Strive for self-understanding, not self-esteem
As we live in a rabidly competitive society, we may feel that we lack self-esteem. Such feelings become aggravated when the media bombards us with [...]
The reincarnation of avatar in English is a revealing distortion
The Sanskrit word avatar has become mainstream in English due to both a Hollywood blockbuster and computer role-playing games. In contemporary usage, avatar refers to [...]
Focus on harmony, not hormones
From the time we enter adolescence, we feel ourselves impelled by our hormones. We find ourselves craving and exploring a whole new world of sensual [...]
Don’t give in to a death wish — give it the death sentence
The Bhagavad-gita (01.45) begins with a death wish. Arjuna is faced with the horrendous prospect of a fratricidal war against his loved ones, especially his [...]
Don’t equate the essential with the exclusive
A person driving a car needs fuel, but if they carry with them nothing except fuel and if they imagine that fuel can satisfy their [...]
Attachment to results confuses cause and effect
When we want to achieve something difficult, we often envision the result and that vision inspires us to strive determinedly. While envisioning the result can [...]
The lower our consciousness, the lesser is our contribution
When we live in a fast-paced activity-centered culture, we may wonder whether we are wasting our time by practicing spiritual life, wherein we don’t do [...]
To change your life, change the narrative of your life
Suppose three people are carrying bricks. When asked what they are doing, the first replies sullenly, “Can’t you see? I am carrying bricks.” The second [...]
Absorption of consciousness in Krishna brings about expansion of consciousness through Krishna
Expansion of consciousness is an oft-used term in spiritual circles. People seeking deeper fulfillment in life intuit that they can do so by expanding their [...]
Those who don’t have money are poor, but those who have only money are poorer still
To be labeled as poor and be looked down at by others ranks among people’s most dreaded nightmares. Money is essential. However, when it becomes [...]
Don’t rate spiritual wisdom using the laughter test
Some people come to spiritual talks primarily for hearing jokes. Indeed, they rate as best those spiritual teachers who crack the most hilarious jokes. Our [...]
Don’t raise your eyes alone – raise your heart too
When we face overwhelming problems in life, we may lift our eyes and look for help from higher powers, ultimately from God, Krishna. Such lifting [...]
The modes determine the scope of our choices, not our specific choice
The modes, the Bhagavad-gita explains, are subtle forces that shape the interaction between consciousness and matter, thereby inciting us to action. If we act according [...]
Krishna’s avatara is not actually an incarnation
The English word “incarnation” is derived primarily from Abrahamic theology – it describes Jesus who, Christianity holds, is God descended in flesh as a human [...]
Our incarnation is an incarceration — Krishna’s isn’t
At the start of its fourth chapter, the Bhagavad-gita features a striking question-answer round. When Krishna mentions (04.04) that he had shared the Gita’s wisdom [...]
Unborn implies not existence before birth, but existence beyond birth
In common parlance, the word “unborn” refers to existence before birth — specifically to the existence of the embryo in the womb of a mother. [...]
The unborn takes birth to save us from rebirth
God is the source of everything. This foundational definition of God implies that he is the source of time too, for everything includes time. This [...]
Thinking about Krishna is not just redirection of thought but also redefinition of thinking
The Bhagavad-gita’s call to constantly think about Krishna may raise the question, “How is this practical? To grasp the call’s practicality, we need to first [...]
Listen to your Lord, not to your lust
Within all of us lies an evil voice that lies. By promising pleasure, this voice prompts us to pander to our senses. But sensual pleasure [...]
Cosmic administration is like a country’s administration, not a continent’s
Westerners who hear about the many gods within the Vedic pantheon often equate this conception with the polytheism widespread in the Greco-Roman culture that was [...]
Focus on the present, but don’t fragment it from the future
“Live in the present” is a popular self-help slogan that can enhance our concentration and contribution in whatever we do. However, if this slogan becomes [...]