Culture is meant to channel our curiosity constructively, not destructively
To be curious is natural for us as conscious beings. Where we direct our curiosity is largely shaped by our culture; what we are exposed [...]
Spiritualism is the shadow of spirituality
Spiritualism is the study of spirits, wherein spirits refer to disembodied beings such as ghosts. Spirituality, on the other hand, is the exploration of the [...]
Spiritual surrender is not an admission of defeat – it is a vehicle to victory
In contemporary idiom, the word “surrender” conjures strong negative imagery. When a warrior is overpowered and has no way to resist or escape, he surrenders, [...]
See the differences in the subtle functionally more than structurally
On the spiritual path, an intellectual temptation is obsession with technicalities. For example, on learning that the material energy comprises eight elements – earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ego (Bhagavad-gita 07.04) –we may ask, “Where exactly are mind, intelligence and ego located? How exactly are they differentiated?”
God’s presence is his greatest present
We often pray to God for things that are beyond our power to get. By pleasing him, we hope to receive those things as his presents. The Bhagavad-gita (07.16) appreciates such an attitude as pious; those lacking in piety often go, when distressed, to myriad things other than God.
Use self-control to commit the self to the control of the supreme self
Suppose a person has a severe digestive disorder that requires not just dietary regulation but also medical treatment. The patient’s self-control in eating is beneficial [...]
Don’t underestimate the difficulty of the spiritual journey, but don’t underestimate the opportunity either
When people go sailing on the high seas to some distant land of legendary prosperity, they often conceive navigation more romantically than realistically. They see [...]
Great gifts don’t guarantee greatness
We may sometimes feel sorry for ourselves because of not having any great gifts as some others have. We may feel, “If only I had [...]
Between the extremes of pantheism and deism lies the holism of panentheism
Pantheism equates God with nature. It implies that whatever exists in nature is all that there is to God, that he has no self-existence beyond [...]
Unawareness in transcendence is different from blindness in ignorance
Blindness in ignorance refers to the state of materialists blind to God’s greatness. Even if God appears before them and manifests his universal form, as [...]
Don’t raise your eyes alone – raise your heart too
When we face overwhelming problems in life, we may lift our eyes and look for help from higher powers, ultimately from God, Krishna. Such lifting [...]
Direct your curiosity radar towards Krishna
Curiosity is natural to us as conscious beings. We all could be said to have a radar that zooms in on the things that we [...]
Our entanglement is caused not by our attachment, but by our detachment
As spiritual beginners, we may think that our attachments cause our entanglement. Such thinking doesn’t probe deep enough – it fails to ask: Why are [...]
Maya is not just illusion – it is also the agency that brings about illusion
The word “Maya” is common in yogic philosophy. Though often translated as illusion, Maya is also the agency that brings about illusion. The Bhagavad-gita (07.14) [...]
To sweeten your devotion, heighten your conception and motivation
Sometimes we may find our bhakti practices lacking in taste. To gain steady taste, we need to heighten our conception of God and our motivation [...]
All things are from Krishna, through Krishna and in Krishna
God is sometimes conceived as a being who stays in and rules from his own kingdom. While such a conception addresses one feature of God’s [...]
Gita 07.30 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Bg 7.30 sādhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ sādhiyajñaṁ ca [...]
Gita 07.27 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Now Sri Krishna goes to a [...]
Gita 07.25 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Now Sri Krishna will talk about [...]
Gita 07.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya After describing this now Sri Krishna [...]
Gita 07.22 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Bg 7.22 sa tayā śraddhayā yuktas [...]