What the Gita’s questions tell us about Arjuna as a student
During a class, the questions a student asks tells the teacher how much the student is involved in the learning process. Arjuna’s questions in the [...]
Why Arjuna requests Krishna to stop the revelation of his universal form
Toward the end of the Bhagavad-gita’s eleventh chapter, when Krishna’s revelation of his universal form turns too fearsome for Arjuna to bear, Arjuna requests Krishna [...]
The only prayers offered by Arjuna to Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita
Prayers are a natural and prominent feature amid human-divine interactions, yet they don’t occur much in the Bhagavad-gita, even though it is a human-divine interaction. [...]
Pride comes before a fall but does pride fall?
Pride comes before a fall — this saying is meant to be a warning for those who proudly place themselves in a position higher than [...]
When acknowledging our insignificance is good and when it isn’t
When we understand the hugeness of the world, such revelations are meant to bring some humility within us. Such thinking is meant to prevent us [...]
How we all can be dangerous be we strong or weak
Suppose someone is strong, be it physically, economically, politically. We easily understand that they can be dangerous if they start abusing their strength. However, [...]
Is our body fast becoming an ego feast?
Is our body fast becoming an ego feast? - Suppose we fast strictly on sacred days, abstaining even from water. When we see others eating [...]
How humility is non-different from curiosity
Suppose we are driving for an important meeting but can’t find the venue. Even if we are driving a limo, we may not hesitate to [...]
Are we rude to the crude?
Suppose we come from an urbane background and behave in ways that our culture considers well-mannered. Suppose we meet someone from a rustic background with [...]
If we are grateful when ability manifests through us, we can be graceful when it doesn’t
If we are grateful when ability manifests through us we can be graceful when it doesn’t Amid life’s challenges, we all look for some ability [...]
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 [...]
Humility means to not let our ego come in the way of our purpose
Humility is sometimes seen negatively, as something weakening or self-denigrating. However, real humility is empowering, for it frees us from dependence on others’ perceptions. Pertinently, [...]
Self-pity is not humility
Self-pity can seem like humility because both appear to involve having a low, even negative, conception of ourselves. However, they are totally different both in [...]
Cultivating humility doesn’t mean courting dishonor
The Bhagavad-gita (13.08) commends humility as the first among the virtues of the enlightened. And it also commends protecting one’s honor, the seeming opposite of [...]
Cultivate humility not as the justification for shirking responsibility but as the inspiration for embracing responsibility
Humility is foundational to authentic spirituality. The Bhagavad-gita (13.08) lists humility as the first among the virtues that comprise wisdom. Krishna enjoins Arjuna to cultivate [...]
The purpose of humility is to foster neediness, not helplessness
Some people think of humility as undesirable because it supposedly makes people feel bad about themselves by making them obsess over their defects and deficiencies. [...]
Humility doesn’t take away our self-respect; it helps us respect the self
Some people feel that humility is demeaning, that it takes away their self-respect. This feeling stems from their misunderstanding that humility means to let oneself [...]
Show temptation the red light – not the red carpet
Self-destruction. That’s the bane of humanity. From hot-heads who break hearts due to their urge for speaking thoughtlessly to sex addicts who risk their dignity [...]
Are we letting knowledge steal our humility?
When we get introduced to Gita wisdom, we discover a magnificent body of knowledge that answers life’s fundamental questions. As we enrich ourselves with this [...]
How humility boosts our self-esteem…
We often feel under-recognized by the world. We frequently think that we have far more talents and much greater potential than what others credit us. [...]
Humility means to accept but not expect respect
We may sometimes wonder, “How can I stay humble amidst the devotional culture of respectfulness? If nobody would notice me, it would be easier to [...]