Gita 09.27 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan But the question comes what [...]
Surrender is expressed through not just helplessness but also readiness
The quintessential image of surrender is the chaste Draupadi, raising her hands in utter helplessness while being disrobed and calling out to Krishna for protection. [...]
You are no stranger to God
If we need to approach an important person for some help, we will hesitate if we had no prior relationship with him. But if he [...]
Gita 09.25 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So Krishna will give a [...]
Don’t uproot in doubt what was planted in faith
Suppose a person carefully plants saplings in a garden. But, on seeing no fruits forthcoming and thinking impatiently that no fruits will ever come, that [...]
Gita 09.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Krishna is Lord of all [...]
The best is not as important as the best for you
Suppose someone places a persimmon in competition with an apple and tries to make it the best apple. Not only will they fail, but also [...]
Gita 09.23 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now Krishna will talk about [...]
Our role in doing things is contributive, not decisive
We do things all the time, yet we don’t often think of the various factors that go into things working out well. The Bhagavad-gita (18.14) [...]
The notion of doership is not an illusion – the notion of sole doership is
An oft-quoted Bhagavad-gita verse (03.27) asserts that those who think of themselves as doers are deluded. But we all intuitively perceive of ourselves as doers [...]
Thinking is not just a matter of thinking
Self-help literature often exhorts people to avoid pessimism and to think positive. Such exhortations, even when well-intentioned, frequently overlook the reality that thoughts can’t be [...]
Gita 09.20 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So now Krishna will talk [...]
Asking who made God is like trying to draw a square circle
People often ask, “Who made God?” This question betrays a fundamental lack of understanding about the very definition of God. Every subject begins with certain [...]
Gita 09.19 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Krishna continues to mention how [...]
Don’t let the small picture blind you to the big picture
In the spiritual context, the small picture refers to the daily struggles that characterize our inner and outer lives as seekers. And the big picture [...]
The conscience that dispenses with conscience is pseudo-conscience
Our conscience is the inner voice that guides us towards making wise choices. This conscience is in the pure state the voice of Krishna, who, [...]
Our attachments reflect our capacity for determination
When we are unable to give up our attachments, we may become disheartened, thinking, “I have read so many books, heard so many talks, made [...]
Focus on the mind before focusing on its focus
Suppose we were studying in a library and our neighbor repeatedly pointed our attention here and there, mostly towards unimportant things and only occasionally towards [...]
Gita 09.15 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So there are number of [...]
The search for happiness is often the source of the greatest unhappiness
The very things we seek happiness in often sentence us to unhappiness. A pervasive yet tragic example is of addicts. Food addicts can’t live without [...]
To make our mind grow up, we need to realize that we are grown-up
Suppose an adult were playing in the dirt with a child, doing whatever caught the child’s fancy. If occasional, such frivolous behavior might be funny; [...]