Piety when boosted by purity paves the way to spirituality
Piety when boosted by purity paves the way to spirituality Many people do some pious activities regularly, thinking that it will provide them both material [...]
Contemplation on Krishna provides purification elevation and satisfaction
Contemplation on Krishna provides purification elevation and satisfaction People often ask, “What do you get by thinking about Krishna, as the Bhagavad-gita repeatedly recommends?” Let’s [...]
Our pain is meant to be harvested not wasted
Our pain is meant to be harvested not wasted Suppose we get a seed that tastes extremely bitter. Just when we are about to throw [...]
When the mind is fast the intelligence needs to be faster
When the mind is fast the intelligence needs to be faster Our mind can act extremely fast – within moments, it can take our thoughts [...]
The mind makes the easy seem difficult and the difficult seem impossible
The mind makes the easy seem difficult and the difficult seem impossible When we have to do something, we often assess how easy or difficult [...]
When the mind shows us all that we don’t have, the intelligence needs to show us all that we do have
Our mind frequently craves for the things we don’t have. And such craving is aggravated by today’s media which dangles before us images of thousands [...]
See the mind as a predator, not a protector
Suppose a farmer has a guard dog. But if that dog turns into a predator who devours the farm poultry, the farmer would be in [...]
Don’t go behind the mind, go beyond the mind
To go behind the mind means to follow the mind, to do whatever it does. To go beyond the mind means to seek something higher, [...]
If we don’t marginalize the mind, it will marginalize us
Suppose we are the leaders of a group and are leading its discussion in a particular productive direction. But someone else starts speaking loudly, drowns [...]
When we keep liking whatever our mind likes, we end up not liking ourselves
Suppose we keep eating whatever we feel like eating. When our indiscriminate eating makes us fat or sick, we end up not liking ourselves. Gita [...]
The internal contains both the infernal and the eternal
We often sense a voice inside us, a voice that sometimes prompts us to do good and sometimes to do bad. We may wonder: Whose [...]
Matter matters, and so does manner
When we speak something authoritative, we often expect others to hear it submissively. Especially when we speak Krishna’s message, we frequently think that because we [...]
Some know at 9 what others don’t know at 59
Some people, right from their childhood, have strong spiritual inclination. In contrast, others, even when middle-aged or elderly, stay spiritually deadened, being captivated by worldly [...]
We may be distracted, but we don’t have to be disheartened
When we try to focus on purposeful service to Krishna, our mind frequently distracts us. On being distracted repeatedly, we may get disheartened. To avoid [...]
Within moments, the mind can change awesome to awful
When children get a new video game, they deem it awesome. But when they can’t win it the way they want, they deem it awful. [...]
Purification means to change our emotional center
Whenever a ball is hit anywhere, it moves. But when it is hit in the center, it moves the furthest. Similarly, when worldly upheavals hit [...]
The mind deafens us not just to Krishna, but also to the body
Suppose we are walking on a street, wearing earphones that deafen us to all external sounds. We would be in danger especially if a large [...]
When no gain relieves pain, seek the gain beyond pain
Some people believe that money is the ultimate gain – if they just gain enough money, that can protect them from any pain. However, a [...]
Scriptural memorization is meant not for adulation, but for assimilation and application
Memorization and recitation of scriptures is often recommended as a purificatory practice for spiritual growth. Additionally, in social circles that respect scriptural learning, those who [...]
Take mindfulness to its fullness by becoming mindful of the fullest reality
Mindfulness is, broadly speaking, the conscious awareness of what we are doing, why we are doing it, what we are thinking and why we are [...]
Focus on the mind’s track record, not on its sound track
Our mind frequently repeats a soundtrack within us: “Eat this, watch this, touch this, enjoy this.” This soundtrack, by sheer repetition, can overwhelm us. For [...]