Unconditional love doesn’t mean that whatever we do is loved; it means that whatever we do, we are loved
Some people say, “If God loves us unconditionally, he should let us do whatever we want. But in the Bhagavad-gita, he asks us to do [...]
Don’t mess every new day with yesterday
Suppose we are driving through an intersection. If at a previous intersection, someone had suddenly cut across us. Their actions might have annoyed us, but [...]
Determination means to place our intention above our emotion
We all want to be determined, at least about some things that are important to us. But frequently our determination lets us down. That may [...]
Krishna has faith in our potential – let’s have faith in his potency
Suppose a celebrated sports coach has faith in the potential of an aspiring sports player. If that player lacks confidence, seeing the coach’s confidence in [...]
Wrongdoing is not just the wrong we do, but also the right we don’t do
Suppose a thief robs someone – that’s a wrongdoing. Additionally, if a cop were nearby but didn’t stop the thief – that’s also a wrongdoing. [...]
Krishna transforms our brokenness into wholeness when we surrender
Suppose an accident has broken our bones. To function properly, we need to first become healthy and whole. Our functioning can be impeded not just [...]
Surrender makes us not just peaceful but also purposeful
When we are disturbed, we often approach God through prayer and surrender, hoping to become peaceful. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (18.62) states that surrender leads to [...]
Our mistakes are not Krishna’s plan, but Krishna’s plan accommodates our mistakes
Some people say, “Everything is God’s plan.” Is it really? Are our mistakes his plan? If some people become alcoholics or commit suicide, did God [...]
Intelligence may not be a decisive weapon, but it is an incisive weapon
Some seekers on the devotional path downplay the intelligence: “We just need devotion; we don’t need elaborate intellectual analysis. Ultimately, we can go beyond illusion [...]
Humility paves the way from perplexity to clarity
Suppose we are driving along an unfamiliar road and can’t figure out our route. We need to ask someone and we need the humility to [...]
To become broad-minded, know that reality is broader than what the mind shows
Why are some people narrow-minded? Because they are very attached to their mind. Their vision is limited to what their mind shows, and they hold [...]
When life hurts, don’t let the mind increase the hurt
Suppose we fall on our arm and hurt it. If someone starts hitting the hurt arm, that would be malicious. Our mind often attacks us [...]
Maturity means to acknowledge that no one is obliged to fulfill our needs
When infants are hungry, they just cry and expect others to come running to fulfill their need. However, when adults are hungry, they aren’t expected [...]
Intelligence means to know which thoughts to contemplate and which to neglect
Intelligence is essentially the ability to make good choices. For example, IQ tests often assess students’ intelligence based on their ability to choose the right [...]
Distress is not due to the nature of nature but due to our disharmony with nature
Suppose we get a warning that the weather outside is freezing cold. If we still venture out without wearing any warm clothes, we will naturally [...]
Helping one person may not change the world, but it can change that person’s world
When we aspire to become an agent of positive change in the world, our mind internally and our acquaintances externally may discourage us, “What can [...]
Stop whining that life is not fair – start working with life as it is
Life sometimes gives us a raw deal. Despite working hard, we get no breaks; instead, we find our dreams breaking down. While such situations are [...]
Analyze disposition to clarify status, not justify status quo
When we interact with people, we soon notice that we all are different. What makes us different? Our dispositions. Gita wisdom explains that our dispositions [...]
Fear not the loss of sensual pleasure – fear the loss of spiritual pleasure
We don’t like to lose things. If a choice entails some loss, we recoil from it. Such recoiling can make us miss out on choices [...]
Go beyond the shelter of the intelligence to the shelter of Krishna with your intelligence
Intelligence is vital for our spiritual growth. The Gita’s flow reveals how the role of the intelligence evolves with the evolution of our spiritual understanding. [...]
Don’t give your mind to people whom you wouldn’t give your time
When somebody has hurt us grievously, we may decide to avoid them in future to protect ourselves from being hurt again. Even if they want [...]