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) [...]
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) [...]
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 [...]
When germs of a deadly disease such as tuberculosis infect us and give rise to manifest symptoms of sickness, we take treatment immediately and diligently. [...]
Some critics of bhakti, on seeing how devotees look similar, accuse that the bhakti movement mass-produces cultural clones, as does a factory. However, such a [...]
To err is human. Whenever we attempt anything worthwhile, we usually go through failures before attaining success. Even children taking their first steps slip and [...]
We all want to be special. Materialistic culture directs our longing for specialness towards material things. It makes us believe that we will stand out [...]
Towards the end of the Bhagavad-gita (18.64), Krishna announces that he will share the most confidential knowledge (sarva guhyatama). Confidential knowledge (guhya) refers to the [...]
The empty-handed refers to those who have very little material resources. So, when they come to Krishna, they come with next to nothing. Yet Krishna [...]
Devotion is a state of the heart – a state of spontaneous inner attraction to Krishna. Yet that state manifests as outer action too, for [...]
The Bhagavad-gita (02.58) uses the example of tortoise safe inside its shell to recommend that we keep ourselves spiritually safe by withdrawing our senses from [...]
Serious seekers often worry, “Will I fall back into the illusions of material existence?” Yes, if we keep worrying about falling into illusion. No, if [...]
Some people ask, “Do I have to renounce everything material to gain devotion?” No – the essence of devotion is reclaiming the spiritual, not renouncing [...]
Some people find the Bhagavad-gita pessimistic: “Why harp on life’s problems? Why not see its positive side?” Actually, the Gita doesn’t harp on life’s problems [...]
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 [...]
Some people ask, “What is the use of chanting Krishna’s holy names mechanically, keeping track of the count on beads? True lovers of Krishna will [...]
Some people misunderstand the Bhagavad-gita’s recommendation to be detached as a call to be passive. However, the Gita concludes with Arjuna’s resolve to give up [...]
When donors give money to someone, their own reserve of money decreases. If they are religious, the knowledge that they have gained pious credits solaces [...]
Our identity, activity and destiny are our defining features. But do our names, jobs and dreams actually define us? After all, we can change them [...]
During our spiritual journey, we sometimes find ourselves assaulted by non-devotional feelings such as boredom or nonchalance or, worse still, by anti-devotional feelings such as [...]
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 [...]
“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 [...]