Podcasts on Life
Podcasts from Hinduwebsite and related websites are posted here
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Atha Yoga Anushashanam - Yoga Chirtta Vritti Nirodha - A Commentary
09/26/2023
Atha Yoga Anushashanam - Yoga Chirtta Vritti Nirodha - A Commentary
A brief commentary by Jayaram V on the First and Second Sutras of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras: Atha Yoga Anushashanam - Yoga Chirtta Vritti Nirodha
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/28148246
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Why the World is Unreal or an Illusion? An Advaita Concept
08/07/2022
Why the World is Unreal or an Illusion? An Advaita Concept
The explanation which I am presenting here is the most basic and fundamental to the Advaita philosophy. It strips of all embellishments and modern explanations and presents the idea in its purest form as envisaged by the early proponents of the philosophy, the true masters and sages who composed the Upanishads and transcribed the Vedas as they heard them in their deepest silence. Listen to this podcast to know what it is and why the world is not real but unreal or an illusion.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/23982531
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The Pursuit of Pleasure
07/28/2022
The Pursuit of Pleasure
This is Jayaram from Hinduwebsite.com. Today, I am going to speak about the pursuit of pleasure and the problem of worry and anxiety and why selfishness is considered the root of all evil. This podcast is based upon the teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. In fact, it is part of the commentary I have written for a verse in the sixteenth chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/23882982
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Evil Nature According to the Bhagavadgita
07/16/2022
Evil Nature According to the Bhagavadgita
Hinduism draws a clear distinction between good and evil. This essay describes the qualities of Asuras or evil or demonic people according to the Bhagavad-Gita.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/23763434
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A Comparative Study of Consciousness in Buddhism and Hinduism
02/27/2022
A Comparative Study of Consciousness in Buddhism and Hinduism
Ancient Indians were pioneers in the study of human consciousness. As early as 1000 BCE, they developed several contemplative and mindfulness techniques to study consciousness and understand its powers and potentials to improve one’s life, knowledge and intelligence or manifest one’s desires or open communication channels with gods and supernatural beings or resolve human suffering. They tried to harness the power of the mind to manifest reality and fulfill their desire for peace and happiness. In this podcast, we present a comparative review of consciousness in Buddhism and Hinduism, and how they are similar and dissimilar and attuned to their respective beliefs and practices and the methods they use for self-purification and liberation.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/22274321
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A Working Definition of Consciousness
02/15/2022
A Working Definition of Consciousness
In this podcast, I tried to present a broader definition of consciousness as a partly automated and partly self-learning knowledge or information system, considering its states, functions, potencies and abilities. I defined consciousness as a knowledge system with an inborn ability, awareness and intelligence to collect knowledge or information or data from different sources, store it, retrieve it and use it for specific ends or purposes. Those ends or purposes may be preexisting, self-willed, self-learned, self-realized or externally imposed from outside sources and conditions. Of them, survival or self-preservation seems to be the most important purpose. At the most basic level, I identified it as a self-guiding, self-aware, self-protecting, self-sustaining, self-improving, self-preserving and self-evolving information or knowledge system only, which is partly preprogrammed or automated and partly self-learning and self-evolving for further automation according to the information it receives and collects from various sources.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/22139894
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Justification For Hindu Caste-System
02/03/2022
Justification For Hindu Caste-System
The Hindu caste system probably came into existence around 3500 years ago due to various factors. It brought together people from diverse backgrounds under a social contract to live together and ensure order and regularity of society and polity. Somehow the system was accepted as a workable solution to ensure peaceful coexistence of diverse groups to live together and share social and economic privileges as dictated by their faith. In the early days of its origin, castes ensured stability and continuity of large populations in a rapidly changing environment, at a time when small republics, rural and pastoral communities and provincial principalities (janapadas) were giving way to large empires, well organized administrative systems and powerful monarchies. However, on the flipside, the caste system legitimized and institutionalized widespread discrimination of certain groups and communities as an acceptable and justifiable practice. It was not without consequences. In this discussion we will focus upon a few aspects of Hindu caste system.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/22012076
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The Meaning and Purpose of Life
01/25/2022
The Meaning and Purpose of Life
Is there a purpose or meaning to life? Why are we here? What are we supposed to do? What is the significance of life itself? Are we meant to pursue our own interests and ensure our survival and wellbeing or do we have to serve a greater purpose or a higher power? These are tough questions for which there is no definite answers.
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What is the True Purpose of Sannyasa or Renunciation?
01/25/2022
What is the True Purpose of Sannyasa or Renunciation?
