Renunciation centers not on running away from the world but running towards Krishna
Some people say, “Those who can’t face the world’s problems run away from them by becoming renunciates.” Sadly, it’s true that some people do take to [...]
Surrender is not rejection of the intelligence, but its perfection
Some people perceive surrender to God as anti-intellectual, as an abandonment of the intelligence for an abject capitulation to God. However, that’s not the kind [...]
Gita 15.17 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 15.17 uttamaḥ puruṣas tv [...]
Act proactively, not reactively
Acting proactively means acting according to our principles and purposes in actions we initiate as well as the ways we respond to events. Acting reactively [...]
Gita 15.16 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 [...]
While knowledge curbs the senses, devotion conquers the senses
Knowledge, specifically spiritual knowledge, helps us understand our spiritual identity and thereby recognize the necessity of controlling the senses that drag us towards material enjoyment [...]
Comprehension comes by the integration of visual perception with intellectual education
We usually consider our eyes as reliable sources of knowledge. In court cases, eyewitness testimonies are deemed strong evidence. Yet valuable as visual perception is, [...]
The world’s being a miserable place doesn’t mean we have to be miserable
An oft-quoted Bhagavad-gita verse deems this world a place of misery (08.15: duhkhalyam). Yet the same Gita was spoken to relieve Arjuna of misery. Initially [...]
Gita 15.13 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan After Cosmological let us look [...]
Even if we can’t get over things, we can still get on with things
Sometimes life throws at us devastating reversals that cause overwhelming grief, fury or frustration. Some losses may even make us feel that life itself is [...]
Temptations will come, we don’t have to welcome
Seekers sometimes ask, “I am practicing bhakti-yoga seriously, yet I feel tempted by worldly desires. Why is bhakti not working?” Bhakti is definitely working. The [...]
Gita 15.12 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan 12-15: How Krishna assists us [...]
The spiritual in application leads to the spiritual in constitution
The multiple senses of the word ‘spiritual’ can be confusing. For example, the material body is said to be radically different from the spiritual soul, [...]
Defiance of God dooms us to dependence on matter
Some people openly defy God and claim, “I am independent – I will do whatever I want and enjoy whichever way I choose to.” While [...]
The modes make Krishna seem irrelevant and the world seem irresistible
Perception, or more specifically false perception, is the basis of illusion. The Bhagavad-gita (07.13) explains that we can’t know Krishna due to the delusion created [...]
Deepen detachment by discernment
Often when we are unable to resist our lower desires, we may blame ourselves for not being adequately detached. While this may be true, we [...]
The mind makes the exhausting seem exciting and the exciting seem exhausting
The mind is often declared in scripture to be an enemy, as for example in the Bhagavad-gita (06.06). One way the mind acts inimically is [...]
We need a starter of desire more than a stopper of desire
Spiritual seekers often worry about how to restrain their desires so as to adhere to the principles of sadhana. Yet quite often this worry is [...]
Gita 15.06 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 start speaking [...]
Don’t just ask for decisions; ask for the education for making decisions
The Bhagavad-gita begins with Arjuna facing a specific problem: to fight or not to fight. This problem, though ethically entangling, asks for a straightforward decision: [...]
Growth for growth’s sake is cancerous
The idea of growth usually evokes positive images, yet when growth is disproportionate, it can be destructive. This is perhaps best illustrated in the growth [...]