Misdirected Attention – Why? What to do?
Why does our attention sometimes get misdirected toward things that are unimportant while straying away from the things that are important? Sometimes a traffic accident [...]
Peace for a bigger war or war for a bigger peace?
Some people think that fighting is bad and seeking peace is good. While that's generally true, why somebody is fighting or seeking peace also matters. [...]
Pray to gain purpose not pleasure
Pray to God—not for pleasure, but for purpose. When we approach God through prayers, we often seek pleasure or, more specifically, the objects that we [...]
The right to be unhappy
Just because we have a right to be unhappy does not mean that we are right to be unhappy. Sometimes, such terrible things may happen [...]
Receptive + Submissive = Pathway to wisdom
To grow in knowledge, we need to be not just receptive, but also submissive. When we learn from someone who is an expert, at that [...]
Curiosity & humility: an empowering combination
Curiosity is often recommended and even celebrated as a great virtue for those who wish to keep learning and growing in their lives. Curiosity ensures [...]
The capacity to appreciate our blessings
The capacity to appreciate our blessings is the greatest blessing. We are all surrounded by blessings in our lives, be they small or big. Yet [...]
How gratitude brings happiness
Happiness comes not by increasing what we have but by increasing our appreciation for what we have. The world often teaches us that to be [...]
What provides happiness – & what doesn’t
Happiness comes not by gaining something enjoyable, but by pursuing something valuable. The world teaches us that when we get desirable objects, especially objects that [...]
Frustration and renunciation differentiated
Externally, frustration and renunciation may both look similar because in both a person is not endeavoring to go towards and gain and enjoy tempting sense [...]
Courage to fight our inner demons
It takes courage to fight against our inner demons. It's much easier to pretend that they don't exist and to pretend that we are good [...]
Gita 02.27 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
BG 2.27 jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur dhruvam janma mritasya ca tasmad apariharye 'rthe na tvam socitum arhasi SYNONYMS jatasya -- of one who has [...]
Gita 02.69 explained
BG 2.69 ya nisa sarva-bhutanam tasyam jagarti samyami yasyam jagrati bhutani sa nisa pasyato muneh SYNONYMS ya -- what; nisa -- is night; sarva [...]
Gita 02.17 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
2.11-2.30: counters first argument – compassion So Krishna is building up a flow of thought over here, and He is saying that there is [...]
Gita 02.13 explained
2.11-2.30: counters first argument – compassion – by Jnana So after discussing the eternality of the individuals in the next verse, Sri Krishna will [...]
Gita 02.61 explained
Now Krishna will describe in next verse how one can practice spiritual life, how can one get higher taste, till now He said that [...]
Gita 03.16 explained
Now Krishna will say what will happen if we do not follow this cosmic cycle: Bg 3.16 evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ nānuvartayatīha yaḥ aghāyur indriyārāmo moghaṁ [...]
Are we treating our beliefs and our doubts equally?
Suppose we grew up in an environment that fostered belief in things such as the teachings of sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita. Over time, we [...]
Might we all be bound by something worse than ropes?
If we saw someone being dragged around bound by a rope, we would be appalled. Yet millions of us are bound by attachments that bind [...]
From renouncing possession to renouncing illusion
Suppose we visit the house of a wealthy friend. During our stay, we get attached to the luxuries there. When we leave that house, suppose [...]
Gita 04.17 explained
Bg 4.17 karmaṇo hy api boddhavyaṁ boddhavyaṁ ca vikarmaṇaḥ akarmaṇaś ca boddhavyaṁ gahanā karmaṇo gatiḥ Synonyms: karmaṇaḥ — of work; hi — certainly; api — also; boddhavyam — should be understood; boddhavyam — should [...]