Krishna descends to delineate, demonstrate and disseminate dharma
“God descends to establish dharma.” Those familiar with the Gita know this well, with some even quoting the relevant Bhagavad-gita verses (04.07 - 04.08). A careful [...]
To ascribe omnipotence to the laws of nature is poor – and pure – fiction
Atheists often claim that the laws of nature alone have brought into existence the whole universe and all the life in it. But laws are [...]
Stepping-stones can become sucking swamps if we don’t step over in time
“Go from darkness to light, from illusion to truth, from mortality to immortality,” exhorts a celebrated aphorism from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.3.28). The Bhagavad-gita, also [...]
The defining characteristic of humanity distorted by ignorance is inhumanity
Both materialists and spiritualists consider humanity as the pinnacle of evolution. Materialists believe that humanity is the apex of a multi-millennia journey that began with [...]
Krishna descends to offer not just protection but also participation
One of the most quoted verses of the Bhagavad-gita (04.08) states the purpose of Krishna’s periodic descents: cosmic protection. He protects the social and spiritual [...]
Those who judge a horse by its harness can’t harness its potential
When people want to get a horse, they look at the pedigree of the horse – not the quality of its harness. The harness’s quality [...]
The illumination of devotion is the best protection from illusion
Illusion constantly tempts and torments us spiritual seekers, by making us imagine that pleasure is found – and found in abundance – in worldly things. [...]
The oneness of love rests in the twoness of the lovers
Many people conceive of spiritual perfection as a state of absolute oneness, wherein one’s sense of personal identity is dissolved in the impersonal absolute. This [...]
The idea to serve Krishna is far more important than the ideas to serve Krishna
The idea to serve Krishna refers to our broad understanding that life is meant for serving him. The ideas to serve Krishna refer to our [...]
Play the part of the part and the whole will fill the hole
We sometimes feel a hole within – a sense of emptiness that gnaws especially when we aren’t deadening ourselves internally with the racehorse pace and [...]
The resolution to the confrontation between reason and emotion lies in purification
Whenever we have to make choices in life, we usually turn to two courts: the court of reason (“That makes sense”) and the court of [...]
That which is unwillingly learned is willingly unlearned
When we practice bhakti-yoga, we frequently find ourselves relapsing to worldly anti-devotional indulgences. Why does this happen? Because in the school of devotion we are [...]
Let intelligence be a tool for spiritual resurrection, not spiritual insurrection
Among the different species, we humans are uniquely gifted with advanced intelligence. By using this intelligence properly, we can perceive life’s spiritual dimension and approach [...]
Life is meant to be not a race from birth to death but a raise from mortality to immortality
“Is life meant to be a race from birth to death?” If people were asked this question, they would probably reply: “Obviously not. Who [...]
Let our deficiencies be not sinking pits for depression, but launching pads for devotion
We are often plagued by deficiencies of some kind or the other. And given our materialistic culture that glamorizes idealized specimens of various material attributes, [...]
The purpose of preaching is not just propaganda but also propagation
Propaganda refers to the extensive publicization and aggressive glamorization of an idea for gaining people's attention. Propagation refers to the effective dissemination of an idea [...]
Watch the watchdog of conscience that watches for us and watches us
During our spiritual journey, we face dangers from worldly temptations. When we encounter things that seem delightful but are actually painful, our conscience acts like [...]
The more Krishna seems unnecessary, the more worldly unnecessities seem necessary
What we internally conceive as necessary, we externally pursue. Thus, an alcoholic internally thinks of alcohol as essential and externally chases it. What are our [...]
The ceiling of impersonalism is the beginning of transcendental personalism
Impersonalism is the notion that ultimate reality is without any personal attributes. It conceives of spiritual perfection as freedom from all emotions and reciprocations, the [...]
Focus not on what we have to renounce for spirituality; focus on what serious spiritualists get that enables them to renounce
Prospective spiritualists sometimes fear, “If I practice spirituality, I will have to give up so many enjoyable activities. How can I live without them?” Such [...]
Detachment is not hard-heartedness, but clear-headedness
Some people ask: “When the Gita (13.10) asked Arjuna to become detached from family members such as sons, why did he become so distraught after [...]