Don’t let the sword sleep in the hand
Suppose medieval warriors with their hands on the swords by their side were surrounded by marauders, who were attacking innocent civilians and charging to strike [...]
Go beyond denial and dismissal to determination
“I fell from the scriptural standards yet again. What should I do now?” We often respond to such predicaments by either denial or dismissal. In [...]
Protect the conscience from being dumbed and numbed and dumped
A security provider who has protected us for millennia from ourselves has now been branded as outdated and unneeded; its very right to existence is [...]
Give yourself permission to love Krishna by suspending disbelief
When we are practicing devotional service externally, internally we may be checked by the doubt: “How can I love Krishna when I am not sure [...]
The Gita offers not just another worldview, but also another world to view
“That’s just another worldview to add to the confusing plethora of worldviews.” Thus do skeptics dismiss Gita wisdom. They argue that as we can’t know [...]
Gita wisdom is explicitly descriptive and implicitly prescriptive
Good teachers give explanations; great teachers give explanations and examples. Thus a great sports coach doesn’t just explain to budding sportspersons what to do, but [...]
Bhakti brings equality and universality on the spiritual path
Ours is an age that idealizes the equality of all human beings. The American Declaration of Rights which enshrines this equality is widely considered a [...]
Those who let reason usurp Krishna in their heart end up worshiping a false god
“Isn’t that mythology?” This doubt may trouble us whenever we hear about Krishna’s super-human pastimes such as lifting Govardhan hill that seem too unreasonable to [...]
Are our thoughts impoverishing or enriching us?
Few things live as close to us as our thoughts; few things influence us as immediately as our thoughts; few things define us as much [...]
Spiritual enforcement reaches where legal enforcement doesn’t
Corruption, crime, cruelty – these are increasing by the day. Faced with this spiral, the law enforcement agencies are often not only overworked, but also [...]
Might we be hitting the bull’s eye of the wrong target?
Cellphones, internet, robots – the technological advances in our society are impressive. Yet they haven’t made people happier, as the rising statistics of stress and [...]
Hell is not meant to cause us suffering but to save us from suffering
Some exclusivist religions claim that those who don’t accept their dogmatic beliefs will be sent by God to hell forever. In refreshing contrast to such [...]
What we do reflects on what we do
“What we do” can refer to our specific behavior as well as to our general vocation. What we do in our specific behavior reflects on [...]
Put the world out of the equation by the strength of devotion
“Work without attachment for success or failure.” This message of the Bhagavad-gita (02.48) begs the question: what are we to work for if not for [...]
To get happiness, get the happiness sequence right
All of us want to be happy. The world makes us believe that fulfilling our material desires will make us happy. However, this makes us [...]
Do not make a virtue out of alienating people
When we adopt spiritual practices seriously, we soon gain a bit of self-mastery. This self-mastery may create within us a sense of moral superiority that [...]
Are we winning the misery championship with our eyes?
Most of us have entered the misery championship. Here’s how. The qualifying rounds: Our contemporary culture assaults our eyes with visually alluring images of sensuous [...]
Four stages in Gita study: Veneration, Comprehension, Application, Transformation
The Bhagavad-gita is a profoundly empowering book. To tap its power, we need to develop our relationship with it through four progressive stages: Veneration: Some [...]
How the world sees us is not as important as how we see the world
We often worry about how the world sees us: “Do people notice me? Which way do heads turn when I arrive?” This outside-in approach seems [...]
When we do what we can do, Krishna helps us to do what we can’t do
Spiritual life sometimes presents us with standards that seem impossible to meet. For example, we may feel that thinking of Krishna constantly is impractical. Certainly, [...]
The Bhagavad-gita is infinitely pregnant with wisdom
Good books are a joy to read. Great books are a joy to not just read, but also re-read. During the re-reading of great books [...]