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: [...]
See misery as confirmation of scripture – and as impetus to further confirm scripture
Devotee-seekers sometimes ask, “I am living according to scripture, yet I am getting misery. Why?” The occurrence of misery in our life doesn’t falsify scripture [...]
To see life’s positive side, understand what life is and what its positive side is
Some people find the Bhagavad-gita pessimistic: “Why harp on life’s problems? Why not see its positive side?” Actually, the Gita doesn’t harp on life’s problems [...]
The world is a hospital; be hospitable to the doctor
Patients admitted in a hospital know that the doctor’s counsel is essential for their recovery. If some patients were inhospitable to the doctor, we would [...]
We can’t change the nature of nature, but we can change the nature of desire
“And they lived happily ever after.” This is the common end of most novels and movies. That is the dream of all of us, isn’t [...]
Beyond the love that hides to the love that guides
Parents sometimes hide their financial or familial problems from their children out of love. But there are times that make such a love harmful, not [...]
We can’t create paradise, nor were we created in paradise – but we can go to paradise
Many technologists feel that hi-tech appliances will gradually provide necessities and luxuries for more and more people. Thus, they posit that we humans will create [...]
Might we be shooting the messenger instead of pondering the message?
In the past, despots would routinely shoot messengers who brought bad news. Today, shooting is replaced by labeling; those who raise discomforting issues are often [...]