I’m scared that my son has become a ghost
“I’m scared that my son has become a ghost.” These were the words of an anguished mother in her fifties who came to meet me [...]
Krishna Caused My Forgetfulness
Krishna Caused My Forgetfulness That was the reply I got from the young devotee who was supposed to have set up a projector for me [...]
How exactly are the Gita’s verses your friends?
"How exactly are the Gita’s verses your friends?" I was asked this question during a recent podcast. The host was a tall, bespectacled young man [...]
When I need encouragement, I get a lecture on detachment
“When I need encouragement, I get a lecture on detachment.” The statement came from a dark-haired South Indian man in his mid-thirties who approached me [...]
This statement is philosophically misleading and potentially dehumanizing
“This statement is philosophically misleading and potentially dehumanizing.” I looked in shock at the statement that had popped up on my computer. I had just [...]
Human life is too precious to be wasted in being human
“Human life is too precious to be wasted in being human.” The words came spontaneously from my mouth as I was speaking with a dynamic [...]
How Long Will Krishna Keep Punishing Me?
This question was the first thing a young European woman had asked me during my conversation with her husband and her. During one of my [...]
The True Result of Spiritual Practice
When we commit to practicing spirituality and understanding our true identity as eternal souls, what is the actual, tangible result in our daily lives? According [...]
When Vrindavan Dust Set Off an Airport Alarm
“Stay where you are. Don’t move even one bit.” The airport security officer pointed his gun at me and spoke in a stern voice. I [...]
Is the Bhagavad Gita Psychologically Damaging?
“My therapist told me to stop hearing classes on the Bhagavad Gita because they are psychologically damaging for me.” This startling statement came from a [...]
Is My Worldview Enriching My Experience—or Merely Confirming My Conceptions?
During my recent visit to Thunder Bay, Canada, I went for a walk to Kakabeka Falls, sometimes called the “Niagara of the North.” Standing before [...]
Was Arjuna Overthinking?
I was asked this question after giving a short talk on overcoming overthinking at Thunder Bay, Canada, on September 14, 2026. The questioner continued, “I [...]
Let me treat unwanted temptations like uninvited visitors: even if I have to entertain them, let me neither embrace nor employ them.
My dear Lord, temptations sometimes enter my consciousness unsolicited, triggered by something I perceive externally or remember internally. Whenever possible, help me neglect and reject [...]
When Convenience Becomes Dependence
“Your flight has already departed.” The Air Canada staff member at the Frankfurt Airport transfer counter told me this in a flat, nonchalant voice. I [...]
The Battlefield Metaphor: Why Intellectual Shortcuts Fail
The setting of the Bhagavad Gita is inherently jarring. Just before the climactic war of the epic Mahabharata is about to begin, the leading warrior, [...]
Death is a Comma, Not a Full Stop
If we identify ourselves solely by our biology, our existence seems terribly fragile. We believe that birth is the absolute beginning and death is the [...]
Why speech needs to be more than truthful
The Bhagavad Gita teaches that the discipline of speech involves much more than simply speaking truthfully. Along with truthfulness, it identifies three other qualities of [...]
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 [...]
Question: Why exactly did Arjuna collapse at the start of the Bhagavad Gita? What made him so indecisive that he became paralyzed?
Answer: Decision-making is hard when there is no good choice. That was Arjuna's dilemma, because both fighting and not fighting were painful options. Fighting meant [...]
If my mother doesn’t want to use a pacemaker and wants me to pray to Krishna that she live without it for as long as she can, and not do anything in terms of getting a pacemaker, how should I see this devotionally and practically?
Answer: There are three distinct issues here. One is your mother's desire, the second is the medical need, and the third is your duty. When [...]
Are life’s reversals karma, tests by Maya, or Krishna’s push to surrender?
When we face reversals in life, we often wonder whether these are the results of our past karma, tests by Maya, or Krishna pushing us [...]