The Gita is not an exhortation to war; it is an exposition on dharma
Some people feel alarmed by the Bhagavad-gita’s battlefield setting, especially in today’s world where many rationalize brutal violence against the innocent in the name of [...]
Fixing a leaking tank is more important than filling the tank
Suppose we had a leaking tank that we want to keep filled with water. If we keep filling it without fixing the leak, our effort [...]
Guard against the impulse of the senses with the vigilance of the intelligence
Why do we sometimes do things that we didn’t intend to do, things that we in fact had resolved not to do? For explaining the [...]
Let the sight of death transform into insight about mortality
Death. We see it around us daily, all the more so nowadays with the media bringing global news about natural and manmade disasters. Despite such [...]
What defines us is what lies at the top of our being, not at the bottom
Some materialists argue that we humans are nothing but animals. Yes, we have much in common with animals: we all struggle for survival, and crave [...]
Doing things efficiently is good, but doing unnecessary things efficiently isn’t
Suppose we are traveling by a flight that allows us 50 pounds luggage. We meticulously organize the things that we need to carry, placing them [...]
Infuse charity with compassion, not calculation
Some pious people give charity, seeing it as an investment in a bank that lasts beyond death – the good karma will benefit them in [...]
Let our confidence come from not who we are, but whose we are
Suppose we are climbing a huge mountain. Seeing how tall it is, we may lose heart and give up. If, however, we are a part [...]
Tolerance is meant to be the preventer of imbalance, not its perpetuator
Some people feel that tolerance perpetuates the imbalance of power – tolerating powerful wrongdoers simply makes them more brazen. Actually however, tolerance prevents imbalance in [...]
Our vision is functional and valuable, but not necessarily factual
People often ask, “If the soul and God are real, why can’t we see them?” But the question begs itself: Do we really see things [...]
Those who stay upset about what they don’t have waste what they do have
Suppose a person with artistic talent craves and slaves to become an engineer. But if they just don’t get mathematics or physics and somehow struggle [...]
Gita 17.09 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.9 kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa- tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ āhārā [...]
Transformational teaching conveys not just intellectual meaning but also emotional meaning
The most effective teaching methods touch not just the head but also the heart. When a message is meaningful not just intellectually but also emotionally, [...]
Spirituality enables us to stand tall without standing on others
To ascend to success in material life, winners often have to stand atop their competitors, causing the death of their dreams. For example, in a [...]
Transcendence means to go beyond testing Krishna to tasting Krishna
Testing God means questioning his existence or at least his benevolence. Whenever we face difficulties, if God frees us from those difficulties in response to [...]
To master your senses, make Krishna your master
Suppose our boss is a taskmaster. He promises us raises, but hardly ever delivers those promises; he just keeps demanding backbreaking work. If we are [...]
Prohibition can be a support for purification, not a substitute
Some governments recognize that alcoholism leads to various problems such as disease, domestic abuse and driving under intoxication. To curb such problems, they prohibit alcohol. [...]
Our individuality is meant to lead us towards our spirituality, not away from it
In today’s individualistic culture, people feel, “I want to be who I am. And no one should stop me.” The intention underlying this feeling is [...]
Socialization should be a spur for spiritualization, not a substitute for it
Many people find spiritual association a good place for socialization. As spiritually-minded people are often warm, gentle and thoughtful, their association can be a comforting [...]
Even for those who think God is the last thing they need, God remains the first thing they need
Most people are caught in materialism, in dreaming and worrying how they can possess and enjoy things in the here-and-now. Being thus obsessed, they feel [...]
External success may be a zero-sum game, but internal success isn’t
External success requires us to achieve worldly things such as positions and possessions that are considered markers of success. But such success markers are limited. [...]