See the world through the Word, not the Word through the world
Seeing the world through the Word means first letting the Word of God, Bhagavad-gita, determine our basic conceptual framework, and then analyzing the world through [...]
Our Choice: Infinite Longings or Longing for the Infinite?
The Bhagavad-gita (15.18) states that those who are enlightened offer all their heart's love to Krishna, understanding him to be the supreme person, the highest [...]
Devotion is more often depleted by indifference than destroyed by hate
Those who get a treasure protect it vigilantly from thieves. Similarly, when we get devotion for Krishna and understand that it can provide us everlasting [...]
The mind makes us more foolish than a fool
“Experience is the best teacher – and a fool learns in no other way.” The implication of this well-known saying is twofold: Firstly, wise [...]
We are in the driver’s seat – but are we?
In the well-known body-car metaphor, the soul is the driver of the bodily car. Though we are in the driver’s position, we aren’t always in [...]
To divorce the personal from the professional is to be blind to the essential
Nowadays there’s an increasing tendency to divorce people’s personal life from their professional life. Heads of state may have scandalous affairs, but if they keep [...]
It’s not just about you – it never was
“It’s just about me.” That’s how we sometimes minimize our moral lapses. We think that as long as we can maintain an appearance of being [...]
We may not be caught for our wrongdoings, but we will be caught by our wrongdoings
Many people think that immoral behavior is ok as long as no one catches them. For example, people from culturally conservative families may think that [...]
Don’t let device aggravate vice
We all have our vices that if given a free run can harm others and harm us too. Keeping such vices under control has been [...]
Context is critical for comprehending content
Self-interested people sometimes try to make their questionable opinions seem respectable by quoting esteemed authorities out of context. By such cherry picking, they make those [...]
The shoe that fits one person bites another
We are all distinct individuals. Given our differences, no material formula can work uniformly for everyone, just as one shoe can’t fit all people. Acknowledging [...]
The vain live in vain
Those who live under the illusion that they don’t need God are from the spiritual perspective vain or arrogant. Actually, we all need God, at [...]
To reduce pain to punishment is to underestimate God’s purpose
When we face problems that come arbitrarily, we naturally get the question, “Why?” Religion, at a preliminary level, may answer, “Suffering is the punishment for [...]
Those who reduce misery to misfortune miss their potential for spiritual growth
When problems befall us for no apparent reason, we naturally get the question, “Why?” Materialism, today’s ruling worldview, attributes such misery to bad luck. It [...]
Inaction is no protection from reaction
If we find ourselves in an epidemic-hit area, we will be anxious to avoid getting infected or, if we have already been infected, to be [...]
Biological hunger is need, but sensual hunger is greed
Biological hunger refers to the body’s call for food, whereas sensual hunger refers to the senses’ craving for sense objects. The Bhagavad-gita (02.59: niraaharasya) uses [...]
Krishna is not a competitor vying for supremacy – he is constitutionally supreme
“Is the Bhagavad-gita polytheistic?” This question is often raised especially by those coming from the Western intellectual tradition. They are familiar primarily with the rigidly [...]
The universality of the malady underscores the urgency of the remedy
When we hear of an epidemic spread all over the world, we feel impelled to urgently enquire how to protect ourselves. Similar is the rationale [...]
Be special above the ordinary, not among the ordinary
We all want to be special. Materialistic culture directs our longing for specialness towards material things. It makes us believe that we will stand out [...]
Cellular reception depends on position; transcendental reception, on disposition
Just as an appropriate device, say a cellphone, gives us access to a cellular network, an appropriate device, a devotionally disposed heart, gives us access [...]
Illusion drives us compulsively; Krishna draws us compassionately
We all like to be free – we resent it when we are forced to do something. In fact, many people often hesitate to practice [...]