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 [...]
Focus not on letting go of things – focus on taking hold of your thoughts
In spiritual life, we are often exhorted to let go of things. However, we viscerally resist because we feel as if we are losing the [...]
When we distribute what we have, we appreciate what we have
Suppose someone works with medicines day in and day out. Medicines lie all around them. Because of the prolonged familiarity and abundant availability vis-à-vis medicines, [...]
Life is too precious to be wasted in doing perpetual post-mortem operations
When someone dies because of unknown causes, legal authorities often do a post-mortem operation to determine the cause. Similarly, in our life, when things go [...]
Determination means to decouple emotion from action
Some of us may feel, “I don’t have determination – I just can’t stick to my resolutions.” We almost treat determination like a mystical gift, [...]
When we get out of ourselves, we find ourselves
Many people are eager to be themselves, to find and express their authentic self. This search for authenticity is good. But if not channelled properly, [...]
Purity is not just a function of intention – it is also a fruit of devotion
Bhakti-yoga seekers are often encouraged to strive for purity, to connect with Krishna simply for loving him, not for getting some material things from him. [...]
Outreach is not just about expression of the truth, but also about impression with the truth
The Bhagavad-gita features Krishna, the Absolute Truth, speaking the Absolute Truth. Krishna’s speaking the Gita could be said to be the paradigmatic outreach initiative. It [...]
Sense control will make us not deprived, but relieved
Consider an alcoholic who has understood the gravity of their addiction and is struggling to break free from it. For such a recovering alcoholic, the [...]
We are always directed, but we can choose our director
We often feel that we are free to act in whichever way we choose. Yet all of us are impelled by forces beyond our own [...]
Compare yourself only with the person you were yesterday
A common human pastime is comparison: “My car is better than theirs; their house is better than mine; my phone is smarter than theirs.” Through [...]