Preoccupation with occupation is not devotion
Some people claim, “Work is worship. So says the Bhagavad-gita.” Does it? The Gita verse that directly links work with worship is 18.46: sva-karmana tam abhyarca. “By [...]
Fretting is like overcooking a rotten vegetable in our head
Suppose a chef who found that a recently purchased vegetable was rotten, and, annoyed at the prospect of wasted time and money, decided to set [...]
Those who respect the command of God command the respect of the world
A feature of Vedic culture that often perplexes, even provokes, observers is the immense respect it offers to brahmanas: “Why should someone be respected so [...]
Life in goodness is not life in slow motion
As we live in a fast-paced, passionate culture, life in the mode of goodness can seem unappealing: “If I have to always think things through [...]
Life determines our problems; we determine their size
We often feel irritated, overwhelmed, helpless when our dreams are wrecked by things beyond our control. But there is always something in our control. The [...]
Krishna offers us shelter, not a hiding place
“If I pray to Krishna, he will make all my problems disappear.” We may sometimes hope thus when we practice spiritual life. Of course, we [...]
The first purpose of life is to discover the purpose of life
Suppose we are given a car. Learning how to drive it, refuel it and care for it are important, but not as important as learning [...]
Send resentment to retirement
Few things can check and choke us as badly as resentment. When things go wrong, resentment builds up within us, seeking a target – outwards, [...]
Realization comes by riveting to the relationship, not the ritual
Reciting mantras, worshiping the Deity, fasting on holy days – many such rituals characterize spiritual life. As these rituals are visible and tangible, it is [...]
When Krishna doesn’t understand…
Sometimes we pray that something important work out right. But it doesn’t. This may make us feel, “Krishna just doesn’t understand me, my needs, my [...]
The summit that reaches down to the trenches
Love is the emotion that underlies all our emotions. When fulfilled, love can take us to the highest peaks of ecstasy. When frustrated, it can [...]
Are we drinking poison to quench thirst?
When infants feel thirsty, they cry, not knowing what’s wrong. Mothers understand and give their babies water. As the toddlers grow up, they too understand [...]
Are we meant to be characters in a cartoon show?
Entertainment. That’s the most eagerly awaited part of life for many people. Movies, soap operas, spectators sports, novels, cartoons – that’s the stuff most people [...]
Love values, but value love more
Values protect us from impulses. When we become angry or lusty or greedy, our values, especially our ethical and behavioral values, check us from acting [...]
Religion is meant for God; God is not meant for religion
Some exclusivist religions claim that no one can access God except through them. Such reduction of God to a monopolized commodity in the religious market [...]
The bond that sets us free
Surrender. The idea often conjures images of a warrior accepting defeat and being bound by the enemy. When the Bhagavad-gita (18.66) asks us to surrender, [...]
Fighting vices is like fighting weeds: we are always slightly behind
In gardening, each time we pluck weeds out, they grow again; in fighting them we are always slightly behind. The same applies to the garden [...]
Love of words in the words of love
The Bhagavad-gita is essentially Krishna’s words of love for all of us. From its setting, the Gita may appear to be words of counsel directed [...]
The sacrifice of life, the life of sacrifice
Those who become martyrs for a noble cause often awe others. For most people, nothing is as dear as life. So, martyrs inspire awe. We [...]
Don’t massage or pinch the false ego; pat it onwards
The Bhagavad-gita treats our bodily misidentification paradoxically. It analyzes cogentlythat we are not our material bodies, but are souls. Yet out of the 25 names [...]
The human talent for misery
We often use our talents to make ourselves miserable. Not intentionally of course, but creatively nonetheless. Addictions are a classic example. Individually, an addicted person [...]