Can I Give You a Hug?
"Can I Give You a Hug?" I stared at the American girl who had asked me this question with a bright smile on her face. [...]
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 [...]
“Which is your favorite Bhagavad-gita verse?”
“Which is your favorite Bhagavad-gita verse?” This was a question a podcast host asked me during a recent interview on my UK visit. I paused [...]
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 [...]
Is God Being Unfair to You—or Are You Being Unfair to God?
After one of my talks at Southern Connecticut State University, a young man came up to speak with me. We were in a classroom, and [...]
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 [...]
Question: If the Bhagavad-gita recommends action rather than renunciation, why do devotees in ISKCON become brahmacharis rather than act in the world as grihasthas?
Answer: There are three distinct considerations here. First is the context of the teaching of the Gita. Second is the broader Indian tradition. And third [...]
If we have made some terrible mistake, why and how should we forgive ourselves?
Answer: There are psychological, spiritual, and devotional reasons for forgiving ourselves. Psychologically, as long as we do not forgive ourselves, we continue to hold on [...]
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 [...]
Release me from the voice inside my head that endlessly craves empty pleasures
Bhagavad-gita 6.6 bandhur ātmātmanas tasya yenātmaivātmanā jitaḥ anātmanas tu śatrutve vartetātmaiva śatru-vat A voice inside leads me astray; It steals my life day by [...]
From “Thank God” to “Thank You, God”
During one of my flights on my last tour of Australia, I found myself in the middle seat. As the departure time drew near, neither [...]
What does being fearless in the Lord’s service mean?
Faith in God's protection means accepting that what he protects may be different from what we expect him to protect. One of the most celebrated [...]
Let my speech bring calm to the storm, not begin a second storm
anudvega-karaṁ vākyam Within me, when storms of pain form, Let not my speech bring another storm. May my prayers seek you as my anchor, Then [...]
Lead me out of my ego’s web by your love’s WEB: wisdom, expertise, benevolence
Bhagavad Gita 18.58 mac-cittaḥ sarva-durgāṇi mat-prasādāt tariṣyasi atha cet tvam ahaṅkārān na śroṣyasi vinaṅkṣyasi "Focus on me, and all duality you will transcend, By [...]
Let the realization of your position transform my conviction and aspiration
Bhagavad Gita 18.78 yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇo yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ tatra śrīr vijayo bhūtir dhruvā nītir matir mama Where Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of mystic perfection, [...]