Gita 08.08 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Right now we are in [...]
Gita 08.02 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 8.2 adhiyajñaḥ kathaṁ ko [...]
Gita 08.01 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now here we are discussing [...]
What we think of at our death is more important than what others think about us after our death
Some teachers recommend that we visualize our funeral and contemplate what others will say about us at that time. The difference between what others say [...]
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 [...]
At death, we don’t have to leave home; we can go home
If we have to leave our home for a long time, we feel agonized. That agony is multiplied manifold when we have to face death, [...]
Reflect on time’s cyclicity to reduce the mind’s imbecility
The mind’s imbecility is to believe that the things that haven’t provided fulfillment till now will provide fulfillment next time round. It imagines that the [...]
Let the restless mind find rest in Krishna
In some fictional narratives, a Superman-like being stops by the force of his arms a fast moving car. Though such a feat looks spectacular on [...]
The world’s being a miserable place doesn’t mean we have to be miserable
An oft-quoted Bhagavad-gita verse deems this world a place of misery (08.15: duhkhalyam). Yet the same Gita was spoken to relieve Arjuna of misery. Initially [...]
Waking up from the nightmare of death
“I will die one day.” We find such thoughts hard to stomach because our insides recoil and rebel at the prospect of our annihilation. We [...]
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 [...]
Our disposition at death determines our destination after death
Our thoughts shape our actions and our actions shape our destinations. While this has become something of a cliché nowadays, Gita wisdom reveals a profound [...]
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 [...]
Krishna is not just a point for meditation – he is the person for supplication
Yogis, specifically dhyana-yogis, start meditation by focusing on some point, such as the tip of the nose or the space between the eyebrows. As such [...]
The key to offering ourselves to Krishna is offering our mind and intelligence to him
“How can we remember Krishna while doing our duties in the world?” This question often perplexes devotees. Let’s look closely at the Bhagavad-gita verse (08.07) [...]
Krishna is not life’s sole goal – he is life’s whole goal
Sometimes people ask: “To attain Krishna, do we have to give up all other goals and just devote ourselves to him?” No, because Krishna is not [...]
Let the pat on the back for our intellectual conquests not become a nail in the coffin of our devotional prospects
The Bhagavad-gita declares repeatedly that Krishna can be known only through devotion, as in 08.22, 11.53 - 11.54, 18.55, for example. Why is devotion the [...]
Life is a test of taste
Life is a test. This saying is meant to inspire people to gallantly face life’s problems. Additionally, Gita wisdom reveals its philosophical import: life is [...]
In life’s final exam, worry not about circumstantial logistics; rely on transcendental dynamics
Death is life’s final exam. We are eternal souls transmigrating through various temporary bodies. Death is our opportunity to attain eternal life – if things [...]