Taking shelter of lust amidst problems is like taking shelter of kidnappers when threatened by thieves
Suppose we are being chased by thieves. While fleeing from them, those who we take shelter of turn out to be kidnappers. The thieves would [...]
Liberation is integration in intention, not identity
Some spiritualists conceive of liberation as a state of oneness or integration with the Absolute. The Bhagavad-gita acknowledges this conception, but also nuances our understanding [...]
Purification means to change our emotional center
Whenever a ball is hit anywhere, it moves. But when it is hit in the center, it moves the furthest. Similarly, when worldly upheavals hit [...]
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 [...]
When we resolve, “I will not do this,” the mind erases the “not”
We all have certain unhealthy habits that we resolve to give up. Yet, we frequently find ourselves relapsing. Why does this happen? Because negative resolutions [...]
Learn to see pause as an action
While watching a video, if we press the pause button, the action stops. Regularly operating such digital switches, we tend to think of pause as [...]
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 Personal Absolute is not a tool to transcendence – he is the summit of transcendence
Some spiritualists think that the ultimate spiritual reality is the impersonal non-differentiated oneness known as Brahman. Such people sometimes pay cursory tribute to the Personal [...]
Glorification of the One brings the unification, elevation and satisfaction of the many
Suppose we have a set of four balls tied to a central point. If we want to lift the set, we can try to individually [...]
Those who bow before the altar of hate can’t bow before the God of love
Some people, being driven by misdirected religious zeal, become inimical and violent towards others. Such people claim to be worshiping God, but they contemplate their [...]
The point of success is to point to the source of all success
The world defines success in terms of possessions and positions. Yet celebrities who have these things sometimes commit suicide. Not infrequently, people feted publically as [...]
The supreme abode is the Supreme’s abode
The supreme abode refers to life’s ultimate destination. Some people think that the ultimate destination is the impersonal Brahman effulgence, the infinite oneness into which [...]
Why crave for any pleasure that makes us a slave?
If someone is enslaved, they would try to break free. If instead someone who is free tried to become enslaved, we would consider them insane. [...]
Forgiving is not forgetting – it is a fresh way of remembering
Forgiveness is often commended as a stellar virtue, as in the Bhagavad-gita (16.03). However, forgiving often seems difficult because we equate it with forgetting. And [...]
The world is a place for treatment, not enjoyment
Some people consider the Bhagavad-gita pessimistic because it deems this world a distressful place. However, the Gita is not pessimistic – it is materially realistic [...]
Curiosity is for knowledge what hunger is for food
Suppose we are offered delicious food. If we are hungry, we will relish the food and also digest it well, thereby gaining strength. Similarly, when [...]
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 [...]
Sensual pleasure ends, but it doesn’t end with pleasure
In today’s materialistic culture, countless images of attractive sense objects allure us incessantly. Our mind imagines that the pleasure therein is immense and irresistible. Believing [...]
The mind deafens us not just to Krishna, but also to the body
Suppose we are walking on a street, wearing earphones that deafen us to all external sounds. We would be in danger especially if a large [...]