When you say atma, or soul, it means an individual consciousness. What is the nature of consciousness? It is individual and, once having been, it will always exist. We have existed forever, and we will continue to exist forever, after the "now" is over. Reflect on this deeply... The image is from my painting, "Nara and Narayan Rishis meet Cupid".

For the last 4 months I've had a joyous, passionate new friendship with a guy much younger than me. It's been fun. It's been exciting. It's been a wild ride. Recently, though, I have felt all tangled up with his energy and can't tell where he starts and I begin. His nervous system and life patterns activated my nervous system and life patterns BIG TIME. What would you recommend, @Ronda Del Boccio , to clear said energy and get back to ME? A course in your classroom? Whatever it is, I'll do it. I have lost touch with my joy. THANK YOU! 💖

Sometimes we go looking for answers, but the people giving them may still be figuring things out themselves. That’s where the idea of a guru comes in. It’s a word that carries a lot of weight these days. A true guru comes from a lineage—what we call a sampradaya. So what is the role of a guru in today’s world? In the Bhagavad-Gita, there’s the concept of “tattva,” which refers to truth. A guru is called a “tattva-darshi.” Darshi (from darshan) means to see or perceive. So a tattva-darshi is someone who sees the truth—not just intellectually, but with real spiritual insight. Both the Bhagavad-Gita and other traditions explain that if we want real answers, we need to approach someone qualified. But how do you recognize such a person? If you met a guru today, how would you know? The scriptures actually describe this. It’s not about externals—whether someone is Indian, how long their beard is, or how they speak or behave outwardly. That’s not enough. The Bhagavad-Gita focuses much more on inner qualities: compassion, humility, tolerance, self-control, determination, and genuine knowledge. So we shouldn’t rush into things blindly. This is a search. You find someone by asking questions—but not just random questions. You need to have some clarity about what you’re looking for. In the end, you need both questions and answers. When you seek a guru, you’re looking for guidance—someone you can learn from and place your faith in. But it doesn’t stop there. A real guru won’t shut down your thinking—they’ll actually sharpen it. You don’t leave your intelligence at the door. You approach with awareness. And as you continue, your questions become deeper and more meaningful. By following the process, you start to see that this person is helping you grow—not just by giving answers, but by elevating your understanding. Someone like this, who also comes from a genuine sampradaya, is what we call a guru. So ask questions. Look for real answers. And connect with someone who inspires you to keep going deeper.

This is a color sketch for my next painting. I am looking for an outstanding contrast, golden tones, and no details, only impressions...

In the mundane world, a name is different from the object it represents. The substance water and the word ‘water’ are not the same – no matter how much we chant the word ‘water’ our thirst will not be quenched. However, spiritual sound is non-different from the transcendental reality it represents. Thus, the Lord and His name are one and the same spiritual substance (cit-vastu). The Holy Name is like a touchstone and is the form of all divine mellows. It is complete, pure, and eternally liberated, due to the non-difference between the Name and the Named. (Padma Purāṇa) When a receptive listener receives spiritual sound through a proper channel, the potency within it is directly transmitted to that person, and by meditating on that sound vibration, one attains self-realisation. Image is a detail of my painting: "Markandeya Rishi – Vedic Oil Painting by Dominique Amendola"