Expansion of consciousness opens the self to the self
When we are so caught in watching a movie as to be oblivious to everything else, our consciousness shrinks to the movie screen. But when [...]
Human will is founded and fulfilled in the divine will
Some people think that human will and divine will are opposed to each other – when we submit to God’s rules, we lose our freedom [...]
Gita 06.20-23 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 10-32: From practice to perfection in [...]
The divine descent is meant to inspire the human ascent
Among the oft-quoted verses of the Bhagavad-gita are those describing God’s periodic descent (04.07-08): Whenever adharma predominates, he descends and re-establishes dharma, cosmic order. Still, [...]
Gita 06.19 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 10-32: From practice to perfection in [...]
Be detached from results, not goals
People familiar with the Bhagavad-gita often question the practicality of its instruction (02.47) to work without attachment to results: “If we are detached from results, [...]
False dichotomies keep us in real illusion
One of the favorite strategies of emotional manipulators is setting up false dichotomies. For example, a former US president who launched a war against terror [...]
When getting into new things, know how to get out
Abhimanyu, the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, is a celebrated warrior. Though just sixteen, he merits a mention from Duryodhana (Bhagavad-gita 01.06) in his brief [...]
We don’t just have a relationship with Krishna – we are a relationship with Krishna
One of the fields in a Facebook profile is relationship status. Some of us may fill it with “none” to indicate that we are not [...]
Gita 06.13-14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 10-32: From practice to perfection in [...]
To sweeten your devotion, heighten your conception and motivation
Sometimes we may find our bhakti practices lacking in taste. To gain steady taste, we need to heighten our conception of God and our motivation [...]
Gita 06.11-12 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya So now let us look at [...]
Temporary relief from self-inflicted torture is not pleasure
Suppose a person who is dragged by a noose around the neck feels relieved when that dragging stops, and mistakes that relief to be pleasure. [...]
Work to live – avoid work that eats you alive
Work is essential for survival, as the Bhagavad-gita (03.08) acknowledges. Yet the same work that is vital can become vitality-sapping if done excessively. When work [...]
Activity, productivity and connectivity are no substitute for spirituality
We are all, by nature, active – we want the joy of doing worthwhile things. But not all activity is equally worthwhile. So we strive [...]
Meaning is determined by not just content but also context
In the philosophy of language, a basic principle is that the meanings of words are determined not just by the words themselves but also by [...]
Be mentally fit, not mentally fat
When fat accumulates in our body, we feel burdened because of having to lug around all that extra weight. We are often concerned about physical [...]
The spiritual lies beyond both the logical and the psychological
The logical worldview accepts only those things that make sense to the intelligence’s logical faculty. So, it may, for example, dismiss the notion of God [...]
Krishna is unlimited, but he is not stuck with his unlimitedness
Some people object to Deity worship saying, “By depicting God in a limited form, you are limiting the unlimited.” But saying that God can’t manifest [...]
Gita 06.04 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya 1-9: From Arurukshato (beginning stage) To [...]
Rules free you to be you
Most reputed authors make a rule to write daily a certain minimum number of words, irrespective of how they feel or even how the words [...]