Anticipate spontaneous devotion, but cultivate conscientious devotion
When we read in the scriptures about exalted devotees who spontaneously love Krishna, we as aspiring devotees naturally long for such spontaneous devotion. And we [...]
Bhakti renders the metaphysical physical and the physical metaphysical
Can we know the metaphysical nature of things (how they actually are) as contrasted with their physical nature (how they appear to us)? Modern science [...]
The divorce of the raja from the rishi perverts the ruler into an exploiter
Monarchy. The idea of one person monopolizing political power alarms us. So, when the Bhagavad-gita (04.02) refers to monarchs positively as the primary recipients of [...]
Spiritual growth depends on disposition, not position
Our normal material tendency is to go by externals. We form impressions about people based on how they look, where they stay, what they drive [...]
Preoccupation with occupation is not devotion
Some people claim, “Work is worship. So says the Bhagavad-gita.” Does it? The Gita verse that directly links work with worship is 18.46: sva-karmana tam abhyarca. “By [...]
Be a warrior, not a worrier
An unchanging characteristic of life is change. And change often puts us into anxiety, especially when it is undesirable, unpredictable or uncontrollable. Such anxiety, if [...]
Krishna is the best enjoyer – and the best source of enjoyment
“If I start practicing spiritual life with all its rules, no enjoyment will be left in my life.” Such apprehensions often check potential spiritual seekers. [...]
Disbelieve the mind’s disastrous misdiagnosis
During sickness, when we consult a doctor, a possible danger is misdiagnosis. The doctor may mistakenly prescribe the medicine meant for some disease other than [...]
Anger makes our response to a problem a bigger problem than the problem itself
When someone wrongs us, it is natural to feel angry. Yet just because it is natural doesn’t make it desirable. Of course, neither is it [...]
Fretting is like overcooking a rotten vegetable in our head
Suppose a chef who found that a recently purchased vegetable was rotten, and, annoyed at the prospect of wasted time and money, decided to set [...]
Those who respect the command of God command the respect of the world
A feature of Vedic culture that often perplexes, even provokes, observers is the immense respect it offers to brahmanas: “Why should someone be respected so [...]
When the world has got so much from us, why should Krishna get less?
Few worldly things activate us as much as the prospect of enjoyment. Among all forms of enjoyment, the most stimulating is sexual enjoyment. The mind [...]
Leave no space to space out
Doing anything worthwhile requires attentiveness. A sportsperson has to be on high alert to perform in the sporting arena. This need for attentiveness applies all [...]
After we win the battle, our real battle begins
Life regularly forces us to fight battles – battles to thrive and even battles to survive. When we start practicing spiritual life, we want to [...]
Lust is worse than our worst enemy
Our culture glamorizes lust as the source of life’s greatest pleasure. In jolting contrast, the Bhagavad-gita (03.37) warns that lust is the enemy of the [...]
Krishna is beyond the range of the head, but not beyond the reach of the heart
Krishna is infinite, whereas we are finite. The finiteness of our head prevents us from intellectually grasping Krishna completely. No doubt, Gita wisdom helps us [...]
Spiritual advancement comes not just by change of activity but by change of mentality
Materialism habituates us to seeking happiness by changing our externals new dress, new car, new job, new house, even new spouse. When we come to [...]
Look at the mind before you look with the mind
When a normally cordial friend snaps at us for no reason, we understand sympathetically, “That’s due to a bad mood.” When we identify the bad [...]
Feed the heart a healthy diet, not a deadly diet
Just as we grow externally by the food we eat, we grow internally by the dreams that we cherish. The current culture fills us with [...]
Our heart may not have a place for Krishna, but Krishna has a place for our heart
Sometimes life forces us to face so many problems that we feel we have no time left for Krishna. Not only that, the very presence [...]
Krishna may be beyond our reach, but we are not beyond his reach
When our moral failings overcome us, we tend to feel discouraged: “Maybe I am too impure to ever become pure; Maybe Krishna is beyond my [...]