Chapter 16

Yajna of nama refers to sacrifices (yajna) centered on the chanting of the holy names of God (nama). The Bhagavad-gita (10.25) declares meditational chanting to [...]

We all aspire to improve ourselves, to bring out our best and to make our best contributions. However, there exists some force within us that [...]

When we make decisions, we usually think that we are choosing freely. However, we decide not just by our conscious intentions but also by our [...]

We all have our fears: loss of health, wealth or loved ones. To deal with such fears, we arrange for insurances, security systems or self-defense [...]

Anxiety epidemic. That’s how psychologists describe the spiraling anxiety levels among people today. Anxieties are frequently attributed to uncertainties that arise from financial, political and [...]

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 [...]

In life, what we do is important, but why we do it is equally, if not more, important. Intention is critical in religious activities, wherein [...]

Many people practice religion for cosmetic purposes – they want to look good in society’s eyes. They may visit temples on holy days, treating such [...]

When we start practicing bhakti, we often experience amazing transformation – even without much effort on our part, sinful habits to which we may have [...]

When people hurt us, we often feel the urge to get even. And when they hurt us grievously, we feel we have a right to [...]

People often want to rise to the top in their fields and to delight in being high above everyone else. Even if they attain a [...]

When we enter a room, we often note how many people notice us. If no one notices us, we feel bad. If many heads turn [...]

Today’s culture revels in moral relativism. People reject the existence of objective moral principles; they argue that whatever makes them feel good is good, and [...]

To relieve life’s monotony, we sometimes seek various diversions. While diverting ourselves, we may simply want some harmless entertainment. But diversions can easily degenerate from [...]

If we oversleep, we often justify, “I was tired.” But if someone we don’t like oversleeps, we label them as “lazy.” If we overeat, we [...]

Some people say, “I am interested only in the here-and-now, in the visible and the tangible. I am not interested in philosophy.” However, we all [...]

We can’t afford to not have a map if we are on a road that ends in a free fall from a cliff into a [...]

Short-tempered people are sometimes said to be “wired to explode.” This expression draws metaphorically from technology to imply that our behavior is determined by our [...]

Suppose we have some special talents by which we can excel in an important service. But we may hesitate to use those talents, fearing that [...]