Gita 08.15 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya So now He continues that theme [...]
When the world is a place of distress how should we deal with distress in our life?
When the Bhagavad-gita (08.15) deems the world a place of distress (dukhalaya), what does this imply for our efforts to combat distress in our life? [...]
How not to apply the Gita
When Krishna deems this world a place of distress (Bhagavad-gita 08.15), some spiritually-minded people take this statement as a prescription for material apathy: “Why try [...]
Does the Gita discourage material solutions to problems?
Some people ask, “When the Bhagavad-gita (08.15) states that the world is a place of misery, does that mean we can never avoid misery and [...]
Is the world really a place of misery?
Sometimes, the Bhagavad-gita statement that the world is a place of misery (08.15) is seen as a prescription for pessimism. To better understand this statement, [...]
Is the Gita’s declaration about the world’s distressful nature pessimistic?
When we hear the Bhagavad-gita statement (08.15) that the world is a place of distress, we may wonder, “Isn’t this pessimistic?” No, if we understand [...]
Tap the power of negative thinking
Yes, you read that right. We are discussing the power of negative thinking, not positive thinking. Every time a fire is prevented by an accessibly-placed [...]
Use circumstantial suffering as an impetus to address existential plight
Suppose we are in an ocean. We might be floating on a raft that may be jeopardized by small waves. Or we might be on [...]
To forget that the world is a hurtful place is to place ourselves on a path full of hurts
Suppose we walk out on a thorny path without any footwear. We will hurt our feet. If someone warns us that the way is thorny, [...]
When life is uncomfortable, thank God that it is not unbearable
We all experience discomfort at times. The discomfort may be because of loneliness, boredom, overwork, worry, annoyance and so forth. Such feelings are obviously not [...]
Just because pain is circumstantially beneficial doesn’t mean it is intrinsically desirable
Some people try to make sense of life’s difficulties by saying, “Pain helps us appreciate pleasure better. Bad times make good times sweeter.” Certainly, pain [...]
Life may be filled with problems, but life is not a problem
When faced with many problems, some people may become depressed, even suicidal, “Life itself is one big problem; I just want to end it through [...]
See pain as a protector and a pointer
Pain is rarely desired, yet it is universally experienced. Seeing its prevalence raises the question, “Why does pain exist at all?” Gita wisdom explains that [...]
The world is a place for treatment, not enjoyment
Some people consider the Bhagavad-gita pessimistic because it deems this world a distressful place. However, the Gita is not pessimistic – it is materially realistic [...]
Reality is not as rosy as our dreams, but neither is it as scary as our nightmares
We often see life with rose-tinted glasses because of the media propaganda that unending sensual bliss is available through worldly enjoyment. These fantasies are deflated [...]
Misery is a fact of life, but it is not the purpose of life
D During our life-journey, we all experience miseries, which may leave us disheartened, disoriented, devastated. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (08.15) states that the material world where [...]
Our focus reveals our purpose
Suppose an election candidate has a chequered past but has thereafter done much laudable work. One newspaper may write about him: “Although he is doing [...]
Suffering doesn’t have to be isolating – it can be integrating
When some adversity afflicts us, grief is natural and understandable. Still, after we have given our emotions the necessary vent, we need to counter the [...]
The Gita is optimistic about what matters most
If a doctor declares that a particular limb of a patient is incurable and needs to be amputated, someone might deem him pessimistic. But if [...]
Trying to get rid of misery is like trying to get rid of one’s shadow
We usually want to avoid misery, especially when many miseries seem to be afflicting us from all sides. At such times, avoiding misery may become [...]
Death for the devoted is not destruction, but discharge
Some people ask, “Devotees and non-devotees both have to die – so what’s the use of practicing spirituality with all its restrictions?” That’s like asking: [...]