How thinking about negative truths can stimulate positive thoughts
Our mind often keeps us dissatisfied by looking at those who have more than us. Though such a vision can foster ambition, more often it [...]
Is stating that life is tough pessimistic?
Suppose a boxer is playing a boxing match where they are getting battered. Suppose they tell their coach, “This match is really tough.” And their [...]
You are not a negative thinker, even if your mind is
“You are such a negative thinker.” We may receive this discouraging feedback if we tend to look at problems in a given situation. Such labels [...]
When positive thinking affects our life negatively
“Think positively,” is an oft-circulated message in our self-help steeped culture. And it’s helpful to the extent it encourages us to look at a glass [...]
Tap the power of negative thinking
Yes, you read that right. We are discussing the power of negative thinking, not positive thinking. Every time a fire is prevented by an accessibly-placed [...]
Why champions of good causes are sometimes so intolerant (Thoughts on cancel culture)
Suppose someone champions a good cause such as making society more equitable. Yet if anyone objects to their particular plans for bringing about equality, these [...]
Does everyone who dies on a battlefield attain heaven?
The Bhagavad-gita (02.32) declares that warriors who die while fighting a righteous war attain heaven. Some readers ask, “Isn’t this statement similar to the extremist [...]
Are soldiers heroes or victims?
In many traditions, warriors were often praised as heroes; in much postmodern thought, they are often seen as victims. Why victims? Because nowadays soldiers often [...]
Gita 16.06 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 16.6 dvau bhūta-sargau loke [...]
Do the epics glamorize violence?
Many thoughtful people, especially including parents, are concerned about the glamorization of violence in today's media. When they read epics such as the Mahabharata, they [...]
Is war evil?
War often has terrible consequences. Seeing these consequences, some people deem war itself evil. Such pronouncements can help if they counter the unhealthy glamorization of [...]
Why couldn’t the Pandavas resolve their conflict peacefully?
Much modern thought, especially liberal thought, holds that all conflicts are caused by misunderstandings and can be resolved by discussions. And this is true on [...]
How individuality matters more than equality
Suppose someone is a champion of equality and is seeking a life-partner. Will they just look at the teeming mass of humanity and pick up [...]
How the search for equality becomes imbalanced
Suppose we are severely sick. Would we care whether the hospital has doctors from various ethnic backgrounds? No, we would care whether it has the [...]
Why helping others doesn’t always help others
Suppose a person had a severe accident that immobilized them for a long time. As they recover, they need to start doing things for themselves, [...]
Why imposing equality backfires?
Suppose a class teacher resolves to do away with all inequality in students’ marks. So they decide to average the marks of all the students [...]
Gita 07.08 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya In fact How He pervades How [...]
Does inequality always arise from discrimination?
Suppose we are watching a sports match. What makes sports entertaining, even captivating, is the capacity of players to excel: to tackle extreme challenges, to [...]
Why all equalities are not equal
We live in an age that cherishes equality, and rightly so. In many ways, we have put behind several forms of discrimination that characterized large [...]
Imposing social equality or inspiring individual spirituality?
Suppose we are organizing an athletic competition. To be fair to all participants, we will want to make the playing field level; no one should [...]
Justice or just is?
Suppose a ship with three hundred people is hit by an iceberg and starts sinking. Suppose further that it only has life-saving equipment for a [...]