Anger makes our response to a problem a bigger problem than the problem itself
When someone wrongs us, it is natural to feel angry. Yet just because it is natural doesn’t make it desirable. Of course, neither is it [...]
Fretting is like overcooking a rotten vegetable in our head
Suppose a chef who found that a recently purchased vegetable was rotten, and, annoyed at the prospect of wasted time and money, decided to set [...]
Those who respect the command of God command the respect of the world
A feature of Vedic culture that often perplexes, even provokes, observers is the immense respect it offers to brahmanas: “Why should someone be respected so [...]
When the world has got so much from us, why should Krishna get less?
Few worldly things activate us as much as the prospect of enjoyment. Among all forms of enjoyment, the most stimulating is sexual enjoyment. The mind [...]
Leave no space to space out
Doing anything worthwhile requires attentiveness. A sportsperson has to be on high alert to perform in the sporting arena. This need for attentiveness applies all [...]
After we win the battle, our real battle begins
Life regularly forces us to fight battles – battles to thrive and even battles to survive. When we start practicing spiritual life, we want to [...]
Lust is worse than our worst enemy
Our culture glamorizes lust as the source of life’s greatest pleasure. In jolting contrast, the Bhagavad-gita (03.37) warns that lust is the enemy of the [...]
Krishna is beyond the range of the head, but not beyond the reach of the heart
Krishna is infinite, whereas we are finite. The finiteness of our head prevents us from intellectually grasping Krishna completely. No doubt, Gita wisdom helps us [...]
Spiritual advancement comes not just by change of activity but by change of mentality
Materialism habituates us to seeking happiness by changing our externals new dress, new car, new job, new house, even new spouse. When we come to [...]
Look at the mind before you look with the mind
When a normally cordial friend snaps at us for no reason, we understand sympathetically, “That’s due to a bad mood.” When we identify the bad [...]
Feed the heart a healthy diet, not a deadly diet
Just as we grow externally by the food we eat, we grow internally by the dreams that we cherish. The current culture fills us with [...]
Our heart may not have a place for Krishna, but Krishna has a place for our heart
Sometimes life forces us to face so many problems that we feel we have no time left for Krishna. Not only that, the very presence [...]
Krishna may be beyond our reach, but we are not beyond his reach
When our moral failings overcome us, we tend to feel discouraged: “Maybe I am too impure to ever become pure; Maybe Krishna is beyond my [...]
Life in goodness is not life in slow motion
As we live in a fast-paced, passionate culture, life in the mode of goodness can seem unappealing: “If I have to always think things through [...]
Fight for all that you have with all that you have
If someone came to pick our pocket, we would usually not let it go without a fight. The greater the wealth to be lost, the [...]
We suffer not because we are last but because we are lost
“Everyone is better than me. I am good-for-nothing.” Our mind sometimes discourages us with such thoughts. These thoughts are the tricks of the mind, tricks [...]
End the tradition of abuse with the tradition of love
We are all shaped by our experiences. The way people deal with us, especially during our formative years, becomes our standard reference, conscious or subconscious, [...]
Life determines our problems; we determine their size
We often feel irritated, overwhelmed, helpless when our dreams are wrecked by things beyond our control. But there is always something in our control. The [...]
No problem is so dreadful and no pleasure is so wonderful that it is worth losing our inner connection with Krishna
The world offers us two main distractions: problems and pleasures. Both attract, even demand, our attention and make us forget the higher inner reality of [...]
Let the road from the eyes to the heart not bypass or bulldoze the head
We all rely constantly on our eyes to show us our way. While the eyes are quite reliable in showing the way physically, they are [...]
Let where we crave to be not drag us away from where we need to be
When our plans are thwarted by things beyond our control, we usually become irritated and distracted. Such disruption of our plans often blinds us to [...]