Being correct is not enough; we need to be correctly understood
Sometimes when we speak something important or insightful, we may think that we have done our part. But if others haven’t understood what we have [...]
Anger-aggravating religion is the antithesis of religion
Some people perpetrate terrorism in the name of religion. Being angry with others about past wrongs – factual, exaggerated or imagined – they misappropriate religion [...]
Detachment from results culminates in attachment to something bigger than results
Some people ask, “The Bhagavad-gita recommends detachment from the results of work. But how can we work responsibly if we don’t care for the results?” [...]
Freedom is most endangered by the illusion of freedom
When people feel that their freedom is threatened, they often protest – and protest vehemently. But if they are led to believe that they are [...]
Meditation shrinks our problems by increasing our awareness of Krishna’s greatness
Suppose in a cartoon when two characters are fighting, one character keeps becoming bigger; and the other keeps becoming smaller. For the dwarfed fighter, the [...]
We can’t eliminate fire, but we can become firefighters
When a fire starts off, civilians often become panicky and run here and there, making things worse. But seasoned firefighters quickly spring into action – [...]
The commonality of the source doesn’t imply the similarity of the effect
People sometimes ask, “When everything comes from God, why can’t we enjoy everything? Why restrict our enjoyment of some things?” Because though everything comes from [...]
Entrust the reins of your chariot to Krishna
The Bhagavad-gita’s chariot setting symbolizes its universality. The theme of a warrior on a chariot counseled by the charioteer harkens to a well-known Upanishadic metaphor [...]
When we are alone, we are alone with our worst enemy
Suppose warriors at the end of a day of heavy fighting return to the security of their camp. Just as they relax, they are attacked [...]
Scripture ends the hush-hush around the failed project of sense enjoyment
When a much-touted project of a government fails – and fails abysmally – the government often tries to save face by an overall strategy of [...]
Anger can be an expression of love – and so can be the determination to control anger
Anger often makes us speak and do things that hurt others, things that we regret later. Aptly, the Bhagavad-gita (16.21) deems anger one of the [...]
Don’t let the mind put your thoughts out of sync with your actions
In crudely made videos, the sound and action are sometimes out of sync. Suppose a fight between a hero and a villain is being depicted. [...]
The Gita is not a spatial martial narration, but is a universal spiritual revelation
The Bhagavad-gita begins and ends with references to places. In its first verse, Dhritarashtra asks his assistant Sanjaya about the events that transpired at the [...]
The net of material knowledge can’t net God
Suppose fishermen fish in an ocean using a net with one-inch holes. On failing to catch any fish smaller than one inch, suppose they declare [...]
God’s existence is a matter of not mathematical probability, but of definitional necessity
Sometimes God’s existence is inferred from empirical observation. From the complexity of material objects and their inter-relationships, and the sheer improbability of such complexity emerging [...]
We don’t have to defeat our lower desires – we can just let them lose
Tennis players don’t have to hit winners in each point; if they can just keep the ball in play, their opponent may tire and err, [...]
We need to come at least slightly out of ignorance to realize that we are in ignorance
When people are a little drunk, they can understand that they are intoxicated and need to be careful – they shouldn’t drive, lest they meet [...]
To use the truth for beating people on the head is to abuse the truth
When we understand that the Bhagavad-gita contains timeless truths meant for everyone, we may feel impelled to convince those around us about these truths. Such [...]
The mind may be a drinker, but the intelligence doesn’t have to be a bartender
Suppose a compulsive drinker enters a bar and orders drinks. The bartender may be obliged to obey, but if the drinker orders a well-wishing friend [...]
Don’t crave the feast in others’ plates – savor the feast in yours
Suppose we were invited to a feast in which everyone had slightly different delicacies on their plates. Suppose further that we got so caught in [...]
To save time, we need spiritual elevation more than technological innovation
We are frequently over-scheduled, over-worked, over-stressed. So, we naturally feel eager for things that promise to save time. Catering to our needs, scores of apps [...]