Evil never wins as thoroughly as when it wins in the heart
Crime, terrorism, brutality. Whenever we hear about such evil things happening in the world, we naturally feel angry at the evil perpetrators. While such reactions [...]
When one makes lust a god, lust makes one a devil
“No problem’s so big that sex can’t solve it.” So believe the materialists whose minds are filled with endless sexual fantasies. The Bhagavad-gita (16.10) indicates [...]
Charity is not just an activity but also a mentality
Charity is usually thought of as an activity, the action of contributing to some worthy cause. But the Bhagavad-gita (16.01) lists charity as a quality. [...]
Our bonds are not prisoner’s shackles, but puppeteer’s strings
We treasure freedom as an inalienable right and resist anything that threatens it. However, we think of freedom largely in terms of the freedom [...]
Those who crave to look big are small
Our culture often reduces character to image, wisdom to sound bytes and self-worth to net-worth. Being goaded by such a superficial environment, people frequently, even [...]
Obsession with fame deprives us of prema
Most people get a rush of exhilaration when they go to a new place and find recognition and admiration for them in the eyes of [...]
When desires crowd the mind, dilemmas cloud the intelligence
We sometimes feel overwhelmed by the number of things that we need to get done. No doubt, we do have a lot to do, but [...]
Fearlessness comes not by the absence of fear, but by the awareness of a presence that dwarfs fear
Heart attack. Recession. Earthquake. All of us have our fears. Fears that check even choke our energy, making things far more difficult than they need [...]
Anger makes our response to a problem a bigger problem than the problem itself
When someone wrongs us, it is natural to feel angry. Yet just because it is natural doesn’t make it desirable. Of course, neither is it [...]
End the tradition of abuse with the tradition of love
We are all shaped by our experiences. The way people deal with us, especially during our formative years, becomes our standard reference, conscious or subconscious, [...]
Beware of the universal solvent that dissolves everything including us
Today’s materialistic culture provokes us into seeing everything in monetary terms: “There are so many good-looking things that I could enjoy if only I had [...]
Greed makes the wealthy needy
Money, money, money. That’s the supreme goal of life for many people today. We obviously need money to survive. But is it survival that drives [...]
A liberty that ends in slavery
Liberty. Freedom. Independence. These words appeal to us for they express the universal longing of the heart. However, these words have in recent times been [...]
An emptiness that is worse than loneliness
When we neglect or reject relationships, we make ourselves lonely. But when we neglect or reject our relationship with Krishna, we make ourselves worse that [...]
Why sentence ourselves to meaninglessness, purposelessness and joylessness?
Skeptics often ask, “What is the use of devoting so much time to God?” Little do they understand that Krishna brings meaning, purpose and joy [...]
When we best serve Krishna by keeping out of his business
Faultfinding comes easy for most of us; it gives a much-craved boost to our false ego by making us feeling superior to the faulty. And [...]
A prison of promises and pretenses
“Purchase this and you will be happy.” “Wear this and you will enjoy.” “Own this and your dreams will be fulfilled.” Ads like these confront [...]
Is our religion a sanctuary for the soul or a gymnasium for the ego?
“My home altar is more elegant than that of others.” “I pronounce verses more accurately than others.” “I give more donation than others.” Such thoughts [...]
Our convictions are far more important than our possessions
The world defines us by our possessions – what we wear, where we stay, what we drive in, for example. However, these things are external [...]
Why put faith in faithlessness?
Some people parade their faithlessness as if it makes them intellectually superior: “I don’t believe in anything that I don’t see; I don’t believe in [...]
Scriptural study strengthens the intelligence, stabilizes the mind and sustains the heart
Scripture often talks about times so radically different from ours that we may wonder: is this relevant for me? Yes, definitely. The relevance comes from [...]