Set your sight and don’t let phantoms deflect your flight
When a plane streaks through the sky, its speed is often impressive. It achieves that trajectory by setting its sight on the destination right at [...]
If anything can mean anything, ultimately nothing means anything
A contemporary intellectual trend is deconstructionism, which some nihilists appropriate to invent all sorts of creative and destructive interpretations of things. Nihilists argue that there [...]
What we don’t have is not the problem – what we don’t see is
We frequently crave for the many things we don’t have, things often aggressively glamorized by today’s corporate controlled media. Such greed and its concomitant dissatisfaction [...]
When we desert Krishna, our heart becomes a desert
The word desert can refer to both a place and an action. As a place, it refers to a region without water. As an action, [...]
To see differences as fundamental and final is delusional
Across the world, we see a staggering variety among people in races, castes, classes, religions and nationalities. Such differences often trigger conflicts. But they don’t [...]
Walking away from problems is not the same as running away from them
When we are driving for an important and urgent meeting, if someone cuts ahead of us, we may decide not to chastise or sue that [...]
Asking whether God exists is like asking whether a circle is circular
Suppose a child asks us, “Is a circle circular?” We wouldn’t just answer affirmatively; we would explain a circle’s definition, thereby underscoring the question’s redundance. [...]
To mistake a ceasefire to be a treaty is suicidal
Suppose two warring armies decide to stop fighting. But one army thinks that they have arrived at a treaty that settles the dispute, while the [...]
In the truth of who we are and what we love lies our deepest fulfillment
We all desire lasting life, lasting love and lasting happiness. We expect certain things from those whom we love and feel disappointed when they don’t [...]
Slow down to rise up
When a plane wants to take-off in its flight, it speeds up till it has acquired the momentum necessary for sustaining flight. In contrast, when [...]
Don’t abandon the very differences that make you essential
Today’s society often glamorizes a particular definition of success. Thus, for example, students who take up particular careers such as engineering or medicine are considered [...]
Focus not on freedom — focus on love
Today’s culture often enthrones freedom as the highest good, as an absolutely inviolable tenet. Undoubtedly, freedom is one of our innate longings, and it needs [...]
To be a spiritual freedom fighter, be a sensual fire fighter
The world over, freedom fighters are lauded as national heroes. We all have the opportunity to do something heroic: become freedom fighters who strive for [...]
Nothing distracts us as much as we ourselves
We live in a culture of mass distraction. Worldly things around us try to catch our eye in myriad ways. And with us lie devices [...]
Break people’s misconceptions – don’t break people
The Bhagavad-gita concludes by urging us to share its message of love with others (18.68-69). Sometimes, we misconstrue this call to share as a license [...]
Don’t take everything literally – use your intelligence
“Put your money where your mouth is,” we may tell someone who recommends big things without making any practical commitment. Suppose they respond by taking [...]
There’s no need to be confidently pessimistic
To achieve anything challenging, we need to be optimistic. Bhakti can boost our optimism by helping us realize that we are not alone; Krishna is [...]
All glory originates and culminates in Krishna
We all want to be valued, recognized, appreciated. Living amidst the millions that crowd today’s metropolises, we may feel like an insignificant statistic. Standing out [...]
Perception is a function of association
Suppose some non-Indians unfamiliar with cricket come to India and enter a cricket stadium. They may find the hullabaloo bewildering, and the noisy, sweaty, jammed [...]
Sharing spiritual knowledge is about not just delivery but also discovery
If we are told to deliver something to someone, we may feel belittled: “I have better things to do than act as a deliveryman.” We [...]
Distraction is an invitation for temptation and degradation
Suppose we are rowing a boat in an area where the current is going in a direction different from where we wish to go. Suppose [...]