Krishna focuses on where we want to go, not where we have been
“My past has been so sinful. How can I possibly approach Krishna?” Such doubts may block us in our devotional journey. Gita wisdom reassures us [...]
Devotion is a passion that is beyond passion
The word ‘passion’ has both negative and positive connotations. Negatively, it refers to the mode of passion that induces worldly desires which bind us to [...]
When we mistake self-pity to be humility, spirituality becomes an exercise in futility
The essence of spirituality is the inner transformation from self-centeredness to Krishna-centeredness. Self-centeredness essentially means installing ourselves at the center of our inner world – [...]
Opportunity doesn’t create immorality; mentality does
“That was such a situation – anyone would have succumbed to the temptation.” By thus pointing our fingers at the circumstances, we often try to [...]
Devotion is not a possession, but a person
Cellphone, laptop, car – we try to possess many such things in life. With this possession-seeking mentality, when we come to know about spiritual life, [...]
When we give up sense enjoyment for Krishna’s sake, Krishna gives us the best enjoyment through the senses
Some people question: “If I give up sense enjoyment, as serious spiritual life requires, then what enjoyment will be left in my life? This hesitation [...]
If we hold on to Krishna long enough, nothing else will hold on to us long enough
When we strive to progress in spiritual life, we often find ourselves shaken, even shackled, by our worldly attachments. How can we break free? By [...]
Use intelligence to know Krishna, not to show that we know Krishna
“Just see how much I know.” This prestige-seeking exhibitionist motive frequently underlies intellectual pursuits in material life. People love to parade their encyclopedic knowledge of [...]
Spirituality is not about abandoning but about reclaiming
Some people fear: “Won’t practicing spiritual life require me to abandon my material things?” This fear stems from a fundamental misapprehension about what is actually [...]
Equal disposition doesn’t mean identical action
The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly urges (05.18, 06.09, 12.18, 13.28, 18.54) its readers to have an equal disposition towards all living beings. In fact, the Gita emphatically [...]
The notion that bhakti is for the less intelligent is less intelligent
Some Bhagavad-gita commentators state: “Bhakti is for sentimental, less intelligent people; whereas jnana is for intelligent people.” A careful study of the Gita, however, reveals [...]
Relief and release – the two fruits of purification
Purification is an oft-heard word in spiritual circles. What does it mean? And what is its benefit? Purification essentially has two aspects: decrease of attraction [...]
One who rides a tiger into its lair becomes its dinner
Riding something that moves fast can be exhilarating. To get that thrill, many people drive bikes or horses at high speed. But suppose a person [...]
Do the extraordinary for the extraordinary, not the ordinary
We all want to do something special, and thereby get some special happiness. To get this happiness, we need to re-educate ourselves about what is [...]
When we have a feeling of failure instead of a failure of feeling, we have a success
Failure in any field, be it academics, sports or work, often makes us feel disappointed, rejected, unworthy even. A similar distress may dog us when [...]
No prison imprisons as badly as the prison of doubt
Suppose a patient has been fleeced by a doctor and so can’t trust any doctor. That cynicism imprisons the patient perpetually in disease. A far [...]
The purpose of service is not productivity or popularity but purity
In our rushed lives, we often have so many things to do that we are caught in getting them done, not in enjoying doing them. [...]
Bhakti-yoga transforms roadblocks to reality into roadways
“Cool down; otherwise you won’t be able to think clearly.” Common statements like these indicate that emotions often act as roadblocks to perception of reality; [...]
To become devotionally responsive, become intellectually responsible
Responsive refers to those who respond and are capable of responding, whereas responsible refers to those who are ‘response + able’, able to choose an [...]
The yogi’s transcendence of scripture is not due to defiance or ignorance or negligence but due to scripture’s irrelevance
Just as we need a manual to best handle a technological device, we need a manual to best handle the ultimate cosmological device – the [...]
Evil never wins as thoroughly as when it wins in the heart
Crime, terrorism, brutality. Whenever we hear about such evil things happening in the world, we naturally feel angry at the evil perpetrators. While such reactions [...]