1680: I Came to Die, Learned to Live: A Bhakti Breakthrough
Wisdom of the Sages
David Ramella
4.9 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 8 October 2025
⏱️ 51 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
She boarded a flight to India to learn how to die—and found the wisdom to live. Laurel's journey—from childhood loss and addiction to a stage-4 cancer diagnosis—collides with Bhakti-yoga, kīrtan, and the Bhagavad-gītā at the Govardhan Ecovillage, reframing suffering through devotion and community. With Raghunath and Kaustubha, this episode traces the shift from victimhood to spiritual agency: simple practices, steady philosophy, and a flower-festival moment that changes everything.
Key Highlights
* "I came to die, but I learned to live."
* Raghu bans pity (but allows chapati—not Chowpatty).
* Dog therapy for the soul: Who rescued who?
* The sliding-tables cruise ship: how to find steadiness when life tilts.
* Kīrtan at 5 a.m., a highway near-miss, and the taste of grace.
* From validation-seeking to service and sādhana.
* "Maintenance meds" vs. maintenance of the heart.
* How the Bhāgavatam reframes impermanence and the "why me?" loop.
Bhakti Yoga, Kirtan, Bhagavad Gita, Srimad Bhagavatam, Govardhan Ecovillage, Radhanath Swami, Spiritual Transformation, Addiction Recovery, Cancer Journey, Yoga Philosophy, Wisdom of the Sages
Subscribe for daily wisdom and join thousands on the transformative path of Bhakti.
*********************************************************************
LOVE THE PODCAST? WE ARE COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AND WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN!
Go to https://www.wisdomofthesages.com
WATCH ON YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@WisdomoftheSages
LISTEN ON ITUNES: https://podcasts/apple.com/us/podcast/wisdom-of-the-sages/id1493055485
CONNECT ON FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/wisdomofthesages108
*********************************************************************
Join 2025 Kartik Algorithm here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KOUR66ik34T49YWn4y9QsU
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | So at this point, I am suffering mentally because I have a three-year-old child, and I'm being told |
| 0:11.2 | that I have a 40% chance of being alive in five years. |
| 0:15.8 | So I was a wreck. |
| 0:19.8 | And what did I do the night before chemo? |
| 0:23.1 | Of course, they went out and got drunk because I couldn't deal with it. |
| 0:27.0 | But this time I didn't sustain it that way because I actually had some philosophy from yoga. |
| 0:33.1 | And I didn't have a physical practice. |
| 0:35.3 | Wow. |
| 0:35.8 | But I could listen to Kirtan. |
| 0:38.4 | Okay. |
| 0:38.9 | I would say this is so important that it's a, you know, drug abuse, alcohol abuse. |
| 0:45.9 | It's so widespread. |
| 0:48.1 | Yeah. |
| 0:49.0 | It's so normalized. |
| 0:51.4 | Yeah, well, because it's normalized recreationally, |
| 0:53.9 | but then it becomes that thing that people |
| 0:55.9 | turn to to kind of numb out the pain or the fear in life. |
| 1:00.6 | And the idea that knowledge can be that alternative or that a deeply spiritual practice |
| 1:09.2 | like Kirtan can be the alternative. |
| 1:11.6 | This is what people really need to be exposed to. |
| 1:16.0 | I was so grateful to have it. |
| 1:20.6 | Oh, no, bagavati, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from David Ramella, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of David Ramella and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.