The mind may give us a flashback, but we don’t have to turn back
When we strive to lead a principle-centered life, we sometimes get sudden flashbacks. Some flashbacks are joyful, some painful. The unpleasant flashbacks are often of [...]
Union of wills requires not the breaking of will but the building of will
We may have a lose-win conception in our relationship with God: He is the Supreme, and we have no option but to obey him, else [...]
To avoid the inner bad feeling, don’t weaken conscience – strengthen willpower
Whenever we do something wrong, we feel bad, “I shouldn’t have done like that.” This bad feeling is the pinch of conscience. Conscience is like [...]
Let technological literacy not lead to intellectual illiteracy
Technological literacy is nowadays spreading rapidly. With machines being used widely at workplaces, knowing how they work is often essential. But interest in devices goes [...]
Worldly enjoyment is the bait to worldly entanglement
When a fish that is swimming freely in the ocean gets allured by a bait, it soon gets trapped. We all are like that fish, [...]
The Gita empowers Arjuna to win his inner war and enrich himself with wisdom
When warriors fight a formidable enemy, they often inspire themselves by dreaming of the wealth they will gain on winning. Similarly, when we fight the [...]
Work not to run away from yourself – work to realize yourself
Work can be a responsible-seeming way to stay irresponsible. When we succumb to workaholism, work becomes our rationale for neglecting life’s other important aspects, such [...]
When we realize our deepest identity, we fulfill our highest destiny
When we are born, we get a conception of identity based on our gender, complexion, dynasty, nationality. Associated with this identity comes a conception of [...]
Devotion is a dexterous dance between dependence and determination
Some people feel, “As devotion requires becoming dependent on God, it makes the devoted passive, abandoning their initiative and energy.” However, devotional dependence is empowering, [...]
Using our ears better helps us better use the thing between our ears
The thing between our ears is our brain, which idiomatically refers to our intelligence. Though we all have intelligence, we don’t always act intelligently; we [...]
We may be taken aback, but we don’t have to go back
When things turn out opposite to our expectations, we mentally shrink back, being surprised or shocked. Such an inner reaction is described by the idiom [...]
Seek God not just in the privacy of the heart but also the activity of the world
Some people think that to seek God, we must renounce the world, go to a secluded place in a forest and meditate on him in [...]
Failure is not the enemy of success – it is the entry to success
Some people ask, “When we try to improve ourselves, if we fail repeatedly, how can we avoid becoming discouraged?” By reconceptualizing failure – instead of [...]
To offer our best, we need to discover our best
Suppose someone has a precious inheritance buried in their backyard, and they want to give a valuable gift to their loved one. Naturally, they would [...]
Repetition emphasizes – and so does the emphasis in the repetition
In linguistic communication, repetition is a standard rhetorical device for conveying emphasis. The Bhagavad-gita repeats in 18.65 the same two and half lines as in [...]
God doesn’t need us to harmonize with him – we need to harmonize with him
The Bhagavad-gita (18.78) concludes that where Krishna and Arjuna are together, victory follows. This declaration may raise the question: “Krishna alone is enough to guarantee [...]
Exposition enters easiest through an envelope of emotion
The Bhagavad-gita is a treatise of profound philosophical wisdom. And it is also a message of undying spiritual love. Towards the Gita’s end, Krishna tells [...]
Focus on doing what you can, not on what you can’t
Today's culture glamorizes aggressively people with great looks, smart personalities and brilliant skills. Of course, such glamorization is more a show than substance. In real-life, [...]
Second-guessing ourselves doesn’t reflect caution – it reflects confusion
Suppose we are driving to a particular place and have ascertained the path to get there. If we keep stopping repeatedly on the deserted road [...]
Beating our head against a wall is not humility – it is stupidity
“Beating our head against a wall” refers idiomatically to any activity whose only result is to hurt us. When we share spiritual knowledge with others, [...]
We can’t delete our memories, but we can choose what we remember
Some of our memories may have scarred us – memories of abuses we have suffered or allurements we have succumbed to may agitate us whenever [...]