The supposition that we have spontaneous devotion sentences us to sporadic devotion
Some people ask, “What is the use of chanting Krishna’s holy names mechanically, keeping track of the count on beads? True lovers of Krishna will [...]
Be not a passive observer – be a detached observer and a devoted doer
Some people misunderstand the Bhagavad-gita’s recommendation to be detached as a call to be passive. However, the Gita concludes with Arjuna’s resolve to give up [...]
Devotion is deepened, not depleted, by distribution
When donors give money to someone, their own reserve of money decreases. If they are religious, the knowledge that they have gained pious credits solaces [...]
By recognizing our identity and redefining our activity, we revolutionize our destiny
Our identity, activity and destiny are our defining features. But do our names, jobs and dreams actually define us? After all, we can change them [...]
Krishna sees not just our feelings but also our feelings about our feelings
During our spiritual journey, we sometimes find ourselves assaulted by non-devotional feelings such as boredom or nonchalance or, worse still, by anti-devotional feelings such as [...]
The yoga of the heart reveals the heart of yoga
The yoga of the heart refers to bhakti-yoga, the yoga that centers on spiritualizing our heart’s central force: love. The heart of yoga refers to [...]
Stepping-stones can become sucking swamps if we don’t step over in time
“Go from darkness to light, from illusion to truth, from mortality to immortality,” exhorts a celebrated aphorism from the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.3.28). The Bhagavad-gita, also [...]
The bird may be encaged, but its desires stay engaged in the field
A bird may be physically restrained by a cage, but it can’t be mentally restrained from dreaming and craving about the grains it could have [...]
Don’t challenge the wisdom of God – let the wisdom of God challenge you
To challenge the wisdom of God means to approach his words with a cold, critical attitude, with the intention of disproving, defying and denigrating it. [...]
Krishna’s glory is inconceivable yet relishable
The Bhagavad-gita’s ninth chapter makes two seemingly self-contradictory assertions. First, it states (09.04: mat sthani sarva bhutani) that all living beings are situated in Krishna. [...]
Balanced bhakti brings bliss
Some people fear that becoming too spiritual will make them apathetic towards everything worldly. Apathy towards the world is not the defining characteristic of spirituality [...]
Might we be blocking the progress of a work in progress?
Suppose a child lying on a mother’s lap sees her mother stitching and weaving a cloth. The needle seems to come in and out of [...]
Why sentence ourselves to meaninglessness, purposelessness and joylessness?
Skeptics often ask, “What is the use of devoting so much time to God?” Little do they understand that Krishna brings meaning, purpose and joy [...]
Let’s guard our consciousness the way we guard our homes
We guard our homes against trespassers, often warding them off with the notice, “Trespassers will be prosecuted.” Gita wisdom urges us to guard our consciousness [...]
Might we be burning the very bridge that we want others to cross?
When we practice devotional service and realize its transformational benefits, we naturally feel inspired to share our faith with others. Such an inspiration is noble. [...]
Seek pleasure in the pursuit of meaning, not meaning in the pursuit of pleasure
Most people live caught up in the pursuit of worldly pleasures. As all such pleasures are destroyed by death, they assume that life has no [...]
What defines us as devotees is not how we fall, but how we rise
When we fail and fall while practicing the moral standards expected of us as devotees, we often feel discouraged, “I will never be able to [...]
When the Absolute Truth doesn’t speak the absolute truth
In the Bhagavad-gita (09.31), Krishna asks Arjuna to declare boldly that devotees will never perish. Erudite Gita commentators explain why Krishna asks Arjuna to make [...]
Sharpen the head, ripen the heart
A fruit-bearing creeper when carefully tended gives a ripe fruit. Similarly, our devotion to Krishna when carefully tended gives an eternal life of love with [...]
The enlightened vision and the benevolent disposition
Spiritual knowledge is a therapy for the soul. Just as medical knowledge brings with it the responsibility to help the sick, so does spiritual knowledge. [...]
Devotional service is the arena to become lost and found
Most people want to get lost in something. They find life routine and monotonous. Few things appear exciting enough to attract their full attention. Even [...]