The great achievement of materialism
Materialism is the belief system that matter is all that exists. Sometimes it takes a slightly more tolerant form as the belief system that matter [...]
When will the over-estimate be over?
Our culture gives us a highly inflated estimate of material enjoyment. Believing this over-estimate, we make material enjoyment the essence and purpose of our life. [...]
Are we seeking counsel from our fears instead of from Krishna?
Suppose in a boxing match a boxer gets knocked down by his opponent. Disheartened by the power of the opponent, the fallen boxer starts doubting [...]
Is the body a playground for passion or a temple for devotion?
Our culture with its romantic movies and erotic pictures depicts the body as a playground for passion, especially sexual passion. But are such popular depictions [...]
Why not model the desired example instead of desiring the model example?
Whenever we tread any challenging path, we gain inspiration from model examples. What they have achieved and how they have achieved it motivates us when [...]
Are we being fooled into giving ourselves a collective pat on the back?
The idea of progress attracts us because we are happiness-seeking beings and we are promised that progress will make us happier. However, our current culture [...]
Might our worst fear point to our best hope?
All of us have our worst fear about how things may go totally wrong. Little do we realize that this fearmay point to our best [...]
How an accountability vacuum can suck our devotion
Some people question: “When Krishna is present in our heart and as devotion is also an inner feeling, what is the need for an external [...]
Be cruel to be kind
Suppose we are sick and need a painful treatment. If we undergo that treatment, it may appear as if we are being cruel to ourselves. [...]
The blows that break the shell of our isolation from Krishna
When life moves along smoothly, when we successfully use our talents and our plans to achieve our goals, we frequently build a shell of complacency [...]
How long will we hide ourselves from ourselves?
When our room is in a mess and a respectable guest arrives, we hide the mess in the background. If we keep doing this repeatedly [...]
Are we trying to move up while looking down?
Seasoned mountaineers who aim to scale a lofty summit avoid looking down unnecessarily. Of course, they stay aware of the terrain below so that they [...]
Are we sending our intelligence on a vacation?
Imagine a person who has a priceless treasure carefully protected by a competent guard. Suppose a thief persuades the owner to send the guard on [...]
We see not by staring but by hearing
When our computer breaks down, we can’t see the problem merely by staring at the specific parts of the computer. We need to hear from [...]
Tap the power of devotion that supersedes nature, nurture and culture
We are what we are because of three primary factors: nature, nurture and culture. Nature: All of us are born with a particular psycho-physical nature [...]
The mental avatar of AIDS
AIDS is an extremely dangerous disease, largely because of its sinister method of attack. Normally when a disease attacks the body, the immune system springs [...]
Are we using religion as a cloak instead of as an armor?
A cloak is often used to concealoneself; an armor, to protect oneself. When we use our religion as a cloak, we hide our weaknesses under [...]
When it requires courage to be afraid
Imagine a group of children playing in an epidemic-struck area without knowing about the disease. When a child gets infected, falls sick and dies, the [...]
Is our culture preventing us from growing up?
Children desire toys and cry when thwarted and angered. Undiscriminating desire and unmanaged anger – these two defining emotions of childishness underlie many of our [...]
The incomprehensible comprehensibility and the comprehensible incomprehensibility of the universe
“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible,” wondered Albert Einstein. If the universe were just matter emerged by chance, why [...]
Sensual pleasures are easily visible, rarely relishable
Sensual pleasures tantalize us by their appearance and frustrate us by their experience. They last at the most for a few minutes; so the actual [...]