Chaitanya Charan

Standard dictionaries give two meanings of the word watch: “follow with the eyes” and “be vigilant, be on the lookout or be careful.” Interestingly, these [...]

Our life-story is essentially the story of our quest for happiness. This quest is directed by a driving question. For spiritualists, the question frequently is, [...]

In the past, despots would routinely shoot messengers who brought bad news. Today, shooting is replaced by labeling; those who raise discomforting issues are often [...]

Materialists often challenge spiritualists: “Why do you spend so much time thinking about Krishna when all that thinking doesn’t give any tangible return?” The key [...]

Daydreaming. It’s so easy. Taking it easy in our thought-lives is one of life’s most deluding distracters. We tend to think that nothing is wrong [...]

Nothing is as amazing as our obliviousness to the reality whose obviousness is evident all around us: death. This was king Yudhishthira’s insightful observation in [...]

When we are out in the rough-and-tough of the world, we often long to return to the security and solace of our home. All of [...]

Many of us may sometimes feel burdened by the various problems and anxieties that life brings our way. This mental burden often debilitates and disorients [...]

“Surely, but not now.” This is often our default response when saintly people urge us to make our relationship with Krishna a priority. We rationalize: [...]

Our contemporary culture constantly glamorizes sex through gaudy images permeated with sexual undertones and overtones. Due to this incessant glamorization of sex, most people live [...]

Many of us often make resolutions for living according to principles of moral and spiritual integrity, but during times of temptation, our impulses ambush us. [...]

Cutting-edge technology prides itself for opening new avenues for enjoyment: so many TV channels, websites and video games, for example. However, might the freedom offered [...]

Some people doubt the benefit of daily mantra meditation: “What is the use of repeating the names of God mechanically and unfeelingly? Better to wait [...]

“I know that work is important, but I just can’t make myself do it; I am not in the right mood.” “Stop; don’t irritate me [...]

Disaster movies generally show people caught in a natural disaster trying heroically to save themselves and others from impending doom. However, not many of the [...]

Our culture offers us so many possibilities for life’s trivialities that choosing among them often swallows much of our energy and emotion. For example, TV [...]

The racehorse-pace of life nowadays impels many people to apply brakes, lest they break down. These break-seekers often explore spirituality for utilitarian purposes. Just as [...]

We may be held back in our spiritual quest by the subconscious apprehension that the advanced, sacred states of spiritual realization may be too difficult [...]

Green consciousness has made us increasingly aware that natural resources are limited and so need to be used carefully. Yet there is one natural resource [...]

“What’s wrong with a bit of indulgence as long as one is not harming anyone?” This utilitarian-seeming rationale sometimes tempts us to transgress the moral [...]