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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
From what’s on loan to what’s our own
Suppose we inherit a huge fortune: we may start splurging recklessly. But suppose we learn that the money we have is on loan: we will [...]
Why a message of peace on a battlefield? (Exploring the Gita chapter 5 series – 3)
The Bhagavad-gita is spoken on the battlefield to a reluctant warrior urging him to fight. Then, why does it talk about peace? And that too [...]
What does remembering God mean practically?
The Bhagavad-gita’s injunction to remember God constantly can seem impossible or even irrelevant. While this directive can be understood at various levels, let’s consider one [...]
Begin each day by putting on our armor
If we were fighting a war, we would begin each day by putting on our armor. Actually, we all are at war internally against negative [...]
Are you trying to be peaceful or purposeful?
We live in a world that often agitates us with many anxieties and perplexities. Naturally, therefore, we seek peace of mind. Significantly however, we need [...]
Humility empowers when certainty doesn’t
We live in an uncertain world where perplexities and adversities can befall us at any moment. Naturally, we seek certainty, sometimes by turning to God [...]
To free yourself from the burden of self-consciousness, become conscious of a purpose bigger than the self
Self-consciousness can be a big burden for many people. When they interact with others, especially in public settings, they are choked by their self-consciousness: “I [...]
Don’t just work on our conditionings – work with our conditionings
Suppose someone has a condition with no easy cure, such as blindness. Though they may keep trying to cure that condition, they will also work [...]
Our greatest weakness is our unwillingness to believe in Krishna’s love for us
We often think of our weaknesses in terms of lust or anger or greed or envy. Yes, these are weaknesses, but they all are the [...]
The best way to control our thoughts is to direct them towards the one who is always in control
If we are say attacked by thieves, we may try to fight off them ourselves, but if we can quickly call the police and the [...]
We may be unloved, but we are never unlovable
Small children feel unloved when their parents are too busy to spend time with them. Worse still, if this happens repeatedly, they feel unlovable – [...]
Whenever things seem to fall apart, remember when things have fallen in place
Sometimes, life seems to hand out one reversal after another and all that we are doing seems to be falling apart. We may feel that the universe is hostile; we may question the benevolence or even the existence of God. At such times, it’s important to note that life hasn’t always given us a raw deal – we have had things fall in place for us. Whenever we have achieved anything substantial,
Happiness comes not by making money, but by making something worthwhile with money
Money is a matter of anxiety for most people. Concern for money is understandable because we need money to survive. But what actuates and aggravates [...]
Refuel your love tank with bhakti
If while traveling, our car tank starts drying up, we need to refuel, lest we get stranded. Our heart is like a tank that runs [...]