In bhakti, to talk is also to walk the talk
When people just speak about lofty principles of living without exhibiting any tangible improvement in character or behavior, others may chide them, “Don’t just talk [...]
We are defined by what we stand for, not what we stand against
Some people are perpetual agitators. They agitate against the government, against the police, against the corporate world, against the religious orthodoxy, against the cultural norms. [...]
In worrying about what all may go wrong, we go wrong
Worrying hurts us even before things go wrong, while things are going wrong and after things have gone wrong. Consider a student with a decent [...]
Aversion to commitment is not detachment
We live in a culture of aversion to commitment. People want to dabble in things, especially relationships, without committing. Such unwillingness to commit is a [...]
In spiritual growth, bhakti is the process and the purpose
The Bhagavad-gita (14.26) states that bhakti is the process for transcending our material conditionings, that is, for growing in spiritual consciousness. The same Gita (18.54) [...]
Live in the light of Krishna, not the shadow of death
On hearing the scriptural directive that we should always remember that we might die at any moment, some people ask: “Won’t such morbid thinking make [...]
Enlightenment culminates not just in comprehension but also in wonder
The Bhagavad-gita’s ending reveals two facets of enlightenment: one expressed by Arjuna and the other by Sanjaya. After Krishna finishes speaking (18.72), Arjuna responds that [...]
We have to fall asleep, but we don’t have to fall for sleep
Sleeping is a biological need for resting and rejuvenating the body. The Bhagavad-gita acknowledges the indispensability of sleep when it (06.16) recommends avoidance of too [...]
Give the world your attention, but don’t give it monopoly over your attention
“Don’t miss the forest for the trees” is a saying that cautions us against letting small things blind us to far bigger things. This saying [...]
Don’t rate spiritual wisdom using the laughter test
Some people come to spiritual talks primarily for hearing jokes. Indeed, they rate as best those spiritual teachers who crack the most hilarious jokes. Our [...]
Focus on the present, but don’t fragment it from the future
“Live in the present” is a popular self-help slogan that can enhance our concentration and contribution in whatever we do. However, if this slogan becomes [...]
Assimilation and application are essential for transformation
We live in an era of information overload. Being bombarded with news, updates and notifications, we often flip to the next thing even without reading [...]
Set your sight and don’t let phantoms deflect your flight
When a plane streaks through the sky, its speed is often impressive. It achieves that trajectory by setting its sight on the destination right at [...]
To see differences as fundamental and final is delusional
Across the world, we see a staggering variety among people in races, castes, classes, religions and nationalities. Such differences often trigger conflicts. But they don’t [...]
In the truth of who we are and what we love lies our deepest fulfillment
We all desire lasting life, lasting love and lasting happiness. We expect certain things from those whom we love and feel disappointed when they don’t [...]
Focus not on freedom — focus on love
Today’s culture often enthrones freedom as the highest good, as an absolutely inviolable tenet. Undoubtedly, freedom is one of our innate longings, and it needs [...]
Sharing spiritual knowledge is about not just delivery but also discovery
If we are told to deliver something to someone, we may feel belittled: “I have better things to do than act as a deliveryman.” We [...]
Use the modes to analyze, not criticize
For making sense of the world, the Bhagavad-gita offers an analytical framework centered on the concept of the three modes of material nature. The modes [...]
Spiritual wisdom is to be mulled over, not skimmed over
We live in a culture of information overload – updates from various devices, feeds and apps clamor for our attention. We cope by skimming over [...]
Let dreams be a spur for action, not a substitute for them
We often dream of improving things. Among all species, we humans have the distinctive, even unique, capacity to dream of a better future and then [...]
Problems that can’t be solved need to be dissolved
Suppose water flowing in a particular direction is blocked by a stone. The water keeps flowing at the stone, trying to go below, above or [...]