Gita 14.02 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 14.2 idaṁ jñānam upāśritya [...]
Act proactively, not reactively
Acting proactively means acting according to our principles and purposes in actions we initiate as well as the ways we respond to events. Acting reactively [...]
Don’t confuse activity with productivity
We often have a heavy workload that makes us rush in a frenzy from one task to the next. Though we are active, working hard, [...]
An intruder inside us is an intruder still
Suppose we find someone in our home. Will we assume that just because that intruder is now inside our home, he is our well-wisher? Suppose [...]
Seek specialty through authenticity, not novelty
It is a natural human urge to want to be special, to stand out from the crowd, to be original. Today’s mainstream materialist culture capitalizes [...]
Don’t defy nature, but don’t deify it either; glorify the Deity behind nature
Overzealous materialists exploit technology to pursue their egoistic agenda of conquering nature. They define technological progress in terms of how much it controls a supposedly [...]
Be not a passive observer – be a detached observer and a devoted doer
Some people misunderstand the Bhagavad-gita’s recommendation to be detached as a call to be passive. However, the Gita concludes with Arjuna’s resolve to give up [...]
Krishna sees not just our feelings but also our feelings about our feelings
During our spiritual journey, we sometimes find ourselves assaulted by non-devotional feelings such as boredom or nonchalance or, worse still, by anti-devotional feelings such as [...]
In life’s multiple-choice exam, select an alternative based on what it says, not where it stays
In a multiple-choice exam, the position of an alternative doesn’t determine its correctness. Just because an alternative is positioned first doesn’t make it correct. The [...]
Be reflective, not reflexive
Our physical reflexes often protect us from danger – if we unconsciously place our hand on something hot, it recoils from that object even before [...]
A passion for fashion ends in dissatisfaction and delusion
Fashions allure us constantly in today’s world. New clothes, new cellphones, new cosmetics – such things often captivate our minds. Keeping up with fashions doesn’t [...]
To understand Krishna’s help, we need Krishna’s help
“Why is Krishna not helping me?” We may get such doubts in times of trouble. Krishna always helps us. When we feel otherwise, that’s because [...]
Let the thoughts that go away from Krishna take our thoughts towards Krishna
Suppose while swimming in a river in one direction, we find ourselves swept away suddenly and dangerously in the opposite direction. Though we may panic [...]
We are compelled to do as we choose to desire
“Am I really free?” We may get this situation when we try to change ourselves for the better and realize how difficult it is, realize [...]
To think outside the box, think about Krishna
"Think outside the box." That’s a common saying among those who want us to break free from stereotyped thinking. However, such people don’t know the [...]
Our happiness depends far more on the thoughts within than on the things without
Our culture makes us believe that we will become happy by improving the things around us – clothes, cellphones and cars, for example. Will we? [...]
Look at the mind before you look with the mind
When a normally cordial friend snaps at us for no reason, we understand sympathetically, “That’s due to a bad mood.” When we identify the bad [...]
Let where we crave to be not drag us away from where we need to be
When our plans are thwarted by things beyond our control, we usually become irritated and distracted. Such disruption of our plans often blinds us to [...]
Use the intelligence in Krishna’s service, not Krishna in the intelligence’s service
We often delight in intellectual stimulation, as recreations like chess, crossword puzzles and other cerebral teasers demonstrate. These recreations are especially appealing if we are [...]
Are we mistaking an inner lacking for an outer lacking?
We sometimes feel that something is lacking in our life. Before we can soberly investigate what it is that is missing, the culture fills our [...]
Be consciousness-conscious
If a red film is put on a flashlight, the light emerging from it changes from white to red and makes everything seem reddish. If [...]