Is stating that life is tough pessimistic?
Suppose a boxer is playing a boxing match where they are getting battered. Suppose they tell their coach, “This match is really tough.” And their [...]
How the search for equality becomes imbalanced
Suppose we are severely sick. Would we care whether the hospital has doctors from various ethnic backgrounds? No, we would care whether it has the [...]
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard?
Suppose someone we know does something so shocking that we feel, “I don’t want anything to do with such a horrible person.” While our shock [...]
Three meanings of spring, as applied to bhakti
Bhakti is a spring: Just as an object kept on a coil is sprung by the energy of that coil, we too are sprung by [...]
Respond to moral failure not by mental punishment, but by spiritual reinstatement
Life can be a constant moral struggle. We are prone to hundreds and thousands of temptation that incite us to immoral indulgence. We may resolve [...]
Gita 09.14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 9.14 satataṁ kīrtayanto māṁ [...]
Faith is seen through both firmness in intention and flexibility in execution
During a pandemic, if temples are closed to avoid infection, does that indicate a lack of faith among the devoted? Not necessarily. The essence of [...]
God’s transcendence means that he is free from taking sides – and free for taking sides
Some people ask, “Is God impartial? If so, then why does Krishna take the Pandavas’ side in Mahabharata?” Yes, God is impartial. He is transcendental [...]
God focuses not on what wrongs we have committed, but on where our heart is committed
Suppose we strive to practice bhakti and live purely, but fail — and fail repeatedly. We may feel disheartened: “When I am so impure, how [...]
Gita 09.06 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now after describing this Krishna [...]
Destiny may determine the complexion of our face, but we determine the expression on our face
“Is everything destined?” We may ask when factors beyond our control wreck our efforts to succeed in life. Gita wisdom answers that some things are [...]
Everything expensive is not valuable, everything valuable is not expensive
We all long for the best in life, be it in looks, careers, positions, possessions, or relationships. While seeking the best, we need to differentiate [...]
Gita 09.28 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan And Krishna will describe in [...]
Gita 09.05 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now the next verse reveals [...]
Our future is shaped not so much by how many options we have as by how well we choose among the options we do have
We are sometimes constrained by our situations, wherein they leave us with very few options to choose from, be they financial, relational, professional, educational or [...]
The notion that love can exist outside of sacrifice is a dangerous lie
In today’s world, many people equate love with feel-good. When they experience an overwhelming hormonal rush that makes them feel attracted and captivated by someone, [...]
Life is a school in which everyone thinks their exam is the toughest
Suppose a school has an examination system in which each student gets a different question paper. The system might seem unfair, but actually, it is [...]
The environment is not ours to take or leave, it is ours to make
We are living in an age of considerable climate change. For the past several centuries, the mainstream cultural ethos was that the environment is ours [...]
Don’t let our desire to use something for Krishna become greater than our desire for Krishna
Suppose we are driving to meet someone dear to us, and we get a desire to offer them a special gift. But we get so [...]
To respect Krishna, respect the time we have carved out for Krishna
Suppose we are to meet someone who says they respect us profusely. But suppose they don’t turn up for the meeting – and that happens [...]
Learn to be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable
Life often makes us uncomfortable, through stress, boredom, overwork, loneliness, sickness and so forth. On facing such discomfort, we impulsively seek to get away from [...]