Practical Spirituality: Hinduism & Current Events with Premanand Das Bhagat

Sharing the Shaivite Creed as laid down by Satguru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami, founder of Hinduism Today magazine and the Shaiva Siddhanta Church of Hawaii. This is not an official creed translated from Vedic scriptures or ancient rishis, but a modern attempt to codify the foundational beliefs of Shaivism. Live 8/2/2025.

0:00 – Learning about Hinduism via Hinduism Today magazine (https://www.hinduismtoday.com/) & the Master Course ...

Hinduism, Neo-Hinduism, the Bhakti and Advaita Vedanta movements have looked beyond the caste (varna and jati) social hierarchy systems, but Wokism would take those gains away as it is focused on classism and class warfare. Wokism also takes Hinduism farther from the Vedic tradition. Live 7/26/2025.

0:00 – Intro to discussing woke progressivism's relationship with Hinduism (particularly in India)

2:03 – Personal views of wokism, ...

So many on the Left (and others) call MAGA and Trumpsters a cult, but I 100% disagree. It may or may not have cult-like attributes, but according to traditional academic definitions its not a cult. Based on my own experience in a religious cult, years studying cults, and following politics I put this argument to rest in what I believe in a concise detailed argument. This is not about defending MAGA, but using the word "cult&qu...

For years, I followed the so-called spiritual path. Believing everything and anything, including joining a cult. It took years of purging to find the truth, and committing to the path of Sanatana Dharma. If you're a seeker who's sick of the fluff, who believes that science, logic, and scripture can coexist, and who believes fake spirituality has run rampant, and who's searching for a light at the end of the dark tunnel we call life...

Discussing physical illness that can make having a spiritual life very hard. Based on my experience of often being stuck in bed unable to do anything. I'm discussing this as I feel nobody else is. Live 6/28/2025.

0:00 – Intro to being physically ill & unable to do anything | nobody discusses physical illness as a spiritual pitfall | not talking about physical illness & disabilities in spiritual circles, bad health might ...

Discussing how this is a year of finding new challenges for me personally via my songwriting and running, and walking my talk about how one should break comfort zones for growth. Live 6/19/2025.

Responding to a comment that called me a Hindu religious fanatic, which is the anti-thesis of everything this channel is about. Note that there is a difference between a religious fanatic and a religious fundamentalist. Live 6/7/2025.

0:00 – Responding to comment who called me a religious fanatic by investigating the meaning of "religious fanatic" | putting people into boxes based pre-conceived stereotypes & assumption...

0:00 – Personal experience with Swami Vivekananda, essay written in Bengali in response to 1899 Bengal Plague
1:05 – Reading the Plague Manifesto from Swami Vivekananda
4:44 – Did not fear during covid lockdowns due to god
Live 5/31/2025, pre-recorded 2022

For seekers who’ve outgrown spiritual fluff. This isn’t about trends, vibes, or blind devotion. This is real talk for real seekers.

🎙️ Each episode is part of a larger journey. This ...

Excerpt from live show 118 ("Roundtable discussion on Brahman, bhakti & liberation (Part 2) - Buddhism & Advaita Vedanta") sharing my thoughts on spiritual pitfalls and what they are, with reference to Peter Capaldi in Doctor Who and my time as a devotee in Adidam. Original full length episode here

Broadcast live originally 7/15/2024 on the Bearded Mystic Podcast channel, rebroadcast live here 7/27/2024

I was part of a live r...

I was a member of the cult of Adidam, following guru Adi Da Samraj. I go inside the actual vow ceremony where I became a formal devotee to the guru, and became a formal dues paying member of a cult. Live 5/17/2025.

0:00 – Overview of feelings about followers of Adidam & Adi Da Samraj | sharing life experience of being in a cult
6:40 – Situation of taking vow to become formal devotee
8:56 – Reading formal vow Part 1 "sacred vow of...

Reacting to Vaishnava guru Chris Butler (aka Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa). He is a former member of ISKCON (during the lifetime of Swami Prabhupada) who started his own group of Krishna devotees in Hawaii, today called the Science of Identity Foundation, and said to be Krishna or "akin to god" by ex-devotees. He is famous for his negative teachings of Muslims, LGBTQ, and being Tulsi Gabbard's former spiritual guru. Th...

Chanting the mantra to Lord Vasudeva 108 times in honor of the new Pope Leo XIV and the death of Pope Francis I. Live 5.10.2025

0:00 – Intro to blessing Pope Leo XIV (referenced Jim Croce song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzYf6qskdfA) | choice of Leo name
3:52 – Caring about Catholic Church when not Catholic | largest religious organization
8:51 – Chanting Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya mantra 108 times
17:41 – Closing th...

Sharing the lyrics to Krishnacore band Shelter's song "Saranagati" by frontman Ray Cappo. Live 5.3.2025.

0:00 – Reflecting on recent European tour by Shelter (Ray Cappo, Krishna Chaitanya Dasa, John Porcelly) celebrating 30 years of "Mantra" album
3:52 – Sharing "Saranagati" song from the "No Surrender" album
5:22 – Not a fan of Krishnacore punk music, but find it interesting
9:04...

Discussing questionable things I hear gurus say, which make me wonder about their enlightened state. Live 4.26.2025

0:00 – Commenting on self-declared enlightened gurus on youtube whose talk is very unspiritual
1:54 – God is logical so why should religion/gurus not be logical
2:28 – Enlightened people are regularly contradictory & speaking jibberish
3:18 – Self-declared gurus mistake small revelations for final step of ...

Discussing the lack of Hindu & Buddhist holidays on the U.S. calendar, compared to so many Muslim holidays, yet the population of America includes Indians & Asians. No representation for them? Live 4.19.2025.

0:00 – Discussing adding holidays to the U.S. calendar [correction: I found out afterwards its one Jewish holiday and one Muslim holiday]
1:58 – Recognizing religious diversity in America vs banning all religious hol...

A tribute to my friend Lyle Pearson, a filmmaker, scholar and in-demand speaker on the history of Bollywood, India, south Asian cinema, often with a focus on LGBTQ+ history. Live 4.12.2025

Lyle's film "The Man From Calcutta" (2015) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50s4srL-SoY
Lyle's bibliography: https://sudhirm.ds.lib.uw.edu/cinemasouthasia/a-bibliography-and-filmography-of-lyle-pearson

0:00 – Introduction
2...

Sharing thoughts on finding truth, being in a cult, and my time in Adidam following cult leader Adi Da Samraj, based on an e-mail I received from Krishna Chaitanya Dasa the former bassist of Krishnacore Straight Edge punk band Shelter (with the line-up of Ray Cappo, John Porcelly, Eric Dailey, Vic DiCara. They did the albums "In Defense Of Reality" & "Attaining The Supreme"). Live 3.29.2025

This is his Sanata...

Discussing how I may have misjudged Tulsi Gabbard, former Congresswoman and now Director of National Intelligence, due to her upbringing under controversial guru and cult leader Chris Butler (Jagad Guru), and movement within political perspectives. Live 3.13.2025.

0:00 - My apology video to Tulsi Gabbard for misjudging her in light of her guru Jagad Guru Chris Butler
1:55 - Referenced Chris Butler reaction video: https://www.yout...

Discussing my shock at hearing of the death of singer David Johansen of the New York Dolls, a band I love, and how it floored me ... in comparison to not having such an emotional connection to people I know. A discussion of death, not Sanatana Dharma related. Live 3.2.2025.

0:00 – Hearing the news of David's death had me crying on the sidewalk
1:40 – Iggy Pop & Stooges & New York Dolls were best of 1970's NYC unde...