How to gain insight into complicated situations?
When confronted with complicated situations, we can gain insight into them by using two principles. Let’s apply these principles for understanding the setting of the [...]
How to see negative emotions positively
We all sometimes experience negative emotions such as loneliness, dejection, resentment, anger or fear. When such emotions arise, we may let ourselves get carried away [...]
Get rid of misplaced guilt
Suppose a policeman feels guilty about putting a vicious criminal in solitary confinement. If that criminal has been duly tried and convicted, then the policeman’s [...]
What does growing up mean?
If someone is whiny, a candid well-wisher may exhort them: “Grow up.” What does it mean? It refers not to physical growth but to emotional [...]
Gita 01.10 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan das Bg 1.10 aparyāptaṁ tad [...]
Avoiding the Duryodhana delusion
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Duryodhana assesses the strengths of the two armies assembled on the Kurukshetra batl (01.02-01.10). Therein, he mentions the principal [...]
How we all can be dangerous, be we strong or weak
Suppose someone is strong, be it physically, economically, politically. We easily understand that they can be dangerous if they start abusing their strength. However, [...]
Gita 01.16-18 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now after describing this remaining [...]
Gita 01.03 explained
paśyaitāṁ pāṇḍu-putrānāmācārya mahatīṁ camūmvyūḍhāṁ drupada-putreṇatava śiṣyeṇa dhīmatāWord for word: paśya — behold; etām — this; pāṇḍu-putrānām — of the sons of Pāṇḍu; ācārya — O [...]
Be fearless, not tactless
Suppose a soldier feels inspired to fight fearlessly against a tyrannical invading army. But if he just charges single-handedly at that army, he will end [...]
How humility is non-different from curiosity
Suppose we are driving for an important meeting but can’t find the venue. Even if we are driving a limo, we may not hesitate to [...]
How the unexpected reveals the unknown …
Suppose someone is driving on a straight, smooth road. They might seem to be a good driver, but how good they are will become better [...]
Material breakdowns or spiritual breakthroughs?
We are often so caught in the immediate that we don't spend time to consider the ultimate. Material things are immediately accessible, essential and enjoyable, [...]
Are we devaluing our life?
If someone devalued our life, treating it as if it were worthless, we would oppose, and oppose fiercely. Yet we often unwittingly undervalue the resource [...]
Without inner knowledge, outer knowledge can become useless
Suppose we live in a locality where thieves ambush people walking through the streets. We need to know how to protect ourselves from those thieves. [...]
Gita 01.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan das So, now camera is [...]
Gita 01.09 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan das Bg 1.9 anye ca [...]
Inability to face life’s challenges may diminish us, but unwillingness to face life’s challenges will demolish us
We all face challenges in life. And some challenges are such that we are unequipped or underequipped to face them. At such times, we may [...]
Attachment is the inability to say no, whatever the cost
Suppose we are buying something. Usually, we would compare its cost with its value: is what I have to pay commensurate with what I will [...]
To be assertive, we sometimes need to be aggressive, adequately and adeptly
The nature of people, and the nature of life itself, is such that we are sometimes put in confrontation with others. Amidst such face-offs, we [...]
Just as our body needs physical nutrition, our soul needs metaphysical orientation – a sense of place and purpose in the world
If we lack physical nutrition, we have no energy to do anything. We become similarly de-energized when we lack metaphysical orientation. Usually, we orient ourselves [...]