Sannyasa is the most extreme solution to free yourself from the world and its influence. In many spiritual traditions of India, the acceptable and effective way to achieve the ultimate freedom is renunciation. In renunciation you become detached not only from the world but from everything including your own built-in identity and value system. You give up the world, all your accumulations, mental formations, identities and relationships, so that you become free, uninvolved, disentangled and unburdened.
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Obstacles In the Practice of Dhyana and Samadhi
01/25/2022
Obstacles In the Practice of Dhyana and Samadhi
In the practice of Dhyana or meditation, a yogi faces numerous obstacles mainly because of the unstable nature of his mind. This podcast explains the difficulties, or the obstacles people face in the practice of dhyana which prevents them from attaining Samadhi or mental absorption.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/21897554
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The Meaning and Significance of Advaita in Hinduism
01/25/2022
The Meaning and Significance of Advaita in Hinduism
The idea that you are the universe, not the mind and body or the ego complex, is what we consider oneness or nondualism or Advaita. It is what we mean by kaivalya or aloneness. A kevalin sees himself only amidst the dualities of life. He sees the world or the universe or the entire objective reality as an extension or projection of his consciousness. It is where you see nartaka atma, the Self acting as the master of the dance and the world dancing according to his will. You see the whole word as your state (rango’ antaratma).
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/21897551
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How Yoga Can Help you Abide in Your True Nature
12/23/2021
How Yoga Can Help you Abide in Your True Nature
One of the purposes of any yoga is to suppress the modifications of the mind, so that a yogi can experience peace and abide in his true nature or essential nature (svarupa avastha). Now, you may wonder what essential nature means and how anyone can abide in it. Words can be confusing, especially when their meaning can be interpreted differently by different people. We are not going to discuss here metaphysical or abstract notions of essential nature of your true self. We are going to speak about it purely from a practical perspective in a way which makes sense and which you can identify in yourself.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/21580568
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The Purpose of Yoga
12/17/2021
The Purpose of Yoga
Yoga is very popular worldwide. Commercially, it is worth billions of dollars. People from all backgrounds and religions, spiritual people as well as materialists, practice it. Many dubious claims are also made in its name. What is the true purpose of yoga?
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/21525380
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The Illusion of Spiritual Practice
12/15/2021
The Illusion of Spiritual Practice
Spiritual practice can potentially become a source of delusion, if you are not careful about your motivation or sincere in your practice...Half-hearted spiritual practice will give you the illusion of being involved and self-important but lead you nowhere. You will be just moving in circles without reaching your goal.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/21493457
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The True Spiritual Significance of Maha Shivaratri
03/12/2021
The True Spiritual Significance of Maha Shivaratri
Maha Shivaratri is a well known Hindu festival. Millions of devotees worship Shiva on this auspicious day. After fasting for the day until midnight and worshipping him variously, they also keep a night vigil. There is a hidden spiritual significance of the festival, which is not known to many. It is explained briefly by Jayaram in this short podcast.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/18292079
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Hinduism and Buddhism Main Differences
02/28/2020
Hinduism and Buddhism Main Differences
Both Hinduism and Buddhism originated in India. With a long shared-history of at least 2500 years, they have many similarities and differences. Both are also complex. In this we focus upon a few important differences between them. Buddhism is an organized religion with a well-formed Sangha or the brotherhood of monks. Hinduism is not that well organized. It is a collection of numerous traditions that originated in India in the past 5000 years. Sometimes, for historical reasons, Buddhism is also included in it, and Buddha is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Buddhism does not believe in a Supreme eternal, indestructible, independent, subjective reality. Hinduism does. That supreme reality is known as Brahman. Buddhism does not believe in an eternal, individual self. It believes that all this is not-self or objective reality only which is devoid of a permanent self, and which is impermanent and filled with afflictions, sorrow and suffering. Hinduism believes in both Self and not-self realities. In Hinduism Dharma means the set of religious, spiritual, moral and obligatory duties which are entrusted or delegated to humans by God for the order and regularity of the worlds. In Buddhism, the basic teachings of the Buddha constitute Dharma. According to Hinduism, God (Brahman or Isvara) is the source of all. He is the creator, preserver and destroyer. Buddhism is silent about God and his role in creation and the cause of creation itself. Buddhism does not recognize transcendental reality. Its sole focus is upon cultivating the right view, right discernment and insight into experiential, perceptible and cognizable reality and consciousness. Hindu spiritual practices aim to transcend the objective realm and experience oneness with the transcendental Self. In Buddhism nirvana represents the final extinguishment of rebirth, suffering, becoming and being. Those who attain it cease to exist as individual entities. In Hinduism, Moksha represents final liberation from the cycle of births and deaths and entering, an all knowing, infinite, self-existent state where each soul is internally and inseparable united with the source of all. Hinduism and Buddhism also have many similarities. If you set aside these fundamental differences, both Hindus and Buddhists can benefit greatly from the vast treasure of spiritual knowledge contained in each. It is especially true with regard to meditative and contemplative practices, ethical conduct, renunciatory practices, purification of the mind and body, entering tranquil state of the mind, dealing with pain and suffering, cultivating discernment, etc.
