Devotion fosters absorption, not obsession
Some people accuse devotees, “You have become obsessed with Krishna and irresponsible about everything else.”, It’s sadly true that some devotees become negligent. But such [...]
We may have to disagree, but we don’t have to be disagreeable
While interacting with others, we may find some people’s opinions utterly unacceptable. Their perspective and understanding may be so different from ours that we can’t [...]
If we neglect what we are saved for, we gravitate towards what we were saved from
Today’s sensual culture fills our mind with agitation, dissatisfaction and frustration. When we start living by the Gita’s spiritual wisdom, we become significantly free from [...]
No loss is as disempowering as the loss of faith in our free will
Our possessions such as properties and positions give us power to do things. Losing any such possession is disempowering. However, among all such losses, the [...]
Imprecision in identifying our enemies increases our enemies
In an area infested with insurgents, suppose the government indiscriminately bombs everyone. Consequently, even peace-loving people feel unfairly targeted and rise in rebellion. By failing [...]
God is present in our heart, but our consciousness is usually not present there
Some people ask, “Why do we need to go to a temple? God is there in our hearts; we can just remember and worship him [...]
The summit of spiritual realization is best attained by sharing spiritual realization
If we approach spiritual life with material calculations, we frequently end up miscalculating things. For example, if we want to become wealthy, we accumulate wealth; [...]
Even if we can’t be grateful for all situations, we can be grateful in all situations
Suppose we have a sickness for which we are being treated. Understandably, we will find it difficult to be grateful for being sick. But we [...]
Gita 18.76 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Bg 18.76 rājan saṁsmṛtya saṁsmṛtya saṁvādam [...]
The search for pleasure is often the source of the greatest trouble
The search for pleasures drives all of us. Unfortunately, it drives many of us to the opposite of its purpose – to trouble. Consider people [...]
Even if our past seems like a prison, Krishna is the key to unlock it
Our past can sometimes seem like a prison, especially if some of our past indulgences have become compulsive. The way out of the prison of [...]
Grace is not life’s sugar coating; it is life’s substantial reorienting
We usually seek God’s grace in material terms such as more money, a bigger house or a better job. However, for the spiritual soul, which [...]
Overcompensation doesn’t restore balance; it aggravates imbalance
Suppose we are driving a car and find it steering off-course towards another lane. Alarmed, we move the steering wheel rapidly, and the car starts [...]
Gita 18.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.24 yat tu kāmepsunā [...]
Temptation buys us on an installment basis
When we buy something on an installment basis, we need to pay only small amounts at a time. By thus manageably dividing a large amount, [...]
Our mind makes us blind intermittently and colorblind incessantly
Our mind can blind us when it gets infatuated by certain desires and can see only the immediate pleasures available through indulgence, not the consequences [...]
Animals have souls – they just don’t have the consciousness to know they have souls
Some people argue that animals don’t have souls; only humans have, because humans alone have the capacity for spiritual enquiry. This argument conflates the existence [...]
Thwart the desires that titillate initially but torment eventually
When worldly desires tempt us, they promise us a lot of pleasure. And contemplating attractive worldly objects does titillate. However, no matter how intoxicating this [...]
Our journey needs to begin where we are, not where we ought to be
Suppose while driving to a destination, we take some wrong turns and end up far away from our goal. We may feel irritated, and understandably [...]
Education is meant to inform and transform our imagination
Imagination is a basic human faculty that is value-neutral; it can be used both negatively or positively. Our education is meant to increase the positive [...]
Ekagrata is not just a state of attentiveness; it is also a level of consciousness
The last verse spoken by Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita (18.72) contains the significant word ekagrata (one-pointed attention). In the verse, Krishna questions Arjuna: “Have you [...]