We can’t foresee every consequence of our actions, but we can foresee their probable consequences — and we should
Suppose we are driving a huge truck and a drunk person suddenly comes in the middle of the road. If an accident occurs, the law [...]
Transform depressing loneliness into nourishing solitude by seeking spiritual purpose
When we are placed in situations that distance us from others, we may naturally feel lonely. And that loneliness can drain and depress us. But [...]
Faith is seen through both firmness in intention and flexibility in execution
During a pandemic, if temples are closed to avoid infection, does that indicate a lack of faith among the devoted? Not necessarily. The essence of [...]
Might nature be teaching us to stop believing that we humans alone matter on the earth?
For the last few centuries, we humans have used the power of technology to exploit nature indiscriminately and disrupt delicate ecological balances. Underlying our actions [...]
Gita 5.22 explained
Now Sri Krishna will talk about on what basis a person will become bāhya-sparśeṣv asaktātmā. Why one should give up outer pleasures Sri Krishna says [...]
Gita 5.9 explained
BG 5.8 Bg 5.8-9 naiva kiñcit karomīti yukto manyeta tattva-vit paśyañ śṛṇvan spṛśañ jighrann aśnan gacchan svapañ śvasan pralapan visṛjan gṛhṇann unmiṣan nimiṣann api indriyāṇīndriyārtheṣu [...]
If saving lives means something more than delaying death, then we all have the opportunity to save lives
During a pandemic, the medical care providers are the frontline warriors. By their courageous and competent actions, they can save people's lives. When the pandemic [...]
For protection amid pandemics, seek not just a hand sanitizer, but also a mind sanitizer
During pandemics, we protect ourselves from germs using a hand sanitizer. Simultaneously, we need to protect ourselves from unhealthy emotions such as panic; these emotions [...]
Prayer is meant to act as a complement to prudent action, not as a replacement
Some people think of prayer as a magic wand to solve all problems or as a mystical shield against all problems. For example, amid a [...]
Social isolation can be an opportunity to realize how we all are spiritually connected
Suppose a pandemic compels us to adopt social distancing. Instead of feeling lonely, we can repurpose that isolation for spiritual growth. In fact, that’s what [...]
Contextualizing absolute-sounding scriptural statements doesn’t minimize those statements; not contextualizing minimizes them
How do we make sense of absolute-sounding statements in wisdom-texts such as the Bhagavad-gita? Consider its declaration at the end of a list of twenty [...]
God can transform flashlights into floodlights, just stay in his light
Suppose we are walking on a road and suddenly the power goes off. Though we might initially groan or rant, we will soon pull out [...]
The essence of karma is universal harmony, not judgmental morality
Some people oppose the idea of karma: “It is just one among many differing systems of morality. These systems simply make those who follow it [...]
Use circumstantial suffering as an impetus to address existential plight
Suppose we are in an ocean. We might be floating on a raft that may be jeopardized by small waves. Or we might be on [...]
Knowledge expands the avenues available for us to address those problems
Suppose someone is coughing. If they have no medical knowledge, they might just try to suppress their cough, which might make the disease worse. A [...]
To help the distressed, address both their distress’ immediate cause and remote cause
Suppose a doctor encounters a patient suffering from alcoholism and condemns that patient, “You are a wretched drinker; you deserve to suffer.” That would be [...]
When dealing with the distressed, focus not on their karma; focus on your dharma
Suppose a newborn baby is crying. Should the mother neglect the baby by thinking, “She is in pain because of her own past karma”? No, [...]
Focusing only on suffering’s immediate cause makes us short-sighted, focusing only on suffering’s remote cause makes us hard-hearted
Suppose someone falls sick because of being infected by a virus. While the virus is the immediate cause of their suffering, is it the complete [...]
The more we are emotional, the less emotions we have and the more our emotions have us
Emotions bring life to our life — if we had to live like emotionless robots, there wouldn’t be much to look forward to in our [...]
Equality that is imposed leads inevitably to inequality
We live in an egalitarian society, where inequality and discrimination are considered reproachable, even reprehensible. Significantly however, equality is not a materially self-evident fact. Whatever [...]
People may respond to us with indifference, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t making a difference
When we do something good for someone but they don’t appreciate it, that can easily dishearten us. If we are health care professionals who provide [...]