Focus not on breaking free from illusion; focus on holding on to reality
A person who is bound usually focuses on breaking free by, say, untying or cutting the binding ropes. That kind of focus is not the [...]
The soul is wise, but lust makes it otherwise
“What makes good people do bad things?” This is a question that has vexed thinking people throughout history. We all have probably witnessed acquaintances suddenly [...]
We have to sit in the city of nine gates, but we don’t have to be stuck in it
“You are not the body” is a basic teaching of the Bhagavad-gita. Even if we understand it, we can’t wish away our bodily incarceration – [...]
Determination is a function of not just intention but also purification
Suppose a public speaker while giving a talk is troubled by a persistent cough. Can the speaker deal with it merely by a resolute intention, [...]
Don’t read so much between the lines as to miss the lines
Erudite Gita commentators throughout history have unpacked its wisdom-filled verses in multiple ways. By examining the context, tone, word usage and similar details, they reveal [...]
Krishna’s mercy enables us to find him – and to find him fulfilling
The world we live in is like a maze. It offers us so many alternatives of what we can do, so many promises of what [...]
Far more important than the book cover is what the book covers
“Don’t judge a book by its cover” is almost a truism. Yet it has special relevance for the Bhagavad-gita because its cover can intrigue as well as beguile, for it [...]
Misery is not the cause of enlightenment – mercy is
Some seekers ask, “When afflicted with a deadly disease, some devotees take intense shelter of Krishna and make phenomenal spiritual advancement. If similar misery came [...]
We help ourselves best by remembering that we are helpless without Krishna
“Help!” That’s how a person fallen in an ocean calls out for rescue. But suppose that person is intoxicated and so doesn’t even realize the [...]
To put first things first, stop putting things first
“Put first things first” is a sensible self-help slogan that urges us to prioritize important things. It, however, leaves unanswered some key questions: What things [...]
Learning from life is not just a matter of individual creativity; it is a feature of universal reality
“Learn from life” is a popular and valuable saying. We all can learn by thoughtfully observing our own life, the lives of those around us, [...]
We resolve conflicts best when we resolve the inner conflict first
The Bhagavad-gita is a book of conflict resolution. It was spoken when the territorial conflict between the cousins the Pandavas and the Kauravas was about [...]
The cure for lust comes not by condemning the object but by cleansing the subject
The object of lust refers to the thing that triggers lust. The subject of lust refers to the person within whom lust is triggered. Condemning [...]
Surrender may frustrate our surface desires, but it fulfills our deepest longings
Some people ask, “Surrender to Krishna requires abandoning our desires and abiding by his will. Isn’t that frustrating?” No, it isn’t frustrating if we just [...]
Take the wind of passion out of the mind by meditation
Just as stormy winds sweep a boat away, the Bhagavad-gita (02.67) states that the winds of sensual desires sweep us away from the spiritual path. [...]
Lust doesn’t just bind us – it also makes us fight to hold on to its bonds
If someone were being bound by ropes, that person would naturally fight to untie the bonds. But suppose that person fights instead to hold on [...]
Krishna is not life’s sole goal – he is life’s whole goal
Sometimes people ask: “To attain Krishna, do we have to give up all other goals and just devote ourselves to him?” No, because Krishna is not [...]
The confidentiality of devotion is not due to the frugality of divine grace, but the scarcity of human desire
The Bhagavad-gita (09.01) declares that the knowledge it shares is most confidential. Why confidential? Is Krishna too frugal, even stingy, in sharing his merciful message? [...]
Let the pat on the back for our intellectual conquests not become a nail in the coffin of our devotional prospects
The Bhagavad-gita declares repeatedly that Krishna can be known only through devotion, as in 08.22, 11.53 - 11.54, 18.55, for example. Why is devotion the [...]
Money unmakes those who make making money their life’s purpose
Money is a necessity for our existence, but many make it the purpose of their existence. They equate money with pleasure, possession, prestige and power. [...]
We don’t have any choice except to believe in our power of choice
“Do we have the power to choose our actions or are they determined by factors beyond us?” This question confronts thinking humans, whatever their beliefs. [...]