Those who insist that the contextual is universal become fanatical
Most people dread fanaticism, for our world is scarred by many religious conflicts. What makes religious practitioners fanatical? Obsession with the externals of their [...]
Ignorance makes the insufferable seem irresistible
Drunkards suffer terribly due to their addiction – the hangover, the mortification at finding oneself crazed out, the humiliation when one becomes an object of [...]
To let the nourishing water of truth irrigate the heart, break the dam of misconception
Devotee-seekers sometimes get the question: “If Krishna is all-attractive, then why is everyone not attracted to him?” Because they do not wish to be attracted [...]
Complete charity makes the receiver feel valued , not pitied
The Bhagavad-gita helps us to go beyond appearance to substance in terms of not just identity (beyond the body to the soul), but also mentality [...]
Mantra meditation is like a workout that becomes a massage
Seekers sometimes ask: “I was told that mantra meditation will de-stress and relax me. But I find that meditation itself is a demanding exercise. What’s [...]
The mind’s misdirection is not just mild but also wild
On the spiritual path, the mind misdirects us from our intended focus on Krishna to thousands of distractions. In fact, the mind distracts not just [...]
To go beyond thinking wisely and acting foolishly, strive for purification through devotion
“I knew that doing that would be stupid, still I ended up doing it. Why?” This exasperating question often confronts us when we succumb to [...]
The intention to serve makes the reproachable controlling mentality respectable
The controlling mentality is often an expression of the desire to be God. The Bhagavad-gita declares as demoniac people who imagine themselves to be controllers [...]
Krishna is the source, shelter and summit of everything
When people hear the word God, they often conceive of him in terms of a Supreme Controller. Krishna is indeed the controller of all worlds, [...]
Spiritualization of emotions raises us from duality through equanimity to ecstasy
The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly urges us to view worldly dualities with equanimity. Why? Because our emotional attachments for worldly things bind us. When our emotions run [...]
The purpose of humility is to foster neediness, not helplessness
Some people think of humility as undesirable because it supposedly makes people feel bad about themselves by making them obsess over their defects and deficiencies. [...]
Those who can get on without matter can get on best with it
Many conventional seekers think of the world only in two terms – action or renunciation, either to act in the world or to renounce it. [...]
Spirituality values even the fools who find no value in spirituality
To appreciate the value of spirituality requires a sharp and deep intelligence that can penetrate through the surface appearance of things and ponder the core [...]
Krishna is not neutral but reciprocal
What is Krishna’s relationship with the world? The Bhagavad-gita addresses this question repeatedly in its several chapters, especially in its ninth chapter. That discussion culminates [...]
Don’t challenge the wisdom of God – let the wisdom of God challenge you
To challenge the wisdom of God means to approach his words with a cold, critical attitude, with the intention of disproving, defying and denigrating it. [...]
Krishna’s glory is inconceivable yet relishable
The Bhagavad-gita’s ninth chapter makes two seemingly self-contradictory assertions. First, it states (09.04: mat sthani sarva bhutani) that all living beings are situated in Krishna. [...]
To grow in devotion, focus not on emotion but on dedication
The Bhagavad-gita features an intriguing paradox. On one hand, it repeatedly urges seekers to stay unaffected amidst emotions such as pleasure and pain (02.56, 12.19, [...]
We may go incognito, but we can never go invisible
When people want to surf the net privately, they often use the incognito mode. Yet they are not invisible to the internet service provider and [...]
Don’t get back at God – get God back
When people hurt us, we often want to get back at them, hurt them the way they have hurt us. When things go wrong in [...]
The purpose of bodily regulation is not physical deprivation but spiritual connection
Some religious seekers subject the body to deprivation through extreme fasting or even self-flagellation. They think that such deprivation will lead to detachment and eventually [...]
To acquire equal vision externally, cultivate spiritual satisfaction internally – by remembering Krishna devotionally
The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly urges us to see pleasant and unpleasant situations equally. How is this possible? To understand, let’s analyze a Gita verse (06.08) that [...]