Unconditional love doesn’t mean that whatever we do is loved; it means that whatever we do, we are loved
Some people say, “If God loves us unconditionally, he should let us do whatever we want. But in the Bhagavad-gita, he asks us to do [...]
Krishna has faith in our potential – let’s have faith in his potency
Suppose a celebrated sports coach has faith in the potential of an aspiring sports player. If that player lacks confidence, seeing the coach’s confidence in [...]
Krishna transforms our brokenness into wholeness when we surrender
Suppose an accident has broken our bones. To function properly, we need to first become healthy and whole. Our functioning can be impeded not just [...]
Surrender makes us not just peaceful but also purposeful
When we are disturbed, we often approach God through prayer and surrender, hoping to become peaceful. Pertinently, the Bhagavad-gita (18.62) states that surrender leads to [...]
Our mistakes are not Krishna’s plan, but Krishna’s plan accommodates our mistakes
Some people say, “Everything is God’s plan.” Is it really? Are our mistakes his plan? If some people become alcoholics or commit suicide, did God [...]
Maya is not just illusion – it is also the agency that brings about illusion
The word “Maya” is common in yogic philosophy. Though often translated as illusion, Maya is also the agency that brings about illusion. The Bhagavad-gita (07.14) [...]
Human will is founded and fulfilled in the divine will
Some people think that human will and divine will are opposed to each other – when we submit to God’s rules, we lose our freedom [...]
When we discuss a subject close to our hearts, our hearts come close
Suppose we have to attend some talk on a subject that doesn’t interest us. And suppose even the speaker is apathetic and is delivering the [...]
Enter the war, but don’t let the war enter you
“How can one act without being bound?” This is Arjuna’s essential question at the start of the Bhagavad-gita. And the whole Gita addresses it at [...]
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 [...]
Surrender may frustrate our surface desires, but it fulfills our deepest longings
Some people ask, “Surrender to Krishna requires abandoning our desires and abiding by his will. Isn’t that frustrating?” No, it isn’t frustrating if we just [...]
Surrender is not giving up but letting go
The notion of surrendering to someone often jars us because we mentally associate it with giving up. Consequently, when the Bhagavad-gita (18.66) concludes with a [...]
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 [...]
Don’t challenge the wisdom of God – let the wisdom of God challenge you
To challenge the wisdom of God means to approach his words with a cold, critical attitude, with the intention of disproving, defying and denigrating it. [...]
Surrender means to do what we can, with what we have – now
Many people think of surrender as passive acceptance. However, surrender involves not just acceptance but also action. The Bhagavad-gita’s conclusion demonstrates this active dimension of [...]
Life’s supreme success is not to conquer everyone but to be conquered by the lover of everyone
Many people think of success in terms of power – they think that the more people they can conquer, the more successful they have become. [...]
It takes great intelligence to recognize that intelligence is not great enough
Some people feel that the path of bhakti is too simplistic: “If we just do what Krishna tells, then how are we doing justice to [...]
We may be unqualified, but we are never disqualified
To be unqualified for something means to not have the necessary qualifications to do it. To be disqualified means to not be allowed to do [...]
The inner war is the bigger war
People new to the Bhagavad-gita often ask: “Does it endorse war?” At one level, the Gita does indeed urge a virtuous warrior to fight against [...]
Don’t treat Krishna as a showpiece; let him show how to put the pieces of life together
We tend to lead our life in pieces – a piece for our career, a piece for our family, maybe a piece for society. And [...]
Spiritual growth depends on disposition, not position
Our normal material tendency is to go by externals. We form impressions about people based on how they look, where they stay, what they drive [...]