The first me is practically never the best me
Some people ask, “We are often told to repress our impulses in the name of civilized behavior or spiritual standards. But doesn’t that mean we [...]
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 [...]
Unsolicited distraction may be unavoidable, but intentional inattention isn’t
While doing things that require concentration, we are sometimes interrupted by unsolicited distractions. For example, while we are meditating on Krishna’s holy names, someone may [...]
Renunciation is meant to help us look up at Krishna, not look down at the world
Whenever we become good at anything, our ego tempts us to feel superior to those who are not that good. This same temptation lures us [...]
If people don’t walk in, don’t slam the door on their face
When we start practicing spiritual life, our life becomes enriched with deep meaning and sublime joy. Naturally, we desire that others become similarly enriched. So, [...]
The mind is a specialist in forgetfulness
When we indulge indiscriminately in sensual pleasures, we experience their actual nature. They are insubstantial, lasting for just a few moments; and miserable, subjecting us [...]
In the spiritual race, if we strive to be finishers, we will be winners too
Sometimes, people participate in runs to express their solidarity for a cause. In such runs, who wins the race is not as important as who [...]
Stay aware of your triggers – and stay away from them
Recovering alcoholics are warned to stay away from things that trigger their desire for alcohol. If, for example, between their office and home lies a [...]
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, [...]
Just because the world is a place of misery doesn’t mean we have to accept atrocity
Some people say, “The Bhagavad-gita’s statement that the world is a place of misery makes people fatalistic, passively accepting atrocity.” If the Gita were fatalistic, [...]
Those who don’t think philosophy don’t live without philosophy – they live with an unthought philosophy
Some people say, “I am interested only in the here-and-now, in the visible and the tangible. I am not interested in philosophy.” However, we all [...]
Every ending is also a beginning
When anything good ends, we often feel sad, “Why did this have to end?” Conventional wisdom reminds us that endings are also beginnings. Expounding this [...]
To be perceptive, be receptive
When we see perceptive people who catch things quickly and execute expertly, we may feel challenged: “I am not that perceptive.” We can increase our [...]
Control the mind before it controls you
Suppose a horse-rider becomes inattentive about controlling the horse. If the horse gets attracted by some fruit on the side of the road, it starts [...]
Outreach requires that we speak in the conceptual language that our audience understands
Suppose a speaker delivers an eloquent talk, but in a language that the audience doesn’t understand. The speaker’s effort gets wasted. Just as speaking to [...]
We need to know that which we can’t not know
We can’t afford to not have a map if we are on a road that ends in a free fall from a cliff into a [...]
Gita 13.34 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Next two verse will describe [...]
Willpower is a finite resource – use it wisely
We are finite beings, and finite are all our resources, including our willpower. That our willpower is finite means that we can fight only so [...]
Respecting religious pluralism doesn’t require disrespecting religion
Today, society is becoming increasingly multicultural. Due to the increasing connectedness of the whole world through communication and telecommunication, people are exposed to religious traditions [...]
The inner war may feature coronation or insurrection, but let it not feature execution
In a war for power between a heir apparent and a rebel, if the heir wins, a coronation occurs; if the rebel wins, an insurrection [...]
Channel the spirit of devotion, not the ghost of illusion
In common parlance, the words ghosts and spirits are used to refer to nonphysical beings. Among these, ghosts are often seen negatively, as beings to [...]