The enemy that is not recognized can’t be resisted
During a war, a spy who penetrates into a defending army can wreak havoc from within, for the defenders won’t even know whom to fight [...]
When no gain relieves pain, seek the gain beyond pain
Some people believe that money is the ultimate gain – if they just gain enough money, that can protect them from any pain. However, a [...]
A pile of toys is not worth a pile of troubles
Some children have toys piling up in their rooms. Still, they crave more and more toys. And if they can’t get one new toy, they [...]
The mind’s barriers for the entry of nonsense are ludicrously low
A field vulnerable to flooding needs to be protected by barriers. But if the barring walls are very low, the protection will be largely illusory. [...]
Scriptural memorization is meant not for adulation, but for assimilation and application
Memorization and recitation of scriptures is often recommended as a purificatory practice for spiritual growth. Additionally, in social circles that respect scriptural learning, those who [...]
What we need to give up is not material life but the materialistic conception of life
Some people think that becoming spiritual requires giving up material life. However, their apprehension arises from a misunderstanding of spirituality. The foundational spiritual text, Bhagavad-gita, [...]
Our mind is a madhouse, but we don’t have to be mad
In a mental health care center, not everyone is mad. The medical staff are sober and are meant to take care of the mentally sick. [...]
Knowledge about Krishna protects and propels
Sometimes people ask, “What is the practical use of gaining knowledge about Krishna? When we get knowledge about, say, engineering, we can earn a living. [...]
Take mindfulness to its fullness by becoming mindful of the fullest reality
Mindfulness is, broadly speaking, the conscious awareness of what we are doing, why we are doing it, what we are thinking and why we are [...]
For humanity to not work against humanity, spirituality is a necessity
Today, humanity is the greatest danger to humanity – not just by direct attacks by humans on other humans but also by human exploitation of [...]
Go beyond two equalities to true equality
A modern social critic, George Orwell, highlighted how the illusoriness of the equality that communism tried to create: “In communism all people are equal, but [...]
Self-control is best maintained by avoiding situations that require self-control
Suppose we have resolved to increase our self-control by, say, regulating our eating. But we suddenly get a desire to eat something. If we have [...]
To claim that everything is an illusion is to be in illusion
Some people say that everything is an illusion. But such a statement is self-contradictory. When we say that everything is an illusion, then we are [...]
Even if our past seems like a prison, Krishna is the key to unlock it
Our past can sometimes seem like a prison, especially if some of our past indulgences have become compulsive. The way out of the prison of [...]
Crave not for what lies outside the fence – cultivate what lies inside it
Suppose we have a garden with the potential for beautiful flowers and delicious fruits. Still, we need to grow them. If instead we keep craving [...]
Knowledge that is inert can’t make us alert
Suppose the knowledge about road signs that we studied for getting a driving license has become inert within us. It has gone so much to [...]
Satisfaction comes most reliably not by accumulation or appreciation but by absorption
We all want to be happy. However, where we seek that happiness determines whether we will become happy or not. Quite often we look for [...]
We will give in to outer drives unless we discover our own inner drive
Suppose we are caught in a crowd. We will be pushed by the force of the crowd and we may let ourselves get pushed if [...]
Don’t waste your pain
Amidst pain, if we obsess on it, we can’t learn from the pain and grow through it. By thus squandering the opportunity provided indirectly by [...]
Bhakti is not another to-do – it is another way to do
Amidst our overscheduled and overworked lives, practicing bhakti may seem like another to-do that adds to our burden. However, devotion is not another to-do. Why? [...]
Be ready to wait in the confusing in-between till it becomes illuminating
When driving, if we come to an intersection and don’t know which way to go, we need to wait till we get some guidance. In [...]