Change of values is more significant than change of desires
When we as spiritual seekers find ourselves becoming repeatedly afflicted by greed, anger or lust, we may become discouraged, thinking, “Despite my practice of devotional [...]
Go Within, Beyond the External – and the Internal
Many self-help books tell us that we can become peaceful by going within. But is the within actually peaceful? In our own experience, we often [...]
Krishna is a God who respects human intelligence and individuality
All theistic religious traditions talk about God, but not all of them invoke the same image of God. Some religious traditions portray God as an [...]
If we wait for inspiration, we are waiters, not worshipers
Many of us wait for external inspiration to intensify our devotional practices like chanting. When we don’t get such inspiration, we let our moods determine [...]
Subordinate the empirical and the rational to the scriptural
In today’s science, consciousness is a mystery that exposes the split between the empirical and the rational approaches to studying the world. From the empirical [...]
Conviction is the fuel for our resolutions to fly from take-off to landing
We often make resolutions to conquer our lower passions such as selfishness, ego, greed, lust or anger. Most such resolutions for self-improvement often have a [...]
The new life outside begins with the new life inside
We often feel dissatisfied with the same old things that keep repeating themselves in our life’s routines. So, we try to acquire new things: delicacies, [...]
What we hold mentally holds us mentally
Our media continuously offers us high-octane sensory stimulation, especially for our eyes. As compared to the rapidly changing and colorfully overdressed images that are dished [...]
Information is not enough in formation of character
We may have seen normal, sensible people suddenly act abnormally and insensibly. They knew well the harms of what they were doing – or at [...]
We need a break – from the mind
Our mind harasses us constantly with internal proposals for material enjoyment. Moreover, it has a formidable external ally: the current culture. The culture does externally [...]
See beyond life’s apparent nonsense to Krishna’s benevolent sense
“Why is Krishna doing this?” We may sometimes get this question when things go wrong and life doesn’t make sense. To help us make sense [...]
Titillating the senses ends in all pain, no gain
Our culture seems to offer us so much sensual pleasure for free. Alluring images in tantalizing poses invite us to enjoy them with our eyes [...]
Determination comes from the conviction that the prize is greater than the price
“Yet again I failed to keep my resolution! I will never be able to achieve self-mastery.” The mind may dishearten us with haunting thoughts like [...]
Go beyond indecision and indiscretion to introspection and inspiration
“What should I do now?” We frequently face this question when life’s perplexities disrupt our routines. We usually respond based on not just the external [...]
Don’t let your assumptions about happiness deprive you of happiness
“I want to go closer to Krishna, but it requires following so many rules that will restrict my happiness. How can I give up happiness?” [...]
To know Krishna is to relish a thrilling, fulfilling, unifying awareness of reality
Awareness: that’s what differentiates the living from the non-living. Though all living beings are aware, most of them are aware only of material reality. The [...]
Study makes us steady and sturdy
When we strive to live with spiritual and moral integrity, we often find our mind tormenting us. It tantalizes us with dreams and schemes of [...]
Don’t let the ticking of the clock become tricking by the clock
Ours is a clock-driven society. We have so many things to do and so little time to do it in that we frequently feel pressured [...]
The Lord within is neither an active imposer nor a passive spectator; he is a proactive selector
Life sometimes slaps us with pointless problems and senseless sufferings. To aid us in responding positively, Gita wisdom offers us an encouraging insight: the world [...]
View the world as an object for reciprocation, not recreation or rejection
Many prospective spiritualists have the question: “To become spiritual, do we have to turn our back to the world?” Gita wisdom offers an unequivocal answer: [...]
Our days of cowering to the mind are over
“I will never be able to manage my mind.” We may have felt disheartened like this sometimes – especially when we observe how the mind [...]