The difference between outer achievement and inner achievement
The difference between outer achievement and inner achievement lies in where each seeks to bring our focus. Outer achievement aims to place us at the [...]
A warning about giving others a warning
Some people see warnings as a sign to stop what they are doing and others see the same warnings as signs that they should keep [...]
Make up for lost time
Even if we can't get back lost time, we can make up for lost time. Sometimes we may miss some opportunities in the past, or [...]
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 [...]
Transcendentalists among theists (02.69 analyzed 5 — Devotional level)
While this verse (02.69) primarily points to the difference between spiritualists and materialists, it can also apply to a specific category of spiritualists — devotees [...]
Channeling the need to be different (02.69 Gita analyzed 7 — Human level)
This Bhagavad-gita verse conveys that spiritual seekers need the courage to be different from the world. While being different requires fearlessness, it can also induce [...]
Balancing candor with consideration (02.69 Gita analyzed 6 — Spiritual level)
The Bhagavad-gita is a holistic guidebook for spiritualists, as is seen in how it balances candor with consideration. It (02.69) candidly states that spiritualists and [...]
Dutifulness but with a different consciousness (02.69 analysis 4 — Krishna-Arjuna relationship level)
This verse (02.69) addresses Arjuna’s concern articulated earlier: he couldn’t see the point of fighting (01.30) when it was going to be at the cost [...]
Stand apart — together (Gita 02.69 analyzed 3 — Book level)
The readiness to stand apart from the world, as conveyed in this Bhagavad-gita verse (02.69), is central to the Gita’s practical application. The Gita’s message [...]
Be ready to stand apart from the world (Gita 02.69 analyzed 2 – Chapter level)
The Bhagavad-gita’s second chapter is essentially Krishna’s summary answer to Arjuna’s central question in the Gita (02.07): what is dharma, the right thing to do? [...]
The intriguing day-night metaphor (Gita 02.69 analyzed 1 — Text level)
Literally, the verse states: what is night for all living beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for [...]
Is seeking social acceptance leading us to self-rejection?
As we are social creatures, we long to belong — we seek some group where we are welcomed, valued and respected. Unfortunately, this longing to [...]
A likely feature of our likely future
Few technological advances have changed our daily lives as much as smartphones. Though phones have made many routine activities easier for us, we may have [...]
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 [...]
An impurity censor makes no sense to those who don’t have even an impurity sensor
An impurity censor refers to some regulator that filters out impure content. And an impurity sensor refers to some identifying mechanism that detects impure content [...]
We can’t nourish our souls amidst people who are out to sell theirs
The word “soul” sometimes refers non-literally to the things that matter the most to us. Such a non-literal usage features in the phrase “to sell [...]
The more we live for the world, the further we go from the self
To live for the world means to spend our life pursuing goals set by the world. Because the world’s mainstream culture is materialistic, the things [...]
Those who don’t want to drown have to make waves
Making waves is a metaphorical way of saying that someone does things that are unusual, that attract attention, that create an impression. Some people like [...]
Don’t take everything literally – use your intelligence
“Put your money where your mouth is,” we may tell someone who recommends big things without making any practical commitment. Suppose they respond by taking [...]
Be special above the ordinary, not among the ordinary
We all want to be special. Materialistic culture directs our longing for specialness towards material things. It makes us believe that we will stand out [...]
Materialism’s common wisdom makes us commonly unwise
During ragging in colleges, senior students often push their juniors to drink alcohol with the wise-sounding rationalization, “Babies don’t drink - adults do.” Obviously, drinking [...]