Is the Gita’s declaration about the world’s distressful nature pessimistic?
Is the Gita’s declaration about the world’s distressful nature pessimistic? - When we hear the Bhagavad-gita statement (08.15) that the world is a place of [...]
How we end up neglecting life’s important things
How we end up neglecting life’s important things -When people face sudden disaster or death, they often realize that they have wasted so much of [...]
Is the dark side stronger than the bright side?
We all have inside us a divine side and a demonic side, or phrased metaphorically, a bright side and a dark side. The bright side [...]
What is the difference between philosophy and ideology?
The world can often be so complex and convoluted that we urgently need some framework to make sense of things. And philosophy strives to provide [...]
Are we devaluing our life by overvaluing our autonomy?
Sometimes, life puts us in situations that reduce our autonomy: a demanding job, a difficult relationship, a dreadful disease. If we overvalue autonomy, deeming it [...]
How we can make our life an adventure
We are often attracted to adventure stories, wherein people face formidable odds and do spectacular things. We may even lament that our life is boring. [...]
Gita 18.14 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan Now go to the next [...]
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 [...]
The endless end of knowledge
The word “end” has two meanings: conclusion and purpose. “To what end are you doing all this?” means, “For what purpose are you doing this?” [...]
When what we do doesn’t seem to matter …
When we experience how the world is filled with big problems, we may think, “What a tiny person like me does or doesn’t do hardly [...]
Gita 5.6 explained
Now Shri Krishna will conclude this, why Karma Yoga is better and why Gyan Yoga has to be discouraged: Bg 5.6 sannyāsas tu mahā-bāho [...]
How to see desire as a blessing not as a burden?
On the spiritual path, we often think of desire as a burden that needs to be shed. And yes, many of our desires do impede [...]
When matter and spirit need to be differentiated — and when not
The Bhagavad-gita begins with a rigid differentiation between matter and spirit (02.11-30), wherein the properties of the spiritual particle, the soul, are shown to be [...]
Gita 08.16 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Now here onwards Krishna will contrast [...]
How to use the material to reach the spiritual?
Suppose we received a large sum of money as inheritance. If we were prudent, we would invest it wisely to create something of sustainable value. [...]
Why do scriptures give extreme examples?
Scriptures such as Ramayana, Mahabharata or Bhagavatam often give extreme examples: sages who perform extraordinary austerity, warriors who exhibit inconceivable heroism, spiritualists who manifest incredible [...]
What happens to our desires when we become enlightened?
Some people hold that the enlightened are free from all desires; they perceive that desire is often the cause of illusion, degradation and bondage. Because [...]
Gita 04.13 explained
Bg 4.13 cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhy akartāram avyayam Synonyms: cātuḥ-varṇyam — the four divisions of human society; mayā — by Me; sṛṣṭam — created; guṇa — of [...]
When philosophy answers our questions — and when it doesn’t
When philosophy answers our questions — and when it doesn’t - Suppose we are driving and suddenly meet a deadend. That’s when we may turn [...]