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Contemplation Upon Dukkha or Suffering - A Buddhist Perspective
02/26/2020
Contemplation Upon Dukkha or Suffering - A Buddhist Perspective
An insight into the nature of Dukkha or suffering from the Buddhist perspective, which is helpful to cope with suffering with equanimity and detachment.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/13305680
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An Effective Strategy to Achieve Success
09/22/2018
An Effective Strategy to Achieve Success
An Effective Strategy to Improve Your Chances of Achieving Success in Whatever You Do.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/7076877
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Ice and Fire a Musical Composition
09/16/2018
Ice and Fire a Musical Composition
Ice and Fire Music Digitally Composed by Jayaram V
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/7051371
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A Practical Way to Use the Law of Attraction
05/19/2018
A Practical Way to Use the Law of Attraction
How to use the law of attraction without blindly relying upon the mind's supposed magical ability to precipitate reality.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6611443
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Ten Assumptions That Can Prevent Success
04/25/2018
Ten Assumptions That Can Prevent Success
In this discussion, we identify ten basic assumptions that critically hamper our ability to perform well, reach goals or achieve success.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6521006
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Attracting Abundance and Happiness
04/21/2018
Attracting Abundance and Happiness
When we speak of abundance, the first thing that comes into our minds is money. For many, that is all abundance means. However, abundance means more than having money.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6506256
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A Path to Self-Love and Self-Acceptance
03/20/2018
A Path to Self-Love and Self-Acceptance
This audio presentation is about practicing self-love and self-acceptance to overcome negativity and critical attitude towards oneself to experience peace and harmony.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6388127
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The Power of Truth in Self-awareness
03/14/2018
The Power of Truth in Self-awareness
This podcast is about cultivating self-awareness in spiritual practice by paying attention to one’s thoughts and feelings to know truths about oneself, without cognitive distortions and self-deception. The practice of truthfulness in relation to oneself leads to better self-awareness and discernment.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6366102
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The Resilience of Hindus
02/28/2018
The Resilience of Hindus
How Hindus Survived Centuries of Persecution and Remained Invincible
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6312424
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Does God Possess a Specific Name and Form?
01/22/2018
Does God Possess a Specific Name and Form?
A few thoughts on how Brahman (God) should be worshipped or approached, and whether he has a specific name and form. Occasionally you come across people who dispute the notion that God is impersonal and formless. According to them God cannot be impersonal or formless. For them, God is personal and possesses specific, recognizable form, which is permanent and universal. Should we agree with this view?
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6176147
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Cognitive Errors and Biases in Everyday Life
01/18/2018
Cognitive Errors and Biases in Everyday Life
In this presentation Jayaram V speaks about cognitive errors and biases which interfere with out thinking and decision making and how to overcome them to improving our thinking and perception and learn to think clearly.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6162536
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An Important Lesson From the Bhagavadgita
01/08/2018
An Important Lesson From the Bhagavadgita
The Bhagavadgita contains many lessons. The one presented in this podcast is very important. It is indeed the heart of Bhagavadgita wisdom. Those who understand it do not judge people by their actions but look to the motive and use their discernment to know whether those actions are justified or not. Find out what the lesson is.
/episode/index/show/hinduwebsite/id/6126715
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The Atomic Theory of Jainism
12/10/2017
The Atomic Theory of Jainism
Thousands of years ago, the Jain monks proposed an Atomic theory of their own, which may better be described as the quantum theory. They believed that the matter was made of minute particles called atoms or Paramanu. Numerous atoms of opposite nature joined together to form matter of various kinds. When souls came into contact with them, they became impure and bound.
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A Brief Account of the Jhanas in Buddhism
12/10/2017
A Brief Account of the Jhanas in Buddhism
This is a small talk on the meaning and significance of Jhanas in Buddhist spiritual practice. Jhana is the Pali equivalent of the Sanskri word, Dhyana, which means meditation. In Buddhism, Jhana refers to both meditation and the state of meditative absorption. Four such Jhanas were identified by the Buddha, each having its own distinguishing features.
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