Is our knowledge making us prouder or wiser?
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 [...]
Gita 02.02 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
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; [...]
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
How elevating and expanding of consciousness are dissimilar and similar Elevating our consciousness refers to our becoming conscious of higher realities beyond the material [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
What provides fulfillment and what doesn’t
When we seek to do something worthwhile, we often compare what we are able to do with what others are doing. And if others are [...]
The things that hurt us = the things we think hurt us?
Suppose we are bitten by a snake. We may get panicky, dreading that the snake bite will kill us. Actually, the snake-bite can't kill us; [...]
How to stop comparing and start contributing
When we interact with others, we often start comparing ourselves with them. We feel superior to them if our talents or achievements are greater than [...]
Is hurt = harm?
We often equate hurt, the sensation of pain, with harm: injury or damage. And they do frequently correlate. If our hand goes too close to [...]