When a danger is less visible, it leaves us more vulnerable
If we are afflicted by some disease with visible symptoms such as TB, we would seek diagnosis and treatment. But suppose we are afflicted by [...]
When the mind takes charge, the only thing that works is we: hard
Suppose a competent leader takes charge of a project. They ensure that everyone works hard and productively. But if the leader is incompetent, no one [...]
To believe whatever we see is to live like an animal
Some people assert, “Seeing is believing.” Their intent in making this assertion may be good – they don’t want to unintelligently, gullibly believe anything and [...]
It’s not because we are special that we are loved; it’s because we are loved that we are special
We all need a sense of self-worth. And we frequently seek it in horizontal terms. That is, we look at the people around us to [...]
The heart’s core is never hardcore
Hardcore is often the describer for people who are rigid and inflexible, convinced that their particular way of doing things is the only way of [...]
The mind is not just a window; it is also a camera
The mind is like a window; it integrates inputs coming from the senses and presents them to the soul for processing (Bhagavad-gita 15.09). Of course, [...]
Devotion is not just reverential deference to God’s greatness; it is also passionate advocacy of his sweetness
Some people think that to be devoted means to perpetually bow down to God, being awed by his greatness. Yes, appreciating God’s greatness and submitting [...]
We may be victimized, but we don’t have to be victims
We may sometimes be victimized. How can we deal with the resulting devastation? By ensuring that the emotional dimension of the victimization doesn’t aggravate our [...]
See weakness as woundedness, not wickedness
Suppose our hand is fractured, thereby weakening its connection with our arm. Then our capacity to move it according to our will decreases. And if [...]
Our capacity for emotions comes from the soul, but our current emotions come from the mind
Suppose a child is watching a horror movie on TV and is becoming fearful. Herein, the ability to experience emotions comes from the child – [...]
What we see depends on what we want to see
Suppose an alcoholic visits a new city. Though the city may have many attractive sights, the alcoholic will look for bars. Similarly, when we function [...]
Evidence is only as good as the person evaluating it
Suppose someone infected by a disease is in denial. Even when their physician shows them the relevant reports, if they aren’t medically well-read enough to [...]
Technological progress can’t fill the hole created by spiritual emptiness
We all are inherently pleasure-seeking. Usually, we seek pleasure through stimulating objects in the outer world. Today, technology has given us access to stimulation from [...]
Let Krishna’s visible protection increase our faith in his invisible protection
On seeing life’s many uncertainties, we may get the question, “Will Krishna really protect me amidst dangers?” Before looking for his protection amidst problems, we [...]
We are conditioned not by what we are, but by what we are missing
We all have our conditionings that sometimes make us act unwisely, even self-destructively. When some people get overpowered by their conditionings repeatedly, they start being [...]
Gita 15.05 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now Krishna will conclude this [...]
We are in a dream, but we are not a dream
Some people say that everything is an illusion, like a dream. Yes, spiritual traditions do compare our present existence to a dream. But such comparison [...]
Liberation is integration in intention, not identity
Some spiritualists conceive of liberation as a state of oneness or integration with the Absolute. The Bhagavad-gita acknowledges this conception, but also nuances our understanding [...]
The Personal Absolute is not a tool to transcendence – he is the summit of transcendence
Some spiritualists think that the ultimate spiritual reality is the impersonal non-differentiated oneness known as Brahman. Such people sometimes pay cursory tribute to the Personal [...]
The mind’s barriers for the entry of nonsense are ludicrously low
A field vulnerable to flooding needs to be protected by barriers. But if the barring walls are very low, the protection will be largely illusory. [...]
We need the eyes to see what our eyes need to see
When we are sick and in pain, a doctor may immediately see some symptoms that indicate the presence of disease. If during the course of [...]