Put the world out of the equation by the strength of devotion
“Work without attachment for success or failure.” This message of the Bhagavad-gita (02.48) begs the question: what are we to work for if not for [...]
To get happiness, get the happiness sequence right
All of us want to be happy. The world makes us believe that fulfilling our material desires will make us happy. However, this makes us [...]
Do not make a virtue out of alienating people
When we adopt spiritual practices seriously, we soon gain a bit of self-mastery. This self-mastery may create within us a sense of moral superiority that [...]
Are we winning the misery championship with our eyes?
Most of us have entered the misery championship. Here’s how. The qualifying rounds: Our contemporary culture assaults our eyes with visually alluring images of sensuous [...]
Four stages in Gita study: Veneration, Comprehension, Application, Transformation
The Bhagavad-gita is a profoundly empowering book. To tap its power, we need to develop our relationship with it through four progressive stages: Veneration: Some [...]
How the world sees us is not as important as how we see the world
We often worry about how the world sees us: “Do people notice me? Which way do heads turn when I arrive?” This outside-in approach seems [...]
When we do what we can do, Krishna helps us to do what we can’t do
Spiritual life sometimes presents us with standards that seem impossible to meet. For example, we may feel that thinking of Krishna constantly is impractical. Certainly, [...]
The Bhagavad-gita is infinitely pregnant with wisdom
Good books are a joy to read. Great books are a joy to not just read, but also re-read. During the re-reading of great books [...]
Expecting the default to change by default is a dangerous fault
“Will these immoral thoughts ever go away?” Questions like these may trouble us devotee-seekers when temptations provoke us even after we have adopted purifying spiritual [...]
We are dressed by and for our desires
Our desires determine and define us; we are, Gita wisdom indicates, dressed by and for our desires. Let’s see how: Dressed by our desires: The [...]
The eye to see the I
We see not with our eyes but with our knowledge. Where our eyes see a line graph curved sharply downwards, our knowledge of economics helps [...]
Gain double empowerment for destination eternity
Eternity is a universal longing of all living beings, human and sub-human. This longing can be discerned in all species through the ingenious and indefatigable [...]
You are meant for more than a weary, dreary and scary reality
Weary, dreary, scary: these three words convey broadly the reality of modern materialistic life. Let’s see how: Weary: The huge workloads, the overbearing deadlines, the [...]
To see stone and gold equally, see beyond stone and gold to Krishna
The Bhagavad-gita (06.08) shares a puzzling recommendation: see stone and gold equally. How is this possible? To understand, let’s analyze the statement at three progressive [...]
Are needles determining our needs?
All of us have so many desires to fulfill: desires for better dresses, gadgets, cars, homes, jobs. Even when we authentically need these things, the [...]
“Got big problems?” Krishna is bigger
When life’s problems overwhelm us, our vision becomes distorted. We start feeling that the problems are ultra-big, bigger than even Krishna. Consequently, we become so [...]
See eye-to-eye with Krishna to gain an enlightened eye and an enlivened I
When we are sick and seek treatment, we need to see eye-to-eye with the doctor. We need to understand and accept the diagnosis and the [...]
Faith bridges the gap between personal realization and scriptural revelation
We may get the question: “What is the role of faith in understanding the Bhagavad-gita?” Faith helps us persevere in our spiritual journey till our [...]
Are we outsourcing our thinking?
We have outsourced our arithmetic to calculators, our grammar to spellcheck and our memory to google. This trend towards outsourcing can accelerate the atrophy of [...]
The Gita is Categorical and Rhetorical
Many people say, “The Bhagavad-gita is all things to all people; it recommends different paths for different people.” Does it? Reading the Gita shows that [...]
Tap HIS grace by Humbleness, Inquisitiveness and Service-mindedness
The coach is often the most important shaper of an athlete’s success; the systematic and sympathetic guidance of a coach is indispensable for an aspiring [...]