The test of success in bhakti is taste for bhakti
The test of success in bhakti is taste for bhakti When we practice bhakti, we may wonder, “How do I know if I am progressing [...]
Gita 07.17 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya So the next verse describes how [...]
Happiness is not a product of gratification it is a by product of dedication
Happiness is not a product of gratification it is a by product of dedication We all long for happiness. Today’s culture declares that we can [...]
What we initially indulge in casually we eventually indulge in compulsively
What we initially indulge in casually we eventually indulge in compulsively When contemporary culture tempts us with addictive indulgences such as drinking, it often offers [...]
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 [...]
Before Krishna can entrance our consciousness he needs an entrance to our consciousness
Before Krishna can entrance our consciousness he needs an entrance to our consciousness In its conclusion (18.67), the Bhagavad-gita urges us to not speak its [...]
Devotion is expressed through intention and attention not just emotion and action
Devotion is expressed through intention and attention not just emotion and action People often equate devotion with feel-good emotions or ritualistic actions. If they feel [...]
Immigration to the spiritual world happens not by infiltration but by invitation
Immigration to the spiritual world happens not by infiltration but by invitation When two countries have huge economic disparities, people from the poorer country often [...]
Devotion is not just reverential deference to God’s greatness; it is also passionate advocacy of his sweetness
Devotion is not just reverential deference to God’s greatness; it is also passionate advocacy of his sweetness Some people think that to be devoted means [...]
The devoted shine like sapphire when they go through the sadhana fire
The devoted shine like sapphire when they go through the sadhana fire The soul is like a jewel. It is an effulgent spark of consciousness, [...]
Sensuality erodes both our tendency and our capacity for spirituality
Sensuality erodes both our tendency and our capacity for spirituality If we are to travel from place A to place B, we need the tendency [...]
Krishna transforms our brokenness into wholeness when we surrender
Krishna transforms our brokenness into wholeness when we surrender Suppose an accident has broken our bones. To function properly, we need to first become healthy [...]
Devotion transforms backbenchers into toppers
Devotion transforms backbenchers into toppers In every classroom, some students are perpetual backbenchers – they don’t like to study; they attend classes just because they [...]
Devotion is not just emotion – it is conscious continuous cultivation
Devotion is not just emotion – it is conscious continuous cultivation Many people conceive of devotion as a pleasant, pious emotion that they experience occasionally. [...]
Monism puts the head and heart at war with each other; devotion harmonizes them
Monism puts the head and heart at war with each other; devotion harmonizes them Many aspiring spiritualists think that the Absolute Truth is non-differentiated oneness. [...]
Krishna is not a passive point of concentration – he is the proactive fount of compassion
Yogis begin their meditation by using various objects as initial points of concentration. The Bhagavad-gita mentions that they may focus on the space between their [...]
Devotion defangs and domesticates our desires
Desires are often thought of as enemies for seekers because they entangle us in material things. The Bhagavad-gita (13.22) stresses that the desire to enjoy [...]
Gradual destruction is as destructive as sudden destruction
When sudden, huge destruction occurs because of, say, an earthquake, we are jolted out of our routine complacency. Being confronted with the brittleness of our [...]
See through the mind’s troika of denial, misdirection and self-victimization
The mind often sabotages us by making us do foolish things. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (06.06) cautions that the mind can be our enemy. The mind [...]
Healing requires not just the expelling of germs, but primarily the boosting of immunity
When germs infect us and we start feeling sick, we take treatment for driving out the germs. However, healing requires not just the driving out [...]
Renunciation is not a function of frustration – it is a fruit of realization
Some people think that those people take to renunciation who have become frustrated with material life, especially with their inability to become successful in material [...]