Why the cause of illusion is not what we usually think it is
When people get captivated by an illusion, such as a bottle of alcohol or a good-looking person, what is the cause of their illusion? A [...]
Winning whining wining — or worshiping?
Suppose we strive to do something challenging. If we win, our mind becomes jubilant; if we don't, it often goes into a zone of negativity, [...]
Is God partial?
Some people ask, “In earthly conflicts, as depicted in the Mahabharata, why does God take sides? Is he being partial?” No, he is simply being [...]
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard?
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard? Suppose someone we know does something so shocking that we feel, “I don’t want anything to [...]
Gita 07.11 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Till now Sri Krishna has talked [...]
Is our knowledge making us prouder or wiser?
Is our knowledge making us prouder or wiser? We often think that if we gain enough information, we will become knowledgeable. Significantly however, the Bhagavad-gita [...]
Gita 02.02 – Explanation from Bhakti Shastri Class
BG 2.2 sri-bhagavan uvaca kutas tva kasmalam idam vishame samupasthitam anarya-jushtam asvargyam akirti-karam arjuna SYNONYMS sri-bhagavan uvaca -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; [...]
Why dealing only with today’s problems today can be short-sighted
Suppose a town is situated on the banks of a river that floods repeatedly. Whenever floods come, everyone endeavors to rebuild. But then the river [...]
How purification can empower us all
Purification is often equated with being puritanical, which may evoke images of holier-than-thou people morally policing everyone else. Influenced by such images, we may not [...]
How elevating and expanding of consciousness are dissimilar and similar
How elevating and expanding of consciousness are dissimilar and similar Elevating our consciousness refers to our becoming conscious of higher realities beyond the material [...]
Why lying to ourselves is so dangerous
Suppose someone we work with lies to us frequently. They claim that they can do things they can’t do. Or they claim that they can’t [...]
Why we need to improve ourselves
We all know various areas where we can improve ourselves: exercise regularly, become better-organized, meditate earnestly. Yet we often neglect such self-improvement. Why? Because we [...]
How following tradition literally may defeat the essential purpose of following tradition
Suppose somebody had sanctified their consciousness by bathing in a sacred river regularly at a particular place. This practice may have been going on for [...]
Look for the good in all situations, even in situations that don’t look good
Look for the good in all situations even in situations that don’t look good Whenever life subjects us to terrible situations, we often obsess over [...]
The desire that the dark be darker defines a dark mind
The desire that the dark be darker defines a dark mind Suppose we know that someone is short-tempered. Suppose further we hear through the grapevine [...]
Make judgments but don’t be judgmental
Make judgments but don’t be judgmental When doing anything responsible, we need to make judgments: we need to evaluate who is suitable for doing what [...]
To respect Krishna respect the time we have carved out for Krishna
To respect Krishna respect the time we have carved out for Krishna Suppose we are to meet someone who says they respect us profusely. But [...]
When the mind takes charge the only thing that works is we: hard
When the mind takes charge the only thing that works is we: hard Suppose a competent leader takes charge of a project. They ensure that [...]
We don’t know the future but neither does our mind – its fears don’t forecast the future
We don’t know the future but neither does our mind - its fears don’t forecast the future Our mind often fills us with fears about [...]
To have fixity in purpose we need flexibility in pace
To have fixity in purpose we need flexibility in pace Suppose we are driving to a distant place for some important work. If the road [...]
When the mind believes something is enjoyable it stops evaluating whether it is actually enjoyable
When the mind believes something is enjoyable it stops evaluating whether it is actually enjoyable Our mind often works like a programmed device, giving particular [...]