Ishan Chaitanya

Since my earliest years, I had great interest in studying life's deep and mystical secrets, and especially was frustrated that my folks couldn't tell me anything substantial on the true meaning of life. At first I was enamored with astronomy and modern science, but very soon I realized that numbers and formulas don't work well with my way of thinking. You could say I'm a word man, not a number man. I needed different modes of exploration.

My real search began when I was 16, and started with Western Occultism and stuff. Very soon after that came in Buddhism and Hinduism, and I was introduced to the ancient wisdom of the East, baffled as I was in my attempts to make sense of my life in high school.

I ended up with Vaishnavism, which I found out that it's not really what you might call Hinduism, since it teaches worship of one God, like other major religions, except here you have a detailed description of His form, activities, abode and entourage. The philosophy or view that "you have to die to see/meet God" or "if anyone's seen God, they will never come to talk to us" and similar misunderstandings do not help anyone but are merely obstacles.

The most egregious misconception is that God is not a personal entity, has no form, desires, character etc. Of course he has, and that's why you have these things. Having a personality and form and desires is not and should not be a prerequisite for suffering, but if directed by selfish motives, then it does become so. It is not the real source of the problem, though. Selfishness, that covers over our soul with ignorance of the spiritual, is the real problem. And the soul's deepest desire is to love and be loved, but this world was not really build for actually fulfilling that desire. It's more of a world where we make ourselves into the heroes of our own story, but slowly realize we're not the real, original, glorious protagonist we thought we were. Someone else is.

Some traditions forbid chanting his name because we're too sinful and he's too holy. Our approach is very different, though we don't make light of the fact that he's an existence way above our present station and deserves our most profound respect and obedience. Moreover, he has manifested scriptures from which you get very clear and precise instructions how to make your life perfect by chanting His name and evoking love that is divine and imperishable, unlike its mundane counterpart.

It may not be easy to grasp this philosophy at first, but by studying the scriptures like the Bhagavad-gita under the guidance of a true and qualified spiritual teacher from a long and proven succession of teachers/disciples, results will show. Just like artisans and artists from families that have carried their craft from generation to generation, having a spiritual lineage going all the way back to God himself is crucial for success in one's quest for enlightenment. It's not merely someone's opinion or a theoretical exposition - it's a practical science of achieving a specific, tangible goal - attaining God's love and personal company.

Recognition, money, name, fame, followers etc. are not what spiritual life is about. It's about a heart-to-heart connection, one soul to another, brothers and sisters who are in the same maelstrom of material life, trying to get by. Life can be much easier if we open our eyes to this wisdom, and if God allows, I may have something to say about that, and hopefully this way I may also be of service to sincere seekers.

Nothing in this world stays forever, and we should relax, or rather completely let go our tight grip on this world and even our near and dear ones. We should not think that the tighter our grip, the better odds we have of keeping what we're gripping. Ultimately we will lose everything and everyone, but we can't grieve them indefinitely.

Ancient wisdom is as relevant today as ever, and always will be because it's eternal, coming from the eternal realm.

My focus is the Bhagavad-gita and other scriptures that take you closer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and his legacy that we all share as his eternal parts and parcels. It will show you how to direct your own consciousness/heart/mind to get free from the deepest inner issues that keep us stuck in a loop of perpetual misery in this world, and attain true eternity and bliss. It's free of charge, but it's not free of the need for genuine interest in and desire for attaining the spiritual goals offered. Faking anything will only hinder us - utmost sincerity is required.

Full disclosure: I am not one of those teachers I mention in here. They are very special, spiritually powerful individuals, with hearts of gold. I'm not. I'm merely their student. But you can see me as a friend who has walked on this path a little further ahead, who has met such teachers and who has the map, and has improved himself by following their advice, even though he hasn't yet reached the destination. And that is what I'd like to share with you, if you are so inclined.