Outer thanks inner greed — how gratitude may be subverted
When we strive to practice a virtue like gratitude, it is very easy to make it into a ritual that is done externally without [...]
The pillow of gratitude
Even when we understand that gratitude is beneficial for our well-being, feeling grateful constantly throughout the day is not easy, given how demanding and [...]
Gratefully ambitious
While most people acknowledge the importance and even the necessity of gratitude for a happy life, some people fear that if they are grateful for [...]
The healing power of gratitude
When we lose a loved one, for example, or when we experience rejection in an important relationship, the catastrophic severity of the wound to our [...]
Learning the language of gratitude
For two people to connect effectively, they need to learn a common language and be on speaking terms. A similar dynamic applies to our mind’s [...]
Two obstacles to gratitude
When we try to cultivate gratitude, we may encounter various obstacles, with greed seeming to be the most evident candidate. The focus of gratitude and [...]
Two connections between gratitude and mental health
Nowadays, there are increasing concerns about mental health. More and more people find themselves feeling internally slowed, stymied, or even sabotaged by their own emotions, [...]
Gratitude for the ordinary
During our life, whenever we receive something special — for example, getting an unexpected job promotion or winning the lottery — we feel overjoyed. And [...]
No to incite yes to insight
The world contains many power-hungry people who ruthlessly pursue their selfish, even devilish, agendas. To serve their own ends, they have no compunctions about manipulating [...]
Might life be better if we pursued something other than happiness?
We live in a world that oversells happiness to us, with unending promises and unendingly glamorized products. And we have minds that are programmed with [...]
Feeling God or trusting God?
During our life, there will be times when we are down, yet we feel God's presence guiding, strengthening and uplifting us. However, there will also [...]
How to speak more effectively: Cross or Across?
Whenever we have a difference of opinion with someone, wherein despite our best attempts to persuade them, they just don't seem to get our point, [...]
Gita 17.16 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 17.16 manaḥ-prasādaḥ saumyatvaṁ maunam [...]
Facing losses but not feeling lost — the reorienting power of gratitude
Suppose we are driving through a remote area guided by GPS and suddenly the GPS connectivity gets lost due to a heavy storm. Not knowing [...]
Is gratitude a state or a trait?
Gratitude can be both, and it is best when manifested as both. Let’s see how. State: Gratitude as a state refers to the emotions of [...]
What we do with our blessings
In our life, we all have both blessings and problems. Unfortunately, we often tend to fixate on our problems, which may arise due to our [...]
How to work with our mind
Even a little introspection can demonstrate to us how distracting and distractible our mind is — it gets captivated by trivial things and then makes [...]
Our mind’s attention vs our attention
Our mind is by nature fickle (Bhagavad-gita 06.34). It gets attracted to almost any and every shiny object that comes within its attention, be it [...]
Gita 18.61 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 18.61 Now Krishna explains [...]
Gita 02.27 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
BG 2.27 jatasya hi dhruvo mrityur dhruvam janma mritasya ca tasmad apariharye 'rthe na tvam socitum arhasi SYNONYMS jatasya -- of one who has [...]
Is a long life a good life?
When somebody dies in old age, people often say about them: “They had a good life.” But does the length of a life determine its [...]