Be thoughtful; believe not thoughts that make us fools
We are constantly full of thoughts, but we are not always thoughtful. In fact, many of our thoughts make us fools, for they impel us [...]
To fathom the depth of Krishna’s love, we need to fathom the breadth and the length of our existence
“When Krishna is letting so much suffering happen in my life, does he really love me?” This question may trouble us. Gita wisdom indicates that [...]
Don’t try to empty the heart of selfish desires; crowd them out
We all are prone to bouts of selfish indulgence, wherein the urge for pleasure overwhelms our spiritual devotion and our moral principles. After such lapses, [...]
To control temper, temper control
When things go wrong, we sometimes lose our temper, and do things that only worsen the problem. How can we control our temper? By tempering [...]
When we give up sense enjoyment for Krishna’s sake, Krishna gives us the best enjoyment through the senses
Some people question: “If I give up sense enjoyment, as serious spiritual life requires, then what enjoyment will be left in my life? This hesitation [...]
Possessor, possess thyself!
“I want more.” This urge often consumes us, largely due to our culture’s glamorization of possessions and possessors. Unfortunately, no matter how hard we work [...]
Those who overestimate their intelligence underutilize their potential
When things go wrong, we may appeal to Krishna for help. If no help appears forthcoming, we may doubt Krishna: “Why doesn’t he help me?” [...]
Enlightenment raises us from the fear of death to the death of fear
The fear of death haunts all living beings. This fear actuates the many intricate adaptations for self-preservation among nonhuman beings as well as the elaborate [...]
Things may belong, but for how long?
We treasure our belongings, especially those belongings that are worth a lot financially or mean a lot emotionally. Many people go even further, making their [...]
Be flexible, but not fickle
As students of the Gita, we may face this question. “How can we live according to the Gita’s ancient tradition in today’s world?” By being [...]
To minimize weariness, maximize wariness
If we had to do everything that everyone wanted us to do, we would soon become exhausted. That’s why we learn to say no to [...]
Tolerance fosters not impotence but perseverance
In spiritual life, tolerance is an important virtue. Internalizing this virtue may present us a dilemma: “If I just tolerate the things that happen to [...]
If we let all that happens matter, then we don’t let all that matters happen
We sometimes make small things unnecessarily big. When we are on our way to office, unseasonal rains delay us and upset our schedule for the [...]
Beware of the heart attack that makes us morally unconscious
Heart attacks are among the most feared things today. They may reduce a healthy, normal person to an unconscious heap on the ground in a [...]
Break the wall that blocks the path from the past to the future
Grieving is natural when we lose a loved one. Such grieving offers us a release for our emotions and expresses the depth of our love. [...]
Let the road from the eyes to the heart not bypass or bulldoze the head
We all rely constantly on our eyes to show us our way. While the eyes are quite reliable in showing the way physically, they are [...]
Fight the inner war that counters the outer war
“Spiritual life is a war.” As we live in a world torn by violence, the war metaphor for spiritual life can seem alarming, even alienating: [...]
Are we strong enough to admit that we are not strong enough?
When problems assault us, it’s easy to cave in, to lose heart, to give up. It’s easy, but it’s also weak. And we like to [...]
Do we need to lose our way to find our way?
Life sometimes brings us to a dead end. In the face of overwhelming obstacles, everything seems lost. Not knowing where to go or what to [...]
Losing our way to find our way
Life sometimes brings us to a dead end. In the face of overwhelming obstacles, everything seems lost. We feel as if we have lost our [...]
Are we mistaking the lifeline to be a handcuff?
“Why do the scriptures have rules against doing so many enjoyable things?” Such thoughts may come to us when we see people engaging in materialistic [...]