Purification reveals the healthier choice to be also the tastier choice
Suppose we have to choose between candies and carrots. Even if we understand that carrots are healthier, we will still crave the candies because they [...]
Seek strength not just in conviction but also in connection
When we strive to grow spiritually, we need strength to resist worldly temptations. How do we gain such strength? We might seek it through the [...]
When emotions appeal within us, be the umpire, not the appealer
In cricket, the fielding players often appeal vociferously, claiming that the batsman is out. The umpire evaluates the appeals based on their merit, not their [...]
Distress is not due to the nature of nature but due to our disharmony with nature
Suppose we get a warning that the weather outside is freezing cold. If we still venture out without wearing any warm clothes, we will naturally [...]
Helping one person may not change the world, but it can change that person’s world
When we aspire to become an agent of positive change in the world, our mind internally and our acquaintances externally may discourage us, “What can [...]
Stop whining that life is not fair – start working with life as it is
Life sometimes gives us a raw deal. Despite working hard, we get no breaks; instead, we find our dreams breaking down. While such situations are [...]
Analyze disposition to clarify status, not justify status quo
When we interact with people, we soon notice that we all are different. What makes us different? Our dispositions. Gita wisdom explains that our dispositions [...]
To argue that the truth is unknowable is to presume that it is knowable
Some skeptics look for flaws in all philosophies, especially philosophies that strive to explain the nature and purpose of existence. They argue that all such [...]
As long as our functional core differs from our constitutional core, we stay in delusion
Our functional core refers to the thing that is central to the way we function, whereas our constitutional core refers to the thing that is [...]
What we see depends on what we want to see
Suppose an alcoholic visits a new city. Though the city may have many attractive sights, the alcoholic will look for bars. Similarly, when we function [...]
Gita 12.17 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 12.17 yo na hṛṣyati [...]
The mind tends to do what we don’t intend to do
We may resolve to do some things, say regulate our eating or sleeping, but find ourselves doing the opposite, or at least feeling impelled to [...]
Act it till you achieve it
When we practice bhakti-yoga, we sometimes feel bored, apathetic, unconnected. We may wonder, “Am I being a hypocrite by practicing devotion when I don’t feel [...]
Devotion is sustained not by tribulation or emotion but by conviction
When we practice bhakti, we need to understand what factors can stimulate our bhakti steadily and what intermittently. Let’s analyze three common stimulators. Tribulation: We [...]
The consequence of indulgence is not the only problem – the indulgence itself is
Some smokers hope, “We can smoke unlimitedly if medicine could find some way to prevent the harmful effects of smoking.” Fueled by such hopes, they [...]
Fear not the loss of sensual pleasure – fear the loss of spiritual pleasure
We don’t like to lose things. If a choice entails some loss, we recoil from it. Such recoiling can make us miss out on choices [...]
Don’t work for or against the body – work with it for Krishna
If we were given a car, we would learn how it functions so as to smoothly drive it to our destination. At birth, we all [...]
What we fear reflects what we hold dear
When we feel fearful, our fear points to something we hold immensely dear, something whose possible loss terrifies us. The Bhagavad-gita (16.11) indicates that as [...]
To not feel bad on doing bad is bestially bad
Suppose we accidentally step on someone’s foot. We would naturally apologize, ask if they are ok, and do what we can to help. Overall, we [...]
Our conditionings need cautioning and cushioning
Suppose we are driving in a car that is prone to jerks and jolts. We have to drive cautiously, and our seats have to be [...]
We may have scars, but we don’t have to be scarred
To have scars means to have some physical marks. To be scarred means to feel insecure and inferior because we let those marks define us. [...]