When the Lord Shook Hands with Brahma, How Exactly Did He Shake Hands?
This was the first question I received after my Srimad Bhagavatam class on 2.9.19 at ISKCON Toronto on September 12, 2026. It came from Bhaktimarga [...]
The Only Time I Failed an Exam
“I just can't believe that I failed.” A distraught student at the University of Toronto said this to me after my talk there on September [...]
Let me treat unwanted temptations like uninvited visitors: even if I have to entertain them, let me neither embrace nor employ them.
My dear Lord, temptations sometimes enter my consciousness unsolicited, triggered by something I perceive externally or remember internally. Whenever possible, help me neglect and reject [...]
When Convenience Becomes Dependence
“Your flight has already departed.” The Air Canada staff member at the Frankfurt Airport transfer counter told me this in a flat, nonchalant voice. I [...]
The Most Dangerous Manipulation
Most of us have probably seen someone being manipulated—or have ourselves been manipulated. Usually, manipulation works by identifying and exploiting a weakness. Someone who is [...]
When Does Love Become Toxic?
Love naturally makes us protective. But when one relationship becomes so important that every other relationship becomes expendable, love can become destructive. Dhritarashtra’s love for [...]
Birthmarks and the Memories of the Soul
The Bhagavad Gita explains that the soul transitions from one body to another, just as a person progresses from childhood to youth to old age. [...]
Consciousness Outside the Body
A common assumption in modern science is that the physical brain generates consciousness. However, scientific evidence regarding near-death experiences (NDEs) poses a significant challenge to [...]
The Three Longings That Biology Cannot Explain
From a purely biological perspective, human beings are often identified simply as biological machines. Biology suggests that survival and reproduction are the primary drivers of [...]
Why You Need a Metaphysical Orientation
Just as our bodies require physical nutrition to survive, our minds require a metaphysical orientation to thrive. Metaphysical orientation provides us with a profound sense [...]
The Conflict of Belonging: Kula Dharma vs. Kshatriya Dharma
The Bhagavad Gita opens with the word dharma. While often translated simply as "religion," dharma actually originates from the Sanskrit root dhru, meaning "to sustain." [...]
Even Go-Getters Must Pause: Arjuna’s Ultimate Dilemma
When the Bhagavad Gita opens, the great warrior Arjuna develops a sudden case of nerves, putting down his weapons and stating, "I cannot fight." It [...]
Why Krishna Did Not Use Hate Speech
In today’s world, violence and war rightfully alarm people, and violence in the name of religion is particularly troubling. Because the Bhagavad Gita is spoken [...]
The Battlefield Metaphor: Why Intellectual Shortcuts Fail
The setting of the Bhagavad Gita is inherently jarring. Just before the climactic war of the epic Mahabharata is about to begin, the leading warrior, [...]
Death is a Comma, Not a Full Stop
If we identify ourselves solely by our biology, our existence seems terribly fragile. We believe that birth is the absolute beginning and death is the [...]
Leadership Insight: When to Translate Power into Control?
Suppose a child throws a tantrum in a public place, demanding a toy. The parent obviously has far greater power than the child. Yet does [...]
The Mystery of Agency: Why You Are Not Your Brain
In modern neuroscience, there is a strong tendency to reduce our entire identity and consciousness to the physical brain. However, pioneering studies suggest that our [...]
The Biological Illusion of Equality
Few things agitate the human heart as much as discrimination and unfair treatment. The aspiration for equality—the deeply held belief that everyone should be treated [...]
Why We Must Not Reduce Ourselves to Our Roles
In life, we wear many hats and play many roles. We possess functional identities based on our gender, age, profession, nationality, and relationship status. While [...]
Adversity, Atrocity, and the True Source of Agony
We often face problems in life at three different levels of acuteness: adversity, atrocity, and agony. Adversity is what life naturally throws at us, such [...]
Question: If the Bhagavad-gita recommends action rather than renunciation, why do devotees in ISKCON become brahmacharis rather than act in the world as grihasthas?
Answer: There are three distinct considerations here. First is the context of the teaching of the Gita. Second is the broader Indian tradition. And third [...]