The defect of distraction distorts the defender into a defector
The life of a spiritual seeker is the life of a warrior – a warrior defending the territory of the consciousness against the forces of [...]
The bird may be encaged, but its desires stay engaged in the field
A bird may be physically restrained by a cage, but it can’t be mentally restrained from dreaming and craving about the grains it could have [...]
Those who insist that the contextual is universal become fanatical
Most people dread fanaticism, for our world is scarred by many religious conflicts. What makes religious practitioners fanatical? Obsession with the externals of their [...]
To go beyond thinking wisely and acting foolishly, strive for purification through devotion
“I knew that doing that would be stupid, still I ended up doing it. Why?” This exasperating question often confronts us when we succumb to [...]
Don’t challenge the wisdom of God – let the wisdom of God challenge you
To challenge the wisdom of God means to approach his words with a cold, critical attitude, with the intention of disproving, defying and denigrating it. [...]
Faithfulness to tradition includes faithfulness to the tradition’s flexibility
The human mind tends to become attached to externals. Among materialists, this tendency makes people attached to external material things, thereby keeping them trapped in [...]
That all of us are in the same boat is a treacherous comfort when the boat is sinking
Our mortality is perhaps our best-kept secret. It’s a secret not in the sense that it’s not known, but in the sense that it’s hardly [...]
The last thing on the mind of the materialists is the first thing on the mind of the spiritualists
Materialistic people hardly ever think of Krishna except when they conceive him as a facilitator of their plans for self-centered enjoyment. But thoughts about Krishna [...]
Progression can become stagnation when there is misconception about destination
Gita wisdom offers an inclusive spiritual program that allows people with varying spiritual drives to choose a path that suits their level of commitment. Thus, [...]
Peace bought at the cost of justice can be the worst violence
Some people ask, “The Bhagavad-gita is said to be a spiritual book, yet it endorses violence. Isn’t that anti-spiritual?” No, because the Gita is a [...]
Feel-good without think-good and act-good is no good
Some people, especially those influenced by new-age notions, equate spirituality with a feel-good laissez-faire: “Whatever makes you feel good is spiritual – no need to bother [...]
Krishna is our source not chronologically, but ontologically
Some people ask: “If we souls are eternal, as is Krishna, then how can he be our source?” The Bhagavad-gita itself presents both viewpoints before [...]
Be present in the present to receive Krishna’s present of purity
Purity is a cherished aspiration of serious spiritualists. When we become pure, we can relish Krishna’s beauty, please him with our service and enter his [...]
Spiritual culture raises humans from survival of the fittest to sacrifice by the fittest
Survival of the fittest may be a defining feature of nature, but it doesn’t inspire or bring meaning to life. Inspiring are the examples of [...]
The sanctity of spirituality doesn’t erode but enhances the dignity of humanity
Some people ask: “If we stay equal and unaffected amidst happiness and distress, gain and loss, victory and defeat, as the Bhagavad-gita (02.38) recommends, won’t [...]
Accepting responsibility begins with accepting responsibility for irresponsibility
Suppose a drunken person drives a car and is caught for driving drunk. Intoxication can make some drunkards so irresponsible that they may not even [...]
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 [...]