Gita 18.04 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.4 niścayaṁ śṛṇu me [...]
Context is critical for comprehending content
Self-interested people sometimes try to make their questionable opinions seem respectable by quoting esteemed authorities out of context. By such cherry picking, they make those [...]
The shoe that fits one person bites another
We are all distinct individuals. Given our differences, no material formula can work uniformly for everyone, just as one shoe can’t fit all people. Acknowledging [...]
Gita 18.02 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.2 śrī-bhagavān uvāca kāmyānāṁ [...]
The vain live in vain
Those who live under the illusion that they don’t need God are from the spiritual perspective vain or arrogant. Actually, we all need God, at [...]
To reduce pain to punishment is to underestimate God’s purpose
When we face problems that come arbitrarily, we naturally get the question, “Why?” Religion, at a preliminary level, may answer, “Suffering is the punishment for [...]
Gita18-overview explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya BG Ch 18 This chapter gives [...]
Those who reduce misery to misfortune miss their potential for spiritual growth
When problems befall us for no apparent reason, we naturally get the question, “Why?” Materialism, today’s ruling worldview, attributes such misery to bad luck. It [...]
Inaction is no protection from reaction
If we find ourselves in an epidemic-hit area, we will be anxious to avoid getting infected or, if we have already been infected, to be [...]
Biological hunger is need, but sensual hunger is greed
Biological hunger refers to the body’s call for food, whereas sensual hunger refers to the senses’ craving for sense objects. The Bhagavad-gita (02.59: niraaharasya) uses [...]
Krishna is not a competitor vying for supremacy – he is constitutionally supreme
“Is the Bhagavad-gita polytheistic?” This question is often raised especially by those coming from the Western intellectual tradition. They are familiar primarily with the rigidly [...]
The universality of the malady underscores the urgency of the remedy
When we hear of an epidemic spread all over the world, we feel impelled to urgently enquire how to protect ourselves. Similar is the rationale [...]
Be special above the ordinary, not among the ordinary
We all want to be special. Materialistic culture directs our longing for specialness towards material things. It makes us believe that we will stand out [...]
Cellular reception depends on position; transcendental reception, on disposition
Just as an appropriate device, say a cellphone, gives us access to a cellular network, an appropriate device, a devotionally disposed heart, gives us access [...]
Illusion drives us compulsively; Krishna draws us compassionately
We all like to be free – we resent it when we are forced to do something. In fact, many people often hesitate to practice [...]
Pure consciousness is not content-less – it is contamination-less
Pure consciousness is an oft-used term in spiritual circles, but impersonalists interpret it as content-less consciousness. To understand the problem with such an interpretation, consider [...]
We can’t replace the mind, but we can re-place it
Suppose we have a careless colleague who keeps making a mess of things, but whom we aren’t allowed to replace. The best way to deal [...]
Don’t let being well-off come in the way of being well
In today’s materialistic culture, being well-off is enthroned as life’s primary, if not only, goal. The pressure on us to accumulate the trappings of success [...]
Change recollection from selective to comprehensive and deceptive to protective
Alcoholics, for a few moments of pleasure, undergo the indignity of slurred speech, incoherent behavior and overall foolishness that takes a heavy toll on time, [...]
The soul is bulletproof, fireproof, waterproof, windproof – and time-proof
“Waterproof!” Declares the ad of a trendy gadget. Ads like these tap our apprehension that such gadgets may get inadvertently damaged. These apprehensions stem from [...]
The greatest fear is the fear of losing the key to freedom
Material existence is like a prison, for it subjects us to multiple miseries, especially the ultimate agony of death. What imprisons us eternal spiritual beings [...]