God’s infinitude is not mathematical – it is transcendental
God is infinite. What does this mean? To understand how the elusive concept of infinity applies to God, let’s begin with a familiar application of [...]
To make a principle out of absence is to perpetuate the absence
Some religious groups argue, “Because God is infinite, we can never know him. The more any tradition claims to know specific features about him, the [...]
Our sense of beauty points to our transcendence
We have an innate sense of beauty – beautiful things naturally attract our heart. But where does this sense come from? If we are just [...]
The available becomes valuable when it becomes accessible
Suppose we come to know of a powerful feature in our phone. That feature was always available, but to us it was just an icon [...]
Don’t let the mind make you fight more battles than you need to
If soldiers while fighting a battle agonize about a reversal in yesterday’s battle or worry about the danger in tomorrow’s battle, they will undermine their [...]
Perceive the mind to better perceive Krishna
If we are walking through marshy land, the marsh can make us slip if we are not watchful. In our journey towards Krishna, our mind [...]
Place yourself in the gravity pull of Krishna, not of sense objects
If an asteroid comes within the gravity pull of a planet, it is dragged down to that planet. Similarly, during our life-journey, the gravity pull [...]
Don’t be like soldiers fighting a past war
In wars, a strategy successful in one war may not be necessarily successful in a later war. For example, World War I saw the use [...]
To convert a prison into a kingdom is a fool’s errand
When criminals are sentenced to a jail, they may, especially if they are driven by megalomania, attempt to convert the jail into their kingdom, by [...]
Determination means to subordinate pleasure to purpose
We sometimes think of determination as a special gift that some people have and some don’t. And when the mind is faced with the prospect [...]
To reduce suffering to a spectator sport is to perpetuate our suffering
Many movies depict suffering, but in such a way that it seems to be something that happens to those people out there. And watching it [...]
Victory comes not just by courageously fighting our battles but also by cautiously choosing our battles
Often a machismo-filled notion of a hero is someone who fearlessly charges into some battle and single-handedly against overwhelming odds wrecks havoc in the enemy’s [...]
Admitting our weaknesses doesn’t make us weak – acquiescing to them does
Suppose a patient goes to a doctor and admits having some symptoms that correspond to a terrible disease. The admission doesn’t make the patient sick [...]
Others can’t push if we stop pushing ourselves
Sometimes when a car doesn’t start, people may come around to push it, to get it to start. At such times, the combined efforts of [...]
The best way to deal with temptation is to not deal with it
Temptation is unavoidable as long as we exist in material existence, just as salespeople are unavoidable when we live in a commercialized economy. When [...]
Beware of the mind’s divide and rule strategy
A standard war strategy for defeating a strong enemy is divide and rule. The Bhagavad-gita (06.06) states that the mind can often act as our [...]
Let the storms of life sweep away the debris around the soul
When a storm hits, it can reduce things to debris but it can also sweep away debris. Similarly, when storm-like problems hit us, we may [...]
Lifestyle is often more style than life
We live in a culture that hugely glamorizes lifestyle. Indeed, an entire gamut of products are called lifestyle products – things that are not necessities, [...]
To take back the mind, first take back the roads to the mind
Suppose an enemy has captured an important fort. To take back the fort, a frequently adopted strategy is cutting off the support to the fort. [...]
Waking up within a dream is not the same as waking up from the dream
Sometimes while dreaming, we may see ourselves waking up and becoming more aware of things. Despite this increased awareness, we haven’t woken up. For us [...]
Don’t take life so personally
People who take everything personally are usually touchy. If they come up with an idea and someone points out a problem with it, they treat [...]