Enlightenment ends the mind’s search for alternatives to Krishna
We are all searching for some object as a source of love and pleasure. Gita wisdom explains that we are actually searching for Krishna, the [...]
Devotion is the culmination of intellectual illumination and emotional connection
Some people downplay devotion deeming it a feeling enjoyed by non-intellectual sentimentalists. Yes, devotion is a feeling that is accessible even to non-intellectuals. But it [...]
No rite can make us right with God – we need to make our heart right
Some people reduce religion down to a set of rituals, “If you just do the rites right, God will be pleased with you.” Such a [...]
We may let go of Krishna, but Krishna will never let go of us
A person falling off a cliff can be saved by holding on to another person standing on the cliff. We are like the falling person, [...]
Devotion molds our heart and service shapes our life
Bhakti-yoga is a symbiosis of inner emotion and outer action. The Bhagavad-gita (09.13-14) points to these inner and outer dimensions. Devotees are internally fixed in [...]
Use Krishna’s mercy to wash yourself, not whitewash yourself
When we start practicing bhakti-yoga, we get access to Krishna’s mercy. We gain intellectual understanding and devotional experience of his unflinching, unfailing love for us. [...]
Temptation can knock us down, but it can’t knock us out
In a boxing match, a boxer may be knocked down, but only when the fallen player fails to rise does the knock down become a [...]
Expand your conception of not just life, but also the self
Most religions expand the conception of life by explaining that death is not a termination, but a transition to life at another level of reality. [...]
Practice bhakti for experience, not expedience
Those brought up or living in a devotional culture may go through the motions of bhakti for expedience’s sake, for example, to avoid reproach in [...]
Practice dharma for attaining spiritual purity, not material prosperity
Most of the people who practice dharma, in the sense of doing some religious rituals, do so for getting material things. Some people extend this [...]
Essential intention is more important than incidental action
To err is human. Whenever we attempt anything worthwhile, we usually go through failures before attaining success. Even children taking their first steps slip and [...]
The idea that choosing God costs nothing reduces God to nothing
Some people argue, “God is so great and so accommodating that he will love us, no matter what we do.” Yes, the point of contention [...]
Devotion is not just a calling but also a choice
Many people treat devotion as a calling to which some are called and some (they) aren’t. Thus, they rationalize delaying their practice of devotion till [...]
Falling down is not failure – staying down is
Some devotee-seekers ask, “While striving to live according to devotional principles, we sometimes slip and fall. How can we best deal with such falls?” Not [...]
Don’t give Krishna your leftovers
The very idea of giving Krishna our leftovers may shock out devotional sensibilities – we usually give leftovers such as food to beggars, not to [...]
Realization harmonizes scientific experimentation with spiritual revelation
Some people ask, “Isn’t it better to acquire knowledge through scientific experimentation rather than scriptural revelation because by experimentation we can actively participate and verify [...]
Let repetition be a re-petition
Chanting mantras is a standard religious practice based on the philosophical understanding that sacred sound is packed with power. Different mantras are meant for different [...]
Prayerfulness is not the replacer of prayer, but its reinforcer
Some people say, “Prayer is a state of being – it’s not something that you do; it’s something that you are.” Actually, this state refers [...]
Don’t just see the provision – see the provider
As eco-awareness is spreading, people are increasingly appreciating how dependent we all are on nature. Without nature’s provision of our basic necessities, we wouldn’t be [...]
When karma runs its course, karmic flyers crash down to earth by force
When a plane flies high in the sky, its flight is due to not just the expertise of the pilot but also the fuel put [...]
Devotion’s simplicity is the refuge for the empty-handed, not the subterfuge for the close-fisted
The empty-handed refers to those who have very little material resources. So, when they come to Krishna, they come with next to nothing. Yet Krishna [...]