Justice or just is?
Suppose a ship with three hundred people is hit by an iceberg and starts sinking. Suppose further that it only has life-saving equipment for a [...]
How to cultivate equanimity?
In today’s fast-paced world characterized by sudden and massive changes, we often appreciate people who stay cool-headed. How can we too develop such equanimity? Do [...]
Gita 03.40 explained
Krishna describes enemy, the enemy covers our intelligence. Where is that enemy present? BG 3.40 indriyani mano buddhir asyadhishthanam ucyate etair vimohayaty esha jnanam avritya [...]
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, [...]
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 [...]
Beyond thoughtless action and spineless inaction
At the start of the Bhagavad-gita, when Arjuna is confronted with the prospect of fighting a brutal war against his venerable elders, he pauses. Throughout [...]
Our potential for stupidity
We all are prone to temptation, especially to the temptations that we have indulged in the past and that we are habituated to. If we [...]
Why we need to scan our consciousness regularly
When somebody is canned from their job, that means they are dismissed, often unceremoniously. Our conscience is our inner watchdog that sometimes gets canned, even [...]
How the mind and intelligence work — and how to make them work for us
Our mind often comes up with impulses such as to eat something or to watch something online. If we start giving into such impulses, we [...]
How can we defend ourselves from our mind?
Our mind often speaks as the nasty, discouraging inner voice which says that we are nothing; we count for nothing; whatever we do will eventually [...]
How to use down-time positively?
We all sometimes become frustrated when we are forced into downtime because the Internet or the power go off or because a pandemic forces us [...]
Why minor distractions aren’t minor?
Suppose an army is marching to a disputed territory and has limited stocks of food. If the enemy creates decoys that divert the army, each [...]
Are you trying to be peaceful or purposeful?
We live in a world that often agitates us with many anxieties and perplexities. Naturally, therefore, we seek peace of mind. Significantly however, we need [...]