A military academy trains its students- prospective army chiefs, national security commandoes, and warriors of different grades, with a history of different battles. They study war strategies- from Napoleonic wars to the battles fought in the world war, and the different mistakes and lessons to learn, etc. It’s a fascinating study. Yet a soldier, having…

This pastime from Ramayana teaches an important lesson. When life throws up baffling confusions, and solutions are nowhere at sight, just do one thing: live outside the box! And you may be surprised at what life offers you. “Get out of your head and spend time in the Lord’s space.”- these words of my mentor…

“Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.” – A.P.J.Abdul Kalam When you are helpless or frustrated, assistance can come from unexpected quarters. The monkey soldiers of Rama were despondent at their inability to find…

“The most practical way to apply principles of Bhakti Yoga is simple – just be non-envious” – this quote of Radhanath Swami is profound. We may pronounce mantras perfectly or memorize over a dozen verses every week. We may even preach and worship the Lord elaborately. Yet if we aren’t happy at others’ success; if…

“Great works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance.” - Samuel Johnson Once in Melbourne, a man expressed doubt to Srila Prabhupada that he comes occasionally to the temple. Could he still make spiritual advancement? Srila Prabhupada’s endearing answer is hope-giving to all spiritual practitioners. He said if one continued to consistently visit the…

“Illusion is the first of all pleasures” - Oscar Wilde ‘Home-state’ is a term that refers to an activity or a state of being where you are internally anchored. You are at peace with yourself even as troubles hit you day in day out. Our ability to bounce back, even as life throws up unpleasant surprises, is dependent on…

“For the self there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.” - Bhagavad gita (2.20) I looked at my fully drenched body and knew the water…

“Even kings with heaps of wealth and vast dominion cannot compare with an ant filled with love of God.” - Guru Nanak Bhati yoga emphasizes on our dependence on god’s mercy. While karma is activitiy centred and jnana focusses on knowledge and yoga is centred on perfection, the path of bhakti however is unique because it is ‘dependency centred’-…

” One who is regulated in eating, recreation, sleeping and working can mitigate all sorrows by practicing yoga.” – Bhagavad Gita (6.17) “Our entire process is recreation”, srila Prabhupada declared emphatically to a reporter who asked how devotees relax and balance their lives. For years I struggled to understand this one statement of srila Prabhupada.…