To believe whatever we see is to live like an animal
Some people assert, “Seeing is believing.” Their intent in making this assertion may be good – they don’t want to unintelligently, gullibly believe anything and [...]
Gita 06.24 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 test of success in bhakti is taste for bhakti
When we practice bhakti, we may wonder, “How do I know if I am progressing and succeeding?” On the spiritual journey, our destination is Krishna, [...]
Intelligence is meant to be the mind’s instructor, not its instrument
We all have within us something that is impulsive and something that is reflective. Gita wisdom identifies the impulsive part as the mind and the [...]
Ritualists see hierarchy above equality, spiritualists see equality above hierarchy
We cherish equality; we don’t want anyone to be discriminated against. Simultaneously, our hard-nosed side cautions that some hierarchies are essential for the orderly conduct [...]
We may forget gravity, but gravity won’t forget us
Suppose an intoxicated person forgets about gravity and steps off a ten-story building. Gravity won’t forget them; it will act and put them out of [...]
Just because pain is circumstantially beneficial doesn’t mean it is intrinsically desirable
Some people try to make sense of life’s difficulties by saying, “Pain helps us appreciate pleasure better. Bad times make good times sweeter.” Certainly, pain [...]
Gita 18.25 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.25 anubandhaṁ kṣayaṁ hiṁsām [...]
Be mindful of people’s perceptions, but don’t make your mind full of their perceptions
When we practice spiritual life, we go against the overall materialistic current of the world. The road less traveled is the road we choose to [...]
Thinking about worldly things is not attachment, being unable to stop thinking of them is
Attachment is a state of mental bondage wherein our thoughts compulsively gravitate towards the object of our attachment. The Bhagavad-gita (01.01) begins with the words [...]
Spirituality reveals that our destiny is bigger than the biggest adversity
We all wish to have a better future. Using whatever talents we have, we often dream of achieving something wonderful, thereby fulfilling our destiny. But [...]
Materialism reduces organism to mechanism
Materialism is the ideology that matter is all that exists. Mechanism is a material system that works according to material laws, with certain causes producing [...]
Krishna doesn’t promise a stormless sea – he provides an unsinkable ship
When we practice bhakti, we often expect to become free from problems. And if that expectation is not met, we become disheartened. Dharmic traditions often [...]
Don’t run from pain or rush towards pleasure – refocus on your purpose
Suppose we are driving on a road to a destination. If the road is filled with traffic moving at a snail’s pace, we may find [...]
Our intelligence is not like a fixed deposit – it is like a stock market share
Suppose we invest in stocks but think of such an investment to be as stable as a fixed deposit. If the stocks go down, we [...]
We are our greatest hope – and our greatest horror
We all sometimes act like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde; we act sometimes like a principled, selfless benefactor and sometimes like an opportunistic, self-centered malefactor. [...]
We are in illusion, but we are not an illusion
Suppose someone we trusted implicitly betrays us totally. Being devastated, we may ask ourselves: “What is real? How do I differentiate reality from illusion?” Faced [...]
Possessing wealth is not the problem; being possessed by wealth is
Some people think that to be spiritual is to be anti-material, that they need to give up everything material for attaining the spiritual. However, the [...]
Intelligence means to know what to do when we don’t know what to do
Whenever we have to make decisions, we usually seek guidance from our intelligence. But life sometimes puts us in perplexing situations wherein our intelligence becomes [...]
Just because we have drunk a sip of poison doesn’t mean we have to drink the whole cup
Suppose we accidentally take a drink that is poisonous. As soon as we realize what we are doing, we will immediately stop drinking it and [...]
Even when bhakti doesn’t make life easier, it makes us tougher
Suppose we have a job to lift huge weights. That job can become easier if someone lightens that load or if our muscles become stronger. [...]