When conviction is weak, determination can’t be strong
We often make resolutions to give up our self-defeating indulgences. And when we fail to stick to those resolutions, we often blame our poor determination. [...]
The natural is not necessarily desirable
The Bhagavad-gita (11.29) while describing how the warriors on the Kurukshetra battlefield were doomed compares some of them to moths rushing towards fire. Commentators explain [...]
Krishna is nearest – let us make him dearest
When someone loves us, they may express that love with a tight hug, wanting to come as close as possible to us. But no one [...]
Accepting our powerlessness can be most empowering
When people fall sick, a lot of their misery comes from resenting their sickness, “Why am I suffering when everyone else is enjoying?” Such resenting [...]
Gita 13.32 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan So in next verse Krishna [...]
The rest of me is no rest for me
The "rest of me" refers to our physical and mental side – the two other levels of our present three-level existence as embodied souls. Our [...]
Gita 13.30 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 13.30 prakṛtyaiva ca karmāṇi [...]
Let scripture lead beyond the head’s complexity to the heart’s simplicity
The heart’s simplicity refers to, in the context of spiritual life, the simple love of the heart for Krishna, the uncomplicated faith that just by [...]
The essence of liberation is not transportation but transformation
Seekers sometimes worry whether at the end of their lives they will be liberated and thus attain Krishna’s abode. While such a worry is definitely [...]
Humility means to not let our ego come in the way of our purpose
Humility is sometimes seen negatively, as something weakening or self-denigrating. However, real humility is empowering, for it frees us from dependence on others’ perceptions. Pertinently, [...]
Don’t divorce who you are from whose you are
“Who we are” is the first philosophical message of the Bhagavad-gita. It explains that we are at our core eternal souls. Understanding this can free [...]
Check the train before you check into it
Suppose an inattentive person on a huge, noisy, crowded railway station boards a wrong train. Some trains may stop after a few minutes, but some, [...]
Gita 13.25 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 [...]
Resist the temptation of confusion
Sometimes life’s challenges leave us confused. Devotee-seekers may face such confusion when deciding, say, which spiritual master to take initiation from or which ashram to [...]
Gita 13.24 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Summary verse which concludes whatever [...]
Anxiety is caused not as much by outer uncertainty as by inner instability
Sociological researchers have consistently found that people in the developed world tend to be more anxious than people in the developing world. This finding is [...]
To seek shortcuts is to be shortsighted
Shortcuts promise to take us to our destination quickly. But in our search for pleasure, sensual indulgences are shortcuts that actually take us away from [...]
Don’t just push the mind towards the spiritual – let the spiritual pull the mind too
Suppose we were pushing a heavy trolley uphill. It would be a demanding exertion. If we became lax even for a moment, the trolley would [...]
Don’t equate the confusing with the confused
When we hear someone speaking something confusing, we may infer that the speaker is confused. Such a situation though possible isn’t probable especially if the [...]
Gita 13.20 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan We will discuss Prakriti and [...]
What is not eternal is eternally inconsequential
Success in any field requires focus on the important things while putting aside the unimportant things. When we understand our eternal spiritual identity and strive [...]