What the moonlight of reason shows dimly, the sunlight of revelation shows clearly
Some people think, “Reason and revelation are contradictory. If I accept revelation, I will be giving up my rationality and end up believing crazy things.” [...]
Sensual hope deludes, spiritual hope delivers
We all need hope. Without hope, life becomes unbearable, even unlivable. But we need to choose carefully where we pin our hope, lest we are [...]
Keep the mind on one track, don’t keep a one track mind
To keep the mind on one track means to keep our attention focused on one overarching life-purpose, whatever distractions the world may present. Those with [...]
Fanatics don’t see how God is present everywhere; they see how God is absent everywhere
Religious fanatics often attack those whom they deem heretics. They usually justify their actions by claiming that they are fervently devoted to God. However, their [...]
If we think we have no vices, we are novices
A novice housekeeping employee may think that a room that appears to be clean is clean. But some dust may be so settled as to [...]
Time can be a fire in which we burn or a teacher from whom we learn
Time is a formidable, inexorable force that pushes us all towards death when our body will be burnt in the funeral fire. Even if the [...]
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 [...]