God’s transcendence means that he is free from taking sides – and free for taking sides
Some people ask, “Is God impartial? If so, then why does Krishna take the Pandavas’ side in Mahabharata?” Yes, God is impartial. He is transcendental [...]
Sincerity can show the path to ability; it can’t substitute for ability
Suppose a loved one is terribly sick and needs surgery. We sincerely want to help them, but if we don’t know the ABC of surgery, [...]
If Krishna takes away the things that can take us away from him, don’t go away from him
We usually approach God when we need something. If we get it by praying to him, we feel our faith vindicated. But suppose the opposite [...]
The Gita equips the thoughtful to become more faithful and the faithful to become more thoughtful
Some people say, “Thoughtfulness and faithfulness don’t go well together. If someone thinks too deeply, many of the things they are called to believe will [...]
Don’t be so afraid of the irrational as to deny the possibility of the transrational
We live in an age that prides itself on its rationality. Few put-downs anger thinking people as much as being called irrational. As today’s mainstream [...]
God focuses not on what wrongs we have committed, but on where our heart is committed
Suppose we strive to practice bhakti and live purely, but fail — and fail repeatedly. We may feel disheartened: “When I am so impure, how [...]
God loves us as we are, but he loves us too much to let us stay as we are
Some people ask, “Why doesn't God love us as we are? Why does he prescribe so many rules?” To understand God’s love for us, let’s [...]
Moral relativism makes wrongdoing tough to identify, tougher to rectify and toughest to purify
Many people nowadays argue for moral relativism: “What is wrong and what is right is relative; if something feels right to me, then you have [...]
Doubt is a disease that makes the patient believe the doctor is sick
Suppose a patient rejects a doctor’s advice, arguing that it is the doctor who is sick. Such a patient would be considered mentally sick. But [...]
We aren’t merely physical being seeking sustenance, safety and sex – we are essentially spiritual beings seeking purpose and progress
Today’s materialistic worldview holds that we are just physical creatures, who will be satisfied if provided with a steady supply of sustenance, safety and sex. [...]
Don’t reduce scripture to your conceptions of what scripture should be teaching, expand your conceptions to understand what scripture is actually teaching
When we study scripture, our preconceptions often act as a subconscious filter. This filter highlights those parts of scripture that confirm our conceptions and downplays [...]
God keeps the door to him unlocked from his side till every soul, however degraded, comes to him
Some religions hold that God gives us just one chance; if we don’t surrender to him in this life, he casts us into hell forever. [...]
When the mind insinuates, it is often more insidious than when it incites
Suppose a politician speaks hate speech against a particular community. Hearers can easily detect and reject such speech as emotional manipulation. But suppose that politician [...]
Everything expensive is not valuable, everything valuable is not expensive
We all long for the best in life, be it in looks, careers, positions, possessions, or relationships. While seeking the best, we need to differentiate [...]
If we put gravity to test, gravity will put us to rest
Suppose someone decides to test gravity by walking off the parapet wall of a fifty-story building. Gravity will soon put them to rest, stripped of [...]
Even if we fare well in life, we still have to say farewell to life
We all wish to fare well in life; we seek positions and possessions as markers of our progress and success. Often, we lament because we [...]
Just as bigotry can blind emotionally, ideology can blind intellectually
In today’s social justice ethos, if someone makes a racist or sexist statement, they are called out immediately. Prejudices of any kind are frowned upon. [...]
Opinions are like onions – know when they need to be sealed and when peeled
When we have an opinion about something, we may hold on to that opinion irrationally, even if it exasperates those around us. We can understand [...]
Reason can’t reach beyond reason, but it can give us reason to reach beyond reason
Reason, or our rational faculty, is said to be the foundation of the scientific method that has dramatically transformed the way we interact with the [...]
Seeking requires believing: believing that something worth seeking exists and that we have the capacity to find it
Some people say, “Be a seeker, not a believer.” This differentiation rests on the notion that believers are sentimental and gullible, whereas seekers are intellectual [...]
Fanatics use God’s name to give God a bad name
The news often reports how religious fanatics kill innocent people and justify their barbarity in the name of God. Such reports, coupled with ghastly imagery, [...]