Hate may be an unavoidable emotion, but hatefulness is an avoidable disposition
When some people hurt us and delight in doing so, we may naturally feel anger and hate. Even if such hate is unavoidable, we needn’t [...]
Gita 11.39 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan First there is glorification going [...]
Subtle time subtly causes colossal changes
When we see a huge cloud moving in the sky, we don’t often realize that it demonstrates how the subtler affects the grosser – the [...]
Just because the world is a place of misery doesn’t mean we have to accept atrocity
Some people say, “The Bhagavad-gita’s statement that the world is a place of misery makes people fatalistic, passively accepting atrocity.” If the Gita were fatalistic, [...]
Be single-minded, not single-geared
Suppose we decide to drive by a particular path to a particular destination. If that path is blocked, we will flexibly choose an alternative path. [...]
The heaviest thing to hold is a grudge
When someone hurts us, we may become filled with anger and resentment. Entertaining revenge fantasies, we may hold grudges against them. Just as heavy weights [...]
Empowerment doesn’t mean absence of obstacles – it means perseverance amidst obstacles
In spiritual circles, special souls who do extraordinary services are considered empowered by the divine. When we try to do some service and face some [...]
The Gita complements verbal exposition with visual demonstration
The Bhagavad-gita expounds on the inconceivable relationship of God, Krishna, with this world through two paradoxical verses (09.04-05). These verses state that all of existence [...]
Life is meant to get back to Krishna, not to get back at others
Suppose a snake bites us. Suppose further that we become enraged at the snake and start chasing it to kick it to death. Even if [...]
When we resent others, we drink poison and expect them to suffer
Suppose a person becomes furious with someone and decides to hurt them. So, they drink poison themselves. Ridiculous, we would say: Who would do anything [...]
Let our confidence come from not who we are, but whose we are
Suppose we are climbing a huge mountain. Seeing how tall it is, we may lose heart and give up. If, however, we are a part [...]
Consciousness of Krishna is not just passive contemplation – it is also active dedication
Some people fear, “If I become conscious of Krishna, as the Bhagavad-gita recommends, won’t I become passive, just longing for some otherworldly reality, doing nothing practical?” No, the Bhagavad-gita’s setting and substance both convey that spirituality fosters activity, not passivity.
Devotion grants vision through a combination of perception and comprehension
The Bhagavad-gita (11.52) states that the form of Krishna is very difficult to see. This may raise the question, “But wasn’t he seen by all [...]
Comprehension of scripture comes by absorption, not projection
The Bhagavad-gita, being a widely respected book, is often misappropriated by people with their own agendas. Such people cherry-pick the Gita’s verses to suit their [...]
Gita 11.20 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan There is beginning of description [...]
Set targets not so much to meet them as to meet Krishna through them
Few things are as empowering in casting off lethargy as setting targets – they infuse our work with urgency and intensity. Of course, there’s a [...]
God is not one cause among many causes – he is the one cause underlying the many causes
When we cook something, say, sweet rice, we use ingredients such as rice, sugar, milk, camphor – and God. No, God is not one of [...]
Krishna is unlimited, but he is not stuck with his unlimitedness
Some people object to Deity worship saying, “By depicting God in a limited form, you are limiting the unlimited.” But saying that God can’t manifest [...]
Anger can be an expression of love – and so can be the determination to control anger
Anger often makes us speak and do things that hurt others, things that we regret later. Aptly, the Bhagavad-gita (16.21) deems anger one of the [...]
If we do what we can, Krishna empowers us to do what we can’t
During the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu was unfairly, brutally murdered on the thirteenth day. Outraged, Arjuna vowed to kill before the next sunset the [...]
Spirituality complements talent with temperament
Success requires not just talent but also temperament. Many talented people crack under pressure due to their weak temperament. While temperament has many components, its [...]