In bhakti we don’t just make the offering – we are ourselves the offering
In bhakti we don’t just make the offering - we are ourselves the offering To connect personally with anyone, we usually offer them something with [...]
Enlightenment is not a static state; it is a perennial process
Some people conceive enlightenment as sitting motionless in a yogic posture, losing oneself internally, and eventually merging forever into a formless light. The Bhagavad-gita, however, [...]
Expect not the absence of the shadow; embrace the presence of the light
Devotee-seekers sometimes ask, “I am devoting myself to Krishna – why then am I still getting miseries in my life?” Because misery is an intrinsic [...]
To eliminate mental phantoms, contemplate the transcendental person
The mind often makes problems far bigger than what they actually are. We get a negative appraisal, but the mind chews and stews on it [...]
Don’t hide the devotion in the heart; hide the heart in the devotion
As we live in largely materialistic society, we may sometimes hide our devotion to avoid any unnecessary conflicts with others who don’t share our values. [...]
The supposition that we have spontaneous devotion sentences us to sporadic devotion
Some people ask, “What is the use of chanting Krishna’s holy names mechanically, keeping track of the count on beads? True lovers of Krishna will [...]
The mind may replay, but we don’t have to play
Sometimes some nasty images come in our mind and make us feel appalled at ourselves: “What kind of devotee am I to be thinking such [...]
The idea to serve Krishna is far more important than the ideas to serve Krishna
The idea to serve Krishna refers to our broad understanding that life is meant for serving him. The ideas to serve Krishna refer to our [...]
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 [...]
Purification transforms theoretical propositions into spiritual realizations
“Krishna is non-different from his holy name.” How can we realize such incomprehensible-seeming scriptural statements? By purification. As souls, we are capable of pure spiritual [...]
Is nothing the place where something is hiding?
Some people say, “When we do nothing, then we will become free from all external preoccupations and thereby discover our true self.” Will we? Yes, [...]
Do we need to lose our way to find our way?
Life sometimes brings us to a dead end. In the face of overwhelming obstacles, everything seems lost. Not knowing where to go or what to [...]
Let Krishna permeate, pervade and possess our heart
Devotional advancement essentially means letting Krishna enter and rule our heart. This may happen in the following three progressive stages: 1. Permeation: Just as water from [...]
Place Krishna at the center of your secret life
All of us have a public life where we interact with the world and a personal life where we interact with our loved ones. Additionally, [...]
Blunt the desire for enjoyment with engagement
The greatest obstacle on the spiritual path for most of us is the desire to enjoy material pleasures, especially anti-devotional material pleasures. Because most of [...]