Let my desire for you drive away all my other desires (2.72)
Bhagavad Gita 2.72 eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati sthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati "This is the state divine, the goal of life's [...]
Are we connecting the dots or concocting the dots to connect?
Connecting the dots is a sign of perceptive intelligence, while creating the dots that can then be conveniently connected is a sign of deceptive intelligence. [...]
Get out of the intelligence in ignorance
In the Bhagavad-gita (18.32), Krishna states how the buddhi that is in tamas – the intelligence that is in ignorance – arrives at conclusions opposite [...]
The intriguing day-night metaphor (Gita 02.69 analyzed 1 — Text level)
Literally, the verse states: what is night for all living beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for [...]
What is self-realization?
When we gain a realization, that essentially means we understand and accept as a reality that which is already a reality. By extension, when we [...]
Gita 15.15 explained
Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan 15 th verse – talks [...]
What differentiates spiritualists from fanatics? — 2
The differences between them arise from differing priorities. Fanatics value certainty above all things, whereas spiritualists value curiosity above all things. Let’s see how these [...]
What differentiates spiritualists from fanatics? — 1
Let’s explore what differentiates the two so that we can detect and reject any fanatical tendencies that may be lurking in our heart. Approach to [...]
Mistakes that even God can’t fix?
As we are finite beings, we may sometimes commit mistakes that have devastating consequences. When we realize the gravity of our blunders, we may become [...]
Gita 5.29 explained
Bg 5.29 bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati Word for word: bhoktāram — the beneficiary; yajña — of sacrifices; tapasām — and [...]
What to expect from prayer — 2
Suppose we enroll for an exercise program meant to build our muscles. Suppose we are told to move some heavy objects. Moving those objects can [...]
When the light seems too bright …
Suppose someone is trapped in a dark maze-like dungeon. After wandering for a long time, they finally find an opening. But as they near the [...]
Four stages in self-transformation
How can we assess our progress toward self-transformation? By noting the process we go through before making choices, both healthy and unhealthy. If we identify [...]
How to feel grateful when we don’t feel grateful
To cultivate gratitude, we need to expand our conception of what it is. Gratitude as an emotion: While gratitude is certainly an emotion, it is [...]
Shifting focus from certainty to curiosity (Religious tolerance series 2)
“God said it; I accept it; that settles it.” Some people presume that such statements of absolute certainty demonstrate their strong faith. But might certainty [...]
Why Arjuna’s declaration of Krishna’s position is significant
In the Bhagavad-gita, Arjuna speaks metaphysical points the most in the tenth chapter (10.12-18). His speech in the eleventh chapter on seeing the universal form [...]
The transformatory potency of bhakti yoga (Appreciating bhakti-yoga 4)
The transformatory potency of bhakti yoga - Every path expects certain abilities or qualities from its practitioners. For example, athletes need to be physically fit [...]
How does the journey from ignorance to knowledge begin? (From ignorance to knowledge series 6)
How does the journey from ignorance to knowledge begin? - Suppose someone wants to mine gold. They need to know quite a few things about [...]
When knowledge increases ignorance … (From ignorance to knowledge series 5)
When knowledge increases ignorance - We usually consider knowledge to be the cure for ignorance: where knowledge increases, ignorance decreases. In fact, a celebrated Upanishadic [...]
The mysterious door to knowledge (From ignorance to knowledge series 2)
The mysterious door to knowledge - Suppose we see a majestic palace and notice a low door to enter into it. Intrigued, we bend ourselves, [...]
When our ignorance is exposed … (From ignorance to knowledge series 1)
When our ignorance is exposed - Because we are tiny beings living in a huge and complex world, what we know will always be dwarfed [...]