Gita 16.08 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 16.8 asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te [...]
How doubt can’t live without faith (Dealing with doubt 7)
Parasites can’t exist without the host organisms they prey on. Doubt is such a parasite that can’t live without faith. Consider, for example, doubts about [...]
To love values is good, to value love is better, to love the source of all values and love is the best
The world is becoming increasingly materialistic and opportunistic. Such people often have no purpose or value beyond the gratification of their sensual desires (Bhagavad-gita 16.07). [...]
If we gauge how good we are solely by how good we feel about ourselves, we rob ourselves of our goodness
We all want to feel good about ourselves. And wanting to feel good is in itself not a bad thing. It becomes bad when it [...]
Moral relativism makes wrongdoing tough to identify, tougher to rectify and toughest to purify
Many people nowadays argue for moral relativism: “What is wrong and what is right is relative; if something feels right to me, then you have [...]
Everyone has values, but not everyone’s values reflect real value
Many people lament the lack of values in today’s world: “So many corrupt people sacrifice higher principles for petty pleasures.” Actually however, everyone has values [...]
Even if our worldview stays out of view, it shapes our every view
Suppose a beautiful bird is seen in the sky. A nature lover would reach for a camera to shoot its photo, whereas a hunter would [...]
To argue that the truth is unknowable is to presume that it is knowable
Some skeptics look for flaws in all philosophies, especially philosophies that strive to explain the nature and purpose of existence. They argue that all such [...]
The comfort blanket of rationalization keeps us willingly in the cage of illusion
Suppose a person is trapped in a cold cage. They will naturally look for a way to escape. But if inside the cage they are [...]
Spiritual desolation triggers sensual obsession
When our life has no higher purpose, whatever promises of pleasures controls and drags us. For example, if we have nothing important to do on [...]
The existence of evil points to God, not away from him
A common atheist argument is: “Why does evil exist?” But the question could well be turned around, “Why should evil not exist? Why do we [...]
What defines us is what lies at the top of our being, not at the bottom
Some materialists argue that we humans are nothing but animals. Yes, we have much in common with animals: we all struggle for survival, and crave [...]
To see through everything is to see nothing
The purpose of seeing through something is to see to something. A see-through window in our car helps us see things outside the car. If [...]
To claim that nothing should be generalized is to generalize something
Some people argue, “Everything is relative; nothing should be generalized.” But this argument begs the question: “Nothing should be generalized – should this statement be [...]
If anything can mean anything, ultimately nothing means anything
A contemporary intellectual trend is deconstructionism, which some nihilists appropriate to invent all sorts of creative and destructive interpretations of things. Nihilists argue that there [...]
When we desert Krishna, our heart becomes a desert
The word desert can refer to both a place and an action. As a place, it refers to a region without water. As an action, [...]
Materialism reduces life to a disrelation of unrelated events
Suppose we are shown a movie in which events are utterly unconnected; characters pop in and out with no logic; and the story moves without [...]
Belief founded in the illusion of all belief is an illusion
Many atheists try to thrust their belief system on people by misappropriating the prestige of science. For example, they hold that in the past when [...]