Should we be strict with ourselves and lenient with others?
Answer: First, there is no scriptural basis for the idea that we should always be strict with ourselves and lenient with others. It may be [...]
When others hurt me, let me give them the benefit of the doubt, not shut them out
uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet ātmaiva hyātmano bandhur ātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ When others hurt me and my mind rushes to judgment, Help me meet its [...]
Two ways to deal with our past
Even if we can't escape our past, we can still outgrow it We all carry scars from our past—deep wounds that cause fears or impressions [...]
11.55 Revenge burns not our enemy but ourselves
Revenge burns not our enemy but ourselves. Revenge doesn't rebuild the past. It only burns what's still standing. Duryodhana wanted revenge on Bhima for tossing [...]
6.6 How to Let Go of Painful Memories
We all have moments that keep replaying inside us – memories that feel unpleasant, unhealthy, even unbearable. So, how can we let go of those [...]
3.30 Am I seeking justice or revenge? How do I know?
When someone hurts you and you start planning your response—pause. Ask yourself: Am I seeking justice or revenge? And does it really matter? Yes, it [...]
When to forgive but not forget
Suppose someone has done something hurtful. We may be told by others, just forgive and forget. And that is good advice if that person has [...]
Cut people or cut people some slack?
Don't cut people because they are slack. Cut people some slack. Whenever someone doesn't live up to our expectations, it is natural that we become [...]
Why understand a wrongdoer
Understanding a wrongdoer is not justifying a wrongdoing; it is simply evaluating whether the wrongdoer is reformable or incorrigible. When someone, a person, or a [...]
Giving others what they deserve is not love
Love means to give others what they need, not what they deserve or even what they desire. When we try to show our affection to [...]
The difference between forgiving and trusting
The difference between forgiving and trusting is vital for us to understand if we are to not make forgiveness more difficult than what it needs [...]
How can grievous wrongdoing be reconciled with devotion?
The Bhagavad-gita (09.30) raises a serious question: How can grievous wrongdoing and devotion go together? To address this question, consider the ocean-anchor metaphor. We all [...]
Gita 12.15 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Bg 12.15 yasmān nodvijate loko [...]
What forgiving ourselves means — and what it doesn’t mean
Suppose we have made some grievous mistake that has hurt others terribly. Irrespective of whether others forgive us or not, we may refuse to forgive [...]
Why we need to forgive ourselves
Suppose we have mistreated others grievously in the past. We may resolve to never forgive ourselves as a way to make up for those actions. [...]
When contemplating our mistakes helps and when it doesn’t …
Humility, which is lauded as a prime virtue in the Bhagavad-gita (13.08), is often misunderstood. One such misunderstanding centers on how it can be developed: [...]
How to respond when someone hurts us?
How to respond when someone hurts us?- When someone speaks harshly or acts cruelly toward us, how we respond depends primarily on their disposition. The [...]
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard?
Are we holding others to an unrealistically high standard? Suppose someone we know does something so shocking that we feel, “I don’t want anything to [...]