How NOT to plan for our future
Just because our plans don't work does not mean that we should not plan; It just means that we should not be attached to our [...]
Accepting that some things are beyond our understanding
Does faith mean accepting without understanding? Not at all. Faith means accepting that some things are beyond our understanding, not that we accept all things [...]
Does God know our pain?
God knows our pain, and He understands what we stand to gain by persevering through the pain. When we are suffering, we might question whether [...]
Seeing Krishna’s Plan
Krishna's implication, Acharyas explain, is that Arjuna, don't think you are the greatest well-wisher of the Kauravas. I am their greatest well-wisher. And you are [...]
When things are unsettled
When things around us are unsettled, it is natural that our thoughts also get unsettled. We feel worried, and we hope and wait for things [...]
Peace for a bigger war or war for a bigger peace?
Some people think that fighting is bad and seeking peace is good. While that's generally true, why somebody is fighting or seeking peace also matters. [...]
What provides happiness – & what doesn’t
Happiness comes not by gaining something enjoyable, but by pursuing something valuable. The world teaches us that when we get desirable objects, especially objects that [...]
How to see failure positively
When we strive to do anything in life, we naturally want to be successful. It is delightful when we succeed, and our capacity to persevere [...]
How bhakti helps us balance destiny and responsibility
When we adopt a spiritual worldview, especially a devotional theistic worldview, it changes our approach to life, specifically in terms of how we view destiny [...]
Why we are NOT defined by our desires
One of the Bhagavad Gita’s most life-transforming insights is its clear, categorical, and consistent emphasis on differentiating between us and our mind. While some of [...]
Chapter 5 summary — part 3
[How do they not just know spiritual reality (brahman) but also become situated in it?] By steadying their intelligence and staying undeluded, especially amid life’s [...]
Chapter 5 summary — part 2
(This article resumes the Gita summary series that had been started a few months ago. You can read the previous article here) To stay untouched [...]
Gita 5.21 explained
Bg 5.21 bāhya-sparśeṣv asaktātmā vindaty ātmani yat sukham sa brahma-yoga-yuktātmā sukham akṣayam aśnute Word for word: bāhya-sparśeṣu — in external sense pleasure; asakta-ātmā — one [...]
Beyond reductionist notions of spirituality
Given that contemporary life subjects us to spiraling levels of stress, and spiritual practices such as meditation are known to provide non-intrusive stress relief, spirituality [...]
Gita 5.20 explained
But how will one practically do this? So now Sri Krishna will describe a process, so set of verses from here are both descriptive and [...]
How can we situate ourselves in our spiritual identity?
Suppose we are in an ocean characterized by huge waves. How can we protect ourselves from being swept away by those waves? By having an [...]
Gita 5.29 explained
Bg 5.29 bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati Word for word: bhoktāram — the beneficiary; yajña — of sacrifices; tapasām — and [...]
The renunciation that is necessary for devotion
Unlike some other spiritual paths, bhakti-yoga doesn’t require us to renounce all our possessions. Still, it does require us to renounce some of our conceptions [...]
When life seems to say ‘no’ to us
Suppose we invest a lot of effort in actualizing a particular aspiration — be it a career or a relationship or a calling — but [...]
Gita 5.16 explained
Now in next verse Lord Sri Krishna will tell us how we become free from ignorance: Bg 5.16 jñānena tu tad ajñānaṁ yeṣāṁ nāśitam ātmanaḥ [...]
From renouncing possession to renouncing illusion
Suppose we visit the house of a wealthy friend. During our stay, we get attached to the luxuries there. When we leave that house, suppose [...]