AIM for Krishna to attain the ultimate absorption
When people do something they like, say, watching a sports match, they often get so absorbed that they don’t even notice discomforts such as sitting [...]
Reason is confounded not by faith, but by faithlessness
Does faith in God confound reason, as atheists argue? Not at all. Far from confounding reason, faith is the foundation of reason. The very idea [...]
Progress from questioning to understanding by patient hearing
While hearing philosophy, whenever we get questions, we often expect immediate and immediately intelligible answers. However, to understand the answers, we frequently need conceptual background – [...]
The perfection of devotional learning is not just learning but also learning to keep learning
Learning can refer to both the process and the product: the process of learning, and its product, becoming a person with learning. In learning about [...]
Krishna lights the world without and the world within
When we are caught in darkness and are struggling to find our way, if someone provides light to show the way, we naturally want to [...]
The heart of wisdom is attained by the wisdom of the heart
The heart of wisdom is pure love for the all-attractive Supreme, Krishna. Such love is the most cherished and most confidential fruit of wisdom, for [...]
The existence of Krishna is the necessity for the existence of anything else
Suppose an observer atop a skyscraper tracing downwards found that it had no foundation. Impossible, isn’t it? Without a foundation, there would be no skyscraper [...]
Bhakti bestows the intelligence for tolerance and the taste for transcendence
Tolerance and transcendence comprise our twofold defense against temptation. Tolerance refers to the capacity to endure the presence of unwanted temptations without succumbing to them. [...]
The illumination of devotion is the best protection from illusion
Illusion constantly tempts and torments us spiritual seekers, by making us imagine that pleasure is found – and found in abundance – in worldly things. [...]
Krishna is the source, shelter and summit of everything
When people hear the word God, they often conceive of him in terms of a Supreme Controller. Krishna is indeed the controller of all worlds, [...]
Choose the collective that is corrective, not disruptive
We are social beings. Not only do we long to belong to some social group, but also the mindsets and passions of the social group [...]
Krishna is not just the object for meditation but also the subject for reciprocation
For aspiring meditators, Gita wisdom recommends Krishna as the best object for meditation. Let’s see how and why. While outlining yoga in its sixth chapter, [...]
Celebrate the commotion of emotion in the ocean of devotion
Some people conceive of spiritual perfection as an emotionless peace, a sanctuary of silence beyond the agitations and complications of material existence. Gita wisdom acknowledges [...]
When we demand Krishna’s protection on our terms, we deprive ourselves of his best protection
When we face problems, we often pray to Krishna for protection. He always protects, but not necessarily on our terms. If we demand protection on [...]
The road from beauty to reality can be seen only by purity
Some people ask, “When God has created the beauty of this world, why do scriptures decry it as illusion?” Firstly, scriptures don’t decry beauty itself [...]
Envy is degrading; esteem is ennobling
Envy is a typical human response on seeing others better than us. But it’s not the only possible response – esteem is a healthier alternative. [...]
Faith generated by miracles is not as consequential as the miracle generated by faith
Some religions call for faith based on the miracles that happened at their inception, say, the resurrection of their founder from the dead. Atheists contest [...]
There is no reason for reason without a transcendental source of reason
Materialists often portray themselves as champions of reason and deride religionists as peddlers of irrational beliefs. However, the very reason they claim to champion has [...]
The point of the world is to point beyond the world
When we see the distress, destruction and death that characterize this world, we may get the question: “What is the point of it all?” But [...]
The notion that bhakti is for the less intelligent is less intelligent
Some Bhagavad-gita commentators state: “Bhakti is for sentimental, less intelligent people; whereas jnana is for intelligent people.” A careful study of the Gita, however, reveals [...]
Might my own thing not be my own thing?
Many people reject discipline: “I want to be free to do my own thing.” Our aspiration to be free is natural and laudable. But we [...]