Gita 18.04 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.4 niścayaṁ śṛṇu me [...]
Gita 18.02 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.2 śrī-bhagavān uvāca kāmyānāṁ [...]
To reduce pain to punishment is to underestimate God’s purpose
When we face problems that come arbitrarily, we naturally get the question, “Why?” Religion, at a preliminary level, may answer, “Suffering is the punishment for [...]
Gita18-overview explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya BG Ch 18 This chapter gives [...]
The universality of the malady underscores the urgency of the remedy
When we hear of an epidemic spread all over the world, we feel impelled to urgently enquire how to protect ourselves. Similar is the rationale [...]
Cellular reception depends on position; transcendental reception, on disposition
Just as an appropriate device, say a cellphone, gives us access to a cellular network, an appropriate device, a devotionally disposed heart, gives us access [...]
Illusion drives us compulsively; Krishna draws us compassionately
We all like to be free – we resent it when we are forced to do something. In fact, many people often hesitate to practice [...]
Emotional restraint paves the way to emotional enrichment
Some people ask, “The Bhagavad-gita wants us to stay unaffected amidst pleasure-pain, success-failure, honor-dishonor. Won’t that make for emotionless living?” No, because the Gita’s prescription [...]
The heart of knowledge is the knowledge of the heart
Towards the end of the Bhagavad-gita (18.64), Krishna announces that he will share the most confidential knowledge (sarva guhyatama). Confidential knowledge (guhya) refers to the [...]
Our past explains our inclinations, but it doesn’t excuse our actions
Imagine a computer used by a child primarily for playing games. From the moment it is turned on, it repeatedly gives prompts for playing. Such [...]
Go beyond the blindness caused by shortage of light – and by its surfeit
Whenever our surroundings go dark, say, due to a power failure, we become as if blind. Something similar happens to us as souls in material [...]
Don’t just read the Gita – heed the Gita
The Bhagavad-gita is a profoundly philosophical book, yet it is also an eminently action-calling book. This pragmatic nature of the Gita is seen in its [...]
Enter the war, but don’t let the war enter you
“How can one act without being bound?” This is Arjuna’s essential question at the start of the Bhagavad-gita. And the whole Gita addresses it at [...]
Expect meditation to be challenging before it becomes comforting
Seekers often ask, “Meditation is supposed to be rejuvenating, but I sometimes find it boring, even tiring. Why is that?” Because our misdirected mind distracts [...]
The use of force to convert doesn’t expand faith – it reduces faith
Some religious groups force others to convert to their faith, “Convert or die.” But faith is a choice of the heart that can’t be forced. [...]
See beyond the diversity of forms to the unity of substance and purpose
Racial, religious and other forms of sectarian violence rend the world today. Such violence may have complex social, economic, cultural and political causes, but underlying [...]
Be not allured by the blame game or the claim game – stay focused on Krishna
Blame game usually involves pointing the blaming finger outwards to others whenever things go wrong. The blaming finger can also point upwards or inwards. When [...]
Don’t treat a game like life or life like a game
Many people treat games as if they are as important as life itself. Human culture has always featured sports as a form of recreation, but [...]
Euphemisms of deception are expressways to degradation
Euphemisms often help express distressing truths sensitively. But sometimes they are abused as tools of deception, as verbal sleights-of-hand to make evil sound good. Consider, [...]
Don’t let disagreement degenerate into disrespect
“How can we best deal with our disagreers?” The Bhagavad-gita (18.03) offers a healthy model. Here Krishna states the position of those who recommend renunciation [...]
Knowledge in ignorance is tiny, at best vastly tiny
‘Knowledge in ignorance’ is an oxymoron, the placing of contradictory words next to each other to convey a deeper meaning. To understand this oxymoron, let’s [...]