Worry not about falling into illusion – worry about staying in devotion
Serious seekers often worry, “Will I fall back into the illusions of material existence?” Yes, if we keep worrying about falling into illusion. No, if [...]
Focus not on being known – focus on knowing
We want to be known. Living in a world filled with nameless masses in its mindless metropolises, we sense subconsciously the threat of obscurity looming [...]
Devotion centers not on renouncing the material, but on reclaiming the spiritual
Some people ask, “Do I have to renounce everything material to gain devotion?” No – the essence of devotion is reclaiming the spiritual, not renouncing [...]
The soul is metaphysical, but not metaphorical
The idea of a soul is found in the metaphysical ruminations of almost all traditions. But few traditions explain clearly what the soul is. They [...]
Metaphysical blindness is more dangerous than physical blindness
Physical blindness makes us unaware of our surroundings, whereas metaphysical blindness makes us unaware of ourselves – our identity and our purpose. The Bhagavad-gita (15.10) [...]
To eliminate mental phantoms, contemplate the transcendental person
The mind often makes problems far bigger than what they actually are. We get a negative appraisal, but the mind chews and stews on it [...]
The use of force to convert doesn’t expand faith – it reduces faith
Some religious groups force others to convert to their faith, “Convert or die.” But faith is a choice of the heart that can’t be forced. [...]
Don’t equate what is in scripture with what scripture teaches
Some people think that everything in scripture is the teaching of scripture. But scripture gives the thoughts, words and actions of not just God and his [...]
Our heart beats for immortality and beats towards mortality
‘Our heart beats for immortality’ refers to our metaphorical heart – the seat of our emotions – and its innate longing to live on forever. [...]
Study the Gita not to inform the head, but to transform the heart
The Gita does inform the head, no doubt – and it informs about life’s meaning and purpose far better than does the best university education. [...]
The point of scriptural study is not to prove our point, but to improve our viewpoint
We frequently think that our understanding of things is the correct understanding. When we study scripture, this mentality often makes us presume that our understanding [...]
The essence of the fire-sacrifice is not lighting a fire without but lighting the fire within
Fire-sacrifices seem quaint or queer to many: “What’s the point of lighting a fire and putting ghee, grain and fruits in it?” The point is [...]
The Gita’s choice is not about nonviolence or violence – it’s about disintegration or integration
The Bhagavad-gita’s asking Arjuna to fight understandably unnerves many people. Though the Gita’s framing narrative involves choosing violence over nonviolence, its core is far deeper. [...]
See beyond the diversity of forms to the unity of substance and purpose
Racial, religious and other forms of sectarian violence rend the world today. Such violence may have complex social, economic, cultural and political causes, but underlying [...]
Reposition the mind as the object of observation instead of its subject
Seekers often question: “My mind keeps getting distracted from Krishna. What can I do?” Make the mind the object of observation, answers Gita wisdom. Usually, [...]
Be not allured by the blame game or the claim game – stay focused on Krishna
Blame game usually involves pointing the blaming finger outwards to others whenever things go wrong. The blaming finger can also point upwards or inwards. When [...]
Don’t just battle over your choices – choose your battles
Battling over our choices refers to struggling to make the right choice while staying in the presence of temptation. Choosing our battles refers to deciding [...]
A self-answering question points to factors beyond the self-evident
A question that contains the answer within itself raises questions about the question. For example, suppose someone asks, “After the diners sat down at the [...]
Don’t treat a game like life or life like a game
Many people treat games as if they are as important as life itself. Human culture has always featured sports as a form of recreation, but [...]
Love God, not the concept of God
The concept of God refers to an intellectualized or sentimentalized notion of God that is more a projection of one’s own preference than the revelation [...]
Don’t blunt the intelligence with indulgence; sharpen it with abstinence
Our intelligence is like a knife. It can cut through the surface appearance of things and see their deeper nature. Just as a knife with [...]