Be not just inquisitive but also submissive
The Bhagavad-gita (1.1) begins with Dhritarashtra’s inquiry to Sanjay about the events on the Kurukshetra battlefield. Sanjay responds by narrating the conversation between Krishna and [...]
No prison imprisons as badly as the prison of doubt
Suppose a patient has been fleeced by a doctor and so can’t trust any doctor. That cynicism imprisons the patient perpetually in disease. A far [...]
What raises motion to action is motivation
‘Motion’ refers to the movement of unconscious things, whereas ‘action’ refers to the movements of conscious people. The waves flowing in a river are in [...]
The goal of spiritual life is to make spiritual life our goal
Many people see spiritual life as a pious recreation, as an elective break from the stresses of daily living. Whatever be our initial impetus for [...]
Seek to know Krishna not theoretically but transformationally
Many Bhagavad-gita readers are puzzled by its repeated declarations that knowledge about Krishna grants liberation: “So many people know Krishna, but they aren't liberated. Are [...]
When we give Krishna the benefit of doubt, he gives us the benefit of freedom from doubt
When things go wrong in our life, doubts may assail us: “I am trying to be a good person, a good devotee. Why isn’t Krishna [...]
Devotion raises our knowledge of Krishna from superficial familiarity to substantial understanding
The Bhagavad-gita (04.09) states that those who know in truth the divine birth and activities of Krishna become liberated and return to his eternal abode. [...]
The divorce of the raja from the rishi perverts the ruler into an exploiter
Monarchy. The idea of one person monopolizing political power alarms us. So, when the Bhagavad-gita (04.02) refers to monarchs positively as the primary recipients of [...]
From our place, at our pace, Krishna offers his embrace
Krishna’s love for all of us is so encompassing that he accepts us wherever we are. And he invites us to come towards him from [...]
Be curious, not superstitious; be cautious, not suspicious
Superstitious or suspicious – these are the two approaches many people have towards spirituality. Some people adopt an anti-intellectual approach to spirituality, basing everything on [...]
See skepticism with skepticism
“I am a skeptic.” Today’s intellectuals often see skepticism as their badge of honor, as the evidence that they are freethinkers, unbound by other’s beliefs [...]
Should we be happy when we are happy?
When we are materially happy, we are exhausting our past stock of good karma – something similar to depleting the money in our bank account. [...]
Might we be protecting our heart from Krishna instead of for Krishna?
As aspiring devotees, we long to relish the spiritual emotions that the bhakti scriptures extol. Such devotional longing is natural and desirable. However, it comes [...]
Seek pleasure in the pursuit of meaning, not meaning in the pursuit of pleasure
Most people live caught up in the pursuit of worldly pleasures. As all such pleasures are destroyed by death, they assume that life has no [...]
Unravel the mystery of the Infinite’s descent into the finite through love
“How can the Supreme who is beyond all limits of space and time appear within those limits?” This is one of existence’s greatest mysteries. Gita wisdom [...]
Are we mistaking the causal to be casual?
“Veg or non-veg?” A caterer may ask us in a train or a plane. Most people consider such choices to be casual. However, Gita wisdom [...]
The call to faith is for focusing,not forsaking, of intelligence
Today’s ethos often treats the word ‘faith’ negatively, as if those who choose faith reject intelligence. Actually however, the call to faith, as given by [...]
When strengths make us weak and weaknesses make us strong
To survive and thrive in our hyper-competitive culture, we usually hide our weaknesses and hype our strengths. Such a strategy may be necessary in material [...]
Are we putting too much faith in doubt?
Atheists sometimes induce doubts in us by presenting anti-scriptural arguments that seem irrefutable. The Bhagavad-gita (04.42) urges us to slay doubt with the sword of [...]
To get devotion in our life, let’s put life in our devotion
Sometimes welament, “Though I am practicing devotional service, why don’t I feel any devotion in my heart?” Frequently, it’s because we are doing devotional activities [...]
Tap the power of devotion that supersedes nature, nurture and culture
We are what we are because of three primary factors: nature, nurture and culture. Nature: All of us are born with a particular psycho-physical nature [...]