Eventual defeat doesn’t justify immediate defeat
When we strive to live a principle-centered life by resisting temptations, we may find some temptation irresistible and feel, “Since I will indulge eventually, why [...]
See love in the expression of emotions – and in the concealing of emotions too
Our relationships can become dry or even break down if we don’t express the affection we have for our loved ones. As others can’t read [...]
Seek a guru to show the way, not to sanction your way
Some people seek a guru as a social ornament. If they live in a pious society, then having a guru enhances their image. They like [...]
Defamation of character is not as damaging as deformation of character
Suppose someone defames us by spreading false rumors or making baseless accusations. We would be infuriated and may even sue them. But far more damaging [...]
Unawareness in transcendence is different from blindness in ignorance
Blindness in ignorance refers to the state of materialists blind to God’s greatness. Even if God appears before them and manifests his universal form, as [...]
Devotion makes the mind’s power our power
Our mind is phenomenally powerful. Within a fraction of a moment, it can take our thoughts from one end of the world to another. Unfortunately, [...]
To become light-hearted, light your heart
The word light can refer to the illumination that counters darkness or the non-heaviness that characterizes portable objects. In the second sense, light combines with heart [...]
The logic of the finite doesn’t limit the infinite
God’s infinitude makes comprehending him difficult for us finite beings, especially when we analyze him using the sense of logic derived from our experience with [...]
The obligation to endure gives us the right to know
Death is the most covered-up reality in our contemporary world. Of course, what is covered up is not the fact of death per se, but [...]
Hyper-stimulation leads to desensitization
Indulgence in porn has become rampant nowadays, largely because of unfiltered net access becoming widely available through portable, concealable gadgets such as smartphones. Sociological surveys [...]
The claim that consciousness is an illusion proves that it is not an illusion
Some fanatical materialists claim, “Matter is all that exists — the idea of consciousness is an illusion.” However, their very assertion of this claim proves [...]
Faith means the willingness to relinquish control
Faith is a complex concept that pervades our entire life. Faith is difficult for us to have because we wish to stay in control and [...]
Make God the center and the circumference of your life
To practice bhakti means to center our life on God. The Bhagavad-gita (12.19) substantiates this by indicating that Krishna is the home for the consciousness [...]
Give the world your attention, but don’t give it monopoly over your attention
“Don’t miss the forest for the trees” is a saying that cautions us against letting small things blind us to far bigger things. This saying [...]
Don’t care so much for desire that it doesn’t care for the desirer
Suppose a person climbs on a horse, but the horse goes wild, endangering the rider. Something similar happens to us when we climb on the [...]
Bhakti is not just a choice of the head – it is also the calling of the heart
Suppose we are driving to some destination and come to a fork. If we are unsure about which way to go, we will move slowly [...]
To be awake is to be aware of our wake
Suppose a person is sleepwalking. They flail their arms and hit a loved one – something they would never do when they were awake. Being [...]
Count your blessings – and your toes too
When multiple problems threaten us, we may feel overwhelmed by negative emotions such as self-pity, pessimism and paranoia. Our mind frets about everything that’s gone [...]
To learn to speak well, learn when not to speak
Some of us may lament that we are not fluent in speaking. By training and practice, we all can improve our speaking ability. Even if [...]
Build roads, not roadblocks
Suppose someone had to go to a place that wasn’t accessible by road. We would expect them to clear a path to get there. If [...]
Fire-sacrifice is literal, metaphorical and transformational
The Gita talks repeatedly about yajna, sacrifices wherein oblations are offered to the sacred fire. We may wonder, “Does it recommend this activity literally or [...]