Gita 16.16 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 16.16 aneka-citta-vibhrāntā moha-jāla-samāvṛtāḥ prasaktāḥ [...]
How to be detached in our relationships
We are social creatures who need relationships to be emotionally nourished. Yet many traditions emphasize detachment as a primary requirement for spiritual growth. For example, [...]
How can Arjuna practice undeviating bhakti when the modes are causing his deviation?
On the Kurukshetra battlefield, Arjuna was deviated by the lower modes — under their influence, he was fixating on the agony of fighting against his [...]
Why is Krishna’s description of devotion so unemotional?
In the Bhagavad-gita’s twelfth chapter, Krishna’s list of qualities of devotees (12.13-20) don’t include any descriptions of devotional ecstasy. Far from it, the list stresses [...]
How Arjuna understands what Krishna means when using the word ‘yoga’
Words are often multivalent — they have many meanings, sometimes widely differing meanings. When confronted with such multivalent words during a conversation, how do we [...]
What Krishna’s assurance about bhakti-yoga means for Arjuna
Toward the end of the Bhagavad-gita, Krishna promises Arjuna of protection if he becomes devotionally conscious (18.58). What does this promise signify? To understand, let’s [...]
Gita 11.55 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan After this Krishna will summarize [...]
The universality of bhakti
The universality of bhakti - Most conventional religious paths present rigid boundaries to differentiate between the pure and the impure, which eventually translates into the [...]
The transformatory potency of bhakti yoga (Appreciating bhakti-yoga 4)
The transformatory potency of bhakti yoga - Every path expects certain abilities or qualities from its practitioners. For example, athletes need to be physically fit [...]
What intelligence can and can’t do in bhakti
What intelligence can and can’t do in bhakti: On the devotional path, the ultimate success and the immediate process both center on a personal loving [...]
Two views of the role of intelligence in bhakti
Two views of the role of intelligence in bhakti - Bhakti practitioners often view intelligence ambivalently. On a negative side, they feel that overuse of [...]
Three practical benefits of remembering Krishna
Three practical benefits of remembering Krishna -- The Bhagavad-gita repeatedly recommends that we remember the ultimate reality, Krishna. Let’s consider three practical benefits of such [...]
When morality feels like a burden …
When morality feels like a burden - When we try to follow moral standards to live purely, we sometimes feel harassed by temptations that keep [...]
How to avoid unhealthy reactions to unwanted emotions
How to avoid unhealthy reactions to unwanted emotions - Suppose we experience a craving that runs contrary to the principles we hold sacred. Faced with [...]
How to see negative emotions positively
We all sometimes experience negative emotions such as loneliness, dejection, resentment, anger or fear. When such emotions arise, we may let ourselves get carried away [...]
Gita 02.52 explained
Now, after describing this, Krishna will again come to the point of how this attainment of anamayam (2.51) is beyond even the Vedas. It [...]
How intelligence and scripture may increase our illusions
How intelligence and scripture may increase our illusions - The Bhagavad-gita (02.53) cautions that our intelligence can get lost in the forest of illusion created [...]
What does it mean to “follow our heart”?
What does it mean to “follow our heart”? - Suppose we have to decide about complex and consequential issues such as choosing a career, a [...]
What is the heart?
Many regularly used words have nuances that we rarely ponder. Consider the word “heart.” When we say, “He suffered a heart attack,” we refer to [...]
How to expand our God consciousness in our relationships
How to expand our God consciousness in our relationships - When we strive to become God conscious by doing various devotional practices, we often start [...]
Do emotions reside in the mind?
Do emotions reside in the mind? - To understand, consider an analogous question: do sensations reside in the body? Suppose a 20 kg dumbbell is [...]