Live in the light of Krishna, not the shadow of death
On hearing the scriptural directive that we should always remember that we might die at any moment, some people ask: “Won’t such morbid thinking make [...]
Be not distracted or disheartened – be devoted
Suppose a football player is approaching the opposite side’s goal. But someone suddenly distracts the player towards something unimportant and an opposing player seizes the [...]
Enlightenment culminates not just in comprehension but also in wonder
The Bhagavad-gita’s ending reveals two facets of enlightenment: one expressed by Arjuna and the other by Sanjaya. After Krishna finishes speaking (18.72), Arjuna responds that [...]
Focus not just on what lies around, but also on what lies ahead
Life's perplexities and adversities can drain our inspiration to do anything tangible in the present. To stir ourselves out of the present's negativity, we need [...]
The mind is like a dog that barks but can’t bite – unless we let it
A dog that barks ferociously can terrify passers-by. Their fear disappears, however, if they come to know that the dog barks loudly, but can’t bite. [...]
We have to fall asleep, but we don’t have to fall for sleep
Sleeping is a biological need for resting and rejuvenating the body. The Bhagavad-gita acknowledges the indispensability of sleep when it (06.16) recommends avoidance of too [...]
Material adversity is a spur to transform spiritual opportunity into existential necessity
“See adversity as an opportunity” is an encouraging saying. But how can we apply it practically? By internalizing Gita wisdom . The Bhagavad-gita explains that [...]
Seek not the mirage of sensual titillation – seek the ocean of spiritual satisfaction
For a thirsty person lost in a desert, a mirage promises the very thing they need: water. Actually however, the mirage is the very thing [...]
The intellectual temptation for quick comprehension leads to erroneous generalization
We all feel an innate need to gain some understanding of things in our life. When things don’t make sense, we resort to our preferred [...]
Even if we can’t be spiritually joyful, we can be spiritually purposeful
Whenever anyone seeks to achieve anything wonderful or even worthwhile, they know that they have to work for it. Consider tennis players, Even if they [...]
The difference between confidence and overconfidence is vigilance
Suppose some soldiers are guarding the national boundary from infiltration by terrorists. If the soldiers are diffident that too many terrorists may attack, they may [...]
To overcome desires, outgrow them
When children want to spend all their time playing and their parents force them to study, the children resent their studies and sneak back to [...]
Evaluating action without understanding position causes delusion
Suppose a tribal ignorant of surgery comes to a hospital and sees a surgeon cutting the patient’s body. Alarmed, he cries out, “Killer, killer, killer.” [...]
Eventual defeat doesn’t justify immediate defeat
When we strive to live a principle-centered life by resisting temptations, we may find some temptation irresistible and feel, “Since I will indulge eventually, why [...]
See love in the expression of emotions – and in the concealing of emotions too
Our relationships can become dry or even break down if we don’t express the affection we have for our loved ones. As others can’t read [...]
Seek a guru to show the way, not to sanction your way
Some people seek a guru as a social ornament. If they live in a pious society, then having a guru enhances their image. They like [...]
Defamation of character is not as damaging as deformation of character
Suppose someone defames us by spreading false rumors or making baseless accusations. We would be infuriated and may even sue them. But far more damaging [...]
Unawareness in transcendence is different from blindness in ignorance
Blindness in ignorance refers to the state of materialists blind to God’s greatness. Even if God appears before them and manifests his universal form, as [...]
Devotion makes the mind’s power our power
Our mind is phenomenally powerful. Within a fraction of a moment, it can take our thoughts from one end of the world to another. Unfortunately, [...]
To become light-hearted, light your heart
The word light can refer to the illumination that counters darkness or the non-heaviness that characterizes portable objects. In the second sense, light combines with heart [...]
The logic of the finite doesn’t limit the infinite
God’s infinitude makes comprehending him difficult for us finite beings, especially when we analyze him using the sense of logic derived from our experience with [...]