Study not to be seen by the world as learned, but to see the world with learned eyes
When we acquire knowledge, the ego frequently gets intoxicated, “I know so much.” If others respect us for our learning, then getting more respect often [...]
Don’t sensationalize sensations
The sensations of taste, touch, smell, sight and sound are the sources of sensual pleasures. Such pleasures are the goals of materialism, the worldview that [...]
Gita 18.59 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.59 In previous verse [...]
Money talks – and walks away as it is talking
“Money talks” is an idiomatic way of stating that those who show money are taken seriously – others respect them and hasten to do their [...]
The soul seems far out because it is far in
Some people think that the concept of the soul is far out because it seems incomprehensible or even unbelievable. Yes, the soul is difficult to [...]
Don’t just be mindful – make the mind full of Krishna
Many self-help teachers recommend mindfulness – cultivating awareness and living in the present. Certainly, mindfulness is better than absent-mindedness, but is it sufficient? Let’s analyze [...]
Gita 18.56 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now after this Krishna talks [...]
Don’t base identification on sensation
Some people argue, “How can I be anything other than my body? When it gets cut, I feel pain; when it touches something soft, I [...]
Better to look stupid than to act stupid
Sometimes when life’s complexities perplex us, we may hesitate to ask others for help because of the fear of looking stupid. But by letting such [...]
Don’t let imagined problems become real
Suppose a person worries excessively about future financial problems, thereby becoming emotionally paralyzed and unable to work and earn in the present. If we were [...]
Even arguments against design require design
The design argument for the existence of God posits that the complexity and intricacy of various things in the world underscore the necessity of a [...]
Gita 18.51-53 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Next three verses talk about [...]
Charity that expresses vanity ends in vanity
Charity is usually a noble expression of the human virtue of compassion. Few joys in life are as sublime and fulfilling as the joy of [...]
Gita 18.50 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now the next verse will [...]
Gita 18.49 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan From next verse it will [...]
Bhakti redefines desires as doorways to the divine
Desires are recognized in spiritual circles as dangerous – they can drag seekers into the darkness of illusion in the vain pursuit of worldly pleasures [...]
Let repetition be a re-petition
Chanting mantras is a standard religious practice based on the philosophical understanding that sacred sound is packed with power. Different mantras are meant for different [...]
The point is not to get it right, but to get it across
Scripture is not merely to be learned, but to be lived – a truth that every translator of scripture needs to constantly remember. Getting scriptural [...]
Matter is not just foreign – it is alien
Foreign refers to that which despite its differences is essentially similar to us – foreigners are, after all, humans like us; they breathe air, eat [...]
Doubting is a self-deluding form of believing
Skeptics often deride believers for not being sharp enough to doubt questionable ideas. Though skeptics may have sharp intelligence that is well used to doubt [...]
The Merciless Microscope of Maya
The Bhagavad-gita (7.14) gives two striking characteristics of Maya, the force of illusion: it is divine (daivi) and it is formidable, if not irresistible (duratyaya). [...]