Fear is not the problem – fear of what comes after fear is
Fear is a natural human response to danger. When seen as an impetus to be cautious, fear can check us from recklessly charging into danger. [...]
In scriptural dissemination, the problem is not in transmission but in reception
When we are watching TV and suddenly the image and sound goes off, we may presume that the problem is in transmission. But if we [...]
See beyond the provision to the provider
A newborn infant sees everything as potential food. It suckles the mother’s breasts and sees it as a source of nourishment. Only after some growth [...]
Out of sight is out of the mind provided the mind is out of it
“Out of sight is out of mind” is a common saying that embodies a sound principle for self-regulation. For example, if we are fasting and [...]
Ignorance makes people use reason unreasonably
Some people say, “Science is based on reason, whereas religion is based on superstition. So we should use scientific reason to drive out religious superstition.” [...]
For devotees, death is not destruction – it is union
Sometimes people ask, “Devotees and nondevotees both have to die – what difference does the practice of devotional service make?” Yes, both devotees and nondevotees [...]
Faith means to take one step towards Krishna even when the whole path isn’t clear
Sometimes we face dark and disturbing problems in our life at the social, financial, physical, psychological or even spiritual levels. While faith can have many [...]
When conviction is weak, determination can’t be strong
We often make resolutions to give up our self-defeating indulgences. And when we fail to stick to those resolutions, we often blame our poor determination. [...]
The natural is not necessarily desirable
The Bhagavad-gita (11.29) while describing how the warriors on the Kurukshetra battlefield were doomed compares some of them to moths rushing towards fire. Commentators explain [...]
Krishna is nearest – let us make him dearest
When someone loves us, they may express that love with a tight hug, wanting to come as close as possible to us. But no one [...]
Accepting our powerlessness can be most empowering
When people fall sick, a lot of their misery comes from resenting their sickness, “Why am I suffering when everyone else is enjoying?” Such resenting [...]
The rest of me is no rest for me
The "rest of me" refers to our physical and mental side – the two other levels of our present three-level existence as embodied souls. Our [...]
Let scripture lead beyond the head’s complexity to the heart’s simplicity
The heart’s simplicity refers to, in the context of spiritual life, the simple love of the heart for Krishna, the uncomplicated faith that just by [...]
The essence of liberation is not transportation but transformation
Seekers sometimes worry whether at the end of their lives they will be liberated and thus attain Krishna’s abode. While such a worry is definitely [...]
Humility means to not let our ego come in the way of our purpose
Humility is sometimes seen negatively, as something weakening or self-denigrating. However, real humility is empowering, for it frees us from dependence on others’ perceptions. Pertinently, [...]
Don’t divorce who you are from whose you are
“Who we are” is the first philosophical message of the Bhagavad-gita. It explains that we are at our core eternal souls. Understanding this can free [...]
Check the train before you check into it
Suppose an inattentive person on a huge, noisy, crowded railway station boards a wrong train. Some trains may stop after a few minutes, but some, [...]
Resist the temptation of confusion
Sometimes life’s challenges leave us confused. Devotee-seekers may face such confusion when deciding, say, which spiritual master to take initiation from or which ashram to [...]
Anxiety is caused not as much by outer uncertainty as by inner instability
Sociological researchers have consistently found that people in the developed world tend to be more anxious than people in the developing world. This finding is [...]
To seek shortcuts is to be shortsighted
Shortcuts promise to take us to our destination quickly. But in our search for pleasure, sensual indulgences are shortcuts that actually take us away from [...]
Rise from sentimental bhakti to the sentiments from bhakti
Sentimental bhakti refers to the practice of bhakti that is dependent on sentiments: “When I feel like practicing bhakti – when it feels good – [...]