Don’t just condemn the demonic; contemplate how they became demonic
Greedy people often do things for the sake of money that most decent people hesitate to do. Greed can lead people to become not just [...]
Why fearlessness is the first virtue in the godly nature
Fearlessness is a mysterious phenomenon. Fear is a natural and even necessary reaction to danger; it enables us to safeguard ourselves amid the dangerous world [...]
Feeling better or healing better?
Feeling better or healing better? When we are trying to grow spiritually, it’s important to be clear about the parameters for growth. Frequently, we understandably [...]
3 Ways to free our inner world from the mind’s control
3 Ways to free our inner world from the mind's control The mind treats itself as the master of our inner world and treats us [...]
The mind’s DIE – distraction, invention, exaggeration
Just because the mind's tendency for distraction, invention, or exaggeration does not die, does not mean that our tendency to trust the mind cannot die. [...]
Regrettable but not regretted decisions
Just because a decision is regrettable doesn't mean that it will be regretted. Our life is filled with decisions—some small, some big, some good, some [...]
Going beyond spiritual dumbness & numbness
Overcoming our numbness and dumbness toward spiritual things, including ultimately God, involves addressing two ways in which we become spiritually deadened. As indicated in the [...]
The Dual Vision of the Yogi: Seeing Krishna in Everything & Everything in Krishna
In the Bhagavad-gita (6.30), Krishna describes the vision of the enlightened yogi. Such seers have a dual divine perception: they see Krishna in everything, and [...]
Seeing divine benevolence with the eyes of knowledge
The Bhagavad-gita (15.11) urges us to use jnana chakshu, or the eyes of knowledge, to understand the relationship between material reality and spiritual reality. Such [...]
Shifting Focus from Illusion to Reality
In the Bhagavad-gita (13.22), it is stated that our consciousness gets caught in matter. Due to this, we experience the dualities of material existence and [...]
Unmanageable Emotions and Temptation: Seeking Relief Through Indulgence
Our vulnerability to temptation comes not just from unmanageable desires but also from unmanaged emotions. Whenever we succumb to temptation, we tend to think that [...]
Transforming Mindset: Focusing on Krishna Not Just Mind Control
In Bhagavad-gita (7.1), Krishna introduces the chapter and the section extending from chapters 7 to 12. This is known as the bhakti section, with the [...]
How to be unaffected by temptation
In Bhagavad-gita (2.70), it is stated that when our consciousness becomes like an ocean, it remains unaffected by external stimuli. These stimuli are compared to [...]
Is Krishna with me? Am I with Krishna?
Devotion centers on arriving at an affirmative answer to two questions: Is God with me? And am I with God? The Bhagavad-gita (6.29) and (6.30) [...]
Understanding Krishna’s Supreme Attractiveness
The Bhagavad-gita (7.19) describes a person who is enlightened and understands that Krishna is everything. What does “everything” refer to? Does it refer to the [...]
Spontaneous attraction to Krishna
In the Bhagavad-gita (6.43-44), Krishna talks about how yogis who have failed to complete their spiritual journey in one life continue it in the next. [...]
Turn to God not just for answers; turn to God as the answer
The Bhagavad-gita (7.19) declares that the enlightened surrender to Krishna, knowing him to be the ultimate reality and the embodiment of the fulfillment of all [...]
When an action triggers fear…
The Bhagavad-gita (18.30) states that intelligence in the mode of goodness is able to view actions holistically in terms of their consequences, whether they are [...]
Navigating the inner marketplace
Introspection is meant to tune out the louder voices inside us so that we can tune in to the wiser voices inside us. Suppose we [...]
Transform our wandering into a pilgrimage
In the Bhagavad Gita (18.61), Krishna states that he is directing the wanderings of all living beings from his strategic vantage point, which is within [...]
From ‘what if’ to ‘what is’: steadying the mind through spiritual focus
Bhagavad-gita (6.18) depicts how the mind of a purified yogi becomes steady, like a lamp in a windless place. We are often confronted with the [...]