Learning according to leaning nurtures growing
We all have a natural leaning towards certain things. We often feel good about and are good at doing some things. Such comfort and competence [...]
Devotion brings knowledge into action and action into knowledge
In Vedic wisdom, two main paths are the path of action, karma-yoga, and the path of knowledge, jnana-yoga. Gita wisdom explains how the strengths of [...]
The spiritual in application leads to the spiritual in constitution
The multiple senses of the word ‘spiritual’ can be confusing. For example, the material body is said to be radically different from the spiritual soul, [...]
Caste by birth is the perversion of class by worth
The modern discriminatory caste system has been a source of great exploitation and misery. This regrettable state of affairs has resulted because some power-hungry people [...]
Enlightenment means to replace oneself with Krishna as the center
Different people conceive enlightenment differently – as experiencing peace, as perceiving a white light, as merging into a cosmic oneness, for example. However, the Bhagavad-gita [...]
Choosing doubt as the means for knowing is like choosing immobility as the means for traveling
Some contemporary intellectuals are proud of their skepticism. They delight in their capacity to doubt and discredit any belief they encounter, even if that belief [...]
Knowing begins with believing
Atheists often decry belief as something undesirable that should be wiped out by science. Yet they overlook the reality that science too is grounded in [...]
Krishna is not a dictator, but a benefactor
When we hear from scripture that we are meant to serve Krishna, we may resent, “Why should I serve him? Is he like a dictator [...]
Understand scripture through devotional dedication, not linguistic specialization
Some people think that learning the language of scripture is vital for understanding it. Thus, they feel that only Sanskrit scholars can understand the Bhagavad-gita. [...]
To remember to remember, refine your reminder
“Worldly pleasures are insubstantial, whereas devotional joys are substantial.” This scriptural insight is most relevant for us spiritual seekers because it empowers us to resist [...]
Doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs
When we get doubts, the forces of illusion delude us further into thinking that our doubts are evidences of our intellectual superiority over believers: “I [...]
Krishna is the ultimate knight in shining armor
The knight in shining armor is a staple theme in fiction. Usually appearing as the savior of a damsel in distress, the knight fights to [...]
Our connection with Krishna is reinforced, not restricted, by the guru
Some people find the idea of a guru difficult to digest, “Can’t I have a relationship with God? Why do I need to restrict my [...]
The best translation of the Gita is its translation into life
People interested in the Bhagavad-gita sometimes ask, “Which is its best translation?” The best translation is its translation into life. That is, the Gita’s best [...]
Devotion centers not on renouncing the material, but on reclaiming the spiritual
Some people ask, “Do I have to renounce everything material to gain devotion?” No – the essence of devotion is reclaiming the spiritual, not renouncing [...]
The point of scriptural study is not to prove our point, but to improve our viewpoint
We frequently think that our understanding of things is the correct understanding. When we study scripture, this mentality often makes us presume that our understanding [...]
Love God, not the concept of God
The concept of God refers to an intellectualized or sentimentalized notion of God that is more a projection of one’s own preference than the revelation [...]
Harmonize conceptions of the divine with revelation by the divine through surrender to the divine
Different traditions whose ranks incorporate not just lay people but also serious seekers and even saintly seers have varying conceptions of the divine. Why? Because [...]
If let cynicism rob our power to trust Krishna, we rob ourselves of our greatest power
We live in an age where it is easy to be cynical. Unscrupulous forces out to fleece us abound in every field. In our everyday [...]
Choose not faith in the eyes; choose the eyes of faith
Faith is not a matter of choice; it is a matter of necessity. Some people may claim to have no faith, or, going even further, [...]
Study pastimes not to swoop down on their meaning, but to be swept up by their emotion
When we come across something intellectually challenging such as a crossword puzzle or a riddle, we feel stimulated and thrilled to “crack” it. We may [...]