God is the cause of all causes, but not the cause of all effects
On knowing the definition of God as the cause of all causes, we may get the question, “Is he the cause of the wrongs that [...]
The more we are responsible for others, the more we need to be responsible for ourselves
Suppose a surgeon is agitated, distracted or exhausted while doing surgery – a small wrong cut can be disastrous. Their responsibility for the lives of [...]
Gita 5.27 explained
Now try to understand Chapter overview by trying to understand what is happening: In Arjun’s mind there were two options action or renunciation, So Sri [...]
Gita 5.19 explained
We are in third section of chapter 05, first section talked about how Karma Yoga brings same result but is easier than Jyana Yoga. And [...]
Gita 5.17 explained
#BG 5.17 So Sri Krishna is saying once we understand the absolute truth what we do after that, then we make that absolute [...]
Seeming scriptural contradictions are counterbalances, not counters
Some people argue, “The world is a place of entanglement that needs to be renounced to attain liberation.” Others argue, “Our duties in this world [...]
Why look at a mirage when heading to the oasis?
It’s bad to be lost in a desert. It’s worse to be chasing a mirage. But it’s worst of all to be nearing an oasis [...]
Why long for a pleasure that never stays for long?
We are all by nature pleasure-seeking. And the world promises us pleasure in so many ways. The most hyped among all these worldly pleasures are [...]
Scripture ends the hush-hush around the failed project of sense enjoyment
When a much-touted project of a government fails – and fails abysmally – the government often tries to save face by an overall strategy of [...]
We don’t have to defeat our lower desires – we can just let them lose
Tennis players don’t have to hit winners in each point; if they can just keep the ball in play, their opponent may tire and err, [...]
Don’t let etiology distract from therapy
Suppose a person infected with malaria refuses to take any treatment without first seeing the mosquito that bit him, and knowing when, how and why [...]
Don’t blame ignorantly – blame ignorance
Suppose a person suddenly falls sick and starts looking to assign blame – blaming others for transmitting that infection, blaming the doctor for not prescribing [...]
Don’t let the small picture blind you to the big picture
In the spiritual context, the small picture refers to the daily struggles that characterize our inner and outer lives as seekers. And the big picture [...]
The search for happiness is often the source of the greatest unhappiness
The very things we seek happiness in often sentence us to unhappiness. A pervasive yet tragic example is of addicts. Food addicts can’t live without [...]
Treat life like a movie that you don’t have to always watch
Suppose we were watching a movie and suddenly discovered that it is a horror movie filled with ghastly scenes. We would naturally stop watching it. [...]
Victory comes not just by courageously fighting our battles but also by cautiously choosing our battles
Often a machismo-filled notion of a hero is someone who fearlessly charges into some battle and single-handedly against overwhelming odds wrecks havoc in the enemy’s [...]
Focus not on God’s rules – focus on his purpose
Suppose a patient with an upset stomach is told by a doctor to restrict diet. If the patient focuses on all the foods that are [...]
Revelation is the foundation for the ultimate revolution
When social or financial conditions are felt as intolerable, people rise in revolution against the powers that be. Such revolutions can bring about dramatic political [...]
Tolerance means withstanding the presence without succumbing to the influence
Suppose we have a disagreeable neighbor. We can’t evict him, but we don’t have to waste our time quarreling with him. We do the needful [...]
When conviction is weak, determination can’t be strong
We often make resolutions to give up our self-defeating indulgences. And when we fail to stick to those resolutions, we often blame our poor determination. [...]
The essence of liberation is not transportation but transformation
Seekers sometimes worry whether at the end of their lives they will be liberated and thus attain Krishna’s abode. While such a worry is definitely [...]