Bhagavad-gita as the LED light for our life
Bhagavad-gita as the LED light for our life - On the occasion of Gita Jayanti, let us consider the life-affirming and enriching message of the [...]
Does surrender mean that God manages our life for us?
The Bhagavad-gita begins and ends with surrender. But these two forms of surrender are significantly different. The initial surrender in 2.7 happens when Arjuna acknowledges [...]
Surrender is not passive but active
The Bhagavad Gita (18.73) concludes with Arjuna surrendering to Krishna, not in a passive way by accepting Krishna's will as it is happening in his [...]
Who is writing our life’s story
If we consider our life to be a story, then who is writing the story? We may say that we ourselves are writing the story [...]
How God’s pleasure relates with what is best for us
In the Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion, Arjuna declares that he will do Krishna’s will (18.73). This declaration is an expression of love, for love centers on the [...]
How to do God’s will when we don’t know what it is
When we resolve to do God’s will as indicated in the Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion (18.73), we may wonder, “What do I do in perplexing situations wherein [...]
Does doing God’s will mean giving up our independence?
On learning the Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion to comply with the divine will (18.73), an apprehension may arise: “If I start doing God’s will, does that mean [...]
Does doing God’s will mean doing something unnatural?
The Bhagavad-gita concludes by indirectly urging us all to harmonize our will with the divine will (18.73). Some people fear that such surrender may mean [...]
How God’s will relates with our moral reasoning
The Bhagavad-gita concludes with Arjuna declaring that he will do Krishna’s will (18.73). This conclusion also reflects the Gita’s universal guideline: our human will is [...]
How Krishna expands Arjuna’s understanding of his choices
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna faced a crippling ethical dilemma: Should he work or should he renounce work? Krishna explains that neither work [...]
How Arjuna’s words reveal the Gita’s sadhana and sadhya
One traditional way to know the import of a complex text is the path-purpose hermeneutic or the sadhana-sadhya approach. Sadhana refers broadly to the means [...]
What do Arjuna’s last three words in the Gita tell us about the Gita
Arjuna’s last words in the Bhagavad-gita are: “I will do your will.” (18.73: karishye vachanam tava). What do they tell us about Krishna’s message? That [...]
What the three endings of Krishna’s message tell us about Krishna
Let’s consider three possible endings of Krishna’s message to Arjuna. Analytical ending (18.63): Though Krishna speaks nine more verses after this verse, this verse sounds [...]
Handling the gun of doubt (Dealing with doubts 4)
Handling the gun of doubt - If we are traveling through a dangerous area, we need a good gun. Similarly, to function in an illusion-filled [...]
Four stages in managing desires — Desire Management series 9
Four stages in managing desires — Desire Management series 9 - To understand how desire management can progress in our inner world, let’s compare it [...]
Why are we studying spirituality?
Why are we studying spirituality? - We now live in an age where education has become very structured and systematized, wherein educational success is measured [...]
Do emotions reside in the mind?
Do emotions reside in the mind? - To understand, consider an analogous question: do sensations reside in the body? Suppose a 20 kg dumbbell is [...]
How purpose makes pain bearable
How purpose makes pain bearable - Suppose a person dear to us is sick and in great pain. Suppose further the only available doctor is [...]
When God doesn’t seem to help us …
When God doesn’t seem to help us - Suppose we pray to God for help amid difficulty but the difficulty remains. Does that mean God [...]
Are we boosting our thought-energy regularly?
Are we boosting our thought-energy regularly? - Our car runs on fuel, our phone runs on battery, our body runs on food. What do [...]
Why our energy goes down — and how to restore it
Why our energy goes down — and how to restore it - Suppose our energy level starts dropping while we strive to manage our many [...]