Winning, whining, wining — or worshiping?
Suppose we strive to do something challenging. If we win, our mind becomes jubilant; if we don't, it often goes into a zone of negativity, [...]
Is God partial?
Some people ask, “In earthly conflicts, as depicted in the Mahabharata, why does God take sides? Is he being partial?” No, he is simply being [...]
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard?
Suppose someone we know does something so shocking that we feel, “I don’t want anything to do with such a horrible person.” While our shock [...]
Gita 07.11 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Till now Sri Krishna has talked [...]
Is our knowledge making us prouder or wiser?
We often think that if we gain enough information, we will become knowledgeable. Significantly however, the Bhagavad-gita (14.17) states that knowledge grows by leading a [...]
Gita 02.02 explained
BG 2.2 sri-bhagavan uvaca kutas tva kasmalam idam vishame samupasthitam anarya-jushtam asvargyam akirti-karam arjuna SYNONYMS sri-bhagavan uvaca -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; kutah [...]
Why dealing only with today’s problems today can be short-sighted
Suppose a town is situated on the banks of a river that floods repeatedly. Whenever floods come, everyone endeavors to rebuild. But then the river [...]
How purification can empower us all
Purification is often equated with being puritanical, which may evoke images of holier-than-thou people morally policing everyone else. Influenced by such images, we may not [...]
How elevating and expanding of consciousness are dissimilar and similar
Elevating our consciousness refers to our becoming conscious of higher realities beyond the material realities we are usually conscious of. It means becoming conscious of [...]
Why lying to ourselves is so dangerous
Suppose someone we work with lies to us frequently. They claim that they can do things they can’t do. Or they claim that they can’t [...]
Why we need to improve ourselves
We all know various areas where we can improve ourselves: exercise regularly, become better-organized, meditate earnestly. Yet we often neglect such self-improvement. Why? Because we [...]
How to deal with feelings of inferiority?
While technology has shrunk the world, it has also expanded the world in the sense that we get constantly compared with the best from various [...]
How to go beyond the extremes of denial and despair?
We live constantly in that fleeting moment where the present gives way to the future. How we look at the present and at the future [...]
Gita 06.07 explained
In next verse Sri Krishna will describe the symptom of one who has conquered the mind, the mind will become friend when we have gone [...]
From applause to absorption
We live in a culture that makes us crave for external validation, all the more so with the advent of social media. Therein, every post [...]
Our choice: push up or be pulled down?
Suppose we hold an object such as a dumb bell in front of us. If we let go of it, it will fall down. If [...]
Faith in yourself vs faith in God
Confidence is essential for doing anything challenging. Those with confidence have an energy and a magnetism: energy that enables them to push beyond the boundaries [...]
How we might defeat ourselves in our inner war
Suppose an army is defending itself against invaders. Suppose the invaders have been allowed in by a prominent general who has turned traitor. If the [...]
Compassionate action = compassionate disposition?
Suppose a doctor is treating a patient competently, but with the sole motive of earning money. Though the activity is compassionate, the mood isn’t compassionate. [...]
The power of being detached from fruits
Why does Krishna want us to be detached from the fruits of our work? (Bhagavad-gita 02.47) Because he wants to ensure that our care and [...]
When achievement doesn’t provide fulfillment — and when it does
Whenever we achieve something special, we may feel elated. Yet often achievement turns out to be anticlimactic; the thrill is short-lived. Why achievement may not [...]