How to see failure positively
When we strive to do anything in life, we naturally want to be successful. It is delightful when we succeed, and our capacity to persevere [...]
16.02 Even if people are not faultless, we can still find faults less
When we find faults with others, we are often told to not have a fault-finding mentality. In response, we may defend ourselves, “But I am [...]
We talk frequently about death without actually talking about death
“Ten things to do before you die” – such lists are often found in self-help circles. Most readers, however, focus on the things to do, [...]
What we initially indulge in casually, we eventually indulge in compulsively
When contemporary culture tempts us with addictive indulgences such as drinking, it often offers a common rationalization, “Just drink once. It’s no big deal.” However, [...]
In bhakti, we don’t just make the offering – we are ourselves the offering
To connect personally with anyone, we usually offer them something with love. The same principle applies to the process of bhakti-yoga, wherein we aspire to [...]
Don’t crave the feast in others’ plates – savor the feast in yours
Suppose we were invited to a feast in which everyone had slightly different delicacies on their plates. Suppose further that we got so caught in [...]
To save time, we need spiritual elevation more than technological innovation
We are frequently over-scheduled, over-worked, over-stressed. So, we naturally feel eager for things that promise to save time. Catering to our needs, scores of apps [...]
The two endings of the Gita point to the same end
The Bhagavad-gita has two endings based on the two nested conversations that comprise its narrative. The outer, framing conversation is at Hastinapura between Sanjaya and [...]
Devotion makes the head clear and the heart pure
Devotion is essentially the disposition of our heart to love and serve Krishna. And from that devotional desire, all auspiciousness emerges, as the Bhagavad-gita indicates [...]
Learn to see Krishna’s love with the eyes of knowledge
Our culture often bombards us with explicit images of what is considered to be love. If we equate love with such gushy expressions alone, we [...]
If we do what we can, Krishna empowers us to do what we can’t
During the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna’s son Abhimanyu was unfairly, brutally murdered on the thirteenth day. Outraged, Arjuna vowed to kill before the next sunset the [...]
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 [...]
Matter has no intent, but intent matters
Some people misconceive the Gita as a violence-inducing book in which God goads a peace-seeking person to fight. They laud Arjuna when he, instead of [...]
Krishna is not a competitor vying for supremacy – he is constitutionally supreme
“Is the Bhagavad-gita polytheistic?” This question is often raised especially by those coming from the Western intellectual tradition. They are familiar primarily with the rigidly [...]
Surgery seems like violence, but is benevolence
Some people claim, “The Bhagavad-gita teaches that killing is ok because the body is anyway going to die. Such a teaching licenses indiscriminate violence.” This [...]
Devotion passes and surpasses the intellect
The path of devotion passes the intellect meaning that its explanation of life’s purpose can survive the scrutiny of the intellect. In fact, the Bhagavad-gita, [...]
Seeking God’s will in his word shows us our way in this world
Different people approach the Bhagavad-gita differently, seeing it, for example, as a historical, cultural or poetic book. Though the Gita has all these aspects, they [...]
Don’t just read the Gita – heed the Gita
The Bhagavad-gita is a profoundly philosophical book, yet it is also an eminently action-calling book. This pragmatic nature of the Gita is seen in its [...]
The Gita is a book of theology for the purpose of therapy
“I am not interested in God,” so say many people while turning away from the Bhagavad-gita. What they don’t understand is that the Gita is [...]
The best translation of the Gita is its translation into life
People interested in the Bhagavad-gita sometimes ask, “Which is its best translation?” The best translation is its translation into life. That is, the Gita’s best [...]
Study the Gita not to inform the head, but to transform the heart
The Gita does inform the head, no doubt – and it informs about life’s meaning and purpose far better than does the best university education. [...]