A Bhagavad-gita approach to new year resolutions
We sometimes make resolutions to achieve certain goals. For example, if we are an aspiring writer, we may resolve to become a bestselling author. But [...]
Gita 01.10 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan das Bg 1.10 aparyāptaṁ tad [...]
Avoiding the Duryodhana delusion
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Duryodhana assesses the strengths of the two armies assembled on the Kurukshetra batl (01.02-01.10). Therein, he mentions the principal [...]
Pride comes before a fall, but does pride fall?
Pride comes before a fall — this saying is meant to be a warning for those who proudly place themselves in a position higher than [...]
Gita 06.27 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 [...]
Why all forms of concentration are not equal …
We all know that we can perform better if we could concentrate better. But is concentrating on anything equally helpful? Some people get rapt while [...]
Three steps for hearing God’s voice
When we hear from the Bhagavad-gita (15.15) that God is present in our heart, we may wonder: how can we hear his voice? Let’s understand [...]
How to prevent our past from controlling our present?
Suppose someone gets a major injury in an accident. That injury may limit their mobility and alter their life significantly. If the injury is irreparable, [...]
How to overcome unhealthy habits?
Many people nowadays are addicted not just to harmful substances such as drugs but also to harmful behaviors such as net addiction. Even if we [...]
Gita 07.07 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Bg 7.7 mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid [...]
How are fear and education related?
Suppose some small children are afraid of the dark. As they grow up and become more educated about the nature of reality, they will no [...]
A healthy attitude toward ourselves
Our life is often defined by an inner conflict between the ideal and the practical. If we consider the practical alone to be all-important, we [...]
Why is Gita wisdom told to be both distributed and hidden?
Why does the Bhagavad-gita call to not share its message with some people (18.67) when in the very next verses (18.68-69) it glorifies those who [...]
Is the Gita’s declaration about the world’s distressful nature pessimistic?
When we hear the Bhagavad-gita statement (08.15) that the world is a place of distress, we may wonder, “Isn’t this pessimistic?” No, if we understand [...]
How we end up neglecting life’s important things
When people face sudden disaster or death, they often realize that they have wasted so much of their life on unimportant things while neglecting important [...]
Is the dark side stronger than the bright side?
We all have inside us a divine side and a demonic side, or phrased metaphorically, a bright side and a dark side. The bright side [...]
What is the difference between philosophy and ideology?
The world can often be so complex and convoluted that we urgently need some framework to make sense of things. And philosophy strives to provide [...]
How to help others choose wisely?
When we aspire to share some wisdom with others, especially to help them make better choices, we need to balance two things: truth and grace. [...]
How to choose the lesser pain and how to make that pain lesser
Suppose we are bound in a car that is racing toward the edge of a huge mountain cliff. If the bonds holding us down are [...]
Are we devaluing our life by overvaluing our autonomy?
Sometimes, life puts us in situations that reduce our autonomy: a demanding job, a difficult relationship, a dreadful disease. If we overvalue autonomy, deeming it [...]
How we can make our life an adventure
We are often attracted to adventure stories, wherein people face formidable odds and do spectacular things. We may even lament that our life is boring. [...]