The Gita is optimistic about what matters most
If a doctor declares that a particular limb of a patient is incurable and needs to be amputated, someone might deem him pessimistic. But if [...]
Gita 12.20 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan After describing these Krishna goes [...]
The heart is a nursery, not a factory
Some critics of bhakti, on seeing how devotees look similar, accuse that the bhakti movement mass-produces cultural clones, as does a factory. However, such a [...]
The mind can make us give up the wonderful for the dreadful
Suppose we are at a buffet meal in which one item is delicious and another is tasteless. If someone misinformed us and filled our plate [...]
Tolerance means withstanding the presence without succumbing to the influence
Suppose we have a disagreeable neighbor. We can’t evict him, but we don’t have to waste our time quarreling with him. We do the needful [...]
Gita 12.16 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 12.16 anapekṣaḥ śucir dakṣa [...]
Trying to get rid of misery is like trying to get rid of one’s shadow
We usually want to avoid misery, especially when many miseries seem to be afflicting us from all sides. At such times, avoiding misery may become [...]
Belief founded in the illusion of all belief is an illusion
Many atheists try to thrust their belief system on people by misappropriating the prestige of science. For example, they hold that in the past when [...]
Gita 12.13-14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Ch 12 overview: 1-7: Worship [...]
We can’t fly in the sky without breaking our shell
When a baby bird tries to come out of its shell, it has to strain and stretch to crack the shell. When its wing comes [...]
Respond to the fire of desire not with fright but with fight
Suppose a novice firefighter is faced with the task of dousing a huge fire. The sight of the conflagration may overwhelm him – instead of [...]
Fear is not the problem – fear of what comes after fear is
Fear is a natural human response to danger. When seen as an impetus to be cautious, fear can check us from recklessly charging into danger. [...]
In scriptural dissemination, the problem is not in transmission but in reception
When we are watching TV and suddenly the image and sound goes off, we may presume that the problem is in transmission. But if we [...]
See beyond the provision to the provider
A newborn infant sees everything as potential food. It suckles the mother’s breasts and sees it as a source of nourishment. Only after some growth [...]
Out of sight is out of the mind provided the mind is out of it
“Out of sight is out of mind” is a common saying that embodies a sound principle for self-regulation. For example, if we are fasting and [...]
Gita 12.06-07 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So 12.6 and 7 makes [...]
Ignorance makes people use reason unreasonably
Some people say, “Science is based on reason, whereas religion is based on superstition. So we should use scientific reason to drive out religious superstition.” [...]
Gita 12.05 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 12.5 kleśo ’dhika-taras teṣām [...]
For devotees, death is not destruction – it is union
Sometimes people ask, “Devotees and nondevotees both have to die – what difference does the practice of devotional service make?” Yes, both devotees and nondevotees [...]
Gita 12.03-04 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Verse 3 and 4 also [...]
Faith means to take one step towards Krishna even when the whole path isn’t clear
Sometimes we face dark and disturbing problems in our life at the social, financial, physical, psychological or even spiritual levels. While faith can have many [...]