Cherish compassion not just as a position or an emotion, but as a foundation
Position: Some people contribute to welfare causes because it makes them look good in the eyes of the world. For example, MNCs that exploit natural [...]
Life’s speed-breakers are meant to be faith-builders, not faith-breakers
People often ask: “There’s so much suffering in the world. Does God actually care?” Yes, God cares – and cares more than we can comprehend. [...]
The world is pointless without Krishna, not that Krishna is pointless without the world
The Bhagavad-gita’s first chapter reports Duryodhana assessing the comparative strengths of the two assembled armies (01.03, 01.04, 01.05, 01.06, 01.07, 01.08, 01.09, 01.10, 01.11). He begins by mentioning the foremost opponent warriors (01.04), but [...]
We need to see intellectually before we can see visually
People ask, “Can you show me the soul?” Yes, answers Gita wisdom. But it underscores that we need to see intellectually before we can see [...]
Being unconscious of our faults is the worst unconsciousness and the biggest fault
When a disease infects us, we seek treatment. But if we are unaware of the infection, we won’t seek any treatment. Our various faults, especially [...]
Never lose heart on the path of the heart
Failure is an unpleasant but unavoidable part of life. Different failures call for different responses. In some cases, we may persevere despite the failures; in [...]
Experience is intelligence’s rear light; scripture, it’s front light
It is easy to be wise after the experience. After things have happened and consequences are being endured, we can mentally retrace the events and [...]
To get on the way to Krishna, get out of Krishna’s way
Just as a river naturally flows towards the ocean, so does our heart in its pure state flow towards Krishna. But just as the river’s [...]
The source is the ultimate resource
The well-known story of the man who killed the goose that gave the golden eggs illustrates how greed for the resource (eggs) can blind one [...]
Poison kills on consumption, but passion kills on contemplation
Most people won’t take poison willingly. In the past, when hemlock was used to execute capital punishment, it had to be administered forcibly. Yet there [...]
A problem denied is a problem multiplied
Suppose a person feels pain due to serious disease denies the problem. Such a denial gives the disease a free run to spread till finally [...]
Those who exaggerate material pleasure exacerbate material trouble
Sometimes children playing a video game throw a tantrum on losing. Their parents help them regain perspective, explaining that it’s just a game. Children tend [...]
Accepting responsibility begins with accepting responsibility for irresponsibility
Suppose a drunken person drives a car and is caught for driving drunk. Intoxication can make some drunkards so irresponsible that they may not even [...]
Devotion takes us beyond the rational faculty to the transformational facility
When we are asleep and have a nightmare, we can’t reason our way out; we have to wake up. Gita wisdom explains that we are [...]
The happiness of devotion is not a destination but an eternal progression
Life is a journey. This metaphor is often used to explain various facets of life, including spiritual progress: we embark on a devotional journey towards [...]
Be thoughtful; believe not thoughts that make us fools
We are constantly full of thoughts, but we are not always thoughtful. In fact, many of our thoughts make us fools, for they impel us [...]
Seek a happy ending that has no ending
Happy endings, as in movies and novels, attract us and evoke a longing for something similar in real life. Gita wisdom assures us that we [...]
To fathom the depth of Krishna’s love, we need to fathom the breadth and the length of our existence
“When Krishna is letting so much suffering happen in my life, does he really love me?” This question may trouble us. Gita wisdom indicates that [...]
We need to retire from lust before it will retire from us
Suppose we have a beloved pet dog. If we discover that it has contagious incurable rabies that could be lethal for us, we would have [...]
Failure is no disaster; failure to try is
The fear of failure often gnaws us whenever we contemplate any challenging endeavor. The same applies to the prospect of spiritual life, wherein, to attain [...]
Don’t try to empty the heart of selfish desires; crowd them out
We all are prone to bouts of selfish indulgence, wherein the urge for pleasure overwhelms our spiritual devotion and our moral principles. After such lapses, [...]