 – Does turning introvert not make one more selfish?
43:35 Open Q&A Q2 – On the spiritual path, what are headwinds and tailwinds?
56:15 Open Q&A Q3 – How can one stay introvert if the others around us
are not doing their duties?
57:37 Open Q&A Q4 – Is being both extrovert and introvert good for us?

00:00 Quality of a seeker #11 – “Drdha Niscayah” or “Having Firm Conviction”
29:57 Question of the week: Define Self-sufficiency. How does one
ingrain the concept of self-sufficiency in day-to-day life?
44:50 Open Q&A Q1 – When one becomes self-sufficient, we often face
resentment from others around us. How do we prevent this and maintain
our conviction on our spiritual path?
50:44 Open Q&A Q2 – How does one develop true conviction?
53:02 Open Q&A Q3 – How should one proportion time and other resources
across activities?
56:22 Open Q&A Q4 – How does one manage our need for external validation?
1:03:26 Open Q&A Q5 – When spouses are arguing and one is trying to
calm the situation down, but the other isn’t calming down, what should
be done?

00:00 Quality of a seeker #10 – “Yatatma” or “Self-control”
28:40 Question of the week: How does the practice of bhakti yoga
purify the personality? Does listening to devotional music or chanting
the scriptures help purify the personality if one does not understand
the language? If so, how?
37:00 Open Q&A Q1 – When something you are trying to abstain from is
in front of you, how do you control yourself in the moment?
42:25 Open Q&A Q2 – Does the ability to control yourself vary by age?
52:10 Open Q&A Q3 – Is it ok to rely on another person’s intellect in
case you believe a problem is beyond your own intellectual capacity?