Prayerfulness is not the replacer of prayer, but its reinforcer
Some people say, “Prayer is a state of being – it’s not something that you do; it’s something that you are.” Actually, this state refers [...]
There’s more to devotion than rules, not less
Some people claim, “There’s more to bhakti than rules – it’s a matter of the heart.” Yes, it is. But presently our heart is much [...]
If God had wanted you to be someone else, he would have made someone else
One of our greatest mental energy wasters is the craving to be someone else, “If only I was like that person who has better looks, [...]
“Seeing is believing” requires unbelievable believing
Atheists sometimes argue, “Seeing is believing. Only if you show me things like the soul will I believe in them.” The belief underlying this slogan [...]
Choosing doubt as the means for knowing is like choosing immobility as the means for traveling
Some contemporary intellectuals are proud of their skepticism. They delight in their capacity to doubt and discredit any belief they encounter, even if that belief [...]
Knowing begins with believing
Atheists often decry belief as something undesirable that should be wiped out by science. Yet they overlook the reality that science too is grounded in [...]
Gita 18.36 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Next we will discuss sukha [...]
The God of terrorists is not the God of transcendentalists
Atheists often blame religion and God for the evil of terrorism. But their blame game suffers from a fundamental blunder – a simplistic equalization of [...]
What is violence for the infectant is benevolence for the infected
Suppose a doctor neglected treating a patient, despite having the necessary capacity. Such negligence would be culpable – in doing nothing, the doctor would be [...]
The soul wears out the body and the body wears out the soul
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The soul wears the body in the sense that the body is like a dress for the soul, as the [...]
Gita 18.34 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now let us look at [...]
Don’t just see the provision – see the provider
As eco-awareness is spreading, people are increasingly appreciating how dependent we all are on nature. Without nature’s provision of our basic necessities, we wouldn’t be [...]
Don’t be so concerned about others’ future destination as to be cut off from their present emotion
A great danger for those following the right spiritual path is a sense of self-righteousness – the pride that we know the truth makes us [...]
The destructibility of the body is not a license for its wanton destruction
Some people ask, “The Bhagavad-gita teaches that killing is ok because the body is anyway going to die. Isn’t such a teaching a license for [...]
Gita 18.31 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.31 yayā dharmam adharmaṁ [...]
The best time to win the battle against temptation is before it begins
To practice spiritual life means to enter into a war against temptation, the temptation for enjoying matter. The arena of battle is our own consciousness, [...]
Gita 18.29 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Here we are discussing Gyana [...]
Bhakti redefines desires as doorways to the divine
Desires are recognized in spiritual circles as dangerous – they can drag seekers into the darkness of illusion in the vain pursuit of worldly pleasures [...]
The source of misery is not frustration of desire, but domination by desire
When we don’t get something that we want and feel miserable, we attribute that misery to the frustration of our desire. But might such an [...]
Gita 18.27 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan After that Krishna will describe [...]
Krishna is not a dictator, but a benefactor
When we hear from scripture that we are meant to serve Krishna, we may resent, “Why should I serve him? Is he like a dictator [...]