Two views of the role of intelligence in bhakti
Bhakti practitioners often view intelligence ambivalently. On a negative side, they feel that overuse of intelligence may make them dry jnanis, critical intellectuals bereft of [...]
A likely feature of our likely future
Few technological advances have changed our daily lives as much as smartphones. Though phones have made many routine activities easier for us, we may have [...]
How remembrance of Krishna is the ultimate spiritual superfood
Superfoods provide multiple benefits, which fall into two broad categories: increasing our energy and decreasing our vulnerability to diseases. Let’s understand how remembrance of Krishna [...]
Our mind as an Alzheimer’s patient
Suppose we are the main caregiver for a dear relative suffering from Alzheimer's. When they become non-communicative or even violent, we will be concerned, but [...]
So boring or sobering?
Suppose we are traveling by boat through a vast ocean and we hear a weather warning on the boat radio, “The water ahead is stormy; [...]
Going beyond counting our blessings
Counting our blessings is an oft-recommended activity for cultivating gratitude and positivity: When we count our blessings, we learn to appreciate what we have and [...]
Why counting our blessings is so transformational
Count your blessings – this oft-repeated exhortation can seem cliched. To appreciate its potency, let’s consider two significant benefits of counting our blessings. Feeling enriched: [...]
Boosting immunity, boosting humanity
When caught in a pandemic, we wisely seek to boost our immunity. Simultaneously, we need to boost something just as important: our humanity. Crises can [...]
Three ways to avoid being misdirected by our mind
Suppose we are walking toward a destination and some passerby suggests we go somewhere else. Just because of their suggestion, we won’t change course. Yet [...]
Three ways to live more effectively
Suppose we are driving a car. If our car map is unclear, if a distracting partner is sitting next to us and if excess baggage [...]
Three practical benefits of remembering Krishna
The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly recommends that we remember the ultimate reality, Krishna. Let’s consider three practical benefits of such remembrance: Clarity: Our inner world is often [...]
Three principles for managing stress
Stress is becoming alarmingly widespread in today’s world. Naturally, people are seeking effective ways to deal with it. Sometimes, acute stress needs to be treated [...]
When we feel devotionally weak …
While practicing bhakti, suppose we feel attracted not to Krishna, but to the world’s allurements. Seeing our devotional weakness, we may lament: “I don’t love [...]
How to overcome spiritual weakness
When we are spiritually weak, we can’t resist the world's allurements and we get caught in things that don't really matter to us. To overcome [...]
Why spiritual weakness is tougher to detect than physical weakness
What happens when we become physically weak? Many of our normal activities become difficult or even impossible. We can't lift heavy weights; we can’t even [...]
How God’s love is both universal and particular
God loves us — this is the common teaching of the world’s theistic traditions. And this teaching is expanded in the bhakti tradition through the [...]
When scripture seems unbelievable …
On reading that the Bhagavad-gita was spoken to the solar deity (04.01), we may get the question, “How can any being live in the sun’s [...]
Why we need to transform pain
Suppose we catch an infection. If we aren’t careful, we will transmit it to others. While we are usually aware that physical infection is transmissible, [...]
What’s wrong with unrestrained sexual activity?
Today’s culture glamorizes lust as the source of immediate and immense pleasure. However, such glamorization impoverishes our existence, depleting three of its vital dimensions: Spirituality: [...]
Dealing with the mind’s negativities (Why we need inner redesigning 3)
Suppose we are trapped in a cell with a cellmate who constantly draws our attention to the many terrible images on the cell walls. While [...]
How to change our inner imagery (Why we all need inner redesigning 2)
Suppose we were confined in a room filled with the darkest images of our life. The first thing we would want to do is to [...]