The material and the spiritual can be competitive, but they can also be cumulative
When we start practicing spiritual life, our material and spiritual sides can seem to be competitive. Both require our time and energy. As these are [...]
The inconsiderate can be as injurious as the incorrect
A doctor who prescribes incorrectly hurts the patient. But so does a doctor who prescribes inconsiderately, who doesn’t consider the patient’s case history and prescribes [...]
To see through everything is to see nothing
The purpose of seeing through something is to see to something. A see-through window in our car helps us see things outside the car. If [...]
Bring out the best within, not the beast within
We all would like to improve ourselves, become better – and yet we sometimes act regrettably, worse than ourselves. What makes us act like that? [...]
The emptiness within empties everything without
The world allures us with the pleasure of possession, gratification and exhibition. But such mundane pleasures titillate, never fulfill. They are like painkillers for our [...]
Let satisfaction be the basis of success, not success the basis of satisfaction
We all want success and we all want satisfaction. Unfortunately, these two sometimes seem mutually exclusive. The more we struggle for success, the more we [...]
Our fears increase with our years – and decrease with our ears
We fear losing the things dear to us. And ultimately we fear losing our very life, the basis for enjoying various things. In our youth, [...]
See the providential in the accidental by being devotional
Newton’s seeing the fruit falling was accidental. He could well have been elsewhere at that time or the fruit might well have fallen at some [...]
Think with our sense, not our senses
Thinking with our sense means using our good sense to differentiate between the desirable and the undesirable. By such thoughtfulness, we see as undesirable the [...]
The cure for ritualism is not the rejection of ritual but the infusion of emotion into ritual
Some people criticize religious rituals as mindless performances and campaign for their rejection. However, rituals are present in every walk of life. For example, when [...]
Freedom comes not by rejecting all restrictions, but by respecting the right restrictions
Some people advocate that we reject all restrictions, claiming that only by such rejection will we attain freedom. Yes, restrictions can take away our freedom, [...]
Don’t judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree
If a fish were evaluated by its ability to climb a tree, it would fail – utterly, hopelessly fail. And if the world deemed it [...]
Everything is in Krishna and Krishna is in everything
The Bhagavad-gita reveals a fascinating vision of God who is far away in his own kingdom and is also very much present in this world. [...]
We can help the unable, but not the unwilling
If a car is not starting, helpful passers-by may push it. With the driver and the pushers working together, the car may start moving. But [...]
Recollection is a function of conception
Some seekers ask, “Why do I keep forgetting spiritual truths? Why is my memory so poor?” Frequently, what is poor is not our memory, but [...]
To solve problems, first ensure that the problem-solver is not a problem-aggravator
Suppose firefighters rush to a disaster site and start fighting a huge fire. But among their ranks is an untrained firefighter who panics, comes in [...]
Don’t point fingers – move fingers on prayer beads
Whenever we face problems, especially problems that we feel are caused by others, we point fingers at them. However, different people see the same situation [...]
Gita 18.55 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now Krishna will talk about [...]
Attachment actuates and aggravates anxiety
The world is characterized by change and uncertainty. And uncertainty about necessary things naturally causes anxiety. However, different from unavoidable anxiety is unnecessary anxiety. Such [...]
When our vision changes from competition to contribution, life becomes a celebration
Materialism makes competition life’s central reality. When we see ourselves as isolated, vulnerable units of matter dependent on material things for our pleasure, we see [...]
Even if we win the rat race, we still remain rats
Our materialistic society sets before us worldly goals such as sensations, relations, positions or possessions. Because the number of people seeking these goals is so [...]