The revelation of the revelation comes from the living tradition
Revelation is not just a one-time event that happened long ago. No doubt, at extraordinary moments in human history, God interacts directly with humans, without [...]
Revelation is the foundation for the ultimate revolution
When social or financial conditions are felt as intolerable, people rise in revolution against the powers that be. Such revolutions can bring about dramatic political [...]
Don’t equate what is in scripture with what scripture teaches
Some people think that everything in scripture is the teaching of scripture. But scripture gives the thoughts, words and actions of not just God and his [...]
The point of scriptural study is not to prove our point, but to improve our viewpoint
We frequently think that our understanding of things is the correct understanding. When we study scripture, this mentality often makes us presume that our understanding [...]
Harmonize conceptions of the divine with revelation by the divine through surrender to the divine
Different traditions whose ranks incorporate not just lay people but also serious seekers and even saintly seers have varying conceptions of the divine. Why? Because [...]
The heart of wisdom is attained by the wisdom of the heart
The heart of wisdom is pure love for the all-attractive Supreme, Krishna. Such love is the most cherished and most confidential fruit of wisdom, for [...]
Don’t come up with the truth; come up to the truth
The phrase ‘coming up with the truth’ indicates speculating and hazarding our own way to the truth. It implies that truth is something submerged and [...]
Krishna is concrete, close-by and caring
“Always remember Krishna? That’s impossible.” This may be our understandable reaction on hearing the Bhagavad-gita’s central devotional recommendation. Thinking about Krishna constantly will naturally seem [...]
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 [...]
For the cynic, the truth lies in the heart
Some people are inveterate cynics who ascribe the darkest motives to even the noblest actions. When such cynics target religion, they see God as a [...]
To understand that we can’t understand Krishna is the key to understanding him
In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna admits (10.14) that even superhuman beings such as gods can’t understand Krishna. Thereby, he conveys that he too can’t understand Krishna. [...]
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. [...]
To understand Krishna, stand under Krishna
Can we finite beings ever understand infinite Krishna? By our capacity, no. By Krishna’s grace, yes. Let’s see how. Krishna is like the sun, whereas [...]
When we do what we can do, Krishna helps us to do what we can’t do
Spiritual life sometimes presents us with standards that seem impossible to meet. For example, we may feel that thinking of Krishna constantly is impractical. Certainly, [...]
The Bhagavad-gita is infinitely pregnant with wisdom
Good books are a joy to read. Great books are a joy to not just read, but also re-read. During the re-reading of great books [...]
Faith bridges the gap between personal realization and scriptural revelation
We may get the question: “What is the role of faith in understanding the Bhagavad-gita?” Faith helps us persevere in our spiritual journey till our [...]
Claiming that the unknown is unknowable is claiming to know the unknown
“God is so great that we tiny creatures can never know him.” So claim some people. At first sight, this position seems reasonable and even [...]
Familiarity is not understanding
The Bhagavad-gita (4.9) describes that the result of understanding Krishna – his divine birth and his sublime activities – is liberation and reinstatement in his [...]