The Gita is not self-contradictory, but self-revelatory
“That’s self-contradictory.” We may feel thus on reading some sections of the Bhagavad-gita. For example, the Gita (9.4) states, mat-sthani sarva bhutani “All of existence [...]
Krishna is not only the anchor to which we connect, but also the anchor by which we connect
A boat in an ocean keeps bobbing due to the unending waves. To stay steady, it needs an anchor. Similarly, the waves of unending dualities [...]
Spiritual growth depends on disposition, not position
Our normal material tendency is to go by externals. We form impressions about people based on how they look, where they stay, what they drive [...]
Our heart may not have a place for Krishna, but Krishna has a place for our heart
Sometimes life forces us to face so many problems that we feel we have no time left for Krishna. Not only that, the very presence [...]
Might we be sentencing to the jail those who need the hospital?
Falling from moral standards is an ever-present danger for all devotee-seekers in this world of temptation. When others don’t live up to our moral expectations, [...]
What defines us as devotees is not how we fall, but how we rise
When we fail and fall while practicing the moral standards expected of us as devotees, we often feel discouraged, “I will never be able to [...]
When the Absolute Truth doesn’t speak the absolute truth
In the Bhagavad-gita (09.31), Krishna asks Arjuna to declare boldly that devotees will never perish. Erudite Gita commentators explain why Krishna asks Arjuna to make [...]
Let reason be our minister, not our master
We may get the question: “Do I have to give up reason in order to put faith in the Gita?” Not at all, answers Gita [...]
Accidents are no accidents
The word ‘accident’ has become integral to our vocabulary, largely due to the many unfortunate crashes that beset our roads. Words, however, don’t just reflect [...]
Transcend the labor pains of devotion through loving anticipation
We normally don’t like pain. But when a to-be-mother undergoes labor pains, love shifts her thoughts from the present pain to the future child. Her [...]
The incomprehensible comprehensibility and the comprehensible incomprehensibility of the universe
“The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible,” wondered Albert Einstein. If the universe were just matter emerged by chance, why [...]
The world is in a mess – as usual
The daily news of natural disasters like hurricanes and human-made distresses like corruption show that the world is in a terrible mess. Seeing this, we [...]
Let Krishna permeate, pervade and possess our heart
Devotional advancement essentially means letting Krishna enter and rule our heart. This may happen in the following three progressive stages: 1. Permeation: Just as water from [...]
Go beyond captivity to futility and utility
As practicing spiritualists, we may face the question, “What should be my attitude towards the material world?” Let’s first look at the three broad attitudes [...]
Devotion is Krishna’s appetizer
Some people ask, “God is complete and doesn’t need anything. As he never feels hungry, what is the need to offer him food?” This question [...]
Bhakti is not just cultural or historical but also universal and eternal
The historical dating of spiritually significant events is often an exercise in irrelevance. Consider, for example, the mainstream academic opinion that characterizes bhakti as a [...]
See spiritual advancement in overall dedication not ritual specialization
Many spiritual neophytes get enamored on seeing virtuoso cultural skills in spiritual teachers. They often consider as spiritually advanced individuals with the ability to fluently [...]
Devotion to the greatest soul makes the small soul a great soul
We usually long to prove our greatness to the world. At first sight, Gita wisdom seems to repress this ambition for greatness; it informs us [...]
Bhakti brings equality and universality on the spiritual path
Ours is an age that idealizes the equality of all human beings. The American Declaration of Rights which enshrines this equality is widely considered a [...]
Attraction to the supernatural is natural
Supernatural stunts in cartoons and sci-fi movies attract not only common people, but also diehard skeptics who usually denounce anything supernatural. They happily suspend their [...]
Fasting is an opportunity for feasting
Some people think of fasting as a means of achieving mastery over their body. They fast to increase their willpower by refusing to let bodily [...]